NJPW G1 Climax 36 night one live results: Opening night in Chicago
The G1 Climax 36 kicks off tonight in Chicago.
Every match scheduled for tonight’s show will be a tournament bout, with five singles matches set for A Block and four for B Block.
The show is set for the NOW Arena in Hoffman Estates, Illinois. Earlier this week, it was reported that 4,520 tickets had been distributed.
Some of the more notable matches scheduled include Konosuke Takeshita vs. Yota Tsuji, Hirooki Goto vs. SANADA, Shingo Takagi vs. Jake Lee, Aaron Wolf vs. HENARE, and Shota Umino vs. Zack Sabre Jr.
The full lineup is available below.
- A Block: Yota Tsuji defeated Konosuke Takeshita
- A Block: Hirooki Goto defeated SANADA
- A Block: Jake Lee defeated Shingo Takagi
- A Block: Yuto-Ice defeated Great-O-Khan
- A Block: Ryohei Oiwa defeated Oleg Boltin
- B Block: Zack Sabre Jr. defeated Shota Umino
- B Block: Callum Newman defeated Yuya Uemura
- B Block: Aaron Wolf defeated HENARE
- B Block: OSKAR defeated Ren Narita
Our live coverage kicks off at 7 p.m. Central time.
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Aaron Wolf (1) defeated HENARE (0) in the B Block
HENARE initially struggled against the equally powerful Wolf, but found better standing by striking and tossing his young opponent into the ring post. Wolf fought back, blocking lariats and countering with a uranage. A Spinning Heel Kick returned sway of the match to HENARE’s favor. Utilizing his judo prowess, Wolf flung HENARE over his shoulder again and again. HENARE, incensed, rampaged directly into Wolf’s powerslam.
Wolf boldly headbutted HENARE and ate a lariat for his troubles. He recovered immediately, unleashing multiple Angle Slams to put away the Maori wrestler.
To think Wolf could have been having matches like this when he was instead embroiled in a prolonged House of Torture feud. These boys were big, they were beefy, and they were ready to die. Wolf showed his guts by headbutting HENARE, and that gamble paid off. NJPW set the stage for the show well here.
Jake Lee (1) Shingo Takagi (0) in the A Block
Lee’s wily antics were no match for Takagi, who took him outside with a shoulder tackle. Lee booted Takagi to the apron in retaliation and did that one Fortnite dance because why not. Back outside, Takagi spiked Lee to the ground with a Death Valley Driver. A Superplex from the top rope bounced Lee across the mat, where he briefly flopped like a fish on dry land. He rebounded with a Penalty Kick.
Takagi denied Lee’s boot, redirecting it into a Dragonscrew Legwhip. His Pumping Bomber continued to devastate Lee, but to no avail. Takagi and Lee chased each other, which would have gone well with Benny Hill music. Lee shocked the Chicago crowd with a Facebreak Shot. Bad start for the Rampaging Dragon.
Chris Charlton made a good point about Lee’s character, having been set away in the same room for months due to his injury. How poetic it is, then, his persona’s insanity matches just how crazy it is that his lore is more interesting than his wrestling. That said, the finish was pretty neat, while quite understated.
OSKAR (1) defeated Ren Narita (0) in the B Block
Narita wasted no time whatsoever; he immediately homed in on OSKAR’s leg like a heat-seeking missile. The German, none too pleased, evicted Narita outside, where he chopped him and spiked his cranium on the apron. Narita ducked a boot from OSKAR into the barricade, exploiting an opportunity to torment his caught leg more, particularly with a chair.
Narita did not let up on the leg, cranking it in a Stunt Puller. Chicago voiced their strong support for the Knockout Brother, thus empowering him to kick Narita back and execute a powerbomb. Narita bullied OSKAR some more until a chop from his gargantuan foe sent him back down. Hell’s Guillotine proved ineffective, as OSKAR powered out. Narita relied on another Stunt Puller. OSKAR caught Narita in a headlock and swung him around until the House of Torture member passed out. Stick a fork in him; he’s done.
No House of Torture shenanigans. No cheating. Just some dirty fighting. The Chicago fans in attendance were really into OSKAR.
Yuto-Ice (1) versus Great-O-Khan (0) in the A Block
Khan’s Mongolian Chops pounded Ice after the bell. Ice picked Khan down with a kick to the chin. He followed with a Bomboclat. Khan snatched a comeback, propping the Knockout Brother’s head on a chair and swinging into it with another. Ice circled back to control via a hair-pull mat slam.
Another Bomboclat clunked Khan’s head. Khan bit Ice’s head, but suffered a roundhouse kick. Ice punted Khan’s chest with a significant thump. Khan fired back with a low blow and a Rail Gun. Using his Iron Claw, Khan repeatedly bashed Ice’s head onto the cerulean mat. The cocky Khan aimed to raise Ice for another slam, only to look at the lights after his opponent’s Cruella finisher. Looks like Khan just got iced.
I love that both Knockout Brothers have a win in their G1 scores. There wasn’t anything crazy to write home about this, nothing memorable, but a bunch of fun nevertheless.
Zack Sabre Jr. (1) Shota Umino (0) in the B Block
Sabre operated like a fishing net, catching Umino for various head submissions. Umino tripped him up and flung Sabre over his shoulder. Sabre swung back with an uppercut, and another, and torqued Umino’s arm and leg, cranking the ankle. Umino brought forth a hurricane of chops and swings, leaving Sabre a crumpled mess in the corner. Sabre’s abysmal luck continued with a Fisherman’s Suplex, worsening things. Umino pounced over the rope to decapitate Sabre on the bottom rope to the apron.
Sabre battled Umino back on the top turnbuckle, headbutting and punching, saving up for a Sunset Bomb to flatten his opponent. Umino caught Sabre’s leg mid-kick, and his face caught several slaps in return. Sabre shot off a PK, then endured a Tornado-DDT. Wrenching Umino’s arm behind his shoulder, the Brit twisted as far back as he could and toyed with the wrist. Both men lay horizontal following a thunderous Shota Driver and a Strike Knee.
Umino regained control, seeking a Second Chapter. However, Sabre responded with a Zack Driver. Sabre countered an Okana Roll with a rear-naked choke. One last Zack Driver proved the difference-maker, as the Frontman overcame the Roughneck.
Another satisfying chapter in the chapter of frenemies.
Hirooki Goto (1) defeated SANADA (0) in the A Block
SANADA walked into Chicago looking like a taco plated and encrusted in gold. He wore an absurdly wide and long hat.
Originally fooled by a gesture of sportsmanship by SANADA, Goto’s sturdy exterior bounced him onto the mat. Against the railing, SANDA flung Goto’s flesh against its steel. SANADA tied Goto into his patented Paradise Lock. Goto flipped onto the ground outside thanks to a Magic Screw. Exhausted, but not diminished, Goto’s Ushigoroshi crushed SANADA. SANADA jumped back with a Shining Wizard. Goto retorted with a lariat.
Backflipping through the air, SANADA ensnared Goto in an abdominal stretch. The Goto Revolution was in full effect as he plummeted SANADA with a GTW. SANADA escaped a backslide for another Shining Wizard. Goto gained his first singles win with a Goto Revolution over SANADA.
Smart move to have Goto looking strong early in the tournament ahead of his Street Fighter film.
Callum Newman (1) defeated Yuya Uemura (0) in the B Block
Newman spat in Uemura’s face, initiating this spiteful encounter. Uemura threw in numerous deep arm drags amid a frantic chase for control. Newman drew Uemura into the crowd, smashing him into the chairs with a leaping dropkick. Seriously, he got some good air in that jump.
Uemura slipped away from an Irish Whip to the corner before grounding Newman in a hammerlock hold. Newman floated over Uemura to clutch a rear-naked choke. As he did throughout the match, Uemura kept unrelenting focus on Newman’s arm, tweaking it back, leaving Newman flushed on the mat. Newman diverted a Deadbolt into a Prince’s Curse.
Uemura secured a Deadbolt and completed a second one. Noticing this drained more energy from Uemura, Newman plunged his Excalibur finisher into him. Each man entered a mad frenzy, culminating in Newman’s The Crown and Make Way to elapse this long bout. The Prince stepped out of Chicago the victor.
Pulse-pounding and prolonged, Newman and Uemura made a great case for which of the two could easily slot into the finals and headline Wrestle Kingdom. Though he didn’t do so hot this time, I’m still investing in Uemura stock.
Ryohei Oiwa (1) defeated Oleg Boltin (0) in the A Block
These behemoths squared off, jockeying for power over the other, reaching a stalemate before an impressed Chicago crowd. Oiwa chopped away at Boltin’s chest, and he volleyed it back. He’d speed out of a whip to the corner to land a senton on Boltin.
A Boltin Shake disoriented Oiwa, priming him for a Boltin Bomb. The ring post stood rigid still after Oiwa launched Boltin into its unforgiving blue steel. Oiwa centered his attention on Boltin’s tender left elbow. Boltin fought out of this with a Kamikaze. Another Kamikaze later, Boltin remained in control.
Oiwa reverted to TMDK’s more technical stylings, clinging to Boltin’s back in an effort to weigh and choke him down. Boltin denied this, sending both of them plummeting to the mat, refusing to tap out to Oiwa’s clutches. Ultimately, Boltin did relent, slapping the mat as Oiwa cranked his hurt elbow back further.
Whoo-wee. These big boys were hustling. Oiwa’s restrategizing was the best plan for him, as Boltin was too powerful, a god handicapped by mortal flaws of the human body. This is a constant source of loss for Boltin; somehow keeps him looking strong, but I dream of the day he gets his big chances. Someday.
Yota Tsuji (1) defeated Konosuke Takeshita (0) in the A Block
Takeshita prevented a standstill when he roped Tsuji in for a side headlock. Tsuji slipped in a hurricanrana, though, and crashed him into the barricade with a Tsuji-cida. He’d wring his hand as it brought an echoing smack into Takeshita’s bosom. Takeshita clambered to his knees after a Tilt-a-Whirl Backbreaker positioned Tsuji further in charge.
Takeshita rejected a Gene Blaster, instead barreling into him with a tope con hilo. An exploder suplex thwarted Tsuji’s burgeoning attempts to climb back on top. Takeshita teeter-tottered Tsuji back and forth on the match to allow another exploder suplex and a Blue Thunderbomb. Tsuji yanked back in a Boston Crab, which later transitioned into an inverse Styles Clash. He tried another Gene Blaster, which Takeshita trounced with a big boot.
Tsuji hit Takeshita with a Shotei elbow and then a Silver Lining. A running knee clocked Takeshita’s lights out momentarily. Takeshita collided with Tsuji into the mat courtesy of a Spanish Fly, while dwindling his own energy, leading to a 20-count, which both men broke. Takeshita ran forth for a Power Drive, interrupted by a successful Gene Blaster. Tsuji hit another Gene Blaster, which bore no fruit. One final Gene Blaster rendered Takeshita flat long enough for the one, two, three.
Post-match: Tsuji spoke his best English to greet the Chicago crowd. He declared to continue carrying the IWGP World Championship.
Final Thoughts
A great start to G1 Climax 36. Chicago was on fire tonight, with maybe one or two matches underdelivering. The opener hyped up the whole show, while Boltin/Oiwa, Uemura/Newman, and Tsuji/Takeshita were undeniably the matches that poured gasoline on this show’s flame.
Corey Michaels covers the play-by-play action of events hosted by New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). Referenced by content creators and Wikipedia articles, he adds his prosaic voice with authority to the F4W/WON audience.
A content writer and wrestling fan, Corey has woven the stories of our great sport into literature. He cuts to the emotional core of characters, rivalries, and angles.