19 Ups & 4 Downs From NJPW G1 Climax 2019

Ups...

19. Old Friends Collide (Night 11)

Zack Sabre Jr Will Ospreay
NJPW

Will Ospreay and Zack Sabre Jr. could probably do this in their sleep, so strong is their chemistry. Though ZSJ is more experienced than his rival, their careers have effectively run parallel over the last few years and, after facing each other loads of times throughout the past decade, it took them to this year's G1 Climax, where they entered one of their finest singles bouts yet.

Sabre's formula is so impeccable that you could probably book him against Kevin Kelly and it'd yield at least a ***1/2 match at this point. Here, he cranked, yanked, and twisted Ospreay's dodgy neck as if it were an unruly weed stuck between two paving slabs in his garden. Will was tremendous, too, eschewing the melodrama that still occasionally blights his work for a more realistic defensive performance, ultimately falling in 20 minutes.

Unlikely tournament standout Lance Archer looked awesome against Kazuchika Okada afterwards, while Hiroshi Tanahashi and EVIL over-delivered in the main event. The rest of the card didn't hit. Footage of KENTA vs. SANADA may be prescribed as an insomnia remedy going forward.

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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.