10 HUGE Wrestling Moments That Must Happen By 2022

4. A Wrestler Goes Undefeated In The NJPW G1 Climax Tournament

Hiromu Takahashi
NJPW

This hasn't happened under the current format of New Japan's annual masterpiece, but if there's ever a time to do it...

New Japan Pro Wrestling is in the mud, and it's heartbreaking. Between 2012 and 2019, it was by some towering distance the greatest wrestling promotion on the planet. The spellbinding craft; the sense of cool radiated by the top stars; the gang warfare framework: at its best, through record-chasing reigns and the permutations of the G1 Climax tournament, Gedo spun emotionally intense drama from *mathematics*.

Despite an in-ring that remains outstanding at its peak, the decline is apparent. The promotion is almost cursed at this point, and even when it's great it's still somewhat dry. Many of the top combinations are worn, exposed by a booking formula that Gedo has relied on for too long. Wrestler X beats Wrestler Y, Wrestler Y goes on to win significant match, Wrestler X remembers this when challenging Wrestler Y in the aftermath.

Hiromu Takahashi's aura as a draw was dented somewhat last year, and is as spectacular as he is injury-prone and thus not dependable. He's still a bold choice for a move that needs to be made.

In a better time, an AEW outsider - Bryan Danielson?! - might follow the road paved by AJ Styles as an instant game-changer.

NJPW needs one.

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Contributor
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Michael Sidgwick (Creative Writing BA Hons) is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over a decade of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential UK 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 AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and 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!