New Japan Pro Wrestling
G1 Climax 36 Night 9
July 31, 2026
Takamatsu, Kagawa, Japan
Watch: NJPW WORLD
The B block was given a tough challenge from the A block this week. Night 8 finished in a flurry of excitement, intrigue and debate. This show was at risk of seeming incredibly bland in comparison.
Did they manage to outdo the creative A block? Let’s find out!
G1 Climax 2026 Block B Match
OSKAR [8] def. Drilla Moloney [8]
OSKAR has shifted somewhat. He has spent the G1 having good matches and establishing himself as a credible singles contender. Interest has shifted from curiosity to a more relaxed excitement about what he might do.
He excelled here, working like a great big man from the start. It started with violence from Drilla; a Gore slammed into the OSKAR as the bell rang. It wasn’t long before OSKAR took control with big boots and wild swings. He’d launch Drilla with an Irish Whip, or stomp on his back with exaggerated boots. It was classic, big man stuff and it’s smart that he’s using the G1 to develop this.
The crowd was weak and the two wrestlers deserved much more than they got. Drilla dragging his huge opponent into a powerbomb wasn’t given the credit it needed, and the momentum fell off for the closing stretch. It wasn’t completely silent – the Drilla Killer attempt was as over here as it is anywhere – but they needed a better crowd behind them.
A running tombstone and choke was a great finish, but the lack of atmosphere made this feel smaller than it should have. Gentleman’s Three
G1 Climax 2026 Block B Match
Ren Narita [6] def, Zack Sabre Jr. [2]
Any review of this match is futile. Thinking about it for more than a few minutes would eclipse the amount of effort they put into planning and executing the match itself. If an injury or other mitigating circumstance is revealed, I will retract the rating. Surely Zack Sabre Jr is better than this?
It had all the tropes of a HOT match delivered with the conviction of slug. Its brevity is the only positive. DUD
G1 Climax 2026 Block B Match
Callum Newman [8] def. Gabe Kidd [8]
This was a fantastic performance from Kidd. He is often prone to silly, juvenile utterances that distract from his killer character. In this match, he was all business. There was a chill to his eyes, and his work was brutal. I believed in Kidd as a killer for the first time in a long time.
Kidd’s entrance set a fantastic tone. He stalked around the ring, but Newman was not intimidated. He invited him to fight, and they certainly did.
They fought in the audience, laying in some superb shots. Newman went for his signature dropkick but Kidd dodged out of the way, sending Newman flailing through the chairs. It was a great bump, and it heralded a brilliant control sequence from Kidd. He started outside, contorting Newman’s arm on the concrete floor, surrounded by chaos and noise. It was a great visual.
Kidd was clever. Newman would fight back, but he always had an answer. He would punch Newman as he dived or knee him as he built momentum. He would parade and flex, making it seem like an exhibition to him. The character had clicked, and it worked so much better.
Newman finally managed to increase the speed and was firmly in his comfort zone. A slap on the head brought Kidd to life, and we were treated to an amazing forearm exchange. The noise of the strikes was visceral, infinitely louder than Kidd’s usual calls of “suck your mum.”
The final sequences were great. Newman no-sold two big German suplexes to perfection. Gabe’s knees were perfectly precise, and Newman looked like he was dead.
It wasn’t perfect. There was some miscommunication in the middle, with Newman clearly sending Marty Asami to say something to Kidd. The finish wasn’t perfect, as it was based around the creatively bankrupt combo of a ref bump to low blow.
Overall, this was a great meeting of action and emotion. I could watch this Kidd every night. ****1/4
G1 Climax 2026 Block B Match
Yuya Uemura [6] def. Aaron Wolf [4]
Wolf has been a great asset to this tournament. His matches were interesting before the bell, just because of who he is. He has met the challenge so far and his work has been good. A main event is a step up, however, and he seemed to feel the pressure as he walked to the ring.
The match was simple, but effective. It started with ground work, with Wolf getting the upper hand. He peppered in his judo throws, which looked great. It was clumsy at times, with feet being a centimetre or two out of place. Transitions weren’t fluid, and it felt like I was watching inexperience. Of course, I was watching exactly that but sometimes you have to learn on the job. In many ways, I like that Wolf is rough around the edges. It grounds what we’re seeing and makes it feel more real.
As the pace increased, the work improved. Wolf and Uemura seemed to find a flow, especially when Uemura was able to do his wild babyface selling. There were still confusing moments, it seemed to take Wolf an age to lock in an armbar, but the crowd made noise and the wrestlers showed enough fighting spirit to overcome it. Maybe it was a shoot move than didn’t translate as well as it might have.
The ending was great, with Wolf delivering a sudden and dangerous looking powerslam. Uemura’s splash from the top rope was delivered with a great thud, and the finish was surprisingly quick and refreshing.
Maybe a better crowd would have elevated this, but it was still a good performance from Wolf. ****3/4
Final Thoughts
The B block continues to fall behind the A block slightly, but this still managed to be a good night of action. It will certainly be overshadowed by night eight, but the Kidd/Newman battle is worth anyone’s time.
