G1 Climax Tournament Returns to US for Second Time
Prestigious international pro wrestling tournament begins – The prestigious international pro wrestling tournament is back in America for only the second time ever. Chicago will welcome the G1 Climax 36 to the NOW Arena this Saturday, bringing one of professional wrestling’s most celebrated competitions to American soil. This elite league-style event features New Japan Pro-Wrestling’s finest competitors, with the winner earning a shot at the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship at Wrestle Kingdom in January.
How the Competition Works
Running for four weeks, the tournament splits participants into two groups called Block A and Block B. Wrestlers earn two points for wins, one point for draws, and zero points for losses or no contests. Double count outs and double disqualifications both count as draws in this format.
Block A includes ten wrestlers led by last year’s champion Konosuke Takeshita. The rest of the roster features Hirooki Goto, Boltin Oleg, Yota Tsuji, Shingo Takagi, Jake Lee, Sanada, Great-O-Khan, Yuto-Ice, and Ryohei Oiwa. Block B also has ten competitors: Shota Umino, Yuya Uemura, Drilla Maloney, Zack Sabre Jr., Callum Newman, Ren Narita, Gabe Kidd, Henare, Aaron Wolf, and Oskar.
Why This Tournament Matters
Rocky Romero, New Japan’s ambassador, explained what makes this competition special. He noted that the league format creates something unique for the wrestlers involved.
I think that because it’s a league style, and it is, obviously, super physically demanding. This is the tournament that kind of makes you a legend, if you get the opportunity to be in it.
Romero emphasized the physical demands and the quality of competition. He pointed out that the event showcases New Japan’s top talent and has produced legends since 1991. Many famous names have competed over the decades.
This tournament kind of, like I said, creates legends in the end. It’s the most famous tournament. We’ve had people, you know, Masahiro Chono has been in it. Scott Norton. I mean, Steve Austin, I believe, has been in it. So, I mean, names that really mean something have been a part of this tournament since ’91, the inception of it.
Moxley’s G1 Story
Jon Moxley joined the tournament in 2019 after leaving WWE. Romero shared how he reached out to Moxley when he became a free agent, trying to convince him to compete despite the physical challenge.
There’s a famous story when Jon Moxley had left the WWE, and he had kind of reached out and said, ‘You know, I’d love to kind of do New Japan.’ And the first idea and the timing was like, well Mox, would you want to do the G1? There was hesitation there, and he was like, ‘Well, I don’t know.’
Romero explained that the tournament represents a 30-day tour and would be Moxley’s first experience in New Japan, throwing him into tough competition right away. After the call, Moxley talked with his wife Renee Paquette before calling back immediately to accept.
She’s like, ‘Well, what’s the what’s the problem?’ And he was like, ‘Yeah. I need to do the G1. This is this is crazy.’ Yeah, I don’t think he ever expected it. So, he called me back immediately and was like, I’m in, and then, you know, it ended up being one of the coolest things for Mox to leave WWE and then go straight into the G1, which was pretty crazy.
Who to Watch
Romero named several wrestlers as favorites for this year’s competition. He particularly highlighted Yota Tsuji and Konosuke Takeshita, whose match opens the Chicago event. Takeshita recently won both the tournament and the IWGP heavyweight championship.
Zack Sabre Jr. earned praise as one of the greatest competitors in tournament history. Aaron Wolf also stands out as an interesting contender. The Olympic gold medalist judoka faces what Romero called his first major challenge on this level, drawing attention from fans around the world.
The G1 Climax continues to maintain the high standards New Japan has built, keeping its place as one of the most respected competitions in professional wrestling worldwide.
