7 Possible Outside Entrants in G1 Climax 28, Ranked From Least Likely to Most
The G1 Climax is the top wrestling tournament in not just Japan - but the whole world. It’s the professional wrestling equivalent of the World Cup.
Unlike WWE’s King of The Ring which is a tournament for up and comers, the G1 has all of New Japan’s big guns; Kenny Omega, Kazuchika Okada and the other top NJPW heavyweights will all compete in the round-robin contest.
Alongside NJPW’s regulars, there’s usually at least one or one or two surprise entrants. It can be a junior heavyweight moving up, like Prince Devitt in 2010 who picked up a surprise win over a prime Hiroshi Tanahashi during that G1. Or it could be a wrestler from another promotion; In 2016, Pro Wrestling NOAH’s Naomichi Marufuji tangled with NJPW’s best and got a victory over then-IWGP Heavyweight Champion Okada.
The final three nights usually take place in Sumo Hall, but due to renovation works, the last portion of the tournament will be held in the larger Budokan Hall. NJPW will surely need something special to fill those extra seats.
This Sunday, NJPW will announce the G1 Climax 28 participants. Here are some possible outside entrants for the G1 ranked from least likely to most.
#7: Neville
Neville walked out of WWE way back in October, and nobody has heard anything from him since. If Neville truly wants out, why hasn't WWE released him? He's a fantastic wrestler and improved immensely as a character in 2017, but he's not exactly indispensable, WWE has functioned just fine without him. There's certainly more to this situation then we know.
If Neville is granted his release, NJPW would be a likely destination. His scowling face and deliberate verbal delivery would be perfect for Japanese audiences. The expectation would be that Neville joins NJPW’s junior heavyweight division, but I'm sure 'The King of the Cruiserweights' is ready to abdicate his throne and challenge for bigger honors.
For this to happen, a lot of pieces must fall into place by Sunday which leaves this entry highly unlikely.
Chance: 10%