An epic three night stretch in Korakuen Hall for the G1 comes to a close Saturday July 20. A block have their fourth matches of the tournament, moving into a key middle stretch for the tournament. Jockeying for position, the top runners could well separate themselves from the pack at this point; and some wrestlers may find themselves on the bubble of mathematical elimination.
Kazuchika Okada (3-0) vs Will Ospreay (1-2)
Overall singles record: 3-0 Okada.
First G1 meeting.
Will Ospreay goes back to back with emotionally charged Korakuen Hall main events this Saturday. After taking on Kota Ibushi, a man he looked up to and was so closely compared to before coming to Japan, he now faces the man who brought him to the country and gave him his break in CHAOS.
The history is well documented; in October 2015, Okada was so impressed by Ospreay’s showing in a singles match against him for RevPro that he handpicked the Aerial Assassin as a top junior heavyweight for CHAOS. Since that introduction in the spring of 2016, both have gone on to new and great heights, meeting twice in-ring along the way. At the 2018 Anniversary event, then as now, they were IWGP Junior Heavyweight and Heavyweight Champions, facing off in a special exhibition. Then, on March 20 this year, stakes were high as they looked to win the New Japan Cup and pave a road to IWGP glory.
In the four months since, both gained championship gold once more. Okada made good on his win over Ospreay in the cup and going on to take the NJC trophy and the IWGP Heavyweight Championship in MSG, while Ospreay took the Junior Heavyweight Championship at Dominion. Just like on March 6, 2018, it’s IWGP Heavyweight versus Junior Heavyweight Champion. This is no exhibition though. There’s every chance that with three wins in the bag and knowing Will Ospreay is battle damaged from his three prior matches, Okada might be taking the Aerial Assassin a little lightly. For Ospreay, though, this match is crucial not just to his G1 campaign, but his pride and status. For Ospreay, determined to truly elevate the junior heavyweight divison by being in the G1, it isn’t enough to just prove he can compete with Okada anymore, he must prove that he can beat the Rainmaker.
Kota Ibushi (1-2) vs SANADA (1-2)
Overall singles record: 1-0 SANADA (2018 G1– watch on NJPW World!)
As we hit the end of a three day stretch of matches, it must come as a tremendous boost to Kota Ibushi’s confidence to know that he’s finally on the score sheet after beating Ospreay in the main event of the first day of the Korakuen leg. Conversely SANADA will be ruing his Thursday loss to EVIL; as fiercely competitive as the match was, and and sportsmanlike and gracious Cold Skull was in defeat to his tag partner, there has to be something nagging at SANADA as he stays at two points.
Yet staying with the question of ‘what have you done lately’ would be forgetting Ibushi and SANADA’s prior singles match in last year’s G1. Then, SANADA was able to sidestep a pair of Kamigoyes, and make effective use of Skull End and a moonsault to win the match. It was a battle of SANADA’s classically trained smoothness against Ibushi’s auto didactic assault, and SANADA came out on top. What lessons has Ibushi learned since Nagaoka almost a year ago to the day?
KENTA (3-0) vs EVIL (2-1)
First singles meeting.
He shares the top spot in A block only with the IWGP Heavyweight Champion. He doesn’t have a loss to his name, defeated both of last year’s tournament finalists in his first two matches, and beat one of this year’s early breakout stars in his third. It’s already past time to ask ‘is KENTA back?’ and perhaps time to raise the question of ‘who can stop KENTA?’
The answer may just be EVIL. The King of Darkness has already been victorious over another accomplished striker in Kota Ibushi, and has enough strength to absorb a swinging foot to hit a swinging arm. Their in ring approaches may vary, but the straight ahead, forward of thought and aggressive of motion ideologies of EVIL and KENTA match well, and should lead to a thriller.
Hiroshi Tanahashi (1-2) vs Lance Archer (2-1)
Overall singles record: 2-0 Tanahashi (2011, 2013 G1s)
Hiroshi Tanahashi finally broke his G1 29 duck on Thursday night after he pinned Zack Sabre Junior in Korakuen. It was a vital win not just to keep Tanahashi’s winning prospects healthy, but also as a message to those who questioned the physical and mental state of the Ace. He withstood painful submissions (including the same hold he had to verbally give up to twice in encounters with ZSJ), thought ahead, and was able to catch Sabre unawares, not with his High Fly Flow, but instead with a flash pinning predicament.
Exactly the kind of ingenuity then, that may see him through against Archer. He has a strong record over the American Psycho with two wins over Archer in prior G1s, but their last meeting was six years ago, before Tanahashi suffered some significant injuries, and before Archer would hone himself to be the dominant force he has been thus far this year. Tanahashi will have to stick and move against Archer, and we’ll see just how well he is equipped to do that on July 20.
Zack Sabre Junior (0-3) vs Bad Luck Fale (1-2)
Overall singles record: 1-0 ZSJ (2017 G1– watch on NJPW World!)
After winning his first match in his G1 career in 2017, and further proving with his New Japan Cup and G1 28 performances in 2018, Zack Sabre Junior established himself as one of the premier tournament wrestlers in NJPW. After 2013, in A block, he sits alone. Tenth. And last.
His 0-3 record is by no means a mathematical death sentence with six matches still to go, but realistically, ZSJ will likely need to win out if he wants to top his block and make it to the Budokan finals, and that includes scoring a win over the gigantic Bad Luck Fale.
History, at least, is on Sabre’s side, as in 2017 he was able to catch Fale with a roll-up to win their encounter. With his back to the wall, can ZSJ put Fale’s shoulders to the mat?
