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

15. Togi Makabe Vs. Michael Elgin (August 10)

Kenny Omega Kota Ibushi
NJPW

Rating: **

Michael Elgin represents something of a forgotten tragedy in this year's G1, though the broader public disinterest towards his work may be as much to do with unsavoury personal life stories as anything professional.

Because professional's exactly what he's been throughout the event, selling an injured arm immaculately and tailoring virtually all of his contests to peak with audiences at exactly the right moment. A big man brawl with the laboured Togi Makabe - not least with absolutely nothing on the line - wasn't really the glorious tournament finale he deserved, particularly considering the loss here left him level pegging with the 'Unchained Gorilla'.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 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. 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