Kota Ibushi vs. Zack Sabre Jr.
July 21, 2017 (Night 3)
We’ve said a lot about the return of Kota Ibushi already, but one guy we haven’t yet touched on is the British technical wizard and newest member of Suzuki-Gun, Zack Sabre Jr. While his win-loss record hasn’t been flawless as of late (he’s still very much in contention though) Sabre has been booked like a legitimate killing machine. Nobody gets in more than one or two shots of offense against him, shockingly similar to mentor and faction leader Minoru Suzuki. His matches are must-see simply because you go into them wondering how his various opponents will deal with his seemingly impossible style. That auro of “specialness” is something missing from so much of pro wrestling, and Zack has brought it back in full force. Ibushi put on a great showing here as well, having to completely change his style to find a way out of ZSJ’s never-ending submissions and counters.
Kazuchika Okada vs. Michael Elgin
July 22, 2017 (Night 4)
There is nothing more dangerous than a hungry Michael Elgin. Trust me, I’ve had to buy pizza for a party he attended and almost lost a limb. This was every bit as good as you’d imagine, with Okada in the midst of the best run anywhere in the world, and Elgin elevating his already impressive game to a whole new level in 2017. This could have headlined any show of the year and been absolute gold. Go out of your way to see this match.
Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Yuji Nagata
July 23, 2017 (Night 5)
We already addressed just how great Yuji Nagata has been in his final G1 tournament, but this may be the single greatest match he’s had in three years. It called to mind his classic bout against Shinsuke Nakamura in 2014. With Nagata going into his third night still looking for a win, they created an incredible story matching his armbar finishing submission up against the legitimately injured right arm of Hiroshi Tanahashi.
Tomohiro Ishii vs. Kota Ibushi
July 23, 2017 (Night 5)
Another match where Kota Ibushi had to change up his game to deal with his opponent’s brutal series of offense. Tomohiro Ishii is having the single best year of his entire career, however late into it he might be, and this was just another example of how truly spectacular he can be in the ring. Ibushi went from his usual flashy style of kicks and flips, but quickly realized it wasn’t going to be nearly enough to chip down the Stone Pitbull and had to course-correct midway through the match. A great match from two of the best in the world today.
Kazuchika Okada vs. Sanada
July 25, 2017 (Night 6)
After returning to New Japan Sanada aligned himself with Los Ingobernables and has made a huge name for himself as a credible midcard performer. He has had several notable matches with great opponents, but this was easily the biggest challenge of his career. With a vacant, cold look in his eyes showing absolutely no fear against the greatest champion in the world, there were moments when you thought the upstart might actually upset the Rainmaker. The final moments were gripping, and some of the best storytelling done in the entire G1 so far. More important than the match itself, Sanada proved that he could put on main event matches with top stars and make the fans invest in the outcome; that will take him far in the years to come. We may look back in five years and see this as the moment that turned the corner towards title opportunities.
