G1 Climax Heads to Chicago, Death Vegas Invitacional Confirmed for 2026
NJPW has announced key dates for its 2026 schedule, including a return to the U.S. for the prestigious G1 Climax tournament and a new event in Las Vegas.
- The G1 Climax 36 Opening Night will be held at the NOW Arena in Hoffman Estates, Illinois, on Saturday, July 11, 2026.
- The Death Vegas Invitacional is scheduled for Thursday, April 16, 2026, in Las Vegas, Nevada, with the venue yet to be announced.
- This marks only the second time the G1 Climax has been held outside of Japan, following a successful event in Dallas, Texas, in 2019.
Pro wrestling fans in the Chicago area, get ready! NJPW’s G1 Climax 36 will kick off its journey at the NOW Arena in Hoffman Estates, Illinois, on Saturday, July 11, 2026. The G1 Climax is renowned as one of the most grueling and prestigious tournaments in professional wrestling, and this will be only the second time the opening night has taken place outside of Japan.
But that’s not all. El Desperado is expanding his “Invitacional” series of events. Following the Desperado Invitacional and Death Pain Invitacional in Korakuen 2-24 and 2025, April 2026 will see the debut of Death Vegas Invitacional in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Thursday, April 16. The venue for this unique event is still to be determined.
What is the G1 Climax and why is it a big deal? The G1 Climax is a round-robin tournament featuring some of the top wrestlers in the world, battling for a coveted championship opportunity at Wrestle Kingdom, NJPW’s biggest event of the year.
Here’s a look at the currently announced schedule for NJPW in 2026:
Wednesday February 11・ NEW BEGINNING IN OSAKA・ EDION Arena, Osaka
Friday February 27・ NEW BEGINNING USA・ CURE Arena, Trenton NJ
Friday March 6 ・NJPW 54TH ANNIVERSARY・ Ota General Gymnasium, Tokyo
Friday March 20, Saturday March 21・ NEW JAPAN CUP 2026 SEMI FINAL & FINAL・Ao-re Nagaoka, Niigata
Saturday April 4・SAKURA GENESIS 2026・Ryogoku Sumo Hall, Tokyo
Thursday April 16・DEATH VEGAS INVCITACIONAL・Las Vegas venue TBA
Saturday April 25・ WRESTLING REDZONE ・Sun Plaza Hall, Hiroshima
Sunday May 3, Monday May 4・WRESTLING DONTAKU 2026・International Center, Fukuoka
Sunday June 7 ・BEST OF THE SUPER JR. 33 FINAL ・Ota General Gymnasium, Tokyo
Sunday June 14・ DOMINION・ Osaka -Jo Hall
Saturday July 11 ・G1 CLIMAX 36 NIGHT 1・ NOW Arena, Chicago
Saturday August 15, Sunday August 16・G1 CLIMAX 36 FINALS・ Ryogoku Sumo Hall, Tokyo
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