10 LIVE Observations From NJPW's G1 Special In USA
1. A Bright Future For A New Title
The main event of the second G1 Special show was the final match in the tournament for the United States Championship, which pitted Kenny Omega against Tomohiro Ishii. This was the third singles match between the two this year, with each man having taken one victory.
This bout was a wild one, with brawling on the floor, knee strikes and elbows galore, and perhaps most memorably, a dragon suplex from the apron through a table. Ultimately, though, it was Omega who outlasted Ishii, winning his third tournament match with the One-Winged Angel to become the inaugural champion.
It's hard to know exactly what this belt will come to represent, given that New Japan's U.S. expansion still has a ways to go. One thing is for sure, though - it got off to a great start. An excellent, hard-fought tournament that concluded with a victory for one of the top stars in the company means that the brand new title already means something. Omega's celebration after the match just reinforced that the IWGP United States Title is a prize that will be coveted.
Now who gets the first crack at it?