The is a professional wrestling tournament held each August by the New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) promotion. Though it has sometimes been held as a single-elimination tournament, it is usually – and currently – held as a round-robin, with the most victorious wrestlers in each pool wrestling in a short tournament to decide that year's winner. Traditionally, since 2012, the winner of the tournament earns the right to challenge for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship at the following January's Wrestle Kingdom show, but since 2024, the winner has chosen to receive his IWGP Heavyweight Championship match at King of Pro-Wrestling.
In its current format, the tournament lasts four weeks. The winner of each pool is determined by a points system; two points for a victory, one point for a draw, and zero points for a loss or no contest. Under the current format, double decisions (such as double count-outs or double disqualifications) are treated as draws.
Tournament history
NJPW had an annual tournament since 1974 under various names: the (1974–1977, based on the World (Big) League tournament from the old Japanese Wrestling Association held between 1959 and 1972); the (1978–1982); the (1983–1988), "IWGP" is the acronym of NJPW's governing body, the International Wrestling Grand Prix (インターナショナル・レスリング・グラン・プリ, intānashonaru resuringu guran puri). Most of these tournaments were dominated by NJPW's founding top star Antonio Inoki.
Although the 1983 winner, Hulk Hogan, was awarded a championship belt, this is not the beginning of the IWGP Heavyweight Championship, but its early version that was defended annually against the winner of the IWGP League of the year. The current IWGP Heavyweight Championship arrived only in 1987, replacing the old version.
In 1989, there was a , which included wrestlers from the then-Soviet Union. No tournament was held in 1990.
With Inoki's dominance over NJPW gone, the promotion established the G1 Climax tournament in 1991 as a platform to showcase the company's top heavyweights and have them compete in round-robin matches where the winners of the two divisions would then square off in the tournament final. NJPW president Seiji Sakaguchi named the tournament after horse racing's top grade of group races (known as graded stakes races in North America), Grade One ("G1"), such as the Japan Cup and the four races in North America that form the Grand Slam of Thoroughbred Racing. Though considered a continuation of the previous tournaments, officially NJPW does not recognize the earlier tournaments as part of the G1 Climax lineage. The first G1 was held from August 7 to August 11, 1991, at Tokyo's Ryōgoku Kokugikan. The winner of the tournament, assuming they are not already the champion, has traditionally earned a shot at the IWGP Heavyweight Championship. Since 2012, the winner has earned the "Tokyo Dome IWGP Heavyweight Championship challenge rights certificate", a contract for a title shot at NJPW's largest event, Wrestle Kingdom in Tokyo Dome, held annually on January 4. Much like WWE's Money in the Bank contract, the certificate is kept in a briefcase that the wrestler then has to defend until the end of the year. Since its inception, the contract has only changed hands one time, on November 7, 2020, at Power Struggle when Jay White defeated Kota Ibushi. In 2021, the now retired IWGP Heavyweight Championship belt was given to G1 winner Kazuchika Okada instead of a briefcase. In 2015, the tournament format was changed with NJPW reducing the number of G1 Climax matches per show, giving the participating wrestlers more time to rest between matches. This increased the tournament's length to four weeks. In 2016, Kenny Omega became the first non-Japanese wrestler to win the tournament.
The G1 Climax tournament has often been used as a platform for NJPW to push their rising stars. Wins by young up-and-comers over Japanese legends would usually take their respective careers to new heights. The first tournament was specifically created to make stars out of Keiji Muto, Masahiro Chono and Shinya Hashimoto, three NJPW wrestlers who had just returned to the promotion from their overseas learning excursions. Past winners include Muto, Chono, Hashimoto, Yuji Nagata, Hiroshi Tanahashi, and others who have gone on to become wrestling superstars.
Unlike the New Japan Cup, the G1 Climax features the then-reigning IWGP Heavyweight Champion as one of the participants, except in 1992, 2001, 2004 and 2008, when then-champions Riki Choshu (in 1992), Kazuyuki Fujita (in 2001 and 2004), and Keiji Muto (in 2008), respectively, did not compete in the tournament. Often being labeled as a favorite to win the tournament, the IWGP Heavyweight Champion has reached the final five times, the first one being in 1995 when Keiji Muto won the tournament. Muto would repeat this feat again in 1999, but would lose the final to Manabu Nakanishi. Other then-reigning champions to reach the final include Kensuke Sasaki in 2000, Kazuyuki Fujita in 2005 and Yuji Nagata in 2007. Muto and Sasaki are the only two wrestlers to have won the G1 Climax while holding the IWGP Heavyweight Championship. As of 2026, every G1 Climax winner has held either the IWGP Heavyweight Championship or IWGP World Heavyweight Championship, with Konosuke Takeshita being the last to accomplish this by defeating Zack Sabre Jr. for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship at King of Pro-Wrestling on October 13, 2025. Overall, Antonio Inoki holds the record for most tournament wins with ten, while Masahiro Chono with his five wins holds the record for most tournament wins under its G1 Climax name. Hiroyoshi Tenzan has taken part in the G1 Climax tournament a record 21 times.
The opening night of the 2019 G1 Climax took place in Dallas, Texas, marking the first time the opening night took place outside Japan.
The finals for the 2020 G1 Climax took place in October due to the Summer Olympics originally intended to be held in Tokyo when the tournament is usually held, making this the first time the tournament took place in the Autumn.
The longest match in tournament history is Kota Ibushi vs. Sanada in the 2020 finals at 35 minutes and 12 seconds. The longest match with a decisive winner in the block stages of the tournament is Sanada vs. Kazuchika Okada in the 2019 tournament at 29 minutes and 47 seconds, 13 seconds shy of the 30-minute time limit. Conversely, the shortest match is Hirooki Goto vs. Toru Yano in the 2020 tournament at just 18 seconds.
List of winners TournamentYearWinnerTotal won 1974 Antonio Inoki 1 1975 2 1976 Seiji Sakaguchi 1 1977 2 1978 Antonio Inoki 3 1979 4 1980 5 1981 6 1982 André the Giant 1 1983 Hulk Hogan 1 * 1984 Antonio Inoki 7 1985 André the Giant 2 1986 Antonio Inoki 8 1987 9 1988 10 1989 Riki Choshu 1 - 1990 - - 1991 Masahiro Chono 1 1992 2 1993 Tatsumi Fujinami 1 1994 Masahiro Chono 3 1995 Keiji Muto 1 1996 Riki Choshu 2 1997 Kensuke Sasaki 1 1998 Shinya Hashimoto 1 1999 Manabu Nakanishi 1 2000 Kensuke Sasaki 2 2001 Yuji Nagata 1 2002 Masahiro Chono 4 2003 Hiroyoshi Tenzan 1 2004 2 2005 Masahiro Chono 5 2006 Hiroyoshi Tenzan 3 2007 Hiroshi Tanahashi 1 2008 Hirooki Goto 1 2009 Togi Makabe 1 2010 Satoshi Kojima 1 2011 Shinsuke Nakamura 1 2012 Kazuchika Okada 1 2013 Tetsuya Naito 1 2014 Kazuchika Okada 2 2015 Hiroshi Tanahashi 2 2016 Kenny Omega 1 2017 Tetsuya Naito 2 2018 Hiroshi Tanahashi 3 2019 Kota Ibushi 1 2020 2 2021 Kazuchika Okada 3 2022 4 2023 Tetsuya Naito 3 2024 Zack Sabre Jr. 1 2025 Konosuke Takeshita 1 2026 Ryohei Oiwa 1
IWGP Heavyweight Championship challenge rights certificate The tradition of G1 Climax winners getting an IWGP Heavyweight Championship title shot has been in place since the beginning of the tournament, with exceptions in 1992 (when Masahiro Chono was awarded the NWA World Heavyweight Championship as prize for winning the tournament), 1993 and 2001 (when Yuji Nagata challenged for the GHC Heavyweight title due to the IWGP being vacant at the time) as well as 1995 and 2000, when the champion won the tournament. This tradition can be traced back to the days of the IWGP League, with the championship itself being awarded the title per stipulation from 1983 to 1986 and the 1987 tournament being used to crown the first proper, full-time IWGP Heavyweight champion. 1988 would be the first time a title shot was awarded to the winner.
After winning the 2012 G1 Climax, Kazuchika Okada made a shocking statement to challenge Hiroshi Tanahashi at Wrestle Kingdom 7. This would start a tradition that lasted every year until 2024, when Zack Sabre Jr choose to face Tetsuya Naito at King or Pro-Wrestling, and would be repeated in 2025 with Konosuke Takeshita challenging Sabre Jr at the same event. Year Certificate history1991Holder: Masahiro Chono Lost to Tatsumi Fujinami for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship on November 5, 1991 at Tokyo 3Days Battle1992 Holder: Masahiro Chono Won the vacant NWA World Heavyweight Championship with winning the tournament on August 12, 19921993Holder: Tatsumi Fujinami Choose not to pursue 1994 Holder: Masahiro Chono Lost to Shinya Hashimoto for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship on September 27, 1994 at G1 Climax Special1995Holder: Keiji Muto Was the IWGP Heavyweight Champion when winning the tournament on August 15, 1995
Defended against Junji Hirata in G1 Climax Special tour on September 25, 1995 at G1 Climax Special
And defended against Nobuhiko Takada in New Japan Pro Wrestling vs UWF International on October 9, 19951996Holder: Riki Choshu Lost to Shinya Hashimoto for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship on January 4, 1997 at Wrestling World1997Holder: Kensuke Sasaki Defeated Shinya Hashimoto for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship on August 31, 1997 at Final Power Hall In Yokohama1998Holder: Shinya Hashimoto Lost to Scott Norton for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship on October 30, 1998 at nWo Typhoon1999Holder: Manabu Nakanishi Lost to Keiji Muto for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship on October 11, 1999 at Final Dome2000Holder: Kensuke Sasaki Was the IWGP Heavyweight Champion when winning the tournament on August 13, 2000
Lost to Toshiaki Kawada in a non-title match on October 9, 2000 at Do Judge!! decided to vacate the title in humiliation2001 Holder: Yuji Nagata Lost to Jun Akiyama for the GHC Heavyweight Championship on January 4, 2002 at Wrestling World
Making Nagata the only person to not challenge for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship as the winner
Originally was supposed to face Kazuyuki Fujita for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship, but Fujita vacated the title due to injury 2002Holder: Masahiro Chono Fought Yuji Nagata for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship to a time limit draw on October 26, 2002 at Toukon Series2003Holder: Hiroyoshi Tenzan Defeated Yoshihiro Takayama for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship on November 3, 2003 at Yokohama Dead Out2004Holder: Hiroyoshi Tenzan Defeated Kensuke Sasaki for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship on December 12, 2004 at Final Battle2005Holder: Masahiro Chono Lost to Brock Lesnar for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship alongside Kazuyuki Fujita in a Three Way Match on October 8, 2005 at Toukon Souzou New Chapter2006Holder: Hiroyoshi Tenzan Lost to Hiroshi Tanahashi for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship on October 9, 2006 at Explosion2007Holder: Hiroshi Tanahashi Defeated Yuji Nagata for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship on October 8, 2007 at Explosion2008Holder: Hirooki Goto Lost to Keiji Muto for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship on August 31, 2008 at AJPW Pro-Wrestling Love in Ryogoku Vol. 5
Making Goto the only person to challenge for the title outside of the NJPW ring 2009Holder: Togi Makabe Lost to Shinsuke Nakamura for the vacated IWGP Heavyweight Championship on September 27, 2009 at Circuit New Japan Generation