10 LIVE Observations From NJPW's G1 Special In USA
7. New Japan's Roster Is Incredibly Deep
If day one of G1 Special in USA has one major takeaway, it's that the company can always be counted on for a great show. If it has a second, it's just how deep the promotion's roster truly is.
With the Elgin-Omega classic, as well as a great Naito-Ishii match and a heated and expectation-exceeding bout between Okada and Cody (more on that next), New Japan delivered another winner of a show. That's even more impressive given how little some of the best stars in the company did on the card, though. Guys like Hiroshi Tanahashi, Hiromu Takahashi, and Will Ospreay were only responsible for a few spots in tag team matches, rather than delivering the classics of which they're more than capable.
That's not even counting the talent that didn't even come to the U.S. for the shows. Many fans pointed out how great it would have been to see Minoru Suzuki live, while other workhorses like Hirooki Goto, Yuji Nagata, and Yoshi-Hashi stayed in Japan. Ricochet and Tiger Mask W were also nowhere to be found.
All of that goes to show just how many ways New Japan has of putting on amazing events...and just how great the G1 Climax should be.