5 Biggest Surprises Of The NJPW G1 29 Tournament So Far

4. Tetsuya Naito's Performance

Jon Moxley vs. Tetsuya Naito
njpw1972.com

Simply put put, this is Naito’s world and we’re all just living in it.

This era’s Peoples’ Champ has captured title after title as one of the most popular wrestlers worldwide, all while leading Los Ingobernables de Japon – the coolest faction since nWo graced our telly's during the Monday Night Wars.

LIJ's cohesion and dominance has acted as a backdrop for Naito's feats, of which there are many. So when Seigyo Funōna Karisuma promised to unify the IWGP’s top two belts as the undisputed champ, we believed him. One swift punch to the gonads later, and Naito lost to perennial bracket-buster Toru Yano. Even after the dustup between EVIL vs. SANADA ended any friction in the faction, its leader has gone on to post a 2-3 record through his first five matches.

Advertisement
Contributor
Contributor

Thom Fain is a journalist with more than a thousand bylines across the web. He's written for 155+ publications from local to international, covering topics like politics and sports. Thom enjoys the athletic spectacle of NJPW, and the excellence of its Japanese tradition.