By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
New Japan Pro Wrestling “G1 Climax 36 – Night 2”
July 18, 2026, in Hokkaido, Japan, at Hokkaido Prefectural Sports Center
Streamed live on New Japan World
This appears to be a small arena with a crowd of 2,500. Walker Stewart and Oskar Leube provided English commentary. (I’ve heard Oskar before; his German accent is quite thick, and he’s far too polite, and it really doesn’t feel like he’s “playing a character” when he is in the booth.)
* This year’s field is 20 wrestlers divided into two Blocks. Thus, each wrestler has nine round-robin matches. A win is worth two points, while a (rare!) tie is worth one point to each wrestler. Today, we have FIVE Block A tournament matches, plus Drilla Moloney vs. Gabe Kidd from the B Block. (Due to visa issues for Kidd, this match couldn’t take place on Night 1.)
* Shota Umino suffered a concussion on Night 1 in Chicago, and he has forfeited his eight remaining Block B matches. I will assign those points to the totals on the days that each of Umino’s matches was slated to take place. I am deeply disappointed that they didn’t put in a replacement for EIGHT matches. They could have, for instance, put Taichi or Yoshi-Hashi in and given him the 0-1 start.
OKAY, to the show!
* Hiroyoshi Tenzan limped to the ring. Oof, he looks rough. He got on the mic and spoke. No Chris Charlton for quick English commentary. Tenzan apparently announced that his retirement match will be against Satoshi Kojima on Aug. 15. It will be a singles match. Ugh, that could be a disaster. He was too good for too long to go out in an embarrassing fashion.
1. Aaron Wolf and Tatsuya Matsumoto vs. Toru Yano and Tasei Nakahara. Yano is replacing Shota Umino in this one. Yano and Wolf opened. Oskar talked about eating and shopping in Chicago. The Young Lions squared off at 2:00. Walker said Nakahara is now 0-37, not having a win in singles or multi-man action. Nakahara hit a grazing dropkick on Wolf, who staggered but didn’t go down. Walker didn’t point it out, but Wolf wore white or light gray trunks — like in Chicago, he’s not wearing the Young Lion black trunks. Wolf put Nakahara in a Boston Crab, and Tasei tapped out. Dull, but at least it was short.
Aaron Wolf and Tatsuya Matsumoto defeated Toru Yano and Tasei Nakahara at 5:10.
2. “United Empire” Callum Newman and Zane Jay vs. “House of Torture” Ren Narita and Dick Togo. Newman and Togo opened. On the floor, Ren pushed Callum into the ring post at 2:30 and threw him back into the ring. Zane twisted and targeted Ren’s left arm and applied a cross-armbreaker, but Ren reached the ropes at 5:00. Zane hit a fallaway slam for a nearfall. The HoT hit a Magic Killer team slam, and Ren pinned Jay. Okay.
“House of Torture” Ren Narita and Dick Togo defeated “United Empire” Callum Newman and Zane Jay at 6:35.
3. “The Mighty Don’t Kneel” Zack Sabre Jr. and Hartley Jackson vs. Yuya Uemura and Masatora Yasuda. Yasuda tried to lift Hartley at the bell, but the big man didn’t budge. Hartley dropped the kid with a chop. Sabre got in and hit a series of European Uppercuts. Yuya entered and hit a double-underhook suplex on Sabre, and those two traded reversals on the mat.
Sabre hit his neck-snap move between his ankles at 5:00. Hartley got back in and splashed onto Yuya in a corner. Hartley hit his massive senton on Yasuda for a nearfall. Yasuda got the bodyslam on Hartley! The crowd popped for that. he put Hartley in a Boston crab. Hartley escaped, got up, hit a hard clothesline, then the Jagged Edge (Death Valley Driver) for the pin on Yuya. Solid.
“The Mighty Don’t Kneel” Zack Sabre Jr. and Hartley Jackson defeated Yuya Uemura and Masatora Yasuda at 7:55.
4. Gabe Kidd vs. Drilla Moloney in a B Block tournament match. Again, this was originally planned for Chicago; it means Kidd and Moloney will now have tournament matches on back-to-back days. The bell rang, and they jawed at each other. Gabe slapped him in the face; Drilla hit his own slap. They fought to the floor and traded chops. Gabe whipped Moloney into rows of chairs. Walker talked about how Gabe has “betrayed NJPW this year” and is all-in on AEW. They continued to loop the floor of this arena as they brawled.
Drilla dropped Kidd throat-first on the guardrail, then whipped him into the guardrail at 4:00. Walker said these two had their first-ever singles match in 2014 in England and are 2-2 all-time against each other. Kidd threw a chair at Drilla’s head (I hate that. We’ve already had one injury in B Block.) Drilla was bleeding from the forehead. They got into the ring at 6:00! Kidd hit multiple chops. Drilla hit a dropkick. They got up and traded forearm strikes and loud slaps. Drilla hit another dropkick. Drilla hit a Gore! They were both down, and the 10:00 call was spot-on.
Gabe hit a German Suplex. Gabe hit a brainbuster for a nearfall, then a second brainbuster for a believable nearfall. A third brainbuster got a believable nearfall; I thought that was it. Drilla hit a top-rope elbow drop, then a pop-up powerbomb at 13:30. He hit a second Gore and got a nearfall! Gabe hit his own spear! Moloney avoided a Drilla Killa (his own move!), and he hit a back suplex. Drilla hit a running knee to the chest, then a piledriver. Moloney nailed the Drilla Killa (swinging piledriver) for the pin. Really good action.
Drilla Moloney (2) defeated Gabe Kidd (0) at 15:45.
5. Sanada (0) vs. Great-O-Khan (0) in an A Block tournament match. Oskar made fun of Sanada’s shiny, golden pants and golden sombrero. Someone who finishes 5-4 will likely make the playoffs — but whoever loses here is going to be 0-2 and have an uphill climb. O-Khan hit a punch before the bell, and we’re underway. He hit his Mongolian Chops. Sanada hit a basement dropkick on the knee. They fought to the floor, and O-Khan whipped him into the guardrails at 2:00 and choked Sanada with a chain
O-Khan hit a chairshot across the back. Oskar was livid, wondering how the ref didn’t see that. Walker noted the leniency outside the ring. O-Khan got a nearfall in the ring at 3:30. Sanada hit a dropkick, and he removed a corner pad. (Does he think he’s Yano now?) He whipped O-Khan into the exposed corner at 5:00. He tied O-Khan in the Paradise Lock and struck him with the corner pad and got a nearfall. Sanada hit a Dragonscrew Legwhip in the ropes at 6:30, and O-Khan fell to the floor. In the ring, O-Khan applied a Claw to Sanada’s head.
Sanada nailed a Shining Wizard at 9:00, then one to the back of the head! He hit another one to the jaw and got a nearfall. Sanada nailed his moonsault, and O-Khan rolled to the floor, where he grabbed a chair! He swung and missed. Sanada jabbed O-Khan in the gut with it, then hit the Magic Screw swinging neckbreaker from the apron to the floor! They fought on the entrance ramp and away from the ring. The ref was counting! O-Khan hit a piledriver onto an open chair. He jumped back into the ring at the 18-count, but Sanada was down and out on the floor, and the ref reached the 20-count.
Great-O-Khan (2) defeated Sanada (0) via count-out at 11:15.
6. Konosuke Takeshita (0) vs. Jake Lee (2) in a B Block tournament match. A lockup at the bell, and Lee is clearly several inches taller. Lee hit a running Penalty Kick on the apron. In the ring, Takeshita hit some forearm strikes, then a leaping clothesline and a suplex. They went to the floor. Takeshita hit a DDT on the thin mat at ringside at 3:30! In the ring, Takeshita got a towel to rub and remove all of Lee’s weird makeup from his face. They traded forearm strikes. Lee dropped him with a knee lift to the gut at 5:30.
Lee hit a back suplex for a nearfall, but he missed a Helluva Kick. Takeshita slammed him to the mat, then nailed a Power Drive knee strike! Lee dropped him with a spin kick to the ear, then a chokeslam for a nearfall at 7:30. Takeshita hit another leaping knee to the sternum, then a second Power Drive knee for a believable nearfall. Lee hit a brainbuster for a nearfall. Takeshita hit another leaping knee, then the Raging Fire (spinning Falcon Arrow) for the clean pin. I wouldn’t be surprised if that winds up being Lee’s best tournament match … and Takeshita’s worst tournament match.
Konosuke Takeshita (2) defeated Jake Lee (2) at 8:53.
7. Boltin Oleg (0) vs. Yuto-Ice (2) in a B Block tournament match. They immediately traded fast-paced reversals on the mat and had a standoff. They got up and traded forearm strikes. Oleg scooped him up and slammed him, then hit a splash to the mat for a nearfall at 2:30. Oleg applied a Boston Crab, but Yuto-Ice reached the ropes. Yuto-Ice fired up and hit some quick kicks. Yuto-Ice hit his running knee in the corner for a nearfall at 5:30. He hit a running Penalty Kick, but Oleg popped to his feet, and they traded forearm strikes.
Oleg hit a shotgun dropkick for a nearfall at 8:30. Yuto-Ice hit a series of roundhouse kicks and kept Oleg grounded. He nailed a buzzsaw kick to the head for a nearfall at 10:30. Yuto-Ice hit another series of roundhouse kicks, eventually dropping Oleg. Boltin hit a belly-to-belly suplex for a nearfall at 12:30. Oleg couldn’t hit the Kamikaze. Yuto-Ice hit a flying kick to the back of the head. Oleg hit the Kamikaze (forward Finlay Roll) for a nearfall. Oleg hit a release F5 faceplant, and he was fired up! Oleg hit a standing powerbomb for a nearfall at 14:30. He hit another one! The ref checked on Yuto-Ice, determined he was knocked out, and stopped the match!
Boltin Oleg (2) defeated Yuto-Ice (2) via ref stoppage at 15:00.
8. Ryohei Oiwa (2) vs. Shingo Takagi (0) in a B Block tournament match. They opened in a knuckle lock and a test of strength. Oiwa’s size really is underrated. Oiwa dropped him with a shoulder tackle, but he missed a senton. Oiwa tied up the left arm, but Shingo got his feet on the ropes at 2:30. Oiwa hit the senton for a nearfall. Shingo hit a senton and a DDT, then a running clothesline into the corner. Shingo nailed a top-rope superplex at 5:00, then a twisting neckbreaker for a nearfall. Oiwa hit a back suplex for a nearfall at 6:30.
Oiwa hit a frog splash, and he tied up the right arm. He hit a snap German Suplex for a nearfall at 8:00. Shingo applied a cross-armbreaker on the left arm. Oiwa hit some Mongolian Chops. Shingo hit a back suplex. Oiwa dropped him with a clothesline. Shingo popped up, hit a clothesline, and they were both down at 11:00. Nice sequence. Shingo nailed the Made In Japan (pumphandle powerbomb) for a nearfall. Oiwa got a Chaos Theory (rolling German Suplex) for a nearfall at 12:30.
Oiwa went back to twisting the left arm. He nailed a Doctor Bomb for a nearfall at 14:00. Shingo hit a hard clothesline for a nearfall. Oiwa stomped on the left elbow. Shingo nailed Last of the Dragon (modified DVD) at 15:30, then a Pumping Bomber decapitating clothesline for a believable nearfall! Shingo hit a “Burning Dragon” DVD for the pin. That was really, really good.
Shingo Takagi (2) defeated Ryohei Oiwa (2) at 16:37.
9. Yota Tsuji (2) vs. Hirooki Goto (2) in a B Block tournament match. A feeling-out process early on, and Yota hit a loud chop against the ropes. Goto hit a kick to the spine. Tsuji hit a sliding dropkick to the floor at 3:00, then a dive through the ropes onto Goto. In the ring, Tsuji hit a knee lift to the ribs and got a nearfall. Yota hit a neck-snap between his ankles. Goto hit a hard clothesline at 6:30, and they were both down. Tsuji hit a Flatliner and a German Suplex at 8:00.
Yota tied him in a Boston Crab at 10:00 and sat down on Goto’s lower back. They got up and traded forearm strikes. Yota hit some open-hand slaps and kept Goto grounded. He hit a Stomp to the head for a nearfall at 15:30. Goto hit his neckbreaker over the knee, and they were both down. Goto nailed a second-rope Sunset Bomb, and they were both down at 18:00. Goto hit a hard clothesline and the GTR slam for a nearfall.
Tsuji went for a running knee, but Goto blocked it. Tsuji hit a thudding headbutt, then a swinging powerbomb for a nearfall at 19:30. Tsuji went for a Gene Blaster (spear), but Goto blocked it, and Goto hit a swinging side slam, and they were both down. Tsuji nailed the Gene Blaster for a nearfall at 22:00! He set up for another one, but Goto caught him with a spin kick to the jaw. Goto hit another neckbreaker and a GTR for the pin! Solid match; Goto is always a bit more methodical than I prefer.
Hirooki Goto (4) defeated Yota Tsuji (2) at 22:35.
Final Thoughts: A pretty good night of action. I really liked Shingo-Oiwa, and I’ll go with that for best match. Kidd-Moloney was really good for second. I’ll go with Oleg vs. Yuto-Ice for third. The main event was fine, but there were a few times when several minutes passed with literally nothing to write or describe about the action. Goto is the only undefeated wrestler in the A Block, while Sanada is the only winless competitor.
The B Block will be in action with FOUR tournament matches on Sunday (Aaron Wolf will get his forfeit victory over Shota Umino). Unless Taichi and Yoshi-Hashi are unavailable because of bookings elsewhere, I just think it was a mistake not to let one of those two replace Shota for the rest of the tournament. (It didn’t happen before this show, so I don’t expect it to happen at all.)
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