With the G1 ending, how wide open is the Top 5? Do you agree with the matches?

This is a pretty varied week for the Top 5. WWE fans should be happy with their choices and non-WWE fans have a couple things as well.

Let’s address the match that won the vote last week! NXT Takeover Toronto: Io Shirai vs Candice LeRae, won the votes by quite a bit. I’m surprised it beat out some G1 bangers, but I know somewhere Greg DeMarco is screaming at his screen. So that’s a little reassuring.

Now let’s get to this week’s Top 5!

5. 205 Live: Cruiserweight Championship Match: Oney Lorcan vs Drew Gulak (c)

Snippet from Mitchell’s Coverage:
Lorcan runs corner to corner, for a back elbow! Then again, for a second back elbow! Lorcan goes for the hat trick, but Gulak gets clear! Gulak scoops and slams Lorcan into ropes! Cover, TWO! Lorcan escapes, and Gulak looks to be thinking on what he has to do to end this. Gulak drags Lorcan up, torture racks, but Lorcan fights out to half nelson! Gulak elbows out, but Lorcan runs, only to get Gulak’s LARIAT! Cover, TWO!! Lorcan survives and Gulak is stunned. Fans cheer Lorcan on but Gulak is already on him. Gulak lifts Lorcan to the top rope, then climbs up to join him. Gulak is on the very top as he rains down rights. Lorcan pops out and trips Gulak up! Gulak is crotch’d on the top bar, and Lorcan climbs up behind him. Fans fire up as Lorcan wants to end this!

Lorcan has the half nelson, and brings Gulak up, SUPER HALF ‘N’ HALF! But Gulak ends up so far away! Lorcan has to crawl to the cover, ROPEBREAK! Gulak survives and Lorcan is at a loss for words. Gulak slumps out of the ring but Lorcan grits his teeth. Fans give him the fire he needs, and Lorcan pursues Gulak. Lorcan whips Gulak into barriers! And into the announce desk! Gulak staggers but Lorcan throws him into steel steps! Lorcan puts Gulak in the ring, but Gulak cradles! TWO, and Lorcan CHOPS Gulak! Lorcan grabs Gulak’s jaw, slap, slap, SLAP! Then spinning backhand CHOP! Cover, TWO!! Gulak pushes Lorcan away but Lorcan just SLAPS him again! Lorcan tees off with slapping palm strikes to the back! Half ‘n’ Half but standing switch, roll up, GULOCK!! Lorcan flails, reaches, but the body scissors are on, too! Lorcan is fading, he is OUT! Gulak wins!!

Winner: Gulak via GuLock

Rating: ****

4. NJPW G1 Climax Night 19: Kazuchika Okada & Hiroshi Tanahashi vs Zack Sabre Jr & Minoru Suzuki

From My Analysis:
Suzuki’s great plan of revenge has now begun in full swing. Since being spurned from the G1 Climax this year, he’s been quietly plotting. Sabre had to put up a fight against Tanahashi since he’s lost the last two matches against him. The match was damn good, and you kept seeing Suzuki chomping at the bit to make sure he had Okada. So now, Suzuki is in line for a championship shot. It is very rare for the Champion to get pinned in an undercard match, especially by someone who didn’t even qualify for the G1 Climax.

Winner: Suzuki via Gotch Style Piledriver

Rating: ****

3. WWE SmackDown Live: Buddy Murphy vs Roman Reigns

Snippet from Mitchell’s Coverage:
Roman is feeling it, and he goes to a corner. He locks ‘n’ loads, then runs, but Murphy dodges! Roman elbows Murphy away, but misses in the corner to get the post! Murphy rolls Roan and feet on ropes! TWO!! Roman runs at Murphy but is dumped out instead! Murphy wrecks with a dropkick, then builds speed, to FLY! The Juggernaut topples Roman over! “This is Awesome!” as Murphy gets Roman up and into the ring at 6. Murphy wants this the clean way, and climbs up high. He leaps, another meteora! Cover, TWO!! Murphy and Roman are down again, exhausted from the action so far. Roman gasps for air as he sits up. Murphy is on him first, and he lets off a strike fest! He stomps Roman’s foot then thrusts the knee, bout Roman comes back with a BIG uppercut! SUPERKICK from Murphy! Rebound, SUPERMAN PUNCH! Cover, TWO!!

Roman is shocked but Murphy wasn’t a dominant Cruiserweight Champion for nothing! But Roman pumps himself up, because he isn’t a Grand Slam Champion for nothing. He aims from the corner, “OOAH!” And runs, into a kick! KNEE TRIGGER! AUSSIE-GOYE! BRAIN BUSTER!! Cover, TWO!?! Roman survives and Murphy is in shock! Murphy drags Roman to a drop zone and climbs but Roman trips him up! Murphy still fights back, only for Roman to uppercut him off the top! Murphy hits barriers, Roman comes by for a FLYING SUPERMAN PUNCH! Roman puts Murphy in, FLIPPING SPEAR!! Cover, Roman wins!

Winner: Reigns via Spear

Rating: ****

Honorable Mentions:

NJPW G1 Climax Night 19: YOSHI-HASHI, KENTA & Tomohiro Ishii vs Guerrillas of Destiny & Bad Luck Fale
Winner: Tama via Go 2 Sleep
Rating: ****
Stardom 5 Star GP Red Stars: Momo Watanabe vs Hazuki
Winner: Hazuki via Hazukistral
Rating: *** 3/4
NJPW G1 Climax Night 19: Yota Tsuji & Ren Narita vs Clark Connors & Karl Fredericks
Winner: Connors via Boston Crab
Rating: *** 1/2
NEW Prison Break: NEW Tag Team Titles: David Arquette & King Brian Anthony vs Jerry Lawler & Keith Youngblood (c)
Winner: Lawler via Fist Drop
Rating: *** 1/4
NXT UK: Kassius Ohno vs Ilja Dragunov
Winner: Ohno via Rolling Elbow
Rating: *** 1/4
IMPACT!: Tessa Blanchard & Tommy Dreamer vs Sami Callihan & Dave Crist
Winner: Tessa via Magnum w/Kendo Stick
Rating: *** 1/4
NEW Prison Break: nZo vs Brian Pillman Jr
Winner: nZo via Jaw Done
Rating: *** 1/4
NXT: Cameron Grimes vs Jordan Myles
Winner: Myles via 450 Splash
Rating: ***
NEW Prison Break: Thrillride vs CazXL
Winner: CazXL via Jacknife Powerbomb
Rating: ***
IMPACT!: The Rascalz vs RVD, Willie Mack & Rich Swann
Winner: Swann via Phoenix Splash
Rating: ***
NEW Prison Break: NEW Championship Match: Darby Allin (c) vs Hale Collins
Winner: Allin via Coffin Drop
Rating: ***
WWE SmackDown Live: Randy Orton & The Revival vs The New Day
Winner: Revival via Shatter Machine
Rating: ***
NEW Prison Break: Jon Moxley vs Pentagon Jr
Winner: Moxley via Paradigm Shift
Rating: ***

2. NEW Prison Break: ROH World Championship: Matt Taven (c) vs JT Dunn

From My Analysis:
Well with Rey Fenix having travel issues, they called on an old NEW champion, Matt Taven, to fill in. Taven was more of the face in this match, which is a little awkward. But the fact that he was a returning face and put up the ROH title, it made sense for him to play babyface. This was probably the best match I’ve seen Taven have during this title reign. Great back and forth from both men, Taven kicked out of Death by Elbows, Dunn kicked out of the Climax, just really well contested. Maybe Taven should play a face more? I don’t know. This whole show so far has been like bizarro land…but…me likey.

Winner: Taven via Frog Splash

Rating: ****

1. NJPW: G1 Climax Finals: Jay White vs Kota Ibushi

From My Analysis:
Jay White has a solid lock on his character. He comes down with the full Bullet Club entourage in tow, and it looks like the Finals will be ruined with Bullet Club shenanigans. Red Shoes immediately throws out all of them, except Gedo. Then he catches Gedo so throws him out shortly after. We get a great back and forth match with both personalities shining through. When Red Shoes gets bumped and Gedo comes back out, it almost looks like that’s the opportunity to ruin a great match. But Ibushi fights through it all, taps into his second life bar, hits 2 Bom-ba-ye and 2 Kamigoyes. So much was riding on Ibushi to be the hero to overcome the villain. Kamigoye means to surpass god, and he used it to surpass the ultimate evil. Simple, yet beautiful.

Winner: Ibushi via Kamigoye

Rating: *****

Thoughts:

It’s hard to argue against the beauty that was the G1 Finals and the joy it gave so many fans. The feelings could be a little muted since it happened on Monday, and some things are more in the forefront of people’s opinions. But definitely, G1 Finals: Kota Ibushi vs Jay White, was my match of the week.

The historic box that Ibushi checked, by being the first person to win the Best of the Super Juniors (2011), New Japan Cup (2015) and now G1 Climax (2019), adds to the enjoyment of the whole match.