A Block:
Best matches: Kidd vs Shingo, Shingo vs Zack, Kidd vs Zack, SANADA vs Zack, Umino vs Kidd, Umino vs Zack (Honorable mentions O-Khan vs Shingo/Kidd and Umino vs Lee/SANADA)
MVP: Shingo/ZSJ/Kidd
A Block was filled with very high profiled names with IWGP Heavyweight champ Tetsuya Naito, Shingo Takagi, Shota Umino, ZSJ and others, so it was kinda hard to pick just 3, but I don't mind the 3 that went through. Zack deserves that semifinal spot, Shingo finally made it through from the Block stage and O-Khan continues to improve in every match and really made the KOPW title mean something, especially being one of the two champions making it out of block competition (Finlay being the other). Having Shooter place 9th was a surprise to me, since I for sure thought he would've made it through, along with Naito, who placed 5th. I hope Naito takes a much needed break and rests his knees for the fall tours, as it's quite depressing to see a guy who I was once full on screaming for to win last year look like his bodies failing him. Zack and ShiNGO are my saviors from Block A, consistently putting on Bangers and giving most guys their best match. Gabe really improved and I love him. He is like the modern day Stan Hansen. SANADA was SANADA, not as good as last year, but still good and EVIL was EVIL, just as bad this year as he was last, except he didn't make it through so thank Christ. Newman was decent, but he looked a little out of it and uncomfortable in the G1 but picked up huge upsets over Umino and Shingo. I was never really a Jake Lee fan, as I didn't find the appeal to his in-ring skills, but he's had a couple good showings against Umino and Kidd.
B Block
Best Matches: Takeshita vs everyone, Goto vs Finlay, Uemura vs Finlay, Tsuji vs Cobb, Tsuji vs Finlay, Henare vs Uemura (Honorable mentions Cobb vs Goto/Uemura, Henare vs Goto/Finlay and Tsuji vs Henare)
MVP: Takeshita/Goto/Finlay
B Block was a wild and unpredictable block, with no one knowing who was for sure making it through and who wasn't. Finlay taking the block didn't suprise me, but his performances were top notch this year and he really improved. Tsuji looked good, and Takeshita making it through is a blessing. Takeshita gave everyone their best match and holy fuck that match with Phantasmo was one of the best this year alone. Cobb and Henare were alright, not the best in recent memory, but they were still fun to watch. ELP going 3-6 surprised me, but I like the sad boi arc he's in. Narita got more boring and not as enjoyableffrom last year, but a switch to House of torture and a shitty new finisher caused that. Yuya has really improved and grew on me this year, putting on some of the best matches I've seen, especially with his match against Takeshita. Safe to say that I'm a Yuya fan now. Oleg was impressive too, and he even got a huge upset over Takeshita of all people. Big things in store for Boltin.
Overall, this G1 has been great and I really enjoyed it, especially when it was in the air for how much top talent left in the past year and some missing top names with Ishii, Taichi and Yoshi all being left out of the field. Can't wait for next year's!
by mrchefigan