Predicting All 20 NJPW G1 Climax 2018 Entrants

19. Kazuchika Okada

Kazuchika Okada Kenny Omega
NJPW World

'The Rainmaker's loss to Kenny Omega in arguably the greatest professional wrestling match of all time provided a fitting finale to what most will also consider the finest top title reign in wrestling history. His comeback officially starts here, but this post-title period will be wholly determined by how he gets on in this event.

A block shared with Omega offers the fifth match in their now-legendary series, and a win in a sprint would level their tournament head-to-heads at one apiece. Winning or losing in the finals (particularly against Kenny's closest confidant) would provide the right levels of elation or heartbreak respectively, sharply refocusing his arc for the remainder of the year.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation over 7 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 30 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz", Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 50,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, 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