The 35th edition of the G1 Climax kicks off Saturday and will draw eyes to New Japan Pro Wrestling over the next month.
It’s the yearly checkup appointment on the strength and health of NJPW as it battles the aging out of past legends, its never-ending formula seeking to find its next star, and competing in a digital environment where high-end wrestling is churned out weekly.
The company was hit harder than anyone during the pandemic of 2020, immediately after the success of a two-night Wrestle Kingdom at the Tokyo Dome and the coronation of Tetsuya Naito. It went to extreme lengths of caution throughout the COVID-19 scare and struggled to build itself up. It was accentuated by AEW gaining further momentum in the market, and despite a partnership, many of New Japan’s marquee stars have left for the U.S., including Kazuchika Okada and Will Ospreay.
The G1 was a firmly established experiment in its first outing in 1991 and was constructed around Masahiro Chono as “Mr. August” in the developing years of the concept. What started as a five-day affair has now exploded into a month-long tour with a near-impossible bar being set over the last decade for match quality, and its top performers putting forth nine big matches in a short period.
Beginning in 2013, the G1 became accessible to a worldwide audience through Ustream, where one could obtain the “early bird” purchase price of $110 if one bought the tour in advance. Today, every G1 match comes with a New Japan World subscription and has been in the case for the last decade.
The G1 rose in prominence through the glory era of Hiroshi Tanahashi, Kazuchika Okada, Minoru Suzuki, Tetsuya Naito, Kota Ibushi, Tomohiro Ishii, AJ Styles, Kenny Omega, Hirooki Goto, Katsuyori Shibata, and others, where the quality was through the roof.
From 2014 – 2019, it was the gold standard both from the in-ring work and expanding its base to the degree that it was able to book Budokan Hall for the final nights.
While still a big part of the New Japan calendar, attendance figures have waned. Two years ago, the tour drew 53,277 (average of 2,804 per show) over nineteen shows, and last year, down to 48,683 (2,562 per show) across the tour.
Due to multiple arena issues, including no events at the Dolphins Arena in Nagoya or Edion Arena in Osaka, this year’s tour will not be a direct comparison to past years, but will still indicate how well this field translates.
The “Ace” up their sleeve is Hiroshi Tanahashi’s pending retirement and final G1 tournament after winning three in the past, and debuting in the G1 twenty-three years ago. It’s augmented by the removal of Tetsuya Naito, who had opted to take a freelance position, and no outsiders beyond the dual-contracted Konosuke Takeshita.
Other talent from last year’s G1 that are not returning include Hirooki Goto, Jeff Cobb, Henare, and Jake Lee. Stepping in for 2025 are Drilla Moloney and Ryohei Oiwa, making their debuts, and the return of Taichi and YOSHI-HASHI.
A BLOCK
– Hiroshi Tanahashi
– Taichi
– Yuya Uemura
– Oleg Boltin
– Yota Tsuji
– Ryohei Oiwa
– Callum Newman
– David Finlay
– EVIL
– SANADA
B BLOCK
– Shota Umino
– El Phantasmo
– YOSHI-HASHI
– Shingo Takagi
– Zack Sabre Jr.
– Great O-Khan
– Gabe Kidd
– Drilla Moloney
– Ren Narita
– Konosuke Takeshita
Front and center will be the core group of Yota Tsuji, Yuya Uemura, Shota Umino, and Gabe Kidd as the possible pillars of New Japan for years to come, although in this modern landscape, that is far from guaranteed.
Booking-wise, so much has been geared toward Umino’s progression after failing to beat Zack Sabre Jr. at Wrestle Kingdom and wearing the shame of that loss, transforming his presentation, and having a rematch with the current IWGP champion during the round-robin stage on July 23. Despite a lukewarm reaction to his ascent, he is definitely a favorite to go far, if not win it outright.
Uemura’s G1 campaign in 2024 was cut short due to injury and is due for a major run in this year’s tourney. All eyes will be on his Dominion rematch with Hiroshi Tanahashi on August 1 to avenge that loss, and a high-profile main event position with Tsuji on July 22.
Tsuji is another favorite after going to the final last year, and losing to Zack Sabre Jr. In the post-Naito version of LIJ, Tsuji is in a position for a major escalation and is as strong an option as anyone else for that ascent.
Kidd could be the complete package after a breakout 2024 and being part of many people’s MOTY with Kenny Omega at Wrestle Dynasty in January. Like Takeshita, he is someone who could find himself balancing between Japan and the U.S., but that’s a reality New Japan must accept, as exclusivity is going to be a dealbreaker for talents staring at massive earning potential in North America.
Oleg Boltin entered last year’s G1 with a lot of question marks, and while not a finished product, he more than earned his keep last year and hopefully, improves on that performance as a strong .500 player in this year’s tournament, who could flirt with a playoff spot given the level he has graduated.
G1 rookies Drilla Moloney and Ryohei Oiwa, along with sophomore Callum Newman, will have a lot of opportunities to step up, and it’s an environment where the audience is craving someone to jump out of the pack and command that attention. Moloney’s trilogy with Tomohiro Ishii was the best possible transition to the heavyweight mix, and while he may not have a high quantitative win total, he could have some great qualitative performances.
The EVIL, SANADA, and Ren Narita trio are going to elicit a lot of groans if all three have patterned booking in the House of Torture style. Variety is fine in a marathon tournament, but the House of Torture tropes became lazy in record time, and the babyface finally overcoming the odds makes for a great moment, but it’s a hell of a cost for the fleeting return on investment.
While the performances will be graded and scrutinized, the G1 stands out with the booking and stories told within a four-week period. It’s always a referendum on Gedo and who he envisions as the talent to elevate and profile the strongest as the lead-up to January 4 begins. It’s a rebuilding period, and there is no “slam dunk” option for the star that will turn the business around and lead New Japan into the future. The seeds have been planted for Umino to become that option, but the jury is out, and fan reception has been mixed at best.
In four weeks, the hope is that the audience has a clear vision of the next six months and that several talents put forth a campaign to earn the game ball.
Here are the lineups for the first two nights of the G1 Climax:
Saturday, July 19, in Hokkaido at 4 a.m. ET
*A BLOCK: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Taichi
*B BLOCK: Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Ren Narita
*A BLOCK: Yota Tsuji vs. SANADA
*B BLOCK: Gabe Kidd vs. Konosuke Takeshita
*A BLOCK: Ryohei Oiwa vs. David Finlay
*B BLOCK: Shota Umino vs. El Phantasmo
*A BLOCK: Oleg Boltin vs. Yuya Uemura
*B BLOCK: Great O-Khan vs. Drilla Moloney
*A BLOCK: EVIL vs. Callum Newman
*B BLOCK: Shingo Takagi vs. YOSHI-HASHI
Sunday, July 20, in Hokkaido at 1 a.m. ET
*B BLOCK: Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Gabe Kidd
*A BLOCK: Taichi vs. Yuya Uemura
*B BLOCK: El Phantasmo vs. Konosuke Takeshita
*A BLOCK: EVIL vs. Yota Tsuji
*B BLOCK: Shingo Takagi vs. Great O-Khan
*A BLOCK: SANADA vs. David Finlay
*B BLOCK: YOSHI-HASHI vs. Ren Narita
*A BLOCK: Oleg Boltin vs. Ryohei Oiwa
*B BLOCK: Shota Umino vs. Drilla Moloney
*A BLOCK: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Callum Newman
POST Wrestling’s G1 Climax coverage begins Sunday on the POST Wrestling Café with a review of the first two shows
