Two More Matches Earn Coveted 5 Star Rating

This year’s NJPW G1 Climax tournament has been a lot like the tournaments of recent years, by which I mean the wrestling has been excellent, and Gedo has interfered in as many matches as he possibly can.

Early in the tournament, Will Ospreay took on Shingo Takagi, a match that was given a coveted 5 star rating in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.

However, the most recent Newsletter has said “hold my bag of stars”, and now another two matches can be added to that elite group.

Both Kota Ibushi vs. Minoru Suzuki and Kazuchika Okada vs. Shingo Takagi from Night 13 of the G1 Climax were awarded not just 5 stars, but 5.25 stars, because they were just a tiny bit better than perfect.

Here are a few of the reasons given for the ratings, first for the Ibushi vs. Suzuki match.

“This was just insane. It was more like a one-take movie fight scene with the hero of the movie facing the monster that won’t die…The scene was spectacular because the idea was the only way to stop Suzuki in a fight was to knock him out cold. So Suzuki laid on his back like he was knocked out cold, and got his big smile on his face.”

And for Okada vs. Takagi.

“This was totally different from the prior match but every bit of the same level of a classic that would have won match of the year more years than not over the past 30.”

Do yourself a favour, and go and watch these matches.

• 5 Stars
• dave meltzer
• G1 Climax
• NJPW

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