19 Ups & 4 Downs From NJPW G1 Climax 2019
18. Best In The World? (Night 12)
Tomohiro Ishii should always be involved in the "Best in the World" conversation, particularly at this time of year. Hidden in undercard tags for much of the calendar, he comes alive in the G1 Climax, delivering standout match after standout match every single night, even when working with the promotion's jesters. His fighting spirit and selling are incomparable, he's an underdog par excellence, and while he'll probably never be IWGP Heavyweight Champion, few wrestlers are more reliable in a big spot.
On night 12, Big Match Tommy continued his hot streak with a firecracker against the underwhelming Hirooki Goto. While not quite on the same level as last year's violent classic, it was another no-bullsh*t chest-slapper rife with stiff strikes, hard-nosed attitude, and complete and utter disrespect.
Toru Yano and Jon Moxley's boy-popper ended with Mox taking his first tournament loss when Yano taped him to Shota Umino on the outside, preventing him from answering the 20-count. Jay White vs. Taichi was a wet fart and Tetsuya Naito vs. Juice Robinson underwhelmed, but another lead-taking Shingo Takagi performance elevated the card, as 'The Dragon' helped Jeff Cobb to one of his better matches.