G1 Special in San Francisco

{{Infobox Wrestling event

|name=G1 Special in San Francisco

|image=G1SpecialinSanFran.jpg

|caption=Promotional poster featuring various NJPW wrestlers

|date=July 7, 2018

|attendance=6,333{{Cite web|url=https://www.njpw.co.jp/tornament/144651?showResult=1|title = G1 Special in San Francisco – アメリカ・Cow Palace}}

|liveevent=y

|lastevent=Strong Style Evolved UK

|nextevent=G1 Climax 28;
Destruction

|event=G1 Special

|lastevent2=G1 Special in USA

|nextevent2=G1 Climax in Dallas

}}

G1 Special in San Francisco was a professional wrestling event promoted by New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). The event took place on July 7, 2018, at the Cow Palace in the San Francisco suburb of Daly City, California.{{cite web |last1=Decker |first1=Kyle |title=New Japan Pro Wrestling's G1 special to return to the United States this summer |url=https://www.cagesideseats.com/2018/3/25/17163104/new-japan-pro-wrestlings-g1-special-return-united-states-san-francisco-strong-style-evolved |website=Cagesideseats |access-date=June 15, 2018 |date=March 25, 2018}}

The event was broadcast on AXS TV in the United States.{{cite web |title="G1 Special In San Francisco" To Air Live On AXS TV |url=http://www.prowrestlingsheet.com/g1-special-sf-live-axs/ |access-date=June 15, 2018 |date=May 25, 2018}}

Production

class=wikitable style="font-size:90%; margin: 0.5em 0 0.5em 1em; float: right; clear: right;"

|+ Other on-screen personnel

!|Role:

!|Name:

rowspan=2|Commentators

|Jim Ross (English-language announcer)

Josh Barnett (English-language announcer)

rowspan=1|Ring announcers

|Makoto Abe

rowspan=4|Referees

|Kenta Sato

Marty Asami

Red Shoes Unno

Tiger Hattori

=Background=

On March 25, 2018, NJPW announced there would be another G1 Special event taking place in the San Francisco area on July 7, 2018, at the Cow Palace in Daly City, California.{{cite web | url = http://www.wrestlinginc.com/wi/news/2018/0325/638294/njpw-announces-next-us-show-at-tonight-strong-style-evolved/ | title = NJPW Announces Next US Show At Tonight's Strong Style Evolved

| last=Gagnon | first=Joshua | date=March 25, 2018 | access-date=March 25, 2018 | work=Wrestling Inc.}} While tickets for the first G1 Special event sold out in two hours,{{cite web | url=http://www.njpw.co.jp/96799 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170613214355/http://www.njpw.co.jp/96799 | script-title=ja:戦略発表会で、木谷オーナーが「2020年の東京ドーム満員を目指す」とコメント！さらにアメリカへの“本格進出”、道場の設立も視野に!! | archive-date=June 13, 2017 | date=May 16, 2017 | access-date=May 16, 2017 | work=New Japan Pro-Wrestling | language=ja | url-status=dead }} Pro Wrestling Torch reported that NJPW management was upset with the initial ticket sales for G1 Special in San Francisco. Nonetheless 6,333 is currently NJPW biggest attendance to date in the United States. {{cite web | url = https://www.pwtorch.com/site/2018/05/02/njpw-g1-special-in-san-francisco-sees-slow-initial-ticket-sales-management-reaction-to-bolster-sales/ | title = NJPW G1 Special in San Francisco sees slow initial ticket sales, management's reaction to bolster sales | date=May 2, 2018 | access-date=June 15, 2018 | work=Pro Wrestling Torch}}

=Storylines=

File:G1 Special in San Francisco.png

G1 Special in San Francisco featured professional wrestling matches that involved wrestlers from pre-existing scripted feuds, plots, and storylines that played out on NJPW shows. Wrestlers portrayed heroes or villains as they followed a series of events that built tension and culminated in a wrestling match or series of matches.{{cite web | url=http://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/pro-wrestling.htm | title=How Pro Wrestling Works | last=Grabianowski | first=Ed | access-date=May 30, 2017 | work=HowStuffWorks, Inc. | publisher=Discovery Communications | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131129050844/http://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/pro-wrestling.htm | archive-date=November 29, 2013 }}

On June 9 at Dominion in Osaka-jo Hall, Kenny Omega defeated Kazuchika Okada 2 falls to 1 to win the IWGP Heavyweight Championship for the first time,{{cite web|url=https://sports.vice.com/en_us/article/wjb74m/kenny-omega-beat-kazuchika-okada-in-one-of-the-best-wrestling-matches-ever-at-new-japan-pro-wrestling-dominion-event|title=Kenny Omega Beat Kazuchika Okada in One of the Best Wrestling Matches Ever|date=11 June 2018}} ending Okada's reign, the longest in the championship's history at 720 days. After the match, after making peace with The Young Bucks (Matt and Nick Jackson) in the ring,{{cite web|url=https://www.cbssports.com/wwe/news/njpw-dominion-2018-results-another-okada-omega-classic-big-chris-jericho-surprise/|title=NJPW Dominion 2018 results: Another Okada-Omega classic, big Chris Jericho surprise}} Omega would announce during the post match comments that himself, Ibushi, and The Young Bucks had the formed a new sub group "The Golden☆Elite".{{cite web|url=https://www.fightful.com/wrestling/fight-size-update-golden-elite-shirts-available-purchase-steffanie-newell-undergoes-another-name|title=Fight Size Update: 'Golden Elite Shirts' Available For Purchase, Steffanie Newell Undergoes Another Name Change, Ronda Rousey, More - Fightful Wrestling|website=www.fightful.com}} The following day at a press conference aired on NJPW World, Kenny Omega confirmed that he and The Young Bucks were still Bullet Club members, as well as clarifying that while Kota Ibushi had joined The Elite, he was not a member of Bullet Club. Omega also claimed he was still the leader of Bullet Club,{{cite web|url=https://uproxx.com/prowrestling/njpw-dominion-press-conference-kenny-omega-cody-title-match/|title=NJPW Announced Upcoming U.S. Matches, Including A Championship Defense|date=11 June 2018}}{{cite web|url=https://www.si.com/wrestling/2018/06/13/wwe-njpw-news-kenny-omega-iwgp-championship-interview|title=Kenny Omega finally reaches NJPW's pinnacle}} and announced that his first defense of the IWGP Heavyweight Championship would be against Cody at the G1 Special at the Cow Palace in San Francisco.

On January 28, 2018, at The New Beginning in Sapporo, "Switchblade" Jay White defeated Omega to become the IWGP United States Champion.{{cite web|url=https://www.f4wonline.com/japan/njpw-new-beginning-sapporo-night-two-live-results-omega-white-250651|title=NJPW NEW BEGINNING IN SAPPORO NIGHT TWO LIVE RESULTS: OMEGA-WHITE|author=Dave Meltzer|work=Wrestling Observer Newsletter|date=January 27, 2018|access-date=March 9, 2018}} At Dominion 6.9 in Osaka-jo Hall White lost by pinfall in a tag team match to Juice Robinson; because of this loss White would defend his title against Robinson at G1 Special.

During the 25th Best of the Super Juniors tournament Dragon Lee defeated eventual tournament winner Hiromu Takahashi. At Dominion Takahashi defeated Will Ospreay to win the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship. Backstage, after a successful title defense against El Desperado, Hiromu challenged Lee to a match, which Lee accepted. The match was officially announced for G1 Special on June 21 via NJPW's website.

On June 9 at Dominion, The Young Bucks defeated Sanada and Evil of Los Ingobernables de Japón to win the IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Championships for the first time, making them the third duo in Bullet Club to do so. After the match, The Young Bucks offered them a rematch for the titles. One day later, it was announced that their first defense of the IWGP Tag Team Championship would be against Sanada and Evil at G1 Special.{{cite web|url=https://www.njpw1972.com/29584|title=Huge matches set for G1 Special in San Francisco! Cody v Kenny, Juice v Switchblade, and a major tag title match! - NEW JAPAN PRO-WRESTLING|last=NJPW|website=NJPW}}

At Kizuna Road Hirooki Goto defeated Michael Elgin to regain the NEVER Openweight Championship; after the match he was challenged by Jeff Cobb and the match was made for G1 Special on June 21.

At Dominion Marty Scurll, Hangman Page, and Cody defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi, Jushin Thunder Liger, and Rey Mysterio Jr. A match between Tanahashi and KUSHIDA against Scurll and Page at G1 Special was also officially announced on June 21.

On June 9 at Dominion Minoru Suzuki and Zack Sabre Jr. defeated Tomohiro Ishii and Toru Yano. Suzuki and Ishii brawled after the match. This led to three matches being made for Strong Style Evolved UK. On Night 1, Suzuki and Sabre would defend the RPW Undisputed British Tag Team Championship against Ishii and Kazuchika Okada, while on Night 2 Okada faced Sabre and Ishii defended the RPW British Heavyweight Championship against Suzuki. On June 21, a rematch pitting Suzuki and Sabre against Ishii and Yano was announced for G1 Special.

Aftermath

During the match for the Junior Heavyweight Title, Takahashi received a Dragon Driver from Dragon Lee and landed on his neck. Backstage, after winning the match, Takahashi fainted and was sent to a hospital.{{Cite news|url=https://www.solowrestling.com/new/72361-hiromu-takahashi-podria-haberse-lesionado-gravemente-durante-njpw-g1-special-in-san-francisco|title=Hiromu Takahashi podría haberse lesionado gravemente durante NJPW G1 Special in San Francisco|last=Solowrestling|date=2018-07-08|access-date=2018-07-12|language=es}} It was later revealed that Takahashi had broken his neck.{{Cite news|url=https://www.f4wonline.com/wrestling-observer-radio/wor-hiromu-hodge-ufc-lesnar-g-1-special-king-indies-more-261201|title=WOR: Hiromu, Hodge, UFC Lesnar, G-1 special, King of Indies, more!|date=June 8, 2018|work=WON/F4W - WWE news, Pro Wrestling News, WWE Results, UFC News, UFC results|access-date=December 28, 2018|language=en}}

Results

{{Pro Wrestling results table

|times={{cite web|url=https://www.cagematch.net/?id=1&nr=201964|title=NJPW G1 Special In San Francisco « Events Database « CAGEMATCH - The Internet Wrestling Database|work=www.cagematch.net|access-date=16 July 2018}}

|match1=Bullet Club (King Haku, Tama Tonga, Tanga Loa, Yujiro Takahashi and Chase Owens) defeated Chaos (Yoshi-Hashi, Gedo, Rocky Romero, Yoh and Sho)

|stip1=Ten-man tag team match{{cite web|url=https://www.njpw1972.com/tornament/26145?showCards=1|title=G1 Special in San Francisco|author= |website=NJPW1972.com|publisher=New Japan Pro-Wrestling|access-date=June 22, 2018}}

|time1=09:20

|match2=Chaos (Tomohiro Ishii and Toru Yano) defeated Suzuki-gun (Minoru Suzuki and Zack Sabre Jr.)

|stip2=Tag team match

|time2=09:42

|match3=Bullet Club (Hangman Page and Marty Scurll) defeated Taguchi Japan (Hiroshi Tanahashi and Kushida)

|stip3=Tag team match

|time3=09:52

|match4=Hirooki Goto (c) defeated Jeff Cobb

|stip4=Singles match for the NEVER Openweight Championship

|time4=12:10

|match5=The Young Bucks (Matt Jackson and Nick Jackson) (c) defeated Los Ingobernables de Japón (Sanada and Evil)

|stip5=Tag team match for the IWGP Tag Team Championship