We at SLTD Wrestling have noticed there are a lot more New Japan Pro Wrestling fans out there than ever, and we would like to help some of the noobs (whether to admit it or not)
We have put together a small guide for the upcoming NJPW G1 Climax.
What is the G1 Climax?
The G1 Climax (or Grade One Climax) is a tournament held within NJPW, the main difference between the G1 Climax and other wrestling tournaments is its held as a round-robin. This means there are two blocks of participants and the winner of each block is determined by a point system
How to Earn Point
The points system is very simple.
Two (2) Points for a victory
One (1) Point for a Draw
Zero (0) Points for a Loss
A History of the G1 Climax
The G1 Climax was established in 1991 by NJPW (then) president Seiji Sakaguchi, to showcase top heavyweights within NJPW. The G1 Climax was named after the G1 Horse Race. The first G1 Climax only ran from August 7 – August 11, and the winner (providing they are not already the champion) earns an IWGP Heavyweight Championship shot. This changed slightly in 2012 when the ‘Tokyo Dome IWGP Heavyweight Championship challenge rights certificate’ was introduced.
(although an annual tournament was held for years before then under numerous different names including; World League, MSG League, International Wrestling Grand Prix (IWGP) League and even a World Cup Tournament, including wrestlers from the then Soviet Union)
What is the ‘Tokyo Dome IWGP Heavyweight Championship Challenge Rights Certificate’?
This is basically a contract that grants the winner of the G1 Climax a heavyweight title shot at NJPW’s largest annual event ‘Wrestle Kingdom’ held on January 4 in the Tokyo Dome.
Similarly to WWE’s Money in the Bank contract, the challenge right certificate is kept in a briefcase, but unlike the MITB contract, the G1 Climax winner must defend the briefcase through the remainder of the year.
It’s also with noting that the current IWGP Heavyweight Champion also enters the G1 Climax and is usually the favourite to win. (This has only happened twice since 1991) If the IWGP Heavyweight Champion wins the tournament he gets to pick his opponent for Wrestle Kingdom.
Has the G1 Climax Winner Ever Lost his ‘Challenge Right Certificate’?
For the first time in G1 history, at Power Struggle 2020, Jay White defeated the then G1 winner Kota Ibushi. This meant that White would become the number one contender for then IWJP Heavyweight Champion Tetsuya Naito’s title.
Why Should You Watch the G1 Climax?
If you are a fan of tournaments in wrestling, whether that be Cruiserweight Classic, Mae Young Classic, Progress Wrestling’s Natural Progression Series, or a fan of the classic King of the Ring tournament then the G1 Climax will be the perfect viewing for you.
The main difference with the G1 Climax is that there is no other company that puts on as many high-quality matches in one tournament. It’s important to remember the G1 Climax has 19 live shows with five matches on each show, over 4 weeks (starting September 18 and finishing October 21)
This is a must-see for any hardcore wrestling fan! If you are disgruntled with the current product you are watching, NJPW is a solid alternative. Or if you have been wanting to give NJPW a watch for a while and don’t know where to start the G1 Climax is the perfect place to start watching as the implications ring through NJPW for the rest of the year.
There is no denying the G1 Climax tournament looks like a hard task, it’s a whole lot of wrestling in a short period of time, but it is also incredibly rewarding, and will no doubt make you a huge fan of the NJPW product. It’s also worth noting that Dave Meltzer usually gives a lot of the matches five stars, so (if you are inclined to believe what he says) there will be some fantastic matches.
(The Important Bit)
Where Can You Watch?
It has recently been announced that every G1 Climax live show will have English commentary on NJPW World.
NJPW World is the only place to catch the whole tournament LIVE. This is NJPW’s app that can be downloaded onto your Amazon Fire Stick, Chromecast, or you can watch it all on njpwworld.com on your pc, laptop, phone or on Microsoft Edge on your Xbox One and Explorer on PS4.
NJPW World, although it doesn’t have a ‘free month’ plan, the app does work out to be cheaper than the WWE Network on a monthly plan.
When is Each Live Show?
EST – United States Time | BST – United Kingdom Time | JST – Japan Time
We at SLTD Wrestling hope this was helpful to all the New Japan Pro Wrestling newcomers. Let us know in the comments below or on Twitter @SLTDWrestling if you are watching this year G1 Climax, or if this guide helped you.
SLTD Wrestling brings you all the greatest wrestling content. from blogs, to podcasts to exclusive Predictions and Fantasy Leagues.
Recent Comments