19 Ups & 4 Downs From NJPW G1 Climax 2019

12. Complete CHAOS (Night 7)

Kazuchika Okada Will Ospreay
NJPW

It was around 15 minutes into Will Ospreay vs. Kazuchika Okada that your writer realised this was going to be an insane G1 Climax. At the end of another high-bar show, two CHAOS stablemates went to war in their best singles match yet, working through a methodical opening act to deliver the kind of dynamic, dramatic closing stretch that has defined this incredible NJPW run.

Dave Meltzer was so wowed he felt compelled to once again break his star-rating system in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter a few days later, throwing *****3/4 at it. It's all subjective, of course, but Okada vs. Ospreay was the NJPW main event formula executed to near-perfection. It was comfortably Okada's best match of 2019 up to that point and yet another hit in his opponent's incredible in-ring year.

SANADA delivered one of his better G1 performances against Kota Ibushi, yet still struggled to elicit genuine emotion. Such is the reason he has become (fairly or otherwise) such a whipping boy amongst western fans lately. This and the relatively listless Bad Luck Fale vs. Zack Sabre Jr. countout bout are what holds night seven back from finishing higher.

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Andy has been with WhatCulture for eight years and is currently WhatCulture's Wrestling Channel Manager. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.