10 Biggest Stories From New Japan's G1 Special And What They Mean Going Forward

During the IWGP US Championship match, Jay White violently suplexed Juice Robinson into the guardrail in front of the commentators’ area. As a result of the move, the railing was pushed into the announcers’ desk and knocked the sixty-six year-old Jim Ross to the floor. Immediately, Ross’ broadcast colleague Josh Barnett voiced his displeasure -- his expletives picked up on his headset microphone. It was then that the former professional wrestler and MMA fighter got up and entered into the ring as Jay White exited to the floor -- wanting no-part of the 6’3” former UFC Heavyweight Champion. The two jaw-jacked with each other before Barnett was eventually coaxed back to his broadcast position by the referee and other officials.

It was a bizarre but thrilling moment that quickly captured the attention of not just the fans in attendance, but the wrestling world at large. AXS TV tweeted a clip of the incident, as did New Japan -- leading many to believe the moment was in storyline. However, Barnett himself later tweeted that the confrontation was “not a work”. And Jim Ross even tweeted about the incident, stating “The bump I took… was not a storyline-driven matter nor was it discussed,” before adding, “I think I broke a rib.”

While it may not have been a planned spot, it surely captured attention and interest the world over. It will be interesting to see if anything further comes of the incident. Perhaps New Japan would be wise to capitalize on the intrigue with a storyline that could see Josh Barnett return to a NJPW ring.