The G1 Climax 28 tournament will take place this year from July 14 till August 12. The 20-man round-robin style tournament is considered as NJPW’s most prestigious tournament of the year. Over the weekend, the G1 participants were announced and today the composition of the blocks.
Since 2012, the winner has earned the “Tokyo Dome IWGP Heavyweight Championship challenge rights certificate”, a contract for a title shot at NJPW’s largest event, Wrestle Kingdom 13 in Tokyo Dome, held annually on January 4. But between August and January, the wrestler has to defend the certificate until the end of the year.
Every participant will have to square off with every other member of his block. The winner of each block is determined by a points system; two points for a victory, one point for a draw, and zero points for a loss.
Unlike the New Japan Cup, the G1 Climax can feature the then-reigning IWGP Heavyweight Champion as one of the participants, so Kenny Omega is taking part of the tournament like former Champion, Kazuchika Okada.
A Block
* Hiroshi Tanahashi (17-time entrant, 17th consecutive entry)
* Togi Makabe (15-time entrant, 15th consecutive entry)
* Michael Elgin (4-time entrant, 4th consecutive entry)
* Kazuchika Okada (7-time entrant, 7th consecutive entry)
* Jay White (G1 Debut)
* YOSHI-HASHI (3-time entrant, 3rd consecutive entry)
* Bad Luck Fale (5-time entrant, 5th consecutive entry)
* Hangman Page (G1 Debut)
* EVIL (3-time entrant, 3rd consecutive entry)
* Minoru Suzuki (8-time entrant, 2nd consecutive entry)
B Block
* Juice Robinson (2-time entrant, 2nd consecutive entry)
* Hirooki Goto (11-time entrant, 11th consecutive entry)
* Tomohiro Ishii (6-time entrant, 6th consecutive entry)
* Toru Yano (13-time entrant, 12th consecutive entry)
* Kenny Omega (3-time entrant, 3rd consecutive entry)
* Kota Ibushi (4-time entrant, 2nd consecutive entry)
* Tama Tonga (3-time entrant, 3rd consecutive entry)
* Tetsuya Naito (9-time entrant, 9th consecutive entry)
* SANADA (3-time entrant, 3rd consecutive entry)
* Zack Sabre Jr. (2-time entrant, 2nd consecutive entry)
