NJPW G1 Climax 2019 Night 2 (July 13) - B BLOCK: Every Match Ranked From Worst To Best
3. Toru Yano Vs. Tetsuya Naito
This article is not designed to rate matches by stars nor any other system ordinarily occupied by the wrestling internet, but instead to offer "worst to best" rankings based on the subjective success of the contest.
It seems important to classify the criteria when praising a clash such as this.
Clocking in at a spry 3:42, the match effectively served as a night off in real life for potential winner Tetsuya Naito. In kayfabe, he had any chance of a perfect record within the tournament stolen by the 'Sublime Master Thief'. Only under the proficient pencil of Gedo could Naito very possibly win the tournament (and later, the IWGP Heavyweight Championship) having started his journey with a kick to the d*ck and his shirt being pulled over his head.
Yet, that's how Toru Yano got the job done. Biting on Naito's dawdling early on, he out-cheated his low-road rival to wrap things up quickly in fiercely efficient fashion. Welcome on the card, let alone during a period of content overload, the result always seemed likely but the match itself was a fabulous and fresh surprise.