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New Japan Pro Wrestling's G1 Climax Tournament Dates Revealed

New Japan Pro Wrestling's biggest tournament of the year starts in the United States.
Aidan Chacon|
Konosuke Takeshita
Konosuke Takeshita | All Elite Wrestling

The biggest annual tournament in pro wrestling begins this summer. It's not King of the Ring or the Owen Hart Foundation Tournament; it's New Japan Pro Wrestling's G1 Climax Tournament.

The boom of All Elite Wrestling and TNA on mainstream television has pushed New Japan Pro Wrestling in the rankings of popularity in the United States. However, before that, NJPW had a strong, well-established case to be the second-best and second-largest wrestling promotion in the world. NJPW's boom began with the G1 Climax tournament in the summer of 2016.

In August 2016, buzz began swirling about this cleaner who was running roughshod over the NJPW roster. Headlines popped up in algorithms about this in-ring general named Kenny Omega, who was gliding through the air before kneeing heads off. The One-Winged Angel finisher was making the rounds as one of the most unique moves in wrestling.

Omega went on to beat Hirooki Goto in the finals of the tournament and became IWGP Heavyweight champion about a year later. NJPW will begin to crown its next star using the tournament this July.

Konosuke Takeshita successfully defended the NJPW World TV Championship.
Following his successful defense of the NJPW World TV Championship, Konosuke Takeshita identified Shota Umino as his next challenger. | New Japan Pro-Wrestling

When is the G1 Climax?

The G1 Climax tournament begins July 11 in the United States. The most grueling tournament in pro wrestling starts in Illinois and ends inside Ryogoku Sumo Hall in Tokyo, Japan, on August 15 and 16. The tournament spans 19 dates and 15 venues, and the July 11 opening day will take place inside the NOW Arena in Hoffman Estates, Illinois, which holds just over 11,000 fans.

It will be just the second time in NJPW history that the tournament begins outside of Japan. G1 Climax 29 in 2019 began in Dallas, Texas, inside the American Airlines Center. Just under 5,000 people made it to the show seven years ago, but the support of All Elite Wrestling in the United States should lead to a better performance this time around.

NJPW has made better efforts to expand its business into the United States for almost a decade now. You can watch the G1 Climax using NJPW's streaming service called NJPW World. Their monthly subscription costs $9.99 and streams most NJPW shows live.

Last year's G1 Climax tournament started at 1:00 am on the West Coast and 4:00 am on the East Coast since it began in Japan. This year, Americans can celebrate the start of a month-long tournament at a more convenient time.

What is the G1 Climax?

The G1 Climax is New Japan Pro Wrestling's annual tournament to crown a new No. 1 contender to the IWGP Heavyweight championship. The winner of the tournament usually faces the IWGP Heavyweight champion at WrestleKingdom the following January.

The tournament is a round robin tournament with a playoff and finals. Twenty wrestlers are divided into two blocks. The three highest point-getters in each block enter the playoffs. The playoffs are single-elimination matches where the winners of each block receive a first-round bye. It's a grueling and exhausting month-long tournament that really tests the mental fortitude and physical durability of these wrestlers.

Konosuke Takeshita won the G1 Climax last year after defeating EVIL. Takeshita went on to win the IWGP Heavyweight championship from Zack Sabre Jr. in October 2025 and put it on the line against Yota Tsuji in a unification match with the Global Heavyweight championship at WrestleKingdom 20.

Wrestling Dontaku also announced

NJPW announced the dates for their Wrestling Dontaku shows. Wrestling Dontaku is heading to the Fukuoka International Center on May 3 and May 4. New IWGP Heavyweight champion Callum Newman will defend his championship against Takagi. It will be his first defense since beating Yota Tsuji for the championship at Sakura Genesis earlier this week.

Stream the G1 Climax and Wrestling Dontaku on NJPW World this summer.

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Published
Aidan Chacon
AIDAN CHACON

Aidan has been a contributor to The Takedown since July of 2025. He also currently writes for the Miami Heat & Orlando Magic on SIl. Before joining On SI, he reported for Caplin News and created content individually. He has a bachelor’s degree in Digital Media & Communications at FIU’s School of Journalism. Aidan has spent years producing pro wrestling content on social media and writing about pro sports. He’s a lifelong enthusiast of the business and continues to cover the global wrestling world with an unbiased, but passionate approach. His favorite pro wrestling memory is watching Triple H vs. Undertaker at WrestleMania 28, and legend has it he is still chanting "move the palm trees" to this day.

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