G-1 Climax

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Promo for G-1 2005

The G-1 Climax tournament is a weeklong event held each August by the New Japan Pro Wrestling promotion. The G-1 draws standing room only crowds each night, record receipt gates and generates front-page coverage on the sports sections of several of the daily newspapers in Tokyo.

Contents

1 Tournament history
2 Tournament finals before the G-1 Climax

2.1 World League
2.2
2.3 IWGP League
2.4 World Cup Tournament

3 G-1 Climax Finals
4 References
5 External links

Tournament history

New Japan had had an annual tournament since 1974 under various names: the World League (1974-77, based on the World League tournament from the old Japanese Wrestling Association); the MSG League (1978-82); the International Wrestling Grand Prix League (1983-87; although the first winner, Hulk Hogan was awarded a belt, this is not the beginning of the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship). Most of these tournaments were dominated by New Japan's founding top star, Antonio Inoki. In 1987, all tournaments in the company were suspended, although in 1989 there was a World Cup Tournament which also included wrestlers from the then-Soviet Union.

With Inoki's dominance over New Japan gone, the promotion established the G-1 Climax tournament in 1991 as a platform to showcase the company's top heavyweights and have them compete in round robin matches where the winners of the two divisions would then square off in the tournament finals. The first G-1 was held from August 7 to August 11, 1991 at Tokyo's Sumo Hall.

The G-1 Climax tournament has often been used as a platform for New Japan to push their rising stars. Wins by young up-and-comers over Japanese legends would usually take their respective careers to new heights. Past winners include Masahiro Chono, Keiji Mutoh, Shinya Hashimoto, Yuji Nagata and others who have gone on to become wrestling super stars.

Tournament finals before the G-1 Climax

World League

1974: Antonio Inoki beat Karl Krupp.
1975: Antonio Inoki beat Karl Krupp.
1976: Seiji Sakaguchi beat Pedro Morales.
1977: Seiji Sakaguchi beat Masked Superstar.

1978: Antonio Inoki beat André the Giant.
1979: Antonio Inoki beat Stan Hansen.
1980: Antonio Inoki beat Stan Hansen.
1981: Antonio Inoki beat Stan Hansen.
1982: Andre the Giant beat Killer Khan.

IWGP League

1983: Hulk Hogan beat Antonio Inoki.
1984: Antonio Inoki beat Andre the Giant.
1985: Andre the Giant beat Tatsumi Fujinami.
1986: Antonio Inoki beat Dick Murdoch.
1987: Antonio Inoki beat Masa Saito.

World Cup Tournament

1989: Riki Choshu beat Shinya Hashimoto.

G-1 Climax Finals

1991: Masahiro Chono beat Keiji Mutoh.
1992: Masahiro Chono beat Rick Rude. (Also wins vacant NWA World Heavyweight Championship).
1993: Tatsumi Fujinami beat Hiro Hase.
1994: Masahiro Chono beat Power Warrior.
1995: Keiji Mutoh beat Shinya Hashimoto.
1996: Riki Choshu beat Masahiro Chono.
1997: Kensuke Sasaki beat Hiroyoshi Tenzan.
1998: Shinya Hashimoto beat Kazuo Yamazaki.
1999: Manabu Nakanishi beat Keiji Mutoh.
2000: Kensuke Sasaki beat Manabu Nakanishi.
2001: Yuji Nagata beat Keiji Mutoh.
2002: Masahiro Chono beat Yoshihiro Takayama.
2003: Hiroyoshi Tenzan beat Jun Akiyama.
2004: Hiroyoshi Tenzan beat Hiroshi Tanahashi.
2005: Masahiro Chono beat Kazuyuki Fujita.

References

External links

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