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The NJPW G1 Climax 31 tournament delivered a month-long of the premier pro wrestling that the company has become known for. The New Japan roster has stepped up in a huge way despite the restrictions upon the country and the audience watching these shows.
There were mid and lower card stars who received opportunities that they would have otherwise not received due to some established talent being in the United States. However, it was the upper card talent who really stood out and produced some exceptional matches and moments that will be remembered when fans think about the G1 Climax 31.
With the tournament now in the books, it is the perfect time to remember all the top performers. Whether it be the stories they told or the excellent encounters that they were featured in, some stars have etched their legacy with their performance over the past month. In this article, let's take a look at the five G1 Climax 31 MVP candidates.
#5. Kazuchika Okada - NJPW G1 Climax 31
The winner of the G1 Climax 31, Kazuchika Okada, proved without a shadow of a doubt that "The Rainmaker" was back in this year's tournament. He immediately made this proclamation following his near-30 minute classic opener against Hiroshi Tanahashi.
The five-time IWGP Heavyweight Champion took a step back, especially last year when he decided against using his Rainmaker finisher and instead relied solely on his less successful Money Clip submission. Although he continued to use the submission this year, Okada finished every opponent in the G1 Climax 31 with the Rainmaker lariat.
Not only did Kazuchika Okada have that compelling story, but he also had a series of brilliant bouts against the likes of SANADA, Taichi and Jeff Cobb. Each of these encounters were different yet kept up a high quality that Okada has become known for. He nearly went undefeated before dropping his first fall against Tama Tonga on the G1 Climax 31 Night 16.
Okada only dropped one contest in the entire tournament and won the B Block with an 8-1 record before beating Kota Ibushi to win the G1 Climax 31. He will use this success to propel himself back to the main event of Wrestle Kingdom next year.
#4. Jeff Cobb - NJPW G1 Climax 31
The G1 Climax 31 marked Jeff Cobb's third appearance in the prestigious tournament. The United Empire member has had his best career year in the business with a stellar record in NJPW. He has been on a roll with some of the best matches of his career against the likes of Shingo Takagi and Kota Ibushi.
The B Block of the G1 Climax 31 was completely dominated by Jeff Cobb. He set a record with eight straight wins in block competition. Cobb also put on some very good contests against Taichi, Hiroshi Tanahashi and Kazuchika Okada. He has now firmly established himself as a competitor who should be featured at the top of the card following his remarkable performance over the past month.
#3. Shingo Takagi
Shingo Takagi came into the G1 Climax 31 as the IWGP World Heavyweight Champion. This marked his third appearance in the premier tournament for New Japan Pro Wrestling. In his past two tournaments, he finished with eight points, but Takagi would have to improve on that to meet the standard of past champions in the G1.
His tournament got off to a hot start with the best bout of the G1 Climax 31 against Tomohiro Ishii. Shingo Takagi followed up with some excellent encounters against Zack Sabre Jr., Kota Ibushi and Tanga Loa. He reached 12 points for the first time this year, but his G1 ended flat as he went to a double count-out with Yujiro Takahashi.
#2. Tomohiro Ishii - NJPW G1 Climax 31
The G1 Climax 31 has become known for some of the best pro wrestling of the year and for Tomohiro Ishii being the very best of the competitors. This marked another year where The Stone Pitbull was a standout. He once again got out of the gate slowly as far as wins, suffering three straight losses.
In those losses, he had a Match of the Year candidate against IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Shingo Takagi, a hard-hitting clash with Kota Ibushi and a great battle with KENTA. Most competitors had their best match of the G1 Climax 31 against Ishii this year. Yujiro Takahashi and Tanga Loa were able to show a new side of themselves against The Stone Pitbull.
Tomohiro Ishii had a barnburner against Zack Sabre Jr. on Night Nine of the G1 Climax 31. Their style clash had the fans on the edge of their seats and they showed their amazing chemistry with one another. He had another strong style battle with Great-O-Khan after that and even had a non-tournament gem against Hiromu Takahashi along the way as well.
#1. Zack Sabre Jr.
It would take a lot from any competitor to outdo the G1 Climax 31 tournament that Ishii had, but Zack Sabre Jr. wouldn't be denied. The Submission Master came out on the first night and made a statement. He faced Tetsuya Naito in a tremendous contest that saw ZSJ tap out the former IWGP Heavyweight Champion and injure him so badly that he had to back out of the tournament completely.
This totally changed the dynamic of the G1 Climax 31 with the rest of the A Block participants receiving byes due to Naito's forfeit. ZSJ continued on his magical start by submitting IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Shingo Takagi in an excellent main event to Night Three. On Night Five, he added Kota Ibushi to his list of victims.
On Night Seven, Sabre Jr. had the most unique bout of the entire G1 Climax 31 tournament against Great-O-Khan. It was a grappling and mat wrestling clinic that showed the technique of both men. Neither man even hit the ropes or went to the floor during this clash with ZSJ submitting his opponent for four straight to start the tournament.
Zack Sabre Jr.'s streak ended against Tomohiro Ishii on Night Nine in an outstanding contest. However, his best match of the tournament had to be against KENTA on Night 13 of the G1 Climax 31. It was a heel vs. heel battle that had terrific storytelling and character work throughout. Whether it be in a win or a loss, ZSJ stood out the most and has to be considered the G1 Climax 31 MVP.
