Sagamihara shows us that NJPW is truly in transition

If you spent your Sunday watching the Sagamihara City Gymnasium main card, you probably needed a double shot of espresso to shake off the confusion. We are deep into the Road to G1 Climax 36, and the booking feels like it was written by someone who fell asleep on their remote. Watching a two-on-one handicap match in a world-renowned promotion is a jarring experience that feels more like a Saturday morning regional show than the hallowed halls of NJPW.

Hartley Jackson stood across the ring from Masatora Yasuda and Taisei Nakaha, and let’s be real about the optics here. NJPW is trying to build depth, but booking a handicap match to squash talent doesn't accomplish anything other than making the mid-card look like a revolving door. Fans tuning in expect the crisp, high-stakes technical clinics that usually define the G1 tournament path. Instead, they got a quick finish that felt hollow.

The G1 Climax is supposed to be the jewel in the crown

We are just a few weeks away from the tournament that literally determines who is worth a damn for the next twelve months. The G1 Climax is not a place for experimental booking or fluff. It is the proving ground where reputations are forged in sweat and stiff strikes. When the undercard feels this disjointed, it casts a shadow over the entire Road to G1 Climax 36 coverage we’ve been tracking since the announcement.

The current state of the promotion feels like they are throwing darts in the dark. While TNA might be busy collecting ex-WWE castoffs to fill their roster, New Japan has a different problem entirely. They have the talent, but the creative direction is stalling out. You cannot build anticipation for the most prestigious tournament in wrestling when the lead-up shows are essentially filler episodes of a soap opera.

Is this booking sustainable?

Don't get me wrong, I love a good showcase for an underdog, but there are better ways to get guys like Jackson over. If the goal is to make him look like a monster, let him run through a competitive tag match against veterans. Squash matches are fine for local indie circuits running a local armory, but this is New Japan. The expectations are held to a higher standard than almost anywhere else in the world.

We have to keep an eye on the upcoming shows to see if this is just a blip or a trend. If the booking continues to prioritize quick, lopsided outcomes over the long-form storytelling that made G1 legendary, we are in for a long summer. The company has a storied history of delivering elite caliber wrestling — check the data for yourself — but even the best promotions can hit a rough patch.

The G1 season is when the boys become men and the champions show their true colors. If management keeps handing out these filler segments, they are wasting a roster of legitimate killers. Fix it, or we are going to be having a much angrier conversation when the tournament actually kicks off next month. Nobody tunes into G1 season to watch a handicap match.