One of professional wrestling's most prestigious tournaments, the G1 Climax, begins its 36th edition on Saturday at the NOW Arena in Chicago, marking only the second time the event has started in the United States. The month-long competition, organized by New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), brings together 20 top wrestlers divided into two blocks for a league-style tournament where the winner earns a future shot at the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship at Wrestle Kingdom in January.
Rocky Romero, a former wrestler and current NJPW ambassador, described the tournament's significance in a recent interview. «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 said. He emphasized the grueling schedule and high caliber of competition, noting that the tournament has featured legendary figures since its inception in 1991, including Masahiro Chono, Scott Norton, and Steve Austin.
The tournament structure awards two points for a win, one point for a draw, and zero points for a loss or no contest. Double count-outs and double disqualifications are ruled as draws. Block A includes last year's winner Konosuke Takeshita, Hirooki Goto, Boltin Oleg, Yota Tsuji, Shingo Takagi, Jake Lee, Sanada, Great-O-Khan, Yuto-Ice, and Ryohei Oiwa. Block B features Shota Umino, Yuya Uemura, Drilla Maloney, Zack Sabre Jr., Callum Newman, Ren Narita, Gabe Kidd, Henare, Aaron Wolf, and Oskar.
Romero highlighted several wrestlers to watch, including Yota Tsuji and Konosuke Takeshita as likely favorites. «You never know. Like Yota Tsuji definitely is top dog I think this year. Then, you have Konosuke Takeshita as well, who not only won last year, but he's really been one of the best wrestlers on the planet for the last couple years,» Romero said. He also pointed to Zack Sabre Jr., calling him «one of the best tournament wrestlers of all time,» and Aaron Wolf, an Olympic gold medalist judoka making his first major challenge in this format.
Romero recalled a notable story about Jon Moxley's participation in the 2019 G1 Climax shortly after leaving WWE. When Romero reached out to Moxley about joining the tournament, Moxley initially hesitated due to the demanding 30-day schedule. «There was hesitation there, and he was like, 'Well, I don't know.' That's like the first thing coming out of WWE,» Romero said. After a brief conversation with his wife, Renee Paquette, Moxley called back immediately to accept. «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. It's the stuff that makes legends,» Romero added.
Another wrestler generating interest is Callum Newman, a 23-year-old Englishman and leader of the United Empire faction. Newman made headlines earlier this year by capturing the IWGP Heavyweight Championship, though he later lost it back to Yota Tsuji. Romero expressed confidence in Newman's potential, noting that he is a protege of Will Ospreay. «If he can manage to reach the heights that Ospreay has done, I mean, Ospreay never won a G1 — maybe Callum can,» Romero said.
The decision to start the G1 Climax in the United States for only the second time underscores NJPW's efforts to expand its international reach. The first U.S. start occurred in 2019 in Dallas. Romero said the move makes the tournament truly global. «New Japan is by far the biggest professional wrestling company in Asia, but to be able to come over to the U.S. and have 4,000, 5,000 fans in attendance really puts us on the map,» he said.
The tournament runs for four weeks, with matches scheduled across multiple venues. The winner will be crowned after the block stage and subsequent playoff rounds, earning a title shot at NJPW's biggest annual event, Wrestle Kingdom, in January. Fans can expect intense competition as wrestlers vie for the opportunity to cement their legacy in one of wrestling's most demanding tournaments.
