G1 Climax Comes to America: Tsuji Shocks Takeshita as NJPW's Biggest Tournament Opens on US Soil
New Japan Pro-Wrestling kicked off its legendary G1 Climax tournament outside Japan, and the Illinois crowd got an instant-classic main event to remember. Here's why every wrestling fan, indie included, should be paying attention.
Key takeaways
- NJPW opened G1 Climax 36 in Hoffman Estates, Illinois, only the second time in the tournament's history it has started outside Japan.
- IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Yota Tsuji beat Konosuke Takeshita in a near-21-minute main event that critics graded among the best matches of the year so far.
- Twenty wrestlers are split across two blocks in a round robin that runs from July 11 through the August 16 finals at Ryogoku Kokugikan.
- Legendary veteran Hiroyoshi Tenzan is set for his retirement match on the August 15 finals card in Tokyo.
Figures drawn from NJPW's official G1 Climax 36 schedule and PWTorch's night one results coverage.
A Piece of Wrestling History Went Down Outside Japan
For decades the G1 Climax has been the gold standard of tournament wrestling, a grueling round robin that has crowned legends and launched careers. This year New Japan Pro-Wrestling made a bold call and opened the whole thing at NOW Arena in Hoffman Estates, Illinois, marking only the second time in the tournament's long history that night one happened outside Japan.
That matters for every wrestling fan reading this from the States, and it especially matters for anyone who trains or works the indie circuit here in Vegas. When a promotion as prestigious as New Japan trusts a US building to open its flagship tournament, it is a signal that American crowds and American buildings can carry the biggest stages in this business. That is the same energy we chase every time we put on a local card.
Tsuji and Takeshita Stole the Show
The main event delivered. IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Yota Tsuji went nearly 21 minutes with Konosuke Takeshita, the dual AEW and NJPW star, in a match that had the Illinois crowd buying in from bell to bell. Tsuji got the win, banking his first three points of the block.
It was not the only banger of the night. Zack Sabre Jr. took down Shota Umino and Callum Newman edged Yuya Uemura in matches that both ran past the 15-minute mark, showing off exactly the kind of pacing and heat-building that indie wrestlers study tape on. If you are training right now and want to see what a slow-burn, crowd-controlled main event actually looks like, night one of this tournament is a clinic.
How the Blocks Break Down
Twenty competitors are split into Block A and Block B for the round robin, with points awarded for wins across a schedule that stretches from Illinois through stops in Hokkaido, Sendai, Tokyo, Hiroshima, Fukuoka and Yokohama before the finals.
Block A features Tsuji, Takeshita, Hirooki Goto, SANADA, Shingo Takagi, Jake Lee, Yuto-Ice, Great-O-Khan, Boltin Oleg and Ryohei Oiwa. Block B has Zack Sabre Jr., Shota Umino, Yuya Uemura, Callum Newman, Aaron Wolf, HENARE, Ren Narita, Gabe Kidd, Drilla Moloney and Oskar. The block winners meet in a cross-block semifinal setup before the August 16 championship match.
- Block A: Tsuji, Takeshita, Goto, SANADA, Takagi, Lee, Yuto-Ice, O-Khan, Oleg, Oiwa
- Block B: Sabre Jr., Umino, Uemura, Newman, Wolf, HENARE, Narita, Kidd, Moloney, Oskar
- Tour runs July 11 to August 16, finishing with two nights at Ryogoku Kokugikan
A Legend Says Goodbye in Tokyo
The tournament will close with something bigger than a trophy. Hiroyoshi Tenzan, one of the most decorated veterans in New Japan history, is booked for his retirement match on the August 15 finals card at Ryogoku Kokugikan.
For anyone who has spent years grinding on the indie scene, that kind of career-capping send-off in front of a home crowd is the dream. It is the same reason we push every student who steps into our ring to think long term, build a body of work, and earn the kind of respect that gets you a proper farewell instead of a quiet exit.
Why This Matters to the Vegas Indie Scene
New Japan bringing its most sacred tournament to a US building is a green light for the entire American wrestling ecosystem, from the big AEW crossover stars in this bracket down to the regional promotions and training gyms that feed talent up the ladder.
It is proof that fans here will pack a building for real, hard-hitting, story-driven wrestling if you give it to them. That is exactly the standard we chase on every Piledrive Wrestling card and in every training session in the gym.
5 Names From Night One Worth Following
If you only know the WWE and AEW side of the business, here are five names from G1 Climax 36 night one that are worth a look before the tournament rolls on.
- Yota Tsuji: The IWGP World Heavyweight Champion opened his block campaign with a statement win over Takeshita in the night one main event.
- Konosuke Takeshita: The dual AEW and NJPW star pushed the champion to almost 21 minutes in a match graded among the year's best so far.
- Zack Sabre Jr.: The technical submission specialist outlasted Shota Umino in a Block B opener that ran past 16 minutes.
- Callum Newman: Edged Yuya Uemura in a hard-hitting Block B match that showcased two of the younger stars in the field.
- Ryohei Oiwa: Won his final qualifying match just days before the tournament to punch his ticket into Block A.
- Hiroyoshi Tenzan: The New Japan veteran is not in this year's block but will close the tournament with his retirement match on August 15.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the G1 Climax?
It is New Japan Pro-Wrestling's flagship annual tournament, a round robin featuring twenty wrestlers split into two blocks who earn points toward a championship final.
Where did G1 Climax 36 start and where does it end?
The 2026 tournament opened at NOW Arena in Hoffman Estates, Illinois, and closes with two nights at Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo on August 15 and 16.
Who won the night one main event?
IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Yota Tsuji defeated Konosuke Takeshita in a match that ran nearly 21 minutes.
Is this the first time the G1 Climax has been held outside Japan?
No, it is only the second time in the tournament's history that a night has opened outside Japan, per NJPW's own tour announcement.
Sources
- NJPW releases full lineups for the G1 Climax (July 11 - Aug. 16) — POST Wrestling
- NJPW G1 Climax 36 Results Night 1 (7/11) — PWTorch