New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) is currently on their ‘Road To Dontaku’ tour, post-G1 Supercard. This hasn’t stopped them from hyping their upcoming G1 Climax 29 event, which takes place from July 6th. The big difference from this year’s tournament compared to previous iterations is in the companies continued international intent, with the G1 kicking off from the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas.

With their Royal Quest show taking place in London later this year, and the G1 Climax beginning in the United States, New Japan are clearly still aggressively pushing into Western markets.

The company has now revealed four wrestlers who will be in Dallas on the first day of the G1 tournament.

IWGP Heavyweight Champion, Kazuchika Okada, IWGP Intercontinental Champion, Kota Ibushi, Tetsuya Naito, and Jay White, will all be present for the show in Texas. The tweet added that they will be announcing the full list of tournament entrants at a later date.

G1 Supercard Fallout

All of the announced talents recently wrestled at the historic ROH/NJPW co-promoted G1 Supercard show.

The event took place last Saturday from Madison Square Garden in New York. It was during this event that both Okada and Ibushi would emerge victorious as newly crowned champions, defeating Jay White and Tetsuya Naito, respectively.

On Wednesday, NJPW (New Japan Pro Wrestling) announced the full schedule for the G1 Climax 29, which is the biggest tournament of the year for the promotion.

This is where it was revealed that the tournament will kick off at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas on July 6. This marks the first time that the tournament will begin outside of Japan.

The winner of the tournament will receive an opportunity at the IWGP Heavyweight Championship in the main event of Wrestle Kingdom next January.

As of this writing, the competitors who will be participating in the tournament have yet to be announced but is expected to be in the coming months.

G1 Climax 29 Schedule

• July 6: American Airlines Center in Dallas TX
• July 13: Ota City General Gymnasium in Tokyo
• July 14: Ota City General Gymnasium in Tokyo
• July 15: Hokkai Kitayell in Hokkaido
• July 18: Korakuen Hall in Tokyo
• July 19: Korakuen Hall in Tokyo
• July 20: Korakuen Hall in Tokyo
• July 24: Hiroshima Sun Plaza Hall in Hiroshima
• July 27: Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium in Aichi
• July 28: Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium in Aichi
• July 30: Takamatsu City General Gymnasium in Kagawa
• August 1: Fukuoka Citizen Gymnasium in Fukuoka
• August 3: Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium in Osaka
• August 4: Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium in Osaka
• August 7: Hamamatsu Arena in Shizuoka
• August 8: Yokohama Cultural Gymnasium in Kanagawa
• August 10: Nippon Budokan in Tokyo
• August 11: Nippon Budokan in Tokyo
• August 12: Nippon Budokan in Tokyo

Cody Rhodes hasn’t participated in a G-1 tournament, or tournament of any kind for that matter, since arriving in NJPW in early 2017. His first match for the promotion was at Wrestle Kingdom 11 when he defeated Juice Robinson inside the Tokyo Dome. He did the same thing at Fighting Spirit Unleashed but an undaunted Juice recently challenged Cody to a third match as well.

Cody’s contract with Ring of Honor is said to be up and he doesn’t have a deal in place with NJPW. He’s always competed for NJPW as part of their talent-sharing agreement with ROH. As he heads to free agency, however, Cody appears motivated to stay with NJPW despite potentially leaving ROH.

“Cody outright said that he wants to work more New Japan in 2019,” Dave Meltzer wrote. Although Meltzer doesn’t list his source, the report reads as though he was talking directly to Cody.

“He’s already said doing a G-1 is something he wants to do, but last year his filming “Arrow” made that impossible,” Meltzer continued. “But he wants to do more than just the big shows like he did in 2018 with the idea that he wants to improve as a wrestler, and you want to improve as a wrestler, New Japan is the place to work.”

It sounds as though Cody wanted to send a message to NJPW management through the Observer but that is only speculation.

Where is Cody Going To Wrestle In 2019?

If Cody is saying he wants to wrestle in NJPW next year, he’s not going to WWE, although he has already stated as much. It’s likely he’s not happy with contract negotiations with ROH if he is lobbying to stay in NJPW despite leaving the promotion they have a talent-sharing agreement with.

Last weekend saw Japanese wrestling legend Hiroshi Tanahashi defeat Kota Ibushi to win the G1 Climax tournament. This should cement his place in the main event of January 4th’s Wrestle Kingdom event in the Tokyo Dome.

Tanahashi spoke to Sports Illustrated’s Justin Barrasso following his incredible bout against the ‘Golden Star.’ He discussed a variety of topics including the longevity of his career, his love of Shawn Michaels and the difference in ideologies between himself and IWGP Heavyweight Champion Kenny Omega.

The ‘Ace’ of New Japan began by stating “Many times I have heard that phrase about my age, but what can I say?” My future is my future. I don’t want to let anyone close the door on my future. I survived the G1. This means I am the best in New Japan.”

Tanahashi is also reportedly a huge fan of the Heartbreak Kid Shawn Michaels, he spoke about ‘picturing’ the WWE Hall of Famer before his G1 final match: “Before I walked to the ring tonight, I was very, very nervous, So I pictured Shawn Michaels. I love, love Shawn Michaels. He was my inspiration, and always seemed to be having fun all the time in the ring. There is pressure and injury in the ring, but I needed to remember there is joy, too. So that’s what I did.”

Tanahashi also commented on the difference of ideologies between himself and Bullet Club’s Kenny Omega: “Kenny made a new movement, created a new trend in New Japan Pro Wrestling,” said Tanahashi, alternating between English and Japanese. “He does extreme moves and people love him, but New Japan Pro Wrestling has a different ideology of pro wrestling. Kenny’s ideology is different than my ideology, and that is the biggest difference between us.”

New Japan Pro Wrestling’s annual G1 Climax is widely regarded as the greatest tournament in pro wrestling today. Two blocks of competitors are competing in a round robin format to determine the number 1 contender to Kenny Omega’s IWGP Heavyweight Championship at January 4th’s Wrestle Kingdom. The tournament is nearing the later stages and here are the results from Night 17:

Togi Makabe b. Michael Elgin – Makabe took the pinfall win after hitting the King Kong Knee Drop 

YOSHI-HASHI b. Hangman Page – YOSHI-HASHI took the pinfall win after hitting the Karma

Minoru Suzuki b. Bad Luck Fale – Suzuki took the DQ win after Tama Tonga interfered and hit the Gun Stun…again

EVIL b. “Switchblade” Jay White – EVIL took the pinfall win after hitting his namesake signature move

Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Kazuchika Okada ended in a Time Limit Draw – Due to this result Tanahashi advances to the final on Sunday 12th August

A Block Winner – Hiroshi Tanahashi 

You can find the results for Night 1 here, Night 2 here, Night 3 here, Night 4 here, Night 5 here, Night 6 here, Night 7 here, Night 8 here, Night 9 here, Night 10 here, Night 11 here, Night 12 here, Night 13 here, Night 14 here, Night 15 here and Night 16 here.

New Japan Pro Wrestling’s annual G1 Climax is widely regarded as the greatest tournament in pro wrestling today. Two blocks of competitors are competing in a round robin format to determine the number 1 contender to Kenny Omega’s IWGP Heavyweight Championship at January 4th’s Wrestle Kingdom. The tournament is nearing the later stages and here are the results from Night 16:

Tomohiro Ishii b. Juice Robinson – Ishii took the pinfall win after hitting an Enziguri followed by a Brainbuster

Zack Sabre, Jr. b. Hirooki Goto – ZSJ took the pinfall win with the European Clutch

Tama Tonga b. Kota Ibushi – Tonga took the pinfall win after hitting a modified ‘pop-up’ Gun Stun

Toru Yano b. Kenny Omega – Yano took the pinfall win after Tama Tonga hit a Gun Stun on Omega and put Yano on top of the IWGP Heavyweight Champion

Tetsuya Naito b. SANADA – Naito took the pinfall win after hitting the Destino on his Los Ingobernables De Japon stablemate

Kota Ibushi, Kenny Omega and Tetsuya Naito are now all capable of winning B Block. Ibushi and Omega HAVE to win to make it to the final as they both have a tiebreaker win over Naito. If Omega vs Ibushi ends in a draw and Naito wins against Zack Sabre Jr then he wins B Block

Here’s the updated standings:

You can find the results for Night 1 here, Night 2 here, Night 3 here, Night 4 here, Night 5 here, Night 6 here, Night 7 here, Night 8 here, Night 9 here, Night 10 here, Night 11 here, Night 12 here, Night 13 here, Night 14 here and Night 15 here.

New Japan Pro Wrestling’s annual G1 Climax is widely regarded as the greatest tournament in pro wrestling today. Two blocks of competitors are competing in a round robin format to determine the number 1 contender to Kenny Omega’s IWGP Heavyweight Championship at January 4th’s Wrestle Kingdom. The tournament is nearing the later stages and here are the results from Night 15:

• YOSHI-HASHI b. Bad Luck Fale – YOSHI-HASHI took the win via disqualification after Tama Tonga ran in and used a chair
• Hangman Page b. Minoru Suzuki – Page took the pinfall win after reversing a Gotch Piledriver into a Rite of Passage
• “Switchblade” Jay White b. Togi Makabe – White took the pinfall win after hitting Makabe with a chair and a Blade Runner
• Hiroshi Tanahashi b. Michael Elgin – Tanahashi took the pinfall win with an inside cradle
• Kazuchika Okada b. EVIL – Okada took the pinfall win after blocking an EVIL attempt and hitting two Rainmakers

Here are the updated standings:

You can find the results for Night 1 here, Night 2 here, Night 3 here, Night 4 here, Night 5 here, Night 6 here, Night 7 here, Night 8 here, Night 9 here, Night 10 here, Night 11 here, Night 12 here, Night 13 here and Night 14 here.

New Japan Pro Wrestling’s annual G1 Climax is widely regarded as the greatest tournament in pro wrestling today. Two blocks of competitors are competing in a round robin format to determine the number 1 contender to Kenny Omega’s IWGP Heavyweight Championship at January 4th’s Wrestle Kingdom. The tournament is nearing the later stages and here are the results from Night 14:

• SANADA b. Toru Yano by – SANADA took the win via countout after taping Yano on the outside
• Hirooki Goto b. Tama Tonga by – Goto took the win via disqualification as Bad Luck Fale interfered…again
• Zack Sabre, Jr. b. Juice Robinson – ZSJ took the win via submission with a unique figure four/ode to Jim Breaks combo
• Tomohiro Ishii b. Kenny Omega – Ishii took the shock pinfall win after hitting the Vertical Drop Brainbuster
• Kota Ibushi b. Tetsuya Naito – Ibushi took the pinfall win after hitting the Kamigoye

Here are the updated standings:

You can find the results for Night 1 here, Night 2 here, Night 3 here, Night 4 here, Night 5 here, Night 6 here, Night 7 here, Night 8 here, Night 9 here, Night 10 here, Night 11 here, Night 12 here and Night 13 here.

New Japan Pro Wrestling’s annual G1 Climax is widely regarded as the greatest tournament in pro wrestling today. Two blocks of competitors are competing in a round robin format to determine the number 1 contender to Kenny Omega’s IWGP Heavyweight Championship at January 4th’s Wrestle Kingdom. The tournament has now begun and here are the results from Night 13:

Michael Elgin b. Bad Luck Fale – Elgin took the disqualification win after Tama Tonga interferes and beats Elgin with a chair

Hangman Page b. Togi Makabe – Page took the pinfall win with Rite of Passage

“Switchblade” Jay White b. YOSHI-HASHI – White took the pinfall win with Blade Runner

Hiroshi Tanahashi b. EVIL – Tanahashi took the pinfall win with High Fly Flow

Kazuchika Okada b. Minoru Suzuki – Okada took the pinfall win with the Rainmaker

Here are the updated standings:

You can find the results for Night 1 here, Night 2 here, Night 3 here, Night 4 here, Night 5 here, Night 6 here, Night 7 here, Night 8 here, Night 9 here, Night 10 here, Night 11 here and Night 12 here.

New Japan Pro Wrestling’s annual G1 Climax is widely regarded as the greatest tournament in pro wrestling today. Two blocks of competitors are competing in a round robin format to determine the number 1 contender to Kenny Omega’s IWGP Heavyweight Championship at January 4th’s Wrestle Kingdom. The tournament has now begun and here are the results from Nights 11 and 12:

Night 11

• Bad Luck Fale b. Togi Makabe – Fale took the pinfall win following a ref bump and a chain-wrapped lariat
• “Switchblade” Jay White b. Hangman Page – White took the pinfall win after hitting a Low Blow and a Blade Runner
• Minoru Suzuki b. EVIL – Suzuki took the pinfall win with the Gotch Piledriver
• Hiroshi Tanahashi b. YOSHI-HASHI – Tanahashi took the pinfall win with a legscissor folding press
• Kazuchika Okada b. Michael Elgin – Okada took the pinfall win with the Rainmaker

Night 12

• Tama Tonga b. Tomohiro Ishii – Tonga took the pinfall win after hitting the Gun Stun. There was again interference in the match
• Juice Robinson b.SANADA – Juice took the pinfall win after hitting the Pulp Friction
• Tetsuya Naito b.Toru Yano – Naito took the pinfall win after hitting the Destino
• Kenny Omega b. Zack Sabre Jr – Omega took the pinfall win with a Crucifix pin following a V-Trigger
• Kota Ibushi b. Hirooki Goto – Ibushi took the pinfall win after hitting a Last Ride Powerbomb and a second Kamigoye, an epic match that you should definitely go out of your way to see

Here are the updated Standings:

You can find the results for Night 1 here, Night 2 here, Night 3 here, Night 4 here, Night 5 here, Night 6 here, Night 7 here, Night 8 here, Night 9 here and Night 10 here.

New Japan Pro Wrestling’s annual G1 Climax is widely regarded as the greatest tournament in pro wrestling today. Two blocks of competitors are competing in a round robin format to determine the number 1 contender to Kenny Omega’s IWGP Heavyweight Championship at January 4th’s Wrestle Kingdom. The tournament has now begun and here are the results from Night 10:

Zack Sabre Jr b. Tama Tonga – ZSJ took the win via DQ after Fale interfered, Tonga was already tapping out to an Armbar out of a Gun Stun

Juice Robinson b. Toru Yano – Juice took his first win of the tournament after hitting the Pulp Friction 

Kota Ibushi b. Tomohiro Ishii – Ibushi took the pinfall win after hitting the Kamigoye. This was possibly the best match of the tournament thus far

Tetsuya Naito b. Hirooki Goto – Naito took the pinfall win after hitting two Destinos

Kenny Omega b. Sanada – Omega took the pinfall win after hitting the One Winged Angel

Here’s the updated standings:

You can find the results for Night 1 here, Night 2 here, Night 3 here, Night 4 here, Night 5 here, Night 6 here, Night 7 here, Night 8 here and Night 9 here. Don’t forget that SEScoops staff writers Ian Carey and Jake Jeremy are posting their predictions for the tournament and you can check out how they fared with Night 10’s predictions right here.

• Juice Robinson vs Toru Yano
• Hirooki Goto vs Tetsuya Naito
• Tomohiro Ishii vs Kota Ibushi
• Kenny Omega vs SANADA
• Tama Tonga vs Zack Sabre Jr.

New Japan Pro Wrestling’s annual G1 Climax is widely regarded as the greatest tournament in pro wrestling today. Two blocks of competitors are competing in a round robin format to determine the number 1 contender to Kenny Omega’s IWGP Heavyweight Championship at January 4th’s Wrestle Kingdom. The tournament has now begun and here are the results from Night 9:

Minoru Suzuki b. Michael Elgin – Suzuki took the pinfall win with the Gotch Piledriver

EVIL b. Hangman Page – EVIL took the pinfall win after hitting his namesake move 

Bad Luck Fale b. “Switchblade” Jay White – Fale took the pinfall win after hitting the Bad Luck Fall after a referee bump and Tama Tonga hit the Gun Stun

Hiroshi Tanahashi b. Togi Makabe – Tanahashi took the pinfall win after hitting the High Fly Flow

Kazuchika Okada b. YOSHI-HASHI – Okada took the pinfall win with the Rainmaker

Here’s the updated standings:

You can find the results for Night 1 here, Night 2 here, Night 3 here, Night 4 here, Night 5 here, Night 6 here, Night 7 here and Night 8 here. Don’t forget that SEScoops staff writers Ian Carey and Jake Jeremy are posting their predictions for the tournament and you can check out how they fared with Night 9’s predictions right here.

New Japan Pro Wrestling’s annual G1 Climax is widely regarded as the greatest tournament in pro wrestling today. Two blocks of competitors are competing in a round robin format to determine the number 1 contender to Kenny Omega’s IWGP Heavyweight Championship at January 4th’s Wrestle Kingdom.

• Full Schedule for the NJPW G1 Climax Tournament (19 Shows)

SEScoops staff writers Ian Carey and Jake Jeremy have made their predictions for Night 9 of the tournament, here they are:

(You can check out the Predictions for Night 8 here)

Ian Carey – We’ve reached Night 9, here are the scheduled matches:

• Hiroshi Tanahashi vs Togi Makabe
• Michael Elgin vs Minoru Suzuki
• Kazuchika Okada vs YOSHI-HASHI
• Jay White vs Bad Luck Fale
• EVIL vs Hangman Page

Jake Jeremy – too…much….wrestling

Ian Carey – Straight out I think that Tanahashi beats Makabe

Jake Jeremy – It’s looking like your Tanahashi/Okada final day showdown is coming to fruition so I completely agree

Ian Carey – I think Suzuki should defeat Elgin

Jake Jeremy – Is it really bad if I enjoy seeing that? Suzuki must beat Elgin

Ian Carey – Okada will run right through YOSHI-HASHI I’m sure

Jake Jeremy – I’m still sad that they didn’t run with the “you’re nothing without the title” story for Okada, I wanted to see him go through hard times….baby, but yes Okada will beat YOSHI-HASHI

Ian Carey – Jay White vs Bad Luck Fale should be interesting. The Firing Squad and Jay White have both brought very western-influenced heel tactics to NJPW this tournament. I’m not certain the live crowds are enjoying it but I feel as though it might be a tactic NJPW is using to lure in more international fans.

Jake Jeremy – Possibly, I mean Bullet Club was always meant to be an ‘infection’ of western influence on the NJPW style. I think that Fale might actually take this though

Ian Carey – White should win the match though, as Fale has made it quite apparent he does not care about win/loss records. I also think they will give Hangman Page the win over EVIL. I have a feeling that will be a great match too.

Jake Jeremy – Agreed, Page will get the win over EVIL to at least give him SOMETHING

What are your predictions for Night 8? Let us know in the comments

New Japan Pro Wrestling’s annual G1 Climax is widely regarded as the greatest tournament in pro wrestling today. Two blocks of competitors are competing in a round robin format to determine the number 1 contender to Kenny Omega’s IWGP Heavyweight Championship at January 4th’s Wrestle Kingdom. The tournament has now begun and here are the results from Night 8:

Hirooki Goto b. Toru Yano – Goto took the win early after hitting the Ushigoroshi and GTR for the pin

Tetsuya Naito b. Tama Tonga – Naito took the win after hitting a low blow followed by Destino

Zack Sabre Jr. b. Tomohiro Ishii – ZSJ took the submission win after locking in an armbar, this looked painful…

Kenny Omega b. Juice Robinson – Omega took the pinfall win after hitting a fair few V-Triggers

SANADA b. Kota Ibushi – SANADA took the pinfall win after hitting a moonsault, this was somewhat of an upset but a fantastic match

Here are the updated standings:

You can find the results for Night 1 here, Night 2 here, Night 3 here, Night 4 here, Night 5 here, Night 6 here, and Night 7 here. Don’t forget that SEScoops staff writers Ian Carey and Jake Jeremy are posting their predictions for the tournament and you can check out how they fared with Night 8’s predictions right here.

New Japan Pro Wrestling’s annual G1 Climax is widely regarded as the greatest tournament in pro wrestling today. Two blocks of competitors are competing in a round robin format to determine the number 1 contender to Kenny Omega’s IWGP Heavyweight Championship at January 4th’s Wrestle Kingdom. The tournament has now begun and here are the results from Night 7:

YOSHI-HASHI b. Michael Elgin – YOSHI-YASHI took the upset win after hitting a backstabber followed by Karma

EVIL b. Bad Luck Fale – EVIL took the DQ win after Tama Tonga hit him with the Gun Stun. The fans in attendance did not like yet another DQ decision in the G1

Minoru Suzuki b. Jay White – Suzuki handed White his first loss of the tournament after he caught a low blow attempt and hit the Gotch Piledriver for the pinfall

Hiroshi Tanahashi b. Hangman Page – The ‘Ace’ of NJPW hit a standing High Fly Flow to take down Hangman, he followed with another and took the pinfall victory

Kazuchika Okada b. Togi Makabe – Okada recovered after Makabe hit a lariat, he delivered his own and then finished off Makabe with the Rainmaker 

Here’s the updated standings:

You can find the results for Night 1 here, Night 2 here, Night 3 here, Night 4 here, Night 5 here and Night 6 here. Don’t forget that SEScoops staff writers Ian Carey and Jake Jeremy are posting their predictions for the tournament and you can check out how they fared with Night 7’s predictions right here.

New Japan Pro Wrestling’s annual G1 Climax is widely regarded as the greatest tournament in pro wrestling today. Two blocks of competitors are competing in a round robin format to determine the number 1 contender to Kenny Omega’s IWGP Heavyweight Championship at January 4th’s Wrestle Kingdom.

• Full Schedule for the NJPW G1 Climax Tournament (19 Shows)

SEScoops staff writers Ian Carey and Jake Jeremy have made their predictions for Night 7 of the tournament, here they are:

(You can check out the Predictions for Night 6 here)

Jake Jeremy – Ok so we’re talking Night 7 of the G1. Here are the scheduled matches:

• Hiroshi Tanahashi vs Hangman Page
• Togi Makabe vs Kazuchika Okada
• Michael Elgin vs YOSHI-HASHI
• Jay White vs Minoru Suzuki
• EVIL vs Bad Luck Fale

Ian Carey – Ok so Night 7: Kazuchika Okada will get his second win over Makabe.

Jake Jeremy – I can see that happening too, I really thought that Okada would not win any matches but he MIGHT still make the final at this rate

Ian Carey – Elgin beats Yoshi-Hashi. i don’t think Yoshi is going to win until the final couple of matches and then the story will be he needs to win a few to be invited back next year

Jake Jeremy – He definitely needs a win (YOSHI-HASHI) and I agree Elgin will win here

Ian Carey – Bad Luck Fale beats Evil I think – unless they are just going to have him get DQ’ed all the way through the tournament

Jake Jeremy – I’m actually going with EVIL by DQ, purely because this G1 has been infected with the things

Ian Carey – I’m going say Suzuki hands Jay White his first loss of the tournament

Jake Jeremy – Ahh ok I’m actually going to go against this, White is still my finalist and he will get the sweep here, granted I think he will beat Suzuki in a very screwy fashion

Ian Carey – While I would love to say Hangman Page beats Tanahashi, I doubt its in the cards, The Ace gets the win there

Jake Jeremy – I agree, Tanahashi gets the win here

Here are the full predictions:

Ian Carey

• Hiroshi Tanahashi b. Hangman Page
• Kazuchika Okada b. Togi Makabe
• Michael Elgin b. YOSHI-HASHI
• Minoru Suzuki b. Jay White
• Bad Luck Fale b. EVIL

Jake Jeremy 

• Hiroshi Tanahashi b. Hangman Page
• Kazuchika Okada b. Togi Makabe
• Michael Elgin b. YOSHI-HASHI
• Jay White b. Minoru Suzuki
• EVIL b. Bad Luck Fale (via DQ)

What are your predictions for Night 7? Let us know in the comments

New Japan Pro Wrestling’s annual G1 Climax is widely regarded as the greatest tournament in pro wrestling today. Two blocks of competitors are competing in a round robin format to determine the number 1 contender to Kenny Omega’s IWGP Heavyweight Championship at January 4th’s Wrestle Kingdom. The tournament has now begun and here are the results from Night 6:

Toru Yano b. Kota Ibushi – Yano took the win by pinfall using a Schoolboy. This followed a low blow and a chop block whilst Ibushi’s wrists were taped together

SANADA b. Zack Sabre, Jr. – SANADA took the pinfall win with a bridging prawn hold

Tetsuya Naito b. Juice Robinson – Naito took the win over the US Champion using the Destino

Kenny Omega b. Tama Tonga by – Omega took the win via DQ after Tonga hit a Gun Stun on referee Red Shoes

Tomohiro Ishii b. Hirooki Goto – Ishii took the pinfall win with the Vertical Drop Brainbuster

Here are the updated standings:

You can find the results for Night 1 here, Night 2 here, Night 3 here, Night 4 here and Night 5 here. Don’t forget that SEScoops staff writers Ian Carey and Jake Jeremy are posting their predictions for the tournament and you can check out how they fared with Night 6’s predictions right here.

New Japan Pro Wrestling’s annual G1 Climax is widely regarded as the greatest tournament in pro wrestling today. Two blocks of competitors are competing in a round robin format to determine the number 1 contender to Kenny Omega’s IWGP Heavyweight Championship at January 4th’s Wrestle Kingdom.

• Full Schedule for the NJPW G1 Climax Tournament (19 Shows)

SEScoops staff writers Ian Carey and Jake Jeremy have made their predictions for Night 6 of the tournament, here they are:

(You can check out the Predictions for Night 5 here)

Jake Jeremy – Ok so we’ve made it to Night 6, here is the schedule for the B Block matches:

• Juice Robinson vs Tetsuya Naito
• Hirooki Goto vs Tomohiro Ishii
• Toru Yano vs Kota Ibushi
• Kenny Omega vs Tama Tonga
• SANADA vs Zack Sabre Jr

Ian Carey – Ok straight off Tama Tonga beats Kenny Omega. This is an important match for this rivalry. Tonga beating Omega puts him in the mix, earns him a title shot. Creates a reason to put Tama Tonga vs Kenny Omega in the main event of NJPW’s return to Long Beach. That match happening if of course just speculation but it seems as though that is a direction they could go.

Jake Jeremy – I definitely agree, the Firing Squad need to build on their momentum and a win for Tama here (screwy or not) will help

Ian Carey – Zack Sabre Jr beats SANADA. The Paradise Lock will be involved somehow I’m sure. Kota Ibushi beats Yano…he has to

Jake Jeremy – I actually think that SANADA will get the win here, I’m also going for Kota as he still takes this Block in my mind

Ian Carey – I think having Ishii beating Goto is a possibility and then you could have Ishii challenge for the NEVER belt. Ishii is the most decorated champion in the title’s lineage.

Jake Jeremy – I don’t want to just keep agreeing here but again I agree

Ian Carey – Juice vs Naito is interesting. Juice has already dropped two matches and I don’t expect him to have a terrible tournament. A big win over Naito sure would boost him back up. I think that’s what happens, I’m giving Juice the upset victory over Naito.

Jake Jeremy – Ok so I actually see Juice losing here, it would be a good chance to build to a bout at Long Beach for the title and Naito could do wonders with the US title.

What are your predictions for Night 5? Let us know in the comments.

New Japan Pro Wrestling’s annual G1 Climax is widely regarded as the greatest tournament in pro wrestling today. Two blocks of competitors are competing in a round robin format to determine the number 1 contender to Kenny Omega’s IWGP Heavyweight Championship at January 4th’s Wrestle Kingdom. The tournament has now begun and here are the results from Night 5:

G1 Climax 2018 – A Block

“Switchblade” Jay White b. Michael Elgin – White took the pinfall win with a Blade Runner after hitting a low blow behind the referee

Minoru Suzuki b. YOSHI-HASHI – Suzuki took the pinfall win with the Gotch piledriver

EVIL b. Togi Makabe – EVIL took the pinfall win with his namesake move

Hiroshi Tanahashi b. Bad Luck Fale – Tanahashi won via disqualification after a Guerrillas of Destiny interference

Kazuchika Okada b. Hangman Page – Okada took his first win of the tournament by pinfall with the Rainmaker

Here are the current standings:

You can find the results for Night 1 here, Night 2 here, Night 3 here and Night 4 here. Don’t forget that SEScoops staff writers Ian Carey and Jake Jeremy are posting their predictions for the tournament and you can check out how they fared with Night 5’s predictions right here.

New Japan Pro Wrestling’s annual G1 Climax is widely regarded as the greatest tournament in pro wrestling today. Two blocks of competitors are competing in a round robin format to determine the number 1 contender to Kenny Omega’s IWGP Heavyweight Championship at January 4th’s Wrestle Kingdom.

• Full Schedule for the NJPW G1 Climax Tournament (19 Shows)

SEScoops staff writers Ian Carey and Jake Jeremy have made their predictions for Night 5 of the tournament, which takes place this Thursday 19th July.

(You can check out the Predictions for Night 4 here)

Jake Jeremy – Ok so we’re talking Night 5 of the G1, here are the scheduled matches:

• Hiroshi Tanahashi vs Bad Luck Fale
• Togi Makabe vs EVIL
• Michael Elgin vs Jay White
• Kazuchika Okada vs Hangman Page
• YOSHI-HASHI vs Minoru Suzuki

As a reminder here’s the standings for A Block:

• Jay White – 4 Points (2-0-0)
• Michael Elgin – 4 Points (2-0-0)
• Togi Makabe – 4 Points (2-0-0)
• Hiroshi Tanahashi – 2 Points (1-1-0)
• Hangman Page – 2 Points (1-1-0)
• Evil – 2 Points (1-1-0)
• Bad Luck Fale – 2 Points (1-1-0)
• Kazuchika Okada – 0 Points (0-2-0)
• Minoru Suzuki – 0 Points (0-2-0)
• Yoshi-Hashi – 0 Points (0-2-0)

Ian Carey –

• To me Bad Luck Fale will beat Tanahashi because he has a history of doing so in these matches.
• EVIL beats Togi Makabe and I still don’t understand how Makabe beat Minoru Suzuki the other day…
• Elgin and White is interesting as they are both undefeated but Elgin has been selling an injured arm though, and that’s death for these tournaments so I think White improves to 3-0 there.
• Okada beats Hangman Page but in the course of doing so Kevin Kelly will sing Page’s praises
• …and Minoru Suzuki rips one of YOSHI-HASHI’s limbs off and wins by referee stoppage

Jake Jeremy – I think that Okada loses the match against Hangman Page. I still believe that Okada will have to work from the ground up now, he doesn’t need the G1

Ian Carey – You know I’m starting to think we could get ZSJ vs Okada in the finals. It would be their rubber match so I still think Okada’s winning

Jake Jeremy – Here’s my predictions:

• Bad Luck Fale beats Hiroshi Tanahashi
• EVIL beats Togi Makabe
• Jay White beats Michael Elgin
• Hangman Page beats Kazuchika Okada
• Minoru Suzuki beats YOSHI-HASHI
• In my mind if White wins the block then he can outright say to Okada “you’re too weak to be the leader of CHAOS”. That’s Okada’s feud for Destruction for me and what would a win do for Hangman as well here? A standout bout against one of the world’s best PLUS a win would make him an instant star

Ian Carey – White could also win his block, they clearly want to elevate him…Page beating Okada would be huge for him but at some point Okada has to turn this thing around

What are your predictions for Night 5? Let us know in the comments.

New Japan Pro Wrestling’s annual G1 Climax is widely regarded as the greatest tournament in pro wrestling today. Two blocks of competitors are competing in a round robin format to determine the number 1 contender to Kenny Omega’s IWGP Heavyweight Championship at January 4th’s Wrestle Kingdom. The tournament has now begun and here are the results from Night 4:

SANADA b. Tama Tonga – SANADA took the pinfall win with a bridging O’Connor roll

Zack Sabre, Jr. b. Toru Yano – ZSJ took the pinfall win with the European Clutch

Kota Ibushi b. Juice Robinson – Ibushi took the pinfall win with the Kamigoye

Tetsuya Naito b. Tomohiro Ishii – Naito took the pinfall win after hitting the Destino

Kenny Omega b. Hirooki Goto – Omega took the pinfall win with the One-Winged Angel

Block A

• Jay White – 4 Points (2-0-0)
• Michael Elgin – 4 Points (2-0-0)
• Togi Makabe – 4 Points (2-0-0)
• Hiroshi Tanahashi – 2 Points (1-1-0)
• Hangman Page – 2 Points (1-1-0)
• Evil – 2 Points (1-1-0)
• Bad Luck Fale – 2 Points (1-1-0)
• Kazuchika Okada – 0 Points (0-2-0)
• Minoru Suzuki – 0 Points (0-2-0)
• Yoshi-Hashi – 0 Points (0-2-0)

Block B

• Kenny Omega – 4 Points (2-0-0)
• Kota Ibushi – 4 Points (2-0-0)
• Tama Tonga – 2 Points (1-1-0)
• Tomohiro Ishii – 2 Points (1-1-0)
• Hirooki Goto – 2 Points (1-1-0)
• Tetsuya Naito – 2 Points (1-1-0)
• Zack Sabre Jr. – 2 Points (1-1-0)
• Sanada – 2 Points (1-1-0)
• Juice Robinson – 0 Points (0-2-0)
• Toru Yano – 0 Points (0-2-0)

You can find the results for Night 1 here, Night 2 here and Night 3 here. Don’t forget that SEScoops staff writers Ian Carey and Jake Jeremy are posting their predictions for the tournament and you can check out how they fared with Night 4’s predictions right here.

New Japan Pro Wrestling’s annual G1 Climax is widely regarded as the greatest tournament in pro wrestling today. Two blocks of competitors are competing in a round robin format to determine the number 1 contender to Kenny Omega’s IWGP Heavyweight Championship at January 4th’s Wrestle Kingdom.

• Full Schedule for the NJPW G1 Climax Tournament (19 Shows)

SEScoops staff writers Ian Carey and Jake Jeremy have made their predictions for Night 4 of the tournament, which takes place this Thursday 19th July.

(You can check out the Predictions for Night 3 here)

Jake Jeremy – Ok so we are talking Night 4 of the tournament (it feels like it’s been weeks already…), here are the bouts:

• Juice Robinson vs Kota Ibushi
• Hirooki Goto vs Kenny Omega
• Tomohiro Ishii vs Tetsuya Naito
• Toru Yano vs Zack Sabre Jr
• SANADA vs Tama Tonga

Ian Carey – Alright, 4 shows in a row, 3 of them at Korakuen Hall

Jake Jeremy – I think that to start Ibushi will need to defeat Robinson, it’s a tough position for the new IWGP US champ but I still see Kota taking this block.

Ian Carey – Yes I agree, Kota beats Juice. I also see Kenny Omega beating Hirooki Goto and Tetsuya Naito defeating Tomohiro Ishii

Jake Jeremy – I actually see Goto getting the shock win over Omega to set up a nice little bout before WK and give Goto his shot in the main event. I can also see Naito beating Ishii