10 Things That Must Happen In NJPW In 2018
3. Change The G1 Climax Format
The G1 Climax has been an integral part of New Japan’s success over the past few years, but the time has come to revamp the format. The company has never had a bigger roster than it currently does, but the number of injuries suffered by talent in 2017 must be cause for concern. With that in mind, NJPW would be wise to create a slower schedule for its biggest tournament of the year.
It is an idea that has been bandied about by many, but increasing the field to 24 and spreading them over four blocks might be the way forward. This way the talent would have to work less matches and would get more rest in between. Slowing the tournament down wouldn’t hurt the prestige or perception, and the addition of semi-finals could well add further intrigue to the G1.
New Japan needs to make some changes to the format of the G1 Climax, for the good of the performers and the fans. These changes need to happen in 2018, and could well see another piece of the international jigsaw fall into place.