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

12. Hiroshi Tanahashi Vs. Hangman Page (22 July)

Hangman Page Kazuchika Okada
NJPW

Rating: ***1/2

'The Ace' was, for the most part, the best babyface version of himself in heroic displays against Minoru Suzuki and 'Switchblade' Jay White before coming up against a game Hangman Page, but took on the role of an experienced sneak in order to get around the superb skill of Bullet Club's breakout star.

Page ultimately paid the price for smashing Tana's air guitar - after failing to honour their gentleman's agreement when both caught boots, Tanahashi also targeted Page's leg with the same evil inverted dragon screw he used to subdue Minoru Suzuki in their maiden outing. Hangman will get back on the board, but he may need to unlock a killer instinct he's thus far suppressed.

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