10 Things I Learned From The 2016 NJPW G1 Climax
5. Tomohiro Ishii Is Almost The Perfect Babyface
Tomohiro Ishii does not look like a babyface. Quite the contrary, he looks like the grumpiest nightclub bouncer going, his lack of interest in your complaints matched only by his lack of neck. Ishii once again proved himself to be the most valuable in-ring performer in New Japan Pro Wrestling today, putting in four(plus) star performances against the overwhelming majority of his block opponents.
Ishii was also the third man to pick up a win against Okada in the block stages, in what was up to that point the match of the G1. Ishii brutalised his CHAOS stablemate as only Ishii can. It wasn’t exactly surprising either, as Ishii has been established so well over the last few years that he is most definitely a main event performer in the company.
Despite looking like a salty, salty dog, Ishii is the perfect pro wrestler. His selling is on-point throughout, and he has that intangible quality of elevating whomever he finds himself against, not just in terms of card placement but also respect from the audience. Ishii can dominate Okada and then tap out to SANADA in his next match, and both men come out of it looking great.
Ishii will probably go down in history as one of the best wrestlers to never win a G1 block.