Established in 1991, the G1 Climax is New Japan's annual heavyweight singles tournament, designed to determine who the strongest wrestler is. Assuming the reigning IWGP Heavyweight Champion doesn't also win the tournament, the eventual winner becomes top contender for a shot at the title. What started in 1991 with an epic match between Keiji Muto and Masahiro Chono, continues to be a yearly highlight of the wrestling world. In the past, both singles elimination and round-robin concepts have been used, with the latter favoured in recent years.
1991 (8/7/91 to 8/11/91) (Full results)
Block A:
1. Keiji Muto [4]
2. Tatsumi Fujinami [3]
3. Scott Norton [3]
4. Big Van Vader [2]
Block B:
1. Masahiro Chono [5]
2. Shinya Hashimoto [5]
3. Crusher Bam Bam Bigelow [2]
4. Riki Choshu [0]
Block B Decision Match: Masahiro Chono beat Shinya Hashimoto (15:50) with an STF.
Final: Masahiro Chono beat Keiji Muto (29:31) with a powerbomb.
1992 (8/6/92 to 8/12/92)
Round 1:
1. Steve Austin beat Arn Anderson (8:58) with a Stungun.
2. Scott Norton beat Crusher Bam Bam Bigelow (8:16) with a powerslam.
3. Keiji Muto beat Barry Windham (10:17) with a moonsault press.
4. Masahiro Chono beat Tony Halme (12:20) with a cross armbreaker.
5. Kensuke Sasaki beat Jim Neidhart (8:20) with a powerslam.
6. Terry Taylor beat Hiroshi Hase by forfeit.
7. Shinya Hashimoto beat The Barbarian (11:29) with a DDT.
8. Rick Rude beat Super Strong Machine (11:54) with a diving kneedrop.
Round 2:
1. Kensuke Sasaki beat Terry Taylor (9:35) with an ipponzei.
2. Rick Rude beat Shinya Hashimoto (13:52) with a diving fistdrop.
3. Keiji Muto beat Steve Austin (17:05) with a moonsault press.
4. Masahiro Chono beat Scott Norton (10:48) with a ground Cobra Twist.
Semi Finals:
1. Rick Rude beat Kensuke Sasaki (19:24) with a diving kneedrop.
2. Masahiro Chono beat Keiji Muto (26:07) with an STF.
Final:
1. Masahiro Chono beat Rick Rude (29:44) with a diving shoulder attack.
1993 (8/3/93 to 8/7/93)
Round 1:
1. Hiromichi Fuyuki beat Takayuki Iizuka (12:10) with a backdrop hold.
2. Super Strong Machine beat Shiro Koshinaka (17:33) with a German suplex hold.
3. Masahiro Chono beat Ashura Hara (12:28) with an STF.
4. Hiroshi Hase beat Shinya Hashimoto (20:42) with a side slam.
5. Kengo Kimura beat Michiyoshi Ohara (26:44) by pinfall.
6. Osamu Kido beat Takashi Ishikawa (11:33) by pinfall.
7. Keiji Muto beat Great Kabuki (16:17) with a moonsault press.
8. Tatsumi Fujinami beat Yoshiaki Fujiwara (14:32) with a cradle.
Round 2:
1. Hiroshi Hase beat Kengo Kimura (15:55) by pinfall.
2. Masahiro Chono beat Hiromichi Fuyuki (19:04) with an STF.
3. Tatsumi Fujinami beat Osamu Kido (11:58) by submission.
4. Keiji Muto beat Super Strong Machine (17:22) by pinfall.
Semi Finals:
1. Tatsumi Fujinami beat Keiji Muto (24:26) with a Dragon sleeper.
2. Hiroshi Hase beat Masahiro Chono (26:46) with a reverse side STF.
Final:
1. Tatsumi Fujinami beat Hiroshi Hase (21:49) with a Scorpion Deathlock.
1994 (8/3/94 to 8/7/94) (Full results)
Block A:
1. Masahiro Chono [8]
2. Keiji Muto [6]
3. Riki Choshu [6]
4. Yoshiaki Yatsu [4]
5. Yoshiaki Fujiwara [4]
6. Osamu Kido [2]
Block B:
1. Power Warrior [7]
2. Hiroshi Hase [6]
3. Shinya Hashimoto [6]
4. Tatsumi Fujinami [6]
5. Shiro Koshinaka [5]
6. Takayuki Iizuka [0]
Final: Masahiro Chono beat Power Warrior (21:51) with an STF.
1995 (8/11/95 to 8/15/95) (Full results)
Block A:
1. Keiji Muto [4]
2. Masahiro Chono [3]
3. Ric Flair [3]
4. Shiro Koshinaka [2]
Block B:
1. Shinya Hashimoto [4]
2. Scott Norton [4]
3. Hiroyoshi Tenzan [2]
4. Kensuke Sasaki [2]
Semi Final: Keiji Muto beat Scott Norton (17:07) with a moonsault press.
Semi Final: Shinya Hashimoto beat Masahiro Chono (10:05) with a DDT.
Final: Keiji Muto beat Shinya Hashimoto (24:08) with a moonsault press.
1996 (8/2/96 to 8/6/96) (Full results)
Block A:
1. Riki Choshu [8]
2. Kensuke Sasaki [6]
3. Hiroyoshi Tenzan [4]
4. Shinya Hashimoto [2]
5. Junji Hirata [0]
Block B:
1. Masahiro Chono [6]
2. Shiro Koshinaka [4]
3. Kazuo Yamazaki [4]
4. Keiji Muto [4]
5. Satoshi Kojima [0]
Final: Riki Choshu beat Masahiro Chono (13:45) with a Scorpion Deathlock.
1997 (8/1/97 to 8/3/97)
Round 1:
1. Satoshi Kojima beat Steven Regal (9:45) with a chin crusher.
2. Hiroyoshi Tenzan beat Tadao Yasuda (10:39) with a moonsault press.
3. Scott Norton beat Junji Hirata (6:31) with a powerbomb.
4. Masahiro Chono beat Michiyoshi Ohara (18:39) with a Butterfly Lock.
5. Great Muta beat Manabu Nakanishi (10:25) with an avalanche-style Frankensteiner.
6. Shinya Hashimoto beat Kazuo Yamazaki (11:35) by referee stop.
Round 2:
1. Kensuke Sasaki beat Buff Bagwell (8:04) with an ipponzei.
2. Hiroyoshi Tenzan beat Satoshi Kojima (11:43) with a moonsault press.
3. Scott Norton beat Great Muta (6:31) with a powerslam.
4. Shinya Hashimoto beat Masahiro Chono (5:45) with a standing achilles tendon hold.
Semi Finals:
1. Hiroyoshi Tenzan beat Shinya Hashimoto (14:01) with a diving headbutt.
2. Kensuke Sasaki beat Scott Norton (5:16) with a Northern Light bomb.
Final:
1. Kensuke Sasaki beat Hiroyoshi Tenzan (8:09) with a Northern Light bomb.
1998 (7/31/98 to 8/2/98)
Round 1:
1. Tadao Yasuda beat Big Titan (10:35) with a Tiger Driver.
2. Satoshi Kojima beat Hiroyoshi Tenzan (11:08) with a lariat.
3. Shiro Koshinaka beat Osamu Nishimura (10:25) with a powerbomb.
4. Kensuke Sasaki beat Michiyoshi Ohara (10:59) with a Northern Light bomb
5. Shinya Hashimoto beat Tatsutoshi Goto (4:00) by referee stop.
6. Kazuo Yamazaki beat Tatsumi Fujinami (7:51) with a cross armbreaker.
7. Masahiro Chono beat Manabu Nakanishi (18:52) with a Butterfly Lock.
8. Genichiro Tenryu beat Keiji Muto (21:37) with a powerbomb.
Round 2:
1. Satoshi Kojima beat Tadao Yasuda (13:38) with a lariat.
2. Kazuo Yamazaki beat Kensuke Sasaki (6:42) with a cross kneelock.
3. Masahiro Chono beat Shiro Koshinaka (16:03) with a Butterfly Lock.
4. Shinya Hashimoto beat Genichiro Tenryu (13:13) with a DDT.
Semi Finals:
1. Kazuo Yamazaki beat Masahiro Chono (9:43) with a reverse achilles tendon hold.
2. Shinya Hashimoto beat Satoshi Kojima (13:51) with a cross armbreaker.
Final:
1. Shinya Hashimoto beat Kazuo Yamazaki (15:34) with a vertical drop brainbuster.
1999 (8/10/99 to 8/15/99) (Full results)
Block A:
1. Keiji Muto [8]
2. Yuji Nagata [8]
3. Kensuke Sasaki [6]
4. Tatsumi Fujinami [6]
5. Satoshi Kojima [2]
6. Tadao Yasuda [0]
Block B:
1. Manabu Nakanishi [8]
2. Hiroyoshi Tenzan [6]
3. Shiro Koshinaka [6]
4. Masahiro Chono [6]
5. Shinya Hashimoto [4]
6. Kazuo Yamazaki [0]
Block A Decision Match: Keiji Muto beat Yuji Nagata (10:28) with a figure-four leglock.
Final: Manabu Nakanishi beat Keiji Muto (14:43) with an Argentine backbreaker.
2000 (8/7/00 to 8/13/00) (Full results)
Block A:
1. Yuji Nagata [3]
2. Takashi Iizuka [3]
3. Tatsumi Fujinami [2]
4. Jushin Thunder Liger [1]
5. Tatsutoshi Goto [1]
Block B:
1. Kensuke Sasaki [3]
2. Satoshi Kojima [2]
3. Brian Johnston [2]
4. Hiro Saito [0]
5. Osamu Kido [0]
Block C:
1. Manabu Nakanishi [3]
2. Hiroyoshi Tenzan [3]
3. Tadao Yasuda [2]
4. Osamu Nishimura [2]
5. Kenzo Suzuki [0]
Block D:
1. Masahiro Chono [3]
2. Shiro Koshinaka [2]
3. Junji Hirata [2]
4. Yutaka Yoshie [2]
5. Tatsuhito Takaiwa [1]
Block A Decision Match: Yuji Nagata beat Takashi Iizuka (10:48) with the Nagata Lock II.
Block B Decision Match: Manabu Nakanishi beat Hiroyoshi Tenzan (11:26) with an Argentine backbreaker.
Semi Final: Kensuke Sasaki beat Yuji Nagata (15:12) with a Northern Light bomb.
Semi Final: Manabu Nakanishi beat Masahiro Chono (9:33) with an Argentine backbreaker.
Final: Kensuke Sasaki beat Manabu Nakanishi (19:42) with a crab hold.
2001 (8/4/01 to 8/12/01) (Full results)
Block A:
1. Yuji Nagata [7]
2. Tadao Yasuda [6]
3. Manabu Nakanishi [6]
4. Kazunari Murakami [5]
5. Tatsumi Fujinami [4]
6. Minoru Tanaka [2]
Block B:
1. Keiji Muto [8]
2. Masahiro Chono [6]
3. Hiroyoshi Tenzan [6]
4. Satoshi Kojima [4]
5. Osamu Nishimura [3]
6. Jushin Thunder Liger [3]
Semi Final: Keiji Muto beat Tadao Yasuda (11:22) with a cross armbreaker.
Semi Final: Yuji Nagata beat Masahiro Chono (13:44) with the Nagata Lock.
Final: Yuji Nagata beat Keiji Muto (22:03) with the Nagata Lock II.
2002 (8/3/02 to 8/11/02) (Full results)
Block A:
1. Yoshihiro Takayama [8]
2. Hiroyoshi Tenzan [6]
3. Kensuke Sasaki [6]
4. Hiroshi Tanahashi [4]
5. Shiro Koshinaka [4]
6. Yutaka Yoshie [2]
Block B:
1. Masahiro Chono [7]
2. Osamu Nishimura [5]
3. Manabu Nakanishi [5]
4. Yuji Nagata [5]
5. Kenzo Suzuki [4]
6. Tadao Yasuda [4]
Block B Semi Finalist Decision Match: Osamu Nishimura beat Manabu Nakanishi (5:49) with a Japanese leg roll clutch hold.
Semi Final: Masahiro Chono beat Hiroyoshi Tenzan (22:03) with a cross-style STF.
Semi Final: Yoshihiro Takayama beat Osamu Nishimura (22:38) with a German suplex hold.
Final: Masahiro Chono beat Yoshihiro Takayama (20:23) with a Yakuza kick.
2003 (8/10/03 to 8/17/03) (Full results)
Block A:
1. Jun Akiyama [7]
2. Hiroyoshi Tenzan [6]
3. Masahiro Chono [5]
4. Manabu Nakanishi [4]
5. Osamu Nishimura [4]
6. Hiroshi Tanahashi [4]
Block B:
1. Yoshihiro Takayama [8]
2. Yuji Nagata [5]
3. Katsuyori Shibata [5]
4. Yutaka Yoshie [4]
5. Shinsuke Nakamura [4]
6. Tadao Yasuda [4]
Block B Semi Finalist Decision Match: Yuji Nagata beat Katsuyori Shibata (4:11) by TKO.
Semi Final: Jun Akiyama beat Yuji Nagata (16:11) with a wrist-clutch Exploder.
Semi Final: Hiroyoshi Tenzan beat Yoshihiro Takayama (21:13) by referee stop.
Final: Hiroyoshi Tenzan beat Jun Akiyama (31:43) with the Anaconda Vice.
2004 (8/7/04 to 8/15/04) (Full results)
Block A:
1. Katsuyori Shibata [8]
2. Genichiro Tenryu [8]
3. Shinsuke Nakamura [8]
4. Masahiro Chono [8]
5. Minoru Suzuki [8]
6. Yuji Nagata [8]
7. Blue Wolf [4]
8. Yutaka Yoshie [2]
Block B:
1. Hiroshi Tanahashi [12]
2. Hiroyoshi Tenzan [11]
3. Kensuke Sasaki [9]
4. Osamu Nishimura [6]
5. Koji Kanemoto [6]
6. Manabu Nakanishi [6]
7. Togi Makabe [4]
8. Yoshihiro Takayama [2]
Block A 3rd Place Match: Shinsuke Nakamura beat Masahiro Chono (4:39) by DQ.
Round 2: Genichiro Tenryu beat Kensuke Sasaki (8:11) with the 53-years-old.
Round 2: Hiroyoshi Tenzan beat Shinsuke Nakamura (13:06) with the Anaconda Vice.
Semi Final: Hiroshi Tanahashi beat Genichiro Tenryu (6:34) with an inside cradle.
Semi Final: Hiroyoshi Tenzan beat Katsuyori Shibata (7:11) by TKO.
Final: Hiroyoshi Tenzan beat Hiroshi Tanahashi (21:01) with the Anaconda Vice.
2005 (8/4/05 to 8/14/05) (Full results)
Block A:
1. Masahiro Chono [10]
2. Toshiaki Kawada [10]
3. Yuji Nagata [8]
4. Hiroyoshi Tenzan [8]
5. Minoru Suzuki [6]
6. Kendo Kashin [5]
7. Osamu Nishimura [5]
8. Tatsumi Fujinami [4]
Block B:
1. Kazuyuki Fujita [14]
2. Shinsuke Nakamura [11]
3. Manabu Nakanishi [10]
4. Hiroshi Tanahashi [7]
5. Yutaka Yoshie [6]
6. Tatsutoshi Goto [4]
7. Toru Yano [4]
8. Togi Makabe [0]
Semi Final: Masahiro Chono beat Shinsuke Nakamura (11:35) with a reverse STF.
Semi Final: Kazuyuki Fujita beat Toshiaki Kawada (6:23) with a knee kick.
Final: Masahiro Chono beat Kazuyuki Fujita (8:52) with a Shining Yakuza kick.
2006 (8/6/06 to 8/13/06) (Full results)
Block A:
1. Satoshi Kojima [7]
2. Giant Bernard [5]
3. Hiroshi Tanahashi [4]
4. Jushin Thunder Liger [2]
5. Manabu Nakanishi [2]
Block B:
1. Hiroyoshi Tenzan [8]
2. Koji Kanemoto [5]
3. Yuji Nagata [4]
4. Togi Makabe [3]
5. Naofumi Yamamoto [0]
Semi Final: Satoshi Kojima beat Koji Kanemoto (15:41) with a lariat.
Semi Final: Hiroyoshi Tenzan beat Giant Bernard (11:13) with the Anaconda Vice.
Final: Hiroyoshi Tenzan beat Satoshi Kojima (27:36) with the Original TTD.
2007 (8/5/07 to 8/12/07) (Full results)
Block A:
1. Togi Makabe [6]
2. Yuji Nagata [6]
3. Giant Bernard [5]
4. Akebono [5]
5. Hiroyoshi Tenzan [4]
6. Masahiro Chono [4]
Block B:
1. Shinsuke Nakamura [7]
2. Hiroshi Tanahashi [6]
3. Toru Yano [5]
4. Manabu Nakanishi [4]
5. Shiro Koshinaka [4]
6. Milano Collection AT [4]
Semi Final: Hiroshi Tanahashi beat Togi Makabe (15:24) with a front cradle.
Semi Final: Yuji Nagata beat Shinsuke Nakamura (18:22) by doctor stop.
Final: Hiroshi Tanahashi beat Yuji Nagata (19:02) with the High Fly Flow.
