Ryohei Oiwa won the 2026 G1 Climax on August 16 at Ryogoku Sumo Hall in Tokyo, submitting Yuya Uemura in the tournament final. It was the first G1 Climax victory for both men, who reached the final as first-time finalists after each finished second in their respective blocks on tie-breakers.
En route to the final, Oiwa defeated Callum Newman in the semifinals, while Uemura upset reigning IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Yota Tsuji on Saturday. Following his win, Oiwa announced he will challenge for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship at King of Pro-Wrestling on October 12, following recent winners Zack Sabre Jr. and Konosuke Takeshita in taking the October date rather than waiting for Wrestle Kingdom.
The finals card also featured the return of Jeff Cobb to NJPW, while veteran Hiroyoshi Tenzan wrestled his retirement match during the semifinal round earlier in the weekend.