🦁 NJPW - G1 Climax 33

[Convoy]

The biggest-ever field of 32 was announced for G1 Climax 33 during Dominion. The competitors will be divided into four blocks of eight wrestlers each, with a shorter 20 minute time limit for the round-robin matches. This year, there will be a quarterfinal round taking place on August 10th in Funabashi Arena, where the top two of each block will face off by seeding (A1/C2, B1/D2, C1/B2 & D1/A2). Then the winners will advance to semifinals on August 12th, before the finals on August 13th, both in Ryōgoku Sumo Hall.

A BLOCK
SANADA - Just 5 Guys (8th entry, 8th consecutive. IWGP World Heavyweight Champion)
Shota Umino - NJPW Hontai (Debut entry)
Ren Narita - NJPW Hontai/Strong Style (Debut entry)
Yota Tsuji - Los Ingobernables De Japon (Debut entry)
Hikuleo - NJPW Hontai/Guerrillas of Destiny (Debut entry)
Chase Owens - Bullet Club (3rd entry, 3rd consecutive)
Gabe Kidd - Bullet Club (Debut entry. NJPW STRONG Openweight Tag Team Champion)
Kaito Kiyomiya - NOAH (Debut entry)

B BLOCK
Kazuchika Okada - CHAOS (12th entry, 12th consecutive. 2012, 2014, 2021, 2022 winner. NEVER Openweight 6 Man Tag Team Champion)
YOSHI-HASHI - CHAOS (7th entry, 4th consecutive. IWGP Tag Team Champion)
Tanga Loa - NJPW Hontai/Guerrillas of Destiny (2nd entry, first in two years)
El Phantasmo - Unaffiliated (2nd entry, 2nd consecutive)
Taichi - Just 5 Guys (5th entry, 5th consecutive. KOPW 2023 holder)
Will Ospreay - United Empire (4th entry, 2nd consecutive. IWGP US Heavyweight Champion)
Great-O-Khan - United Empire (3rd entry, 3rd consecutive)
KENTA - Bullet Club (5th entry, 5th consecutive)

C BLOCK
Tama Tonga - NJPW Hontai/Guerrillas of Destiny (6th entry, 3rd consecutive)
Tomohiro Ishii - CHAOS (11th entry, 11th consecutive. NEVER Openweight 6 Man Tag Team Champion)
Shingo Takagi - Los Ingobernables De Japon (5th entry, 5th consecutive)
Mikey Nicholls - TMDK (Debut entry)
Aaron Henare - United Empire (2nd entry, 2nd consecutive)
Eddie Kingston - AEW/ROH (Debut entry. NJPW STRONG Openweight Champion)
David Finlay - Bullet Club (2nd entry, 2nd consecutive. NEVER Openweight Champion)
EVIL - Bullet Club/House of Torture (8th entry, 8th consecutive)

D BLOCK
Hiroshi Tanahashi - NJPW Hontai (22st entry, 22st consecutive. 2007, 2015, 2018 winner. NEVER Openweight 6 Man Tag Team Champion)
Hirooki Goto - CHAOS (16th entry, 16th consecutive. 2008 winner. IWGP Tag Team Champion)
Toru Yano - CHAOS (18th entry, 17th consecutive)
Tetsuya Naito - Los Ingobernables De Japon (14th entry, 14th consecutive. 2013, 2017 winner)
Zack Sabre Jr. - TMDK (7th entry, 7th consecutive. NJPW World TV Champion)
Shane Haste - TMDK (Debut entry)
Jeff Cobb - United Empire (5th entry, 5th consecutive)
Alex Coughlin - Bullet Club (Debut entry. NJPW STRONG Openweight Tag Team Champion)

Complete Schedule

Current Standings:

SPOILER: Click to show

{Spoiler}{Spoiler}

A Block	Points
SANADA	14
Hikuleo	8
Yota Tsuji	7
Shota Umino	6
Ren Narita	6
Kaito Kiyomiya	6
Gabe Kidd	5
Chase Owens	4

B Block	Points
Kazuchika Okada	12
Will Ospreay	10
Tanga Loa	6
El Phantasmo	6
Taichi	6
Great-O-Khan	6
KENTA	6
YOSHI-HASHI	4

C Block	Points
David Finlay	10
EVIL	10
Tama Tonga	9
Eddie Kingston	8
Shingo Takagi	7
HENARE	4
Mikey Nicholls	4
Tomohiro Ishii	4

D Block	Points
Tetsuya Naito	10
Zack Sabre Jr.	10
Jeff Cobb	9
Alex Coughlin	6
Hiroshi Tanahashi	6
Hirooki Goto	6
Shane Haste	5
Toru Yano	4

[theresalwaysanegon]

Lots of cool debuts this year, my gut says Okada is going to win, but NJPW has been surprising me all year so who knows! I hope they pace the 4-block thing differently this year because the way they had it set up last year did not work for me. I'll be rooting for Ren Narita, Taichi and Kingston even though I know none of them have a shot at actually winning haha

[ANuclearError]

I don't think this is will be Okada's. The Kaito angle is screaming for Kiyomiya to be the one who puts Okada out of contention.

Ospreay feels like the frontrunner to me, he's had a quiet year on the whole and feels like he's in the position for this accolade.

[chrom]

I don't think Okada is going to win it for a third year in the row.

In the betting pool, Zack Sabre Jr is the current favorite with David Finlay also a heavy favorite.

[chrom]

I'm a bit surprised Tom Lawlor wasn't brought back for this year.

[ANuclearError]

A-Block: SANADA, Umino, Narita, Tsuji, Hikuleo, Owens, Kidd, Kaito
B-Block: Okada, YOSHI-HASHI, Loa, ELP, Taichi, Ospreay, O-Khan, KENTA
C-Block: Tonga, Ishii, Takagi, Nichols, Henare, Kingston, Finlay, EVIL
D-Block: Tanahashi, Goto, Yano, Naito, ZSJ, Haste, Cobb, Coughlin

[AwamoriRock]

Top two per block advance and they’re doing quarter finals if you wanna start mapping it out. Love 20 minute time limits so much

[Starshine]

Okada and Kiyomiya being in different blocks is surprising.

Also that C Block man, woof. There's going to be a couple of really good matches, and a whole lot of trash. On review, A Block might be worse, there's definitely a lot of question marks, and no surefire killers, which B Block does have. I just instinctively went with the one that had EVIL, Tonga, and Nichols. Can ya blame me?

[discoelysium]

Jun 10, 2023 6:11:01 GMT -5 AwamoriRock said:

Top two per block advance and they’re doing quarter finals if you wanna start mapping it out. Love 20 minute time limits so much

Really 20 minute time limits? Love that, that's what these matches should be and you go throw in a longbod epic style clash at the end.

[discoelysium]

Jun 10, 2023 6:14:43 GMT -5 Starshine said:

Okada and Kiyomiya being in different blocks is surprising.

Also that C Block man, woof. There's going to be a couple of really good matches, and a whole lot of trash. On review, A Block might be worse, there's definitely a lot of question marks, and no surefire killers, which B Block does have. I just instinctively went with the one that had EVIL, Tonga, and Nichols. Can ya blame me?

I don't know you have Ishii and Kingston in there. And Tongs can go when in with the right opponent (i.e. not Karl Anderson).

[ANuclearError]

Jun 10, 2023 6:14:43 GMT -5 Starshine said:

Okada and Kiyomiya being in different blocks is surprising.

If they both top or become runner-up in their block, they can face each other in the semis. It's not a match you want restricted by the 20 minute time limit.

[discoelysium]

Last note, I LOVE Umino, Narita and Tsuji being in the same block. If these lads are your future main eventers it's the ideal place to start building the feuds and relationships between them.

[ANuclearError]

Jun 10, 2023 6:23:56 GMT -5 discoelysium said:

Last note, I LOVE Umino, Narita and Tsuji being in the same block. If these lads are your future main eventers it's the ideal place to start building the feuds and relationships between them.

I was hoping we'd get them in the Okada block due to his recent "f*** them kids" attitude.

I can't say I'm a fan of the quarter finals, just steps on the New Japan Cup's toes a little too much for my liking.

[chrom]

From the look of things, there won't be any undercard matches this year.

[chrom]

The A Block is quite interesting.

[Mozenrath]

The lack of Lance Archer is disappointing, but I get that they have a good chunk of new people in this one, along with some like Tanga Loa that haven't gotten into one in a while. Plus, yeah, Tanga is definitely the weakest of his brothers, but it'll be interesting if he pulls any surprises.

[Convoy]

Updated the OP with all the block/card confirmations and the format changes for this year. The 20-minute limit for block matches is a great idea for the amount of content they are about to throw at us, and the quarterfinal round could be the greatest day of wrestling all year. Also love how they improved from last year with a specific theme to each block, and all the potential fallout from the matchups.

Also, to be honest, I whiffed on all my block predictions except three:
1. That SANADA and Kaito would be in the same block. As soon as Kiyomiya was announced I felt that they were going to copy the Marufuji/Okada arc from G1 2016.
2. That Kidd/Coughlin would be placed in blocks with Goto/YOSHI, as they've done that a few times now.
3. That Finlay/EVIL would face off. It's time - they never got there with Jay, but this is a new Bullet Club and House of Torture have never felt so removed from the main group. It also happens on the third C/D Block night, so they aren't waiting long to pull the trigger.

The biggest surprise is having all the new generation in the A Block. They have the next 15 years to have Tsuji/Umino/Narita battle in main events, but we're getting all three matches in a span of less than three weeks. Feels like that's a proving ground for the trio more than than a block to feature the champion and NOAH's Ace.

[ace]

I can’t believe they’ve been running Okada vs the next generation and then put him in a block with none of them. Also bummed that Bullet Club is there to ruin Shingo and Ishii’s tournaments.

[Convoy]

Catching up on every card now, and while obviously there is nothing set for the last three days, they have already announced undercard matches for August 5th-9th, which are the final days for each block.

Nothing super surprising or notable, but I do get a kick out of Makabe's appearances. On the 5th he becomes the first member of Hontai to team with ELP (against Ospreay/Henare) and the next day he's teaming with Kingston (against Finlay/Chase). The first pairing is an odd couple, but something tells me Eddie and Makabe are about to become best friends.

[Red Mage Riot]

I'm still confused as to why we're wasting tourney spots on Goto, Yoshi-Hashi, Yano, and Chase Owens.