Finals set for NJPW G1 Climax 36

Ryohei Oiwa and Yuya Uemura are heading to the finals of NJPW G1 Climax 36.

After advancing to the elimination stage as the second-place finishers of their respective blocks, Oiwa and Uemura notched victories on Saturday to earn their spots in the G1 finals. Oiwa defeated B Block winner Callum Newman, while Uemura was able to defeat A Block winner (and current IWGP Heavyweight Champion) Yota Tsuji.

Sumo Hall in Tokyo hosted both semifinal matches today and will again play host to the finals tomorrow (Sunday, August 16). Oiwa vs. Uemura will headline the card, which airs live on NJPW World at 2 a.m. Eastern time. There will be both English and Japanese commentary available.

G1 winner to receive IWGP Heavyweight Championship shot —

This will be the first G1 victory for either Oiwa (27 years old) or Uemura (31). The G1 winner will also have the chance to go on and achieve the first IWGP Heavyweight Championship of their career. Traditionally, the G1 winner has gotten their shot at Wrestle Kingdom the following January, though that hasn’t been the case over the past couple of years with the winner instead choosing to get their title shot at an earlier date.

NJPW revealed the official logo for Wrestle Kingdom 21 today, with the event set to be held at the Tokyo Dome on Monday, January 4, 2027. It will kick off the celebrations for NJPW’s 55th anniversary year.

The official logo for NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 21 #G1CLIMAX36 pic.twitter.com/sVROoG2sEC

— WrestlePurists (@WrestlePurists) August 15, 2026