10 Genius Ways Wrestling Companies Kept You Watching

1. NJPW G1 Climax: The Gedo Years

Sting WCW
NJPW

Provided you make the time to invest, the NJPW G1 Climax rewards that investment.

This article will mostly be read by Brits and Americans. To watch the G1, those in Britain have to avoid spoilers through the working day and watch three hours of pro wrestling every other night; the Americans meanwhile get a taste of the usual British experience by staying up until the small hours and putting in a half-shift at work the next day. It's almost untenable to watch in full even on demand - life gets in the way, and the action is so exceptional that even a classic feels dated a few days later - but, f*ck you, he is Gedo. He'll make you watch.

He'll make you watch by, in 2019, setting outsiders KENTA and Jon Moxley on dominant undefeated streaks, creating a glimpse of not one but two seismic, atypical Tokyo Dome main events. He'll make you watch by booking a favourite to get defeated by a rank outsider on night one, setting the tone for three weeks of unpredictable action. He'll make you watch by challenging his unreal talent roster to improve upon their maximum. Many competing wrestlers have said that they only feel the schedule afterwards; in the demanding throes of the tournament, they never feel sharper nor in better condition.

Gedo even makes you enjoy performing sums in your head when you should be sleeping by booking so many permutations based on so many outcomes, the precedent for which was set, because he's unbelievable at this, on night one.

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Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!