NJPW G1 Climax 2019 Night 7 (July 20) - A BLOCK: Every Match Ranked From Worst To Best

4. Zack Sabre Jr. Vs. Bad Luck Fale

Kazuchika Okada Will Ospreay
NJPW

Finally up and running in the tournament after reaching breaking point following his last loss, Zack Sabre Jr's current arc was so well-crafted that it resulted in the sh*thouse Brit getting enormous cheers for racing back into the ring to topple Bad Luck Fale by countout.

At 6:30, it was the shortest Fale match thus far, and subsequently of little surprise that it was so satisfying. The 'Rogue General' and his Bullet Club cronies Chase Owens and Jado cheated like f*cking with 'ZSJ' out there alone, but the fight spilling into the stands was the ultimate undoing for the G1 veteran.

Locking on a submission with Owens and Jado disposed of, Sabre's gnat-like stature next to Fale was reduced by his resilience with the hold - held just enough for him to get back into the squared circle without time for his foe to do the same. It was a creative finish for the match, but important for the tournament as a whole - count-out wins serve as useful reminders that a match really can end just like that. This was a story-driven shortcut, but it will inform the drama in many other matches going forward.

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