Jay White will wrestle his first match in Japan since February when the 30th annual NJPW G1 Climax begins tonight in Osaka.
Switchblade is part of a stacked A Block in the gruelling tournament – White’s third – after spending the last few months in the United States of America.
“I’ve had more time off, and my body hasn’t been put through as much heading into the G1, which is a plus,” White told NJPW1972.com.
“I don’t know what it’ll be like exactly until we’re in it, but I’m in good shape. I know I’m in good shape because I keep myself in good shape, unlike some people. That’s why I got to the top so quickly and I’ve stayed at the top ever since.
“Six months off or six hours off, I’m always six steps ahead of whoever I’m in the ring with.”
White faces Shingo Takagi in the opening night of the round-robin tournament, and will ultimately come up against all nine of the other entrants in A Block – including G1 Climax 29 winner Kota Ibushi.
White’s full schedule for G1 Climax 30 is as follows:
- vs. Shingo Takagi (September 19)
- vs. Kota Ibushi (September 23)
- vs. Kazuchika Okada (September 27)
- vs. Will Ospreay (September 30)
- vs. Jeff Cobb (October 5)
- vs. Taichi (October 7)
- vs. Yujiro Takahashi (October 10)
- vs. Minoru Suzuki (October 13)
- vs. Tomohiro Ishii (October 16)
“I don’t really care about Ibushi or any of the other people in this tournament,” White told NJPW1972.com.
“It’s just one match at a time, for two points at a time. I look at every match the same.”
#Jay1 pic.twitter.com/2ytLbwO9VQ
— Switchblade (@JayWhiteNZ) September 9, 2020
White is a hot favourite with NJPW fans to sweep this year’s A Block. Switchblade is currently second only to Kazuchika Okada in polls conducted by NJPW.
Winning a match in the G1 Climax earns a wrestler two points. A draw (matches take place with a 30-minute time-limit) rewards both wrestlers with one point each. Whoever has the most points once A Block is complete advances to face the winner of B Block at Ryugoku Kokugikan in Tokyo on October 18.
The winner of G1 Climax 30 is expected to receive a match for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship at Wrestle Kingdom in January.
All 19 nights of NJPW G1 Climax 30 will stream live on NJPW World. Check the NZPWI Calendar for local times and full card information.
