NJPW G1 Climax 2018, Week 2: Every Match Ranked From Worst To Best

7. Zack Sabre Jr. Vs. Toru Yano (19 July)

Hangman Page Kazuchika Okada
NJPW

Rating: ****

Another masterclass from the 'Sublime Master Thief', Toru Yano mirroring his opponent's superior submission game was a joy to behold until Zack Sabre Jr. converted his frustration into ferocity.

The Suzuki-Gun star grew livid with Yano's superb counter game early on, misreading his strategic clowning for silliness when before he was repeatedly taken to the mat. Sabre's eventual victory spoke to his immense skill and focus under tremendous pressure, particularly after Yano's guile drew red hot reactions for nearfalls on the closing stretch. 'ZSJ's ability was ultimately too great, but Yano emerged yet again with far more credibility than anybody could have predicted before the tournament begun.

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