Fantasy-Booking A WWE G1 Climax

New Japan Pro Wrestling's G1 Climax is Japanese wrestling's premier annual tournament, showcasing the company's finest heavyweight talent. Their streaming service, New Japan World, has allowed them to reach a new global audience with their brand of strong-style wrestling.

G1 Climax 26 drew a great deal of eyes to New Japan's product, with stars like Kenny Omega, Kazuchika Okada, and Tetsuya Naito putting on matches that had fans and critics raving. Their exploits, as well as savvy booking from the company's management, have entrenched NJPW as the number two promotion in the world.

Despite being around for nearly half a century, NJPW are the new kid on the block in terms of broadcasting to a worldwide audience, and many exclusively WWE fans are curious about how they fit into the world of pro wrestling. The G1 is the perfect hop-on point for new fans, and to ease the transition, a helpful exercise is to think of an event such as this in a WWE context.

Fantasy booking a WWE G1 allows new fans to understand how the tournament is assembled. More importantly, it allows fans of both promotions to discuss the systematic differences between the two promotions, and why so many of us now call NJPW our favourite brand.

Let's give it a crack then, shall we?

Rounding up the top 20 male competitors on the WWE roster is not as easy as you might think. New Japan's roster is conveniently chopped up into Heavyweights and Junior Heavyweights, allowing up-and-comers like Juice Robinson a place in the G1 ahead of established juniors like Kushida.

With WWE, entering the G1 would be less about your weight, and more about your place in the company. Obviously, Curt Hawkins isn't going to be included over Roman Reigns, but there are some more difficult cuts to make. There simply isn't room for lower-end guys who have all the talent, but weak positioning on the roster.

Luke Harper, Tye Dillinger and Apollo Crews simply do not have the momentum to solidify a place in the tournament. Similarly, The New Day don't have a true leader that could step in, and while Anderson and Gallows have legitimate G1 experience, they wouldn't get past those above them on the totem pole. As great a year as he is having, Neville too would miss out, confined to his role as the 'Ace of the Cruiserweights.'

This harsh selection process means that a G1 in WWE would have the added prestige of setting wrestlers apart simply by making it in. Guys like Sami Zayn and Rusev are elevated through their inclusion, irrespective of how many wins they might chalk up.