Overview
- Oiwa defeated Yuya Uemura in the G1 Climax 36 final at Ryōgoku Sumo Hall on Sunday, August 16, to claim the tournament and its customary prize of a top title opportunity.
- The semifinals, held the previous night, saw Oiwa beat Callum Newman and Uemura beat Yota Tsuji to reach the final.
- Hiroyoshi Tenzan formally retired on August 15 after a ceremonial send-off and a final match that ended with Satoshi Kojima scoring the victory.
- The two-night show also reshaped NJPW’s roster picture with Shun Skywalker appearing and aligning with HOUSE OF TORTURE and Jeff Cobb returning to the promotion.
- Attendance at the Tokyo weekend cards was reported at 7,777 for the Aug. 15 card and 7,260 for the Aug. 16 final, and Oiwa’s win builds on his rapid rise from the New Japan dojo and excursion work to a likely title run.