Will it be a repeat or the crowning of the Billy GOAT?
That’s the big question that will be answered at the Nippon Budokan as G1 Climax 32 comes to a close. On the 20th night of the tournament, just one singles match remains — indeed, it’s literally the only one-on-one match on the card for Aug. 18.
Kazuchika Okada is trying to make history, not only joining only a handful of other NJPW stars who have won the G1 Climax back to back, but trying to win his fourth title overall. That would be a tremendous achievement even in a career already full of them.
Will Ospreay, on the other hand, is trying for his first tournament win, but he’s just as hungry for it. The Commonwealth Kingpin cut a passionate promo at the end of Night 19, claiming to be the best wrestler in the world. The underlying message, however, is that he’d need to finish the job to fully prove it.
If momentum means anything, then Ospreay arguably has it, considering his amazing match with Tetsuya Naito in the semifinal. But Okada is certainly battle tested as well, making it out of an A Block full of oversized opponents.
With seven tag team matches of various sizes that may help set the stage for some NJPW storylines headed into the fall, the rest of the card shouldn’t be slept on either. If you can’t watch the G1 Climax Final live, bookmark this page and check back, as we’ll be updating it with the latest results right as they happen in Tokyo.