NJPW G1 Climax 2019 Night 5 (July 18) - A BLOCK: Every Match Ranked From Worst To Best
3. Hiroshi Tanahashi Vs. Zack Sabre Jr.
The fabulous wobbler thrown by Zack Sabre Jr following his loss to Hiroshi Tanahashi wasn't just to get a good view of him smashing a Young Lion in the face with his boot or service his ongoing arc as the G1's most skillful loser - it was also to ensure a camera was positioned ringside to catch the response of the winner.
'The Ace' has been at his evocative best this tournament, as evidenced by the Korakuen Hall ringsiders losing their f*cking minds all these years later. Stretched and bent to breaking point by the man that ruined his historic Madison Square Garden debut, Tanahashi is better than just about every other wrestler in the world and putting across the pain and suffering wrestling actually produces.
This was, by some distance, the best match the two have had thus far, which is helpful considering the likely ramifications. 'ZSJ' will almost certainly defend his British Heavyweight Title against Tana at NJPW's Royal Quest event from London in August. How the champion's crumbling mental state will look by then is almost entirely dependent on if and when he can turn this existing slump around.