I assume that if you’re reading this comic, you probably follow some sort of wrestling news online, which means you’re at least vaguely aware that New Japan Pro Wrestling just held their annual G1 Climax tournament.

You SHOULD be aware that this year’s G1 Climax is widely considered to be the new best tournament of all time. It’s a round robin tournament with a block format, sort of like the World Cup if the World Cup only had 2 groups and everyone was pretending NOT to be hurt. Tomohiro Ishii elevated himself in the 2013 G1, resulting in capturing the NEVER Openweight Title in 2014 and having some high expectations for a repeat performance in the G1 Climax. He delivered.

He delivered with a separated shoulder.

ThisĀ  match against loveable loser Tomoaki Honma on July 26th, 2014, was where Ishii injured his shoulder, and you can actually see where it happens (it’s on the DDT that looks like a car crash). Ishii continues to wrestle the rest of the match as if he was completely fresh, and it’s jaw-dropping. Tomohiro Ishii is a wrestling robot.

This one isn’t a 30 minute epic like a lot of the matches I post, but it’s a fantastic sprint. Do you have a favourite match from the G1 that you want highlighted on the blog? Let me know!