NJPW G1 Climax 2019 Night 8 (July 24) - B BLOCK: Every Match Ranked From Worst To Best

1. Jon Moxley Vs. Shingo Takagi

Jon Moxley Shingo Takagi
NJPW

Jon Moxley's opening salvo with Shingo Takagi was almost missed after the shock of Moxley's pre-bell shove on the LIJ member shook the in-ring cameraman to the floor. It foreshadowed another violent ripper in B Block that acted as fitting follow-ups to the festivals of violence the two men served up a few nights earlier.

"I give zero f*cks" exclaimed Moxley to the camera as the two fought on the floor, shortly before setting up a table that instantly became ominous after the way one was used in an instant classic with Tomohiro Ishii last week. This was him at his most vicious, shortly before he offered sidekick Shota Umino's father Red Shoes a bow of respect that drew audible laughs from the crowd.

Moxley's polymath mentality has provided electrifying pleasure throughout, but it was the surprisingly polished pain unleashed on Shingo that scored him yet another two points in his maiden tournament.

Shingo's increased force (and increased force of will) resulted in a levelling of sorts late on as the two traded strikes, suplexes and dragon screws (!), but this was yet again an exhibition of Moxley's robust training and preparation for the immense task at hand. He kicked out of the Pumping Bomber and Made In Japan, escaped a Last Of The Dragon, and capitalised on Takagi's worn down knee to tap him out with a cloverleaf after decimating it with chairs and tables on the floor.

He's got the f*cking lot and wants to win the G1 Climax. Who are we (or any of his remaining opponents in A Block) to bet against him?

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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