Over the last week, New Japan announced details on the 2016 G-1 Climax tournament that runs from July 18 to August 14, with every show set to air on New Japan World in some form of fashion.
The following is the 20 participants in the tournament, spanning 2 blocks:
A Block
* Togi Makabe
* Hiroyoshi Tenzan (replacing Satoshi Kojima)
* Tomohiro Ishii
* Hirooki Goto
* Bad Luck Fale
* Tama Tonga (1st G-1)
* SANADA (1st G-1)
* GHC Tag Team Champion Namochi Marufuji (NOAH, 1st G-1)
* IWGP Champion Kazuchika Okada
* Hiroshi Tanahashi
B Block
* NEVER Champion Katsuyori Shibata
* Yuji Nagata
* Tomoaki Honma
* IWGP Intercontinental Champion Michael Elgin
* GHC Tag Team Champion Toru Yano
* Tetsuya Naito
* EVIL (1st G-1)
* Kenny Omega (1st G-1)
* Katsuhiko Nakajima (NOAH, 1st G-1)
* YOSHI-HASHI (1st G-1)
NOTE: Kojima gave up his spot in the G-1 Climax to his tag partner and friend, Tenzan, on the July 3rd Kizuna Road iPPV after Tenzan had on previous live events cut promos upset about being left out of the tournament. Kojima gave up his spot to Tenzan out of respect to his friend and tag partner, with the condition that he wins the tournament. This is presumed to be Tenzan’s last G-1 Climax as he nears the end of his in-ring career.
New Japan also announced the matches for each night of the G-1 Climax:
7/18 Day 1 (A Block) in Sapporo
* Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. SANADA
* Kazuchika Okada vs. Naomichi Marufuji
* Togi Makabe vs. Tama Tonga
* Hirooki Goto vs. Bad Luck Fale
* Hiroyoshi Tenzan vs. Tomohiro Ishii
7/22 Day 2 (B Block) at Koruaken Hall in Tokyo
* Tetsuya Naito vs. Yuji Nagata
* Katsuyori Shibata vs. Tomoaki Honma
* Kenny Omega vs. YOSHI-HASHI
* Toru Yano vs. Katsuhiko Nakajima
* Michael Elgin vs. EVIL
7/23 Day 3 (A Block) in Tokyo
* Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Togi Makabe
* Kazuchika Okada vs. SANADA
* Hiroyoshi Tenzan vs. Tama Tonga
* Naomichi Marufuji vs. Bad Luck Fale
* Tomohiro Ishii vs. Hirooki Goto
7/24 Day 4 (B Block) at Koruaken Hall in Tokyo
* Katsuyori Shibata vs. Katsuhiko Nakajima
* Tomoaki Honma vs. YOSHI-HASHI
* Kenny Omega vs. Toru Yano
* Tetsuya Naito vs. Michael Elgin
* Yuji Nagata vs. EVIL
7/25 Day 5 (A Block) in Fukushima
* Togi Makabe vs. SANADA
* Kazuchika Okada vs. Hirooki Goto
* Tomohiro Ishii vs. Bad Luck Fale
* Hiroyoshi Tenzan vs. Naomichi Marufuji
* Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Tama Tonga
7/27 Day 6 (B Block) in Nagano
* Tetsuya Naito vs. Toru Yano
* Michael Elgin vs. Katsuyori Shibata
* Katsuhiko Nakajima vs. EVIL
* Kenny Omega vs. Tomoaki Honma
* Yuji Nagata vs. YOSHI-HASHI
7/28 Day 7 (A Block) in Tokorozawa
* Tomohiro Ishii vs. Naomichi Marufuji
* Hirooki Goto vs. SANADA
* Hiroyoshi Tenzan vs. Togi Makabe
* Kazuchika Okada vs. Tama Tonga
* Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Bad Luck Fale
7/30 Day 8 (B Block) in Aichi
* Michael Elgin vs. Kenny Omega
* Tetsuya Naito vs. Katsuyori Shibata
* YOSHI-HASHI vs. EVIL
* Tomoaki Honma vs. Toru Yano
* Yuji Nagata vs. Katsuhiko Nakajima
7/31 Day 9 (A Block) in Gifu
* Togi Makabe vs. Naomichi Marufuji
* Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Hirooki Goto
* Bad Luck Fale vs. SANADA
* Tomohiro Ishii vs. Tama Tonga
* Kazuchika Okada vs. Hiroyoshi Tenzan
8/1 Day 10 (B Block) in Kagawa
* Katsuhiko Nakajima vs. YOSHI-HASHI
* Tetsuya Naito vs. Tomoaki Honma
* Kenny Omega vs. EVIL
* Katsuyori Shibata vs. Toru Yano
* Michael Elgin vs. Yuji Nagata
8/3 Day 11 (A Block) in Kagoshima
* Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Tomohiro Ishii
* Kazuchika Okada vs. Togi Makabe
* Naomichi Marufuji vs. SANADA
* Hirooki Goto vs. Tama Tonga
* Bad Luck Fale vs. Hiroyoshi Tenzan
8/4 Day 12 (B Block) in Fukuoka
* Tetsuya Naito vs. Katsuhiko Nakajima
* Katsuyori Shibata vs. Kenny Omega
* Michael Elgin vs. YOSHI-HASHI
* Tomoaki Honma vs. EVIL
* Yuji Nagata vs. Toru Yano
8/6 Day 13 (A Block) in Osaka
* Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Naomichi Marufuji
* Kazuchika Okada vs. Tomohiro Ishii
* Togi Makabe vs. Bad Luck Fale
* Hirooki Goto vs. Hiroyoshi Tenzan
* Tama Tonga vs. SANADA
8/7 Day 14 (B Block) in Hamatatsu
* Kenny Omega vs. Yuji Nagata
* Tetsuya Naito vs. EVIL
* Michael Elgin vs. Toru Yano
* Katsuyori Shibata vs. YOSHI-HASHI
* Tomoaki Honma vs. Katsuhiko Nakajima
8/8 Day 15 (A Block) in Yokohama
* Tomohiro Ishii vs. SANADA
* Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Hiroyoshi Tenzan
* Kazuchika Okada vs. Bad Luck Fale
* Togi Makabe vs. Hirooki Goto
* Naomichi Marufuji vs. Tama Tonga
8/10 Day 16 (B Block) in Yamagata
* Michael Elgin vs. Tomoaki Honma
* Katsuyori Shibata vs. Yuji Nagata
* Toru Yano vs. EVIL
* Tetsuya Naito vs. YOSHI-HASHI
* Kenny Omega vs. Katsuhiko Nakajima
8/12 Day 17 (A Block Semi-Finals) at Sumo Hall in Tokyo
* Hirooki Goto vs. Naomichi Marufuji
* Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Kazuchika Okada
* Togi Makabe vs. Tomohiro Ishii
* Hiroyoshi Tenzan vs. SANADA
* Bad Luck Fale vs. Tama Tonga
8/13 Day 18 (B Block Semi-Finals) at Sumo Hall in Tokyo
* Katsuyori Shibata vs. EVIL
* Tetsuya Naito vs. Kenny Omega
* Toru Yano vs. YOSHI-HASHI
* Michael Elgin vs. Katsuhiko Nakajima
* Yuji Nagata vs. Tomoaki Honma
8/14 Day 19 (G-1 Climax Finals) at Sumo Hall in Tokyo
* A Block winner vs. B Block winner in G-1 Climax 26 finals