G1 Climax 31
2021 edition of the G1 Climax
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The G1 Climax 31 was a professional wrestling tournament promoted by New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). The tournament commenced on September 18 and concluded on October 21, 2021. It is the thirty-first edition of G1 Climax, and forty-seventh edition of the tournament counting its previous forms under different names. B block winner Kazuchika Okada defeated A Block winner Kota Ibushi by referee stoppage after Ibushi suffered an arm injury when he attempted to perform a Phoenix Splash on Okada, forcing referee Red Shoes Unno to stop the match.
| G1 Climax 31 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
G1 Climax 31 logo | |||
| Promotion | New Japan Pro-Wrestling | ||
| Date | September 18–October 21, 2021 | ||
| City | See venues | ||
| Venue | See venues | ||
| Tagline | Max the Max | ||
| Event chronology | |||
| |||
| G1 Climax chronology | |||
| |||
 Kazuchika Okada, winner of G1 Climax 31 | |
| Tournament information | |
|---|---|
| Sport | Professional wrestling |
| Location | |
| Dates | September 18, 2021–October 21, 2021 |
Tournament format | Two-block round-robin tournament |
| Participants | 20 |
| Final positions | |
| Champion | Kazuchika Okada |
| Runner-up | Kota Ibushi |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Bouts fought | 91 |
Considered NJPW's most important tournament, the G1 Climax features twenty wrestlers, divided in two blocks of ten ("A" and "B"). Each participant faces all nine other wrestlers within the same block in singles matches. The winner of each block is determined via a point system, with two points for a win, one point for a draw, and no points for a defeat. Each night of the event sees the ten members of one block compete. On the final day of the event, the winners of each block face each other to determine the winner of the tournament, who also receives a future match for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship at Wrestle Kingdom. The event is broadcast live on TV Asahi and Fighting TV Samurai in Japan, and New Japan Pro-Wrestling World worldwide.
The event saw the G1 Climax debut of Great-O-Khan, Tanga Loa, and Chase Owens. Tetsuya Naito suffered a legitimate knee injury during his match against Zack Sabre Jr. in the tournament's opening night, forcing him to forfeit the remainder of his matches.[1]
Production
| Role: | Name: |
|---|---|
| English Commentators | Kevin Kelly |
| Chris Charlton (nights 1–4, 6, 7, 10, 17–19) | |
| Japanese Commentators | Kazuki Kusanagi (nights 17 & 18) |
| Haruo Murata (nights 3, 6, 8, 11, 12, 15, 16) | |
| Hiroki Mikami (nights 13 & 19) | |
| Jyushin Thunder Liger (nights 1, 2, 11) | |
| Miki Motoi (nights 10 & 19) | |
| Milano Collection A.T. | |
| Shigeki Kiyono (nights 4, 7, 9, 10, 14) | |
| Shunpei Terakawa (nights 1, 2, 5) | |
| Yohei Ohnishi (nights 1 & 2) | |
| Yuichi Tabata (nights 1, 2, 5, 13, 17–19) | |
| Ring announcers | Kimihiko Ozaki |
| Makoto Abe | |
| Referees | Kenta Sato |
| Yuya Sakamoto | |
| Marty Asami | |
| Red Shoes Unno | |
Tournament rules
The tournament features twenty wrestlers, divided in two blocks of ten ("A" and "B"). Each participant faces all nine other wrestler within the same block in singles matches, with the winner of each block being determined via a point system, gaining two points for a win, one point for a draw, and no point for a loss; each night of the event sees the ten members of a same block compete for the tournament. In case of several wrestler sharing the top score, the results of the matches those wrestlers had when facing each other in the tournament act as tiebreaker, with the one having the most wins over the other top-scorers determining the winner of the block.[2][3]
On the final day of the event, the respective winners of both blocks face each other to determine the winner of the G1 Climax, who would gain a future match for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship, NJPW's top championship, at Wrestle Kingdom, NJPW's biggest yearly event; if the IWGP Heavyweight Champion himself wins, he gets to pick his opponent at Wrestle Kingdom. The Young Lion matches have a fifteen-minutes time limit, while the matches of the tournament have a 30-minutes time limit (with the time limit being reached resulting in a tie); the final match between the two block winners has no time limit.[2][3]
History
On July 8, 2021, NJPW announced that the 2021 edition of the G1 Climax would take place from September to October due to 2020 Summer Olympics was delayed to 2021.[4] During night 2 of Wrestle Grand Slam in MetLife Dome on September 5, NJPW announced the full tournament bracket for the G1 Climax.[5][6]
Storylines
The event includes matches that result from scripted storylines, where wrestlers portray heroes, villains, or less distinguishable characters in scripted events that build tension and culminate in a wrestling match or series of matches.[7]
Venues
| Dates[4] | Venue | Location |
|---|---|---|
| September 18 | Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium | Namba, Osaka |
| September 19 | ||
| September 23 | Ota City General Gymnasium | Ōta, Tokyo |
| September 24 | ||
| September 26 | World Memorial Hall | Chūō-ku, Kobe |
| September 29 | Korakuen Hall | Bunkyo, Tokyo |
| September 30 | ||
| October 1 | Hamamatsu Arena | Hamamatsu, Shizuoka |
| October 3 | Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium | Nagoya, Aichi |
| October 4 | Korakuen Hall | Bunkyo, Tokyo |
| October 7 | Hiroshima Sun Plaza | Nishi-ku, Hiroshima |
| October 8 | Kochi Prefectural Gymnasium | Kōchi, Kōchi |
| October 9 | Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium | Namba, Osaka |
| October 12 | Xebio Arena Sendai | Sendai, Miyagi |
| October 13 | ||
| October 14 | Yamagata City General Sports Center | Tendo, Yamagata |
| October 18 | Yokohama Budokan | Naka-ku, Yokohama |
| October 20 | Nippon Budokan | Chiyoda, Tokyo |
| October 21 |
Matches
Night 1 (A Block)
The first night of A Block took place on September 18, 2021, at Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium in Namba, Osaka.[8] Tetsuya Naito legitimately injured his knee during his match on Night 1 and had to withdraw from the rest of the competition as a result.[9]
| No. | Results[8] | Stipulations | Times |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sho defeated Ryohei Oiwa | Singles match | 6:08 |
| 2 | Yujiro Takahashi defeated Kota Ibushi | Singles match for the G1 Climax tournament | 11:31 |
| 3 | Great-O-Khan defeated Tanga Loa | Singles match for the G1 Climax tournament | 17:45 |
| 4 | Toru Yano defeated Kenta | Singles match for the G1 Climax tournament | 11:07 |
| 5 | Zack Sabre Jr. defeated Tetsuya Naito by submission | Singles match for the G1 Climax tournament | 27:05 |
| 6 | Shingo Takagi defeated Tomohiro Ishii | Singles match for the G1 Climax tournament | 27:56 |
Tournament scores
| Rank | Wrestler | Result | Points | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pre | Post | |||
| 1 | Toru Yano | Win | 0 | 2 |
| Yujiro Takahashi | Win | 0 | 2 | |
| Great-O-Khan | Win | 0 | 2 | |
| Zack Sabre Jr. | Win | 0 | 2 | |
| Shingo Takagi | Win | 0 | 2 | |
| 2 | Tomohiro Ishii | Loss | 0 | 0 |
| Tetsuya Naito | Loss | 0 | 0 | |
| Tanga Loa | Loss | 0 | 0 | |
| Kota Ibushi | Loss | 0 | 0 | |
| Kenta | Loss | 0 | 0 | |
Night 2 (B Block)
The first night of B Block took place on September 19, 2021, at Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium in Namba, Osaka.[10]
| No. | Results[10] | Stipulations | Times |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sho defeated Kosei Fujita by referee stoppage | Singles match | 8:09 |
| 2 | Evil defeated Yoshi-Hashi | Singles match for the G1 Climax tournament | 17:15 |
| 3 | Jeff Cobb defeated Chase Owens | Singles match for the G1 Climax tournament | 12:11 |
| 4 | Sanada defeated Tama Tonga | Singles match for the G1 Climax tournament | 19:04 |
| 5 | Taichi defeated Hirooki Goto | Singles match for the G1 Climax tournament | 18:30 |
| 6 | Kazuchika Okada defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi | Singles match for the G1 Climax tournament | 29:36 |
Tournament scores
| Rank | Wrestler | Result | Points | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pre | Post | |||
| 1 | Jeff Cobb | Win | 0 | 2 |
| Evil | Win | 0 | 2 | |
| Taichi | Win | 0 | 2 | |
| Sanada | Win | 0 | 2 | |
| Kazuchika Okada | Win | 0 | 2 | |
| 2 | Hiroshi Tanahashi | Loss | 0 | 0 |
| Tama Tonga | Loss | 0 | 0 | |
| Hirooki Goto | Loss | 0 | 0 | |
| Yoshi-Hashi | Loss | 0 | 0 | |
| Chase Owens | Loss | 0 | 0 | |
Night 3 (A Block)
The second night of A Block took place on September 23, 2021, at Ota City General Gymnasium in Ōta, Tokyo.[11]
| No. | Results[11] | Stipulations | Times |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tanga Loa defeated Yuji Nagata | Singles match | 15:35 |
| 2 | Great-O-Khan defeated Toru Yano | Singles match for the G1 Climax tournament | 11:30 |
| 3 | Kenta defeated Yujiro Takahashi | Singles match for the G1 Climax tournament | 15:48 |
| 4 | Kota Ibushi defeated Tomohiro Ishii | Singles match for the G1 Climax tournament | 17:42 |
| 5 | Zack Sabre Jr. defeated Shingo Takagi by submission | Singles match for the G1 Climax tournament | 27:17 |
Tournament scores
| Rank | Wrestler | Result | Points | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pre | Post | |||
| 1 | Great-O-Khan | Win | 4 | 6 |
| 2 | Zack Sabre Jr. | Win | 2 | 4 |
| Kenta | Win | 2 | 4 | |
| Kota Ibushi | Win | 2 | 4 | |
| Shingo Takagi | Loss | 4 | 4 | |
| Toru Yano | Loss | 4 | 4 | |
| Yujiro Takahashi | Loss | 4 | 4 | |
| 3 | Tomohiro Ishii | Loss | 2 | 2 |
| Tanga Loa | Win[a] | 2 | 2 | |
| 4 | Tetsuya Naito | Loss | 0 | 0 |
Night 4 (B Block)
The second night of B Block took place on September 24, 2021, at Ota City General Gymnasium in Ōta, Tokyo.[12]
| No. | Results[12] | Stipulations | Times |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hiroshi Tanahashi defeated Hirooki Goto | Singles match for the G1 Climax tournament | 14:10 |
| 2 | Tama Tonga defeated Chase Owens | Singles match for the G1 Climax tournament | 12:59 |
| 3 | Jeff Cobb defeated Yoshi-Hashi | Singles match for the G1 Climax tournament | 13:21 |
| 4 | Taichi defeated Sanada | Singles match for the G1 Climax tournament | 25:15 |
| 5 | Kazuchika Okada defeated Evil | Singles match for the G1 Climax tournament | 21:46 |
Tournament scores
| Rank | Wrestler | Result | Points | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pre | Post | |||
| 1 | Jeff Cobb | Win | 2 | 4 |
| Taichi | Win | 2 | 4 | |
| Kazuchika Okada | Win | 2 | 4 | |
| 2 | Sanada | Loss | 2 | 2 |
| Evil | Loss | 2 | 2 | |
| Hiroshi Tanahashi | Win | 0 | 2 | |
| Tama Tonga | Win | 0 | 2 | |
| 3 | Yoshi-Hashi | Loss | 0 | 0 |
| Hirooki Goto | Loss | 0 | 0 | |
| Chase Owens | Loss | 0 | 0 | |
Night 5 (A Block)
The third night of A Block took place on September 26, 2021, at World Memorial Hall in Chūō-ku, Kobe.[13]
| No. | Results[13] | Stipulations | Times |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Master Wato defeated Kosei Fujita | Singles match | 6:21 |
| 2 | Shingo Takagi defeated Yuji Nagata | Singles match | 16:51 |
| 3 | Great-O-Khan defeated Yujiro Takahashi | Singles match for the G1 Climax tournament | 14:15 |
| 4 | Toru Yano defeated Tanga Loa | Singles match for the G1 Climax tournament | 10:46 |
| 5 | Kenta defeated Tomohiro Ishii | Singles match for the G1 Climax tournament | 21:08 |
| 6 | Zack Sabre Jr. defeated Kota Ibushi by submission | Singles match for the G1 Climax tournament | 19:55 |
Tournament scores
| Rank | Wrestler | Result | Points | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pre | Post | |||
| 1 | Great-O-Khan | Win | 6 | 8 |
| 2 | Zack Sabre Jr. | Win | 4 | 6 |
| Kenta | Win | 4 | 6 | |
| Toru Yano | Win | 4 | 6 | |
| 3 | Shingo Takagi | Win[a] | 4 | 4 |
| Kota Ibushi | Loss | 4 | 4 | |
| Yujiro Takahashi | Loss | 4 | 4 | |
| 4 | Tomohiro Ishii | Loss | 2 | 2 |
| Tanga Loa | Loss | 2 | 2 | |
| 5 | Tetsuya Naito | Loss | 0 | 0 |
Night 6 (B Block)
The third night of B Block took place on September 29, 2021, at Korakuen Hall in Bunkyo, Tokyo.[14]
| No. | Results[14] | Stipulations | Times |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Evil defeated Taichi by referee stoppage | Singles match for the G1 Climax tournament | 11:30 |
| 2 | Sanada defeated Chase Owens | Singles match for the G1 Climax tournament | 11:58 |
| 3 | Jeff Cobb defeated Hirooki Goto | Singles match for the G1 Climax tournament | 15:08 |
| 4 | Hiroshi Tanahashi defeated Tama Tonga | Singles match for the G1 Climax tournament | 14:17 |
| 5 | Kazuchika Okada defeated Yoshi-Hashi | Singles match for the G1 Climax tournament | 26:53 |
Tournament scores
| Rank | Wrestler | Result | Points | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pre | Post | |||
| 1 | Jeff Cobb | Win | 4 | 6 |
| Kazuchika Okada | Win | 4 | 6 | |
| 2 | Hiroshi Tanahashi | Win | 2 | 4 |
| Sanada | Win | 2 | 4 | |
| Taichi | Loss | 4 | 4 | |
| Evil | Win | 2 | 4 | |
| 3 | Tama Tonga | Loss | 2 | 2 |
| 4 | Yoshi-Hashi | Loss | 0 | 0 |
| Hirooki Goto | Loss | 0 | 0 | |
| Chase Owens | Loss | 0 | 0 | |
Night 7 (A Block)
The fourth night of A Block took place on September 30, 2021, at Korakuen Hall in Bunkyo, Tokyo.[15]
| No. | Results[15] | Stipulations | Times |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yujiro Takahashi defeated Bushi | Singles match | 13:01 |
| 2 | Tomohiro Ishii defeated Tanga Loa | Singles match for the G1 Climax tournament | 16:18 |
| 3 | Zack Sabre Jr. defeated Great-O-Khan by submission | Singles match for the G1 Climax tournament | 15:26 |
| 4 | Kota Ibushi defeated Toru Yano | Singles match for the G1 Climax tournament | 4:03 |
| 5 | Shingo Takagi defeated Kenta | Singles match for the G1 Climax tournament | 23:56 |
Tournament scores
| Rank | Wrestler | Result | Points | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pre | Post | |||
| 1 | Zack Sabre Jr. | Win | 6 | 8 |
| Great-O-Khan | Loss | 8 | 8 | |
| 2 | Shingo Takagi | Win | 4 | 6 |
| Kenta | Loss | 6 | 6 | |
| Toru Yano | Loss | 6 | 6 | |
| Kota Ibushi | Win | 4 | 6 | |
| 3 | Yujiro Takahashi | Win[a] | 4 | 4 |
| Tomohiro Ishii | Win | 2 | 4 | |
| 4 | Tanga Loa | Loss | 2 | 2 |
| 5 | Tetsuya Naito | Loss | 0 | 0 |
Night 8 (B Block)
The fourth night of B Block took place on October 1, 2021, at Hamamatsu Arena in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka.[16]
| No. | Results[16] | Stipulations | Times |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yoshinobu Kanemaru defeated Ryohei Oiwa | Singles match | 7:36 |
| 2 | Jeff Cobb defeated Tama Tonga | Singles match for the G1 Climax tournament | 12:47 |
| 3 | Evil defeated Chase Owens | Singles match for the G1 Climax tournament | 12:38 |
| 4 | Yoshi-Hashi defeated Taichi | Singles match for the G1 Climax tournament | 22:26 |
| 5 | Kazuchika Okada defeated Hirooki Goto | Singles match for the G1 Climax tournament | 18:06 |
| 6 | Hiroshi Tanahashi defeated Sanada | Singles match for the G1 Climax tournament | 25:36 |
Tournament scores
| Rank | Wrestler | Result | Points | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pre | Post | |||
| 1 | Jeff Cobb | Win | 6 | 8 |
| Kazuchika Okada | Win | 6 | 8 | |
| 2 | Evil | Win | 4 | 6 |
| Hiroshi Tanahashi | Win | 4 | 6 | |
| 3 | Sanada | Loss | 4 | 4 |
| Taichi | Loss | 4 | 4 | |
| 4 | Tama Tonga | Loss | 2 | 2 |
| Yoshi-Hashi | Win | 0 | 2 | |
| 5 | Chase Owens | Loss | 0 | 0 |
| Hirooki Goto | Loss | 0 | 0 | |
Night 9 (A Block)
The fifth night of A Block took place on October 3, 2021, at Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium in Naka-ku, Nagoya.[17]
| No. | Results[17] | Stipulations | Times |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yoshinobu Kanemaru defeated Kosei Fujita by submission | Singles match | 7:34 |
| 2 | Toru Yano defeated Bushi | Singles match | 7:14 |
| 3 | Kenta defeated Great-O-Khan | Singles match for the G1 Climax tournament | 19:39 |
| 4 | Tanga Loa defeated Yujiro Takahashi | Singles match for the G1 Climax tournament | 12:36 |
| 5 | Tomohiro Ishii defeated Zack Sabre Jr. | Singles match for the G1 Climax tournament | 18:40 |
| 6 | Kota Ibushi defeated Shingo Takagi | Singles match for the G1 Climax tournament | 23:57 |
Tournament scores
| Rank | Wrestler | Result | Points | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pre | Post | |||
| 1 | Zack Sabre Jr. | Loss | 8 | 8 |
| Great-O-Khan | Loss | 8 | 8 | |
| Kenta | Win | 6 | 8 | |
| Kota Ibushi | Win | 6 | 8 | |
| 2 | Shingo Takagi | Loss | 6 | 6 |
| Toru Yano | Win[a] | 6 | 6 | |
| Tomohiro Ishii | Win | 4 | 6 | |
| 3 | Yujiro Takahashi | Loss | 4 | 4 |
| Tanga Loa | Win | 2 | 4 | |
| 4 | Tetsuya Naito | Loss | 0 | 0 |
Night 10 (B Block)
The fifth night of B Block took place on October 4, 2021, at Korakuen Hall in Bunkyo, Tokyo.[18]
| No. | Results[18] | Stipulations | Times |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chase Owens defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi | Singles match for the G1 Climax tournament | 10:58 |
| 2 | Evil defeated Tama Tonga | Singles match for the G1 Climax tournament | 13:47 |
| 3 | Jeff Cobb defeated Taichi | Singles match for the G1 Climax tournament | 15:15 |
| 4 | Hirooki Goto defeated Yoshi-Hashi | Singles match for the G1 Climax tournament | 16:57 |
| 5 | Kazuchika Okada defeated Sanada | Singles match for the G1 Climax tournament | 29:14 |
Tournament scores
| Rank | Wrestler | Result | Points | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pre | Post | |||
| 1 | Jeff Cobb | Win | 8 | 10 |
| Kazuchika Okada | Win | 8 | 10 | |
| 2 | Evil | Win | 6 | 8 |
| 3 | Hiroshi Tanahashi | Loss | 6 | 6 |
| 4 | Sanada | Loss | 4 | 4 |
| Taichi | Loss | 4 | 4 | |
| 5 | Tama Tonga | Loss | 2 | 2 |
| Hirooki Goto | Win | 0 | 2 | |
| Chase Owens | Win | 0 | 2 | |
| Yoshi-Hashi | Loss | 2 | 2 | |
Night 11 (A Block)
The sixth night of the A Block took place on October 7, 2021, at Hiroshima Sun Plaza in Nishi-ku, Hiroshima.[19]
| No. | Results[19] | Stipulations | Times |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | El Desperado defeated Ryohei Oiwa by submission | Singles match | 6:38 |
| 2 | Kenta defeated Hiromu Takahashi | Singles match | 19:01 |
| 3 | Kota Ibushi defeated Tanga Loa | Singles match for the G1 Climax tournament | 13:46 |
| 4 | Zack Sabre Jr. defeated Yujiro Takahashi by submission | Singles match for the G1 Climax tournament | 14:15 |
| 5 | Shingo Takagi defeated Toru Yano | Singles match for the G1 Climax tournament | 8:17 |
| 6 | Tomohiro Ishii defeated Great-O-Khan | Singles match for the G1 Climax tournament | 26:26 |
Tournament scores
| Rank | Wrestler | Result | Points | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pre | Post | |||
| 1 | Zack Sabre Jr. | Win | 8 | 10 |
| Kota Ibushi | Win | 8 | 10 | |
| 2 | Great-O-Khan | Loss | 8 | 8 |
| Kenta | Win[a] | 8 | 8 | |
| Shingo Takagi | Win | 6 | 8 | |
| Tomohiro Ishii | Win | 6 | 8 | |
| 3 | Toru Yano | Loss | 6 | 6 |
| 4 | Tanga Loa | Loss | 4 | 4 |
| Yujiro Takahashi | Loss | 4 | 4 | |
| 5 | Tetsuya Naito | Loss | 0 | 0 |
Night 12 (B Block)
The sixth night of the B Block took place on October 8, 2021, at Kochi Prefectural Gymnasium in Kochi, Kochi.[20]
| No. | Results[20] | Stipulations | Times |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | El Desperado defeated Kosei Fujita | Singles match | 8:27 |
| 2 | Yoshi-Hashi defeated Tama Tonga | Singles match for the G1 Climax tournament | 13:14 |
| 3 | Hirooki Goto defeated Chase Owens | Singles match for the G1 Climax tournament | 12:41 |
| 4 | Jeff Cobb defeated Sanada | Singles match for the G1 Climax tournament | 14:17 |
| 5 | Evil defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi | Singles match for the G1 Climax tournament | 17:22 |
| 6 | Kazuchika Okada defeated Taichi | Singles match for the G1 Climax tournament | 23:10 |
Tournament scores
| Rank | Wrestler | Result | Points | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pre | Post | |||
| 1 | Jeff Cobb | Win | 10 | 12 |
| Kazuchika Okada | Win | 10 | 12 | |
| 2 | Evil | Win | 8 | 10 |
| 3 | Hiroshi Tanahashi | Loss | 6 | 6 |
| 4 | Sanada | Loss | 4 | 4 |
| Taichi | Loss | 4 | 4 | |
| Hirooki Goto | Win | 2 | 4 | |
| Yoshi-Hashi | Win | 2 | 4 | |
| 5 | Tama Tonga | Loss | 2 | 2 |
| Chase Owens | Loss | 2 | 2 | |
Night 13 (A Block)
The seventh night of A Block took place on October 9, 2021, at Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium in Namba, Osaka.[21]
| No. | Results[21] | Stipulations | Times |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suzuki-gun (El Desperado and Yoshinobu Kanemaru) defeated Kosei Fujita and Ryohei Oiwa | Tag Team match | 9:31 |
| 2 | Tomohiro Ishii defeated Hiromu Takahashi | Singles match | 18:13 |
| 3 | Kenta defeated Zack Sabre Jr. | Singles match for the G1 Climax tournament | 22:24 |
| 4 | Toru Yano defeated Yujiro Takahashi by Count Out | Singles match for the G1 Climax tournament | 10:23 |
| 5 | Shingo Takagi defeated Tanga Loa | Singles match for the G1 Climax tournament | 19:08 |
| 6 | Kota Ibushi defeated Great-O-Khan | Singles match for the G1 Climax tournament | 20:22 |
Tournament scores
| Rank | Wrestler | Result | Points | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pre | Post | |||
| 1 | Kota Ibushi | Win | 10 | 12 |
| 2 | Zack Sabre Jr. | Loss | 10 | 10 |
| Kenta | Win | 8 | 10 | |
| Shingo Takagi | Win | 8 | 10 | |
| 3 | Toru Yano | Win | 6 | 8 |
| Great-O-Khan | Loss | 8 | 8 | |
| Tomohiro Ishii | Win[a] | 8 | 8 | |
| 4 | Yujiro Takahashi | Loss | 4 | 4 |
| Tanga Loa | Loss | 4 | 4 | |
| 5 | Tetsuya Naito | Loss | 0 | 0 |
Night 14 (B Block)
The seventh night of B Block took place on October 12, 2021, at Xebio Arena Sendai in Sendai, Miyagi.[22]
| No. | Results[22] | Stipulations | Times |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hiromu Takahashi defeated Ryohei Oiwa | Singles match | 7:16 |
| 2 | Tama Tonga defeated Taichi | Singles match for the G1 Climax tournament | 12:58 |
| 3 | Sanada defeated Yoshi-Hashi | Singles match for the G1 Climax tournament | 17:35 |
| 4 | Kazuchika Okada defeated Chase Owens | Singles match for the G1 Climax tournament | 15:37 |
| 5 | Evil defeated Hirooki Goto | Singles match for the G1 Climax tournament | 14:16 |
| 6 | Jeff Cobb defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi | Singles match for the G1 Climax tournament | 19:05 |
Tournament scores
| Rank | Wrestler | Result | Points | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pre | Post | |||
| 1 | Jeff Cobb | Win | 12 | 14 |
| Kazuchika Okada | Win | 12 | 14 | |
| 2 | Evil | Win | 10 | 12 |
| 3 | Hiroshi Tanahashi | Loss | 6 | 6 |
| Sanada | Win | 4 | 6 | |
| 4 | Taichi | Loss | 4 | 4 |
| Hirooki Goto | Loss | 4 | 4 | |
| Yoshi-Hashi | Loss | 4 | 4 | |
| Tama Tonga | Win | 2 | 4 | |
| 5 | Chase Owens | Loss | 2 | 2 |
Night 15 (A Block)
The eighth night of A Block took place on October 13, 2021, at Xebio Arena Sendai in Sendai, Miyagi.[23]
| No. | Results[23] | Stipulations | Times |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hiromu Takahashi defeated Kosei Fujita | Singles match | 7:46 |
| 2 | Kota Ibushi defeated Satoshi Kojima | Singles match | 14:56 |
| 3 | Tomohiro Ishii defeated Yujiro Takahashi | Singles match for the G1 Climax tournament | 17:00 |
| 4 | Kenta defeated Tanga Loa | Singles match for the G1 Climax tournament | 22:12 |
| 5 | Zack Sabre Jr. defeated Toru Yano by submission | Singles match for the G1 Climax tournament | 6:42 |
| 6 | Shingo Takagi defeated Great-O-Khan | Singles match for the G1 Climax tournament | 25:50 |
Tournament scores
| Rank | Wrestler | Result | Points | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pre | Post | |||
| 1 | Kota Ibushi | Win[a] | 12 | 12 |
| Zack Sabre Jr. | Win | 10 | 12 | |
| Kenta | Win | 10 | 12 | |
| Shingo Takagi | Win | 10 | 12 | |
| 2 | Tomohiro Ishii | Win | 8 | 10 |
| 3 | Toru Yano | Loss | 8 | 8 |
| Great-O-Khan | Loss | 8 | 8 | |
| 4 | Yujiro Takahashi | Loss | 4 | 4 |
| Tanga Loa | Loss | 4 | 4 | |
| 5 | Tetsuya Naito | Loss | 0 | 0 |
Night 16 (B Block)
The eighth night of B Block took place on October 14, 2021, at Yamagata City General Sports Center in Tendo, Yamagata.[24]
| No. | Results[24] | Stipulations | Times |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Los Ingobernables de Japón (Bushi and Hiromu Takahashi) defeated Kosei Fujita and Ryohei Oiwa | Tag Team match | 7:12 |
| 2 | Chase Owens defeated Taichi | Singles match for the G1 Climax tournament | 12:05 |
| 3 | Sanada defeated Hirooki Goto | Singles match for the G1 Climax tournament | 15:32 |
| 4 | Hiroshi Tanahashi defeated Yoshi-Hashi | Singles match for the G1 Climax tournament | 14:13 |
| 5 | Jeff Cobb defeated Evil | Singles match for the G1 Climax tournament | 16:45 |
| 6 | Tama Tonga defeated Kazuchika Okada | Singles match for the G1 Climax tournament | 24:45 |
Tournament scores
| Rank | Wrestler | Result | Points | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pre | Post | |||
| 1 | Jeff Cobb | Win | 14 | 16 |
| 2 | Kazuchika Okada | Loss | 14 | 14 |
| 3 | Evil | Loss | 12 | 12 |
| 4 | Hiroshi Tanahashi | Win | 6 | 8 |
| Sanada | Win | 6 | 8 | |
| 5 | Tama Tonga | Win | 4 | 6 |
| 6 | Taichi | Loss | 4 | 4 |
| Hirooki Goto | Loss | 4 | 4 | |
| Yoshi-Hashi | Loss | 4 | 4 | |
| Chase Owens | Win | 2 | 4 | |
Night 17 (A Block Final)
The ninth night of A Block took place on October 18, 2021, at Yokohama Budokan in Naka-ku, Yokohama.[25]
| No. | Results[25] | Stipulations | Times |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Great-O-Khan defeated Satoshi Kojima | Singles match | 10:25 |
| 2 | Toru Yano defeated Tomohiro Ishii | Singles match for the G1 Climax tournament | 11:08 |
| 3 | Shingo Takagi vs. Yujiro Takahashi ended in double count-out[b] | Singles match for the G1 Climax tournament | 13:36 |
| 4 | Tanga Loa defeated Zack Sabre Jr. | Singles match for the G1 Climax tournament | 17:31 |
| 5 | Kota Ibushi defeated Kenta | Singles match for the G1 Climax tournament | 26:16 |
Tournament scores
| Colors | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Won the block | ||||
| Did not win the block | ||||
| Rank | Wrestler | Result | Points | |
| Pre | Post | |||
| 1 | Kota Ibushi | Win | 12 | 14 |
| 2 | Shingo Takagi | Draw | 12 | 13 |
| 3 | Kenta | Loss | 12 | 12 |
| Zack Sabre Jr. | Loss | 12 | 12 | |
| 4 | Toru Yano | Win | 8 | 10 |
| Tomohiro Ishii | Loss | 10 | 10 | |
| 5 | Great-O-Khan | Win[a] | 8 | 8 |
| 6 | Tanga Loa | Win | 4 | 6 |
| 7 | Yujiro Takahashi | Draw | 4 | 5 |
| 8 | Tetsuya Naito | Loss | 0 | 0 |
Night 18 (B Block Final)
The ninth night of B Block took place on October 20, 2021, at Nippon Budokan in Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo.[26]
| No. | Results[26] | Stipulations | Times |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Los Ingobernables de Japón (Bushi and Hiromu Takahashi) defeated Kosei Fujita and Ryohei Oiwa | Tag Team match | 8:07 |
| 2 | Yoshi-Hashi defeated Chase Owens | Singles match for the G1 Climax tournament | 8:27 |
| 3 | Hirooki Goto defeated Tama Tonga | Singles match for the G1 Climax tournament | 15:19 |
| 4 | Taichi defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi | Singles match for the G1 Climax tournament | 14:58 |
| 5 | Evil defeated Sanada | Singles match for the G1 Climax tournament | 17:47 |
| 6 | Kazuchika Okada defeated Jeff Cobb | Singles match for the G1 Climax tournament | 23:35 |
Tournament scores
| Colors | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Won the block | ||||
| Did not win the block | ||||
| Rank | Wrestler | Result | Points | |
| Pre | Post | |||
| 1 | Kazuchika Okada | Win | 14 | 16 |
| Jeff Cobb | Loss | 16 | 16 | |
| 2 | Evil | Win | 12 | 14 |
| 3 | Hiroshi Tanahashi | Loss | 8 | 8 |
| Sanada | Loss | 8 | 8 | |
| 4 | Hirooki Goto | Win | 4 | 6 |
| Yoshi-Hashi | Win | 4 | 6 | |
| Tama Tonga | Loss | 6 | 6 | |
| Taichi | Win | 4 | 6 | |
| 5 | Chase Owens | Loss | 4 | 4 |
Night 19 (Final)
The final night took place on October 21, 2021, at Nippon Budokan in Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo.[27]
Participants
On Night 1 of A Block competition, Tetsuya Naito suffered a legitimate knee injury in his match with Zack Sabre Jr., resulting in Naito having to withdraw from the tournament. All his remaining tournament matches were declared forfeits on Naito's part.[28]
| A Block | B Block | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Kota Ibushi | 14 | Kazuchika Okada | 16 |
| Shingo Takagi | 13 | Jeff Cobb | 16 |
| Kenta | 12 | Evil | 14 |
| Zack Sabre Jr. | 12 | Hiroshi Tanahashi | 8 |
| Toru Yano | 10 | Sanada | 8 |
| Tomohiro Ishii | 10 | Hirooki Goto | 6 |
| Great-O-Khan | 8 | Yoshi-Hashi | 6 |
| Tanga Loa | 6 | Tama Tonga | 6 |
| Yujiro Takahashi | 5 | Taichi | 6 |
| Tetsuya Naito (withdrawn) |
0 | Chase Owens | 4 |
| Block A | O-Khan | Ibushi | Ishii | Kenta | Loa | Naito | Sabre | Takagi | Takahashi | Yano |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| O-Khan | N/a | Ibushi (20:22) |
Ishii (26:26) |
Kenta (19:39) |
O-Khan (17:45)[29] |
O-Khan (Forfeit)[30] |
Sabre (15:26) |
Takagi (25:50) |
O-Khan (14:15)[31] |
O-Khan (11:30)[32] |
| Ibushi | Ibushi (20:22) |
N/a | Ibushi (17:42)[32] |
Ibushi (26:16) |
Ibushi (13:46) |
Ibushi (Forfeit)[30] |
Sabre (19:55)[31] |
Ibushi (23:57) |
Takahashi (11:31)[29] |
Ibushi (4:03) |
| Ishii | Ishii (26:26) |
Ibushi (17:42)[32] |
N/a | Kenta (21:08)[31] |
Ishii (16:18) |
Ishii (Forfeit)[30] |
Ishii (18:40) |
Takagi (27:56)[29] |
Ishii (17:00) |
Yano (11:08) |
| Kenta | Kenta (19:39) |
Ibushi (26:16) |
Kenta (21:08)[31] |
N/a | Kenta (22:12) |
Kenta (Forfeit)[30] |
Kenta (22:24) |
Takagi (23:56) |
Kenta (15:48)[32] |
Yano (11:07)[29] |
| Loa | O-Khan (17:45)[29] |
Ibushi (13:46) |
Ishii (16:18) |
Kenta (22:12) |
N/a | Loa (Forfeit)[30] |
Loa (17:31) |
Takagi (19:08) |
Loa (12:36) |
Yano (10:46)[31] |
| Naito | O-Khan (Forfeit)[30] |
Ibushi (Forfeit)[30] |
Ishii (Forfeit)[30] |
Kenta (Forfeit)[30] |
Loa (Forfeit)[30] |
N/a | Sabre (27:05)[29] |
Takagi (Forfeit)[30] |
Takahashi (Forfeit)[30] |
Yano (Forfeit)[30] |
| Sabre | Sabre (15:26) |
Sabre (19:55)[31] |
Ishii (18:40) |
Kenta (22:24) |
Loa (17:31) |
Sabre (27:05)[29] |
N/a | Sabre (27:17)[32] |
Sabre (14:15) |
Sabre (6:42) |
| Takagi | Takagi (25:50) |
Ibushi (23:57) |
Takagi (27:56)[29] |
Takagi (23:56) |
Takagi (19:08) |
Takagi (Forfeit)[30] |
Sabre (27:17)[32] |
N/a | Draw (13:36) |
Takagi (8:17) |
| Takahashi | O-Khan (14:15)[31] |
Takahashi (11:31)[29] |
Ishii (17:00) |
Kenta (15:48)[32] |
Loa (12:36) |
Takahashi (Forfeit)[30] |
Sabre (14:15) |
Draw (13:36) |
N/a | Yano (10:23) |
| Yano | O-Khan (11:30)[32] |
Ibushi (4:03) |
Yano (11:08) |
Yano (11:07)[29] |
Yano (10:46)[31] |
Yano (Forfeit)[30] |
Sabre (6:42) |
Takagi (8:17) |
Yano (10:23) |
N/a |
| Block B | Cobb | Evil | Goto | Okada | Owens | Sanada | Taichi | Tanahashi | Tonga | Yoshi-Hashi |
| Cobb | N/a | Cobb (16:45) |
Cobb (15:08) |
Okada (23:35) |
Cobb (12:11)[33] |
Cobb (14:17) |
Cobb (15:15) |
Cobb (19:05) |
Cobb (12:35) |
Cobb (13:21)[34] |
| Evil | Cobb (16:45) |
N/a | Evil (14:16) |
Okada (21:46)[34] |
Evil (12:28) |
Evil (17:47) |
Evil (11:30) |
Evil (17:22) |
Evil (13:47) |
Evil (17:15)[33] |
| Goto | Cobb (15:08) |
Evil (14:16) |
N/a | Okada (18:06) |
Goto (12:41) |
Sanada (15:32) |
Taichi (18:30)[33] |
Tanahashi (14:10)[34] |
Goto (15:19) |
Goto (16:57) |
| Okada | Okada (23:35) |
Okada (21:46)[34] |
Okada (18:06) |
N/a | Okada (15:37) |
Okada (29:14) |
Okada (23:10) |
Okada (29:36)[33] |
Tonga (24:45) |
Okada (26:53) |
| Owens | Cobb (12:11)[33] |
Evil (12:28) |
Goto (12:41) |
Okada (15:37) |
N/a | Sanada (11:58) |
Owens (12:05) |
Owens (10:58) |
Tonga (12:59)[34] |
Yoshi-Hashi (8:27) |
| Sanada | Cobb (14:17) |
Evil (17:47) |
Sanada (15:32) |
Okada (29:14) |
Sanada (11:58) |
N/a | Taichi (25:15)[34] |
Tanahashi (18:06) |
Sanada (19:04) |
Sanada (17:35) |
| Taichi | Cobb (15:15) |
Evil (11:30) |
Taichi (18:30)[33] |
Okada (23:10) |
Owens (12:05) |
Taichi (25:15)[34] |
N/a | Taichi (14:58) |
Tonga (12:58) |
Yoshi-Hashi (22:23) |
| Tanahashi | Cobb (19:05) |
Evil (17:22) |
Tanahashi (14:10)[34] |
Okada (29:36)[33] |
Owens (10:58) |
Tanahashi (18:06) |
Taichi (14:58) |
N/a | Tanahashi (14:07) |
Tanahashi (14:13) |
| Tonga | Cobb (12:35) |
Evil (13:47) |
Goto (15:19) |
Tonga (24:45) |
Tonga (12:59)[34] |
Sanada (19:04)[33] |
Tonga (12:58) |
Tanahashi (14:07) |
N/a | Yoshi-Hashi (13:14) |
| Yoshi-Hashi | Cobb (13:21)[34] |
Evil (17:15)[33] |
Goto (16:57) |
Okada (26:53) |
Yoshi-Hashi (8:27) |
Sanada (17:35) |
Yoshi-Hashi (22:26) |
Tanahashi (14:13) |
Yoshi-Hashi (13:14) |
N/a |
| Final | ||||
| A1 | Kota Ibushi | 25:37 | ||
| B1 | Kazuchika Okada | Stop | ||
Notes
- Tetsuya Naito suffered a legitimate knee injury in his first round match against Zack Sabre Jr. All of Naito's remaining tournament matches were pre-emptively declared forfeit wins for his opponents.
- Takagi vs. Takahashi is the first double count-out in a G1 Climax match since Masato Tanaka vs. Giant Bernard in 2009.
Aftermath
On the final night of G1 Climax 31, Zack Sabre Jr. had an impromptu 5-minute, special exhibition grappling match with Katsuyori Shibata, marking Shibata's return to in-ring action since suffering a subdural hematoma at Sakura Genesis 2017, which put him out of action for over 4 years. The bout went to the time limit and no winner was declared. Afterwards, Shibata addressed the crowd, saying the next time he will step back into the ring, it will be in his ring gear, presumably in a sanctioned wrestling match.[35] During the finals for World Tag League and Best of Super Juniors 28, Shibata would address the crowd, announcing his first official match since Sakura Genesis would take place on January 4, 2022, at Wrestle Kingdom 16.[36]
In a press conference after winning the tournament, Okada proposed to NJPW chairman Naoki Sugabayashi to hold and defend the previous version of the IWGP Heavyweight Championship belt, seen from 2008–2021, instead of the usual briefcase which holds the Tokyo Dome IWGP World Heavyweight Championship challenge rights certificate. Sugabayashi accepted the proposal, and the former title belt returned to represent Okada's G1 win on the first show of the Road to Power Struggle tour.[37] Okada would go on to beat Shingo Takagi on January 4 at Wrestle Kingdom 16, where he finally retired the 4th Generation title belt on his terms in the Tokyo Dome at the end of the night.