THE BATTLE OF THE SUMMER
THE ROAD TO G1 CLIMAX 2
By Jasmine Olan
Twenty men. Four weeks. Two tournament blocks. One huge opportunity at stake. Since its inception, New Japan Pro Wrestling’s G1 Climax has been known as the biggest and most grueling tournament in all of professional wrestling. Year after year, wrestling fans around the world anxiously await the participant and block announcements to see who will be competing and which blocks they will be placed in. For the participants G1 season means intense training and preparation as they each get ready to go to war against the nine other men in their block.
In this notoriously demanding round robin tournament, a wrestler must survive their block with the highest number of points to advance to the finals. The winners of blocks A and B must then put it all on the line in one final high stakes battle to determine the over all winner. A pin fall or submission earns two points. A time limit draw earns one point and a loss earns zero points. At stake is the opportunity to challenge for pro wrestling’s most prestigious title on NJPW’s biggest night of the year, WRESTLE KINGDOM. To make it to that point, participants must push themselves to the absolute brink. What makes G1 so grueling is the sheer number of matches these men have to compete in. Aside from their block matches, they must also compete in multi man tag matches in between.
Knowing this, each of the twenty participants do their best to prepare themselves physically and mentally for what lies ahead. Each win means taking another step closer toward the ultimate goal of winning a golden opportunity to take their career to the next level. Many of New Japan’s greatest legends have powered through and earned the right to hold up that iconic gold trophy and wave the G1 flag. Some like the legendary Masahiro Chono, Hiroshi Tanahashi, and Tetsuya Naito have been fortunate enough to get to do it more than once. With every ounce of passion and fighting spirit they have, these men put their bodies through the punishment of the G1 tour for the chance to prove that they are the best and earn the shot at greatness that comes with winning.
Some of New Japan Pro Wrestling’s most iconic matches have taken place during the G1 Climax. The very first G1 in 1991 set the stage for the prestige and excitement that surrounds the tournament finals every year. It also told a great story involving the rivalry between two future legends, Keiji Mutoh and Masahiro Chono. That night Chono beat Mutoh one on one for the first time after never having done so in their previous encounters. The finals of the 25th G1 saw the King Of Strong Style, Shinsuke Nakamura and the Ace Of The Universe, Hiroshi Tanahashi bring their nearly ten year feud to a close. In 2017, Tetsuya Naito continued his road to redemption when he won the tournament after defeating the previous year’s winner, Kenny Omega in the finals. Winning the G1 has a level of honor and prestige very close to that of winning the IWGP Heavyweight Championship itself. It can even make stars out of those who don’t win. A strong showing in the tournament can help build quite a bit of momentum for stars on the rise like Juice Robinson, Jay White, EVIL, and Seiya Sanada. It’s also a time for some pretty big surprises. The fan reaction nearly blew the roof off of Korakuen Hall in 2017 with the announcement that the Golden Star, Kota Ibushi would be making his return to the tournament and NJPW after a two year absence. This also helped lay the ground work for Ibushi’s reunion with his long time partner and best friend, Kenny Omega. G1 27 also saw a huge upset occur when former young lion, Juice Robinson defeated Omega in their block match.
G1 Climax 28 is sure to deliver in spades this year with another stacked line up of incredible matches and compelling stories to be told. Each of the twenty participants is going in with their eye on the G1 trophy and the opportunity that comes with it. Some will have to face long time rivals. Others will have to face their best friends. In just a few weeks, the uphill battle to survive block competition begins. The buzz surrounding many of the block matches is huge right now with lots of questions being raised. Will the bond between the Golden Lovers be strong enough to survive a rematch of their famous last encounter at Budokan six years ago? Will the Rainmaker, Kazuchika Okada be able to power through and earn the chance to reclaim the title he lost at DOMINION? What will the fall out be for Los Ingobernables de Japon when Tetsuya Naito and Seiya Sanada have to go head to head in block competition?
Fans will definitely be on the edge of their seats, awaiting the final outcome as it will ultimately affect the direction things will move in for NJPW’s heavyweight division. Incredible talent and passion will be on display during those crucial four weeks. Each competitor will have their reasons for wanting to win, and they will be ready to put everythjng on the line for the opportunity of a lifetime. From established veterans to those making their G1 debut, it won’t be easy, but in the end it’ll be well worth the fight. Opportunity will be knocking, and it will soon be time to answer. As always the challenge will be very real.
For anyone who participates, the G1 Climax tournament is about proving that they have what it takes to be in the hunt for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship and making it one step closer to the top of the main event scene in New Japan Pro Wrestling. This year’s competitors will be going in ready to face the challenge of the G1 Climax regardless of whatever the odds of winning may be. Fans will be watching excitedly as the journey unfolds for each of them. Since 1991 the G1 Climax has been a major part of New Japan setting the standard in professional wrestling in so many ways. Now it’ll soon be time to find out which of this year’s twenty participants will survive the battle of the summer.
