NJPW G1 Climax 2019 Night 1 (July 6): Every Match Ranked From Worst To Best

2. Kazuchika Okada Vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi

Kota Ibushi KENTA
NJPW

Elevated by the well-earned excitement of the Dallas crowd, the latest chapter of the legendary Kazuchika Okada/Hiroshi Tanahashi series was respectfully qualified by commentator Kevin Kelly as being something greater than the Flair/Steamboat and Rock/Austin wrestling rivalries of old.

He needn't have worried about what analogies to attach - literally the second after the bell rang, the live audience informed any uninitiated viewers of just exactly who they were privileged to be watching. Okada and Tanahashi - mirroring one another aesthetically following their recent on-screen bond - were closer to the versions that went into battle during 'The Rainmaker's prior IWGP Championship run than last year's G1 block final, but miraculously found a brand new way to tell a story magnificently revisited in their 2018 trilogy.

Inseparable within the confines of the tournament constraints over the last half-decade, the two had previously gone to time limit draws in their prior G1 encounters. Defeating the clock as well as his iconic opponent was Okada's impetus in his first singles match since defeating Chris Jericho at June's Dominion. Performing again with the confidence he'd lost last year, he managed it in a breathless 22 minutes.

A loving tribute to their gripping feud, this match may have filled a few of those all-too-obvious empty seats given more advertising time. Instead, it existed to create the noise of a sold out venue, if not the visual.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 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. 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