New Japan Pro-Wrestling's (NJPW) prestigious G1 Climax tournament returns to the United States for its 36th edition, with the opening event held on Saturday at the NOW Arena in Chicago. The competition matters because it is regarded as one of wrestling's most demanding and career-defining tournaments, with the eventual winner earning a future shot at the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship at Wrestle Kingdom in January.

The four-week tournament divides its competitors into two blocks, A and B, with wrestlers awarded two points for a win, one for a draw and none for a loss or no contest; double count-outs and double disqualifications count as draws. Block A features last year's winner Konosuke Takeshita alongside names including Hirooki Goto, Shingo Takagi and Sanada, while Block B includes Zack Sabre Jr., Shota Umino and Gabe Kidd. NJPW ambassador Rocky Romero told Fox News Digital that the league-style format is what "creates legends", noting that past participants since the tournament's 1991 inception have included Masahiro Chono, Scott Norton, Steve Austin and, more recently, Jon Moxley, whom Romero recalled recruiting after Moxley left WWE in 2019.