Published: Aug 15, 2026 by Sanchez Taylor | Last Updated: Aug 15, 2026 by Sanchez Taylor
Sanchez has over six years of pro-wrestling news writing experience, covering the biggest news stories in WWE, NXT, AEW, TNA Wrestling and more. He has personally interviewed a number of top stars, producing exclusive content with the likes of AEW's Swerve Strickland and WWE's Nick Aldis.
NJPW
The final for the NJPW G1 Climax 36 tournament has now been confirmed, with the semifinal matches now concluded.
The semifinal bouts for NJPW’s biggest tournament took place on August 15, with the competitors set to wrestle in the final now determined.
Yuya Uemura and Ryohei Oiwa will face off to crown this year’s G1 Climax tournament champion on August 16.
Uemura defeated Yota Tsuji in his semifinal match, while Oiwa bested Callum Newman to advance.
On August 15, G1 Climax 36 reached its final stretch at Ryogoku Sumo Hall, with the four remaining competitors battling for places in Sunday’s Grand Final. Yota Tsuji faced Yuya Uemura in the first semifinal, while Ryohei Oiwa took on Callum Newman in the second, with both winners earning a place in the championship bout.
Yota Tsuji and Yuya Uemura continued their long standing rivalry in the semifinal.
…Uemura connected with a second Deadbolt Suplex to finally put the IWGP Heavyweight Champion away and earn his place in the final.
The second semifinal saw Callum Newman and Ryohei Oiwa clash at a furious pace from the opening bell.
…The two exchanged brutal lariats before Oiwa’s Grip proved to be the decisive blow.
After tonight, the G1 Climax 36 Grand Final is set. Yuya Uemura will face Ryohei Oiwa at Ryogoku Sumo Hall on August 16, with the G1 trophy and a place in history on the line.
You can read NJPW’s full report right here.
Both finalists finished as runners-up in block action. Yuya Uemura finished behind Callum Newman, both on 12 points, but with Newman being awarded the B-block due to him scoring a win over Uemura in their block match.
Ryohei Oiwa and Yota Tsuji also both finished with 12 points, with Tsuji taking the A-block following his win over Oiwa.
Both AEW stars competing in the tournament finished in third place in their respective blocks, with A-block’s Konosuke Takeshita and B-block’s Gabe Kidd finishing with 12 points respectively, but missed out on the semifinals due to the head-to-head tiebreakers.
Takeshita notably won the 2025 iteration of the tournament, defeating EVIL – now Naraku in WWE NXT – in the final.
We are guaranteed a first-time champion on Sunday, with neither Oiwa or Uemura winning the G1 Climax tournament previously.
The latest NJPW updates and news stories can be found right here.
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