Ryohei Oiwa may have just opened the door to a very interesting possibility after winning the 2026 NJPW G1 Climax.
Oiwa defeated Yuya Uemura in a match that went beyond 30 minutes, securing the victory by submission with a headlock and becoming this year’s G1 winner.
That particular finish caught the attention of MJF, who took to X with a rather confident assessment of his own headlock abilities
The comment was brought up during Oiwa’s post-G1 Climax press conference, (via Tokyo Sports). and the NJPW star didn’t back away from the challenge. Instead, he invited MJF to bring that headlock to next year’s tournament.
Well then, why don’t you bring that headlock and come up to next year’s G1? When that happens, I’ll take the title with a headlock myself.
MJF responded by turning the trash talk up considerably
When another fan suggested MJF wouldn’t actually enter the G1, he explained exactly why he has no interest in proving himself through the tournament.
For now, this appears to be MJF doing what MJF does best, and there’s no indication that a G1 appearance is actually being discussed.
Oiwa, meanwhile, has his next major challenge already waiting. He will challenge for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship at King of Pro-Wrestling on October 12.
Still, if NJPW could somehow convince MJF to enter the 2027 G1, it would instantly become one of the tournament’s biggest attractions and could bring an entirely new audience to NJPW World.
