Opinion

Val’s Takeaway Of The G1 Climax 29

One of the best periods of time for many wrestling fans came to a close as the G1 Climax 29 ended. Now it’s time to look back and speculate for the stories leading up to Wrestle Kingdom!

Published

6 years ago

August 15, 2019

Valentin Humez

One of the best periods of time for many wrestling fans came to a close as the G1 Climax 29 ended. Now it’s time to look back and speculate for the stories leading up to Wrestle Kingdom!

The G1 Climax is now behind all of us and we can now sit back and ponder on everything that happened. I suggest we start things off with some of the biggest news coming out of the end of the tournament.

First things first, Kota Ibushi, like many were expecting, ended up winning the tournament, making him the first man to win all three of New Japan’s biggest singles tournaments, alongside the Best of the Super Juniors and the New Japan Cup. The Golden Star, who had officially signed with New Japan earlier this year, now is in the best position to finally achieve what now feels long overdue, in reaching the status of full fledged main eventer and credible Heavyweight champion. While I expressed my doubts concerning the handling of this story in previous articles, notably bringing up Ibushi’s other big story with the Intercontinental championship, he himself in his latest press conference reflected on that, and came up with a very surprising and interesting idea.

If Ibushi manages to defend his G1 contract against KENTA and EVIL, who he lost to during the tournament, and defeat Kazuchika Okada for the Heavyweight championship on January 4th, he would like to face whoever the Intercontinental champion is on the second night in the Tokyo Dome. An idea which sure seems reminiscent of Tetsuya Naito’s latest (and slightly delusional) goal of becoming a double champion. That’s quite interesting considering the special rivalry between the two men, as Ibushi did acknowledge that him making such a proposal was “a little bit of a message” sent to the leader of L.I.J, who was the first one to express such a desire.

Whether or not Ibushi’s suggestion comes forth is still up in the air, and to be honest, I personally wouldn’t bet on it, but who knows ? New Japan has surprised us a lot this year already, and with them running the Tokyo Dome two nights in a row next year, you can be sure of one thing : Big, impactful and possibly even historic things will happen next January. Having one of your top stars leaving the Dome with the two biggest championships in the company would, in theory, absolutely make sense in that aspect.

Speaking of impactful things, on the same night Ibushi won the G1, let’s bring up the other big news of that last G1 night. KENTA, who was teaming with Tomohiro Ishii and YOSHI-HASHI against Bad Luck Fale and the Guerrillas of Destiny, turned his back on his one night partners as Ishii was reaching to him for a tag. Following that, he went on to attack Ishii and delivered the GTS to the Stone Pitbull. However, Katsuyori Shibata, the man who brought KENTA to New Japan was watching and, two years after returning and announcing that “he was alive” following his near career and life ending injury, took matter in his own hands, raiding the ring and knocking his soulmate out, going as far as delivering his signature dropkick to KENTA. However, the Bullet Club trio hadn’t left the ringside area and helped the man who would now become the newest member of the group, and the second most hated man in New Japan Pro Wrestling, as they all attacked Shibata in a chorus of boos, KENTA even hitting Shibata with a Penalty Kick, adding insult to injury.

As some fans have been vocal about their concern regarding the current state of Bullet Club, this addition solves one, if not the faction’s biggest problem. Since Tama Tonga decided he would be focusing on tag team wrestling, only Bad Luck Fale, Chase Owens, Yujiro Takahashi and Hikuleo were the other Heavyweights in BC besides Jay White, with Fale being the only one with some credibility to enter a tournament like the G1 these days, credibility which he is losing year after year in the eyes of fans. Assuming KENTA in Bullet Club remains a thing for long enough, the growing issue of BC lacking a second top Heavyweight behind the Switchblade is now solved. Lastly, KENTA’s first big match as a BC member has been announced, and at Royal Quest, he will face none other than Tomohiro Ishii, for the NEVER Openweight championship. Will KENTA’s treason towards his longtime friend lead him to gold and glory ? We shall see. It surely didn’t help him gaining the respect and love from the New Japan audience, which he was struggling to acquire throughout the G1, so in the end, joining Bullet Club only makes sense in that regard. A bold, yet very interesting and smart move here.

Let’s now finish things off by addressing some slightly minor things I wanted to highlight as well. Let’s keep going with “outsiders”, by starting with Jon Moxley, and specifically his pairing with Shota Umino. What seemed at first like something purely comedic took shape as the Young Lion would now follow the Death Rider’s path, accompanying him throughout the tournament and vowing to learn as much as he can from Mox. It is quite unusual for Young Lions to get such a level of exposure, but it sure confirms the high hopes New Japan has in their trainee, after he competed in the New Japan Cup last March.

Speaking a bit of Moxley himself, he has adapted nicely to what was a new environment for him and looked pretty good throughout the G1, even getting up to five wins in a row to start things off. Now, this was something which I didn’t think was the best decision to make, as it kind of killed some of the unpredictability I expect from the G1.

Secondly, the Junior Heavyweights had their fair share of spotlight in this tournament and they absolutely delivered. Both Will Ospreay and Shingo Takagi proved, besides “only” reaching 8 points, that height and weight was an obstacle Juniors could go over, with Ospreay rocking signature wins over Hiroshi Tanahashi, KENTA and SANADA, making a statement as Junior Heavyweight champion. Shingo as well had his marquee wins, as he managed to claim the victory over Hirooki Goto and NEVER Openweight champion Tomohiro Ishii. Takagi also announced that he would now fight as a Heavyweight, confirming what fans have wanted to see since The Dragon made his debut last October. With his wins, we can fully expect Shingo to target the NEVER championship down the road, and there are legitimate reasons to get excited about this.

Obviously, a lot more happened between SANADA finally beating Okada, EVIL trying to catch-up to his L.I.J partner, Taichi proving his worth notably to Ishii, Lance Archer stepping up big time on a big stage, and so on and so forth. Every year, the G1 not only gives us interesting bits of story when it comes to the main event scene, but let’s not overlook how a good amount of wrestlers get to shine and see progression in their character development.

Allow me to make a quick parallel : Some Manga fans will tell you how much tournament arcs in Shonens can be great when it comes to storytelling and developing characters. New Japan keeps showing that the same can also apply to wrestling, when done right.

This article now comes to its closure. What is YOUR takeaway from this year’s G1 Climax ? Tell me about your favourite matches, stories playing out or anything else occurring throughout this awesome month of wrestling we witnessed.

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Opinion

Chairshot Staff Picks: Money In The Bank

Extra, extra read all about it… Chairshot Staff picks are in!!!

Published

2 weeks ago

June 6, 2025

PC Tunney

Sing it with me… money money money money moneeeeeeeeeyeeeeee… everybody’s got a price! MONEY IN THE BANK is here!!! How money will our staff picks be?!?

AJ – Roxanne Perez
Andrew – Stephanie Vaquer – *Bubba Sparxxx Impression* I don’t tell stories, I let them tell theyself.
Dave – Guilia – A stacked field but I just like her here.
DJ – Naomi
DPP – Roxanne Perez
Jason – Alexa Bliss
Patrick – Roxanne Perez
Rey – Naomi – If Naomi loses, we riot!
Rob – Naomi
Greg – Alexa Bliss – Bliss has had huge reactions since returning and is moving a ton of merch. While I can see them wanting to build Roxanne Perez, Giulia, or Stephanie Vaquer, I think Alexa Bliss.

Tunney’s Take: Rhea Ripley – I’ll make my case short and sweet… Mami in the Bank! You can’t leave that money on the table.

Chairshot Pick – Tie – Naomi 3 & Roxanne Perez 3 (Alexa Bliss 2, Giulia 1, Rhea Ripley 1, Stephanie Vaquer 1)

AJ – LA Knight
Andrew – El Grande Americano – Feels correct given his push and the fact he’s over.
Dave – Seth Rollins – Got to push that new faction.
DJ – LA Knight
DPP – El Grande Americano
Jason – LA Knight
Patrick – Solo Sikoa
Rey – LA Knight – Looks like another push, and he does have history with Cena.
Rob – Solo Sikoa
Greg – Seth Rollins – This company is extremely high in the El Grande Americano gimmick, but this match comes down to Seth Rollins or LA Knight. Given the Rollins storyline, it’s his briefcase to win.

Tunney’s Take: El Grande Americano – Picture this: Chad Gable wins the AAA Mega Championship and El Grande Americano wins MITB! WHAT A SATURDAY in LA!!!

Chairshot Pick – LA Knight 4 (El Grande Americano 3, Seth Rollins 2, Solo Sikoa 2)

AJ – Becky Lynch – Sadly
Andrew – Becky Lynch – I still don’t care about Lyra.
Dave – Lyra Valkyria – Starting to warm up to her and Becky has a lot to do with that.
DJ – Lyra Valkyria
DPP – Becky Lynch
Jason – Becky Lynch
Patrick – Lyra Valkyria
Rey – Becky Lynch – Put some fire on the Irish Beef.
Rob – Becky Lynch
Greg – Becky Lynch – I don’t think you do a rematch here just to have Becky lose again. Unless Bayley shows up to help Lyra.

Tunney’s Take: Becky Lynch – A big part of me feels that winning this title checks off a major box for Becks in her HOF career.

Chairshot Pick – Becky Lynch 8-3

AJ – Cena & Paul
Andrew – Rhodes & Uso – Easy way for Cena to lose without eating the pinfall.
Dave – Rhodes & Uso – Get the QB back on the winning track.
DJ – Rhodes & Uso
DPP – Rhodes & Uso
Jason – Cena & Paul
Patrick – Cena & Paul
Rey – Rhodes & Uso – Heels usually lose these kinds of matches. Logan takes the pin.
Rob – Cena & Paul
Greg – Rhodes & Uso – I hope Jey isn’t an afterthought here like Cody was last fall when he was paired up with Roman. I think Cody pins Cena to set up Cody-Cena 2 at SummerSlam.

Tunney’s Take: Cena & Paul – I don’t think Cena is involved in another loss until he loses the WWE Championship. I also think Logan Paul is NOT done trying to capture Jey Uso’s World Heavyweight Championship. …Travis Scott in the house?

Chairshot Pick – 6-5 Rhodes & Uso

In closing I want to thank everyone on the panel for participating with their picks! You can follow each prognosticator/podcaster on X @ the handles below. We all enjoy Pro Wrestling so remember three things… be respectful of others, comparison is the thief of joy and HAVE FUN!

AJ – @PhenomenalAJB
Andrew – @IWCWarChief
Dave – @AttitudeAgg
DJ – @TheMindlessPod
DPP – @itsmeDPP
Jason – @JediFett
Patrick – @WrestlngRealist
Rey – @itsreycash
Rob – @rbonne1
Greg – @gregdemarco44
PC – @PCTunney
TheChairshot.com – @ChairshotMedia

prowrestlingtees.com/TheChairshot – a PLETHORA of GREAT designs…MAKES A GREAT GIFT!

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CHAIRSHOT RADIO NETWORK PODCAST SPECIALS

Attitude Of Aggression Podcast & The Big Five Project (chronologically exploring WWE’s PPV/PLE history)

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Patrick O’Dowd’s 5X5

Classic POD is WAR

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About Chairshot Radio Network

MONDAY - Bandwagon Nerds (entertainment & popular culture)

TUESDAY - Musical Chairs (music) / Hockey Talk (NHL)

WEDNESDAY - The Greg DeMarco Show (wrestling)

THURSDAY - Keeping the news ridiculous... The Oddity / Chairshot NFL (NFL)

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SUNDAY - The Front and Center Sports Podcast

CHAIRSHOT RADIO NETWORK PODCAST SPECIALS

Attitude Of Aggression Podcast & The Big Five Project (chronologically exploring WWE's PPV/PLE history)

TheChairshot.com PRESENTS...IMMEDIATE POST WWE PLE REACTIONS w/ DJ(Mindless), Tunney(DWI) & Friends

Patrick O'Dowd's 5X5

Classic POD is WAR

Chairshot Radio Network Your home for the hardest hitting podcasts... Sports, Entertainment and Sports Entertainment!

All Shows On Demand

Let us know what you think on social media @ChairshotMedia and always remember to use the hashtag #UseYourHead!

Opinion

Chairshot Staff Picks: Backlash St. Louis

Chairshot Staff picks!!!

Published

1 month ago

May 9, 2025

PC Tunney

May is upon us and with that, so is Backlash from St. Louis! What does the first PLE after WrestleMania have in store for the WWE Universe? Let’s see if the Chairshot Staff can properly interpret the crystal ball of rasslin’ future.

AJ – Pat MacAfee – Gunther has to start losing control and who better than an announcer.
Andrew – Pat MacAfee – Goldberg getting involved does seem correct here.
Dave – Gunther – He’s not losing to a broadcaster.
DJ – Gunther – Pat is sent to the shadow realm until football season is over.
DPP – Gunther – Post match beat down leads to Pat time off.
Jason – Gunther – One massive spot and or bump from Pat.
Patrick – Gunther
Rey – Gunther – RIP MacAfee, t’was a good life.
Rob – Gunther
Greg – Pat MacAfee – Why? Goooooldbeeerrrrrgggggg!

Tunney’s Take: Gunther – Seems like the right pick here. Pat may be getting some time off and Gunther needs more heat.

Chairshot Pick – GUNTHER 8-3

AJ – Lyra Valkyria – Becky’s hopefully putting her over, still mad about Dakota.
Andrew – Becky Lynch – I have no real interest in Lyra currently.
Dave – Becky Lynch – Lyra is boring AF!
DJ – Lyra Valkyria – Bayley interferes.
DPP – Becky Lynch – Becky cheats and steals the title.
Jason – Lyra Valkyria – Bayley costs Becks.
Patrick – Becky Lynch
Rey – Becky Lynch – Story needs to jump up a bit, Becky Charlotte’s Lyra.
Rob – Lyra Valkyria
Greg – Becky Lynch – It’s been fun, Lyra. (It kinda hasn’t)

Tunney’s Take: Lyra Valkyria – Bayley’s interference should set up some type of program with Becky as we head towards Summer(Slam).

Chairshot Pick – BECKY LYNCH 6-5

AJ – Jacob Fatu – Great way to put him over w/ two former WHCs and LA Knight.
Andrew – Jacob Fatu – He’s Jacob Fatu!
Dave – Jacob Fatu – Too soon to pull the belt off him.
DJ – Jacob Fatu – Priest and LA can’t decide who’s is bigger.
DPP – Jacob Fatu – Your hardcore match, tables and chairs involved.
Jason – Jacob Fatu – The Champ retains due to or in spite of Solo.
Patrick – Jacob Fatu
Rey – Jacob Fatu – All gas. No brakes. Ain’t losing.
Rob – Jacob Fatu
Greg – Jacob Fatu – Someone from The Samoan Dynasty ain’t winning a title just to drop it.

Tunney’s Take: Jacob Fatu – Uncle Mo is on Fatu’s side and other than Knight, I don’t see Drew or Priest holding the US title in the current circumstances of this title’s landscape.

Chairshot Pick – JACOB FATU 11-0

AJ – Dominic Mysterio – Judgement Day shenanigans just leading up to Finn turning on Dom later.
Andrew – Penta – Dom’s fine having a short reign, could also work for pushing AAA.
Dave – Dominic Mysterio – He’s probably more over than Penta.
DJ – Dominic Mysterio – Dirty Dom takes home the gold and the girl.
DPP – Dominic Mysterio – Big Head helps Dom pull out the win.
Jason – Dominic Mysterio – By hook and crook.
Patrick – Dominic Mysterio
Rey – Dominic Mysterio – Latino Heat keeps burning. Finn gets closer to the edge.
Rob – Dominic Mysterio
Greg – Dominic Mysterio – Someone from The Guerrero Dynasty ain’t winning a title just to drop it.

Tunney’s Take: Dominic Mysterio – That belt looks good with the king of chicken tendys. I can see Penta and Rey reforming as a tag team sooner than later.

Chairshot Pick – DOMINIC MYSTERIO 10-1

AJ – John Cena – Why? Cena wins, lol.
Andrew – John Cena – Shenanigans ensue so it’s not a clean win.
Dave – John Cena – The last time is now.
DJ – John Cena – Randy hears voices telling him he needs an Attitude Adjustment.
DPP – John Cena – Cena tries to cheat but the ref doesn’t call for a DQ.
Jason – John Cena – Nefarious means, Randy not ready for Evil John Cena.
Patrick – John Cena
Rey – John Cena – Cena just counting down the dates. Should be fun though.
Rob – John Cena
Greg – John Cena – You know they want Cody to be the hero in the end.

Tunney’s Take: Randy Orton – Once upon a time Randy got himself intentionally disqualified and it cost John. Saturday, history repeats itself with a 180-degree twist. Cena retains via Orton DQ victory. This time, Travis Scott’s appearance takes care of that task.

Chairshot Pick – JOHN CENA 10-1