The day has finally come for the finals of G1 Climax 26, it would be a heated battle between ‘The Cleaner’ Kenny Omega and my personal favourite Hirooki Goto. It is hard to say who would have the edge in this match, Goto had an extra day of rest but Omega is riding the momentum of knocking off Tetsuya Naito the night before. Without a doubt I knew this would be an amazing match, so keep reading to see who would head to Wrestle Kingdom 11.
FINALS MATCH- Kenny Omega vs Hirooki Goto
This bout kicked off with both men looking to get the best of one another, they traded strikes and engaged in lock-ups until Omega connected with a hurricanrana. Omega then bounced off the ropes looking to dive to the outside, but Goto got back in the ring and landed a kick to Omega’s injured knee.
Goto then went to work on the knee of Omega with many kicks and he then locked in a figure four leg lock. Omega made it to the ropes, but Goto then wrapped Omega’s knee in the ropes and began to kick away.
Goto then clotheslined Omega to the outside of the ring, and he tried to throw Omega into the barricade. Omega blocked the throw and landed a superkick to Goto’s mid-section, and he then used the barricade as a springboard to moonsault on to Goto.
Omega then attacked the spine of Goto by body slamming on the edge of the ring and then power bombing him on the apron. Back in the ring, Omega hit Goto with a neck breaker and then locked in a camel clutch.
Goto made it to the ropes and then Omega landed some blows before starting to twist the neck of Goto. Omega then landed a variety of chops to the chest of Goto before hitting his float over bulldog.
Both men now traded some chops to the chest of each other, until Goto caught Omega off the ropes with a big clothesline. Goto now hit his corner spinning heel kick, followed by a belly to back suplex.
Goto then hit a corner running clothesline and went to the top rope to land a diving elbow drop. Goto then got Omega in a fireman’s carry position, but Omega got out and hit a rolling fireman’s carry to Goto followed by a diving moonsault from the second rope.
Omega now hit Goto with some chops and then took a cheap shot by raking the eyes, and he then hit a dragon suplex. Goto then rolled to the outside of the ring and Omega ran to dive to the outside with a beautiful flip landing right on his opponent.
Omega then threw Goto back in the ring and went to the top rope to land a diving dropkick to the back of Goto’s head. Omega now went to continue his attack, but he was caught by Goto and got hit with an ushigoroshi.
Omega now rolled to the apron and Goto ran by sideswiping him with a lariat turning him inside out. Goto then placed him on the top rope and joined him there to deliver a must-see moment, he landed an ushigoroshi from the top rope.
Goto now kept attempting to get Omega in a rear-naked choke, but Omega kept battling out. So, Goto went for a German suplex instead, but Omega flipped out and hit him with a V-trigger and then a brainbuster dropping him on his knee.
Omega then hit a second V-trigger and then went for the One-Winged Angel, but Goto slipped out and locked in a backpack rear-naked choke. To break the submission, Omega climbed to the top rope with Goto on his back and fell back from the top rope landing on Goto to break the hold.
Both men now began trading forearms until Omega hit a knee to the face, and then with a call out to Kota Ibushi, he hit a sit-out Last Ride powerbomb. Omega then went to the top rope and attempted a phoenix splash, but Goto rolled out of the way.
Goto then hit one of his devastating kicks to the chest of Omega, followed by a headbutt and then a twisting facebuster. He then went for the GTR, but Omega got out with some knees and he then attempted another V-trigger.
This time Goto was able to block the V-trigger, but Omega bounced back and hit a short V-trigger instead followed by a second dragon suplex. Omega then went for the running V-trigger again, but Goto blocked once again and then hit Omega with a strong lariat.
Goto now went deep into his arsenal to deliver a Shouten, a suplex side slam, this is a move he used in the earlier stages of his career. Goto tried to follow that with a GTR, but Omega blocked and delivered a Bloody Sunday, the finisher of former NJPW superstar and Bullet Club member, Prince Devitt.
Omega then did his third call-out of the match by delivering a Styles Clash, the finisher of another former NJPW superstar and Bullet Club member, AJ Styles. Omega then finally got Goto up and hit his One-Winged Angel to get the win.
Kenny Omega is the winner of the 2016 G1 Climax 26, after such an amazing tournament with so many great moments. Omega would then go on to Wrestle Kingdom 11 to compete for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship!
G1 Climax 26 Winner: Kenny Omega
Rating: 9/10
Joseph Luca Casciaro 