The highly regarded G1 Climax, New Japan Pro-Wrestling's premier annual tournament, begins Saturday in Chicago at the NOW Arena. This marks the second time in the event's history that the US has hosted the tournament's opening matches, with the first being in Dallas in 2019.
The winner of the month-long tournament earns a future shot at the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship at Wrestle Kingdom in January.
This year's competition features wrestlers divided into two blocks: A and B. Points are awarded for wins (two points), draws (one point), and losses or no contests (zero points). Double count-outs and double disqualifications result in a draw.
Block A includes last year's winner Konosuke Takeshita, Hirooki Goto, Boltin Oleg, Yota Tsuji, Shingo Takagi, Jake Lee, Sanada, Great-O-Khan, Yuto-Ice, and Ryohei Oiwa. Block B consists of Shota Umino, Yuya Uemura, Drilla Maloney, Zack Sabre Jr., Callum Newman, Ren Narita, Gabe Kidd, Henare, Aaron Wolf, and Oskar.
New Japan ambassador Rocky Romero highlighted the tournament's demanding nature and its role in creating wrestling legends. "I think that because it's a league style and it is, obviously, super physically demanding. This is the tournament that kind of makes you a legend, if you get the opportunity to be in it," Romero told Fox News Digital. He noted past participants like Masahiro Chono, Scott Norton, and Steve Austin as examples of its historical significance.
Romero recalled the recruitment of Jon Moxley in 2019, describing it as a pivotal moment. "There's a famous story when Jon Moxley had left the WWE and he had kind of reached out and said, ‘You know, I'd love to kind of do New Japan.’ And the first idea and the timing was like well Mox would you want to do the G1?" Romero said. "He called me back immediately and was like, I'm in, and then, you know, it ended up being one of the coolest things for Mox to leave WWE and then go straight into the G1."
Regarding current favorites, Romero pointed to Yota Tsuji and Konosuke Takeshita, who are set to headline the opening night in Chicago. "I think Takeshita or Tsuji, which also happens to be the main event of Chicago on Saturday," Romero stated. He also mentioned Zack Sabre Jr. as a perennial threat in tournament settings.
Another wrestler to watch is Aaron Wolf, an Olympic gold medalist in judo, who is facing a significant challenge in his first major wrestling tournament of this scale. "I think the most interesting person probably going into this is Aaron Wolf. He's an Olympic gold medalist judoka It’s really his first really, really big challenge on this type of scale," Romero commented.
Callum Newman, a 23-year-old protege of Will Ospreay, is also considered a rising star. Newman previously held the IWGP Heavyweight Championship earlier this year before losing it to Yota Tsuji. "He is a guy that I think the world has a lot of stock in, New Japan has a lot of stock in, that he's going to be a major player," Romero said of Newman.
The decision to start the G1 Climax in the US is seen as a strategic move to expand New Japan's global reach. "Well, obviously, it makes the tournament global and international," Romero explained. "And I think for the wrestlers, most importantly, is they want to show the world that New Japan is the best. It's the best wrestling on the planet."