Ryohei Oiwa Reflects On Match Against Yuya Uemura In NJPW G1 Climax Final: “Not Everyone Can Do What Uemura & I Did”
A look back at the G1 Climax final from the winner’s perspective.
The winner of the New Japan Pro-Wrestling G1 Climax 36 tournament is Ryohei Oiwa. He bested Yuya Uemura to secure the victory and earn an IWGP Heavyweight Title match.
The day after his victory, there was a press conference for Oiwa. He opened up about the style of match that he and Uemura wrestled. He added that not everyone can do what they did.
“(Yuya) Uemura and I wrestled a match like only we can. I was confident we could fire up Ryōgoku, and it really proved to myself that I was right in my choice of style and my way of wrestling.” He continued, “We went over 30 minutes with headlocks, takedowns and armdrags. That is professional wrestling in my view; that’s the essence for me. Not everyone can do what Uemura and I did. Pro-wrestling is at its best when everybody is different. I hate Yuto-Ice, but he has his strikes and his way of fighting. (Oleg) Boltin is a monster. Uemura and I do what we do. I’m proud of my way, but I think everyone should fight in their own way.”
Elsewhere during the press conference, Oiwa revealed that three-time GHC Heavyweight Champion Kaito Kiyomiya was in attendance at the August 15th and August 16th G1 Climax shows.
Oiwa spent time with Kiyomiya in Pro Wrestling NOAH while he was on excursion from New Japan. Oiwa said he hopes Kiyomiya wins the 2026 N-1 Victory tournament, which starts September 12th.
“To have been in NOAH makes me proud, and I hope that (Kaito) Kiyomiya wins the N-1 over there.”
The current IWGP Heavyweight Champion Yota Tsuji will defend the belt against Hirooki Goto on September 27th at Destruction in Kobe. The winner of that bout will head to King of Pro-Wrestling on October 12th to defend against Oiwa.
