This year marks the 25th edition of New Japan Pro Wrestling’s G1 (Grade One) Climax Tournament, which promises to be both the longest, going nearly a month from July 20 to August 16, and also the most accessible G1 Climax tournament ever. Each night of the G1 will be aired live over New Japan’s online streaming service NJPW World, which is very similar to the WWE Network.
The G1 began in 1991 as an eight man tournament won by Masahiro Chono. The tournament did have several predecessors such as the World League from 1974-1977, the MSG League, which ran from 1978-1982, with the final tournament winner being Andre The Giant. It would then become the IWGP League from 1983-1988, which featured a win in its first year by Hulk Hogan and another in 1985 by Andre The Giant. One of the main reasons the G1 was established was because New Japan founder, Antonio Inoki, basically had a stranglehold on the previous tournaments, winning a total of 10 out of the 16 possible tournaments in that span. So, with Inoki gone and the need to establish a new legacy abundantly clear, the G1 Climax was born.
Historically, the G1 is the second most important event in the NJPW calendar after the January 4 Tokyo Dome Show, (named Wrestle Kingdom since 2007.) The tournament is all about establishing new heavyweight stars and has taken on many forms in order to accomplish that feat. It also earned the winner an International Wrestling Grand Prix Heavyweight title-shot, (which is the world championship of NJPW,) in some form or another.The first G1 Climax featured eight men separated into two blocks of four, which is more akin to the current format. However, the G1 has also seen its fair share of single-elimination versions, as well as one tournament that featured four blocks of five. There have also been changes in the number of participants over the years, from eight to 16 and even as high as 22 last year.
The G1 is also unique because unlike many tournaments which are usually held to name challengers, the G1 also includes the current IWGP Heavyweight Champion. There have been years where the champion has not participated, but except in those four cases, the current champion usually plays a major part. In fact, the current champion has reached the G1 Climax final five times, with Keiji Mutoh (a.k.a. The Great Muta) and Kensuke Sasaki actually winning the entire tournament. Before going into the details of the current G1 Climax, I wanted to add in one more historical note. Although Hogan and Andre won predecessor tournaments to the G1, no Gajin (foreigner or non-Japanese wrestler) has ever won the tournament. In fact, Rick Rude (1992) and Karl Anderson (2012) are the only two Gajins to ever make the Final. There have been many that have participated though including: Vader, Bam Bam Bigelow, Ric Flair, Scott Norton, Steven Regal, MVP, Giant Bernard, Prince Devitt (a.k.a. Finn Balor) and others.
This year’s G1 features 20 wrestlers (5 of them being Gajins) separated into two blocks of 10 men. Each win equals 2 points, a draw equals 1 point, and a loss gets no points. The tournament will be contested all over Japan in 19 days in 14 different cities. Since 2012, the winner receives a briefcase with a Wrestle Kingdom IWGP Heavyweight Championship opportunity. The winner must defend the briefcase in singles matches against anyone that defeats him in this tournament. This year’s format is much different than in the past. Previously, every night of the tournament featured all G1 matches. The 2015 version has four preliminary non-G1 tournament matches, an intermission, and then only five G1 matches, which are separated by the blocks. So, each night features all A Block matches or all B Block matches.
A Block Participants: AJ Styles (2nd consecutive appearance), Bad Luck Fale (2nd consecutive appearance), Doc Gallows (IWGP Tag Team Champion, 2nd consecutive appearance) (All Bullet Club), Kota Ibushi (2015 New Japan Cup Winner, 2nd appearance), Toru Yano (CHAOS, 10th appearance), Togi Makabe (G1 Winner in 2009, NEVER Openweight Champion, GBH, 12th consecutive appearance), Hiroyoshi Tenzan (G1 Winner in 2003, 2004, & 2006, NWA World Champion, 20th appearance), Hiroshi Tanahashi (G1 Winner in 2007, 14th consecutive appearance), Katsuyori Shibata (3rd consecutive appearance), Tetsuya Naito (G1 Winner in 2013, 6th consecutive appearance, Los Ingobernables)
B Block Participants: Kazuchika Okada (Defending G1 Champion, also won in 2012, IWGP Heavyweight Champion, CHAOS, 4th consecutive appearance), Shinsuke Nakamura (G1 Winner in 2011, CHAOS, 12th appearance), Tomohiro Ishii (CHAOS, 3rd consecutive appearance), Karl Anderson (IWGP Tag Team Champion, Bullet Club, 6th consecutive appearance), Yujiro Takahashi (Bullet Club, 6th consecutive appearance), Tomoaki Honma (GBH, 2nd consecutive appearance), Michael Elgin (ROH, first appearance), Satoshi Kojima (G1 Winner in 2010, 14th appearance), Yuji Nagata (G1 Winner in 2001, 17th consecutive appearance), Hirooki Goto (G1 Winner in 2008, IWGP Intercontinental Champion, 8th consecutive appearance)
G1 Climax 25 Night One Review
Location: Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan inside the Hokkaido Prefectural Sports Center
Match 1: 8-Man Tag Team Match: Yohei Komatsu (Young Lion), Jushin Thunder Liger, Tiger Mask IV & “Blue Justice” Yuji Nagata vs. Jay White (Young Lion), David Finlay (Young Lion), Mascara Dorada (CMLL World Welterweight Champion), & Tomoaki Honma
Winners: Yohei Komatsu, Jushin Liger, Tiger Mask IV, & Yuji Nagata (After Nagata Hit the Backdrop Suplex Pin on David Finlay) 10 minutes and 40 seconds
I don’t understand all the people that are upset that every night isn’t just an orgasm of 10 G1 matches. The current setup is much healthier for the wrestlers and allows the matches themselves more time to breathe as well. This is my first time really keeping up with the tournament, but I tried watching some of last year’s events and I started getting tired and falling asleep around the fourth match each time. More power to everyone that can sit through that, but having these tag matches really add a sense of “calm before the storm.” The best part about them, is they can be used to build up the next night of G1 matches. For instance, this tag match focused heavily on the interactions between Yuji Nagata and Tomoaki Honma since they are facing off in three days’ time. They had some staredowns, Honma knocked Nagata off the apron, just little things to let you know they are serious about the match happening.
The nice thing is they also didn’t have to necessarily be in the match itself to have these interactions, which allowed others to shine. Although, I love Honma so I would be fine if he wrestled the whole match. Mascara Dorada and Jushin Liger had a nice exchange with Dorada hitting his rope walk Dropkick and a HUGE dive out to floor on Liger. Liger returned the favor with a Tilt-A-Whirl Backbreaker and a Surfboard submission. Tiger Mask and David Finlay hit a few things, but the other star in the match was Jay White. He’s getting better every time I see him and he’s getting good at making things very smooth when he’s in there. Ultimately, you do get Honma’s deadlift Suplex spot and he hits a Kokeshi on Nagata as well to further setup their future G1 match. Nagata’s Belly to Belly Suplex on Finlay was pretty wicked to boot. I thought everyone worked hard, played their role well, did some pretty fun stuff, and you could even tell the Japanese announcers were excited about Liger being on the NXT Takeover special. They mentioned it about four or five times during the match. Great choice for an opener. ***
Match 2: Tag Team Match: Hirooki Goto (IWGP Intercontinental Champion) & Captain New Japan vs. Cody Hall & Yujiro Takahashi (Both Bullet Club)
Winners: Hirooki Goto & Captain New Japan (After getting simultaneous roll-ups on both men) 9 minutes and 32 seconds
So, you have the Bullet Club D Team against your IWGP Intercontinental Champion and Captain New Japan, yeah… this is the meaning of awkward. Captain New Japan basically played face in peril for most of this, with both Hall and Takahashi just beating him up for the most part. Hall got to look strong here and continues to NAIL that Fallaway Slam and Discus Clothesline pretty well. Goto eventually comes in like a house of fire and even Lariats CNJ by accident. I liked the finish because it was different than the usual way these tag matches go down, but I really couldn’t get myself to care about the match. * ½ *
Match 3: Tag Team Match: Shinsuke Nakamura & YOSHI-HASHI (Both CHAOS) vs. Karl Anderson & Toma Tonga (Both Bullet Club)
Winners: Shinsuke Nakamura & YOSHI-HASHI (After Nakamura NAILS Toma Tonga with the Boma-Ye) 10 minutes and 27 seconds
This match was fun and once again helped add to the build of a future G1 match. I laughed at YOSHI-HASHI being taken to the ramp and whipped into chairs by Anderson. YOSHI-HASHI did get his usual comeback spot and the crowd was loving it. Nakamura and Anderson had a great Boma-Ye and Stun Gun counter exchange, which eventually led to a NASTY Spinebuster by Anderson. The finish was predictable, but Toma Tonga is really underrated and I hope one of these days he gets to do something in a singles capacity. All four guys worked hard, Nakamura got the win, but the best part was that it got you excited for the Nakamura vs. Anderson G1 match and that’s a plus. Also, I really wish New Japan would let Anderson be a singles guy again and drop Gallows. Anderson is so good by himself. ***
Match 4: 6-Man Tag Team Match: Kazuchika Okada (IWGP Heavyweight Champion), Gedo (NJPW Booker), Tomohiro Ishii (ALL CHAOS) vs. Ryusuke Taguchi, Satoshi Kojima, & Michael Elgin (ROH)
Winners: Kazuchika Okada, Gedo, & Tomohiro Ishii (After Okada NAILED Taguchi with the Rainmaker Clothesline) 12 minutes and 40 seconds
Michael Elgin’s first match in New Japan and he did all the things you want him to do. He did his spot where he does the stalling Suplex and Okada and Ishii kick him, but he no sells it and keeps holding Gedo up until he Suplexes him down. The Deadlift German on Ishii was great and the crowd made noise for it. The double Fallaway Slam and Samoan Drop was a little awkward, but it sold Elgin’s strength. He also exchanged blows with Ishii and Okada. Elgin meets Okada in his first G1 match and they had some words afterwards. Elgin and Ishii will meet later in the tournament and they seemed to have a rivalry going, as Ishii hit a delayed Suplex of his own on Kojima while glaring at Elgin. Kojima and Ishii also went at it because they have their first G1 match together as well. Ishii blocked the machine gun chops and just whacked Kojima really hard. Taguchi and Gedo provided the comedy, with Taguchi doing all his usual Ass related things. This did all the things you want a tag match to do, it had some nice spots, and everyone showed some fire. The best part is Elgin looked like he belonged. My goodness, Kojima and Ishii just kept going at it after the bell had rung as well. *** and ½ *
G1 25 Climax Matches: All A Block
Match 5: Hiroyoshi Tenzan (NWA World Champion & 3 Time G1 Winner) vs. Doc Gallows (Bullet Club)
Winner: Hiroyoshi Tenzan (After Making Gallows TAP OUT to the Anaconda Vice 9 minutes and 16 seconds
This was probably the worst choice for the opener of the G1. Tenzan usually turns it on for the G1, but the guy isn’t the greatest worker and so he has to have an opponent that matches him. Doc Gallows is not that person. Gallows tried a little more in this match, probably more than he did in the entire tournament last year. This was just really hard to watch or get into at all. Doc had a nice Sky High Bomb and the crowd was not happy about him choking Tenzan with the Gallows. I liked the finish with Tenzan hitting the Anaconda Buster and even though Gallows tried to counter, he kept it in and Gallows taps. Hopefully, we get better matches from Tenzan as the tournament continues. * and ½ *
Match 6: Toru Yano (CHAOS) vs. Togi Makabe (2009 G1 Winner, NEVER Openweight Champion)
Winner: Togi Makabe (After Hitting Yano with his Fireman’s Samoan Drop and the King Kong Knee Drop) 6 minutes and 25 seconds
People either hate Yano’s antics and immediately despise any match he’s in, or you understand what he’s doing and find him endearing. I generally enjoy what Yano does and I, along with the crowd, bit hard for the roll-up about five seconds into the match. Yano had a few more close nearfalls, one of them involving him using his chair. The other was a low blow and a Backslide with help from the referee, which was hilarious. Eventually Makabe had enough and put Yano down. It was fun while it lasted and didn’t try to do too much or overstay its welcome. ***
Match 7: Tetsuya Naito (2013 G1 Winner) vs. Bad Luck Fale (Bullet Club)
Winner: Tetsuya Naito (After Rolling up Bad Luck Fale) 10 minutes and 40 seconds
Good lord, Naito making his entrance with a skull mask and in a suit was beyond wonderful. Naito is really taking to this new heel gimmick after being in CMLL with Los Ingobernables. Fale was not happy with Naito’s attitude and cleaned house with Naito on the outside. He literally throws him into a row of chairs and Naito responds by taking a 10 second nap on the chairs and gets back in at the count of 18. Naito does a few of his usual things like the corner dropkick, but he sort of just seems to want to let Fale expend his energy. Fale hits a nice Samoan Drop and Splash for a near fall. The crowd is obviously confused as well because they don’t want to cheer Fale, but they also know Naito is not being himself. So, the crowd kinda didn’t know what to do. The finish was weird because Fale almost drops Naito off the Bad Luck Fall counter and then Naito has to Enziguri Fale and then do his roll-up pin he’s been using from his time in Mexico. I love the Naito heel stuff, but I feel like it doesn’t quite work with another heel, especially one that is universally despised like Fale. ** and ½ *
Match 8: AJ Styles (Bullet Club) vs. Katsuyori Shibata
Winner: AJ Styles (After Hitting Bloody Sunday and Styles Clash) 13 minutes and 35 seconds
I should note, Shibata has his right arm heavily bandaged from his elbow all the way down to his forearm. So, it seems that the injury that kept him out of the New Japan ALIVE show was pretty significant. Shibata lays into AJ from the start, as the crowd is completely behind Shibata here. The first big spot is a freaking abdominal stretch believe it or not. As AJ tried for a submission of his own and Shibata just calmly switches and turns it into that abdominal stretch, which makes the crowd roar in approval that Shibata just made AJ look silly. Shibata at one point even kicks AJ over the barricade. The match turns on Shibata kicking the steel pole on the outside and it gave AJ an opening to work on the leg. AJ does an Indian Deathlock and several other moves, until Shibata starts no selling Forearms and the crowd starts really getting into it here. Shibata gets his basement Dropkick in the corner and Necklock Suplex. AJ then counters with a Suplex into the middle turnbuckle and then applies the Calf Killer for an extended period, but Shibata makes the ropes. The finishing sequence was pretty great with Shibata putting AJ into an extended Sleeper hold, even biting his hand to keep the hold on, which was awesome! Shibata eventually lowers AJ into position for the Penalty Kick, but AJ moves and counters with a Pele, Bloody Sunday, and Styles Clash to put Shibata away. This was probably shorter than I expected, but it was still a great match, with some nice storytelling and both guys looked strong, especially Styles who looked immensely impressive. ****
Match 9: MAIN EVENT: Hiroshi Tanahashi (2007 G1 Winner) vs. Kota Ibushi (2015 New Japan Cup Winner)
Winner: Hiroshi Tanahashi (After Hitting a Dragon Suplex and then High Fly Flow) 20 minutes and 55 seconds
In many ways, Kota Ibushi is a much younger version of Hiroshi Tanahashi. Both men are the two leaders in bringing women to the building. I have no idea how New Japan measures that, but apparently it is a thing. Kota Ibushi really could battle it out with Okada to be the “Ace of New Japan.” However, in order to do that, Ibushi would have to get a big win over Tanahashi.
This was all about how Tanahashi studied his opponent and changed his style to be able to counterattack Ibushi’s kicks and high flying antics. Tanahashi capitalized on every opportunity he was given when to work on Ibushi’s leg during this match. So many Dragon Screws in this match from Tana, including quite a few with Ibushi on the apron and Tana in the ring using the ropes to twist Ibushi’s leg even more. Tanahashi also got in a Texas Cloverleaf after he had countered another one of Ibushi’s kicks. Ibushi did get to hit some great spots with his patented Springboard Moonsault to the outside, his standing Corkscrew Splash, and a Springboard Dropkick that felt like Ibushi just hung in the air for a while. But Tanahashi constantly going back to the leg played an integral part in all of the big spots in the match. Ibushi could never get a direct kick on Tana to avoid the Slingblade, and even though Ibushi got his knees up to block a High Fly Flow, it took a lot out of him to do it.
The match hit another level of emotion when Ibushi did a move he’s done several times before, the Dragon Suplex from the apron into the ring, which is ridiculously amazing every time he does it. He also dangerously launched Tanahashi’s neck into the second turnbuckle like a dart. But then Ibushi got overconfident missed the Phoenix Splash, he actually really botched a Springboard Rana, but that would be it. Tana eventually would block the second Pele kick to lead into the finish, but from beginning to end, the working of the leg played a factor and it was something that added so much to the match. Great work from both guys and people complain about Tanahashi doing a feud with Yano for half the year. It is so on nights like these, he can work a first time match with Ibushi and it can be absolutely fantastic. **** ½ *
FINAL RATING: 6.0: If you are interested in only watching the G1 Climax matches, skip past the first three and go right to the AJ vs. Shibata match and also make sure you watch the main event. However, my rating is for a lot of the fun tag matches that helped add emotion to future G1 matches and also eased us into the night. Now there is build for all five G1 matches happening in three days, (except I still don’t care to see Yujiro wrestle.) I feel like this is more than just a two match show, but many people will probably feel otherwise.
Photo by Tapla on Tumblr
