NJPW G1 Climax 2019 Night 9 (July 27) - A BLOCK: Every Match Ranked From Worst To Best
KENTA heaps more dirt upon Hideo Itami, but The Rainmaker refuses to let him have a day in the sun
Eagle-eyed (and/or regular) readers of this particular regular deep dive into the 2019 G1 Climax will note that the last B Block article featured the results and standings following the matches reviewed in the pages that followed.
For consistency, the same will follow below, but it’s with a small word of caution - there’s a very obvious spoiler amongst them, if you haven’t actually watched the matches before heading here.
The block looks as follows:
Kazuchika Okada - 10pts (5-0)
KENTA - 8pts (4-1)
EVIL - 6pts (3-2)
Kota Ibushi - 6pts (3-2)
Hiroshi Tanahashi - 6pts (3-2)
Lance Archer - 4pts (2-3)
Will Ospreay - 4pts (2-3)
SANADA - 2pts (1-4)
Zack Sabre Jr - 2pts (1-4)
Bad Luck Fale - 2pts (1-4)
Indeed as you may have noticed, KENTA’s unbeaten streak is no longer a feature - a victim to that of Kazuchika Okada’s in a match you might have to click five more times to get to read about. Apologies for yet another spoiler there, but this sort of refined quality is what we all watch NJPW for in the first place - the Block’s biggest point-getters went to war for the first time ever, and it was of course sensational.
Such is life in A Block, The rest of the card wasn’t too shabby either...
5. Will Ospreay Vs. Bad Luck Fale
Still very likely to be considered the Wrestler Of The Year by Dave Meltzer and countless other esteemed voices of wrestling, Will Ospreay somehow found himself in the worst match of the entire G1 Climax thanks to the wrong type of bullsh*t being dished out in his token rest night with Bad Luck Fale.
Everybody understands the Fale formula, but it shouldn't get in the way of the quality to this extent. Against Kazuchika Okada, the tension was ramped up as 'The Rainmaker' fought back against the nuisance Bullet Club run-ins. Here, Ospreay was ground down by the sh*thousery until referee Red Shoes worked his own Shane McMahon gimmick in order to facilitate a finish.
A Chase Owens package piledriver had the 'Aerial Assassin' down for the count following some groan-inducing interference from Fale's friends, long after the original official had lost total control. How it was thrown out in this manner was more maddening - NJPW's loose control of the rules gave them an easy out, but this was an extremely hard watch.