By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
New Japan Pro Wrestling “G1 Climax 36 – Night 17”
August 13, 2026, in Tokyo, Japan, at Korakuen Hall
Streamed live on New Japan World
Walker Stewart and Chris Charlton provided English commentary. This is a sellout.
* 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 FOUR B Block tournament matches due to Shota Umino’s injury, causing him to forfeit his final eight matches. At the conclusion of this show, everyone will have completed all of their round-robin matches, and the playoff field will be complete!
1. Hirooki Goto and Tatsuya Matsumoto vs. Boltin Oleg and Masatora Yasuda. The Young Lions argued and opened against each other. Goto hit a spinning kick to Oleg’s jaw. Boltin hit a belly-to-belly suplex. Goto hit a neckbreaker over his knee on Yasuda for the pin.
Hirooki Goto and Tatsuya Matsumoto defeated Boltin Oleg and Masatora Yasuda at 4:49.
2. Konosuke Takeshita and Toru Yano and Taisei Nakahara vs. “House of Torture” Sho and Yoshinobu Kanemaru and Sanada. The HoT attacked, and we’re underway. Takeshita hit a flying clothesline on Sanada, then a double clothesline on the others at 2:30. Takeshita suplexed Sho. Nakahara tagged in and he hit some forearm strikes on Sho (first appearance of this whole tour for Sho!) Nakahara hit a dropkick for a nearfall at 4:30, and he put Sho in a Boston Crab. Sho hit a suplex on Nakahara for a nearfall, then the Shock Arrow (cross-armed piledriver) for the pin.
“House of Torture” Sho and Yoshinobu Kanemaru and Sanada defeated Konosuke Takeshita and Toru Yano and Taisei Nakahara at 6:13.
3. “The Unbound Co.” Taiji Ishimori, Yuto-Ice, and Shingo Takagi vs. “United Empire” Great-O-Khan, Zane Jay, and Jakob Austin Young. The UE attacked at the bell, and all six brawled. (No Jake Lee tonight? He’s the only A Block guy not in action.) O-Khan choked out Yuto-Ice on the floor, while Young and Zane worked over Ishimori in the ring. Yuto-Ice finally got a hot tag and hit a running kick to the side of O-Khan’s head at 4:00, then a running knee in the corner for a nearfall. Yuto-Ice hit a spin kick to Zane’s head for the pin.
The Unbound Co.” Taiji Ishimori, Yuto-Ice, and Shingo Takagi defeated “United Empire” Great-O-Khan, Zane Jay, and Jakob Austin Young at 6:58.
4. “The Unbound Co.” Yota Tsuji and Daiki Nagai vs. “The Mighty Don’t Kneel” Ryohei Oiwa and Hartley Jackson. Both Yota and Oiwa have reached the playoffs in the A Block, and they locked up to open. A good exchange between them, and Oiwa hit a back suplex at 3:30. Hartley tagged in and splashed Nagai in the corner, then a clothesline for a nearfall, but he missed a senton. Daiki couldn’t lift the massive Jackson, so he hit some dropkicks. Jackson hit a running crossbody block for a nearfall, then a sit-out powerbomb for the pin.
“The Mighty Don’t Kneel” Ryohei Oiwa and Hartley Jackson defeated “The Unbound Co.” Yota Tsuji and Daiki Nagai at 6:41.
5. Drilla Moloney (8) vs. Shota Umino (0) in a B Block tournament match. This tournament has been pretty flawless, but one of the glaring holes was losing Umino after his first tournament match in Chicago. The forfeit win gets Drilla to a winning record.
Drilla Moloney (10) defeated Shota Umino (0) via forfeit.
6. Zack Sabre Jr. (8) vs. Aaron Wolf (8) in a B Block tournament match. Wolf removed his boots and socks! He’s going to grapple barefoot! Standing switches to open. Wolf got a takedown, and Sabre scrambled to the ropes at 4:00. They got up, and Wolf threw a forearm strike, so Sabre threw a European Uppercut, and they traded blows. Sabre applied an abdominal stretch at 5:30, but Wolf easily escaped. Sabre snapped Wolf’s elbow between his ankles, and Zack was in charge. Sabre applied a front guillotine choke, but Wolf turned it into a delayed vertical suplex for a nearfall at 9:00.
Sabre locked in an Octopus Stretch, but Wolf was able to reach the ropes, and the 10-minute call was spot-on. Wolf applied a front guillotine choke! Sabre escaped and tied up the left arm. Wolf hit a powerslam for a nearfall at 11:00. Wolf applied the Anaconda Vice on the mat, but Sabre got a rollup for a nearfall. Wolf hit a uranage and went right back to the Anaconda Vice! Walker said it’s been a decade since Sabre has tapped out! Sabre reached the ropes at 12:30. Sabre hit a series of open-hand slaps to the face, so Wolf grabbed an arm and hit a series of Judo Throws!
Sabre nailed the Zack Driver out of nowhere for a nearfall. He locked in a cross-armbreaker. He leaned back and grabbed Aaron’s other arm, too. Aaron still managed to reach the ropes at 14:30. “This has been beyond impressive from Wolf tonight!” Walker said. Sabre nailed some Yes Kicks, but Wolf hit a clothesline and a Landslide (modified Angle Slam) for a nearfall. Sabre mouse-trapped the arms in a seatbelt cover (think Wheeler Yuta’s finisher) and rolled up Wolf for the pin. That was really good. As expected, even with the 1-4 start, Sabre finishes at 5-4.
Zack Sabre Jr. (10) defeated Aaron Wolf (8) at 15:44.
7. Gabe Kidd (10) vs. Ren Narita (10) in a B Block tournament match. Ren entered first. Kidd came in through the crowd. Ren approached him on the floor, and they brawled. I started the stopwatch at first contact as they brawled away from the ring. Kidd hit a chairshot to the back, and they made their way through rows of chairs, then up into the bleachers. They came back to the floor as we’ve now passed three minutes of brawling. They now went into the longer side of seating and to the landing area halfway up.
Ren choked Kidd with a fan’s umbrella at 5:00! Chris and Walker wondered who could advance if this match never officially began. The House of Torture appeared out of nowhere, and they attacked Kidd! Dick Togo and Sho set up a table on the landing area! Those two set up for a Magic Killer, but Kidd escaped. Kidd powerbombed Narita through the table at 8:00! “What are we doing here? This match can’t happen. They have to throw this match out!“ Charlton said. Kidd brought Narita down the flight of stairs and into the ring! We got a bell to officially begin at 8:56.
Ren hit a low blow as the ref was turned, calling for the bell! He hit the Double Cross (X-Factor) for a believable nearfall five seconds in! Gabe hit a leaping piledriver, then a second one! Gabe covered the prone Narita for the pin. This was a heel-heel matchup, so this was a great way to have them fight and not have the crowd really rally behind one or the other.
Gabe Kidd (12) defeated Ren Narita (10) at 11:07/official time of 2:11.
8. Oskar (8) vs. Yuya Uemura (10) in a B Block tournament match. Oskar came out first, and he attacked Yuya as he stepped through the ropes, and we’re underway! Oskar hip-tossed him across the ring at 1:30. He locked in a Camel Clutch and kept Yuya grounded. Oskar missed a Helluva Kick at 5:00, and Yuya immediately snapped Oskar’s arm. Yuya hit an arm drag and a dropkick. Yuya low-bridged the top rope, and Oskar flew to the floor. Yuya hit a plancha onto him at 7:30, and they were both down at ringside.
In the ring, Oskar hit a guillotine legdrop for a nearfall at 9:00. Yuya applied a cross-armbreaker, but Oskar reached the ropes at 10:30. Oskar locked in a standing sleeper. Yuya fell to his knees but got up and powered out. Yuya hit a back suplex for a nearfall at 12:30, and he applied a hammerlock on the mat. Oskar hit a big bodyslam, and they were both down at 14:30. Uemura hit a German Suplex for a nearfall, and the crowd popped for the big man going over.
Oskar went back to his standing sleeper, and he turned it into a uranage for a believable nearfall at 16:30! Oskar hit a leaping Tombstone Piledriver. He didn’t go for the cover! He pulled Yuya to his feet, and Yuya hit a huracanrana and locked in a cross-armbreaker! Oskar tapped out! A good finish, but I immediately knew Yuya was winning when Oskar didn’t go for the cover after that Tombstone Piledriver. Uemura is officially in the playoffs!
Yuya Uemura (12) defeated Oskar (8) at 17:32.
* Charlton explained that if Callum Newman wins, he is the No. 1 seed and Yuya is No. 2. But if Callum loses, Yuya is the No. 1 seed, and Gabe Kidd is the No. 2 seed.
9. Henare (8) vs. Callum Newman (10) in a B Block tournament match. Charlton noted that Henare was officially eliminated with the results earlier in this show. Faction teammates collide! They cautiously locked up. Callum hit a Mafia Kick, but Henare hit a Samoan Drop. They traded faster reversals with neither man landing a big blow, and they had a standoff at 2:00. As I figured, Walker said this is a first-time-ever singles match. Callum hit a headbutt at 4:00, but he staggered from the blow! Callum hit a double stomp to the back, and Henare rolled to the floor to regroup.
They fought to the floor, where Callum hit a Mafia Kick to the face as Henare was against the guardrail. They brawled past the barricades and into the crowd. Callum hit a running dropkick (or double stomp) as Henare was on a chair. Walker said Callum’s feet were a low blow. Henare sure was selling that it was the case. Callum set up some tables at ringside. They got back into the ring at 8:00, with Newman in charge. Henare hit a Samoan Drop out of nowhere, and they were both down. Henare hit the Berzerker Bomb (Blue Thunder Bomb) for a nearfall as the 10:00 call was spot-on.
Newman hit a buzzsaw kick, and they were both down. They fought on the ring apron, and Callum hit some kicks. However, Henare hit the Rampage football tackle, sending them both off the apron and through a table on the floor at 12:30! Callum got into the ring at the 19-count, but Henare hit a senton for a nearfall. Callum has a HUGE welt on his back from how he landed on that table. Yikes! Henare hit a clothesline for a nearfall, then another one for a nearfall. Callum hit a running boot, and they were both down at 15:00.
They got to their knees and traded forearm strikes, then more while standing. Henare hit some roundhouse kicks, but Callum hit the Os Cutter, then the Prince’s Curse brainbuster for a believable nearfall, and they were both down. Walker noted that Callum hadn’t even tried an Os Cutter the whole tournament. They got up and traded more strikes. Callum dropped him with a clothesline. Henare hit a Rampage football tackle for a nearfall, then a pop-up powerbomb. Callum hit a Sabin-style Cradle Shock for a believable nearfall at 20:00.
Henare hit a headbutt and a punch to the gut. He applied a full nelson, but Newman escaped. Henare hit a leaping headbutt for a nearfall at 22:00, then a Hidden Blade to the side of the head for a nearfall! Callum hit a clothesline for a nearfall, then another one for a nearfall. Callum finally hit a twisting uranage for the pin. That was incredibly hard-hitting; Newman is going to have that red mark on his back for a few days! Callum secures the No. 1 seed with the win.
Callum Newman (12) defeated Henare (8) at 23:04.
* So, our playoffs on Saturday feature Callum Newman vs. Ryohei Oiwa and Yuya Uemura vs. Yota Tsuji. We are guaranteed to have a first-time winner of this tournament!
* Callum got on the mic and said Henare “is the scariest person I’ve ever met in my life.”
Final Thoughts: All four tournament matches really worked for me today. I never really thought Callum was losing here, but Henare sure beat the heck out of him. I have to believe there will be plenty of images online of his back after that spear off the apron and through the table. Sabre-Wolf was really entertaining. Aaron is vastly improved from his first three months in this ring, and did a good job of keeping up with Zack’s mat style. I felt like Oskar-Yuya was a clash of styles, but they made it work. And with Kidd and Narita both heels, an extended brawl through the crowd was the right direction to go.
So… a day off before our semifinals on Saturday!
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