NJPW G1 Climax Preview – A & B Block rosters, Top Matches

New Japan’s annual G1 Climax tournament kicks off Monday in Japan featuring A Block matches…

FYI: All events are broadcast live (and then available on-demand) through the pay New Japan World streaming service.

A Block

• Togi Makabe
• Tenzan (replacing Satoshi Kojima)
• Tomohiro Ishii
• Hirooki Goto
• Bad Luck Fale
• Tama Tonga (debut)
• Sanada (debut)
• Naomichi Marufuji (NOAH)
• IWGP World Hvt. champion Kazuchika Okada (2014 winner)
• Hiroshi Tanahashi (2015 winner)

B Block

• NEVER Openweight champion Shibata
• Yuji Nagata
• Honma
• IWGP IC champion Michael Elgin (ROH)
• Toru Yano
• Naito (2013 winner)
• EVIL (debut)
• Kenny Omega (debut)
• Katsuhiko Nakajima (NOAH) (debut)
• YOSHI-HASHI

[ READ MORE: Puroresu Spirit published a detailed break down of the interesting match-ups and connections in both blocks. ]

Headline G1 Climax Matches

– July 18: Tanahashi vs. Sanada, Okada vs. Marufuji

– July 22: Nagata vs. Naito, Shibata vs. Honma

– July 23: Tanahashi vs. Makabe, Okada vs. Sanada

– July 24: Shibata vs. Nakajima, Honma vs. YOSHI-HASHI

– July 25: Makabe vs. Sanada, Okada vs. Goto

– July 27: Yano vs. Naito, Shibata vs. Elgin

– July 28: Ishii vs. Marufuji, Goto vs. Sanada

– July 30: Elgin vs. Omega, Naito vs. Shibata

– July 31: Makabe vs. Marufuji, Tanahashi vs. Goto

– Aug. 1: Nakajima vs. YOSHI-HASHI, Honma vs. Naito

– Aug. 3: Tanahashi vs. Ishii, Okada vs. Makabe

– Aug. 4: Nakajima vs. Naito, Shibata vs. Omega

– Aug. 6: Tanahashi vs. Marufuji, Okada vs. Ishii

– Aug. 7: Nagata vs. Omega, Naito vs. EVIL (L.I.J. Explodes)

– Aug. 8: Sanada vs. Ishii, Tanahashi vs. Kojima

– Aug. 10: Honma vs. Elgin, Shibata vs. Nagata

– Aug. 12: Goto vs. Marufuji, Tanahashi vs. Okada

– Aug. 13: Shibata vs. EVIL, Naito vs. Omega (L.I.J. vs. Bullet Club)

『G1 CLIMAX 26』メンバー＆ブロック分けが決定！ノアから丸藤、中嶋が参戦！ケニー、タマ、SANADA、EVIL、YOSHI-HASHIが初出場!!https://t.co/EoVO6wt3rJ #g126 #njpw pic.twitter.com/sHPGLz2EzR

— 新日本プロレスリング株式会社 (@njpw1972) June 27, 2016