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Welcome to the G1 Climax.
A personal opinion that I hold is that any self-respecting puroresu promotion should be able to hold a round robin tournament with consistent match quality. The booking of these tournaments is key, but the reason so many tune in specifically for a tournament like the G1 Climax is incredible matches. High work-rate classics that earn the extra half star from Dave Meltzer. This is a crucial time for any puroresu promotion as they throw the bulk of their talent into the meat grinder that is a round robin tournament in Japan. Unlike American TV where matches can take place with a week or more of separation, tournaments like the G1 Climax, Champion Carnival, and N1 Victory require a toughness and grit that no other task in the industry requires. Whoever wins the whole thing was decided weeks ago, so now its time to go out in the ring and put on a show for four weeks.
The 2023 G1 Climax, or the thirty-third G1 Climax wasn’t bad. It fell short for a lot of people due to that aforementioned lack of consistency. With so many nights and so many participants in so many blocks, there was bound to be an increase in mediocre or dull output. Not every G1 can be like 2016 or 2017, but there does have to be some level of quality control considering the prestige of the tournament. That brings fans to 2024 for the thirty-fourth G1 where NJPW has returned to the traditional two-block format with ten participants per block. Left out of these blocks were talents typically known for the least exciting moments of recent G1 Climaxes. The G.O.D. of old, Tanga Loa and Tama Tonga, have found their way into WWE while members of Bullet Club, KENTA, Chase Owens, and Yujiro Takahashi are on the outside looking in after a two-week qualifying tournament for the tenth spot of each respective block. Even aging veterans like Hiroshi Tanahashi, Tomohiro Ishii, YOSHI-HASHI, Taichi, and the man known for the “day off,” Toru Yano will be in undercard tags or AEW Dynamite openers in the case of Ishii.
There is significance to reflect on when it comes to those veterans being pushed out of a tournament they’ve long been staples of, but that reflection is for a different time. The time now is the time of the young star. For NJPW, it’s time to establish real prestige in the G1 Climax after an uninspired, confusing first half of the year.
A key to analyzing any tournament in any promotion is making note of any and all champions. Oftentimes, certain matchups between champions and competitors can give away future matches at big events, especially in the case of NJPW who typically book the entire second half of their year via results of this summer tournament.
A Block Participants:
Tetsuya Naito (10th IWGP World Heavyweight Champion)
After defeating the ninth champion, Jon Moxley, at AEW and NJPW’s annual “Forbidden Door,” event, Naito enters the G1 as the holder of the company’s top prize for the second time in his career with a previous entry during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. Being the champion, there is no chance Tetsuya Naito wins the G1 for the second consecutive time. It has to be mentioned every year but the only two wrestlers to ever win the G1 Climax while holding New Japan’s top prize were Keiji Muto in 1995 and Kensuke Sasaki in 2000. Nothing is ever impossible in pro-wrestling, but NJPW has far too many stars in need of a giant push like a G1 win to settle for an odd Naito victory in which he chooses his Tokyo Dome opponent. It’s generally difficult to discuss the champion in these tournaments given that they never win, but Naito’s declining physical state does offer some conversation. It was less than a year ago that he had two all-time matches with Will Ospreay and Kazuchika Okada in the G1 Climax semi-final and final, but Ospreay and Okada are long gone. Left in the wake are foreigners like Zack Sabre Jr. and Gabe Kidd and young talent in need of a rub like Shota Umino. Whether Naito can put on phenomenal matches with any of these competitors along with a talent like Los Ingobernables de Japon stablemate Shingo Takagi will be a true test for whether the ungovernable one of old is truly lost.
Jake Lee
Writing about Lee’s participation in this tournament a week ago might sound a touch different than it does now. As of a week ago, he was a staple in NOAH’s main event scene. Now, after NOAH’s Destination 2024 in the Nippon Budokan, he appears to be staying in New Japan for perhaps longer than anticipated. Lee announcing the disbandment of his stable, Good Looking Guys, the same night he was announced for G1 was a dead giveaway that something interesting was brewing, but an angle where Bullet Club manager and NJPW head of creative, Gedo, walked out to convince Lee to leave NOAH was not what I, or most, expected. Jake saying, “Goodbye NOAH,” on his way out could be a number of things. It’s possible certain podcasts or outlets may have a scoop on what’s going on here but it’s safe to presume this could be an angle to explain his absence during G1. The man has made it no secret he’d like to compete for puroresu’s top promotion, though, and that may very well be what this is as well. It’s something where anyone who watches has to throw their hands up and see what happens.
As for his potential in the Grade 1 Climax, he should do okay. That’s all I can truly come up with to say because his appearance as an outsider doesn’t appear to have a lot of stakes anymore. As seen with Kaito Kiyomiya’s appearances in NJPW, status in NOAH seems to have no effect on current New Japan kayfabe, but Lee also might not be returning to the NOAH main event scene now. If I put my best guess down, he gets solid wins over legitimate opponents like SANADA, EVIL, Shingo Takagi, and Tetsuya Naito in their rematch after the UJPW All Together Sapporo show from June.
Gabe Kidd (7th NJPW STRONG Openweight Champion)
Gabe Kidd won his openweight championship in May at NJPW’s STRONG RESURGENCE show in Ontario, California, defeating Eddie Kingston in a No Ropes Last Man Standing match. Two months later, he has succesfully defended the title once against Ultimo Guerrero at NJPW’s FantasticaMania U.S. show in San Jose, California. In a ten point plan outlined by NJPW President Hiroshi Tanahashi, it was stated that these STRONG titles would only be defended in the United States which seemingly implies they have little bearing on the domestic product in Japan. Unfortunately for Kidd, the belt is doubtful to be treated the same as HENARE’s openweight title.
Some of these competitors have pretty clear paths to the end of the G1, but Kidd’s is something of a mystery. After going 2–4–1 in his first G1 last year, he has received a huge push from the company with signature placements on cards, strong involvement in the Bullet Club vs. United Empire feud from February, and now a STRONG belt he’ll like rack up days with as NJPW only visits the U.S. every handful of months. Most of his peers in A Block have a higher status than he does, but most of them also don’t hold a title like he does. It would not surprise me if Kidd finished with a near .500 win percentage, but huge victories over Jake Lee and Shingo Takagi to keep him believable in the mid-card.
SANADA
What is there to say about SANADA that hasn’t been said by the greater puro intellegentsia? After a title reign considered to be an overwhelming failure by most western viewers of NJPW, SANADA has been in and out of New Japan lineups with injury as of late. Only recently did he make his return to face David Finlay for the IWGP Global Heavyweight championship on night one of New Japan’s Soul tour in late June. SANADA lost this match in a little over twenty-five minutes and now his direction and standing in the company is an enigma.
He might be just another guy again, and by being that regular guy he now serves a purpose of putting over young talent as a former IWGP World Heavyweight champion.
Most matches for SANADA going forward will likely feature some version of the sentence, “the former world champion has lost to ___,”. It’s not a bad purpose to have at this stage of his career, but he’s also allegedly the leader of a faction and getting the occasional big title shot doesn’t make that seem any less silly considering his output in the last year. Time and time again it must be said that SANADA is not a bad wrestler; he’s a very good one. However, he inspires no real emotion and he hasn’t since he came into the company. Even with a new look, new gimmick, and new dynamic, he’s still SANADA. It’s unlikely he finishes in the top three of this block considering the plethora of talent alongside him, but he’s typically booked strong enough to convince an audience that he can still challenge for the top belt if they need him to.
Shingo Takagi
It appears that a sizeable number of fans expect Shingo Takagi to perform well this year, but I’m not sure I see it. It’s possible he ends up in the top three and taking the place of a Shota Umino or Jake Lee, but the company seems to have too much obligation to pushing younger talent and protecting their new stars to allow Shingo into this group. Looking at his matchups, I think some fans may be disappointed when he finishes with a losing record or generally around 5–4. What fans might need to accept is that Takagi’s time was four years ago and it’s over now. That’s wasted potential by the company, sure, but once New Japan locks you in your box, it’s hard to get out. His box is the same box Taichi and Tomohiro Ishii have had exemplary performances in: gatekeeper for the heavyweights and seasonal world title challenger. It would not shock me if the fall matchup for Naito is Takagi in a situation where he comes away with a victory on night one. It also wouldn’t surprise me if he comes into his final matchups with Jake Lee and EVIL with a loss to Naito and a middling record only for the dastardly heels to stop him from making it to the knockout stage. My bets are on the latter.
EVIL
The time of darkness might finally be over. In the aforementioned ten point plan proposed by NJPW President Hiroshi Tanahashi, he commented on fan’s dissatisfaction with the House of Torture gimmick of interference and cheap, heel shenanigans. This doesn’t completely imply he won’t be booked as a strong competitor outside of tournament seasons, but his days as a legitimate player in these tournaments may be gone. He’s been relegated to the same role as any other bottom-wrung player: spoiler. He’ll take a handful of comedic or quick losses to the cream of the crop and then spoil your favorite’s path to victory (i.e. Shingo Takagi). Not a lot of his matches are obviously wins or losses as EVIL’s always been a character where you book the gimmick strong when you need a story. No stories stick out here besides the ongoing feud of Shota Umino vs. House of Torture.
It’s incredibly difficult to talk about the 2024 versions of these respective entities without bringing them up in the same breath. Umino has been feuding with the likes of Ren Narita and EVIL since the end of World Tag League in December of 2023. This includes a win over Narita in Korakuen Hall and a devastating loss to EVIL in a NEVER Openweight bout on The New Beginning tour. Hontai vs. House of Torture is not the most original feud the company has ever booked, but Umino in specific has demons he needs to rid himself of in relation to the House. EVIL’s last match of the G1 is Shooter, which screams a situation where Umino needs one last win to push through to the playoffs and finally gets it over a longtime rival in the King of Darkness.
Great-O-Khan (16th Provisional King of Pro-Wrestling Champion) & Callum Newman
The United Empire may begin to fall. For the Great-O-Khan, the 34th G1 is likely his last chance for many fans. It’s reasonable that many have already given up on the man, but in a block loaded with so much talent, there remain no more excuses for O-Khan. Losses will come en masse for both Newman and O-Khan, but this is more of a proving ground run for both. For O-Khan, he has to hang with the top players in the company and finally commit to a baseline level of work-rate. For Newman, he has to simply perform like he belongs in the tournament. It took genuine guts for NJPW to push him and Oleg Boltin through at this point in their young careers, but if anything will show who they truly are as workers, it’s the Grade 1 Climax.
There is story to be told between these two as the fall of the United Empire continues. Stablemate TJP has been waving the flag as the self-proclaimed captain of the faction with nothing to really show for it. An appearance in the Best of the Super Junior semi-final and pin over Taichi are fun, but they aren’t necessarily standards set by a faction leader. If Newman is being groomed to be the next leader of this group or a possible offshoot of it, a win over O-Khan or even finishing with a better record than him could result in interesting story dynamics between the two where neither TJP or Great-O-Khan can show results as alleged leader of the empire. Where this story actually goes is completely up in the air as NJPW has shown no need to crown a new leader or push a specific member more than the others. Most of them hold some sort of title, but nothing necessarily distinguishes them in the pecking order. More than likely, O-Khan plays spoiler for someone like Gabe Kidd and then is thrust into a KOPW program against SANADA or EVIL in the fall.
Shota Umino & Zack Sabre Jr.
I feel these two are somewhat intertwined as they feel like the surefire candidates for the top three alongside Tetsuya Naito. Naito won’t be winning this tournament and if anyone does out of A Block, it has to be one of these two players. Shota Umino has gone as far as to claim himself the new ace of New Japan Pro-Wrestling and Sabre Jr. has declared this the “summer of Sabre,”. Both have clear paths to the playoffs with probable key wins over the bottom-feeders and every other major player. My personal opinion is Zack Sabre Jr. is going to run through his block with ease, securing the bye, and setting up a match with either Shota Umino or Tetsuya Naito in the semi-final. Umino might have a bit rockier of a road to that destination. If anything, I expect him to be the ‘loses big, wins bigger’ candidate where he starts slow and squeezes his way in with a big win over EVIL. It wouldn’t shock me if we see Shooter take a loss to Callum Newman on night one only to finish his tournament with a five-win streak vs. Zack Sabre Jr., SANADA, Tetsuya Naito, Jake Lee, and the aforementioned EVIL.
There are other members of this block deserving of a push or, simply, credit, but one of these two have to be in the final for this tournament to be a success. On one hand, if Zack Sabre Jr. is going to have his defining moment in New Japan, the time is now. One could argue none of the Reiwa Musketeers or Yuya Uemura are ready for a world title push while Naito’s body continues to break down after a decade of giving his knees to the company. The perfect transition is finally pulling the trigger on NJPW’s top technician, allowing him to tear through challengers while you build a story of him against one of the upcoming talents. It’s hard to say if NJPW would allow Zack to headline the biggest event of their calendar year, but who else has the stature to stand across Naito on January 4th? All the viable options of old are either gone or past their prime to the point where it wouldn’t make sense. If the booking committee has even the slightest hesitation around elevating Shota Umino or Yota Tsuji to the main event of the Tokyo Dome, you have an infallible, world-class talent waiting in the wings to fill that spot.
My Projected Ranking:
Zack Sabre Jr. – 16 pts
Tetsuya Naito – 12 pts
Shota Umino – 12 pts
Shingo Takagi – 10 pts
Jake Lee – 10 pts
SANADA – 8 pts
Gabe Kidd – 8 pts
EVIL – 6 pts
Callum Newman – 6 pts
Great-O-Khan – 4 pts
This summer feels more vital for NJPW than any season that comes to mind from the past five years. The rebuild of New Japan may be long, and they’re unlikely to lead the new generation of puroresu superstars as long as they stay gun-shy with their young talent. However, for the first time in over a year, New Japan Pro-Wrestling feels must-watch. If you are a pro-wrestling fan, you cannot miss this G1. The A Block is loaded with top names and former world champions, but the B Block may be even more fascinating.
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