Ryohei Oiwa is having the defining moment of his NJPW career. Fresh off winning the G1 Climax 36, he confirmed he will challenge Yota Tsuji for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship at King of Pro-Wrestling on October 12.
The announcement came Sunday, immediately after Oiwa defeated Yuya Uemura in the tournament final at Ryogoku Sumo Hall in Tokyo. The TMDK member picked up the win at the 35:10 mark, forcing Uemura to submit to the Big Lock.
Oiwa’s path makes the victory all the more impressive. He didn’t even have a guaranteed spot in the G1 Climax 36 field and had to fight his way through the qualifying tournament. From there, he finished the A Block at 6-3 and eliminated Callum Newman in the semifinal.
WrestlePurists @WrestlePurists Follow #G1FINAL
9:19 AM · Aug 16, 2026On top of his first G1 victory, Oiwa set a new record. At 27 years old, he needed just four years and 11 months from his professional debut to win the tournament, breaking the previous mark held by Hirooki Goto, who accomplished the feat five years and one month into his career.
Yota Tsuji is currently in his second reign as IWGP Heavyweight Champion. He regained the title by defeating Callum Newman at Dominion on June 14.
Oiwa also continues a recent NJPW trend. Zack Sabre Jr. in 2024 and Konosuke Takeshita in 2025 both opted to take their G1 title shots at King of Pro-Wrestling rather than waiting for Wrestle Kingdom.