3. Jay White vs. Shingo Takagi – G1 Climax 29 – July 28, 2019
Nobody knew what to expect when the G1 Block pitted Jay White against Shingo Takagi. Since arriving in the company, Takagi had been wrestling in the Jr Heavyweight division whereas White was a pure heavyweight wrestler with more experience in these kinds of tournaments.
The match started strongly from both wrestlers. Jay knew straight away that he could not overpower the Dragon. He decided to use his brains and mind games by taunting Shingo, but that was probably the worst decision he could’ve made. From there, the match focused on the strength of each wrestler with some blistering chops, lariats and strikes. Of course, Jay still utilized Gedo on the outside and his ability to play possum.
Despite Shingo managing to get passed the interference, it wasn’t enough to win the match. The rest of the match went fairly cleanly with White got the win with his patented Blade Runner. With another bout set for this tournament, it will be interesting to see what happens the second time around.
2. Jay White vs. Kazuchika Okada – G1 Climax 28 – July 14, 2018
After Jay White came back from his excursion and joined the CHAOS faction, fans were surprised. Although fitting the essence of CHAOS, Jay seemed to have no real allegiance to the faction. He also made it clear that, when the time came, it was every man for himself. The first example of this came on the first night. Jay was going to face the leader of CHAOS Kazuchika Okada.
Things were already tense in the faction. Okada had lost the title and was going through a rough period. CHAOS wasn’t winning matches. Jay believed that it was his responsibility to return his teammates to their former glory because Okada was failing them.
The match itself was the start of what would be a thrilling rivalry between the two. As expected, White put everything on the line and was willing to do everything to get the win over The Rainmaker. He moved the match to the outside utilizing not only the barricades but the ring apron. Fans even saw White execute a beautiful Saito Suplex over the top-rope. It was high risk, dangerous and was mixed in with Okada’s athleticism and unpredictability at that moment in time.
However, despite both their talent, Jay decided to embrace his dark side to get the win. Getting Red Shoes Unno out of the picture after an attempted Rainmaker, White hit Okada with a low blow and then a steel chair on the head for good measure. From here, he was able to hit the Blade Runner to win his first-ever two points.
All in all, it was a match combining great wrestling and fantastic storytelling. It might have been the start of Jay’s future betrayal and move to the Bullet Club that Autumn.
1. Jay White vs. Kota Ibushi – G1 Climax 29 Final – August 12, 2019
The final of the 2019 G1 Climax involved two very different wrestlers. From their wrestling style, personality and attitude to the sport, Jay White and Kota Ibushi couldn’t be any different. Going into the match, White had a plan which was a combination of mind games, targeting Ibushi’s already injured leg and the presence of the Bullet Club.
One of those plans was ruined straight away as Red Shoes Unno banned all the members of the faction from ringside, and this eventually included Gedo too. From there, it seemed as if the complexion of the match completely changed and Ibushi now had a fair and fighting chance.
It was also the point where fans were treated to a genuinely good wrestling match. The two managed to blend their contrasting styles perfectly in a match that had something for everyone. There were suplexes, knee strikes and a lot of action outside of the ring.
Despite both men being on equal footing for most of it and Gedo managing to slither his way back to the ring, the ending sequence of the match was superb. It took two Kamigoyes for the Golden Star to defeat Jay. However, even though White lost, many have called it one of the matches of the year and it was the start of an amazing rivalry between the two.
What has your favourite G1 Climax match been from the career of Jay White? Let us know on Twitter!
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