So far with 2017′s G1 Climax one big takeaway is people going, ‘This is my introduction to Yuji Nagata and I’m loving it!’. It’s always nice when someone with a 20+ year career is getting new fans. I don’t think Yuji Nagata or Paul McCartney or Shigeru Miyamoto would be mad that they have fans younger than their career starting to enjoy them. So, because Yuji Nagata has so many new fans I thought I’d highlight one of his highest profile matches.

The 2001 G1 Climax Finals!

Tournament format :

This years G1 had 2 6 man blocks. The top 2 scorers of each block going onto a semifinal #1 from Block A vs #2 of Block B and vice versa. With point values being the same 2 for a win, 1 for a draw and 0 for a loss.

Yuji Nagata vs Keiji Mutoh (Link for those with NJPW World)

Who’s who?

Yuji Nagata has the nickname Blue Justice which of course in reference to his blue trunks and boots.

At this point Yuji Nagata had mostly been a tag team player for NJPW. Having won the IWGP Tag straps with Manabu Nakanishi in 1999 and having won the G1 Tag League with Takashi Iizuka in 2000.

He briefly was in WCW from February 1997 to August of 1998.

Despite his short stint he garnered a North American following after feuding with other Japanese talent Ultimo Dragon and teaming with Kensuke Sasaki to win a WCW tag team tournament that garnered them the #1 contendership though they would fail to win vs the champions.

Keiji Mutoh is wearing black here and has his head bald, a trademark look for him. Keiji Mutoh was the have to Nagata’s have nots at this point in their careers. To be fair Mutoh was 5 years older, but also got more exposure. He too is a tag team expert winning the G1 Tag league an astonishing 5 times(93-94 and 97-99), Mutoh had also already held the IWGP Heavyweight Championship 3 times at the time of this fight and the IWGP Tag belts 5 times

Strangely enough at the time of this match Keiji Mutoh was already holding the AJPW Triple Crown Championship which he had one the first time ever in June 2 months earlier and was still holding. holding it. Mutoh was working with AJPW for the first time, having worked all the 90′s exclusively with NJPW/WCW. 2001 was the last year of Mutoh’s career where he would work more in NJPW than AJPW which became his home for the post 2000′s part of his career though he has even left AJPW in the dust these last 5 years where he has made his comebacks for Wrestle-1.

How’s the match?

Good though some people, in fact many people would probably agree that many of this years G1 Tournament matches have been better. I think one thing that slows down this match is the heavy use of submissions. It’s fine, but it has me wanting more grappling and striking. It’s kinda like another extreme to the G1 Hype Train #1 match I covered between Hashimoto Shinya vs Genichiro Tenryu where that bout is nothing but striking, this at times feel like nothing, but submissions.

I’d say this match has more varied offense, but it’s as fun or energetic as the striking about from 1998. Though to be fair that 1998 match isn’t the finals, which were a little more tame.

Still, it’s fun to see these two legends duke it out and most if it is pretty smooth. Sadly, the finish of the match feels a little shaky with Mutoh and Nagata throwing heavy strikes, but about half look like they completely whiff. Some stuff here is great though like Nagata countering out of Mutoh’s leg lock or Mutoh blasting Nagata in the head with a Shining Wizard.

This is also obviously a big moment in Yuji Nagata’s career. It was his biggest match up to this point and some may argue the biggest match of his career still. An epic confrontation 16 years ago that cemented Nagata as a cornerstone of NJPW to this day.



