10 Absolute Worst Matches From The NJPW G1 Climax 2018

9. Hirooki Goto Vs. Toru Yano (26 July)

Tama Tonga Taka Michinoku
NJPW

Rating: *3/4

Ideally short in length on a night in which several matches required time to breathe, Hirooki Goto’s victory over Toru Yano clocking in around the four minute mark was as ideal for viewers as it was the former winner himself.

Kevin Kelly had astutely noted as the ‘Sublime Master Thief’ tried to jump his foe before the bell that Goto had amassed more cumulative minutes than anybody else in B Block at that point - the short sharp shock he dished out to the deflated Yano was simply a case of super-smart tournament wrestling. At a mid-point in the tournament, the brisk effort was equally appreciated by those strapped in for another content-heavy evening.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett