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Hamilton’s New Japan G1 Climax 31 Preview

September 18, 2021 | Posted by Ian Hamilton
NJPW G1 Climax 31 Image Credit: NJPW

There’s no getting away from it. Interest in New Japan at this time of year is markedly different than it usually is for G1 season – and no, it’s not because the G1’s been punted into September once again, having made way for the Olympics (which actually happened this year). However, unlike last year, the world’s opened up a little, and with New Japan putting some steam behind the New Japan of America arm of operations, it does feel like the “home” team is feeling a little neglected.

Of course, the winner of last year’s G1 – Kota Ibushi – went on to win the IWGP Heavyweight title, along with the Intercontinental title, which he eventually melded together into the contentious IWGP World Heavyweight title. A belt that’s felt cursed, and looks to already have one title match set up for WrestleKingdom 16 in the shape of Will Ospreay’s “unification” match for the title he’s claimed never to have lost.

That means Ospreay’s not in the G1 – and with upcoming NJPW Strong tapings in Texas having some names make the trip from Japan, we’ve got some curious omissions. Of course, there’s no juniors, so the likes of Taiji Ishimori, El Phantasmo and Ryusuke Taguchi on the Autumn Attack Strong tapings are no losses to the G1… but then you see Minoru Suzuki, Juice Robinson and Jay White on these cards… and there’s some names that’d have added interest to the G1.

So, if they’re not in… who is?

Block A

Kota Ibushi
Last year’s G1 winner ended up losing his title shot to Jay White… but got a title shot at the Dome anyway and ended up leaving the Tokyo Dome with two belts. Since then, Ibushi’s 2021 has been rather patchy – losing his new IWGP World Heavyweight title in his first defence to Will Ospreay, then ended up on the shelf for two months after battling aspiration pneumonia. A loss to Hiroshi Tanahashi at Wrestle Grand Slam in MetLife Dome was his first match since beating Yota Tsuji in Tsuji’s send-off match… and while there are questions over Ibushi’s fitness, you can expect him to be there or thereabouts at the top of the group.

Tetsuya Naito
The LIJ leader has been mostly confined to tag matches in 2021 since he lost the double gold on January 4’s night of WrestleKingdom. An unsuccessful challenge for just the Intercontinental title, then a first round exit in the New Japan Cup kinda pushed Naito out of singles matches for a spell – with only a two-week reign as IWGP heavyweight tag champions with SANADA being the highlight. It’s exactly the kind of low-key year you’d expect from someone who’d come out of nowhere to win the G1…

Shingo Takagi
Coming in as the reigning champion, Shingo would be looking to join the acclaimed ranks of Keiji Mutoh and Kensuke Sasaki to win the G1 while being the reigning champion. No doubt Shingo will be a favourite for some, but I’d expect him to take one or two losses to set up matches for the remainder of the year.

Zack Sabre Jr.
Coming into this as a reigning tag team champion, ZSJ is pretty much nailed on for a mid-table finish you’d expect – but with Tetsuya Naito, Tanga Loa, Great-O-Khan and Tomohiro Ishii in the group, there’s all the potential to set up tag title matches down the line…

Toru Yano
“Everyone’s night off,” Yano’s here to mess with everyone’s pick ‘ems. Having regained his KOPW 2021 trophy, with a rare display of violence that could either spill over into Yano’s G1… or end up being consigned to video packages.

Tomohiro Ishii
I think we’re past the days where Ishii’s even considered as an outsider for the G1, despite being part of that record-setting NEVER trios championship team. Flitting between the US and Japan in recent months has raised Ishii’s profile. That being said, Ishii’s lost more singles matches than he’s won in Japan in 2020, and I’d expect that stat to sadly remain the same after the end of the G1.

Yujiro Takahashi
Yeah, I groaned too. Part of the new House of Torture group, which will live up to its name, Yujiro’s not going to be pulling too many snowflakes in people’s ratings, but what’s new? Expect him to be a nuisance, but also prop up block A after losing a tonne, possibly via DQ.

KENTA
KENTA’s 2021 has been hot and cold – retaining the right to challenge for the IWGP US title, only to lose the title match against Jon Moxley. Travelling back and forth between the US and Japan, KENTA has managed to appear on Strong and on Dynamite, but otherwise hasn’t been able to get much of a run going – and whether he can do with the fractured Bullet Club remains to be seen.

Tanga Loa
Making his G1 debut, Tanga Loa has only had three singles matches in the last year or so, but this doesn’t feel like a “sink or swim” moment for him. Tanga’s been turning some heads in his tag team outings over in Japan, with some putting him in the “most improved” conversation for this year. His maiden G1 will likely firm up or shoot down those arguments as Tanga Loa will likely finish towards the bottom of the block.

Great-O-Khan
Also making his G1 debut, Great-O-Khan hasn’t been back in New Japan for a year – and has seen his year interrupted by general uncertainty over the United Empire. Originally the leading light of the group alongside Will Ospreay, O-Khan’s taken a seat to Jeff Cobb’s conquests over Kazuchika Okada… but I’d expect O-Khan to finish mid-table in this block, behind the usual suspects.

Block B

SANADA
Last year’s runner-up, SANADA’s 2021 has been pretty good when it comes to singles action, with wins over EVIL at WrestleKingdom being followed by a run up to the quarter-finals in the New Japan Cup, with SANADA going out at the hands of eventual winner Will Ospreay. A brief run with the IWGP tag titles ended just before the G1, as I’d expect SANADA to be trading wins and losses to set up future title matches.

Taichi
Coming in as one half of the tag team champions, I’d not expect Taichi to win the block – but rather set up some matches for the future. Taichi’s won more than he’s lost in singles matches in 2021, and I’d expect a similar record to be on his books in a month’s time.

YOSHI-HASHI
One-third of the NEVER trios champions, YOSHI-HASHI has also been flirting with tag team gold, and I’d expect that to persist here and perhaps creep just above a 50-50 record in the block.

Hirooki Goto
One-third of the NEVER trios champions, KENTA has also been flirting with tag team gold, and I’d expect that to persist here and perhaps creep just above a 50-50 record in the block. Yes, I did just copy and paste that…

Jeff Cobb
Coming into the G1 off the back of a win against Kazuchika Okada, Cobb could be a dark horse for this block, but with Okada/Cobb being on the final B block night, I’d suspect Cobb could fall at the final fence, as it were. An establishing year for Cobb in the G1, I’d guess…

EVIL
Welcome to the House of Torture. Like it or not, EVIL’s going to be all over this block, with all of the run ins your heart could never desire. Whether it’s just Dick Togo, or SHO and/or Yujiro join in, prepare for shenanigans and perhaps a chance of winning the block as I fully expect EVIL to cheat his way to the finals in Budokan Hall…

Tama Tonga
Having not been in a G1 since 2018, Tama Tonga’s had minimal singles action in New Japan – with his last one-on-one outing being a ladder match defeat to Taichi. I’d fully expect Tama to win a couple, but the big thing coming out will be how well he does against other tag wrestlers, and what the future may hold as far as future tag title shots.

Chase Owens
Mocking us all with threats of 30-minute draws in the G1, I fully expect Chase to be the Yujiro of this block. I don’t expect Chase to bomb out of block B, but he’s likely to finish closer to the bottom than the top – with perhaps an upset result on the way.

Kazuchika Okada
They saved the best for last with these two announcements. Okada’s only had one title match this year – an impromptu loss to Shingo Takagi for the vacated IWGP World Heavyweight title – and as Okada’s been phased down the card a little. Questions over his health in 2021 perhaps played a part, with curiously-timed news about back injuries being released, but Okada’s year-to-date is the kind of run that either pegs you as a dark horse G1 finalist, or sets the tone for a continued move away from the main event.

Hiroshi Tanahashi
Winning the IWGP US title a month ago perhaps precludes Tanahashi from an unlikely G1 win, but his presence alongside Okada in an otherwise unfashionable block is more than welcome. In fact, we start with a historic Okada/Tanahashi match in block B as Tanahashi then needs to overcome Taichi on the final night if he’s to make the Budokan finals. I’d peg Tanahashi as someone who’ll be in the running, but barring drop outs, isn’t likely to make the finals…

As for fixtures, here you go:

September 18: Osaka – Shingo/Ishii, KENTA/Yano, O-Khan/Loa, Sabre/Naito, Ibushi/Yujiro

September 19: Osaka – Tanahashi/Okada, SANADA/Tama, Cobb/Owens, YOSHO-HASHI/EVIL, Goto/Taichi

September 23: Ota – Shingo/Sabre, Ibushi/Ishii, Naito/Tanga, KENTA/Yujiro, Yano/O-Khan

September 24: Ota – Okada/EVIL, SANADA/Taichi, YOSHI-HASHI/Cobb, Tama/Owens, Tanahashi/Goto

September 26: Kobe – Shingo/Naito, Ibushi/Sabre, Ishii/KENTA, Yano/Tanga, O-Khan/Yujiro

September 29: Korakuen Hall – Okada/YOSHI-HASHI, Tanahashi/Tama, Cobb/Goto, SANADA/Owens, EVIL/Taichi

September 30: Korakuen Hall – KENTA/Shingo, Naito/Yujiro, Ibushi/Yano, Sabre/O-Khan, Ishii/Tanga

October 1: Shizuoka – Tanahashi/SANADA, Okada/Goto, YOSHI-HASHI/Taichi, EVIL/Owens, Cobb/Tama

October 3: Nagoya – Ibushi/Shingo, Ishii/Sabre, Naito/Yano, Tanga/Yujiro, O-Khan/KENTA

October 4: Korakuen Hall – Okada/SANADA, Goto/YOSHI-HASHI, Cobb/Taichi, Tama/EVIL, Tanahashi/Owens

October 7: Hiroshima – KENTA/Naito, Ishii/O-Khan, Yano/Shingo, Sabre/Yujiro, Ibushi/Tanga

October 8: Kochi – Okada/Taichi, Tanahashi/EVIL, Cobb/SANADA, Goto/Owens, YOSHI-HASHI/Tama

October 9: Osaka – Ishii/Naito, Ibushi/O-Khan, Shingo/Tanga, Yujiro/Yano, Sabre/KENTA

October 12: Sendai – Cobb/Tanahashi, Goto/EVIL, Okada/Owens, YOSHI-HASHI/SANADA, Taichi/Tama

October 13: Sendai – Ibushi/Naito/ Shingo/O-Khan, Yano/Sabre, KENTA/Tanga, Ishii/Yujiro

October 14: Yamagata – Okada/Tama, Cobb/EVIL, Tanahashi/YOSHI-HASHI, Goto/SANADA, Taichi/Owens

October 18: Yokohama – Ibushi/KENTA, Ishii/Yano, Shingo/Yujiro, Naito/O-Khan, Sabre/Tanga

October 20: Budokan Hall – Tanahashi/Taichi, Okada/Cobb, Goto/Tama, YOSHI-HASHI/Owens, SANADA/EVIL

October 21: Budokan Hall – Finals

Predictions

So, from the Yokohama and Budokan shows, we can guess at what will be the deciders – my guess is block A is coming down to KENTA/Ibushi and Naito/O-Khan, with that Shingo/Yujiro match feeling decidedly like it’ll have shenanigans to cost Shingo…

Block B’s likely going to come down to Okada/Cobb and SANADA/EVIL, with my feeling being that EVIL goes one step better than last year, winning his block and facing Tetsuya Naito in match that doesn’t quite have the cache it did a year ago when it was a title match.

Subscribers to NJPW World will have live English coverage throughout the G1 from Kevin Kelly and Chris Charlton – I’ll be around for reports, but some of the early stages will likely be delayed as I’ve managed to book a trip to Germany for wXw’s restructured Catch Grand Prix. Keep your eyes here on 411 as we chart through a G1 Climax that will perhaps shape New Japan’s immediate future as we head into a trio of WrestleKingdoms in 2022.

article topics :

G1 Climax 31, New Japan, Ian Hamilton