10 LIVE Observations From The NJPW/ROH G1 Supercard

5. How To Steal A Show

Kazuchika Okada
NJPW/ROH

I watched a ***** match last night. It was a genuine privilege.

Tetsuya Naito and Kota Ibushi are incredible. The former, in particular, is so f*cking over. He's the most over guy I've watched live all 'Mania Weekend. The pop he generated was monstrous; telepathically, Phil Chambers and myself turned to look at one another, as if to confirm this. Naito is a legit megastar to a level beyond even Kazuchika Okada.

His match, with Kota Ibushi, was electric. A story between two committed psychopaths engaged in a dance with death, fighting spirit incarnate packaged in the form of two charismatic showmen, they commanded several booming standing ovations.

Everything was timed and executed so perfectly. So many wrestlers strive to craft something "epic". This was f*cking epic without striving in naked desperation; when Naito and Ibushi rose to their feet in stereo, having kicked out of so much ungodly punishment, it never once resonated as a plea for a chant. It transmitted as the last stand of two warriors concerned only with outlasting the other.

Impossibly brutal at times, this was nonetheless richer and less anxious than the infamous New Japan Cup neck-f*cker, all performed in front of a super-molten crowd.

This was a manifest dream wrestling match with a legit big fight feel - two unreal dynamics absorbed in one unforgettable spectacle.

*****

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!