10 Incredible Dream Matches NJPW Will Give Away In The 2018 G1 Climax
9. Tetsuya Naito Vs. SANADA
...which stands to intensify if SANADA can tap his leader out with a Skull End.
This tasty B Block battle represents a first time G1 meeting between the two, with SANADA arguably having a better 2018 thus far despite a narrow IWGP Heavyweight Championship defeat to Kazuchika Okada and recent surrender of the IWGP Tag Team Titles alongside partner EVIL to The Young Bucks.
In his own title shot just months removed from Naito's Wrestle Kingdom crack, SANADA made the exact same mistake against 'The Rainmaker', attempting a crowd-pleasing Cold Skull after hitting a moonsault that could have potentially led to victory had he simply gone for the cover. Naito's mask slipping in similar fashion resulted in his own demise, but he seems to have learned less from his own loss of 'Tranquilo' since.
Capable of an upset this size and perhaps quietly more confident that the LIJ kingpin at present, SANADA will see this match as a huge opportunity to rebound from the aforementioned New Beginning and Dominion defeats.