10 Incredible Dream Matches NJPW Will Give Away In The 2018 G1 Climax

1. Kenny Omega Vs. Kota Ibushi

Kota Ibushi Kenny Omega
Tokyo Sport

The match of this year's Climax, the temporary severance of the Golden Lovers in a quest for G1 glory opens up a world of possibilities for the future creative direction of Kenny Omega, Kota Ibushi and the countless wrestlers and angles splintering off from one of professional wrestling's greatest ever stories.

The reunification of the pair earlier this year closed the loop on an absorbing and exhausting journey back into each others arms, and made a fractured Omega whole ahead of his long-awaited ascent to the summit of NJPW.

'The Best Bout Machine' gave up "everything" other than his galvanising relationship with Ibushi in order to finally defeat Kazuchika Okada for the IWGP Heavyweight Title, and has since promised to change wrestling alongside him and their Golden Elite compatriots The Young Bucks.

Expect the clash to be a largely sporting affair with a jagged twist in the tail towards the end. A favourite to win this year's tournmant, Ibushi may have to beat both Omega and Okada if he wants the Wrestle Kingdom shot against his closest ally. How he does that could tacitly poison the utopian future the pair have espoused.

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