10 Best Matches From The NJPW G1 Climax 2018

8. Zack Sabre Jr Vs. Tetsuya Naito (11 August)

Kenny Omega Tomohiro Ishii
NJPW

Rating: ****3/4

The long-awaited uncorking of the Zack Driver at exactly the right point in the G1 shocked Budokan into silence as Tetsuya Naito was eliminated from the entire tournament just moments before the Kenny Omega/Kota Ibushi B Block battle closed the show.

'The Golden Star' and 'The Best Bout Machine's finale always looked likely to figure into high-pressure proceedings, but Naito's subduing at Sabre's skilled hands made their contest a winner-take-all at his expense.

A win for 'ZSJ' left him on even-footing with eventual B Block winner Ibushi, and acted as yet another advert for the company's faith in his work at the top of the card.

Meanwhile, Naito sadly slumped yet again when under the most pressure. His failed battles to suppress the 'Stardust Genius' within continued to cost him at the very highest level, but even his 'Tranquilo' side resulted in his victimisation. Zack latching on to Naito's arm mid-pose was an inspired and believable assault worthy of the joyous embrace he earned from Taka Michinoku when the pair gleefully celebrated the slightly unexpected victory.

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