i write about stuff

What even is this?

I don’t know. I like useless, pointless stats that don’t ultimately mean anything.

So I’m here to talk about them and hopefully monetize them in some way! (this is a joke)

As of writing, it is the 14th of August, meaning the semifinalists have been decided, but the matches have not happened. By the point you’re reading this, I may have spontaneously combusted from sheer anger at Yota Tsuji vs Callum Newman happening again, in the finals. But that’s neither here nor there.

I’ll be going top to bottom from the score sheet, if you’re wondering how I’m ordering this. No bias! None at all!

My favourite wrestlers are Yuya Uemura and Ryohei Oiwa.

KONOSUKE TAKESHITA (6-3, 12 points)

This is TAKESHITA’s first year participating in the G1 where he failed to make it past the playoffs. Interestingly enough, both years, his final match in his block was against Ren Narita. No Narita in his block this time, only one man with a very, very big left arm.

He was the first to make 10 points in either block, somewhat surprising given B Block’s early forfeit of Shota Umino. Unfortunately, he could not ultimately capitalize on that lead to turn it into a win, but at least he continues his streak of having a winning record every G1. Three in a row!

Hirooki Goto (4-5, 8 points)

It’s hard to find a fun fact for Goto for this specific G1 when he’s been doing this for almost 20 years.

Call it a copout, but last year was Goto’s first and only year where he missed the G1 despite being a member of the roster, due to kayfabe injury, real life filming of the Street Fighter movie.

Boltin Oleg (5-4, 10 points)

Boltin Oleg maintains a 100% show-closing rate, not just for this G1, but throughout all his G1s. Granted, this is due to him never having main evented a G1 match prior to this year. He’s not the only guy to be in this category, though. In fact, it’s shared with three other people.

His two main events were against Shingo Takagi and Yota Tsuji, both of which he won. In fact, he’s the only person to have beaten every member of Unbound Company in A Block, the third of which being Yuto-Ice.

Yota Tsuji (6-3, 12 points, 1st place)

Our IWGP Heavyweight Champion cinched 1st place, which means for the third year in a row, Yota Tsuji has made it to the playoffs. The only year where he failed to do so was in 2023, which was the year we had a very angry SANADA running through his entire block without a single loss. Couldn’t make it past Hikuleo, though.

He also had 5 main events, the most of any other person in this tournament, but lost 2 of them, so he has a 60% show-closing rate. His only other loss was to the aforementioned SANADA. However, with 3 show-closing moments, he holds the top spot for that category in his block, and is tied with two guys in B Block.

Shingo Takagi (4-5, 8 points)

Shingo Takagi is the only person in his block to have three main events, only to lose all of them, and ultimately close zero shows. He’s not the only person in the G1 Climax this year to do it, though.

This is also technically his “worst” performing G1, in the sense that his lowest score in G1s excluding formats with more than two blocks is with 8 points. However, in 2024 and 2025, he had 10 points, and even made it out of the block in 2024. Perhaps the dragon’s soar at the top is ending soon.

Jake Lee (3-6, 6 points)

This is Jake Lee’s worst performing G1, with the caveat that it’s only his second G1 as he missed last year’s due to injury.

He’s also the only guy this G1 to have obtained a victory through DQ, which was against Great-o-Khan when he performed the Eddie spot.

As of writing, Jake Lee has apparently suffered a neck injury. Get well soon, clown man.

SANADA (4-5, 8 points)

This is a fun one. With the exception of a single year that was a multi-block format (2022), SANADA continues his trend of scoring 8 points in all situations where he doesn’t make it out of the block.

Apart from the aforementioned exception where he scored 6 in a 7-man block, the times where he scored more than 8 were in 2020 where he scored 12 and made it out of his block with tiebreakers over Tetsuya Naito and EVIL, as well as in 2023 where he had his “I hate all young people as well as, for some reason, Chase Owens” run and he went 7-0 with 14 points.

As a small bonus fun fact, this G1 was the first time Deadfall was kicked out of, vs Yota Tsuji. He did win that match with a second Deadfall, though. In fact, each of SANADA’s win were through different methods. Deadfall vs Tsuji, countout vs Jake Lee, KO with guitar shot (also his only guitar shot) vs Yuto-Ice, and O’Connor Bridge vs Shingo Takagi.

Great-o-Khan (3-6, 6 points)

This is also Great-o-Khan’s worst performing G1 and unlike his factionmate Jake Lee, it doesn’t come with the caveat that he’s only done two G1s. In fact, this is his seventh.

It does, however, come with the exception that we aren’t including the years with more than two blocks, as he scored a depressing 4 points in 2022, although there were only 7 people in the block. He did score 6 in 2023, though.

Of his three wins, the only guy he didn’t attack post match was Boltin Oleg, probably because Boltin fucking died from being put through two tables with an Eliminator.

And of all of Yota Tsuji’s wins, he’s the only guy to lose to a plain old Gene Blaster and not a Fire Blaster. Granted, he was hit with three.

Yuto-Ice (4-5, 8 points)

You probably know this one, but it’s such an interesting detail that it really is worth mentioning again.

Of his five losses, four were to KOs. Boltin Boltin Bomb’d Yuto’s soul right out of him, TAKESHITA knocked him out and then choked him out with a Camel Clutch Sleeper, Tsuji Fire Blasted his genes until he couldn’t get up for a 10 count, and SANADA thwacked him over the head with a guitar, of which he could not get up for a 10 count.

The only loss that wasn’t a KO was to a flash pin from one Hirooki Goto.

Ryohei Oiwa (6-3, 12 points, 2nd place)

Roy the Mullet has incredibly made it to the playoffs in only his second G1, and is the only person who had to qualify to get in to have ever made it into the playoffs. He is, of course, also the highest scoring person to have ever needed to qualify to get into the G1, with second place being tied with himself, Callum Newman, and Boltin Oleg at 8 points.

For an additional fun fact that we may see carry on to next year’s G1, Ryohei Oiwa also currently has a 100% show closing rate, and is the only person who has that record continue from previous years, as his one and only main event last year was against Hiroshi Tanahashi, which he won. This is only two matches, which has him tied with Boltin and actually loses out to a certain someone in B Block, but it’s still something worth looking at.

And for one last additional fun fact because Oiwa is that level of fantastic, Oiwa has the most amount of different moves used to end matches this tournament, not tied with SANADA as a countout win doesn’t come attached with a method of victory. He used the Arc Clutch vs Boltin, Roy Clutch vs Great-o-Khan, Big Lock vs both Goto and SANADA, and finally, The Grip vs KONOSUKE TAKESHITA.

Shota Umino (0-9, 0 points, forfeit due to injury)

We’re now moving to B Block with a very unfortunate start. Get well soon, shooter.

I’m not going to take the low-hanging fruit of “hurr this was Shota’s first injury in the G1”. Instead, his singular loss to Zack Sabre Jr. actually does come with an interesting stat that ZSJ himself was quick to point out – this was his first singles loss to ZSJ in any tournament setting, including the New Japan Cup.

Yuya Uemura (6-3, 12 points, 2nd place)

Yuya Uemura debuted a new catchphrase as well as new gear this G1, and that always bodes well, but that’s not the fun fact.

Yuya Uemura is tied with a certain someone for being 3 for 3 in main events in his block, which also gives him the most show-closing moments, tied with that man as well as Yota Tsuji.

But what’s most fun is just how a lot of people in his block seems to butter up to him. In fact, the only exceptions are Gabe Kidd, who didn’t actually say anything as there were no preview tags and the match prior would have been with Shota Umino, Ren Narita, who likewise didn’t say anything, and OSKAR, who probably hates everyone. Including you! You suck!

You can find these in backstage comments. For some of the quotes, in match order:

Callum Newman: You want a rival? You’ve got one. There’s no one else in this company that I want to do that again and again and again, anytime, anywhere with. I put you in the top with me, KOB, Fujita, Oiwa, Tsuji, you’re in that talk too. One of the best New Japan has to offer, and that means, one of the best in the world.

Zack Sabre Jr.: Well it turns out, he’s very fucking good, isn’t he? No surprise. Yuya, you won that one with brains, intelligently.

Drilla Moloney: Everybody knows you’re a star. Everybody knows you’re special. Everybody knows you’re as close to a Japanese fucking Superman there ever will be…

Aaron Wolf: Uemura, you really are New Japan’s Sun. You’re shining so bright, it’s almost blinding.

HENARE: I look in your eyes, I don’t see fear! Everybody else, Gabe Kidd, Dan Moloney, OSKAR, all I saw in their eyes was fear. But today, with your eyes Yuya, I didn’t see no fear.

Drilla Moloney (5-4, 10 points)

This is Drilla’s best G1 performance yet (well, it’s his second G1), and a little fun tidbit is that on the last block night, he was technically on the top of his block, as he had beat every other person at 10 points with him, which were Yuya Uemura, Ren Narita, Gabe Kidd, and Callum Newman.

Unfortunately, he did not have a match that day, as it was already factoring in points via forfeit from Shota Umino, so he was ultimately stuck on that point in the board as Gabe, Yuya and Callum gained points to claim the top three spots. Drilla ends with a seat at 4th place in a deadlock tie between himself, Zack Sabre Jr., and Ren Narita.

Especially considering who he beat, pretty good, all things considered.

Zack Sabre Jr. (5-4, 10 points)

This was, without a doubt, the quickest ZSJ had ever been eliminated from a tournament, being mathematically eliminated by the sixth block night, and realistically out as soon as he lost to Ren Narita. Oops, full kayfabe, no logic!

ZSJ also shares the unfortunate category as Shingo of having three main events, but having lost all of them, against Yuya Uemura, Callum Newman, and Gabe Kidd.

Still, at least he continues his streak of a positive winning record, which is continued from 2020. This, however, is the unfortunate end of ZSJ’s 3-year streak of making it to the playoffs.

Callum Newman (6-3, 12 points, 1st place)

I mean, fuck me, it was obvious a lot of the “certain someone” people I mentioned earlier were in reference to Callum, but with some hope of drawing out any amount of “HMM, WHO COULD IT BE”, I elected to not mention his name even though it would have made my life that much easier. But oh well, here we have our last guy who made it out of the block, and boy is he a doozy.

Callum’s points increases by 4 each G1. G1 Climax 33, he was at 0, as in, he did not participate. Then the next year where he did qualify, he scored 4, then 8, then this year, 12. This also means this is his first year with a positive winning record.

Like Yuya, he’s also 3 for 3 in main events in his block, meaning he’s tied for the most show-closing moments with Yuya and Tsuji. This also means he has a 100% main event win rate. Speaking of Yuya, Yuya is the only guy in his block he didn’t shittalk throughout the entire G1. He even found time to talk shit about Shota.

This was also his first time having a main event in a G1, which is a feat shared with quite a number of people. Boltin Oleg, Yuto-Ice, HENARE, OSKAR, and perhaps surprisingly, Gabe Kidd.

Make way.

Ren Narita (5-4, 10 points)

This was the third year in a row Ren Narita was in a powerful position on the last day to make it to the playoffs, but ultimately was spoilt due to an AEW guy. 2024 and 2025 was KONOSUKE TAKESHITA, and this year, Gabe Kidd. At least Gabe didn’t make it to the playoffs, unlike TAKE.

In fact, every year on the last block day, Ren seems to face an “outsider”. In his first G1 in 2023, he faced Kaito Kiyomiya, although he at least won that one.

Gabe Kidd (6-3, 12 points)

Am I allowed to say, “Gabe Kidd is the first to proudly and confidently claim to be in the semis only to, in fact, not be in the semis”?

A funny thing about B Block is that only three people actually had opportunities to close the show. Those people being Yuya, Callum, and Gabe. What Gabe has different from them is that while Yuya and Callum had three, Gabe only had two, and was removed from a perfect show-closing record due to Yuya Uemura.

His match with Ren Narita was also technically the shortest in the block, at 2 minutes and 11 seconds. That, of course, comes with the very heavy asterisk that a lot of the match took place before the bell actually rang.

HENARE (4-5, 8 points)

This is technically HENARE’s best performing G1, which is tied for 2024 when he also scored 8 points.

He also now has the not-so-proud accomplishment of having a 100% main event loss rate, although granted, that’s only two main events. He shares this with Aaron Wolf and OSKAR, each at 1 loss. Hey, not as bad as Shingo and ZSJ!

Aaron Wolf (4-5, 8 points)

He owes Zack Sabre Jr. a succulent Chinese meal.

OSKAR (4-5, 8 points)

OSKAR is proudly the first and only German to have ever participated in the G1 Climax, and he has every right to be proud of it.

He’s also the only guy to win by KO in all of his victories, as Drilla, Wolf, and Narita all passed out to his Nightmare Hold.