[2018-07-15-NJPW-G1 Climax 28] Kenny Omega vs Tetsuya Naito

[MoeTWrestling]

The past 2 years, these two have put on my MOTY. While this isn’t gonna be my MOTY, this was still damn good. This is the kind of stuff we expect from high end G1 matches in the modern era. You had great callbacks, great sequences, pretty much the best off from their past matches. If this went a little bit longer, I would’ve went 5, but 4.75 ain’t bad either. ****3/4

[ShittyLittleBoots]

The beginning stages of the match with them trying to outswagger each other by cockily doing each other's taunts was glorious. Soon after Kenny starts targeting Naito's back; it doesn't continue for too long, but I enjoyed it a lot. Actually after he was done targeting Naito's back, the match kinda "lost" me, and it took me a while to REALLY get into it again, but I sure did eventually. Very exciting & brutal finishing gear. ***3/4

[asteroidcitizen]

This was a good match, even very good, but not a great one. I enjoyed them trying to piss each other off in the early going, and Omega's back work was pretty good, but there was a good five minutes in the middle where it was just kinda there, the usual back-and-forth stuff without any real sense of focus or direction, before they hit their stride again in the last few minutes, which were really enjoyable. Not MOTY level for me, but certainly sitting just behind Tana/Suzuki and Ibushi/ZSJ in terms of the top matches of the tournament so far.

[G. Badger]

This was really good stuff. If you've never seen a match of theirs then, watch this

That being said, I can't help but think that every match like this devalues their and others work. The final third was amazing and everything looked like the end but, damn where do you go from there? So many avalanche moves, so many drivers.

I mean, they have history & they're top talent but, it's round #1 guys... Amazing but, it was just too much, too soon.

[Boss Rock]

Another great match between these two. Loved the early character work with both men trying to big league the other before going into the bombfest we came to expect. Lots of high-impact offense and great selling from both guys. Not quite as "epic" as their first two but this still a pretty terrific match. ****1/2-****3/4.

[nivvad]

Only the second night of the tournament, and this match just might be the best match of the tournament by the end. I wouldn't place this match above the first two they had as it was shorter, and less dramatic, but still an extremely fun match from start to finish. Naito and Omega just have a special top star quality that can make any match they have together feel special. This match mostly played off of their G1 finals last year as it was mostly big spots and sick sequences, but there was still a good amount of selling and storytelling here and there. I can't bring myself to say this is a perfect match like the prior two matches in this now trilogy, but it's still a match to remember as one of their best, ****3/4.

[Tetsujin]

These two know how to work this style better than anyone in the world today. Great character moments with Incredible action, terrific "yeah-that-move-just-killed-me" selling and the art of reversals and kickouts to add tons of emotion and to get the crowd even crazier than it already was. Top 3 of the year, and that's coming from their worst match together. Awesome. These guys need to be the main rivalry of New Japan, fuck Okada. ****1/2.

[Childs]

Their 2016 match was one of the best in the current era of the promotion. This one didn't touch that level of drama. In fact, it was kind of formless between the opening bullshit and the finishing stretch. But it's hard to knock the action down the stretch. There aren't too many wrestlers in the world who could execute those sequences. The stakes just felt much lower than in the previous editions, partly because of the placement in the tournament.

[superkix]

Yeah nowhere near 2016. It was a pretty good match with some cool moments but I'm finding myself becoming less and less a fan of the current main event style. Way too much fluff. Omega was more tolerable here than usual but still wrestles/acts like a cartoon character. Similar to the Ibushi/ZSJ match, the limb work was inconsequential. The counter spots are fun for what they are and Omega countering the Destino with that sit-out driver was pretty sweet and would've made for the perfect flash finish. Or you know, the double arm piledriver that immediately follows it. 

[Tenese Sarwieh]

Both starting out playing a game of who can out mock who the best then things go full speed. Non stop action at it's finest. Another great one from these two.

[Wahoos Leg]

I've not seen the previous two G1 matchups between these two, but this was wild. Crazy moves, dangerous-looking drops and some slick counters interspersed throughout. A match like this seems to me to be the pro wrestling equivalent of a Michael Bay movie: no plot to speak of, just stunts and explosions. But these two pull off that type of match as well as any I have seen in recent memory.

It doesn't have to do with the quality of the match, but this was one instance where the commentary, which I usually think is great from this team, actually brought things down. Callis' constant shilling for Omega reached insufferable levels.

 

 

[SmartMark15]

Thought the match started off pretty slow even with the fun character work they tried to pull. For ten minutes or so the offense and spots just seemed a little aimless and plodding. But these guys are two of the best at stringing together wildly exciting finishing stretches and this was no exception to that. Fast paced, tense, and exciting down the finish and you have a match that highlights the undeniable chemistry these two have together.

****1/2