By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
New Japan Pro Wrestling “G1 Climax 36 – Night 13”
August 8, 2026, in Kanagawa, Japan, at Budokan Hall
Streamed live on New Japan World
Walker Stewart and Chris Charlton provided English commentary.
* 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 seven round-robin matches.
1. Hirooki Goto and Tatsuya Matsumoto vs. Boltin Oleg and Masatora Yasuda. Oleg and Goto opened. Oleg tossed Matsumoto to the mat and hit a splash onto him for a nearfall. Yasuda entered and hit chops on Matsumoto. Oleg dropped Tatsuya with one hard chop. Goto got back in and hit a spin kick in the corner on Oleg at 3:30, then a swinging back suplex. Yasuda tagged in and hit a snap suplex on Goto for a nearfall. Matsumoto hit his modified Air Raid Crash on Yasuda. Goto then hit his neckbreaker over the knee on Yasuda for the pin.
Hirooki Goto and Tatsuya Matsumoto defeated Boltin Oleg and Masatora Yasuda at 5:44.
2. “The Mighty Don’t Kneel” Ryohei Oiwa and Hartley Jackson vs. “United Empire” Jake Lee and Zane Jay. Lee and Oiwa opened. Zane attempted a cross-armbreaker on Oiwa at 3:00. Hartley entered and battled Zane, with Jay hitting a dropkick. Jay mounted Hartley and hit some punches. Hartley hit his massive senton at 5:00 for a nearfall. TMDK hit a team vertical suplex for a nearfall, but Lee made the save. Oiwa hit a Dragonscrew Legwhip on Lee! Zane tried to lift Hartley, but his knees buckled, and he collapsed. Hartley hit his Jagged Edge (DVD) on Zane for the pin.
“The Mighty Don’t Kneel” Ryohei Oiwa and Hartley Jackson defeated “United Empire” Jake Lee and Zane Jay at 6:49.
3. Konosuke Takeshita and Toru Yano vs. “House of Torture” Sanada and Yoshinobu Kanemaru. Yano has spent barely any minutes in the ring in his undercard matches. Takeshita and Sanada opened with standing switches. Chris and Walker talked about Takeshita recently beating Sanada in their only prior singles match. Takeshita hit a double clothesline at 1:30. Yano entered and playfully slapped Sanada on the back of his head. Sanada clocked him across the sternum with the corner pad.
The HoT backed Yano into their corner and worked him over. Takeshita got back in and hit a flying clothesline on Sanada at 4:00. The commentators noted Takeshita’s bruised face from his battle with Shingo Takagi. Kanemaru targeted Takeshita’s left leg and twisted it. He hit a basement dropkick on Takeshita’s knee, but Takeshita hit a Blue Thunder Bomb and a Power Drive running knee on Kanemaru for the pin. That wrapped up out of nowhere!
Konosuke Takeshita and Toru Yano defeated “House of Torture” Sanada and Yoshinobu Kanemaru at 5:45.
4. “United Empire” Great-O-Khan and Jakob Austin Young vs. “The Unbound Co.” Yota Tsuji and Daiki Nagai. Yota wore what looked like a jersey for a Yokohama sports team. Tsuji and O-Khan opened, but O-Khan tagged out before they locked up. Yota hit a backbreaker over his knee on Young. O-Khan and Tsuji brawled into the crowd, and O-Khan threw a chair at him. In the ring, Tsuji hit a Flatliner on O-Khan, then a standing neckbreaker at 4:00, and they were both down.
Young and Nagai jumped in and brawled. Daiki hit a basement dropkick in the corner for a nearfall. He hit a Spinebuster for a nearfall at 5:30. O-Khan hit his Mongolian Chops on Tsuji. Daiki hit a bodyslam on Jakob, but he missed his top-rope flying headbutt. Jakob immediately hit a Brainrot swinging suplex on Daiki, then a DDT for the pin.
“United Empire” Great-O-Khan and Jakob Austin Young defeated “The Unbound Co.” Yota Tsuji and Daiki Nagai at 6:47.
5. “The Unbound Co.” Shingo Takagi and Taiji Ishimori vs. “The Unbound Co.” Yuto-Ice and Gedo. Takagi and Yuto-Ice opened, and they almost immediately began trading forearm strikes. Shingo hit a series of jab punches in the corner at 3:00. They traded blows, and both collapsed. Ishimori and Gedo entered. Gedo tried to get a Gedo Clutch. Gedo hit a Dragonscrew Legwhip. The ref got bumped! Ishimori locked in a Bonelock (crossface), and Gedo immediately tapped out. Takagi and Yuto-Ice continued to fight on the floor.
“The Unbound Co.” Shingo Takagi and Taiji Ishimori defeated “The Unbound Co.” Yuto-Ice and Gedo at 5:08.
6. Gabe Kidd (8) vs. Shota Umino (0) in a B Block tournament match. Again, Umino’s forfeits continue. We haven’t heard any sort of update. I’d love to hear someone say, “Umino is fine, but his forfeits are out of an abundance of caution.” With the win, I believe this is the first time Kidd finishes the G1 with a winning record.
Gabe Kidd (10) defeated Shota Umino.
7. Drilla Moloney (6) vs. Zack Sabre Jr. (4) in a B Block tournament match. Walker and Charlton noted that Sabre is not technically eliminated yet. Charlton noted that Moloney also has his bye (via forfeit) to come. Standing switches to open, and Sabre applied a leg lock around Drilla’s neck. Drilla hit a Judo Throw to flip Sabre to the mat at 3:30. Sabre rolled to the floor to regroup. Drilla kicked him back-first into the guardrail at 5:00. In the ring, Sabre hit some European Uppercuts, and he tied up Drilla on the mat. He applied a Straitjacket Choke, but Drilla escaped at 7:30.
They got up and traded more European Uppercuts. Drilla hit a dropkick, then a series of LOUD chops. He did the neck-snap between his ankles on Sabre! He hit a spinebuster for a nearfall at 9:30. Moloney went for a top-rope elbow drop, but Sabre caught him and tied up the right arm in a Triangle Choke. Moloney hit a powerbomb to escape, and they were both down. Sabre tied him up on the mat. Moloney flipped him over and got a nearfall at 13:00. Sabre tied him in an Octopus Stretch on the mat, but Drilla reached the ropes. Sabre hit a series of Penalty Kicks to the chest, but Moloney hit a back suplex, then a Gore for a nearfall at 15:00.
Sabre locked in a front guillotine choke, but Drilla escaped and hit a suplex, and they were both down. Moloney set up for the Drilla Killa, but Sabre escaped and hit a Zack Driver for a believable nearfall at 17:00. Sabre hit a European Uppercut; Drilla hit an enzuigiri. Sabre again avoided the Drilla Killa, rolled through it, and got a rollup for the pin.
Zack Sabre Jr. (6) defeated Drilla Moloney (6) at 18:30.
8. Yuya Uemura (6) vs. Henare (8) in a B Block tournament match. Yuya hit an armdrag and tied up the left arm. They traded chops in the corner. Henare hit a delayed vertical suplex for a nearfall at 4:00, then a senton for a nearfall. Yuya hit a second-rope twisting crossbody block at 6:00, and they were both down. Yuya hit a dropkick. He applied a cross-armbreaker on the mat, but Henare reached the ropes at 7:30. Yuya hit a back suplex for a nearfall, then a top-rope crossbody block. Henare hit a Samoan Drop, and they were both down at 9:00.
Henare hit his Rampage football tackle for a nearfall. Uemura went back to a cross-armbreaker at 11:00. Henare went for a flying headbutt, but Yuya hit a dropkick! Yuya set up for Deadbolt, but Henare blocked it, and Henare hit a clothesline for a nearfall. Yuya went back to the cross-armbreaker. They got up and traded forearm strikes. Yuya hit a German Suplex, then a Dragon Suplex for a nearfall, and they were both down at 14:00. Yuya again couldn’t hit Deadbolt. Henare dropped him with a headbutt. Yuya finally hit the Deadbolt (double underhook suplex). Yuya hit a frog splash for a believable nearfall. He hit a top-rope crossbody block for the pin! Both men are now 4-3.
Yuya Uemura (8) defeated Henare (8) at 15:12.
9. Ren Narita (8) vs. Aaron Wolf (6) in a B Block tournament match. Narita came out first. Dick Togo struck Wolf from behind as Aaron was walking to ringside. Wolf and Narita brawled on the floor, and I started my stopwatch. We got a bell at 00:26. Wolf applied a headlock on the mat. Ren slammed Wolf’s left knee against the ring post, then he grabbed a chair and struck Wolf’s knee with it. Ren got back in the ring and stomped on the damaged knee. He kept Wolf grounded as he worked over Aaron’s legs. Aaron hit a series of Judo Throws at 5:30.
Aaron hit a clothesline in the corner and a snap suplex, then a running elbow drop for a nearfall. Narita hit a Mafia Kick that sent Wolf to the floor. They brawled at ringside. Ren slammed him stomach-first onto the thin mat at ringside at 7:00, then he tied Aaron’s legs i a guardrail. In the ring, Ren tied up the legs, but Aaron was able to grab Ren’s head and tie up the neck. He flipped Ren at 9:00, and they were both down. Ren applied a front guillotine choke. Wolf hit a delayed vertical suplex and a flying elbow drop for a nearfall at 11:00.
Ren again grapevined the left leg. Ren went for the Double Cross (X Factor), but Wolf blocked it and hit a Landslide slam for a nearfall. Togo jumped into the ring and struck the ref with a chair at 13:00! Wolf hit a Judo Throw. Ren and Togo hit a team Double Cross! Ren hit a top-rope knee drop onto the knee and he applied a knee bar on the mat! Wolf was forced to tap out. The usual HoT antics, but overall, not a bad match.
Ren Narita (10) defeated Aaron Wolf (6) at 14:26/official time of 14:00.
10. Callum Newman (8) vs. Oskar (6) in a B Block tournament match. Just seconds in, Newman hit a plancha to the floor. They brawled at ringside. Oskar whipped him into the guardrail at 1:30. Charlton noted that Oskar also still has his bye remaining. They got back into the ring, and Oskar landed some kicks. Callum hit a drive-by kick from the floor at 3:30. In the ring, he stomped on Oskar and kept him grounded. Callum hit a series of Yes Kicks. Oskar knocked him down with a shoulder tackle at 6:30. Oskar slammed him to the mat and hit an elbow drop for a nearfall.
Callum hit some side kicks, but Oskar nailed a Mafia Kick at 8:30 that sent Callum to the floor. Oskar followed, and they brawled at ringside. They went past the guardrail and fought into the crowd. Oskar whipped Callum deep into the rows of chairs at 10:00! Oskar buried Newman under a pile of chairs and ran back into the ring — he won’t mind winning via count-out! Callum dove back into the ring at the 19-count, but Oskar immediately hit a leg drop across the neck, and he stretched Newman on the mat. Newman hit a German Suplex then a Pump Kick for a nearfall at 14:00.
Callum hit a roundhouse kick for a nearfall, then a suplex for a nearfall. Oskar bit Newman’s forearm! Callum hit a clothesline for a nearfall at 16:30. Oskar hit his modified leaping Tombstone Piledriver for a believable nearfall. Callum jumped on Oskar’s back and applied a sleeper. Oskar applied his own sleeper. The ref got pushed out of the way; Callum hit a low-blow mule kick, then a rollup for the cheap pin. Good match but not in the top tier of the great main events we’ve seen in this tournament.
Callum Newman (10) defeated Oskar (6) at 18:19.
Final Thoughts: Even though Sabre had to win (taking away any mystery of the outcome!), Zack vs. Drilla was best of these four. I’ll go with the hard-hitting Yuya-Henare for second. The main event was fine but only third on this day. Not a bad match at all, but it didn’t have a main event vibe to me, and the cop-out low-blow finish was really flat.
The tournament resumes on Sunday with the A Block back in action, headlined by Shingo Takagi vs. Yuto-Ice. The finish is in sight! Everyone has completed seven of their nine round-robin matches, so we are barreling towards the finish!
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