Where was the opening night of NJPW G1 Climax 36 held?

The opening night of the tournament was held at the NOW Arena in Chicago, marking a significant milestone for New Japan Pro-Wrestling in the United States.

Who did Yota Tsuji defeat in the Night 1 main event?

Yota Tsuji defeated Konosuke Takeshita in the main event of the first night, a result that sparked intense debate among wrestling fans online.

What common criticism do skeptics have regarding Yota Tsuji's matches?

Some observers argue that Tsuji's pacing slows down when matches exceed the 15-minute mark, suggesting his in-ring formula feels repetitive compared to other tournament competitors.

When did the G1 Climax tournament arrive in Sendai?

The tournament reached Sendai's Sun Plaza Hall for Night 4, which took place on July 21, 2026.

How is Konosuke Takeshita contributing to the G1 Climax 36?

Takeshita is viewed as the tournament's work rate MVP, providing high-intensity action and consistent performances as a wildcard competitor, notably after his hard-hitting match against Yuto-Ice in Sendai.

NJPW G1 Climax 36 has Chicago buzzing and Sendia burning already

Chicago set the fuse, Miyagi brought the heat

Look, if you told me five years ago that New Japan would launch the G1 Climax at the NOW Arena in Chicago, I would have asked what kind of unholy edibles you took before walking into the building. But here we are in July 2026, and Night 1 in the Windy City gave us an absolute banger when Yota Tsuji pinned Konosuke Takeshita in a main event that had the internet collectively losing its mind. If you haven't seen the photo coverage floating around, check out Amber Nico's shot of the crowd because that venue was packed to the gills.

Naturally, the wrestling internet did what it does best immediately afterward: split into two furious factions over booking philosophy and tournament fatigue. By the time the tour landed in Sendai at Sun Plaza Hall for Night 4 on July 21, the discourse went from mild flame to a full-blown inferno. Between Tsuji clashing with Sanada and Takeshita trying to bounce back against Yuto-Ice, everyone on social media suddenly turned into Gedo with a clipboard and a dream.

The internet jury is completely split on Tsuji's push

The enthusiasts are treating Yota Tsuji's tournament run like the second coming of Shinsuke Nakamura's charismatic apex. After putting Takeshita away on Night 1, the hype train reached bullet train speeds, with fans spamming gifs of his spear like it was going out of style. The consensus on Reddit was simple: Tsuji is the undeniable guy, the centerpiece of the new musketeers, and NJPW needs to strap the rocket to him before AEW tries to buy his contract out of sheer habit.

Then you have the contrarians who watched Night 4 in Sendai and threw up their hands. The skeptics aren't sold on his pacing when he goes past the 15-minute mark, pointing out that his sequence with Sanada felt like it was running in slow motion compared to the raw chaos of Shingo Takagi vs. Oleg Boltin. One forum post summed up the doubt perfectly: 'Tsuji has the million-dollar smile and the aura, but if his big match formula is just taking 80% of a beating before hitting two moves, we are going to get bored by Night 8.'

Takeshita is the real MVP of this tournament so far

Here is my honest take, straight from the high-top table by the dartboard: the skeptics are out of their minds if they think Tsuji is carrying this tournament. Takeshita is the absolute glue holding these early nights together. Eating a pin from Tsuji in Chicago was the right call for the home crowd, but his work rate through Night 4 has been staggering. Taking on Yuto-Ice in Sendai, Takeshita laid in forearms so hard you could hear them echoing through Walker Stewart and Henare's commentary track on NJPW World.

While Tsuji gets the shiny babyface push, Takeshita is playing the ultimate final boss wildcard. He bumps like a manic gymnast and hits like a runaway freight train. The fans complaining about New Japan's booking logic are missing the forest for the trees. Having Takeshita drop an early match creates instant drama for the rest of the block math. Without that loss in Chicago, every single one of his subsequent matches would feel completely predictable.

Sentai showed the real cracks in the middle card

Not everything coming out of Miyagi was gold, though, and it's time to talk about the elephant in the ring. The undercard tag matches and lower-block bouts on Night 4 felt bloated. Watching Hirooki Goto slog through another G1 round-robin match in 2026 feels a bit like watching your favorite washed veteran play 12 minutes off the bench in the NBA playoffs—you respect the legacy, but you know the knees are shot. The crowd in Sendai was noticeably dead during the middle portion of the card until Takagi came out to chop Oleg's chest into raw beef steak.

If New Japan wants to keep the momentum going into night five, they need to trim the filler. Looking at the updated standings, the margins are razor thin, but the pacing of these three-hour shows is testing the patience of even the most hardcore purists. You can only watch so many front headlocks before the chat room starts posting memes about taking a nap before the co-main event.

The verdict on G1 Climax 36's opening stretch

At the end of the day, the enthusiasts have the stronger leg to stand on here. Starting the G1 in Chicago was a risky play that paid off in pure atmosphere, and Tsuji defeating Takeshita gave us an instant marquee moment that set the tone for the entire month. Yes, the mid-card bloat is real, and yes, Sanada looks like he's running on cruise control half the time, but when this tournament hits its high notes—like Takeshita laying beatdowns in Sendai—there isn't a promotion on the planet that touches NJPW's big-match feel.

We have a long way to go before the finals, but the narrative threads are already woven tight. Strap in, drink some water, and get ready for the standings to turn completely upside down over the next two weeks.