[TBT] Remembering Naomichi Marufuji’s killer G1 Climax run back in 2016: huge upset win over the champion Okada, + terrific matches against Tanahashi, SANADA, Ishii, Goto…

7 comments

1. While their KOPW ‘16 match gets all the praise (and rightfully so, it’s my second favorite defense during Okada’s 720 day run, after the Shibata match), Marufuji and Okada’s G1 match was some good shit; Okada pretty much was getting schooled/young-boyed through the whole match, as Maru was a step ahead of him.

   I would also say it’s the second best run by an “outsider” in the G1 after Jun Akiyama reaching the finals in ‘03 (correction from ‘05, thx to OP).

2. Are these one njpw world?

3. G1 26 is the best booked G1 ever in my opinion. Some years a certain block is booked really well but not the other, both blocks were done great this year.

4. Marufuji’s G1 in 2016 was unbelievable and then he had a similarly ridiculous performance in AJPW’s Champion Carnival in 2018

5. I love to see some Marufuji appreciation, guy’s a legend. I’m glad he had the chance to compete in the G1 and that KOPW 16 match with Okada, loved it.

6. Saw Marufuji vs Pete Dunne in London. Dunne was WWE UK champ and they did a time-limit draw, it was excellent.

7. My claim to fame (in the niche world of western fans of Japanese wrestling) is that Marufuji tweeted a photo of me once – he liked my shirt!

   I watched G1 26 as my first foray into Japanese wrestling – came in expecting to love New Japan, came away wanting to watch more NOAH. Marufuji will always be one of my guys, incredible for twenty-five years