If you’re a fan of New Japan Pro Wrestling, this time of year is sort of your Wrestling Christmas. G1 participants have been announced, match-ups are also coming out, and it’s become apparent that NJPW is really going all out this year. With names like Jon Moxley, Will Ospreay and KENTA involved in the top tournament this year, it’s already created some dream combinations for many.
What if we took that a step further?
I went ahead and created my dream G1 Climax field, choosing from any and every active wrestler working today. Any promotion, it doesn’t matter, just the best of the best, true Mortal Kombat style. No part-timers, if you can’t wrestle nine matches a year, you can’t do it in a G1 either. Also, while it includes all promotions, I still imagine that the tournament is being held under the NJPW banner, therefore, an NJPW style and flavor will be expected. There are a couple surprises, both with whose in, and whose out, and I’m sure that will drum up some discussion.
But, why stop there?
Because I’m a glutton for punishment, not only did I choose the field, I also went ahead and booked out the ENTIRE tournament. So check out my field now, and keep an eye out for exactly how I see this fantasy G1 playing out in the days to come!
Kazuchika Okada
Easy pick here, especially if we’re assuming that this G1 is rewarding it’s winner the same prize as always, a shot at the IWGP Heavyweight Champion. If that’s the case, (and it’s my fantasy G1, so it is), then Okada has to be involved. And believe me, if Okada gets through this field as G1 winner, he’s truly earned the right to choose his WK opponent. Hell, if he wins this one, he could pick The Brooklyn Brawler to challenge and nobody could blame him.
Seth Rollins
No major surprises here, as most place Rollins squarely in the top 2-3 wrestlers in the world currently. After seeing Rollins in some of those gauntlet matches RAW fell in love with last year, there’s no question Rollins should thrive in this type of environment, but the G1 schedule presents many unique challenges that even a top athlete like Rollins would need to account for and overcome.
Roman Reigns
Rage all you want, Reigns is on this list, and it wasn’t even a question for me. His combination of size and speed would be a major challenge for a large portion of this field, and his accomplishments make him a no-brainer for this tournament. The G1 seeks to blend all styles to create the ultimate trek towards a Championship opportunity, and adding Reigns to the mix certainly accomplishes that.
Kenny Omega
Would have been hard to keep him out, right? AEW’s representative is extremely familiar with the G1, having already conquered the tournament in 2016. However, this field is a whole other story, and Omega would find himself having a WK main event caliber match every night. Could Omega be victorious again?
PAC
I’m not taking weight classes into account here, and with that being the case, PAC is an easy pick for me. Once again, it’s adding another dynamic to the field, and I doubt very many would doubt PAC’s credibility in this type of scenario, especially those familiar with his work outside of WWE.
Tetsuya Naito
Once again, hard to deny one of the top talents in New Japan today, and Tetsuya Naito fits right in with this field. Another man whose won the G1 in his career, however how will he adapt to the styles of guys like Roman Reigns, who has no real comparable equal, in terms of style, on the NJPW roster? Ultimately, in this G1 format, as the creators, NJPW (and NJPW fans), would be looking to illustrate dominance, and Naito would absolutely be one of the representatives chosen to try and accomplish that.
Randy Orton
Is it possible to be both overrated and undervalued at the same time? Randy Orton seems to accomplish that at times, but there’s no denying Orton’s skills. How would The Viper compare with the likes of Tetsuya Naito and Kazuchika Okada? I think a lot of fans overlook Orton because of his recent malaise, but I also doubt many would question his inclusion here.
Kota Ibushi
Once upon a time, we had dreams of Kota in WWE (well, NXT), and the potential of some really interesting match-ups. Well, that didn’t go the way some thought, but in this scenario, we’d finally get some awesome matches between Kota and the likes of Seth Rollins or PAC. Ibushi is a must in this tournament, with the only question being whether his style against this field would allow him to hold up over the course of the grueling tournament.
Zack Sabre Jr.
We’re looking for different styles, right? ZSJ might as well have his style named after him, because while it’s obviously descendant of the British technical style, ZSJ has mastered it to an entirely other level. Can he hang with the larger opponents this format will bring, and will he be able to avoid the frustration we’ve seen in tournaments past? Do we see G1 ZSJ, or New Japan Cup ZSJ, where he dominated the likes of Ibushi & Hiroshi Tanahashi?
Finn Balor
Can you bring out the Demon for nine straight matches? How about just forgetting that nonsense for a bit, and going back to your Prince roots for a bit? Balor would need to reclaim a bit of his New Japan energy in order to make it through this field, but I’m confident he wouldn’t disappoint.
Shinsuke Nakamura
Another easy pick…if you focus more on time prior to the WWE main roster. Fans across the globe would rejoice seeing Nakamura return to this type of format, and more importantly, the style this format and NJPW deliver. Seeing Nakamura match up with the 2019 incarnations of names like Kota Ibushi and Kazuchika Okada would be massive, and Nak might even remind everyone why he was so highly coveted by WWE to begin with.
Tomohiro Ishii
It seems every G1, of all of the MOTY candidates that format provides, that Ishii’s name comes up as (or more) frequently than anyone else. Ishii would be an extreme test for anyone in this field, but especially those who have never experienced the true “strong style” culture. Could he win the whole thing? I wouldn’t put it past him, because nobody will be able to take as much punishment as him.
Daniel Bryan
Man, you’ve gotta think Bryan would LOVE to be in one of these before he’s done, don’t you? It’ll never happen now, and I don’t think anyone wants to let him over to NJPW after all of the concussions, but for our purposes, how could I hold him out? Bryan vs. Okada? Bryan vs. Ibushi? Bryan vs. ZSJ?? And what would it take to truly keep Bryan down? The ultimate underdog might just find his greatest victory in this talent pool.
Johnny Gargano
We’ve got Daniel Bryan, and then we have the person who I think will be the NEXT Daniel Bryan in Johnny Gargano. But even without that parallel, it’s tough to deny Gargano’s resume of amazing matches at this point, and this G1 field would just give him the opportunity to create even more magic.
Cesaro
Name-wise, I expect some might question this one. But we’re in a “dream” scenario, and if you’re not excited about match-ups like Cesaro/ZSJ and Cesaro/Ibushi, you’re clearly reading the wrong column. Plus, in the rare chances Cesaro’s been given to stand on his own AND wrestle, he’s shined. In WWE, he’s only held back by his promos, in our G1, the action would do all of the talking.
Samoa Joe
Joe’s fit into the WWE style beautifully, but don’t be fooled, this man will bring you all of the “strong style” you can handle, and then some. Joe’s got plenty of gas to make it through this format, and every opponent would be risking potential forfeit moving forward if injured at the hands of Joe. Plus, just imagine the absolute war that takes place if Joe and Ishii get in the ring together?
Pete Dunne
Another name that may surprise some, but whose resume of quality work more than defends his placement among this field. Dunne may not have the main roster success of a Rollins or Reigns, but there’s no denying the electricity and realism brought to the ring whenever the Bruiserweight shows up. That type of personality would fit right in among a NJPW-style G1 tournament, where toughness and heart are crucial.
AJ Styles
Another easy one, and another WWE name that would easily step right back into his New Japan roots to be included in this field. And even if we want to ignore Styles’ resume and accomplishments, look no further than that potential Styles/Omega match, and you’ve got AJ’s name written in permanent ink on this bracket.
Bray Wyatt
It’s quickly becoming a cliche in 2019; styles make fights. And more often than not, when taking on Bray Wyatt, you’re stuck adapting to his style. That would play well in the G1 format, never mind the fact that we’ve yet to even see Wyatt’s newest adaption, which appears to have made him even more dangerous. Plus, imagine Okada’s face when Wyatt’s spider-walking towards him?
Velveteen Dream
Our final competitor is also the one with the least experience, however, I believe Dream would excel in this situation, as he’s already proven to be a star. Dream would make the entire G1 his stage, and his unique style would present challenges to each and every opponent throughout his tournament journey. Would his lack of experience cost him? Sometimes, what you don’t know can’t hurt you.
Well, that’s the field! Agree/disagree? Let me hear your thoughts on Twitter @TimBell81, and keep your eyes on PWP for my column explaining why I left certain names OUT (cough…Tanahashi…cough), as well as my column explaining exactly how I would (and did) book this exact tournament!