NJPW G1 Climax Nights 1 And 2 Will Stream For Free On NJPW World
The 33rd edition of the New Japan Pro-Wrestling G1 Climax begins later this week, and fans will have an opportunity to check out the opening nights of the tournament at no cost. The company announced today (via Twitter) that nights one and two of the tournament will stream live on NJPW World for free, with users not even required to make an account in order to watch the two shows.
This year's G1 Climax has a bigger lineup than ever before, with four blocks of competitors totaling 32 entrants. The list of entrants includes many of NJPW's biggest stars, including Kazuchika Okada, Will Ospreay, Hiroshi Tanahashi, and IWGP World Heavyweight Champion SANADA. Additionally, All Elite Wrestling's Eddie Kingston will be in this year's tournament, as will Kaito Kiyomiya of Pro Wrestling NOAH.
Last year, Okada defeated Ospreay to win the tournament — his fourth G1 victory, and second consecutively. From there, the NJPW star went on to face "Switchblade" Jay White for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship at Wrestle Kingdom 17 in January, defeating his rival and becoming world champion for the seventh time. However, Okada would lose the title to SANADA at Sakura Genesis in April.
The 33rd annual G1 Climax begins Saturday, July 15, and continues through August 13. As a round-robin style tournament, opponents will face everyone in their block, accumulating points with a victory. The quarterfinals begin on August 10, with the top two wrestlers in each block advancing to the next round.