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

5. Tetsuya Naito Vs. Juice Robinson (21 July)

Hangman Page Kazuchika Okada
NJPW

Rating: ****1/4

Juice Robinson's momentum had stalled horrifically since defeating Jay White in a G1 Special epic, but Tetsuya Naito's electric tournament form brought him back from the brink with a concentrated assault on the United States champion's injured hand.

The LIJ leader was in fierce form, targeting the wounded digits with a steely viciousness. Showing welcome disregard for his opponent, Naito helped create a new energy around Juice - though his comeback was ultimately unsuccessful, fans and the man himself were biting on a change in fortunes late on. His 2017 rematch against Kenny Omega couldn't have come at a better time.

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