ROH/NJPW G1 Supercard Predictions

How's it going Everyone,

So every year for the past few years now, indie promotions have for lack of a better term, invaded WrestleMania weekend.  Every year promotions from anywhere and everywhere book some kind of show to climb on the back of the pageantry of the Showcase of the Immortals.  Ring of Honor and New Japan with there partnership in toe, are not only doing this but they are going to the place no other wrestling promotion would dare to go, Madison Square Garden for the G1 Supercard.  MSG has been considered the mecca for decades, for WWE shows.  Now WWE doesn't really do TV at MSG anymore, usually only non-televised events.  So now much to the chagrin of Vince McMahon who tried to block it from happening, here's my predictions for ROH/NJPW G1 Supercard.

Winner Take All Champion vs. Champion

ROH Television and NEVER Openweight Championships

Jeff Cobb vs. Will Ospreay

This match to me has so much to it, not even because it's a winner take all champion versus champion match, the styles of these guys are so similar but the fact that they can both do what they do and the size difference, NEVER Openweight Champion Will Ospreay, standing at 6 foot 1 inches around 175 pounds, and ROH Television Champion Jeff Cobb standing 5 foot 10 inches around 265 pounds.  These two guys can do it all despite the size difference, this can be hard hitting and technical, this could be high flying agile.  This is an exciting match no matter how you look at it.  It's also very hard to call part of me wants to call a disqualification here because of the two title thing but at the same time you could definitely have one of these guys work both ROH and NJPW for a while with both belts until the inevitable split of the belts.  I'm gonna pick Ospreay here it is such a toss up to me but, Ospreay probably will take it here, and down the line Jeff Cobb will probably get another shot at the TV title down the line.

Rush vs. Dalton Castle

This match is going to be like a showcase of talent match,  If your going into this not knowing who Rush is (pronounced Roosh) your in for a treat.  Dalton Castle the constant professional, unfortunate turn of events during his title reign, with too many injuries to count, finally seems to be back in full form as a wrestler.  I'm looking forward to this match, just an idea of how good Rush is, his brothers are Mistico (original Sin Cara) and Dragon Lee (we'll talk about him later), the youngest of the three already a good amount of tme spent wrestling in Mexico he's great.  These two styles hopefully will mesh well about they can put on a good one, and I expect Rush to win, he needs a big win to move him forward in ROH and get him into the next chapter of his career.

Women of Honor World Championship

(C) Mayu Iwatani vs. Kelly Klein

Now I'll be the first to admit I don't know everything, so I will say I don't know too much about Mayu Iwatani, or Stardom which is where she has spent the majority of her career, I've heard she's as good if not better then Kairi Sane and Io Shirai who is as we know killing it in WWE.  I know she's a great technical wrestler again from what I've heard, Kelly Klein is a very under rated wrestler for her ability, most people didn't know she had a really long winning streak in ROH because their women weren't featured like they are now, a lot of people didn't know her climb to be the champion only to lose it very early so for that reason, I'm picking Kelly Klein to win the title back.

New York City Street Fight

Bully Ray vs. Juice Robinson

Originally this was an open challenge, Juice Robinson answered it on social media.  That kind of bothered me, I would have preferred this be a surprise at the show so we could continue to guess who it is.  Me personally I wanted it to be Minoru Suzuki so he can "shut up" Bully Ray.  Either way Juice Robinson accepted the challenge and the IWGP United States Championship is not on the line so for that reason alone, I think Bully is going to win.  I mean there is the possibility someone else comes to help Juice to pull out the win because part of me doesn't see him winning this on his own.  We'll see but I'm picking Bully Ray either way.

IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship

(C) Taiji Ishimori vs. Dragon Lee vs. Bandido

This is a match that has the potential of being the match of the night, all three of these guys have something special.  Their ability to do crazy high flying maneuvers,  Ishimori to an extend is a little more grounded then the other two, there is more of a technical aspect to his arsenal but still fantastic.  Dragon Lee has been showcasing his abilities for a quite a while with ROH and New Japan, and Bandido broke onto the scene with his stellar performance at All In.  It's impossible to call this one, any of the three could win, an to be completely honest I'd be happy with any of he three.  With that said I think Ishimori is going to retain, the efforts of Lee and Bandido will be great and mind blowing I'm sure.  Now a part of me could see Dragon Lee winning especially if Hiromu Takahashi is set to return.  Takahashi injured his neck in a match against Dragon Lee after a package powerbomb suplex spot gone wrong, so if Dragon Lee won, the set up would be great here for Takahashi's return.  So, I'm still gonna pick Ishimori, but if Lee does win I expect this to happen.

Winner takes all Four-Way Tag Team Match

ROH World Tag Team and IWGP Tag Team Championships

Guerrillas of Destiny vs. Villain Enterprises vs. Los Ingobernables de Japon vs. The Briscoe Brothers

Okay so this is going be a giant cluster of a match but I'm sure the teams involved can make this into one hell of a match,  so a little bit of back story here the Tama Tonga and Tanga Loa were challenged by The Briscoe Brothers, Jay and Mark, to this match for winner take all but Jay and Mark lost the ROH Titles to Villain Enterprises, Brodie King and PCO.  So LIJ was added to make this a four-way match, now I'll be the first to say that I was super excited for Guerrillas of Destiny versus The Briscoe Brothers one last time, but the addition of these other teams should make it even more exciting, now who could possibly win this match.  Honestly it's so up in the air but If I had to pick, I'm going to go with Villain Enterprises, for the reason that I think ROH and New Japan probably see the money in putting a much steam behind this group as humanly possible so just imagine, this team winning the tag titles of both shows, and the leader becoming a champion as well (we'll talk about that one later).  All of these teams have the tools a true tag team needs, All of these teams have something to bring to he table, part of me really wants to see the Briscoes do more singles stuff, part of me really wants Tama Tonga to move out on his own and win an Intercontinental or United States Title in New Japan, same with Sanada of LIJ could easily see him in the United States Title picture too.  So that's why I'm picking Villain Enterprises, and lets just applaud the reemergence of PCO would anyone have ever guessed the guy with the eye patch from 90s WWE team The Quebecers would this role this late in his career.



British Heavyweight Championship

(C) Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi

This match could be really good for the fact that ZSJ and Tanahashi always seem to work well together, the reason it's happening is because Tanahashi defeated Sabre in the New Japan Cup, so it's very likely that Sabre will get his win back here (I'll have another blog in the works discussing my grievances with this) and successfully defend his title.  Sabre is easily the best technical wrestler in the world right now and Tanahashi is the constant in New Japan, he's the John Cena of New Japan.  I'm picking Sabre to win here I just don't see Tanahashi winning this particular title.

IWGP Intercontinental Championship

(C) Tetsuya Naito vs. Kota Ibushi

This is definitely the match I'm most looking forward to, I've never ever been disappointed with a match between these two.  I really wanted Kota Ibushi to win the New Japan Cup to face Jay White but regardless I'm happy with this match.  These two have crazy good chemistry together, and I think Naito will probably retain.  I don't know if it's the right time here to take the IC title off him right now.  Part of me thinks down the line Ibushi is gonna win back the NEVER Openweight title from Ospreay so that's the main reason I'm picking Naito here.

Ladder Match

ROH World Championship

(C) Jay Lethal vs. Matt Taven vs. Marty Scurll

I absolutely love the story going into this match, Jay Lethal the accumulated days as ROH champ, Matt Taven feels he's always getting screwed, believes he's the rightful champ, had a grueling 60 minute draw with Lethal, and Marty Scurll fighting and clawing to a world title opportunity trying to make it without the backing of his ELITE brethren who are off doing their own promotion.  Scurll earned the opportunity to face the champ, all these roads are finally going to cross in this match, and I can't wait.  This is the time for Scurll to be the man in ROH, Taven's time will come but Scurll needs to win here.  There's nothing left for Lethal to prove as champ, probably the greatest ROH champion of all time, and as I said earlier, imagine ROH and New Japan capitalizing on the power Villain Enterprises would have from winning all the belts.  So if it isn't obvious enough I'm picking Scurll here.

IWGP Heavyweight Championship

(C) Jay White vs. Kazuchika Okada

Okay, full disclosure, this match, annoys me in more ways then one, but the main reason is (this goes back to the blog I'm planning about my NJPW grievances) because New Japan is known for their 50/50 booking especially when it comes to Okada.  He's the golden boy, he's basically the Roman Reigns of New Japan, he can't do wrong no matter what it is, and he always wins in the end.  That is why I didn't want Okada to win the New Japan Cup to get this opportunity, now I understand it's a big deal it's their first New York Show as far as New Japan goes, it's MSG it's the biggest show either of these brands has done, but someone else could have got the shot, don't get me wrong I like Okada, and I'm sure if Kenny Omega stuck around full time the match be him and Okada and Okada would definitely win.  Jay White just won the title, he hasn't defended it at all, his first defense is against the golden boy whom he beat once before at Wrestle Kingdom,  I don't want Okada winning here, I don't want Okada to take the belt and run with it again until the next Wrestle Kingdom.  Jay White deserves a lengthier run with the Title, he deserves to beat some people and prove his worth at the top.  The only way I see Jay retaining is if someone helps him, for me Tomohiro Ishii should be the guy getting the shot and he should definitely be next in line and he won't have a chance at winning if the person he faces is Okada.  So sadly I'm picking Okada to win here, I don't want it, and I'm hoping Jay White retains, so he can be a real fighting champ for a lengthy time and prove what he can do in the main event.

Okay so that's the whole card, I legitimately feel tired from writing it and, the WrestleMania one will be next and probably be twice as long with currently 16 announced matches.  In conclusion this is going to be one hell of a show put on by ROH and New Japan, and I hope that each match really showcases the talent here, because this show was sold on the back of the Young Bucks, Cody and Kenny Omega, so I'm sure when people found out that ROH and AEW wouldn't have a partnership (for now) that this card might not feel as exciting.  I'm hoping for a good show.  Also I didn't talk about the Honor Rumble cause it really has no meaning, just all the guys in it with nothing to do with no prize so yeah.  Thanks for sticking around if you made this far.  I'm MikeJC signing off for now.