NJPW G1 Climax 2013 Preview

NJPW G1 Climax 2013 Line-ups and Thoughts

 BLOCK A

(top row from left to right)
Hiroshi Tanahashi
Togi Makabe
Hirooki Goto
Satoshi Kojima
Kauchika Okada
(bottom row from left to right)
Tomohiro Ishii
Lance Archer
Davey Boy Smith Jr./DH Smith
Prince Devitt
Katsuyori Shibata

BLOCK B

(top row from left to right)
Hiroyoshi Tenzan
Yuji Nagata
Tetsuya Naito
Shinsuke Nakamura
Toru Yano
(bottom row from left to right)
Yujiro Takahashi
Minoru Suzuki
Shelton Benjamin
Karl Anderson
Kota Ibushi

The G1 Climax is New Japan Pro Wrestling's annual round robin tournament. Each wrestler has 9 singles matches against the remaining wrestlers. At the end of the 9 natches, the Block A winner and the Block B winner have a match to determine the G1 Climax Champion.

Block A
This is what they would call in football, the group of death. Block A is by far the more stacked block of the two. It has Tanahashi, Goto, Okada, Shibata, Ishii and Prince Devitt. You can almost guarantee that at least half the matches in this block are going to be great. It is highly likely that the winner of G1 comes from this block and the race for the Block A crown should be very tight.

Block B
This is the weaker block of the two. Nakamura, Ibushi and Naito should provide most of the good matches, but they will have a lot of carrying to do. Not only does this block have some of the less talented workers, but it also has some veterans who either can't go as well as they used to or won't go as well as they used to. Tenzan and Nagata were both two of the top workers in the world during the 2000's, but Tenzan has tons of injuries and Nagata hasn't been giving his full effort. We will have to wait and see what happens, but Block A is where it is at.

The Big Matches of Block A:

Hiroshi Tanahashi vs Kazuchika Okada
They main evented the Tokyo Dome and main evented another iPPV together this year. They are by far the two top wrestlers of NJPW and they will be meeting again. It is even possible that they will be meeting a second time if both men fight in the playoff. This should be a very good match and will only get better if there is more on the line.

Hiroshi Tanahashi vs Katsuyori ShibataThis is the first match between two of NJPW's New Three Musketeers. They haven't fought in years due to Shibata leaving NJPW in the early 2000's.Tanahashi became the ace of NJPW and Shibata lost a bunch of matches in MMA. This should be a big match with tons of heat and good work. I am very excited for this one and it could be the match of the tournament.

Kazuchika Okada vs Katsuyori Shibata
To my knowledge, this would be their first match and it will be a good one. There should be good heat for it and I'm really excited to see what they can do. This match, along with the two above are Main Event PPV quality matches.

Kazuchika Okada vs Hirooki Goto
These two had a great match in last year's G1 and this should be no different. Okada gets some good stuff out of Goto and I'm definitely going to watch this. I really like Goto and hopefully this tournament shows off his talents more.

Hiroshi Tanahashi vs Tomohiro Ishii
Maybe this isn't a big match, but this could be really awesome. It all depends on how much Ishii gets in. If he gets a lot in and this is worked evenly, this could be a career match for Ishii.

The Big Matches of Block B:

Shinsuke Nakamura vs Kota Ibushi
This is the most intriguing match for me in Block B. I don't think these two have ever squared off and it could be really fun. Hopefully we will get tons of kicking and I look forward to seeing Ibushi interact with Nakamura's eccentric personality.

Shinsuke Nakamura vs Tetsuya Naito
This very well could determine who wins the block. Naito is a heavy favorite going into this tournament and this should be good. I don't know what to expect from these two but I think it will be very good.

Kota Ibushi vs Tetsuya Naito
This could be very fun. I think these two are going to work well together and I'm looking forward to this. I envision Naito getting kicked all over until he finally makes a comeback and wins. There should be tons of high flying here.

Kota Ibushi vs Yuji Nagata
Maybe not a big match, but this should be fun and if Nagata is inspired, it could be really good.

Rankings Predictions:
While these are hard to pick, I'll do my best. Block A is impossible to predict. There are legit 4 people who I could see winning this. The other problem is, this block is so stacked that big names are going to have lose, and they will have to lose multiple times. Most likely, we will see a lot of people with similar records coming into the final day.

BLOCK A

Katsuyori Shibata - 3rd G1 Climax Appearance - He's my pick to win it, but it isn't a safe bet at all. In fact, he is the most dangerous pick one could make. As good of a chance as he has of winning it, he has an even better chance of not winning it. This one depends on how much NJPW likes Shibata and what they see in his future. For me, Shibata winning the G1, taking the IWGP title and then losing to someone at the Tokyo Dome would be the most likely option.

Kazuchika Okada - 2nd G1 Climax Appearance - 2012 G1 Climax Winner - He is the current IWGP champion. I can't see him coming in past third. He is the newest ace of NJPW and should be taking up where Tanahashi left off. NJPW really needs to set him in stone, so it's likely he will do well and possibly win the block.

Hiroshi Tanahashi - 12th G1 Climax Appearance - 2004 G1 Climax Finalist, 2007 G1 Climax Winner, 2010 G1 Climax Finalist - He's kind of stuck at the moment. He had his run and they want to give other people chances, so they need to keep him relevant and keep him in his high position in NJPW. He would have been the favorite to win any other year, but not this year. He will do well and may be very close to winning it, but the only way he gets into a playoff for the Block A title is if Shibata isn't in there, which is a possibility. Him winning against Okada, Shibata or Devitt is a toss-up and could go either way.

Prince Devitt - 2nd G1 Climax Appearance - Again, he is a tough pick. NJPW is really pushing him lately but who knows if this will keep going or not. I can't see him winning the G1 in any way, shape or form. It's possible, but I won't pick it. He should have some good matches though and he may be out of the juniors division for good if he does well in the G1.

Hirooki Goto - 6th G1 Climax Appearance - 2008 G1 Climax Winner -  He is kind of like an upper midcarder and sometimes main eventer. With that being said, you'd have to be crazy to pick him. There is no way he even gets close to winning. It just isn't happening. However, he should provide for tons of good matches with Tana, Okada and Shibata.

Satoshi Kojima  - 12th G1 Climax Appearance - 2006 G1 Climax Finalist, 2010 G1 Climax Winner - He has no chance of winning either. I could see NJPW having him contend but they would have to be nuts to have him win. His best days are behind him and if he is inspired, he could be in some good stuff with Ishii or Makabe.

Togi Makabe - 10th G1 Climax Appearance - 2008 G1 Climax Finalist, 2009 G1 Climax Winner -  He has no chance of winning, especially since losing against Okada at the iPPV, but he could be in there until the last day. I think he could pull out some good matches if he works smart and is inspired, but he won't win. NJPW loves to keep him strong though, so he won't be at the bottom.

Davey Boy Smith Jr. - 1st G1 Climax Appearance - I can't see any case for him winning. NJPW seems to like him but he should be here to make others look good. I just hope he has his working shoes on.

Lance Archer - 3rd G1 Climax Appearance - NJPW really likes him as well and he could make the middle of the block, but won't come close to winning it. There is just no way. I am looking forward to seeing what he can do though, as he could be in some good stuff.

Tomohiro Ishii - 1st G1 Climax Appearance - He easily seems to be the person who will be in last but I hope this tournament opens NJPW's eyes to him. He is a great and fiery wrestler but undersized. He should have some standout performances and could have some of the best matches in this whole tournament.

BLOCK B

Tetsuya Naito - 4th G1 Climax Appearance - 2011 G1 Climax Finalist - Naito is one of the two favorites along with Nakamura to win this. He just returned a little bit ago, NJPW has big plans for his future and the G1 could be when they act on them. He's ready to do something big and winning Block B seems possible.

Shinsuke Nakamura - 10th G1 Climax Appearance - 2009 G1 Climax Finalist, 2011 G1 Climax Winner - Nakamura should be a big threat to win this but for some reason, NJPW pushes Nakamura a lot less harder than they do Hiroshi Tanahashi. I'm not sure why when he is quite talented. Nakamura definitely could take the block and should be a favorite.

Kota Ibushi - 1st G1 Climax Appearance - Kota Ibushi is here to represent DDT, provide some interesting matches and most important, put others over. He has no chance of winning the G1. He could slip into the semi-finals though if he is lucky.

Karl Anderson - 4th G1 Climax Appearance - 2012 G1 Climax Finalist - Anderson won't win this. I see him as being in a similar position with Goto and can't fathom him winning this. I don't even think he will be in any possible playoff, but he should be in 3rd or 4th place in his block at worst.

Minoru Suzuki - 5th G1 Climax Appearance - He won't win this but he is expected to do well. He should be in the top half of his block and could even challenge for the block win, but it won't happen. He's too far down the priority scale now.

Yujiro Takahashi - 4th G1 Climax Appearance - No chance in winning this at all. He is pretty much a midcarder to upper midcarder for life and moving him any higher is just pushing it. His ring work leaves a lot to be desired.

Yuji Nagata - 15th G1 Climax Appearance - 2001 G1 Climax Winner, 2007 G1 Climax Finalist - No chance in winning this, slight chance of him not even finishing the tournament. He started to finally show his age last year and his best days are behind him.

Hiroyoshi Tenzan - 18th G1 Climax Appearance - 1997 G1 Climax Finalist - 2003, 2004, 2006 G1 Climax Winner - If he can finish the tournament, he won't win. There is just no chance in the world. He's guaranteed to be near the bottom.

Shelton Benjamin -  2nd G1 Climax Appearance - Another one who has no chance to win. He hasn't looked good in years and I don't know what NJPW sees in him, because he has been a waste.

Toru Yano - 8th G1 Climax Appearance - Ha. If he doesn't finish last, it will be a small miracle.

Chances of winning:

Could win the tournament
Katsuyori Shibata - Block A
Tetsuya Naito - Block B
Kazuchika Okada - Block A
Hiroshi Tanahashi - Block A
Shinsuke Nakamura - Block B

Could finish high in their block
Prince Devitt - Block A
Kota Ibushi - Block B
Karl Anderson - Block B
Minoru Suzuki - Block B
Hirooki Goto - Block A

Middle of the pack
Satoshi Kojima - Block A
Togi Makabe - Block A
 Davey Boy Smith Jr. - Block A
 Lance Archer - Block A
Yujiro Takahashi - Block B

No chance
Yujiro Takahashi - Block B
Yuji Nagata - Block B
Hiroyoshi Tenzan - Block B
Shelton Benjamin - Block B
Toru Yano - Block B

The cards:
One overall note to make is that while these cards being loaded is a good thing, it is also a bad thing in disguise. 10 top NJPW singles matches on one show sounds good, right? 10 top NJPW singles matches with maybe 10 minutes a piece doesn't sound as good, right? The length of these cards are going to be an issue as without entrances or exits, these matches would still take up 100 minutes alone at 10 minutes a piece. Some matches will be shorter and some will be longer but unfortunately, we are probably not going to be seeing the best match possible for every match on these cards.

NJPW, 8/1/13 (Samurai! TV)
Act City Hamamatsu
1. G1 Climax – Block B: Kota Ibushi vs. Toru Yano
2. G1 Climax – Block A: Tomohiro Ishii vs. Lance Archer
3. G1 Climax – Block B: Hiroyoshi Tenzan vs. Shelton Benjamin
4. G1 Climax – Block A: Katsuyori Shibata vs. Davey Boy Smith Jr.
5. G1 Climax – Block B: Tetsuya Naito vs. Yujiro Takahashi
6. G1 Climax – Block B: Yuji Nagata vs. Minoru Suzuki
7. G1 Climax – Block A: Togi Makabe vs. Hirooki Goto
8. G1 Climax – Block B: Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Karl Anderson
9. G1 Climax – Block A: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Satoshi Kojima
10. G1 Climax – Block A: Kazuchika Okada vs. Prince Devitt

Thoughts: The first day in my eyes is one of the lesser days of the tournament. The only matches I would want to see are Nagata vs Suzuki and Okada vs Devitt. Okada vs Devitt should get enough time and to be honest, the less time Nagata vs Suzuki gets, the better it will likely be.

NJPW, 8/2/13 (TV Asahi ch1 & ch2)
Tokyo Korakuen Hall
1. G1 Climax – Block B: Karl Anderson vs. Shelton Benjamin
2. G1 Climax – Block B: Hiroyoshi Tenzan vs. Yujiro Takahashi
3. G1 Climax – Block B: Yuji Nagata vs. Toru Yano
4. G1 Climax – Block A: Prince Devitt vs. Lance Archer
5. G1 Climax – Block A: Katsuyori Shibata vs. Satoshi Kojima
6. G1 Climax – Block A: Togi Makabe vs. Davey Boy Smith Jr.
7. G1 Climax – Block B: Tetsuya Naito vs. Kota Ibushi
8. G1 Climax – Block B: Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Minoru Suzuki
9. G1 Climax – Block A: Hirooki Goto vs. Kazuchika Okada
10. G1 Climax – Block A: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Tomohiro Ishii

Thoughts - This is a much tastier looking day. Matches 7 through 10 all look great. Ibushi vs Naito could be a fun high flying spectacle and I can't see this being anything but good. Nakamura vs Suzuki could be really good if they go the shoot route and let their personalities interact. Goto vs Okada was really good in last year's G1 and I can't see it being any different. Last years match was a MOTYC and this could be too. The main could be really fun though if it is booked right. Ishii is great to watch and it'll be interesting to see the young lion go up against the symbol of NJPW.

NJPW, 8/3/13 (Samurai! TV)
Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium
1. G1 Climax – Block B: Kota Ibushi vs. Karl Anderson
2. G1 Climax – Block B: Yujiro Takahashi vs. Shelton Benjamin
3. G1 Climax – Block A: Tomohiro Ishii vs. Prince Devitt
4. G1 Climax – Block B: Hiroyoshi Tenzan vs. Minoru Suzuki
5. G1 Climax – Block B: Yuji Nagata vs. Tetsuya Naito
6. G1 Climax – Block A: Kazuchika Okada vs. Lance Archer
7. G1 Climax – Block B: Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Toru Yano
8. G1 Climax – Block A: Hirooki Goto vs. Satoshi Kojima
9. G1 Climax – Block A: Togi Makabe vs. Katsuyori Shibata
10. G1 Climax – Block A: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Davey Boy Smith Jr.

Thoughts - Nothing really catches my eye here. Ishii vs Devitt or Makabe vs Shibata would have the best chances of being good here. Okada vs Archer could be fun though but I'm not sure about Ibushi vs Anderson.

NJPW, 8/4/13 (WPW)
Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium
1. G1 Climax – Block B: Toru Yano vs. Yujiro Takahashi
2. G1 Climax – Block B: Hiroyoshi Tenzan vs. Karl Anderson
3. G1 Climax – Block B: Yuji Nagata vs. Shelton Benjamin
4. G1 Climax – Block A: Satoshi Kojima vs. Davey Boy Smith Jr.
5. G1 Climax – Block A: Tomohiro Ishii vs. Katsuyori Shibata
6. G1 Climax – Block A: Hirooki Goto vs. Lance Archer
7. G1 Climax – Block B: Tetsuya Naito vs. Minoru Suzuki
8. G1 Climax – Block A: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Prince Devitt
9. G1 Climax – Block A: Togi Makabe vs. Kazuchika Okada
10. G1 Climax – Block B: Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Kota Ibushi

Thoughts - This is a pretty good looking line-up. There is potential in Ishii/Shibata, Tanahashi/Devitt, Naito/Suzuki and there is serious potential in Nakamura/Ibushi. Ishii vs Shibata could be really really awesome and these two are going to match up well. Nakamura vs Ibushi should be choice, whichever route they go.  I want to see these two kick the crap out of each other and I hope I get it.

NJPW, 8/6/13 (Samurai! TV)
Ishikawa Industrial Exhibition Hall #3
1. G1 Climax – Block A: Satoshi Kojima vs. Tomohiro Ishii
2. G1 Climax – Block B: Hiroyoshi Tenzan vs. Toru Yano
3. G1 Climax – Block A: Katsuyori Shibata vs. Lance Archer
4. G1 Climax – Block B: Tetsuya Naito vs. Shelton Benjamin
5. G1 Climax – Block B: Karl Anderson vs. Minoru Suzuki
6. G1 Climax – Block B: Yuji Nagata vs. Kota Ibushi
7. G1 Climax – Block B: Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Yujiro Takahashi
8. G1 Climax – Block A: Kazuchika Okada vs. Davey Boy Smith Jr.
9. G1 Climax – Block A: Hirooki Goto vs. Prince Devitt
10. G1 Climax – Block A: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Togi Makabe

Thoughts - Aside from Kojima vs Ishii, nothing really looks good here. I guess Devitt vs Goto could be good but I'm totally not feeling the rest.

NJPW, 8/7/13 (Samurai! TV)
Sendai Sun Plaza Hall
1. G1 Climax – Block B: Kota Ibushi vs. Shelton Benjamin
2. G1 Climax – Block B: Toru Yano vs. Karl Anderson
3. G1 Climax – Block A: Tomohiro Ishii vs. Davey Boy Smith Jr.
4. G1 Climax – Block B: Yujiro Takahashi vs. Minoru Suzuki
5. G1 Climax – Block A: Togi Makabe vs. Lance Archer
6. G1 Climax – Block B: Hiroyoshi Tenzan vs. Tetsuya Naito
7. G1 Climax – Block A: Satoshi Kojima vs. Prince Devitt
8. G1 Climax – Block A: Kazuchika Okada vs. Katsuyori Shibata
9. G1 Climax – Block B: Yuji Nagata vs. Shinsuke Nakamura
10. G1 Climax – Block A: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Hirooki Goto

Thoughts - This is a good looking show. Goto vs Tanahashi should be very good and Shibata vs Okada has super high potential. Nagata and Nakamura could be good as well depending on how into this Nagata is. Heck, even Ibushi vs Benjamin has a shot.

NJPW, 8/8/13 (Samurai! TV)
Yokohama Bunka Gymnasium
1. G1 Climax – Block B: Kota Ibushi vs. Yujiro Takahashi
2. G1 Climax – Block B: Yuji Nagata vs. Karl Anderson
3. G1 Climax – Block A: Katsuyori Shibata vs. Prince Devitt
4. G1 Climax – Block A: Kazuchika Okada vs. Tomohiro Ishii
5. G1 Climax – Block B: Hiroyoshi Tenzan vs. Shinsuke Nakamura
6. G1 Climax – Block A: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Lance Archer
7. G1 Climax – Block B: Tetsuya Naito vs. Toru Yano
8. G1 Climax – Block A: Hirooki Goto vs. Davey Boy Smith Jr.
9. G1 Climax – Block B: Minoru Suzuki vs. Shelton Benjamin
10. G1 Climax – Block A: Togi Makabe vs. Satoshi Kojima

Thoughts - I'm not really feeling this one. There are only two matches I have interest in and that's Okada/Ishii and Devitt/Shibata. I can't see 7-10 being good at all.

NJPW, 8/10/13 (TV Asahi ch1 & ch2)
Tokyo Ryogoku Kokugikan
1. G1 Climax – Block A: Prince Devitt vs. Davey Boy Smith Jr.
2. G1 Climax – Block B: Karl Anderson vs. Yujiro Takahashi
3. G1 Climax – Block A: Satoshi Kojima vs. Lance Archer
4. G1 Climax – Block B: Hiroyoshi Tenzan vs. Yuji Nagata
5. G1 Climax – Block B: Toru Yano vs. Shelton Benjamin
6. G1 Climax – Block A: Togi Makabe vs. Tomohiro Ishii
7. G1 Climax – Block B: Kota Ibushi vs. Minoru Suzuki
8. G1 Climax – Block A: Hirooki Goto vs. Katsuyori Shibata
9. G1 Climax – Block B: Tetsuya Naito vs. Shinsuke Nakamura
10. G1 Climax – Block A: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Kazuchika Okada

Thoughts - This is the most loaded day of the G1 Climax. There are at least 3 matches here that could be main events on any given night . Tanahashi/Okada could be a MOTYC, Naito vs Nakamura should be great, Goto vs Shibata will be fiery and awesome if it is like their previous matches and Ibushi vs Suzuki could be a lot of fun.

NJPW, 8/11/13 (WPW)
Tokyo Ryogoku Kokugikan
1. Special Tag Match: Kazushi Sakuraba & Akebono vs. Takashi Iizuka & YOSHI-HASHI
2. G1 Climax – Block B: Toru Yano vs. Minoru Suzuki
3. G1 Climax – Block B: Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Shelton Benjamin
4. G1 Climax – Block B: Tetsuya Naito vs. Karl Anderson
5. G1 Climax – Block B: Yuji Nagata vs. Yujiro Takahashi
6. G1 Climax – Block B: Hiroyoshi Tenzan vs. Kota Ibushi
7. G1 Climax – Block A: Lance Archer vs. Davey Boy Smith Jr.
8. G1 Climax – Block A: Satoshi Kojima vs. Kazuchika Okada
9. G1 Climax – Block A: Hirooki Goto vs. Tomohiro Ishii
10. G1 Climax – Block A: Togi Makabe vs. Prince Devitt
11. G1 Climax – Block A: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Katsuyori Shibata
12. G1 Climax – Final: Block A 1st place vs. Block B 1st place

Thoughts - We don't know the final yet but Tanahashi vs Shibata is a dream match and Goto vs Ishii could be good. The rest? Eh. The opener is really random.

I will be reviewing at least some of the G1 but if I'm feeling really productive, the whole thing could be possible. It depends mostly on time, availability and viewer interest.