What’s the story?
One of the most prestigious annual tournaments in modern wrestling, the G1 Climax, kicks off today and as transcribed by UnderhookDDT, there are already verbal shots being fired among some of the top competitors. In a recent interview, Kenny Omega called out Kota Ibushi for skipping out on the tournament last year.
In case you didn’t know…
The 27th installment of New Japan Pro Wrestling’s annual G1 Climax begins today. The first night airs free on New Japan World from Hokkaido, Japan, and will feature English commentary. Kenny Omega, last year’s winner, has stated that he intends on becoming the first gaijin to win the G1 in back to back years. Kota Ibushi is also a participant expected to do well.
Trending
The heart of the matter...
Omega and Ibushi are not in the same Blocks in this year’s round-robin style tournament. That means they will face each other only if they both advance to the finals. If they do, Kenny has made it clear that he will bring a personal vendetta because of Kota’s decision to wrestle in the WWE Cruiserweight Classic in the summer of 2016 instead of the G1.
"After you left me all alone. To fend for myself. I never stopped training. I never stopped sacrificing. I never stopped feeling the pain, I never ran away like you did. So if you can make it to the finals, that's where I'll be waiting. And then finally I'll make you feel the pain, Ibushi. And I'll show you through my actions, everything that I felt while you were away - after you threw me away - to accomplish your own dream. Your own pipe dream of becoming a world famous CWC participant." (Transcription courtesy of @UnderhookDDT)
What’s next?
There is the possibility that the two will compete against each other in the finals. For now, that’s merely fantasy booking. They will need to compete against the plethora of talent already in their respective Blocks to make that scenario a reality.
In Block A, Kota Ibushi must wrestle the likes of Hiroshi Tanahashi, Tomohiro Ishii, and Zack Sabre, Jr., just to name a few. In Bock B, Kenny Omega has Michael Elgin, Kazuchika Okada, and Minoru Suzuki among his opponents. Twenty competitors in total are in this competition.
Author’s take
The seeds are planted for a Kenny Omega vs. Kota Ibushi final. Both guys are among the best talent in the world, so NJPW would not be foolish to pit them against each other. Considering Ibushi has spent much of 2017 as the Tiger Mask W character, I would be excited to see him get a real push to the top of the card not as a character but as himself. Winning the G1 could be his clear path to the main event.
