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

by Michael Hamflett

1. Kenny Omega Vs Tetsuya Naito (July 15th)

Tetsuya Naito Kenny Omega
NJPW

Rating: *****

The 'Best Bout Machine' took just one match to live up to his moniker in the 2018 G1, stealing an incredible second evening in another spellbinding clash with fellow 2017 finalist Tetsuya Naito in their third tournament classic in as many years.

As the last two winners of a competition that has grown in prestige with the company itself, Naito and Omega perhaps best represent the cross-pacific appeal of the organisation, babyfacing each other by the end of an exhilarating final third. The LIJ leader was left looking at the lights via Omega's unbeatable One Winged Angel, but both men shone Sirius bright like the international stars they are.

TNA Just Let Its Best Wrestler Slip Through Its Fingers... (TNA News)

10 Most Unexpected WWE Burials Ever

Chris Jericho RETURNS On AEW Dynamite After Months Of WWE Rumors (AEW News) New

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation for nearly 10 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 65,000,000 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, Fightful, POST Wrestling, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has provided in-person coverage of some of the biggest pay-per-views and Premium Live Events in wrestling history, including WrestleMania, Survivor Series, All In & Double Or Nothing in destinations such as New York, New Jersey, Chicago, 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.