10 Best Matches From The NJPW G1 Climax 2018
2. Kenny Omega Vs. Tomohiro Ishii (4 August)
Rating: *****
Kenny Omega and Tomohiro Ishii's wonderfully violent clash is certain to feature prominently on many a Match Of The Year list, but its silver medal here speaks to the quality of he G1 Climax overall.
Every summer, without fail, the 'Stone Pitbull' shows up and reminds himself that he's one of the best wrestlers in the world, having spent most of the calendar stuck in listless tags. This was him at his absolute best. The fightbacks, the neck selling, the expertly-timed one-count spot: each was sublime, and made it impossible not to root for Ishii to overcome 'The Cleaner' in the kind of blockbuster fight he always seems to lose.
Ishii is a survivor. He spent much of the match on the backfoot, falling to Kenny's biggest, hardest, and best shots, as well as some moments of outright d*ckishness. At several points, the overconfident IWGP Heavyweight Champion mockingly slapped the stout CHAOS man atop the head. This only angered Ishii, who delivered one of the single best performances you'll see from any wrestler all year, with each fightback building on the last.
There'll come a time when Tomohiro Ishii's ageing, battle-ravaged body can no longer withstand the tournament's rigours. At that point, the G1 will cease being the G1. Bouts like this can't be replicated by anyone else.