New Japan unveils full schedule for G1 Climax 32

G1 Climax, New Japan’s annual round robin tournament for a Wrestle Kingdom title shot, starts next month. This year’s edition will be one of the largest, and features some exciting match-ups... especially in A Block, where the company’s reigning Ace Kazuchika Okada will face a murderer’s row of hosses and MMA fighter Tom Lawler.

But while yesterday’s block assignments told us who would be facing who, we didn’t know when. Now we do.

Here’s the schedule from NJPW:

July 16, Sapporo:

A Block: Kazuchika Okada vs. Jeff Cobb

B Block: SANADA vs. Jay White

C Block: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Aaron Henare

D Block: Will Ospreay vs. El Phantasmo

July 17, Sapporo:

B Block: Tomohiro Ishii vs. Taichi

C Block: Zack Sabre Jr. vs. KENTA

A Block: Toru Yano vs. JONAH

D Block: Shingo Takagi vs. Juice Robinson

July 20, Senadi:

A Block: Lance Archer vs. Bad Luck Fale

B Block: Tama Tonga vs. Chase Owens

C Block: Hirooki Goto vs. Tetsuya Naito

D Block: David Finlay vs. Yujiro Takahashi

July 23, Ota:

B Block: Tomohiro Ishii vs. Jay White

D Block: YOSHI-HASHI vs. Shingo Takagi

A Block: Kazuchika Okada vs. Toru Yano

C Block: Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Aaron Henare

July 24, Ota:

C Block: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Tetsuya Naito

D Block: El Phantasmo vs. Yuijiro Takahashi

A Block: Jeff Cobb vs. Bad Luck Fale

B Block: SANADA vs. Taichi

July 26, Korakuen Hall:

C Block: KENTA vs. EVIL

D Block: David Finlay vs. Juice Robinson

A Block: Tom Lawlor vs. Lance Archer

B Block: Great-O-Khan vs. Chase Owens

July 27, Korakuen Hall:

A Block: Toru Yano vs. Bad Luck Fale

C Block: Hirooki Goto vs. Aaron Henare

B Block: Tomohiro Ishii vs. Tama Tonga

D Block: Will Ospreay vs,. Yujiro Takahashi

July 30, Aichi:

A Block: JONAH vs. Tom Lawlor

B Block: SANADA vs. Great-O-Khan

C Block: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Zack Sabre Jr.

D Block: David Finaly vs. Shingo Takagi

July 31, Aichi:

B Block: Jay White vs. Chase Owens

C Block: Tetsuya Naito vs. EVIL

A Block: Bad Luck Fale vs. Kazuchika Okada

A Block: Jeff Cobb vs. Lance Archer

D Block: Juice Robinson vs. YOSHI-HASHI

August 2, Hamamatsu:

B Block: Tomohiro Ishii vs. Great-O-Khan

D Block: David Finlay vs. Will Ospreay

A Block: Toru Yano vs. Tom Lawlor

B Block: Tama Tonga vs. SANADA

C Block: Hirooki Goto vs. KENTA

August 5, Matsuyama:

A Block: JONAH vs. Jeff Cobb

C Block: Tetsuya Naito vs. Aaron Henare

B Block: Taichi vs. Chase Owens

C Block: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. EVIL

D Block: Juice Robinson vs. Yujiro Takahashi

August 6, Osaka:

D Block: YOSHI-HASHI vs. El Phantasmo

D Block: Shingo Takagi vs. Will Ospreay

A Block: Toru Yano vs. Lance Archer

B Block: Great-O-Khan vs. Jay White

C Block: Hirooki Goto vs. Zack Sabre Jr.

August 7, Osaka:

A Block: Tom Lawlor vs. Bad Luck Fale

D Block: Juice Robinson vs. El Phantasmo

A Block: Kazuchika Okada vs. JONAH

B Block: Tomohiro Ishii vs. Chase Owens

C Block: Aaron Henare vs. EVIL

August 9, Hiroshima:

A Block: JONAH vs. Lance Archer

C Block: Tetsuya Naito vs. KENTA

B Block: Tama Tonga vs. Taichi

B Block: SANADA vs. Chase Owens

D Block: YOSHI-HASHI vs. Yujiro Takahashi

August 10, Hiroshima:

A Block: Kazuchika Okada vs. Tom Lawlor

C Block: Zack Sabre Jr. vs. EVIL

B Block: Tama Tonga vs. Great-O-Khan

C Block: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Hirooki Goto

D Block: David Finlay vs. El Phantasmo

August 13, Machida:

D Block: YOSHI-HASHI vs. Will Ospreay

D Block: Shingo Takagi vs. Yujiro Takahashi

A Block: Toru Yano vs. Jeff Cobb

B Block: Taichi vs. Jay White

C Block: Aaron Henare vs. KENTA

August 14, Nagano:

B Block: Taichi vs. Great-O-Khan

C Block: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. KENTA

A Block: Tom Lawlor vs. Jeff Cobb

D Block: YOSHI-HASHI vs. David Finlay

August 16, Budokan Hall:

A Block: Kazuchika Okada vs. Lance Archer

B Block: Tama Tonga vs. Jay White

A Block: JONAH vs. Bad Luck Fale

B Block: Tomohiro Ishii vs. SANADA

C Block: Hirooki Goto vs. EVIL

C Block: Tetsuya Naito vs. Zack Sabre Jr.

D Block: Shingo Takagi vs. El Phantasmo

D Block: Will Ospreay vs. Juice Robinson

In addition to looking for match-ups you’re interested in, it’s always worth paying a little attention to the final day. The beauty of scripting out a tournament is you can guarantee some drama at the end, and you can guarantee multiple Aug. 16 clashes will determine who goes on to Aug. 17’s semi-finals.

For the uninitiated, wins in Block matches are worth two points, draws one, and losses zero. The wrestler with the most points at the end of round robin action advances to the semi-finals. The winners of those bouts will compete for the G1 briefcase (typically defended once before being used for an IWGP World Heavyweight championship match at New Japan’s annual January Tokyo Dome event) on Aug. 18.

Who’s ready?