New Japan Pro Wrestling
G1 Climax 36 Night 7
July 26, 2026
EBARE WAVE Arena
Tokyo, Japan
Watch: NJPW WORLD
Audio Review (FlagshipPatreon.com)
The G1 stays in Tokyo for another night at the EBARE WAVE Arena. The previous A Block show was the best night of the tournament so far, giving the B Block a lot to live up to.
The top matches on tonight’s show are made up of four of Britain’s best wrestlers. It’s a shame they can’t make much of a living at home, but our scene is exclusively populated by irony wrestlers. Luckily for us, the G1 is the perfect stage for them to excel. Let’s see if they managed it!
G1 Climax 2026 Block B Match
OSKAR [6] def. Aaron Wolf [4]
This was an interesting match from the outset. OSKAR has been fine, but he needs a dance party who can lead. Wolf has also improved with leaps and bounds but being that leader is a big ask.
Wolf continued his development. His entrance was noticeably real, with a little more subtle projection from behind his eyes.
This match ended up being more than the sum of its parts. It was often clunky, with their feet being a millisecond or so behind their brains. Both men still managed to put in a good performance though, and it was the emotions they portrayed that got it over the finishing line. OSKAR scooping Wolf with ease for a big slam was spectacular enough, and it rendered the subsequent clumsiness irrelevant.
OSKAR put on a good show. I’ve been critical of his work earlier in the tournament. I felt that he worked too small, but that wasn’t the case here. He deployed some amazing clubbing elbows and a big leg drop got some serious hangtime. This paid dividends for Wolf too, as he looked even more impressive when he eventually launched the big man through the air.
In the end, it was just two big lads exchanging big blows. It may have been a little clunky, but judo throws to escape a sleeper is just pure wrestling.
The ending was superb; Wolf struggled to lock in a triangle. When he finally got the hold, OSKAR scrambled for the ropes with a brilliant panic.
Eventually, OSKAR raked Wolf’s eyes before choking him out. It felt like an upset, which is a testament to how strong Wolf’s work has been. ***1/2
G1 Climax 2026 Block B Match
HENARE [8] def. Ren Narita [4]
Henare went right after Ren, which I appreciated. It gave me hope that this would be a short match. According to Cagematch, the agony was over in ten minutes but it felt much longer.
Once the match settled into its rhythm, it was very basic. Narita would work a limb and Henare would fight back with a big shoulder block.
Of course, we’re always waiting for the interference spot. Narita managed some kind of bizarre switcheroo and the ref slapped Henare. Then, it was a fairly typical HOT bollocks section of Dick Togo nonsense. Henare no-sold a chair to the head, which was cool, and he was great at beating up Narita in revenge. Other than that, there is little to report of a match I barely remember despite having watched it less than an hour ago. **
G1 Climax 2026 Block B Match
Drilla Moloney [8] def. Callum Newman [6]
Drilla might gain more than anyone from the G1. He stayed in New Japan when his contemporaries left, and he’s reaping the benefits. He can be a big fish in New Japan’s pond, establishing a long career as an upper mid-carder. His loyalty is being rewarded, and beating a former IWGP champion is a testament to that.
Unfortunately, the match was nowhere near as good as it should have been. The result matters, but it would have mattered a lot more with a better match.
It started off so well. Newman mocked him with barks, before Moloney absolutely battered him. The fight happened everywhere, including way up in the bleachers. The camera work was great; they angled the shot to highlight the precarious position they were in.
Newman positioned Moloney on a ringside chair, and you could see Drilla’s mind working. Unsurprisingly, Newman was launched across the arena floor. Not long after, Newman was leaping over the barrier to deliver an amazing dropkick. It was proper action!
Cocky Newman was out in full force, and it was great. He’d bounce around and mock his opponent with a horrible, privileged sneer. His cockiness was his downfall, however. Drilla reversed a cutter with a backdrop to settle the score, and we were ready for a famous New Japan closing stretch.
Unfortunately, it never happened. There was a ref bump, and a series of interferences from Zane Jay and Daiki Nagai. It pulled any momentum the match had, resulting in a big asterisk next to the result. Drilla got the win, but there was silliness.
The match got back on track, but never found the same momentum. I should have felt more when Moloney kicked out at one, or when we thought he was dead and he kept fighting back. I loved that they didn’t tease the Drilla Killa and he just dropped it for the win, but the energy it needed had dissipated.. They had all the ideas, but shot themselves in the foot.
This should have been so much more. ***1/2
G1 Climax 2026 Block B Match
Gabe Kidd [8] def. Zack Sabre Jr. [2]
Gabe Kidd is a funny wrestler to think about. In theory, he ticks a lot of boxes. He’s intense, violent and takes professional wrestling a little too seriously. I should love his work. Unfortunately, the practice is very different from the theory. His work is often overblown, moving it way past the point of believability. It’s not very well thought out; he purports to hate the G1 yet there’s no kayfabe obligation to participate. I understand there’s a story of insecurity; he may have left New Japan because he’s afraid he can’t quite keep up and his constant criticism of the company reflects that. The problem is, he’s too cartoonish. The subtle stories are there to be told, but he’s not very good at telling them.
The first section of this match was the best of Kidd. He was a silent killer. He’d stare at ZSJ with intensity, making his mind games as important as the physicality. There were some great moments, like shoving ZSJ away from him on a rope break and screaming for more when he got slapped. His brutality screamed louder than any call of “suck your mum.”
Eventually, Gabe’s worst instincts took over. The cheesy profanity built to him mocking Tanahashi for cheap heat.
I don’t think they achieved what they wanted from a creative standpoint. ZSJ was very understated, and the fact he’s sitting at two points indicates that he has a role to play. He’s here to put people over rather than shine himself. It seemed that he took that a little too literally. There were moments I enjoyed, such as a great wrench of the knee, but he didn’t play the babyface in peril as well as the story needed. It ended up feeling repetitive, with Kidd keeping the same pace for far too long. The story needed more from ZSJ, and he didn’t want to give it.
The ending saved the match. A big tombstone into lariat finally got my blood pumping, and the closing stretch was dominated by ZSJ’s desperate scratch for a quick pin. The crowd started chanting for Zack which is maybe why he was so understated.
Gabe put him away by dropping him on his head three times. I love that kind of finish, and it shows that Gabe can have good instincts. His good ideas are just far too diluted. ***½
Final Thoughts
While it wasn’t bad, it would be a stretch to call night seven of the G1 a success. In many ways, it was a victim of its own high expectations. I wanted more from the wrestlers, and they treated it like another stop on a long tour. Luckily for us, a good night eight can leave all of this in the past.
