Every so often, NJPW identifies its hottest prospects to lead its next generation. They are referred to as The Three Musketeers.
The term was coined for “The Great Muta” Keiji Muto, Masahiro Chono, and Shinya Hashimoto in the late 80s. Hiroshi Tanahashi, Katsuyori Shibata, and Shinsuke Nakamura were identified as the next Three Musketeers at the turn of the Millenium.
The first G1 Climax was designed to make stars of the original Three Musketeers.
This year, the latest crop of the Reiwa Three Musketeers – Shota Umino, Ren Narita, and Yota Tsuji – are all in the G1 Climax 34.
The G1 Climax begins on July 20, 2024 and culminates with the final on August 18, 2024. The winner of the tournament receives a IWGP World Heavyweight Championship shot at Wrestle Kingdom 19.
It wasn’t a good start to the G1 Climax 34. Umino lost to Callum Newman, Narita lost to Boltin Oleg and Tsuji lost to Konosuke Takeshita.
To truly live up to the name the Reiwa Three Musketeers must find success in the month-long tournament. Here’s why.
The Three Musketeers Arrive At The Inaugural G1 Climax
In the inaugural G1 Climax, Muto lived up to the hype by storming through Block A. Muto won with four points. Chono and Hashimoto wrestled a time-limit draw in the third match of Block B. This was a sign of things to come as they both finished B Block on five points.
A decider was called for with Chono advancing. In the final, Chono defeated Muto in a 29-minute epic in Tokyo. It was clear that these three men really would carry NJPW into the next generation.
Chono won three out of the first four G1 Climax events. The three men also fought over the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship. A heel turn by Chono in 1994 saw the end of the faction but they remained a regular fixture of the G1 Climax.
Muto entered the tournament as the IWGP Champion in 1995. He made the final and won. In 1998, The Three Musketeers prophecy came through when Hashimoto finally won the G1 Climax.
The tournament would continue to be synonymous with The Three Musketeers but it was Chono who earned the moniker Mr August. He won five out of the first 15 tournaments.
By the time of his final tournament win in 2005, there was a new Three Musketeers in NJPW.
Tanahashi Leads The New Three Musketeers
The G1 Climax in 2007 was the night Hiroshi Tanahashi became a star. Tanahashi and Nakamura had breezed through Block B finishing with six and seven points respectively.
Tanahashi’s semifinal win over Togi Makabe set up a final with the IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Yuji Nagata. Nagata had defeated Nakamura in the other semifinal.
The flashy and young Tanahashi was a contrast to Nagata’s no-nonsense approach. Tanahashi won a bloody match with his signature frog splash and was christened “The Ace”.
He paid homage to Muto in his victory speech honoring the lineage of The Three Musketeers.
Nakamura won the G1 Climax in 2011. This proved to be the missing gem for Nakamura who at that point had held the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship three times.
Shibata had many memorable moments in the G1 tournaments but is the only of the first six men to be labeled a Three Musketeer not to win the G1.
It was on the stage of the G1 Climax 2015 that Tanahashi and Nakamura competed in their final match. A whopping ten years after they’d met in the G1 Climax for the first time.
In 2018, now a veteran Tanahashi won the G1 Climax for the final time when he beat Kota Ibushi. Muto and Nakamura met in Muto’s final match in NOAH at the beginning of 2023.
Tanahashi failed in a G1 qualifier this year when he was defeated by Boltin Oleg. Oleg is certainly one to watch for this year’s G1.
Reiwa Three Musketeers
So what do Shota Umino, Ren Narita, and Yota Tsuji have to do to live up to The Three Musketeers’ name? Basically, all of the above.
Last year, Tsuji finished on seven points with Umino and Narita both on six. The increase in matches, last year, meant none of them made it to the playoffs.
All three are in Block B which means they have a healthy mix of established former champions and debutants to contend with.
To progress out of the Block they will have to finish on a better points total than IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Tetsuya Naito, Zack Sabre Jr, Great-O-Khan, SANADA, Shingo Takagi, Jeff Cobb, Hirooki Goto, Jake Lee, David Finlay, Yuya Uemura, Evil, Gabe Kidd, Konosuke Takeshita, Callum Newman, El Phantasmo, Henare and Oleg Boltin
Tsuji, Umino and Ren Narito
Tsuji won The New Japan Cup in the Spring and is hoping to be the first person in history to win the Summer G1 Climax in the same year.
Umino lost to Jon Moxley in a IWGP World Heavyweight Championship match at NJPW Strong Resurgence in May. A lot has been mentioned of his shoulder injury but Umino claims he’s at 100% and ready to win the G1 Climax. He didn’t look perfect in his opening loss to Newman.
Ren Narita has spent most of 2024 competing in tag team matches. He made it to the Quarter Finals of the New Japan Cup where he was defeated by eventual winner Tsuji. He scored a big win over Minoru Suzuki at Windy City Riot in April. His opening round lost to potential dark horse Boltin Oleg is nothing to be ashamed of, but Narita will want to pick up points soon.
.@OlegBoltin "Verdict"
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