Everything You Need To Know About The NJPW G1 Climax
Get yourself hyped for the NJPW G1 Climax, starting here.
Oh it's the most wonderful time of the year.
That doesn't come across so well when typed as it does when sung, but you know the tune. Either way, New Japan Pro Wrestling has announced the entrants of the 2016 edition of the G1 Climax, NJPW's annual summer extravaganza.
As New Japan Pro Wrestling continues to gather momentum and draw more and more international eyes to its product, the G1 Climax represents a fantastic opportunity for new fans to get to know the product and the men who perform within it. Over a four week period twenty men will do battle, until just one remains.
The G1 Climax has given us some incredible matches over the years, and once again the blocks are stacked with world-class talent. The tournament is also unique in that the singles champions of the company take part, meaning the IWGP Heavyweight, Intercontinental and NEVER Openweight Champions will all be on hand. This fact alone adds extra prestige to the tournament.
But hold on, I'm getting a little ahead of myself here; just what is the G1 Climax? You may have heard the name already, but the details could be a bit fuzzy. What is its history? Who is in it? Why does it happen? How do I watch it?
Fear not, young pilgrim for here is all you need to know about New Japan Pro Wrestling's G1 Climax.
10. What Is It?
The greatest professional wrestling tournament on the planet, that's what!
Okay, a little hyperbolic, but the standard in the G1 Climax over the last few years has been astounding. The tournament has a rich history, dating all the way back to 1974 where it was known as the World League. This morphed into the MSG League in 1978, which became the International Wrestling Grand Prix in 1983 and, finally, one year as the World Cup Tournament in 1989. 1990 saw a break, before it returned as the G1 Climax in 1991.
Antonio Inoki dominated the tournament (much like he did New Japan in general) all the way up until 1989, winning it on 10 occasions. Hulk Hogan and Andre the Giant also picked up wins in the 1980s, which shows you just what a big deal it is/was.
Other former winners of the tournament include Shinsuke Nakamura, Hiroshi Tanahashi, Kensuke Sasaki, Keiji Mutoh and many more. Since reverting to the G1 Climax format only two non-Japanese wrestlers have made the finals in Rick Rude (1992) and Karl Anderson (2012).