Finals set for NJPW G1 Climax 33

The finals are set for NJPW’s G1 Climax 33 tournament. 

Kazuchika Okada and Tetsuya Naito will square off in Sunday’s finals, as both won their semifinals bouts at Saturday’s NJPW G1 Climax event. 

Okada defeated EVIL in his semifinal match, while Naito defeated Will Ospreay in the show’s main event to advance to the finals. 

For Okada, this year marks a third consecutive G1 finals appearance, and he will be going for his third consecutive G1 title and fifth overall. Okada has never lost a G1 finals, having defeated Karl Anderson to win in 2012, Shinsuke Nakamura in 2014, Kota Ibushi in 2021, and Will Ospreay in 2022. A fifth G1 Climax victory would tie Okada with Masohiro Chono for the most ever. 

Naito will be appearing in his fourth G1 finals, and will go for his third career G1 title. Naito was a finalist in 2011, losing to Shinsuke Nakamura in the deciding bout. He won the 2013 G1, defeating Hiroshi Tanahashi in finals, and again won the tournament in 2017, defeating Kenny Omega. 

The winner of Sunday’s Okada vs. Naito bout will earn the right to challenge for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship at Wrestle Kingdom 18 on January 4, 2024 in the Tokyo Dome. 

Our full report from Saturday’s semifinals is available here.