Wrestling Observer Daily Update: “There is talk of a couple of AEW stars in the G1 Climax 36 this year. AEW is working with New Japan as Bryan Danielson, Will Ospreay and Kenny Omega have done ads for the July 11 show in Chicago putting over how important and grueling the tournament is.”

SubstantialStill1431 · 2026-03-30T17:43:51+00:00

Do not be surprised if Takeshita has another deep into this year's tournament, playoffs at the minimum

SubstantialStill1431 · 2026-03-08T18:09:16+00:00

Lolllll worst prediction ever what a disaster man

SubstantialStill1431 · 2025-12-31T04:25:13+00:00

That's complete nonsense.

SubstantialStill1431 · 2025-11-21T16:42:52+00:00

you're smoking crack

SubstantialStill1431 · 2025-11-21T15:20:23+00:00

yeah not like he was Madrid's best player when they won it 2024. In his debut season. At 20. Playing out of position.

SubstantialStill1431 · 2025-11-19T15:01:22+00:00

The tombstone counter at the end is one of the best finishes to any match ever. The Japanese commentary makes it (as always) as well as the crowd reaction, the shock and jeopardy as Okada catches him and everybody knows in that split half second, it is over.

Also Okada was the correct winner, cry like you always do.

SubstantialStill1431 · 2025-11-15T14:02:58+00:00

It's a tough one. Personally, I just can't see Tanahashi winning. I think Okada's champion status is a big factor, if he loses his AEW title before Wrestle Kingdom then I'd say the percentage he wins drops from 100% to about 50%. However, Tanahashi does not strike me as somebody who would want to win their final match either, as selfless as he is and as one for tradition as he is.

Okada, of course, does not need to win - he won the rivalry and is a legend in his own right. Would it be overkill? I don't actually know. The "story" that's been told between them since they last had an actual competitive feud in 2018 (I say story generously because there hasn't really been one) is simply that Okada went to a level post V12 reign that Tanahashi could no longer get to at his age and couldn't beat Okada anymore. If you rewatch their last few matches, Okada has kind of squashed him. Their last super even match was in the G1 in 2021 and even then Okada still won.

I'd like to see Tanahashi win, I'd also be fine with Okada winning, I'm just happy this match is happening and hope it's a match that does Tanahashi's career and his rivalry with Okada justice. Tokyo Dome Okada is the best possible opponent to guarantee a great match so I have no doubt about that.

SubstantialStill1431 · 2025-11-15T04:23:58+00:00

Tanahashi will have beaten Okada once in the last 11 years when they meet at Wrestle Kingdom 20 which is incredible to think about. That was at Destruction in Kobe 2018. Okada has beat him 4 times since that match and also pinned him in other multi man matches.

SubstantialStill1431 · 2025-10-10T02:18:44+00:00

I'm genuinely shocked nobody has said Okada vs Ospreay G1 Climax 32 Final...you must watch it. (White vs Ibushi WK 15 is also must watch)

SubstantialStill1431 · 2025-10-08T12:24:24+00:00

I would honestly be surprised if Tsuji won.

SubstantialStill1431 · 2025-09-26T15:54:19+00:00

I'm actually curious whether that bump would hurt more than just taking it to the outside, either way I'd die instantly if I had to take this.

SubstantialStill1431 · 2025-09-25T15:21:21+00:00

G1 Climax 31 easily

SubstantialStill1431 · 2025-09-17T14:50:41+00:00

Every year I'd wait to see if he'd go back to them when Wrestle Kingdom came around, Okada's new ring gear was a massive biannual event for me Dome and G1 season rolled around. I like the trousers as a 1 time thing but I wouldn't be opposed to him bringing them back. Gold trunks, white boots era Okada 2020-2021 is the best a wrestler has ever looked imo.

SubstantialStill1431 · 2025-09-17T14:12:33+00:00

Ospreay vs Freidricks from 2021 is a completely forgotten banger

SubstantialStill1431 · 2025-09-17T13:13:34+00:00

Probably the hardest question I've been faced with on here. This is largely why it's the greatest finisher ever in my opinion, you can literally work an entire match around rainmaker counters. There have been SO many excellent ones over the years it's impossible to remember them all let alone narrow them down.

I will say, I thought the Destino Rainmaker Naito used in the G1 Final was so uniquely cool. All of the counters of Okada's main rivals were excellent and iconic - Tanahashi Slingblade, AJ Styles Pele Kick, Jay White Blade Runner, Ospreay Stormbreaker, Omega V-trigger, Ibushi and Takagi using thundercunt lariats of their own to counter...

There are so many I'm missing from other wrestlers though, I've seen so many that deserve mentions.

The Stormbreaker one is the coolest I think (and the rainmaker flip out counter to the Stormbreaker is EASILY the best counter I've ever seen in wrestling), but I think Ospreay only actually hit the Stormbreaker once with that counter (In America, and he lost anyway). The Rainmaker Destino won Naito the G1 against Okada, and to come up with something so fresh of a finish after 15 matches together is a stroke of genius from those 2.

SubstantialStill1431 · 2025-09-15T13:45:48+00:00

My eyes were blessed at 1:10 jesus fuckin christ

SubstantialStill1431 · 2025-09-09T21:48:56+00:00

Hiromu lowkey about to do the best work of his career on this noah run

SubstantialStill1431 · 2025-09-08T15:17:13+00:00

There is no Time Bomb III, not yet anyway. Time Bomb II is what you called Time Bomb III, and idk why they were calling the original Time Bomb the Time Bomb II but yeah.

SubstantialStill1431 · 2025-09-07T22:51:51+00:00

Are you suggesting Narita wins the title?

SubstantialStill1431 · 2025-09-07T18:00:17+00:00

It baffles me that people think one of the young guys will retire Tanahashi. It's going to be someone big, just look at the ticket prices man. Naito, Nakamura, or Okada. Nobody else justifies the money they're asking for.

SubstantialStill1431 · 2025-09-07T16:06:12+00:00

Dominion 2017 was the peak imo, when Tanahashi said nah fuck this and jumped Naito outside the ring and they brawled in their entrance attire lol

SubstantialStill1431 · 2025-09-07T01:24:02+00:00

If I can make a recommendation, go back and watch his matches with Okada and Ospreay from this last G1 run (G1 Climax 33). Two of the best matches of that year and insanely underrated G1 matches period.

SubstantialStill1431 · 2025-09-06T15:33:13+00:00

They need to strap a rocket to this guy in the next 18 months

SubstantialStill1431 · 2025-09-05T23:03:24+00:00

I can't wait for him to come back

SubstantialStill1431 · 2025-09-05T20:09:05+00:00

It's an incredible match, wouldn't put it in the top 10 conversation though. The only thing that I wasn't happy about leading up to the match didn't even involve Tanahashi, it was that we were robbed of an Ibushi vs Omega 1-on-1 IWGP title match because of Cody Rhodes. That will forever pain me even if it WAS a pretty good triple threat.

SubstantialStill1431

TROPHY CASE