The G1 Climax 27, New Japan Pro Wrestling's annual tournament showcase pitting 20 of their best heavyweights against each other in a month-long round-robin format, has crossed its halfway point. As is the case almost every year, there have already been a handful of must-see classics, a lot of in-ring variety and developing storylines that will conclude in epic fashion over the next two weeks.
Each competitor has finished five of their nine tournament matches, and the true contenders have started to separate themselves from the rest of the pack. The drama always carries into the final two nights, with some of the most highly anticipated matches in each block set for those final two nights.
For clarity, each win is worth two points, a draw is worth one point, and ties at the end of the tournament are broken by head-to-head records, followed by a number of other qualifiers. The winner of the tournament earns a briefcase entitling them to a guaranteed main event title match for the IWGP heavyweight championship at Wrestle Kingdom 12 on Jan. 4, 2018.
As of today, here's how things stand:
Block A
Things are quite tight atop Block A, with long-time NJPW ace Hiroshi Tanahashi holding a narrow lead with eight points (4-1 to this point). His lone loss thus far came at the hands of first-timer Zack Sabre Jr., who has afforded himself quite well in his debut; his six points (3-2) have him tied with five others -- Tetsuya Naito, Bad Luck Fale, Togi Makabe, Hirooki Goto and Tomohiro Ishii -- in second place. Perhaps most surprisingly, Kota Ibushi finds himself on the outside looking in with just four points (2-3) and needing quite a run to pull off the come-from-behind victory. But stranger things have happened in the G1. The favorites for this group coming into the tournament were Tanahashi and Naito, and that still hasn't really changed.
Japanese wrestling legend Yuji Nagata, participating in his 19th and final G1, is 0-5 thus far and already mathematically eliminated from winning the competition. Though it's possible that Nagata, the 2001 G1 Climax winner, could walk away from G1 Climax 27 with zero points (as Jushin "Thunder" Liger did during his swan song in NJPW's Best of Super Juniors tournament earlier this year), he could play spoiler late in the game. Yoshi-Hashi, who's in his second G1, is all but out of the picture with just two points following his lone win thus far, over Nagata.
Block B
Since the tournament field was announced and the schedule was set, the story of Block B has been the impending third match between IWGP heavyweight champion Kazuchika Okada and Kenny Omega. After their historic clash in January, when Okada edged out a victory, and their rematch in June that went to a 60-minute draw, their match on the final day of the G1 Climax seems very likely to determine the outcome of this block.
Okada has been a perfect 5-0 (10 points), while Omega is 4-1 (eight points) in second place. The surprise to this point has been EVIL, who has racked up four wins of his own and sits tied with Omega in second place. However, he still has to get through both Omega and Okada in his last four matches. Sitting behind them at 3-2 (six points) are Minoru Suzuki and Sanada, who have each afforded themselves well despite being on opposite ends of their respective careers. Suzuki, who recently turned 49, continues to put on big match after big match, while 29-year-old Sanada has really come into his own of late.
Michael Elgin and Tama Tonga each have four points at 2-3, though each has pulled off big individual wins (Elgin beat Omega, while Tonga defeated Elgin). First-timer Juice Robinson, formerly CJ Parker as part of WWE's NXT brand, has made a huge statement for himself by connecting with the Japanese crowd in a big way, despite just one win to his credit thus far. His main event against Okada over the weekend was a particularly big moment in his career. Rounding out this group is 2010 G1 Climax winner Satoshi Kojima who, like Nagata, has been mathematically eliminated after opening with an 0-5 record.
Watch the full video #G127 Night08 the greatest main match @KennyOmegamanX vs. @MichaelElgin25 only on @njpwworld pic.twitter.com/xTmB2KVHkP
-- njpw_global (@njpwglobal) July 27, 2017
The Kenny Omega experience
Omega, in particular, has been able to flex his versatility with five different matches thus far in the tournament. On the first night of Block B, Omega survived a 21-minute main event with the borderline sociopathic Suzuki, which allowed him to show fear and play the underdog for long stretches of the match. His second match of the tournament allowed deep-seeded issues within the Bullet Club to play out as Omega and Tama Tonga went head-to-head, with Omega picking up the win and seemingly settling the issues within the group for the time being in the process.
All was not perfect, however, as Omega picked up a loss against Elgin. They already had a history of great matches; Omega successfully defended the IWGP Intercontinental title against Elgin in April 2016, before losing the title to him in NJPW's first-ever ladder match two months later, followed by an Elgin win when the pair met during the G1 Climax last year. They met for the fourth time in a first-round match in the IWGP United States title tournament that Omega won just a few weeks ago.
There was a highly entertaining comedy match against Toru Yano, during which both men ended up with their ankles taped together, that hearkened back to Omega's roots in DDT (a time that saw him take on both a life-sized doll and a 9-year-old girl, along with numerous over-the-top outdoor clashes). Most recently, Omega nearly overlooked the faltering Kojima before bearing down and picking up the win after a late push.
The anticipated clash between Omega and Ibushi, likely one of the most desired matchups anywhere in wrestling in 2017, seems unlikely to happen as the finals of this tournament. But no matter the result, the events of this tournament could still set the former partners on a collision course for the future.
Five (non-Omega) must-watch matches from the first half of G1 Climax 27
What to watch for over the next two weeks
Aug. 1 (Block A)
Main event: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Kota Ibushi
In front of a hometown crowd in Kagoshima, with any hopes of a comeback in the tournament hanging on the match, Ibushi takes on Tanahashi in a rematch of their tremendous opening-night match from the G1 Climax 25 in 2015.
Match to watch: Tetsuya Naito vs. Hirooki Goto
Long-time NJPW stars Naito and Goto have faced off one-on-one on three occasions, and each match has been in a major tournament. Goto beat Naito twice in the G1 (2012 and 2014), but Naito defeated Goto to win the New Japan Cup in 2016. As Naito makes his push to win Block A, he should pick up the win in this big spot.
Other matches: Tomohiro Ishii vs. Yuji Magata, Yoshi-Hashi vs. Bad Luck Fale, Togi Makabe vs. Zack Zabre Jr.
Aug. 2 (Block B)
Main event: Kenny Omega vs. EVIL
The two men currently tied for second in Block B square off in only their second one-on-one match. Omega defeated EVIL in the G1 Climax last year, and he should do the same this year as he continues to climb and EVIL starts to fade back to the pack as this tournament winds towards its close.
Match to watch: Sanada vs. Juice Robinson
We could well be looking at the future of NJPW in this one.
Sanada and Robinson both had tremendous showings against Okada in losing efforts, and while neither is likely to win this time around, each has shown signs of both an in-ring ability and connection with the Japanese crowd to warrant more attention in years to come.
Other matches: Minoru Suzuki vs. Satoshi Kojima, Kazuchika Okada vs. Tama Tonga, Michael Elgin vs. Toru Yano
Aug. 4 (Block A)
Main event: Tetsuya Naito vs. Zack Sabre Jr.
The first-ever meeting between Naito and Sabre Jr. could play a pivotal role in how the final night of the G1 plays out. Always an independent darling, Sabre Jr. has stepped up in a big way in the heavyweight division in his first G1, and a match against Naito, another of the world's best, should provide another great opportunity for him to show what he can do, even if he loses.
Match to watch: Kota Ibushi vs. Yuji Nagata
In his final G1, Nagata has put on some spectacular matches against stars far younger than himself. This match against Ibushi might be his best chance of all to show that he's going out of this tournament with a little something still left in the tank.
Other matches: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Togi Makabe, Hirooki Goto vs. Yoshi-Hashi, Tomohiro Ishii vs. Bad Luck Fale
Aug. 5 (Block B)
Main event: Kazuchika Okada vs. EVIL
Three nights after taking on Omega, EVIL has another chance in the spotlight against the IWGP heavyweight champion. It may not turn out well as far as the result goes, but it's another big shot for someone in EVIL who hopes to move beyond the realm of the NEVER Openweight title and onto bigger and better things in the long-term.
Match to watch: Michael Elgin vs. Minoru Suzuki
This match should feature many of the things New Japan is best known for -- intensely physical and realistic action in the middle of the ring, and neither man giving an inch.
Other matches: Kenny Omega vs. Juice Robinson, Satoshi Kojima vs. Sanada, Tama Tonga vs. Toru Yano
Aug. 6 (Block A)
Main event: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Tomohiro Ishii
Ishii is often overlooked when the top stars of NJPW are talked about, but he's had incredible matches with the biggest names in wrestling (outside of WWE) all over the world. He and Tanahashi have been getting into the ring together for over a decade, and this match should be another fun one, especially so deep into the tournament.
Match to watch: Tetsuya Naito vs. Togi Makabe
Naito and Makabe have clashed five times in the G1 over the last seven years, with Naito winning their first match in 2010 and Makabe winning the last four times, most recently in 2015. Naito should end his losing streak here.
Other matches: Hirooki Goto vs. Bad Luck Fale, Kota Ibushi vs. Yoshi-Hashi, Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Yuji Nagata
Aug. 8 (Block B)
Main event: Kazuchika Okada vs. Minoru Suzuki
On the penultimate night of Block B, Okada faces off with Suzuki, who has been the biggest thorn in his side outside of Omega during his current reign as IWGP heavyweight champion. It's not out of the question for Suzuki to steal a win as Okada looks ahead to his third match with Omega.
Match to watch: Kenny Omega vs. Sanada
Sanada is in the midst of climbing the ranks of the heavyweight division, and this should be his last great shot to show why he has a bright future with the company.
Other matches: Juice Robinson vs. Toru Yano, Michael Elgin vs. EVIL, Satoshi Kojima vs. Tama Tonga
Aug. 11 (Block A)
Main event: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Tetsuya Naito
As certain as the Omega-Okada match on the following evening is to determining how Block B will play out, the same can be said for Tanahashi-Naito and Block A. There remains an outside chance that a draw or other chicanery here could open the door for someone else, but it seems likely that this is Naito's block to lose.
Match to watch: Tomohiro Ishii vs. Zack Sabre Jr.
After a tournament full of career-shaping matches, Sabre Jr. gets into the ring with a guy in Ishii whose intensely physical style pairs wonderfully with his technical, catch-as-catch-can counter-offense.
Other matches: Kota Ibushi vs. Hirooki Goto, Bad Luck Fale vs. Yuji Nagata, Togi Makabe vs. Yoshi-Hashi
Aug. 12 (Block B)
Main event: Kenny Omega vs. Kazuchika Okada
The expectations for this match will be impossibly high, even with the 30-minute time limit in place. After their 60-minute draw, will Omega finally pick up a victory over Okada and put himself on the path to back-to-back finals?
Match to watch: Minoru Suzuki vs. Toru Yano
The lengthy history between the most serious man in this tournament, Suzuki, and the silliest, Yano, should make for a compelling clash on the final night. Yano has already cost Suzuki a spot in the finals of this tournament once before -- could he do it again?
Other matches: Tama Tonga vs. Sanada, Michael Elgin vs. Juice Robinson, Satoshi Kojima vs. EVIL
Aug. 13 (G1 Climax 27 Finals)
Main event: Block A winner vs. Block B winner
The likeliest outcomes seem to be Naito-Omega and Naito-Okada, but any other scenario would make for an awesome, unpredictable final.
Match to watch: IWGP jr. heavyweight tag team titles: Young Bucks (c) vs. Ryusuke Taguchi & Ricochet
With the outcome and the finals still TBD, we only know about the two tag title matches set for the final night. With The Young Bucks and Ricochet in play, though, there's already one additional rock-solid match locked in for the evening.
Other matches: IWGP heavyweight tag team titles: War Machine (c) vs. Cody [Rhodes] & Hangman Page