started · updated
Ryohei Oiwa wins NJPW G1 Climax 36 tournament
Ryohei Oiwa has won the New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) G1 Climax 36 tournament, defeating Yuya Uemura in the final at Ryōgoku Kokugikan. Oiwa, who entered the tournament through the play-in stage, secured the victory by submitting Uemura with his ‘Big Rock’ headlock after a technical, 35-minute encounter.
Following his victory, Oiwa announced he will challenge for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship at the King of Pro Wrestling event on October 12, 2026. He will face the winner of the match between current champion Yota Tsuji and Hirooki Goto. Oiwa expressed a desire to specifically face Tsuji to settle scores from the tournament block action.
Oiwa’s win sets a new record for the fastest tournament victory in a career, achieved just under five years after his 2021 debut. In post-match press conferences, Oiwa praised the diverse wrestling styles within the tournament while expressing personal rivalry with competitors like Yuto-Ice.
Entities
Hiroyoshi Tenzan · Jeff Cobb · New Japan Pro-Wrestling · Ryohei Oiwa · Ryōgoku Kokugikan · Yota Tsuji · Yuya Uemura
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 3 SOURCES] Ryohei Oiwa won the G1 Climax 36 tournament by defeating Yuya Uemura in the final match. slamwrestling.net · www.wrestlingnewssource.com · gerweck.net
- [● 3 SOURCES] Ryohei Oiwa announced his intention to challenge for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship. slamwrestling.net · www.wrestlingnewssource.com · gerweck.net
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Oiwa broke Hirooki Goto’s record for the fastest tournament victory in a career, winning just 4 years and 11 months after his debut. gerweck.net
- [● 3 SOURCES] Hiroyoshi Tenzan wrestled his retirement match the day before the G1 Climax final. slamwrestling.net · www.wrestlingnewssource.com · gerweck.net
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Oiwa plans to challenge Yota Tsuji for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship at NJPW King of Pro Wrestling in October. www.wrestlingnewssource.com
- [● 2 SOURCES] Jeff Cobb made his return to NJPW and confronted Callum Newman. slamwrestling.net · www.wrestlingnewssource.com