Ryohei Oiwa is the king of the G1 Climax. On Sunday at Ryogoku Sumo Hall in Tokyo, the 27-year-old TMDK star submitted Yuya Uemura with the Big Lock at 35:10 to win G1 Climax 36 — completing a run that started in the tournament's qualifying stage and ended with him holding the most prestigious trophy in professional wrestling. And he didn't stop there: Oiwa immediately declared he will challenge for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship at King of Pro-Wrestling on Oct. 12, back at Ryogoku Sumo Hall, against a champion in Yota Tsuji who already has a growing list of challengers.
Ryohei Oiwa's Cinderella Run Ends With the Big Lock
Oiwa entered the G1 through the qualification tournament, finished A Block at 6-3, and knocked off B Block winner Callum Newman in Saturday's semifinal. Against Uemura, he faced an opponent riding the biggest win of his career — Uemura had stunned IWGP Heavyweight Champion Yota Tsuji in the semis and came into the final with real momentum. Uemura executed a sound game plan early, repeatedly turning Oiwa's favored headlock against him and attacking his left arm and wrist to neutralize The Grip.
But Oiwa's size and grit turned the match. A Doctor Bomb shifted momentum after Uemura had controlled the arm, and the two traded suplexes — including a Tenzan Suplex from Oiwa, a tribute to the mentor who retired one night earlier. Uemura answered with German and Dragon suplexes and a near fall off the Lion's Shiner, then hit the Deadbolt and a Shining Elbow. When Uemura missed a second Lion's Shiner, Oiwa caught him, locked in the Big Lock, and this time there was no escape. The submission at 35:10 sent the announced crowd of 7,260 home with a new G1 winner.
A Record-Breaking Win and a Tenzan Tribute
The victory came with history attached. Oiwa won the G1 just four years and 11 months after his August 2021 professional debut — the shortest time between debut and G1 victory ever, surpassing Hirooki Goto's previous mark of five years and one month. He did it wearing the mountain horns associated with Hiroyoshi Tenzan, who retired the previous night and sat on commentary for the final. Oiwa celebrated with his TMDK stablemates and made a point of addressing Tenzan, saying he was especially happy to win in front of him one day after his farewell.
It was a fitting passing of the torch for a tournament that has crowned legends. Tenzan's retirement match drew a bigger crowd than the final itself, but the final delivered the emotional peak of the weekend — a young lion-turned-star winning the G1 in the building where his mentor closed his own era.
Uemura's Near-Miss Leaves a Bigger Picture
Yuya Uemura exits as the runner-up but also as the man who beat the IWGP Heavyweight Champion in the semifinals. That result hangs over the title picture heading into autumn. Champion Yota Tsuji, who lost to Uemura in the semis, was confronted after Sunday's show by Hirooki Goto — who beat Tsuji during A Block competition on July 18 and cited that win as grounds for a challenge. Tsuji accepted backstage, though no title match has been formally announced. Add Oiwa's Oct. 12 shot at King of Pro-Wrestling, and Tsuji's reign suddenly has a crowded queue.
Jeff Cobb Returns and Shun Skywalker Debuts
Two other stories shaped Sunday's card. Jeff Cobb made a surprise return to New Japan — his first appearance since leaving in April 2025 — and immediately sided with Gedo and Unbound Co. after decking former United Empire stablemate Callum Newman, who had just pinned Daiki Nagai and continued the attack afterward. Cobb made clear his first order of business is his former partner.
Meanwhile, Shun Skywalker competed in his first NJPW match, one day after joining HOUSE OF TORTURE. With interference from Kanemaru and Yujiro Takahashi, Skywalker pinned Satoshi Kojima with a standing moonsault knee drop and then targeted NJPW World Television Champion Konosuke Takeshita, declaring he wants him. Takeshita responded by offering Skywalker a shot at the TV title.
What Oiwa's G1 Win Means for the Road to Wrestle Kingdom
For bettors and fans alike, the G1 result reshapes the entire fall calendar. Oiwa, a 27-year-old who entered the tournament as a qualifier, is now the betting world's favorite storyline — the longshot who paid off before the October title match, where the IWGP Heavyweight Championship will be on the line at Ryogoku Sumo Hall. If he dethrones Tsuji at King of Pro-Wrestling, he would head into Wrestle Kingdom 21 on Jan. 4, 2027 as a first-time IWGP Heavyweight Champion — completing a rise from qualifying stage to the main event of the Tokyo Dome in roughly six months.
The G1 Climax has a long history of launching careers. Oiwa's run — through qualifying, a 6-3 block finish, a semifinal over Newman, and a 35-minute classic over Uemura — is now part of that history, and it happened faster than any of it has before. The Big Lock has a new claim on puroresu's biggest prize, and the Dawg Pound of international wrestling fans has a new favorite. October 12 cannot come soon enough.
Grant McAllister
Grant McAllister brings a seasoned eye to sports coverage, blending market context, team trends, and matchup details into clear analysis for everyday readers.