B BLOCK
Satoshi Kojima: Another New Japan legend, the 44-year-old Kojima is a 6-time tag team champion, 2-time IWGP Heavyweight champion, and won the G1 back in 2010.
Yuji Nagata: The 47-year-old Nagata is one of the hardest hitting stars in Japan, and an absolute legend around several major promotions in the region. He is the only man to ever win the G1 Climax (2001), the All Japan Champion Carnival (2011) and NOAH’s Global League Tournament.
Hirooki Goto: The 2008 G1 winner, a 3-time New Japan Cup winner, and the current IWGP Intercontinental Champion having defeated Shinsuke Nakamura for the belt.
Tomoaki Honma: Never one to be taken seriously, Honma has actually had a pretty decent year in New Japan, and regardless of his distinct lack of accolades, he is one of the most cheered and beloved stars in the current Japanese wrestling landscape.
Shinsuke Nakamura: The ever-creative, charismatic and enigmatic Nakamura is quite possibly the best star to watch in wrestling today. He won the G1 in 2011, and is a 3-time IWGP Heavyweight Champion and 4-time Intercontinental Champion. His match with Ibushi at Wrestle Kingdom earlier this year is one of the greatest wrestling contests in history.
Kazuchika Okada: The current reigning IWGP Heavyweight Champion, and the man set to take over the mantle of Japan’s top star in a post-Tanahashi landscape. It would be interesting to see a current champion win the tournament, as it would break from NJPW’s recent trend of having the winner face the champion at the 1/4 Tokyo Dome show. He is a 3-time heavyweight champion, and a 2-time G1 Climax winner.
Tomohiro Ishii: In recent years Ishii has really come into his own as one of the best brawlers and hardest hitting wrestlers in New Japan, scoring three Openweight title reigns and two Wrestling Observer 5-star matches in 2013 and 2015.
Michael Elgin: The only Ring of Honor star, and the only non-NJPW native star being sent to this year’s tournament. Elgin is a former ROH World Champion and has been working hard to cement himself as a dominant force in the promotion over the last few years. This could be a huge step for him, as hard-hitting matches with the likes of Ishii, Nagata and Okada could put him on the map.
Karl Anderson: “Machine Gun” Karl Anderson is a card carrying member of the Bullet Club and the current reigning IWGP tag team champion with Doc Gallows.
Yujiro Takahashi: The 34-year-old Takahashi completely reinvented himself recently by aligning with the Bullet Club and winning the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship.
