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NJPW G1 CLIMAX 36 NIGHT 19 REPORT
AUGUST 16, 2026
TOKYO, JAPAN
RYOGOKU SUMO HALL
AIRED LIVE ON NJPW WORLD
REPORT BY SEAN RADICAN, PWTORCH COLUMNIST
Announcers: Chris Charlton, Walker Stewart
(1) YOSHI-HASHI & EL DESPERADO & RYUSUKE TAGUCHI & MASATORA YASUDA vs. THE HOUSE OF TORTURE (Yujiro Takahashi & DOUKI & SHO & Yoshinobu Kanemaru)
Douki got the win with the Darkness Stretch on Yasuda, who immediately tapped. This was being framed as Sho & Douki sending a message to the Jr. Hvt. Tag Team Champions.
WINNERS: The House of Torture at 6:51.
(2) TOGI MAKABE & TORU YANO vs. THE UNITED EMPIRE (Francesco Akira & Zane Jay) (w/Jakob Austin Young)
Makabe pinned Jay with the King Kong Knee drop.
WINNERS: Makabe & Yano at 6:31.
(3) BOLTIN OLEG & MASTER WATO & TATSUYA MATSUMOTO vs. TMDK (Zack Sabre Jr. & Hartley Jackson & Kosei Fujita)
Fujita tapped Matsumoto with a front chancery. This was a fun tag match.
WINNERS: TMDK at 11:54.
(4) UNBOUND CO. (Yuto-Ice & Oskar & Daiki Nagai) vs. UNITED EMPIRE (Henare & Great-O-Khan & Callum Newman)
Nagai looked good against Newman here and even got some near-falls, which is unusual for a Young Lion. Newman eventually put him away with Make Way and not a secondary finisher, so Nagai is getting a bit of a strong push for his slot. It will be interesting to see if Nagai goes on excursion soon or joins the roster, as he’s clearly outgrown being a Young Lion with this type of performance in a match against a former IWGP Hvt. Champion.
WINNERS: United Empire at 10:52.
It looks like there will be a match between The KO Bros. and Makabe & Yano at some point. Makabe and Yano jumped Ice and Oskar after the match. Newman was going to attack Nagai after as well and he teased cutting his neck with his sword, but Gedo came out and tried to talk some sense into him. He said he knew someone that could fix Newman’s attitude and out came Jeff Cobb. He got a big reaction coming out.
Newman wanted Cobb to do the United Empire symbol, but Cobb knocked him down tom the mat and Newman backed off. Cobb bumped fists with Gedo, so it looks like he’s with Unbound Co. now.
(5) UNBOUND CO. (Drilla Moloney & Shingo Takagi) vs. DEATH RIDERS (Gabe Kidd & Wheeler Yuta)
Moloney hit the Drilla Killa on Yuta and then Takagi finished him off with the Last of the Dragon and it was good for the win.
WINNERS: Unbound Company at 13:35.
ARTICLE CONTINUED BELOW…
Check out the latest episode of “PWT Talks NXT” with Kelly Wells and Nate Lindberg, part of the PWTorch Dailycast line-up: CLICK HERE to stream (or search “pwtorch” on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or any other iOS or Android app to subscribe free)
(6) KONOSUKE TAKESHITA & TAICHI & SATOSHI KOJIMA vs. THE HOUSE OF TORTURE (Ren Narita & Sanada & Shun Skywalker)
Skywalker hit a moonsault knee drop on Kojima to win the match. Skywalker and Takeshita had a bit of an altercation after the match, so it looks like Skywalker might challenge Takeshita for the NJPW World TV Championship.
WINNERS: The House of Torture at 10:54.
(7) HIROOKI GOTO & YOH vs. UNBOUND CO. (Yota Tsuji & Taiji Ishimori)
Ishimori beat Yoh with the Bloody Cross and he will be in line for a shot at Yoh’s Jr. Hvt. Championship. Goto also appeared to indicated he will challenge Tsuji for the title after the match.
WINNERS: Unbound Company at 8:20.
Hiroshi Tanahashi entered the ring and announced the awards for G1 Cimax 36. Boltin Oleg won the award for outstanding achievement, Yuto-Ice won the fighting spirt award, and Ryohei Oiwa won the technique award.
(8) RYOHEI OIWA vs. YUYA UEMURA – G1 Climax 36 Finals
Uemura won their only previous encounter. Both men worked a headlock early. Then each man began going after the others arm when they were in control. Oiwa began working the headlock. He bragged Uemura off the apron back inside the ring at one point while maintaining the headlock.
Uemura hit a drop kick. He then it a combination of moves on Oiwa’s arm and the fans gasped. They had an exchange and Oiwa hit a Tenzan suplex and both men were down. They traded suplexes a short time later and Uemura hit a dragon suplexes. Uemura went up top and hit a HFF for a near fall.
Oiwa fired back and hit the deadbolt and grabbed the a headlock.. Oiwa got the headlock for a long period of time. Uemura tried to suplex out of it, but Oiwa held on. Uemura escaped and hit Deadbolt! He then hit his new flying elbow. Oiwa counters a Deadbolt and hit one of his own. He locked in the headlock as Uemura tried survivor.
Uemura tried to bounce him off the ropes to break free, but Oiwa held on! Uemura hit a belly to back suplex, but Oiwa held on! Uemura stood up and escaped and Oiwa hit him with a stiff headbutt. Uemura fired back with an enzuguri. He then hit another Deadbolt! He then hit a flying elbow! Uemura went up top, but missed the Lion’s Shiner.
Uemura countered Oiwa’s Grip attempt into a cross arm breaker. He transitioned to a wrist lock submission. He almost forced Oiwa’s shoulders down while holding the submission for a near fall. WOW! The fans went nuts at the 30 minute mark. Oiwa freed himself and went for a clothesline, but Uemura grabbed the wrist lock again! Oiwa hit a slam and Uemura held onto the wrist lock. Oiwa hit a German with a bridge, but Uemura kicked out and held onto the wrist lock. Oiwa finally freed himself with the Tenzan suplex and the fans lost their minds chanting for both men as they tried to regroup.
Uemura went for the Deadbolt, but Oiwa nailed him with a clothesline. He went for the Grip, but Uemura nailed him with a headbutt. Oiwa absorbed it and hit the Grip. He got the head lock, but Uemura pushed him off! Oiwa then hit the grip for an insane near fall! Oiwa grabbed the headlock and the fans went nuts chanting his name. Oiwa really wrenched on the hold and Uemura tried to stand, but Oiwa took him back down to the mat! He bridged up and Uemura tapped! WOW!!!
WINNER: Ryohei Oiwa at 35:11. (*****)
(Radicans Analysis: the definition of a perfect wrestling match. Oiwa worked the Big Rock headlock and Uemura went after his arm from the start, so he’d have a chance of escaping the Big Rock headlock later in the match. The counters Uemura had for Oiwa’s headlock down the stretch were fantastic, but it was Oiwa’s ability to use The Grip clothesline to eventually put Uemura down so that he could not escape the Big Rock headlock late.
Oiwa went from the qualifiers to the finals to winning G1. Oiwa found a hold and perfected it during the tournament. I don’t know if he was the pick to win it all along, but he was the best wrestler by the time the tournament was over and that’s no shade on Uemura, who was great in this match as well.)
Oiwa went throughout the whole crowd shaking hands.
Both men embraced after the match.
Oiwa cut a promo after the trophy and flag presentation. He said he’s now 1-1 with Uemura. He said it’s for the benefit of NJPW that they continue the rivalry. He said he wasn’t able to be part of Tenzan’s ceremony, which is why it means so much for him to win it with Tenzan at ringside. Oiwa had promised he would win the tournament for Tenzan. He said he has G1 will bring an even hotter vision for NJPW to come. He said he will challenge for the IWGP Hvt. Championship and he will take the grip on the belt. He said I am The Grip and I am the G1 winner!
You can contact Sean at pwtorchsean@gmail.com. You can follow Sean on X @SR_Torch and on Bluesky @SeanRadican.)
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