NJPW G1 Climax 2019 Night 12 (August 1) - B BLOCK: Every Match Ranked From Worst To Best
Moxley's still the master, but he's no sublime thief...
It’s been a tournament of two halves in B Block.
At the beginning of this year’s G1 Climax, the ostensible gulf in true excellence between the talent in both fields made for some exhilarating A Block events as this lot loomed in the shadows. The presence of the unfathomably untouchable Jon Moxley provided one match per show that left jaws on floor, but - in contrast to the festival of oft-exhausting Great F*cking Matches in the other block - this crew have actually grown with the competition.
Kazuchika Okada’s victory in Night 11, cut A Block’s potential winners list in half. Gedo's booking has crafted an unflinching return for the 'Rainmaker' as an unassailable leader back at the top of his game following a challenging year out of the IWGP Championship picture. As of this latest B Block belter, only Shingo Takagi and Taichi have been completely set adrift from winning outright. And even then, as evidenced here, they still have more than enough credibility to play spoiler for the rest of the contenders on shag now stands to be a gripping home stretch...
5. Juice Robinson Vs. Tetsuya Naito
In rather fittingly ‘Tranquilo’ fashion, Tetsuya Naito has waited and waited and waited and f*cking waited to finally look like he might actually want to win the G1 Climax and avenge his crushing loss to Kazuchika Okada at 2018’s Wrestle Kingdom 12.
The Tokyo Dome offered him his secondary prize earlier this year when he finally did away with Chris Jericho for the Intercontinental Championship, but even that’s proven of lesser concern than killing himself or Kota Ibushi for the belt in the preceding months.
A slow start on the scoreboard and between the ropes had made this slightly sloppy effort with the in-form Juice Robinson a must-win, and it was though something only clicked in the 2017 winner at the halfway point. Robinson’s grizzled game has served him well this year, with only a lack of counters resulting in Naito hitting enough Destinos to claim the points at his expense. Now level, the pair will continue to plough forward in the hope that Jon Moxley will let them back in.
In Robinson’s case, a date on the final night of the tournament could well put it in his hands...