The Natural Posted April 8, 2023 Share Posted April 8, 2023 C&P from f4wonline.com: Quote G1 Climax 2023 Schedule July 15-16: Hokkai Kitayell | July 18: Yamagata | July 19: Xebio Arena Sendai | July 21: Ao-re Nagaoka | July 23: Nagano | July 25-26: Korakuen | July 27: Otaku | July 30: Aichi | August 1: Takamatsu | August 2: Hiroshima | August 5-6: Osaka | August 8: Yokohama Budokan | August 9: Act City Hamamatsu | August 10: Chiba | August 12-13: RYOGOKU Kazuchika Okada has won the last two. I don't think he'll take the hat-trick this time round. My early prediction is Tetsuya Naito then Will Ospreay. Hope we get some AEW entrants especially one Bryan Danielson. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Natural Posted June 4, 2023 Author Share Posted June 4, 2023 Entrants just announced. Copy and paste from NJPW's website: Spoiler Kazuchika Okada 12th entry, 12th consecutive. 2012, 2014, 2021, 2022 winner. NEVER Openweight 6 Man Tag Team Champion at time of writing Tetsuya Naito 14th entry, 14th consecutive. 2014, 2017 winner SANADA 8th entry, 8th consecutive. IWGP World Heavyweight Champion at time of writing Will Ospreay 4th entry, 2nd consecutive Hiroshi Tanahashi 22nd entry, 22nd consecutive. 2007, 2015, 2018 winner. NEVER Openweight 6 Man Tag Team Champion at time of writing David Finlay 2nd entry, 2nd consecutive. NEVER Openweight Champion at time of writing. Shota Umino Debut entry Shingo Takagi 5th entry, 5th consecutive Tomohiro Ishii 11th entry, 11th consecutive. NEVER Openweight 6 Man Tag Team Champion at time of writing Tama Tonga 6th entry, 3rd consecutive Tanga Loa 2nd entry, first in two years Hikuleo Debut entry Hirooki Goto 16th entry, 16th consecutive. 2008 winner YOSHI-HASHI 7th entry, 4th consecutive Toru Yano 18th entry, 17th consecutive KENTA 5th entry, 5th consecutive Zack Sabre Jr. 7th entry, 7th consecutive. NJPW World TV Champion at time of writing. Taichi 5th entry, 5th consecutive. KOPW 2023 title holder at time of writing. Eddie Kingston Debut entry El Phantasmo 2nd entry, 2nd consecutive Ren Narita Debut entry EVIL 8th entry, 8th consecutive Chase Owens 3rd entry, 3rd consecutive Jeff Cobb 5th entry, 5th consecutive Great-O-Khan 3rd entry, 3rd consecutive. RPW British Heavyweight Champion Aaron Henare 2nd entry, 2nd consecutive Gabriel Kidd Debut entry Alex Coughlin Debut entry Shane Haste Debut entry Mikey Nicholls Debut entry Yota Tsuji Debut entry Kaito Kiyomiya Debut entry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Natural Posted June 4, 2023 Author Share Posted June 4, 2023 Video: Spoiler Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Control Posted June 4, 2023 Share Posted June 4, 2023 (edited) Any chance they’re doing four blocks? Also, kinda funny to me that Jake Lee still can’t get himself booked in this. Edited June 4, 2023 by Control Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SturmCRF Posted June 4, 2023 Share Posted June 4, 2023 Don't think there's much chance there aren't four blocks. Can't do two blocks of 16, but with four blocks you can do eight tournament matches a night and get to the semi finals after 14 shows. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Octopus Posted June 4, 2023 Share Posted June 4, 2023 I’m hoping we get another Okada v Kiyomiya hate-filled NOAH style beating. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dragonzombie Posted June 4, 2023 Share Posted June 4, 2023 If so, 4 blocks seem safer on the bodies. Have to prolong their careers. I will be rooting for NOAH's ace Kaito. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salads Posted June 4, 2023 Share Posted June 4, 2023 The possibility that TMDK could be subbing in for Aussie Open takes a bit of the shine off. Spoiler The guest spots are good, but they were only confirmed good after being recontextualised by the challenge to Okada later in the show. I've now realised that Bryan's numerous mentions in the press about wanting to work New Japan and a G1 have meant that I've never really been happy about any G1 line up reveal since. In my mind, the fans should've been booing the last name announced every time like they were Rey in the rumble. Speaking of the rumble... When I was living a WWE-free life I would check out the occasional Royal Rumble match every few years because it served as an efficient way for me to put faces to names that I'd seen discussed online. Similarly this could be a good cross section tournament for post-pandemic NJPW as all the newer names are there and will be given time. Apart from the physical considerations I wonder if four blocks and fewer fixtures makes the tournament more appealing when it comes to trying to get AEW talent, for example. Yujiro and Fale not making a 32 man list is encouraging in one way but it makes me wonder how many of the pandemic tournament mainstays are being taken for granted for these announcements, especially if there are fewer participants in future. Not making any predictions but this could be the last time we get to see the likes of GOD or Ishii in a G1. Maybe Tana will get a story out of his final tournament but for most we won't know they're out forever until they're out forever. Could end up being seen as a tournament that bridges the gap between two eras. Will be a lot of newb v star litmus test matches in the group stages for sure. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Natural Posted June 5, 2023 Author Share Posted June 5, 2023 Spoiler Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Natural Posted June 6, 2023 Author Share Posted June 6, 2023 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lostinube Posted June 10, 2023 Share Posted June 10, 2023 They announced the blocks at the Road to Strong show. A, B, C, D. A (aka SANADA and the kids) = SANADA, Umino, Narita, Tsuji, Hikuleo, Chase Owans (zero points possibility!), Kidd, Kiyomiya. B (aka LOL, what is Loa doing here) = Okada, YOSHI-HASHI, Loa, El-P, TAICHI, Ospreay, O-Khan, KENTA C (aka Let's hit hard!) = Tama, Ishii, Takagi, Nicholls, Henare, Kingston, Finlay, EVIL D (aka Alex's trial by fire) = Tanahashi, Goto, Yano, Naito, ZSJ, Haste, Cobb, Coughlin 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SturmCRF Posted June 10, 2023 Share Posted June 10, 2023 I think I like those blocks. Really holding back on giving us any of their three recent Japanese excursion returnees big matches against most of their established main eventers, but we'll get to see Coughlin against loads of fresh opponents. Block C is maybe the least interesting, and yet even that has a Shingo vs Henare rematch (hell, Shingo vs literally anyone is usually worth a look), and Eddie Kingston. I for one cannot wait, I don't know how I ever survived the (soccer) football Summer break without the G1. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lostinube Posted June 10, 2023 Share Posted June 10, 2023 Block C is like a mini-NEVER title tournament unto itself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EVA Posted June 10, 2023 Share Posted June 10, 2023 Those blocks are legit awful. One the many downsides of the diluted 32-man field is that the 4 blocks cordon off so many of the most interesting matches. Gonna need some outsiders making the semis to really make this interesting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Natural Posted June 10, 2023 Author Share Posted June 10, 2023 Video: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Natural Posted June 10, 2023 Author Share Posted June 10, 2023 Time limit down from the usual 30 minutes to 20 minutes. QF knockout phase is new. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teflon Turtle Posted June 10, 2023 Share Posted June 10, 2023 (edited) 1 hour ago, EVA said: Those blocks are legit awful. One the many downsides of the diluted 32-man field is that the 4 blocks cordon off so many of the most interesting matches. Gonna need some outsiders making the semis to really make this interesting. Yeah, some of the block assignments have me scratching my head, but I think it's a pretty safe bet some of the outside wrestlers are getting through the block stage. It has been pointed out that the only way Kiyomiya can meet up with Okada in this tournament is in the semifinals. I feel like that one is pretty much a lock, and it'll be weird if it turns out not to be. Also...it has been twenty years since NOAH representative Jun Akiyama made the finals of the G1. I'd be surprised if that doesn't get brought up, and I could see the story leading to Kiyomiya getting there too. I even find it pretty interesting that NJPW didn't wall off SANADA, in the sense that someone from NOAH is guaranteed a match with the current NJPW champ. EDIT: The 20 minute time limit has me excited, honestly. Looks like NJPW has learned their lesson about match times and saw how well overall this year's BOSJ wound up going. Edited June 10, 2023 by Teflon Turtle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dragonzombie Posted June 10, 2023 Share Posted June 10, 2023 Kaito's tag team partner is Ryohei Oiwa. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimLivingston Posted June 10, 2023 Share Posted June 10, 2023 Eddie not matching up with Taichi is criminal. Also, Ishii has faced so many Americans over the years the luster is gone, and he’s lost a step from when he was at his peak. The Shingo match has a really good chance of being good, but I wish there were more chances for Eddie to show out. I mean, come on, you couldn’t match him up with Yano?!? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blitzkrieg Posted June 10, 2023 Share Posted June 10, 2023 I appreciate that they're also carrying over from the BOSJ the lack of preview tags. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
username Posted June 11, 2023 Share Posted June 11, 2023 I mainly was interested in this G1 to see Kingston and Kaito and they pretty much got the least interesting blocks, so that's a shame. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evil Otto Posted June 11, 2023 Share Posted June 11, 2023 Speaking of Coughlin, the new Strong episode on New Japan World is from the April Philadelphia show, with Coughlin vs. Tracy Williams in a ROH Pure Rules match. Outrageously great little gem of a match that shouldn't go unnoticed. If you want to see the type of stuff that Coughlin is likely to pull out in the G1, I think this match will surely interest you. Apparently, the New Japan World Official Youtube page has also posted it, which is unusual for them to do, but I applaud them for clearly realizing that this match deserves a wider audience. https://youtu.be/AAvYTyJPaVs?t=1111 (I timestamped it as well.) 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Casey Posted June 11, 2023 Share Posted June 11, 2023 Yoshi-Hashi versus Great O-Khan sounds like my own personal hell. Yikes. I’ve paid for NJPWorld since WrestleKingdom and haven’t used it once since then. I might make use of it for G1 szn. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Natural Posted June 13, 2023 Author Share Posted June 13, 2023 I agree. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salads Posted June 14, 2023 Share Posted June 14, 2023 On 6/13/2023 at 9:47 AM, The Natural said: I agree. Naito's usually got a point when he goes on a moan. He also says: "In last year's tournament, 14 out of 84 official matches took more than 20 minutes to finish, so the theory that 30 minutes is not necessary is not valid. I would also like to see an explanation as to why the change to time limits was made, because if they make such a big deal of the 20 minute single match, the 15 minute single match for the TV title will lose its special feeling" The quarter finals plus large number of entrants makes it feel like it is encroaching on the NJ Cup's territory. Shorter matches can be a great thing but as Naito says they tended to be anyway so this is kinf of like advertising 'there will be draws'. I still kinda suspect that the field being so big is because they would have had the returning natives, Aussie Open, War Dogs etc all vying for spots in the company with the company not really having a great idea of which ones they should be backing and how much. So shove them all in then at least afterwards you have a better idea. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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