This year, the G1 is open season. Last year, this point, we all kinda suspected it’d be Naito. Other years there might not have been clear cut winners but there were strong favourites.
This year? Nope.
Naito’s probably winning the belt back at Dominion. Staking my bet there now. So who’s the G1 winner? Who will Naito face in the Tokyo Dome main event? I’m throwing three guesses, in order, that I think at least have a case.
1. Shota Umino. The new ace. The roughneck. The son of the big match referee (hey wait a minute…). I think there’s a strong case we see Umino beat EVIL at Dominion and go on to win the G1, challenging Naito. I think he might win or they’d do a two year thing, where he loses and beats Naito next Dome show. I see the world in Umino and I think Gedo does too. A chance to run on the top would finish all the development he needs to be the guy, let him flourish. Sometimes you put the belt on the guy who’s really good with a lot of promise.
2. SANADA. Hear me out, hear me out. What if we’re in the middle of a two year thing? A stealth two years thing. A two year thing built around SANADA finally surpassing Naito. The Dome show wrapped with SANADA not being enough but saving Naito. He failed again the next tour. He jobbed out in the NJC to Goto. He jobbed out to Goto again. His big Dontaku match is teaming against Nemeth and Tanahashi, where he should live in mortal fear of encountering Goto. What if this is his fall arc? His saga where he can’t get it together until over Summer he pulls the underdog, gives it his all and a year later dethrones Naito for the belt! Maybe he’ll also get to beat Goto on the way! Not impossible.
3. Yota Tsuji. I think this is… honestly, I consider him magnitudes less likely but hey, bro won the cup, challenged Naito, lost, and is feuding with Finley Jr Jr Jr. Arguably an upper card feud, hatred of Fit Finley’s little boy he refuses to give a nepotism job aside. Maybe this is all Tsuji’s story and my borderline fanatical belief in Umino is actually wrong. If he wins it, Dome main event could go either way. Can’t really say this is likely in my opinion.
I don’t think ZSJ or EVIL getting the Dome main event, President Tanahashi has mostly used his powers to hand around midcard belts, Ren Narita has come leaps and bounds in the past 6 months but he’s still not there yet and Buddy Rodgers is dead (and sans WCW contract).
So that’s my thoughts, my predictions, what’s yours? All in on Tsuji? Want to kill the company with Finley? See the future is Umino? Someone who believes in Goto more than more religious zealots believe in their gods? Let those predictions fly!
by SevenSulivin
