NJPW G1 Climax Participants Ranked

The 2019 G1 Climax is being called the best in history. It is hard to argue that point, as the twenty wrestlers who made up the tournament’s field put on the performances of their careers.

Here we have taken it upon ourselves to rank all twenty participants in this year’s G1 Climax. The quality of their performances being the obvious contributing factor, it is worth noting that there were very few truly bad performances.

Nearly everyone performed at the highest level possible. This was a large reason why they were able to put on such a legendary tournament. Even with the departures of Kenny Omega, Hangman Page and Michael Elgin, and the absence of Minoru Suzuki, these competitors more than held their own.

At the end of the day, this list is subjective. So if our ninth entry differs from yours just drop us a tweet and we will ponder it.

---

20. Bad Luck Fale (A Block 4-5-0)

Best Match: SANADA

Worst Match: Kota Ibushi

This is an easy place to start. While he is not without talent, Bad Luck Fale was by far the worst competitor in the G1 Climax. The lumbering big man will come up often in this list as many people’s worst opponent.

It wasn’t all bad. Fale’s match with SANADA was entertaining and he managed to get big wins over the likes of EVIL and Hiroshi Tanahashi. That being said, Fale managed to have a bad match with Kota Ibushi and that is unfathomable.

---

19. TAICHI (B Block 4-5-0)

Best Match: Tomohiro Ishii

Worst Match: Toru Yano

Not going to lie, TAICHI being announced as part of the G1 Climax brought an audible groan from my tired body. He has a long way to go before being a true main event level performer, but TAICHI took some major steps in the right direction this summer.

This was in large part due to being able to have matches with the likes of Tomohiro Ishii and Shingo Takagi. TAICHI was able to elevate his game but he still finishes near the bottom of the list. This says more about the quality of the tournament than it does his performance in this case.

---

18. Jeff Cobb (B Block 4-5-0)

Best Match: Tomohiro Ishii

Worst Match: Jay White

Some people had been saying that Jeff Cobb got exposed in this tournament. While that might be a tad unfair, Cobb did not perform at the level of most of his peers. His style clashed with a number of his opponents and resulted in a handful of below average matches.

Cobb relies on a slow-building match format with lots of impressive power spots. When it came to wrestling guys like Jay White, who rely on stalling and character work, the matches suffered. Cobb was able to have great matches with Ishii and Takagi, but almost everyone in the B Block did too. To excel in this tournament, you have to do more.

---

17. Toru Yano (B Block 4-5-0)

Best Match: Tomohiro Ishii

Worst Match: Hirooki Goto

One of the things that makes the G1 Climax special is the amount of different matches that take place. For that reason, Toru Yano will always have a place in the G1. His matches are always comedy but it is good to have a change of pace amongst the fantastic matches in the tournament.

While he performs his role incredibly well, it is impossible to put Yano over any of the guys having spectacular matches. The only match he had that could be described as good was his match with Ishii. Many of his matches were entertaining but that was his only match that was good.

---

16. Lance Archer (A Block 3-6-0)

Best Match: Will Ospreay

Worst Match: Bad Luck Fale

In what was the surprise of the tournament, Lance Archer put on a hell of a performance. While he was unable to sustain the height of his first match against Will Ospreay, Archer’s performance was very respectable. He could have gotten lost in the role of the big man, but Archer was athletic, charismatic, and technically sound.

Even his worst match would be considered above average if it didn’t take place in this tournament. His best match, however, was the best match of his career. He played Goliath to Will Ospreay’s David, but this story had a different finish. The match was absolutely fantastic and should be checked out by all wrestling fans.

---

15. Hirooki Goto (B Block 5-4-0)

Best Match: Shingo Takagi

Worst Match: Toru Yano

Hirooki Goto is an interesting one. By all accounts he is a great worker but he almost never stands out in these tournaments. His story early in this tournament was that he had a poor showing in 2018 and could be kept out of the 2020 G1 Climax if he does not impress here. He finished with a decent record with five wins but this could be considered a disappointing outing for Goto.

Only his final match with Shingo Takagi would be considered excellent. He had good matches with Ishii and Jay White but the rest of his tournament left a lot to be desired. Goto has always been lacking in personality, but his matches often made up for his lack of flare. Only this time, his matches were lacking too.

---

14. Juice Robinson (B Block 4-5-0)

Best Match: Tomohiro Ishii

Worst Match: Toru Yano

Juice Robinson is another interesting one. Last year he had the storyline that he was underperforming, and while that may not be the storyline you want to have, at least it was something. This year, Robinson was just a guy. He is still colourful and eccentric but he is no longer the plucky underdog and he is no longer the IWGP United States Champion.

His matches were fine, some were even great. However, the problem was that there was little reason to get invested in his matches until the final days. He has history with Jay White and more recently Jon Moxley so it was easier to be interested in those matches. Juice was never a favourite to win and his lack of direction hurt him.

---

13. KENTA (A Block 4-5-0)

Best Match: Kazuchika Okada 

Worst Match: Bad Luck Fale

KENTA ended up having a really good tournament in spite of people’s reservations about him. He still had a little bit of the WWE funk on him but it had mostly worn off by the end of the tournament. When he was able to wrestle his style, his matches were great. There were a number of them as well, as his matches with Kota Ibushi, Hiroshi Tanahashi, Kazuchika Okada, Will Ospreay and Zack Sabre Jr. all received praise.

His matches were mostly very good, but KENTA did not seem to be firing on all cylinders until the end. It may have been confidence or something of the sort but it was a glaring issue early on. He started the tournament with four straight wins before losing his next five straight matches and joining Bullet Club. Big things coming.

---

12. Zack Sabre Jr. (A Block 4-5-0)

Best Match: Hiroshi Tanahashi

Worst Match: Bad Luck Fale

Of the twenty competitors in the G1 Climax, thirteen of them finished with eight points. As a result, it is mostly pointless to bring up people’s point totals in relation to how they did, but in some cases it is important to note how they got there. Zack Sabre Jr. started the tournament with four straight loses. This effectively eliminated him from contention and it played into his character going forward.

Everyone knows that Sabre is a mastermind in the ring and he further illustrated it here. Where Sabre suffered was his positioning. He was not put in a main event once and thus never had a main event level match. While his matches were great anyway, had he been put in the main event spot against Okada or Tanahashi, those matches surely would have been among the very best of the tournament if not the whole year.

---

11. Jay White (B Block 6-3-0 G1 Climax Runner-up)

Best Match: Kota Ibushi

Worst Match: Jeff Cobb

Jay White’s G1 Climax is the story of very high highs and very low lows. Had he not competed in the tournament final, White would likely have placed much lower on this list. White’s style focuses heavily on playing a character. He is the biggest heel in New Japan and this can lead to some subpar matches.

White’s matches with Toru Yano, TAICHI and Jeff Cobb were all well below average for this tournament. His stalling and character work does not mesh well with some people but he was able to have some great matches as well. His matches with Ishii and Takagi were great but it was the final against Ibushi that was the best. The G1 Climax ended with maybe its best match and undoubtedly the best match of White’s career.

---

10. Tetsuya Naito (B Block (5-4-0)

Best Match: Shingo Takagi

Worst Match: Toru Yano

Tetsuya Naito definitely took a bit of a step back this year compared to his last two G1 Climaxes. He was still booked strong and he had good matches but something felt off about him this year. Matches that should have been blow-away performances like his matches with Hirooki Goto and Juice Robinson were about average. His body is in rough shape these days so it is easy to point to that as the reason behind it.

Naito was still able to have one of the best matches of the year with Shingo Takagi, a battle between old sparring partners and current Los Ingobernables de Japon stablemates. The match was a classic and must be tracked down but it was the clear highlight of Naito’s tournament. If given the chance to heal, he should bounce back for next year.

---

9. EVIL (A Block 4-5-0)

Best Match: Kazuchika Okada

Worst Match: Bad Luck Fale

EVIL took a big step forward in this year’s tournament. He was always had potential but seemed to be lacking that next level of technique to make him one of the elite. He had it this year. There were a trio of matches that could have been selected as EVIL’s best, that being his matches with Kota Ibushi, Hiroshi Tanahashi, and Kazuchika Okada.

EVIL was on his game this summer. Had he been able to beat Okada he could have contended for the tournament final. In contrast to years passed, he would have fit right in had he reached the peak this year. It is very believable that he could continue to impress and develop in the very near future.

---

8. SANADA (A Block 4-5-0)

Best Match: Kazuchika Okada

Worst Match: KENTA

In another case of his path being more important than his destination, SANADA’s G1 Climax was a story of disappointment and triumph. He started his campaign with a 1-4-0 stretch, eliminating him from contention early. Despite having stellar matches, nothing was going right for SANADA as he dropped matches to Will Ospreay, EVIL, Kota Ibushi and Hiroshi Tanahashi.

That was until he faced his rival Kazuchika Okada. Okada had beaten him in the New Japan Cup Finals and again at Wrestling Dontaku. A third straight victory would have undoubtedly been crushing to SANADA but he was able to knuckle down and pull out the biggest win of his career. The win now puts him in line for a IWGP Heavyweight Championship match and while he may not win, this has been a positive step in his career.

---

7. Jon Moxley (B Block 5-4-0)

Best Match: Tomohiro Ishii

Worst Match: Toru Yano

It may have come as a surprise to some, but Jon Moxley has completely resurrected his career since leaving WWE. He had had good matches with Juice Robinson and Joey Janela prior to the tournament but Moxley put on the performance of his career this summer. He jumped out in front with a huge lead before stumbling down the stretch to finish just shy of the G1 Climax Final.

His match with Tomohiro Ishii should get more attention than it has been. As a match it was phenomenal, one of the best of the year and without a doubt the best of Moxley’s career. Moxley proved that everything he said on Chris Jericho’s podcast was true. He proved that he is able to have better matches, cut better promos, and become a bigger star away from WWE and who knows just how much higher he can ascend.

---

6. Shingo Takagi (B Block 4-5-0)

Best Match: Tomohiro Ishii

Worst Match: Toru Yano

Shingo Takagi’s G1 Climax cannot be measured in wins. By making the jump from the junior heavyweight division, Takagi was an immense underdog to win the tournament. While he did not rack up many wins, his performances were near perfection. Had he been pushed to contend for the final, he may have ended up in the top spot.

Shingo’s match with Tetsuya Naito was incredible and a highlight of the tournament, but he followed it with a match that was a highlight of the year. He and Tomohiro Ishii had the best match of the G1 per my humble opinion. The two best workers in the B Block came together for the best match of the tournament. Hard-hitting yet fast, their match should get votes for the match of the year come December.

Now a permanent member of the heavyweight division, Shingo can further solidify his spot as one of the very best perfomers in the entire world.

---

5. Hiroshi Tanahashi (A Block 4-5-0)

Best Match: Will Ospreay

Worst Match: Bad Luck Fale

This was a very emotional G1 Climax for Hiroshi Tanahashi. It marked the first time since 2008 that he was not alive going into the final day of the competition and for a man who has been the top guy for over a decade, that was a big deal. His match with Kota Ibushi felt like a real passing of the torch and given where Ibushi ended up, it is not hard to see him taking that torch even further.

Tanahashi continued to have incredible matches, finishing the tournament with one against Will Ospreay. The match meant a great deal to Ospreay as he repeatedly called it his most anticipated match and referenced Tanahashi’s line “attack for the next generation” in the build-up and aftermath. It is very likely that we will see a rematch between the two in the future, possibly even at Wrestle Kingdom next year.

Tanahashi may not have repeated his success from last year but he proved that he is still one of the vert best storytellers in wrestling history with his performances.

---

4. Will Ospreay (A Block 4-5-0)

Best Match: Kazuchika Okada 

Worst Match: Bad Luck Fale

Okay. To be completely honest, the final four men on this list should be in a four-way tie for first place. These are by far the four best competitors in the tournament and you could make a strong argument that they are the four best wrestlers in the entire world. That being said, we have to put them in some order. Just know that any of these four could be number one and it is with no great conviction that I make these choices.

Will Ospreay followed his outstanding Best of the Super Juniors performance with an even more spectacular G1 Climax. If you remove his match with Bad Luck Fale, his lowest rated match would still be 4 1/2 stars. That is insane, but Ospreay is just that good. His two best matches were a Wrestle Kingdom 13 rematch against Kota Ibushi and an epic showdown with Kazuchika Okada.

Ospreay’s match with Ibushi was everything their first match was and then some. They had the best match of the tournament to that point but Ospreay quickly outdid himself. His match with Okada was breathtaking. The crowd wanted to see Ospreay upset the IWGP Heavyweight Champion and while it was not to be, they did have one of the year’s best matches. Check it out if you missed it. You won’t regret it.

---

3. Tomohiro Ishii (B Block 4-5-0)

Best Match: Shingo Takagi

Worst Match: Toru Yano

Even his worst match was really good. Tomohiro Ishii was a classic match machine in this tournament. Had he made the finals he would be in the top spot on this list, guaranteed. He still could be and in many people’s minds he probably should be. If you want to have a great match, square off with Ishii and you will get your wish.

Ishii’s matches with Jon Moxley and Shingo Takagi were among the best of the tournament. His break-neck pace and proficiency for violence made Ishii the standout performer in the B Block this year. He could have a great match with almost anyone, with only his match with Toru Yano being slightly below Ishii’s standard. That being said, it was Yano’s best match of the tournament. Ishii is in a very elite tier, and he could always be a great champion if given the opportunity.

---

2. Kazuchika Okada (A Block 7-2-0)

 

Best Match: Will Ospreay

Worst Match: Bad Luck Fale

The top four are all interchangeable but the top two are REALLY interchangeable. Kazuchika Okada continued to show why he is the greatest wrestler in the world today through his performances in the G1 Climax. Okada’s three best matches came against Will Ospreay, SANADA and Kota Ibushi and they were all uniquely excellent.

His match with Ospreay had a strong big brother vs. little brother dynamic, with the little brother almost knocking off his older brother. The SANADA match was a story of desperation from a challenger with nothing left to lose. The Ibushi match was the climax of a month-long battle and a preview of what is still to come. All different. All amazing.

Okada’s greatest strength is being able to have a great match with anyone and be able to work their style. His matches could get boring or repetitive if it was the same thing every time but they are not. Each match is different from the last and as a result, Okada had another legendary G1 Climax performance.

---

1. Kota Ibushi (A Block 7-2-0 G1 Climax Winner)

Best Match: Jay White

Worst Match: Bad Luck Fale

This may have been the hardest decision of my life. In the end, Kota Ibushi gets the edge by competing in the extra match in the G1 Climax Final. Ibushi lost his first two matches against KENTA and EVIL but proceeded to win his next eight straight matches to win the tournament.

He was able to defeat a number of demons along the way. He avenged his loss from last year’s G1 Climax Final by beating Hiroshi Tanahashi and his loss from Wrestle Kingdom 13 by beating Will Ospreay, both in incredible fashion. This was Ibushi’s tournament. He defeated all of his rivals before reaching the tournament final where he faced his biggest challenge.

Jay White was the perfect opponent for Ibushi. Ibushi is a natural babyface. He has the look, the ability, and the history to get an audience behind him in a situation like this. White was the perfect heel for a match like this. He is detestable to the common fan but he still has the ability to have a fantastic match. In what should shock no one, the two had a great match, leading to Ibushi getting the biggest win of his career and sealing his spot as the MVP of the G1 Climax.

Who do you think was the MVP of the G1 Climax? Let us know in the comments below, on Twitter or on Discord!

 

• kota ibushi
• Kazuchika Okada
• G1 Climax
• NJPW

Share this article with friends