What's new, hobbyists of hustling headlocks?!
There's been a lot of talk in the wrestling world this past week about this match, so I decided I'd throw my hat in the ring again. 2 weeks ago I commented on the Tsuji/Yuto match from this year's G1, feeling it didn't quite live up to the mammoth praise that was being heaped onto the match, and now I comment on the finals of this year's G1.
Is it a legitimate match of the year contender? Hell, a "greatest of all time" candidate?
Or, is it just another great match that will get lost in the history books?
Let's dig in and find out!
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| NJPW |
Here's what I watched for the week;
| Match | Show | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Yuya Uemura vs. Ryohei Oiwa | NJPW G1 Climax 36 - Day 19 | 08/16/2026 |
• • • • •
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| A second meeting in the finals. NJPW |
Basic Breakdown
First meeting in the 2025 G1 tournament on Night 13, we're over a full year on from their first singles encounter, with both men on drastically different trajectories. I won't lie and say I'm overly familiar with either of these men, as I've been more than open with how I keep New Japan on the periphery for the most part. The online discussion around this match was the main reason I checked out this match, although wanting to see the finals of the G1 would have probably got me watching this match sooner than later regardless of the chatter online. It's nice seeing two relatively "new" faces in a position like this, rather than using the G1 to further propel somebody that is already established.
In my cursory research around the time of this match, mostly gathered from listening to the commentary in this match as well as reading Joseph Montecillo's fantastic article about this match, both men not only have a solid understanding and respect for the fundamentals of wrestling, they implement some of the most basic holds as submission finishes as well. Uemura with the wristlock, and Oiwa with the headlock, a hold he has coined the "Big Lock" (I've also seen it called the Big Rock) and submitted 2 former IWGP Heavyweight Champions with in the G1 alone, SANADA and Hirooki Goto.
It's rather curious to say the least, especially given the fact that the wrestling landscape has been largely built around games of oneupmanship with match finishes and sequences. I know I praise wrestlers like Will Ospreay, Kenny Omega and Kyle Fletcher for being some of the best on the planet, but they are as guilty as anyone of making some of the most spine-shattering moves look like transitional hope spots. It's felt like 20 years since a piledriver has been treated like a real threat, with the Meltzer-driver being thrown around as quickly as a hurricanrana these days, yet Oiwa and Uemura are deciding to take things a step backwards, making the most fundamental holds dangerous parts of their arsenal.
Initially, I wasn't sure how this match would play out, knowing they were working the match with this in mind. But after watching it, I think these two were able to work some real magic here.
Bell To Bell
From the moment the bell rings, the crowd is electric, firmly behind Oiwa and making their support known loudly. Slow to start, their play around with knuckle locks, single leg takedowns, and waistlocks, trying to feel one another out in the early moments. It's fair to say that after a 19 show gruelling tournament, these two are battle-hardened and, quite possibly, the very best they've been all year. On the flipside, the month long schedule could have worn them down to a nub as well, but it's tough to tell if that's the case from the early moments of this match.
Back in the middle, waistlocks are exchanged with Oiwa able to get Uemura in a front facelock, maybe not the headlock but certainly a dangerous position to be in when your opponent is known as "The Grip." Acting quickly, Uemura pushes Oiwa into the corner, forcing the hold to be broken by referee Red Shoes Unno. Back to centre, they go for a lockup this time, crashing together in the middle like bulls, fighting for position in the middle, with Uemura able to get Oiwa in a headlock early! Oiwa is able to stand and push Uemura back into the ropes, trying to shoot him out of the hold, but Uemura drops his hips and digs into the canvas, maintaining the hold.
Something I want to talk about briefly in the early moments of this match, as it happens frequently, is the headlock. One of the most basic and simplistic moves, the commentary duo of Walker Stewart and Chris Charlton are quick to point out that it's not only the first move a wrestler learns, it's also the first move you learn how to get out of. Furthermore, commentary also makes the brilliant point that you should not fear the man who has practised a thousand moves once, you should fear the man who has practised one move a thousand times. Realistically, a headlock is a pretty nasty move when you think about it. You get someone with a burly upper body and beefy biceps grabbing your entire head and squeezing as tight as possible, it's gonna hurt. Your ears are sensitive, your cheek bones can't put up with much, maybe he's got your nose in there too, that's gonna suck, the whole thing sucks. It's not a move designed to be kind or forgiving, nothing in wrestling is, but it all comes down to how you apply it. Anybody can snatch a side headlock and keep a guy on the canvas, but if you sleepwalk through it, so will the audience. If you care, so will the people.
The early stretch of this match is Uemura getting a headlock on Oiwa, with this being the first instance of it, making sure to hold on not once, but twice, following an Irish whip attempt. It's the combination of Oiwa's desire to get Uemura off him, knowing how dangerous this hold can be, as well as Uemura's natural and classic babyface tendencies that really add some extra spice to this pedestrian exchange. They make sure to get the crowd invested in the simplicity and effectiveness of this hold early on, with Uemura trying to wear out his opponent with his own hold before The Grip can clamp it on himself.
Trying to break out of the hold, Oiwa nearly gets Uemura over for a back suplex, but Uemura shifts his weight and is able to roll through with a takeover, holding Oiwa down on the canvas, his sheer tenacity in the early goings making sure that the hold remains unbroken. Oiwa fights to keep his shoulders high and to get his feet back under him, standing through the hold. Before he has a chance to act, Uemura pulls Oiwa to the corner, climbing the escalera and flipping over to take Oiwa back down to the canvas, gaining control again.
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| Escalera is Spanish for ladder, fun fact! NJPW |
Again, it's about the intent here, the effort, the intensity. If this was done on a 2011 episode of RAW, the wrestlers would probably be putting in about 20% effort and 20% of the crowd would have gone for a pretzel. But because Uemura is fighting to keep this hold on tight, and Oiwa is doing everything he can to break it, the crowd is behind it. Couple that with them being familiar with Oiwa's finish being the Big Lock, it's like if someone spent 5 minutes putting Danielson in the Lebelle lock over and over again, or Cena with the STF, with him trying to break it time and time again to no avail, it's an established hold that fucking matters. It's not transitional, it's not a rest hold, it's dangerous and means something.
Oiwa shifts on the canvas and is able to get Uemura onto his back for a 2 count, but he's able to shift to his knees after getting out of the pin attempt, finally rising to his feet again. He tries for the escalera again, but Oiwa stands firm this time, slipping free from the headlock to apply one of his own! Acting quickly, Uemura gets free and catches a headlock again, not letting his foe sinch in the Big Lock. Again, it's about intent here, in 2 seconds, Uemura established that he is afraid of the Big Lock, simply with how quick he got free from it and reapplied a hold. He digs his chin into the top of Oiwa's skull and keeps his hips high, keeping Oiwa down on the canvas and suffocating him with the most basic of holds.
Back on his feet, Oiwa shoves Uemura off the ropes, this time his whip attempt succeeding, the hold breaking and a drop toe hold catching Uemura off the rebound, dropping him to his stomach as he floats over the the Big Lock. Again, Uemura slips out, not letting the hold be locked in, snatching the left arm of his foe before slipping over his back to catch a headlock of his own. It's not as pretty as the previous ones, with him holding his forearms in an "X" shape rather than holding his hands in an "S" grip this time, but it's a sign of the desperation, "just get whatever you can."
Again, Oiwa shoots Uemura off the ropes and succeeds in breaking his grip, this time shooting down for a dropdown to try and trip up Uemura, who cartwheels effortlessly over Oiwa. The second he stands, Oiwa darts in and snatches him in a headlock takeover, but Uemura pulls the head of Oiwa back with a headscissors, only for Oiwa to kick out and get back to his feet with little effort. This time, it's Uemura who snatches the headlock on Oiwa, digging in again.
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| Making it matter. NJPW |
Oiwa fights his way to his feet to break the hold, trying to widen the grip of Uemura to slip his head free. Its safe to say that Oiwa is probably the one wrestler who knows how to get out of the headlock the most, being someone that uses it on the regular, but Uemura is giving him a real run for his money here. Despite his efforts, Uemura pulls his head back in, holding tight as Oiwa is able to shoot him off the ropes again and take down Uemura with a shoulder block after switching him up on the rebound.
Taking a chance to adjust his jaw (again, making shit matter), Oiwa hits the ropes as Uemura gets to his feet, landing a pair of shoulder blocks that rattle his jaw as he feels to make sure no teeth have come dislodged. With Uemura back on his feet, The Grip snatches him with a headlock takeover, sinching in the Big Lock and fighting off the feet of Uemura as he tries to break the hold before it can be applied. Uemura tries for a pin, but Oiwa is over before two, laying on the face of Uemura as he squeezes tight.
Uemura is able to get to his ffet and send Oiwa off the ropes, but Oiwa lands a shoulder tackle to drop his foe, keeping him down with a heavy senton. It's not a pretty "slide off the back" one like Samoa Joe has been landing in his recent run, Oiwa looks to drop his entire frame on the torso of Uemura, awkwardly sliding off to go for a pin, but only scoring two. Wrestling doesn't always need to look slick and effortless, it's a fight, dammit, you aren't always gonna land the way you want to.
From pin to headlock goes Oiwa, squeezing the Big Lock tight as Uemura fights to stand, shoving Oiwa off the ropes, succeeding with a dropdown/leapfrog combination before landing a chop of sorts. It looks to be something like a lariat/forearm smash/chop combination from how Uemura moves his arms and Oiwa sells it, but I'll let you check this GIF and decide for yourself. Regardless, it looks awesome.
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| The devastating something! NJPW |
Oiwa comes off the ropes again to try and take Uemura down, but an armdrag takes him over, allowing Uemura to grab an armbar on the canvas to try and weaken the arm of The Grip. Twisting around with the hold, he brings Oiwa to a knee, with Oiwa continuing to rise to his feet, trying to flip Uemura over to break the hold, but he rolls through the attempt to maintain his hold. If there's one thing that is told throughout this entire match, it's that Uemura is a tenacious as ever, doing everything he can to hold open the windows he creates. Keeping the pressure on the arm of Oowa, he allows his foe to stand through it again, with Oiwa only able to break the hold after snatching a single leg takedown, but Uemura catches the elbow drop to bring Oiwa back down into an armbar.
Standing while Uemura maintaining the hold, Oiwa pushes his foe to the corner, forcing a break and whipping Uemura across the ring when he has a chance to breathe. His whip is reversed, but he's able to catch the charging Uemura with a back elbow shot, taking off for the ropes to give himself extra momentum, colliding with Uem- no! With incredible precision, Uemura snatches the left arm of Oiwa and flips him over, taking him back down into the armbar! Oiwa is able to break the hold, with Uemura standing and changing his grip, going for the wristlock instead, a hold that, while incredibly basic, can be just as mean as the headlock when you think about it. Go ahead and have your friend grab your hand and bend it down to, or even beyond, 90 degrees. Hell, have him put two hand on yours, maybe even push down with his shoulder, you'll be yelping pretty quick, I'd wager.
Oiwa tries to snapmare his way out of the hold, but the tenacious Uemura keeps his grip tight, twisting and manipulating Oiwa to keep his hold on. Again, it's basic, but their selling and application of each hold changes everything. Uemura even has the arm bent and trapped in the crook of his knee, squeezing it shut at a gross angle. Oiwa is able to fold him around for a pin, but Uemura fights out, they go back and forth with this a few times, pin attempt, flip out, pin, out, until Uemura lays flat out to bend Oiwa's arm and shoulder back even further.
Twisting around with his arm still trapped, Oiwa bends the feet of Uemura and gets a better position, able to slip his arm free and float over the back of Uemura, going for the Big Lock, but again Uemura snatches the left arm, this time holding a double wristlock! Keeping his shoulder close to the back of Oiwa, his foe tries to pull him over with a headlock, but Uemura is able to float over and walk his way back around to an advantageous position. Eventually, Oiwa gets to his feet and begins walking around the ring, dragging Uemura around with him until he drops to the canvas, shooting his foe off his back and face first into the corner.
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| Slick shit, kid. NJPW |
Again, Oiwa goes for the ropes, and again, Uemura catches a limb and rips him down with an armdrag! This time, Oiwa is hip to the tricks, catching him in a headscissors and holding tight, The Grip doing what he does best. Uemura is able to twist his way out of his legs, again trying for a headlock, but Oiwa gets the head trapped again. Oiwa tries his best to tighten his legs grip, but Uemura is able to stand out and flip over onto the shoulders of Oiwa, laying across for a pin that Oiwa is able to escape at two.
On his feet, he snatches Uemura with a headlock, but the damage to his arm is evident, grimacing the entire time he has Uemura in the hold. Shoving Oiwa into the corner, the hold is broken and chops are laid in, with Uemura shooting off Oiwa before charging in himself. Saving himself, Oiwa sends Uemura to the apron, blocking a forearm shot and catching a headlock over the top rope. Using the rope to his advantage, he squeezes and pushes down on Uemura, eventually pulling him in over the top before pulling him to the canvas.
Shifting his grip, Oiwa gets his foe in a cravat, giving his wounded arm a chance to rest while still applying pressure to the neck of Uemura. Trying to roll through to break it, Oiwa keeps the grip and lays out on the chest of Uemura, holding him down for a pin while keeping the cravat on tight. Kicking out, Uemura gets out of the cravat as well, snatching the left arm of Oiwa and maintaining his hold after a whip attempt, dragging him down before slamming it into the canvas with vicious ferocity. A dropkick to the shoulder adds insult to injury, the bullseye on Oiwa growing larger and larger.
With Oiwa coming out of the corner, Uemura again catches him with an armdrag, ripping Oiwa down hard. Moving with renewed vigour, Uemura lands a crossbody and a dropkick to keep him down, with another crossbody landing in the corner when Oiwa uses the ropes to pull himself up. A head and arm suplex takes Oiwa over for a pin, with Uemura twisting in a hammerlock on the escape, twisting it beyond it's limit with his feet. Back to the wristlock goes Uemura, but Oiwa uses the closeness to snatch a headlock of his own, transitioning into a DDT when it becomes clear his arm may be too wounded to properly apply the Big Lock.
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| A doctorate in bombing. NJPW |
Holding his left arm close, Oiwa pulls Uemura to his feet, trying for a Doctor Bomb, but Uemura drops his hips and snatches the left arm, twisting around and nearly ripping it out of it's socket. Oiwa catches a backslide for two and is able to land the Doctor Bomb, but again, Uemura gets free at two. Shooting Uemura off the ropes, he rebounds not just twice, but three times, catching Oiwa with a forearm shot that drops him to the canvas, shooting in for a back suplex, only for Oiwa to catch him with one of his own when Uemura gets too close.
Both men are slow to rise this time, with Oiwa using the ropes to pull himself to his feet. He drops to his stomach after getting to a knee, with Uemura nearly standing opposite him. Meeting in the middle, Uemura lands a stiff forearm shot, only for Oiwa to follow him to the ropes a crash into him chest first. Taking off for the ropes, they meet in the middle with a pair of lariats, as in, both men go for the same move, their arms linking as they twist in air and crash land in the middle.
Uemura is up first, looking for a dragon suplex, with Oiwa fighting tooth and nail to break his grip. He succeeds, but it allows Uemura to instead land a snap German suplex! Firing up to his feet, Oiwa shoots in for a waistlock of his own and fires off a German. A lariat from Oiwa gets ducked, allowing Uemura to gets into position for the dragon suplex, taking Oiwa over quickly. He holds him for the pin, but Oiwa survives. Acting quickly, Uemura climbs to the top rope and goes for Hiroshi Tanahashi's High Fly Flow splash, but again, Oiwa survives at two.
Pulling Oiwa to his feet, Uemura tries for a belly to belly suplex, but Oiwa is able to shift his position and get Uemura grabbed for one of his own, taking him over and snatching him in a headlock for the pin. When Uemura gets out, he rolls deeper into the headlock, Oiwa finally able to get his Big Lock applied. He squeezes and presses on Uemura, with his foe fighting out of a compromising position and getting to his feet. Trying to shoot Oiwa off him, he backs him to the ropes, but Oiwa is hip to these tricks, digging in his boots and dropping his ass to the canvas, holding on tight.
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| The Grip maintains! NJPW |
Fighting up again, Uemura is able to land a back suplex, but Oiwa holds tight! Rolling over after impact, he keeps the Big Lock on tight, refusing to let go. Digging in deep, Oiwa holds tight, with Uemura slowly able to fight his way to his feet in an attempt to break the grip of The Grip. He nearly succeeds, twisting Oiwa around, but his lack of action in breaking free from the hold ends up costing him, with Oiwa landing a stiff headbutt that rocks Uemura, who is still able to land an enzuigeri somehow! Using the weakened left arm to turn Oiwa around, Uemura is able to land his signature belly to belly suplex, the Deadbolt suplex, using the corner for support as he lines up a groggy Oiwa for his shining wizard-style elbow drop, the Shining Elbow.
Move Of The Match
Firing up, he rises to the top rope, attempting a High Fly Flow but Oiwa moves into the corner to avoid the impact. Without skipping a beat, Oiwa charges in and smothers Uemura with the Big Lock, squeezing tight, but Uemura is able to stand and shove off Oiwa, catching him off the rebound with one of the slickest, most beautiful arm drags I've ever seen.
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| Absolutely exceptional. NJPW |
Locking on a cross armbreaker, Uemura keeps trying to destroy the left arm of The Grip, able to roll over and hold Uemura down for a pin, but he manages to escape, maintaining his hold on Oiwa's wrist as he stands over him, the wristlock nearly crippling Oiwa at this point in the match. Using the wristlock to force Oiwa's arm, and finally shoulder, down to the canvas, Uemura holds his chest down with his knee, nearly winning the match off a wristlock, but Oiwa gets free at two.
Ripping Oiwa down while keeping his grip tight, Oiwa rolls through and stands up swinging, landing a heavy lariat on Uemura that staggers him, but his grip maintains! A second lariat lands, but Uemura refuses to let go, the third breaking the grip of his foe as Oiwa snatches the Big Lock, only for Uemura to reapply the wristlock. Standing over him, his arm and wrist are bent to a vicious degree, with Oiwa fighting to survive. On his feet, a bodyslam takes Uemura down, but again, he maintains the hold, with Oiwa dropping back to the canvas after his foe refuses to relent.
A bridging German suplex is landed from Oiwa, the grip of Uemura surely bro- no! He still has the wrist of Oiwa, continuing to bend the wrist and twist the shoulder! Oiwa tries a desperate Irish whip, but Uemura holds tight, only for Oiwa to use that to his advantage, twisting around for a back suplex that finally, mercifully, breaks Uemura's hold. It's a unique irony here, that a man named "The Grip" has issues breaking the grip of his foe. How the turns table.
Holding his left arm close, Oiwa stands and pulls Uemura up, trying for a lariat for the left only to get caught for the Deadbolt suplex, instead firing off a lariat with his right in desperation. Again, Oiwa pulls Uemura up, who fires off a headbutt from beneath. Somehow still standing, Oiwa is able to cleave Uemura with a vicious left arm lariat, trying to the Big Lock but again, Uemura shoots him off the ropes, only for Oiwa to obliterate Uemura with another lariat, twisting him inside out. A cover is made, but Uemura escapes. Somehow, some way.
With his foe down and out, Oiwa sinches in the Big Lock, Uemura fighting to stand, but Oiwa keeps him grounded, laying out and squeezing with everything he has left. Uemura tries to roll him back for a pin, but it's barely two, Oiwa has found his second, third, or even fourth wind. Uemura tries to suplex Oiwa out, but he drops his hips and keeps him down, not once, but twice, finally bridging with the headlock to force Uemura to give.
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| The Grip sees things through to the end. NJPW |
Ryohei Oiwa has won the 2026 G1 Climax.
Match Time: 35:10
Let this match be an example of something I've been saying for the last year, at the very least, you can do less in wrestling and still make people care. I was confident of this when I watched Gorgeous George matches from the 1950's. They had an eighth of the "moveset" these modern guys do, but by god could they make you care about the shit they did. If the wrestlers care, the audience will care, if they make the simplistic shit count, the crowd will bite and go along for the ride. Remember when Jon Moxley made us believe that the great and mighty Mox was vulnerable to submission holds? That his kryptonite was being tied up like a pretzel? Who'd have thought that the leader of the Death Riders had such a weakness, let alone would lose time and time again to someone on the level of a Kyle O'Reilly. Why did that work? Because Moxley made us care. It doesn't take a complete rewiring of the fans brains, you don't need to spend 6 months to a year plus conditioning us, you can do it organically in just a few matches. It's all about intent, care, and effort. If you don't put the right intent behind a move, don't care how it looks, and put no effort into what you are doing, the crowd will reciprocate those feelings.
This match is a brilliant, shining example of what can be done when the wrestlers actually care enough to make something new work. Could they have had as great a match if there were 50 near falls and finisher spam? Probably, yeah! That's part of what modern wrestling is all about! But the bold choice to go in the complete opposite direction helped make this match better and stand out among the rest. A nearly 40 minute bout was able to fly by, an amazing feat when you consider what these men did between the ropes. I applaud both men, fantastic work.
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Editors note: There's a part of me that really wants to give this the full five star treatment, as I find their commitment to making such fundamental wrestling really speaks to me and my love for catch style, smart wrestling. But I've slept on this match and wrote a full Watchlist review on it, and can't find myself in good faith moving it beyond four. I love this match, it'll probably be the best match I watch this month, but I find it really hard to move past 4. Maybe if I was in the business of quarter and half stars it would be 4.5, but since I'm not, it stays in the 4 territory. But a high, high, exceptional 4.
• • • • •
Until next week. Be well, stay safe, and love one another.
cliffmorganwstl@gmail.com
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