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

6. Minoru Suzuki Vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi

Kota Ibushi Kenny Omega
NJPW

Sharing quite the history in the tournament, an iconic 2012 feud over Hiroshi Tanahashi's IWGP Heavyweight Championship was triggered by Minoru Suzuki's victory over 'The Ace' in that year's G1 Climax. That exhilarating clash was bettered by the pair with the title on the line later that year, but the two have only battled in singles competition once since.

That match (one of the headline clashes on 2018's New Beginning In Sapporo) was another fiery affair that betrayed the advancing years and mounting injuries of both men. Conclusively beaten by Kazuchika Okada and Tetsuya Naito since then, both Tanahashi and Suzuki will look to use each other as a springboard in this year's G1, especially with the shadow of 'The Rainmanker' lingering over the entire A Block.

There are younger, fitter and more in-form stars in the grouping, but few better than this iconic pairing. Their combined age of 91 makes this the oldest match on the list, but such vintage shouldn't be confused with the weathered veneers of The Undertaker, Triple H et al. Tanahashi and Suzuki still can (and definitely will) give everything to the cause.

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