New Japan Pro Wrestling G1 Climax 27: Full schedule

We learned the blocks this week and now we know the full schedule for New Japan Pro Wrestling G1 Climax 27 coming this summer

New Japan Pro Wrestling is getting set to take over the United States this 4th of July weekend, and while this Saturday and Sunday are quite important to their expansion, they have some more pressing matters coming up later in July. That would, of course, be the tournament many are looking forward to — G1 Climax 27.

Yes, with summer here, it’s time for New Japan Pro Wrestling to showcase its most important heavyweight tournament of the year. As is usually the case, the winner of the tournament — should it not be the champion — will receive a briefcase and a shot at the champion at next year’s Wrestle Kingdom event inside Tokyo Dome on January 4.

We learned the blocks this week, but on Wednesday New Japan released the full match schedule for G1 Climax 27, which will begin on July 17, with the winner being crowned in the final on August 13. (h/t WrestleZone for the breakdown)

July 17th — Hokkaido (A Block, 2 a.m. ET) (English Commentary)

• Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Zack Sabre Jr.

• Kota Ibushi vs. Tetsuya Naito
• Yuji Nagata vs. YOSHI-HASHI
• Togi Makabe vs. Bad Luck Fale
• Hirooki Goto vs. Tomohiro Ishii

July 20th — Korakuen Hall (B Block, 5:30 a.m. ET) (English Commentary)

• Minoru Suzuki vs. Kenny Omega
• SANADA vs. EVIL
• Kazuchika Okada vs. Toru Yano
• Michael Elgin vs. Tama Tonga
• Satoshi Kojima vs. Juice Robinson

July 21st — Korakuen Hall (A Block, 5:30 a.m. ET) (English Commentary)

• Tetsuya Naito vs. YOSHI-HASHI
• Kota Ibushi vs. Zack Sabre Jr.
• Yuji Nagata vs. Hirooki Goto
• Togi Makabe vs. Tomohiro Ishii
• Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Bad Luck Fale

July 22nd — Korakuen Hall (B Block, 5:30 a.m. ET) (English Commentary)

• Kenny Omega vs. Tama Tonga
• Minoru Suzuki vs. SANADA
• EVIL vs. Juice Robinson
• Kazuchika Okada vs. Michael Elgin
• Satoshi Kojima vs. Toru Yano

July 23rd — Tokyo Machida Gymnasium (A Block, 5 a.m. ET)

• Kota Ibushi vs. Tomohiro Ishii
• Togi Makabe vs. Hirooki Goto
• Tetsuya Naito vs. Bad Luck Fale
• YOSHI-HASHI vs. Zack Sabre Jr.
• Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Yuji Nagata

July 25th — Fukushima (B Block, 5:30 a.m. ET)

• Kazuchika Okada vs. SANADA
• Kenny Omega vs. Toru Yano
• Tama Tonga vs. EVIL
• Juice Robinson vs. Minoru Suzuki
• Satoshi Kojima vs. Michael Elgin

July 26th — Miyagi (A Block, 5:30 a.m. ET)

• Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Hirooki Goto
• Kota Ibushi vs. Togi Makabe
• Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Bad Luck Fale
• Tomohiro Ishii vs. YOSHI-HASHI
• Tetsuya Naito vs. Yuji Nagata

July 27th — Niigata (B Block, 5:30 a.m. ET)

• Michael Elgin vs. Kenny Omega
• Minoru Suzuki vs. EVIL
• SANADA vs. Toru Yano
• Juice Robinson vs. Tama Tonga
• Kazuchika Okada vs. Satoshi Kojima

July 29th — Aichi (A Block, 5:00 a.m. ET)

• Tetsuya Naito vs. Tomohiro Ishii
• Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. YOSHI-HASHI
• Hirooki Goto vs. Zack Sabre Jr.
• Kota Ibushi vs. Bad Luck Fale
• Togi Makabe vs. Yuji Nagata

July 30th — Gifu (B Block, 3:30 a.m. ET)

• Kenny Omega vs. Satoshi Kojima
• Kazuchika Okada vs. Juice Robinson
• Michael Elgin vs. SANADA
• Minoru Suzuki vs. Tama Tonga
• EVIL vs. Toru Yano

August 1st — Kagoshima (A Block, 5:30 a.m. ET)

• Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Kota Ibushi
• Tomohiro Ishii vs. Yuji Nagata
• YOSHI-HASHI vs. Bad Luck Fale
• Tetsuya Naito vs. Hirooki Goto
• Togi Makabe vs. Zack Sabre Jr.

August 2nd — Fukuoka (B Block, 5:30 a.m. ET)

• Kenny Omega vs. EVIL
• Minoru Suzuki vs. Satoshi Kojima
• Kazuchika Okada vs. Tama Tonga
• SANADA vs. Juice Robinson
• Michael Elgin vs. Toru Yano

August 4th — Ehime (A Block, 6 a.m. ET)

• Tetsuya Naito vs. Zack Sabre Jr.
• Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Togi Makabe
• Kota Ibushi vs. Yuji Nagata
• Hirooki Goto vs. YOSHI-HASHI
• Tomohiro Ishii vs. Bad Luck Fale

August 5th — Osaka (B Block, 4 a.m. ET)

• Kazuchika Okada vs. EVIL
• Satoshi Kojima vs. SANADA
• Minoru Suzuki vs. Michael Elgin
• Tama Tonga vs. Toru Yano
• Kenny Omega vs. Juice Robinson

August 6th — Shizuoka (A Block, 3 a.m. ET)

• Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Tomohiro Ishii
• Tetsuya Naito vs. Togi Makabe
• Hirooki Goto vs. Bad Luck Fale
• Kota Ibushi vs. YOSHI-HASHI
• Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Yuji Nagata

August 8th — Kanagawa (B Block, 5:30 a.m. ET)

• Kazuchika Okada vs. Minoru Suzuki
• Kenny Omega vs. SANADA
• Juice Robinson vs. Toru Yano
• Michael Elgin vs. EVIL
• Satoshi Kojima vs. Tama Tonga

August 11th — Sumo Hall (A Block Finals, 5:30 a.m. ET) (English Commentary)

• Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Tetsuya Naito
• Kota Ibushi vs. Hirooki Goto
• Tomohiro Ishii vs. Zack Sabre Jr.
• Bad Luck Fale vs. Yuji Nagata
• Togi Makabe vs. YOSHI-HASHI

August 12th — Sumo Hall (B Block Finals, 5:30 a.m. ET) (English Commentary)

• Kazuchika Okada vs. Kenny Omega
• Minoru Suzuki vs. Toru Yano
• Tama Tonga vs. SANADA
• Michael Elgin vs. Juice Robinson
• Satoshi Kojima vs. EVIL

August 13th — Sumo Hall (G1 Climax 27 Finals, 2 a.m. ET) (English Commentary)

• Winner of the A Block vs. Winner of the B Block in the tournament finals

It goes without saying that the match everyone has their eyes locked on at this point is the third match this year between current IWGP Champion Kazuchika Okada and Kenny Omega. Okada defeated Omega in what many considered the best match of all time back on January 4, and earlier this month, they went to a 60-minute time limit draw at the Dominion show. Whenever these two are in the ring with one another, it will have everyone’s attention.

Next: 30 pro wrestling must-follows on Twitter

But, don’t overlook some of the other amazing bouts that will be taking place over the course of the tournament. This should be a good one this summer.