NJPW G1 Climax 2018, Week 1: Every Match Ranked From Worst To Best

5. Togi Makabe Vs Minoru Suzuki (July 16th)

Kenny Omega Tetsuya Naito
NJPW

Rating: ****1/4

A pulsating fight that saw banter favourite Togi Makabe yet again over-deliver on relatively measured expectations, this second consecutive loss for Minoru Suzuki saw him sink to joint bottom in A Block in spite of two mesmerising displays.

Echoing the fabulous scraps both have recently had with Tomohiro Ishii, the match drew brilliantly on their balls-to-the-wall striking games with nary a Young Lion, referee or tenth row ticket-holder left unscathed from the heat of their battle. Suzuki falling in identical fashion (Togi collapsed him with one King Kong knee drop before pinning him with another) was a cute callback to his first crushing tournament loss, neatly detail the surprisingly difficult start he's had.

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