Usually you can get a good feel for how a G1 block will go from the final day’s matches. But doing Pick ‘Ems for this year, I came across A Block’s last day and…. I genuinely have no clue who’s coming out of this block.

19 comments

1. If SANADA loses to Chase fucking Owens so somebody else can win the block… I’ll eat an entire head of uncooked cabbage.

2. The main/marquee match they’re promoting for the show is Umino/Hikuleo.

   My guess is Sanada is a lock for block winner and some sort of tie to break Umino, Narita, and Yota for the 2nd place to enter the quarterfinals.

3. It’s genuinely a head-scratcher to me.

   Logic would dictate that SANADA and Kaito would be the most likely picks to go through. (SANADA is top champ and Kaito still has it out for Okada)

   But SANADA vs Chase doesn’t feel like main-event stuff, and neither does Kiyomiya vs Narita, with Narita feeling currently like the Reiwa Musketeer with the least going for him. (Maybe that changes throughout the tournament?)

   Likewise Shooter vs Hikuleo doesn’t quite feel like the main event either. (Maybe Hikuleo steps up to that spot though?) Maybe one plays upset to the other?

   That leaves us with Tsuji vs Kidd, which has a lot more up in the air with both being so new. But Kidd is currently involved in a feud for the tag titles on debut, so would he really be sent into the position of making it out of his first G1 block? This match feels like the most likely main event to me, (unless we get extra intrigue for Kiyomiya vs Narita or Umino vs Hikuleo) which means a spot in the quarters would definitely be on the line, but in that case if either of these guys were to make it through, then whose spot would they take? SANADA’s or Kaito’s?

   This might genuinely be the hardest to predict G1 Block I’ve seen in a long time. It feels like SANADA’s either set to soar through this one or completely crash and burn out of it. Either way would be an interesting story for him.

4. SANADA most likely clinched a spot. The Narita/Kaito will either be win and in, or a Tsuji wins and needs one to lose to clinch his spot because he has the tiebreaker.

5. Tsuji d. Kidd

   Umino d. Hikuleo

   SANADA d. Owens

   Kiyomiya d. Narita

   SANADA will have tiebreaker over Tsuji

   Umino is denied the finals by Kiyomiya’s victory (Umino has the head to head victory but Kaito won 1 more match)

   SANADA is 1st place

   Kiyomiya is 2nd place

   Is how I think it plays out

6. SANADA’s spot is locked with some weird situation of Umino, Tsuji, Narita & Kaito in basically win and get in situations – Umino & Tsuji get upset, Kaito beats Narita

   The three musketeers all tie with none of them getting out

   Hikeleo has a ‘disappointing’ run.

   Owens & Kidd get jobbed most of the block but get a couple upset wins to keep the young horses even.

7. I just like that they’re not making it obvious anymore

8. Four blocks, two wrestlers in each block advancing to the playoffs. There’s no way to tell, for real.

9. Here’s what I think makes sense …

   A1 Kiyomiya(6-1)

   A2 SANADA (6-1 / 5-1-1)

   B1 Osperey (6-1)

   B2 Okada (6-1)

   C1 Finlay (5-2)

   C2 Shingo (4-2-1)

   D1 Naito (5-2)

   D2 ZSJ (5-2)

   Quarter Final

   A1 Kiyomiya v C2 Shingo

   B1 Osperey v D2 ZSJ

   C1 Finlay v B2 Okada

   D1 Naito v A2 SANADA

   Semi Final

   A1 Kiyomiya v B1 Osperey

   A2 SANADA v B2 Okada

   Final

   A1 Kiyomiya v B2 Okada

   G1 Winner = Kiyomiya.

   Okada gets title match vs SANADA in the fall, and regains his championship.

   Kiyimiya vs Okada @ WK

10. Obviously Sanada and/ or Umino

11. If SANADA is guaranteed to head on to quarterfinals, then having Chase for his final block day is an okay decision.

12. SANADA def. Chase Owens

    Narita = Kiyomiya (time limit draw)

    Hikuleo def. Shooter Umino

    Tsuji def. Kidd

13. I actually have SANADA win all of his block matches so the drama is all about the second spot, which will probably be Kaito’s. Then I have SANADA losing to Shingo in the Quarters, setting up a title match for the Ryogoku Show.

14. Feel like SANADA will get the easy win to get thought the Quater Final, you have 8 guys going through I feel like the Champion should be one of them.

    Then next is harder, out of the 6 only Gabe and maybe Hikuleo doesn’t really seem like they have a chance, but Hikuleo is getting booked quite strong so who knows.

15. SANADA wins to put himself in line to move on, but losses to Umino and Tsuji earlier in the block make it a longshot to move on. Tsuji beats Gabe Kidd to put himself ahead of SANADA. Hikuleo proves to be too big for Shota, with Shota failing to advance, but a big win over SANADA earlier gives him momentum going forward. Narita vs Kiyomiya as the main event, winner clinches their place in the elimination round while the loser goes home. Kiyomiya wins a hard fought encounter. Kiyomiya and Tsuji advance.

16. In my predictions/pick ’ems, I have:

    *Shota df. Hikuleo*, leaving Shota with 6 and a strong back half of the tournament after really struggling in the first half, and Hikuleo with 4 although he’s very likely gonna do way better.

    *Kiyomiya df. Narita*, so Kaito goes undefeated with 5 wins and 2 draws to go through at the top of the block, and remains undefeated (including beating Okada in the semi’s) until the final against the Ungovernable Boi. Ren has the same number of points as Shota with 6, winning their match together but losing to two people Shota beat (Tsuji and Hikuleo)

    *SANADA df. Chase*, leaving him with 11 points and 2nd place with Tsuji, but needing Tsuji to lose to go to the KO stages. Chase has 1 win in the entire block, against Hikuleo, but I’d have had him lose here anyway even if that wasn’t the case, like Chase Owens is gonna get an IWGP World Championship match lol

    *Kidd df. Tsuji*, probably via some fuckin’ shenaniganry, leaving Kidd with 6 and Tsuji with only 9, his momentum just stalling at the wrong time and his tiebreaker over SANADA not coming into play. I mean, I’ve got SANADA getting knocked out in the quarters by Naito anyway so whatever, but still.

17. It’s possible that Sanada is already through come the final day and the other matches will decide the other wrestler that advances. I’d bet on Kaito vs Ren to main event

18. Clearly Chase Owens advances with an upset over the Champ.

19. My prediction is Ren