NJPW G1 Climax 2018, THE FINAL WEEK: Every Match Ranked From Worst To Best

1. Kazuchika Okada Vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi (August 10)

Kenny Omega Kota Ibushi
NJPW

Rating: *****

Hiroshi Tanahashi's 8-1-1 record following his emotional G1 Climax victory was rightfully touted by Kevin Kelly as the reason he was exactly where he deserved to be, all sentiment aside.

The loss - an advert mostly for Jay White's sh*thousery - was an outlier, as was the lone draw that closed A Block out in a the grandest possible fashion.

Their second match in 2018 brought the collective win-loss record to 5-4-3, with this G1 semi-final neatly articulated by Chris Charlton as a battle between two icons fighting to regain supremacy, rather than celebrate it. 30 more minutes of these two was the gift it was always destined to be, and hopefully not even the last time they'll wage war this year.

From everything New Japan Pro Wrestling has offered in 2018, a trilogy between these two was by far the most unexpected delight.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation over 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. Within the podcasting space, he also co-hosts Benno & Hamflett, In Your House! and Podcast Horseman: The BoJack Horseman Podcast. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett