The 29th Annual G1 Climax continues on Saturday. The show will be the first round of the tournament’s B Block, so here’s a handy primer.
READ: G1 Climax 29 A Block Primer
WHAT IS THE G1 CLIMAX?
20 men are split into two blocks of 10, A Block & B Block. Everyone in A block wrestles everyone in A Block. Everyone in B Block wrestles everyone in B Block. A win is worth 2 points, a draw is worth 1 point, and a loss/double DQ is worth 0 points. The wrestlers with the most points in their block will advance to the finals on Aug. 12th. The winner of the final match receives the opportunity to main event Wrestle Kingdom, against the IWGP Heavyweight Champion.
WHO IS IN THE B BLOCK?
Here’s a brief breakdown of the wrestlers in this year’s B Block.
Tetsuya Naito- The odds-on favorite of B Block is the leader of Los Ingobernables de Japon, and the IWGP Intercontinental Heavyweight Champion, Tetsuya Naito. Naito is a two-time winner of the G1 Climax, having won the 2013 & 2017 tournaments. Both times that Naito won the tournament, he ended up being bested by the IWGP Heavyweight Champion at the Tokyo Dome. Both times the champion was current IWGP Heavyweight Champion Kazuchika Okada. With the belt currently around the waist of The Rainmaker again, Naito is going to be hungry to win this year’s tournament. He’s been outspoken about his desire to leave next year’s two-night Wrestle Kingdom as a double champion.
Jay White- The dark horse contender for B Block is “Switchblade” Jay White. This year’s tournament marks White’s second G1 Climax, and his last run through block competition is not to be sneezed at. In his first tournament, the fomer-IWGP Heavyweight Champion defeated Kazuchika Okada, Hiroshi Tanahashi, and even YOSHI-HASHI. White has made a claim to be the #1 Contender, saying that his inclusion in this year’s tournament is unfair. Expect the Bullet Club leader to use any and all shenanigans to win what he believes to already be his.
Tomohiro Ishii- The NEVER Openweight Champion is a true blue G1 Climax All Star. While he’s never even made the finals of the tournament, his matches are not to be missed. Every year he has more than one standout performance, and always brings out the best in his opponents. While some try to pace themselves, Ishii refuses to give up, leading to his G1 opponents needing every piece of their arsenal to defeat him. While he might not be in the conversation for possible tournament winners, his name will be all over the inevitable “Best Matches” lists from fans and media alike.
Juice Robinson- The Flamboyant Juice Robinson is having a breakout year. CJ Parker is officially dead, and now Robinson is ready to show us what many backstage have already known, Juice is a star. While not a favorite to win the tournament, he’ll have a money run through this year’s B Block. Expect him to come with fire and fury to avenge losing the IWGP United States Championship and take down Jon Moxley.
Jon Moxley- I know you know this guy, you’re reading an article on a wrestling news site in 2019. Google “Dean Ambrose.”
Taichi- Taichi is a wild card. Hugely popular in Japan, Taichi’s first G1 Climax could be a good one. The usually smug singer got emotional when he was announced for this year’s tournament. Taichi plays by nobody’s rules, except his own. He’s a loose cannon that will likely use any and all shenanigans to win. If Toru Yano is chaotic good, Taichi is chaotic evil…no, not EVIL, but the concept of evil itself, you know what never mind.
Toru Yano- Nobody doesn’t like Toru Yano, except for people that take life too seriously, and those people are not to be trusted. The B-Block star is the king of spoilers. Easily the most creative G1 Climax competitor in the history of the tournament, who makes liberal use of wrist tape to keep his opponents trapped on the outside.
Hirooki Goto- Much like Tomohiro Ishii, Goto is an absolute star during G1 Climax season. Unlike Tomohiro Ishii, he’s got the resume to back it up. He won the 2008 tournament, and made the finals in 2016. Goto will bring his opponents to their limit, and the crowd to their feet, much like he does every year. His name has been in the mouth of Jay White for months, with White claiming that Goto is simply not worthy of the tournament. Expect Goto to shut White up when they meet in Saturday’s main event.
Jeff Cobb- People have been clamoring to have Jeff Cobb in the G1 Climax for a while now. It’s me, I’m “people.” He made it clear in the G1 Climax press conference that he’s not here to simply replace G1 Climax stalwart Michael Elgin. Cobb said that he’s here to make his own mark on the tournament.
Shingo Takagi- Much has been said about Best of Super Junior winner Will Ospreay being in this year’s G1 Climax, but in doing so, it has been at the expense of Shingo Takagi’s entry into this prestigious tournament. A man who’s Junior Heavyweight status is questioned by many, Takagi is out to remind people why he was an unbeaten phenomenon until this past June. Mainly relegated to tag matches in his first year with Los Ingobernables de Japon, Takagi has been on a tear of Match of the Year candidates throughout 2019. If there is any place to continue that streak of classics, its the G1 Climax.
B Block kicks off at 5:30am ET on NJPWWorld.com. WrestleZone will be providing full live coverage, with blow-by-blow results for all tournament matches.
