10 Most Important Non-WWE Wrestling Moments Of The 2010s
4. Kenny Omega Wins The G1
In 1991, New Japan's annual tournament got its "G1" name and solidified its format. Since then, it has been a breeding ground for great matches and the building of future legends.
The winner of this revised tournament has traditionally challenged for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship at NJPW's Tokyo Dome show on the 4th January, which later became known as Wrestle Kingdom.
The tournament has been won by some of the biggest names in Japanese wrestling from Masahiro Chono to Shinsuke Nakamura, Hiroyoshi Tenzan to Kazuchika Okada, but no non-Japanese wrestler had ever won it under its G1 name. Until Kenny Omega came along.
In 2016, Omega - then the leader of the Bullet Club - won the G1 Climax on his very first try. He would go onto face IWGP Champion, Okada, at Wrestle Kingdom in the first of their now-legendary matches.
Giving Omega the win in this tournament showed that New Japan were serious about promoting themselves to a Western audience. Omega was being positioned as the new face of the company - a face that could lead their charge into America and beyond.
Look how that all worked out...