10 Things We Learned From NJPW G1 Special 2018
2. Bullet Club Is Fine
Kenny Omega's grandiose 'Best Bout Machine' moniker isn't unearned, but following Kazuchika Okada as IWGP Heavyweight Champion has effectively made it a pre-requisite of holding the title.
Cody's immaculate character work has done much the same to raise expectations in his bell-to-bell end product, despite his history suggesting he's never had quite the firepower necessary to reach the God tier NJPW have so masterfully preserved since the rise of Hiroshi Tanahashi.
Collectively, they were perhaps fortunate their Ring Of Honor effort earlier this year underwhelmed. The quality bar had been lowered despite the immense heat the pair had built in their battle for confirmed stewardship of Bullet Club and pro wrestling's richest prize, allowing the over-arching story of the match - Cody's gradual babyface turn and the realisation of his inadequacies against Omega - to breathe with bookending spots featuring wife Brandi and his Roddy Piper-esque moral dilemmas that aided his eventual demise.
Tying up the loose ends in Kenny and Cody's frayed relationship was something of a surprise considering the raft of potential outcomes, but their unity was vital component in New Japan's booking delivering one final surprise before the show went off the air...