NJPW G1 Climax 2019 Night 13 (August 3) - A BLOCK: Every Match Ranked From Worst To Best
EVIL and SANADA take giant leaps forward as singles stars, whilst Kota Ibushi kills another god...
It is still all happening in A Block.
The field was thinned further on the 13th night of the 2019 G1 Climax, as Hiroshi Tanahashi became the latest unlucky recipient of an early exit - though on this night it was his own defeat rather than yet another success for the dominant Kazuchika Okada that made it so.
A host of names fell following Okada's emphatic wins over KENTA and Lance Archer as 'The Rainmaker' enhanced his lead as well as his collection of tie-breaking victories, with concerns that his achievements could kill the drama in the numerous matches still to come.
As is so often the case with New Japan Pro Wrestling, those concerns were quickly assuaged.
In a show already being touted in some corners as one of the best in five-match card history, the group of elite talents again found ways to find new magic in old formulas, including an emotionally exhausting main event that could top many lists as the best of the entire tournament.
The first of two back-to-back nights in Osaka kicked off the final week of the tournament in some style, even if the show itself had a rather inauspicious start...
5. KENTA Vs. Bad Luck Fale
KENTA requires a minor miracle to win A Block after this damaging loss to Bad Luck Fale, but the quality of the clash did far more to dent his killer aura than the actual defeat.
Succumbing to Bullet Club bullsh*t, his efforts were mismanaged here, despite proving yet again that he can play either psycho sh*tkicker or sympathetic babyface with equal aplomb.
Chase Owens is crap, Jado is crap, Fale's matches are crap despite him occasionally looking in the mood to change perceptions of them, and KENTA was quite literally just one man up against these various obstacles.
At 7:20, at least it didn't linger any longer than it absolutely had to, but it doesn't bode particularly well for KENTA's post-G1 trajectory that he was deemed worthy of the mathematically motivated loss to the 'Rogue General'. It was a crushing reminder of why Fale keeps his place too - he solves Gedo's booking concerns, even if the end result is the least appealing for dedicated fans.