I put on my beard and bucket hat to try predicting this year’s G1 block placements. How’s everyone else feeling? Are there any guys you definitely want in the same group? Kept apart?

29 comments

1. I would have Kaito and Okada separated into different blocks to build anticipation for the match when it happens in a semi-match.

2. Asterisks indicate current title holders.

   Some of these guys were really tricky to place, but I feel like I ended up with a solid reason for at least 90% of the choices in the end.

   EDIT: Though it was considered in laying out the blocks, I’m realizing now that I made a grave error and neglected to sufficiently acknowledge The Champion of the British, Great O-Khan (all hail) as a defending title holder. I can only beg His forgiveness.

3. Put Yano and Chase in Tanahashi’s block, come on

4. I’m not an Eddy guy, but if he’s there I want the murder block. Eddie, Ishii, Henare, Shingo, Kidd, Goto, Evil and throw in a terrified Yano. Guys can heal up during Yano/evil bs matches and murder each other every other time.

   Okada also needs the young punks block Ren, Shota, Tsuji, Couglin,Okhan, NOAH guy, Hikuleo

5. IMO Finlay and EVIL will be in the same bracket and we will get the full BC-HOT split after Finlay goes over. Additionally I think Zack and Taichi will be in the same bracket so we can have a passionate war between forbidden lovers who still harbor feelings for each other

6. Eddie must be in Yano’s block for obvious reasons.

7. Ospreay and Okada should be in the same block so Ospreay can get a win or draw in the lead up to a final match between the two

   Then again Okada and kiyomiya should also be in the same block since they’re definitely supposed to face each other at some point

8. I don’t think you can keep Kingston and Ishii apart. A good match with Ishii would probably sell more people on him.

9. I dunno about that O block because it’s way too clear cut of a likely block winner.

   ​

   Also Finley should be in a block with either Tama or ELP for the Never Openweight setup.

10. I’m hoping for Eddie to be blocked with Ishii and Shingo. A dedicated “Dudes Rock” block, if you will.

11. I want okada and all the young guys In the same block

12. I also really want a zack taichi match and I highly doubt my boys make the semis

13. Generally from last year what I gathered is they try to limit wrestlers from same faction being in same group unless there are more than 4 wrestlers. So I don’t think they will put Ospreay/GoK on same block and same thing for Shingo/Tsuji…other than that looks a good split…although I am not sure about the third block because ZSJ looks like the only potential block winner as they won’t book current champion in semis/finals…maybe add Finlay into that block?

14. 🟡 is so much more stacked than the other 3 blocks

15. I think it’s time to give the Shingo/Ospreay match up a break. Especially with them facing the night before the AEW Wembley show.

    I think change Shingo and ZSJ because we have to get that Taichi/Zack match

16. Have Taichi and Kingston ever wrestled? If not, that needs to happen. US tape-trading Kawada-stan vs Kawada’s actual protege? Yes please

17. A block
    Okada
    Umino
    Narita
    Tsuji
    Naito
    Hikuleo
    Kiyomia
    Henare

    B block
    Finlay
    ELP
    Tama
    EVIL
    Taichi
    ZSJ
    Coughlin
    Haste

    C block
    Eddie
    Ishii
    Shingo
    Cobb
    Nicolls
    Kidd
    Goto
    Kenta

    D block
    Osprey
    Tana
    Yoshi
    SANADA
    Yano
    Chase
    O khan
    Loa

    I feel like I’ll be a bit off, but overall I really hope A & C blocks are true and I hope we get Taichi & Zack in the same block.

18. Think SANADA and Shingo will be in the same block, with Shingo winning G1 match, SANADA defending it at KOPW and winning set up the Naito vs SANADA at WK

19. Pretty sure there are going to distribute 8 main event level wrestlers across the 4 blocks. Okada, Tanahashi, Ospreay, Naito, SANADA, Finlay, ZSJ and Shingo? 2 of them in each block to make all the blocks competitive.

    Then the wrestlers who I think they will put together in the block are
    – Okada with Kiyomiya, Umino and Narita.
    – SANADA with Naito and/or EVIL
    – Finlay with Tama Tonga and ELP
    – Cobb, Ishii and Eddie Kingston in the same block
    – Tsuji with either Naito or Shingo. We will see him lose to at least one of these two.
    – Alex Coughlin in the same block as Goto. YOSHI-HASHI in the same block as Gabriel Kidd. Tag Title storyline setup.
    – ZSJ and Taichi in the same block. I doubt this will happen but I want it to happen.

    Mikey and Shane are probably going to be this year’s pin eaters. To be honest, I’m kinda surprised Yujiro Takahashi is not there. Technically, he had 6 points last year and was tied for the 2nd place in his block. In kayfabe, New Japan management screwed him over, lmao.

20. I think I want the semi finals : Takagi v Ospreay & Naito v Okada, It can tell a lot of story and winners can be all of them so its perfect

21. My question is who are going to be the main pin eaters and 2 win 7 losses guys

22. i thought we were going for playstation button signs : (

23. Come on. You’ve got to put Goto and Ishii in the same block. It’s been too long.

24. I think we have sanada zsj and
    Taichi same Block, like wise with Naito and Tsuji as well as ELP and Finley

25. Give me the Ospreay, Shingo, Ishii, Tsuji, Taichi block. Please

26. Switch Narita and Finaly. Okadas is having a feud with the recently former young lions and this is the perfect spot get that going.
    The Okada vs. Finaly should wait, with the former being the new leader of Okada’s nemesis stable, their match should have a build up to a PPV.

    Also, Eddie should be on Ishii and Shingo’s block.

27. wait when did they announce that there’s four fucking blocks

28. I’ve found it really hard to balance everything I want out of the tourney into blocks, which makes me sad that certain potential matchups won’t happen

    I want Kaito to get as many dream matchups as possible, so I had him with Okada, Tanahashi, Shingo, and KENTA, with Umino, Narita, and Henare as rookies rounding out the block. I was hoping that Okada/Kaito means that a 3rd person in their block ends up advancing, which is why Shingo is in there, but realistically he’s probably pinning SANADA for a title shot and can be switched out with Mikey (I love the NOAH connection with Kaito and CHAOS connection with Okada). Shingo/Henare would be the other major matchup, and I loved what they did with Henare last year throwing him in with the top workers so I hope that trend continues. Plus getting 4 different ‘rookies’ in a block together is too juicy to see how rivalries amongst themselves pan out

    Like you I want an Ospreay/Kidd matchup, and I would love if Eddie runs back his great Strong match against Kidd as well. For Kingston I want to see as many Japan-style matches as possible so I have him against Goto and Taichi, but I feel like Taichi and Naito will be paired up for a briefcase defence and there’s no way Naito and Ospreay share a block, so something has to swap around there

    I agree with the SANADA/ZSJ/EVIL frontrunners for a block, for SANADA I wanted as many high level opponents as possible for him to shine as champion, but I had Cobb up there since SANADA works well with powerhouses and I think he’d do great with a block-advancing push like Tama last year (it would even play into a Naito/Ospreay final if he faces Naito in the semis). Shingo is probably the one to advance from their block though, since a SANADA/Shingo title defence makes too much sense if Naito is the endgame. A SANADA/YOSHI-HASHI match is also on my wishlist, I adore their rivalry

    The biggest wish for me is a Finlay/Chase matchup, to really test Chase’s mettle and see if he stays in Bullet Club. The possibilities of that match and that being the stakes for Chase’s run in the tourney is the most I’ve been interested in him in years, so I hope they’ve built that storyline for him instead of him just being a warm body like previous years

    I settled on the following:
    A: Okada, Tanahashi, Cobb, Umino, Narita, KENTA, Mikey, Kaito
    B: Naito, Goto, Taichi, O-Khan, Haste, Yano, Kidd, Kingston
    C: SANADA, EVIL, ZSJ, Shingo, YOSHI-HASHI, Coughlin, Henare, Tanga
    D: Ospreay, ELP, Finlay, Tama, Ishii, Hikuleo, Chase, Tsuji

    Semis: Cobb/Naito, Shingo/Ospreay, Finals: Naito/Ospreay

29. too similar to 2022