The G1 Climax 34 was a professional wrestling tournament promoted by New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). The tournament commenced on July 20 and concluded on August 18, 2024. It was the thirty-fourth edition of G1 Climax and the fiftieth edition of the tournament counting its previous forms under different names.
Considered NJPW's most important tournament, the G1 Climax features 20 wrestlers, divided into two blocks of ten ("A" and "B"). Each participant faces all nine other wrestlers within the same block in singles matches. The 2024 tournament saw a return to 20 participants split into two 10-man blocks for the first time since 2021.
Production
Tournament rules
The tournament features 20 wrestlers, divided into two blocks of ten ("A "B"). Each participant faces all nine other wrestlers within the same block in singles matches. The winner of each block is determined via a point system, with two points for a win, one point for a draw, and no points for a loss; each night of the event sees one match from each block between two members competing for the tournament. In case of several wrestlers sharing the top score, the results of the matches those wrestlers had when facing each other in the tournament act as tiebreaker, with the one having the most wins over the other top-scorers determining the winner of the block.
On the final three days of the event, top 3 wrestlers in each block advances and enter into a six-man playoff, with the block winners earning a bye into the semifinals to determine the winner of the G1 Climax, who would gain a future match for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship, NJPW's top championship, at Wrestle Kingdom, NJPW's biggest yearly event; if the IWGP Heavyweight Champion himself wins, he selects his opponent at Wrestle Kingdom. The matches of the tournament have a 30-minutes time limit (with the time limit being reached resulting in a tie); the quarterfinals (2nd and 3rd places of the block), the semifinal (block winners and quarterfinals winners) and final (semifinal winners) matches, where a winner must be determined, have no time limit.
History On April 3, 2024, NJPW officially announced the 2024 edition of the tournament between July 20 and August 18; as usual, the tournament took place over several cities and locations across Japan.
Storylines The event includes matches that result from scripted storylines, where wrestlers portray heroes, villains, or less distinguishable characters in scripted events that build tension and culminate in a wrestling match or series of matches.
Venues DatesVenueLocationJuly 20Osaka Prefectural GymnasiumNamba, OsakaJuly 21July 23Hiroshima Sun PlazaNishi-ku, HiroshimaJuly 25Sunmesse KagawaTakamatsu, KagawaJuly 27Dejima Messe NagasakiNagasaki City, NagasakiJuly 28Fukuoka Convention CenterHakata-ku, FukuokaJuly 29July 31KDDI Ishin HallYamaguchi City, YamaguchiAugust 3Yamato ArenaSuita, OsakaAugust 4Aichi Prefectural GymnasiumNagoya, AichiAugust 6Korakuen HallBunkyo, TokyoAugust 7August 8Yokohama BudokanNaka-ku, YokohamaAugust 10Xebio Arena SendaiSendai, MiyagiAugust 12City Hall Plaza Aore NagaokaNagaoka, NiigataAugust 14Hamamatsu ArenaHigashi-ku, HamamatsuAugust 15Makuhari MesseMihama-ku, ChibaAugust 17Ryōgoku KokugikanSumida, TokyoAugust 18
Qualifying Tournament Before the main tournament there was a Qualifying Tournament during New Japan Soul tour to determine one entrant for each block.
Block A Qualifying TournamentBlock B Qualifying Tournament
Participants New Japan Pro Wrestling announced the eighteen official participants of the two blocks on June 16, 2024, with six qualifiers who competed in Qualifying Tournament.
*Noted underneath are the champions who held their titles at the time of the tournament. WrestlerUnitNotesTetsuya NaitoLos Ingobernables de JaponIWGP World Heavyweight Champion, G1 Climax winner (23, 27, 33), 15th appearance Shota UminoUnaffiliated2nd appearanceShingo TakagiLos Ingobernables de Japon6th appearance SanadaJust 5 Guys9th appearance Great-O-KhanUnited EmpireKOPW 2024 Provisional Champion, 4th appearance Zack Sabre Jr.TMDK8th appearance Gabe KiddBullet Club War DogsNJPW Strong Openweight Champion, 2nd appearanceEvilHouse of Torture9th appearance Jake LeeBullet Club War Dogs1st appearance Callum NewmanUnited EmpireWinner of Block A Qualifying Tournament, 1st appearance Hirooki GotoChaosG1 Climax winner (18), 17th appearance El PhantasmoGuerrillas of Destiny3rd appearance Yota TsujiLos Ingobernables de Japon2nd appearance Yuya UemuraJust 5 Guys1st appearance Jeff CobbUnited EmpireNJPW World Television Champion, 6th appearance HenareUnited EmpireNEVER Openweight Champion, 3rd appearanceDavid FinlayBullet Club War DogsIWGP Global Heavyweight Champion, 3rd appearance Ren NaritaHouse of Torture2nd appearanceKonosuke TakeshitaDon Callis Family (AEW-DDT)1st appearance Oleg Boltin UnaffiliatedNEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Champion, Winner of Block B Qualifying Tournament, 1st appearance
Results Night 1 The first night of the tournament took place on July 20, 2024, at Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium in Namba, Osaka.
Night 2 The second night of the tournament took place on July 21, 2024, at Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium in Namba, Osaka.
Night 3 The third night of the tournament took place on July 23, 2024, at Hiroshima Sun Plaza in Nishi-ku, Hiroshima.
Night 4 The fourth night of the tournament took place on July 25, 2024, at Sunmesse Kagawa in Takamatsu, Kagawa.
Night 5
The fifth night of the tournament took place on July 27, 2024, at Dejima Messe Nagasaki in Nagasaki City, Nagasaki.
Night 6
The sixth night of the tournament took place on July 28, 2024, at Fukuoka Convention Center in Hakata-ku, Fukuoka.
Night 7
The seventh night of the tournament took place on July 29, 2024, at Fukuoka Convention Center in Hakata-ku, Fukuoka. Night 8
The eighth night of the tournament took place on July 31, 2024, at KDDI Ishin Hall in Yamaguchi City, Yamaguchi. Night 9
The ninth night of the tournament took place on August 3, 2024, at Yamato Arena in Suita, Osaka. Night 10
The tenth night of the tournament took place on August 4, 2024, at Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium in Nagoya, Aichi. Night 11
The eleventh night of the tournament took place on August 6, 2024, at Korakuen Hall in Bunkyo, Tokyo.
Night 12 The twelfth night of the tournament took place on August 7, 2024, at Korakuen Hall in Bunkyo, Tokyo. Night 13
The thirteenth night of the tournament took place on August 8, 2024, at Yokohama Budokan in Naka-ku, Yokohama. Night 14
The fourteenth night of the tournament took place on August 10, 2024, at Xebio Arena Sendai in Sendai, Miyagi.
On this night of B Block competition, Yuya Uemura suffered a legitimate right arm injury in his match with Yota Tsuji, resulting in Uemura having to withdraw from the tournament. Last remaining tournament match against Oleg Boltin on Night 16 was declared forfeit on Uemura's part. Night 15
The fifteenth night of the tournament took place on August 12, 2024, at City Hall Plaza Aore Nagaoka in Nagaoka, Niigata.
Night 16
The sixteenth night of the tournament took place on August 14, 2024, at Hamamatsu Arena in Higashi-ku, Hamamatsu.
Night 17 The seventeenth night of the tournament took place on August 15, 2024, at Makuhari Messe in Mihama-ku, Chiba.
Night 18 The eighteenth night of the tournament took place on August 17, 2024, at Ryōgoku Kokugikan in Sumida, Tokyo.
Night 19 The nineteenth and final night of the tournament took place on August 18, 2024, at Ryōgoku Kokugikan in Sumida, Tokyo.
Blocks + StandingsBlock ABlock BZack Sabre Jr. 14David Finlay12Shingo Takagi 10Konosuke Takeshita10Great-O-Khan 10Yota Tsuji10Evil10Ren Narita 10Tetsuya Naito10Jeff Cobb10Jake Lee 8Henare 8Sanada8Hirooki Goto8Gabe Kidd 8Oleg Boltin8Shota Umino 8Yuya Uemura8Callum Newman 4El Phantasmo 6
Block A Evil Kidd Lee Naito Newman O-Khan Sanada Sabre Takagi Umino Evil Evil(10:19) Evil (11:20) Evil(16:11) Evil(8:40) O-Khan (16:25) Evil(18:04) Sabre (0:19) Takagi(16:57) Umino (19:46) Kidd Evil(10:19) Lee(4:53) Naito(14:08) Kidd (4:51) Kidd (12:01) Sanada (11:14) Sabre (16:19) Kidd (13:50) Kidd (15:56) Lee Evil(11:20) Lee(4:53) Naito(17:02) Lee(11:14) O-Khan (11:19) Lee(4:57) Sabre (17:46) Takagi(13:49) Lee(16:03) Naito Evil(15:11) Naito(14:08) Naito(17:03) Naito(6:55) O-Khan (18:57) Naito(17:43) Sabre (16:03) Takagi(23:23) Naito(14:47) Newman Evil(8:40) Kidd (4:51) Lee(11:14) Naito(6:55) O-Khan (8:16) Sanada(8:41) Sabre (11:56) Newman(12:51) Newman(9:45) O-Khan O-Khan (16:21) Kidd (12:01) O-Khan (11:19) O-Khan (18:57) O-Khan (8:16) O-Khan (11:11) Sabre(11:10) Takagi(11:04) Umino (15:06) Sanada Evil(18:06) Sanada (11:14) Lee(4:57) Naito(17:43) Sanada (8:41) O-Khan (11:11) Sabre (15:44) Sanada (19:45) Sanada (15:57) Sabre Sabre (0:19) Sabre (16:19) Sabre (17:46) Sabre (16:03) Sabre (11:56) Sabre(11:10) Sabre (15:44) Takagi(16:13) Umino (19:13) Takagi Takagi(16:57) Kidd (13:50) Takagi(13:49) Takagi(23:23) Newman(12:51) Takagi(11:04) Sanada (19:45) Takagi(16:13) Umino (18:22) Umino Umino (19:46) Kidd (15:56) Lee(16:03) Naito(14:47) Newman(9:45) Umino (15:06) Sanada (15:57) Umino (19:13) Umino (18:22) Block B Cobb Finlay Goto Henare Narita Boltin Phantasmo Takeshita Tsuji Uemura Cobb Finlay(11:39) Cobb(7:24) Cobb(12:40) Narita(12:02) Cobb(10:09) Cobb(11:12) Takeshita(10:28) Tsuji (11:36) Cobb(12:29) Finlay Finlay(11:39) Goto (17:47) Finlay(16:09) Finlay(11:01) Finlay(12:44) Finlay(12:32) Finlay(18:22) Tsuji (19:50) Uemura(16:22) Goto Cobb(7:24) Goto (17:47) Henare(12:46) Narita(12:19) Goto (10:17) Phantasmo(13:04) Goto (14:04) Goto (17:05) Uemura (12:38) Henare Cobb(12:40) Finlay(16:09) Henare(12:46) Narita(13:17) Henare (8:07) Henare(9:26) Takeshita(13:19) Tsuji (15:37) Henare (15:33) Narita Narita(12:02) Finlay(11:01) Narita(12:19) Narita(13:17) Boltin(7:46) Narita(14:16) Takeshita(16:48) Tsuji (20:21) Narita(11:47) Boltin Cobb(10:09) Finlay(12:44) Goto (10:17) Henare (8:07) Boltin(7:46) Boltin(12:16) Boltin(12:09) Tsuji (10:06) Boltin(Forfeit) Phantasmo Cobb(11:12) Finlay(12:32) Phantasmo(13:04) Henare(9:26) Narita(14:16) Boltin(12:16) Takeshita(17:21) Phantasmo(17:57) Phantasmo(14:21) Takeshita Takeshita(10:28) Finlay(18:22) Goto (14:04) Takeshita(13:19) Takeshita(16:48) Boltin(12:09) Takeshita(17:21) Takeshita(17:14) Uemura(23:10) Tsuji Tsuji (11:36) Tsuji (19:50) Goto (17:05) Tsuji (15:37) Tsuji (20:21) Tsuji (10:06) Phantasmo(17:57) Takeshita(17:14) Uemura(16:09) Uemura Cobb(12:29) Uemura(16:22) Uemura (12:38) Henare (15:33) Narita(11:47) Boltin(Forfeit) Phantasmo(14:21) Uemura(23:10) Uemura(16:09)
References
External links G1 Climax official website