Imagine as a wrestling fan, an event that encompassed Money in the Bank, SummerSlam, and the FIFA World Cup. The NJPW G1 Climax Tournament is exactly that. The month-long spectacle as we know it today originated in 1991, but this historic Japanese tournament predates that by nearly 20 years. This tournament has been a staple in the hot Japanese summer for nearly 50 years. Although it is not a traditional championship, winning the G1 Climax is, in its own regard, a career-making moment.
The World, MSG & IWGP Leagues
The World League was started by NJPW founder Antonio Inoki. This tournament featured 16 wrestlers in two blocks, with the highest four from each block making it into the second round. Then those remaining combatants went through another series of matches to determine the top two. In a surprise turn of events, there was a three-way tie, and Inoki, Seiji Sakaguchi, and Killer Karl Krupp had a series of three matches to determine the inaugural World League Champion. Although the modern tournament uses a similar block style system this wasn’t always the case.
The MSG League, was the rebranded name of the tournament after Inoki wanted to play off the historic New York City venue, long before NJPW would sell out the actual MSG. The newly minted MSG league was the first time we saw a non-Japanese wrestler compete in the finals. Andre the Giant made a historic run in the 1978 tournament sweeping the field until he was bested by Inoki in the tournament finals. The shift felt around the world wasn’t coming from the American territories, the Japanese wrestling world was catching fire and mainstream media attention.
In 1983 the International Wrestling Grand Prix was formed, the governing body of NJPW and this single block tournament changed wrestling forever. Featuring the Japanese heroes everyone knew and loved, but also some new faces, this tournament featured Big John Studd, Killer Khan, and a hot up-and-coming star from the American territories named Hulk Hogan. The inaugural IWGP championship was awarded that year to an underdog Hogan who knocked out Inoki in the tournament finals sending a shockwave through the wrestling world, as a westerner had dethroned their king. The following year the winner of the tournament earned a shot at Hogan and Inoki would climb back on top of the wrestling world, reclaiming the title.
The G1 Climax
The modern incarnation of the tournament started in 1991. Dubbed “Grade One,” in reference to horse racing grades, thus the G1 Climax was born. The block system has been used throughout the tournament's history ranging from two to four blocks. The inaugural G1 saw a passing of the torch as it were in Masa Chono and Keiji Muto, showcasing their claims to be the heir to the NJPW throne behind Inoki. The hard-hitting finals showcased the emotions of both men as they used their teacher’s finishers almost saying, this is our time. NJPW was ready to move on to the next generation.
Throughout the ’90s and early ’00s, the NJPW G1 Climax was a force unto itself. The addition of Jr. Heavyweights in the year 2000, allowed for the likes of Jushin “Thunder” Liger to showcase a fast-paced high-flying style the tournament had yet to really see. However, the wrestling giant saw a dip in the early part of the new century. In 2007 a young star named Hiroshi Tanahashi claimed his first G1 crown, changing Japanese wrestling again, with another new generation of stars breaking through. Tanahashi went on to be a mainstay in the NJPW world title scene amassing, three IWGP US Heavyweight Title reigns and a record-setting eight-time IWGP Heavyweight championships. Tanahashi would go on to win the tournament again in 2015 and 2018.
As the tournament continued to grow in worldwide popularity, NJPW saw the likes of Shinsuke Nakamura and AJ Styles make their debut in the tournament. The addition of the briefcase and a contract that guaranteed the G1 winner a title shot at Wrestle Kingdom in 2012 raised the stakes one more time. Kazuchika Okada, climbed atop the NJPW mountain that year to punch his ticket to Wrestle Kingdom. Kenny Omega an NJPW icon claimed his first and only G1 win in 2016. By the 2020s the G1 Climax had become the standard in the wrestling world, where the best and most talented wrestlers are showcased.