19 Ups & 4 Downs From NJPW G1 Climax 2019

8. An Unpopular Finalist (Night 18)

Jay White
NJPW

A wave of negativity not unlike the futile #CancelWWENetwork movement spread across social media as Jay White defeated Tetsuya Naito to claim his place in the G1 Climax finals on Sunday night.

Naito, the fan favourite, was felled via shenanigans in less than 20 minutes. Many had predicted him winning the tournament before taking Kazuchika Okada's IWGP Heavyweight Championship at Wrestle Kingdom ahead of time and Gedo came in for immediate, knee-jerking criticism afterwards... but isn't that kind of the point?

This isn't a Baron Corbin thing. 'Switchblade' is an effective heel who draws heat through his work, not for his unearned positioning. You're supposed to dislike the guy. You're supposed to be upset when he wins.

Naito vs. White was a solid main event, albeit a step or two behind Okada vs. Ibushi. The rest of the evening consisted mostly of serviceable in-ring action as B Block's four tied leaders raced for the finish, though Taichi vs. Tomohiro Ishii is a match fans legitimately need to go out of their way to see. Their chemistry is incredible and in summoning their respective mentors (Toshiaki Kawada and Genichiro Tenryu) through their work, 'Dangerous T' and the 'Stone Pitbull' had Budokan hotter than the sun's surface.

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Channel Manager
Channel Manager

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.