5 possible winners of the NJPW G1 Climax 31 tournament

NJPW G1 Climax is widely considered the best tournament in professional wrestling today. Twenty competitors from New Japan Pro Wrestling go at it in a round-robin style tournament over the course of a month that tests every skill in these men to prove who is the best.

The winner of the G1 Climax 31 will headline the biggest event of the year for the company, Wrestle Kingdom in the Tokyo Dome, to face the IWGP World Heavyweight Champion. The champ is also a part of the tournament and will face an opponent of their choosing at Wrestle Kingdom if they win. There is a lot at stake and fighting every participant in an individual block is a daunting task.

Every competitor has a chance to win, but only the best of the best will be victorious. In this article, let's take a look at the five possible winners of the G1 Climax 31 tournament.

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#5 SANADA - NJPW

NJPW has used the G1 Climax tournament to propel one of its fledging stars into the main event scene permanently. Kenny Omega won the G1 Climax 26, becoming the first gaijin to win the prestigious tournament. He used that win to headline Wrestle Kingdom 11 and put on a game-changing classic against Kazuchika Okada that made him one of the company's top stars.

SANADA came so close to being the next star to skyrocket to the top in New Japan Pro Wrestling by making it to the G1 Climax 30 Finals last year. The Cold Skull came up just short against the eventual winner Kota Ibushi, but he can now use that experience to go all the way in the G1 Climax 31 tournament.

He will be in the B Block with heavy hitters that has a ton of history with. Kazuchika Okada is the man that was the endearing obstacle that he has had to overcome in the promotion. Their excellent battle in 2019 was considered a star-making performance for the Los Ingobernables de Japon member.

Hiroshi Tanahashi has also had many great clashes with SANADA as well. The Cold Skull's former tag team partner EVIL will also be in this B Block crop of talent. The two men clashed in the B Block finals last year and faced in a rematch at Wrestle Kingdom 15 earlier this year.

This could finally be the tournament he wants to win. SANADA has dealt with a lot of setbacks in his time with NJPW. He has felt like the nearly man and the odd man out in the Los Ingobernables de Japon faction. With his stablemates all on the other block, this could finally be his year to etch his place in the upper echelon of the promotion.

#4 Kota Ibushi - NJPW

Kota Ibushi made history in NJPW by becoming the first man since Hiroyoshi Tenzan in 2003 and 2004 to win back-to-back G1 Climax tournaments. This was a tremendous accomplishment that many fans didn't believe would be possible in the modern era of New Japan Pro Wrestling.

Ibushi comes into the G1 Climax 31 trying to make history and become the first man to win three straight tournaments since Antonio Inoki won the IWGP League for three consecutive years. He will have to do so in the tougher of the two blocks in this year's tournament with competitors that he has a checkered past with to say the least.

Tetsuya Naito is one of Kota Ibushi's career rivals in NJPW. The Golden Star defeated Naito twice in 2021 already, beating the Los Ingobernables de Japon leader to win the IWGP Heavyweight and Intercontinental Championships at Wrestle Kingdom 15 Night One. He also defeated Naito to retain the Intercontinental Championship at Castle Attack before unifying the top titles.

Ibushi has been in absolute bangers with Tomohiro Ishii and suffered an ankle injury in his first clash with KENTA in the G1 Climax 29 tournament. IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Shingo Takagi and Kota Ibushi were supposed to clash at NJPW Wrestle Grand Slam in July before Ibushi tested positive for COVID-19. This block gives him a tough road to making history in the G1 Climax 31.

#3 Tetsuya Naito - NJPW

Tetsuya Naito hasn't had his best 2021 in NJPW so far. He came into the year holding the IWGP Heavyweight and Intercontinental Championships. However, Naito lost both titles to Kota Ibushi at Wrestle Kingdom 15. From there, he also lost another encounter with Ibushi for the Intercontinental Championship before deciding to go after another gold.

Tetsuya Naito failed at his ventures after the NEVER Openweight Six Man Tag Team Championships with SANADA and BUSHI of Los Ingobernables de Japon. Naito and SANADA then started teaming and decided to contend for the top tag titles. The LIJ pair defeated Zack Sabre Jr. and Taichi of Dangerous Tekkers to win the IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Championships at NJPW Summer Struggle.

However, Tetsuya Naito and SANADA dropped their IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Championships back to Dangerous Tekkers at NJPW Wrestle Grand Slam. They also failed to regain their belts before the start of the G1 Climax 31. The former IWGP Heavyweight Champion is in a tough A Block and will meet fellow stablesmates and rivals.

He will lock it up with IWGP World Heavyweight Champion and fellow LIJ stablemate Shingo Takagi. He will also face long-time rivals KENTA and Tomohiro Ishii. Naito will also square off again with Great-O-Khan, who defeated him in this year's New Japan Cup 2021. It will be a grueling battle to win his third G1 Climax tournament and return to the mountaintop again.

#2 Jeff Cobb - NJPW

No one has won more matches in 2021 for NJPW than Jeff Cobb. The enforcer of the United Empire stable has seen a renaissance in his career and has been on the hottest streak of his time in New Japan Pro Wrestling. Since returning to the company and joining Will Ospreay's United Empire group, he has been running through the competition.

Cobb put on the greatest match of his career against Shingo Takagi for the NEVER Openweight Championship at Wrestle Kingdom 15. Following that loss, he has been winning at a high rate. Whether it be in singles, tag team or multi-man matches, the former Olympian has gotten the deciding pinfall for his contests.

Most recently, Jeff Cobb has been in a rivalry with Kazuchika Okada. He dropped a very good clash with The Rainmaker at Wrestle Grand Slam at the Tokyo Dome in July, but Cobb got his win back at Wrestle Grand Slam at the Met Life Dome. The two men have split their first two meetings and will meet once again in the G1 Climax 31 tournament.

Jeff Cobb will be battling with stiff competition in the B Block this year. He will square off with the IWGP United States Heavyweight Champion Hiroshi Tanahashi, EVIL, Hirooki Goto and Tama Tonga. Although the A Block is the tougher of the two blocks, Cobb will have to overcome both Okada and Tanahashi on his way to the finals, which should be very intriguing.

#1 Kazuchika Okada - NJPW

Kazuchika Okada has been one of the top stars in NJPW for close to a decade now. He is widely regarded by many fans and pundits as the face of the company. Okada has been in transformative feuds with Hiroshi Tanahashi and Kenny Omega that have allowed New Japan Pro Wrestling to expand and gain new fans worldwide.

Kazuchika Okada's 720-day IWGP Heavyweight Championship reign made the title far and away the most prestigious in the pro wrestling industry. He broke the record for days holding the title and title defenses. The loss of the gold to Omega was marvelous in how it changed Okada. He went on a journey to find himself again, changing the color of his hair and coming out with balloons.

Okada refound his edge and regained "The Rainmaker" persona on his way to regaining the IWGP Heavyweight Championship at Madison Square Garden from "Switchblade" Jay White at the NJPW G1 Supercard in 2019. He went a long run with the title until he eventually lost the gold to Tetsuya Naito at Wrestle Kingdom 14 in 2020.

The pandemic made The Rainmaker go on another crisis of confidence and try new things. Instead of relying on his signature Rainmaker finisher, he tried a new submission called the Money Clip. However, the betrayal of Will Ospreay and subsequent epic encounter at Wrestle Kingdom 15 Night One made him utilize the Rainmaker finisher once again.

That win over Ospreay was supposed to set up an IWGP World Heavyweight Championship bout at Wrestle Grand Slam in May. However, Will Ospreay went down with a neck injury and left Japan, vacating the title. Okada got his opportunity against Shingo Takagi, losing at Dominion 2021 for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship.

Winning the B Block and then the entire G1 Climax 31 tournament will allow Kazuchika Okada to make his way back to the richest prize in NJPW. If Okada is able to win, he will get his opportunity two years after the last time he held the title. His first match of the tournament will see him battle with his arch rival Hiroshi Tanahashi once again.

Kazuchika Okada will also face his biggest rival this year in NJPW, Jeff Cobb. He will square off with other competitors that he has a history with like SANADA, Hirooki Goto and EVIL. It has been seven years since The Rainmaker won the G1 Climax. Being a past winner of the tournament twice, it will be a rise back to the top in many ways for Okada.

The G1 Climax 31 presents a brand new path to redemption for Kazuchika Okada. This has been something that has become a common storyline in the company and a journey that Okada has been on before. That's why Okada is the most likely winner of the G1 Climax 31 tournament.