Hiroshi Tanahashi on G1 night one in Chicago, ‘very productive’ talk with Tony Khan
By holding the opening night of this year’s G1 Climax in the United States, NJPW President Hiroshi Tanahashi is hoping to get more eyes on the emerging stars in the promotion.
G1 Climax 36 kicks off with night one being held at NOW Arena in Chicago on July 11. While speaking with Planeta Wrestling about the tournament, Tanahashi positioned this as an important moment that will benefit NJPW for the next 3-5 years.
“This year’s G1 [lineup] is truly excellent,” Tanahashi said. “Any of the 20 wrestlers has a chance to win, and that’s very exciting. As for holding the first night in the United States, I think it’s a crucial event that can set the stage for the next three, four, or five years. It’s important for American fans to get a close look at today’s NJPW wrestlers and the current NJPW style, so this is an opportunity for that.”
Nine tournament matches will be part of the July 11 card. Gabe Kidd and Drilla Moloney are the only G1 competitors who do not have a match that night, with Kidd unable to be at the show due to visa issues. Here is the full lineup:
- A Block: Konosuke Takeshita vs. Yota Tsuji
- A Block: Hirooki Goto vs. SANADA
- A Block: Shingo Takagi vs. Jake Lee
- A Block: Yuto-Ice vs. Great-O-Khan
- A Block: Oleg Boltin vs. El Phantasmo or Ryohei Oiwa
- B Block: Shota Umino vs. Zack Sabre Jr.
- B Block: Yuya Uemura vs. Callum Newman
- B Block: Aaron Wolf vs. HENARE
- B Block: Ren Narita vs. OSKAR or Yujiro Takahashi
Continued NJPW & AEW cooperation under NJPW’s new ownership —
This trip to Chicago comes not long after NJPW was in the US for Forbidden Door 2026. Tanahashi told Planeta Wrestling that he spoke with AEW’s Tony Khan and discussed how the two sides will continue to work together now that NJPW’s ownership has changed from Bushiroad to TV Asahi & CyberAgent.
“I had the honor of attending Forbidden Door this year, and it was a tremendous show. Tony Khan and I sat down and had a very productive conversation,” Tanahashi said. “We discussed NJPW under the new management of TV Asahi, as well as how we will continue to cooperate: AEW supporting NJPW in the United States, and NJPW supporting AEW in its future plans in Japan. I believe it is very important to increase the recognition of our respective wrestlers in the other country, and a strong system of talent exchange and cooperation can benefit everyone.”
Joseph Currier is the lead editor of F4WOnline.com, directing daily news coverage and writing articles on professional wrestling. He is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts, obtaining a journalism degree in 2016. Joseph joined F4W during his time at UMass and has now been writing about the industry for nearly a decade.
In addition to his work with F4W, Joseph has previously contributed to Sports Illustrated's wrestling coverage. He lives in Massachusetts and is a diehard fan of the Boston sports teams and Liverpool Football Club.