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

9. Kenny Omega Vs. Toru Yano (August 8)

Kenny Omega Kota Ibushi
NJPW

Rating: ***3/4

A sublime comedy outing from the 'Sublime Master Thief' and the 'Best Bout Machine', Toru Yano and Kenny Omega surpassed their hops-and-chops battle from last year from a perfectly-pitched presentation of their premium patter.

Yano sneaking in to try and beat Omega in seconds after a pre-match Firing Squad beatdown was a lovely touch, as was the inclusion of Young Lion Ren Narita, utilised on offence by Kenny when they found themselves taped together at the wrists.

An arguable highlight of the entire tournament was the stand-off between the pair after a "gruelling" war with turnbuckle pads. Parodying the struggle of a Strong Style war, the timing, execution and presentation of both powering up was just one of the unique spots that elevated the contest beyond Yano's pantomime norm.

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