10 LIVE Observations From NJPW's G1 Special In USA
2. The Genius Of Tanahashi
When New Japan Pro Wrestling announced that Hiroshi Tanahashi would be defending the IWGP Intercontinental Championship against Billy Gunn at G1 Special in USA, fans scoffed - and rightfully so. Gunn is 20 years past his prime and he was never that good to begin with, and the only way the match made sense was as something of a break for the injured Tanahashi.
The match was certainly nothing special, but it proved that even with a wrecked body, Tanahashi still has the mind to create something solid. The story here was that Gunn was far stronger than Tanahashi could anticipate or handle, and as a result, he managed to get the heat on "The High-Flying Star" with relative ease. Tanahashi had to weather Gunn's offense - including the Fame-asser - in order to finally hit the High Fly Flow and win.
Make no mistake, this wasn't a classic - but at three stars, it was probably the best Billy Gunn match anybody can think of offhand. The fact that Tanahashi carried him to it was no accident.