On the first night of G1 Climax action, the A Block had two must see matches. The main event which saw Tomohiro Ishii clash with Shingo Takagi, and another epic battle between Tetsuya Naito & Zack Sabre Jr. However the latter of the two came with a heavy cost, as Naito has been injured and will now be out of the tournament.
There Is No Timetable For The Return Of Tetsuya Naito
As announced by NJPW1972.com: “Damage was incurred to his left meniscus and MCL. Naito is unable to compete on the remainder of the G1 Climax tour, and does not currently have a timetable for return. All his remaining tournament matches will be counted as losses via forfeit, with opponents gaining an automatic two points.”
This is a massive blow to the G1 Climax tournament, as Naito was one of the biggest stars in the tournament. With names like Jay White, Jay White, Will Ospreay and Minoru Suzuki out of the field, they needed everyone they could get. Losing Naito after a single match in the tournament is not ideal, and while he won’t be replaced – NJPW has a backup plan.
Naito’s Remaining Opponents Get Special Singles Matches
To ensure there are no days off in addition to earning free points, every remaining opponent will get a special opponent instead. Yuji Nagata will take on Tanga Loa and Shingo Takagi on the next two nights of A-Block action. BUSHI will be up next, getting Yujiro Takahashi & Toru Yano. Hiromu Takahashi gets KENTA & Tomohiro Ishii, which is a set of amazing matches itself. Finally, Satoshi Kojima gets Kota Ibushi & Great-O-Khan.
Some fans are upset that one of these men wasn’t just picked to take the spot of Naito. Fans have been wanting Satoshi Kojima to get a final G1 run, and after he got onto a global stage with a match with Jon Moxley at All Out, he’d have been a perfect choice. However, this gives some great matches for fans, and while they don’t count towards the tournament, they made the right choice taking Naito out asap.
Do you think Naito should have simply been replaced by another wrestler? Let us know what you think in the comment section down below.
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