New Japan Pro Wrestling
G1 Climax 36 Night 5
July 22, 2026
Aore Nagaoka
Nagaoka, Niigata, Japan
Watch: NJPW WORLD
The Grade One Climax has managed to maintain its fresh excitement for another night, as every match delivered in Nagaoka. There was nothing bad on the show, and the main event was the best match in the tournament so far.
Let’s break it down!
G1 Climax 2026 Block B Match
Gabe Kidd [6] def. Aaron Wolf [4]
Wolf, the ever-scrutinized rookie, looked fantastic from beginning to end. He entered the ring with a swagger, perfectly balancing the gravity of the situation with a quiet confidence.
This is finally a situation in which he can excel, because he can call upon his real-life experience and turn it up a notch. It’s a shame it took eight months and a hand forced by the calendar.
Kidd, always prone to hyperbole, came across fake. He bounced around with a judo outfit, and it felt like backstage machinations and creativity rather than anything real. If anything, this helped Wolf. His stoicism felt more grounded, and I believed in him even more.
When the wrestling started, Wolf slammed Kidd into the mat and talked shit. He looked good on night one, but he looked legitimate here. It was all simple, but the crowd ate it up. Dodging a running lariat and turning it into a suplex was all it took. In other words, Wolf just needed to wrestle.
Wolf’s attitude spoke volumes. He talked and screamed, willing the fight to escalate. His work was solid too, having just the right amount of space and impact at the right time. He was more than a match for Kidd, bursting out of nowhere with a slam when Kidd rubbed his hair. His no-sell of a flurry of forearms was superb; the venom in his eyes grew with each strike.
As always, Kidd crossed a bit of a line. Standing on the top rope demanding fellatio was cringe-inducing, but the blue-eyed Wolf launching him to the ground was the perfect punchline.
The best spot in the match was a simple one. They ran at each for the double lariat, but Wolf’s power was too much and Kidd took an amazing twisting bump. The crowd went wild, and they were as gutted as I was when Wolf lost. ***3/4
G1 Climax 2026 Block B Match
HENARE [6] def. OSKAR [4]
I like Oskar, but his work is often confusing. He walked to the ring methodically, leaning into his size and aura. As the match progressed, he seemed to forget about that completely. He sold like he was half the size he is, writhing on the floor in pain and gritting his teeth to fight back. His selling isn’t bad – it’s actually quite good in isolation – but he needs to wrestle like the big man he is.
From bell to bell, this was very much a gentleman’s three. I liked the story of Oskar being desperate to beat Henare but there was little outside that. There were some good moments, like a sleeper being wrenched in by Henare, but too much of it was drawn out for it to be anything other than average. ***
G1 Climax 2026 Block B Match
Drilla Moloney [6] def. Yuya Uemura [4]
Drilla is the perfect wrestler for a tournament like this. He has an air of legitimacy, and he could beat anyone at any time. He could also lose without repercussions. His work is excellent, and he can easily have a good match with anyone on the roster. His War Dog brethren may have left for pastures new, but Moloney’s loyalty to New Japan might end up being an incredibly smart move.
We started the contest off with a handshake and a good bit of grappling. This was proper babyface versus babyface action, and I loved it. A kickout into a double bridge was the highlight of some entertaining mat wrestling, and it escalated well into a perfectly placed big armdrag from Uemura.
There was a bit of flab in the middle, but a Death Valley Driver from Drilla got the momentum back and the crowd on side. It was very satisfying wrestling, especially when a German suplex transitioned perfectly into a big Gore.
The ending was great. Uemura sold the desperate need to win well, wrenching in arm holds. They exchanged quick pinning combinations and the crowd loved it. Maloney scrambled to drop the Drilla Killer. The move is so over, and the release when it finally hit was palpable. ***½
G1 Climax 2026 Block B Match
Callum Newman [6] def. Zack Sabre Jr. [2]
I miss the halcyon days of the G1. I miss waking up early on summer days, watching world class wrestling through bleary tired eyes. There’s maybe too much of the mise-en-scene missing from New Japan to give me that feeling at the moment, but this match certainly came close. It was simply two of the best wrestlers in the world having a great match.
Both men sprinted to violence as the bell rang, dodging and weaving strikes and holds. ZSJ soon took control, basking in the violence. I love his smirk as he finds new ways to hurt his opponent, whether it’s grabbing an extra limb or driving his elbow somewhere painful.
The match spilled outside and Callum soon took control. It became very sensory, with huge echoes of crashing metal barriers singing a chorus with a crowd begging for more.
Newman felt very complete. His selling was particularly superb. ZSJ wrenched his fingers and arms and it impacted the rest of the match. Newman had to power through spots and was unable to lock in pin attempts. He rewarded the audience for paying attention.
Nothing was ever certain. A Zack Driver would come out of nowhere, or Newman would dodge a submission with lightning speed. Newman locked in a sleeper, and both men hit the ground in a way that was so satisfying. Each sequence had so much weight and consequence behind it.
There was a wonderful bit of dumb energy when Callum asked ZSJ to boot his injured shoulder. The slap he gave as the receipt sent sweat from ZSJ’s chest flying into the air, catching the light as it did. This really felt like the G1 Climax matches of old.
The energy of the closing stretch was superb. Zack desperately tried to grab a quick pin, and the holds got sloppier as the desperation increased. The crowd loved it, and so did I.
The ending was smart. Newman predicted a PK and was able to reverse it into a pinning combination.
This was great wrestling from two of the best in the world. Highly recommended. ****1/2
Final Thoughts
I’ve enjoyed the G1 so far, but the quality escalated at night five. We were missing a truly great match, but the main event ticked that box. New Japan needed to enter the three day break with some momentum, and they certainly did that.
