Everything You Need To Know About The NJPW G1 Climax

4. Who Will Win Block B?

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Depending on your opinion, Block B is either far more open than Block A or way more predictable. There are four men that can conceivably win the block, but only man who I'd be willing to bet on.

Since moving up into the heavyweight division, Kenny Omega has had a stop-start year. Now clearly positioned as the leader of Bullet Club, Omega is going to be a top tier NJPW player for years to come and will surely win a G1 Climax in the future. This year? Unlikely. Besides, he has unfinished business with Tanahashi that should take both men through to Wrestle Kingdom.

Michael Elgin, the man who defeated Omega for the IWGP Intercontinental Championship at Dominion 6.19, is another outside bet to win Block B. In fact, if Elgin found himself in Block A I would have a strong feeling he could come out on top. As it is, Elgin will improve on last years eight points but most likely come up short.

A G1 Climax build up isn't complete without those hoping it will be Katsuyori Shibata's year, and this year this feeling is stronger than ever. Shibata has seemingly worked his way back into the graces of NJPW, and currently holds the NEVER Openweight Championship. Shibata's story is a long way from reaching its climax, but an appearance in the final here isn't impossible.

The man I'd put the house on winning this block however is Tetsuya Naito. The leader of Los Ingobernables de Japon has resurrected his career and can lay claim to being one of the most fascinating and impressive wrestlers on the planet today. With stablemate EVIL in the block too, I'd fully expect Naito to end the group stage on top.

Contributor
Contributor

Born in the middle of Wales in the middle of the 1980's, John can't quite remember when he started watching wrestling but he has a terrible feeling that Dino Bravo was involved. Now living in Prague, John spends most of his time trying to work out how Tomohiro Ishii still stands upright. His favourite wrestler of all time is Dean Malenko, but really it is Repo Man. He is the author of 'An Illustrated History of Slavic Misery', the best book about the Slavic people that you haven't yet read. You can get that and others from www.poshlostbooks.com.