NJPW G1 Climax Tournament Matches And Dates: Tanahashi Vs. Okada, Special Guest Entrants Revealed
All tournament matches for the New Japan Pro Wrestling's annual G1 Climax have been announced on the company's official website.
Besides of the tournament final, the biggest match of the tournament looks to be Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Kazuchika Okada, which has been saved for the last day of Block A matches on August 12. That day, New Japan will begin its three-day run of Tokyo Sumo Hall: the most prominent venue of the tour. Okada and Tanahashi apparently capped their era-defining feud earlier this year when Okada defeated Tanahashi to retain the IWGP Heavyweight Title at Wrestle Kingdom 10.
This year, Pro Wrestling NOAH's Naomichi Marufuji and Katsuhiko Nakajima are special guest entrants.
All the shows can be watched live or on-demand afterward on NJPWWorld.com. The events start very early in the morning for fans in U.S. time zones, and at a more reasonable morning hour for those in Europe.
Monday, July 18 – Hokkaido
1500 JST, 2:00AM EDT, 0700 GMT
A Block: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. SANADA
A Block: Togi Makabe vs. Tama Tonga
A Block: Satoshi Kojima vs. Tomohiro Ishii
A Block: Kazuchika Okada vs. Naomichi Marufuji
A Block: Hirooki Goto vs. Bad Luck Fale
Friday, July 22 – Tokyo Korakuen Hall
1830 JST, 5:30AM EDT, 1030 GMT
B Block: Katsuyori Shibata vs. Tomoaki Honma
B Block: Yuji Nagata vs. Tetsuya Naito
B Block: Michael Elgin vs. EVIL
B Block: Toru Yano vs. Katsuhiko Nakajima
B Block: YOSHI-HASHI vs. Kenny Omega
Saturday, July 23 – Tokyo Machida Gymnasium
1830 JST, 5:30AM EDT, 1030 GMT
A Block: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Togi Makabe
A Block: Satoshi Kojima vs. Tama Tonga
A Block: Kazuchika Okada vs. SANADA
A Block: Tomohiro Ishii vs. Hirooki Goto
A Block: Naomichi Marufuji vs. Bad Luck Fale
Sunday, July 24 – Tokyo Korakuen Hall
1830 JST, 5:30AM EDT, 1030 GMT
B Block: Katsuyori Shibata vs. Katsuhiko Nakajima
B Block: Yuji Nagata vs. EVIL
B Block: Tomoaki Honma vs. YOSHI-HASHI
B Block: Michael Elgin vs. Tetsuya Naito
B Block: Toru Yano vs. Kenny Omega
Monday, July 25 – Fukuoka
1830 JST, 5:30AM EDT, 1030 GMT
A Block: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Tama Tonga
A Block: Togi Makabe vs. SANADA
A Block: Satoshi Kojima vs. Naomichi Marufuji
A Block: Kazuchika Okada vs. Hirooki Goto
A Block: Tomohiro Ishii vs. Bad Luck Fale
Wednesday, July 27 – Nagano
1830 JST, 5:30AM EDT, 1030 GMT
B Block: Katsuyori Shibata vs. Michael Elgin
B Block: Yuji Nagata vs. YOSHI-HASHI
B Block: Tomoaki Honma vs. Kenny Omega
B Block: Toru Yano vs. Tetsuya Naito
B Block: Katsuhiko Nakajima vs. EVIL
Thursday, July 28 – Saitama
1830 JST, 5:30AM EDT, 1030 GMT
A Block: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Bad Luck Fale
A Block: Togi Makabe vs. Satoshi Kojima
A Block: Kazuchika Okada vs. Tama Tonga
A Block: Tomohiro Ishii vs. Naomichi Marufuji
A Block: Hirooki Goto vs. SANADA
Saturday, July 30 – Aichi
1800 JST, 5:00AM EDT, 1000 GMT
B Block: Katsuyori Shibata vs. Tetsuya Naito
B Block: Yuji Nagata vs. Katsuhiko Nakajima
B Block: Tomoaki Honma vs. Toru Yano
B Block: Michael Elgin vs. Kenny Omega
B Block: YOSHI-HASHI vs. EVIL
Sunday, July 31 – Gifu
1600 JST, 3:00AM EDT, 0800 GMT
A Block: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Hirooki Goto
A Block: Togi Makabe vs. Naomichi Marufuji
A Block: Satoshi Kojima vs. Kazuchika Okada
A Block: Tomohiro Ishii vs. Tama Tonga
A Block: SANADA vs. Bad Luck Fale
Monday, August 1 – Kagawa
1900 JST, 6:00AM EDT, 1100 GMT
B Block: Katsuyori Shibata vs. Toru Yano
B Block: Yuji Nagata vs. Michael Elgin
B Block: Tomoaki Honma vs. Tetsuya Naito
B Block: YOSHI-HASHI vs. Katsuhiko Nakajima
B Block: Kenny Omega vs. EVIL
Wednesday, August 3 – Kagoshima
1830 JST, 5:30AM EDT, 1030 GMT
A Block: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Tomohiro Ishii
A Block: Togi Makabe vs. Kazuchika Okada
A Block: Satoshi Kojima vs. Bad Luck Fale
A Block: Hirooki Goto vs. Tama Tonga
A Block: Naomichi Marufuji vs. SANADA
Thursday, August 4 – Fukuoka
1830 JST, 5:30AM EDT, 1030 GMT
B Block: Katsuyori Shibata vs. Kenny Omega
B Block: Yuji Nagata vs. Toru Yano
B Block: Tomoaki Honam vs. EVIL
B Block: Michael Elgin vs. YOSHI-HASHI
B Block: Katsuhiko Nakajima vs. Tetsuya Naito
Saturday, August 6 – Osaka
1700 JST, 4:00AM EDT, 0900 GMT
A Block: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Naomichi Marufuji
A Block: Togi Makabe vs. Bad Luck Fale
A Block: Satoshi Kojima vs. Hirooki Goto
A Block: Kazuchika Okada vs. Tomohiro Ishii
A Block: SANADA vs. Tama Tonga
Sunday, August 7 – Shizuoka
1600 JST, 3:00AM EDT, 0800 GMT
B Block: Katsuyori Shibata vs. YOSHI-HASHI
B Block: Yuji Nagata vs. Kenny Omega
B Block: Tomoaki Honma vs. Katsuhiko Nakajima
B Block: Michael Elgin vs. Toru Yano
B Block: Tetsuya Naito vs. EVIL
Monday, August 8 – Kanagawa
1830 JST, 5:30AM EDT, 1030 GMT
A Block: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Satoshi Kojima
A Block: Togi Makabe vs. Hirooki Goto
A Block: Kazuchika Okada vs. Bad Luck Fale
A Block Tomohiro Ishii vs. SANADA
A Block: Naomichi Marufuji vs. Tama Tonga
Wednesday, August 10 – Yamagata
1830 JST, 5:30AM EDT, 1030 GMT
B Block: Katsuyori Shibata vs. Yuji Nagata
B Block: Tomoaki Honam vs. Michael Elgin
B Block: Toru Yano vs. EVIL
B Block: YOSHI-HASHI vs. Tetsuya Naito
B Block: Katsuhiko Nakajima vs. Kenny Omega
Friday, August 12 – Tokyo Sumo Hall
1830 JST, 5:30AM EDT, 1030 GMT
A Block: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Kazuchika Okada
A Block: Togi Makabe vs. Tomohiro Ishii
A Block: Satoshi Kojima vs. SANADA
A Block: Hirooki Goto vs. Naomichi Marufuji
A Block: Bad Luck Fale vs. Tama Tonga
Saturday, August 13 – Tokyo Sumo Hall
1830 JST, 5:30AM EDT, 1030 GMT
B Block: Katsuyori Shibata vs. EVIL
B Block: Yuji Nagata vs. Tomoaki Honma
B Block: Michael Elgin vs. Katsuhiko Nakajima
B Block: Toru Yano vs. YOSHI-HASHI
B Block: Tetsuya Naito vs. Kenny Omega
Sunday, August 14 – Tokyo Sumo Hall
1500 JST, 2:00AM EDT, 0700 GMT
G1 Climax Final: 1st place of Block A vs. 1st place of Block B