Gabe Kidd has revealed that his place in the 2023 G1 Climax came about through a late change involving Aussie Open, with Kidd and Alex Coughlin ultimately taking the spots initially intended for Kyle Fletcher and Mark Davis.
The 2023 edition of New Japan Pro-Wrestling’s annual tournament proved to be a major platform for Kidd. Entering the field at a pivotal point in his career, he delivered an abrasive, physical run that helped solidify his standing as far more than a developing prospect. Coughlin, then aligned alongside Kidd in the Bullet Club War Dogs, was also part of the tournament and earned notable victories of his own.
Speaking with Chris Jericho, Kidd said Fletcher and Davis had been scheduled for the G1 before circumstances changed following their move elsewhere. In Kidd’s telling, the opportunity was handed to him and Coughlin as replacements, and he immediately treated it as a chance to force NJPW to reassess how it viewed him.
“It’s funny how everything loops around. Aussie Open was supposed to be in [the G1], but they ended up signing here. So they took them out and they put me and Alex Coughlin in,” Kidd said.
For more background on this topic, read Yota Tsuji Recalls Losing $1,000 in 30 Minutes During Previous U.S. Casino Visit.
That replacement role did not diminish the importance of the tournament in Kidd’s mind. Instead, he said it became the fuel for a determined campaign. Kidd believed he had been seen primarily through the lens of his earlier Young Lion status rather than as a wrestler ready to carry himself among the company’s established heavyweight names.
“The second that happened, I went, you put me here on a replacement, I’m gonna blow everything out of the water. You are going to regret every single thing that you’ve ever doubted about me,” Kidd said. “I think they saw me as a Young Lion, they didn’t see me as a guy — because they didn’t know about it before, which is fair. Regardless of what I’d done before, that’s how they saw me, as a young boy.”
A tournament opportunity turned into a statement
The G1 Climax is not simply another event on the NJPW calendar. Its round-robin format puts wrestlers through a demanding sequence of high-stakes singles matches, often requiring competitors to work several major bouts in a compressed window. For a participant who is still attempting to establish a main-event identity, it can be the clearest possible measuring stick.
Kidd approached that 2023 run with exactly that mentality. He said he felt compelled to prove that he could not be categorized as a newcomer who was merely filling space in the lineup. The intensity of that response became a defining element of his presentation throughout the tournament.
“I went, you must be madder than me to put me in that position. That G1, I showed off every night. I don’t care about saying it. I was the MVP of that tournament,” Kidd said.
Kidd did not advance to the semifinals, but his tournament included victories over Ren Narita and Hikuleo. Those results were important pieces of a run that gave him meaningful momentum within a crowded field. The G1 often creates new rivalries and shifts perceptions even when a wrestler does not win the tournament, and Kidd’s performance became a notable example of that dynamic.
Coughlin also made an impact during the same G1. Among his wins were victories against Hiroshi Tanahashi and Hirooki Goto, two accomplished NJPW veterans. The result over Tanahashi in particular represented a major accomplishment for Coughlin, underscoring the level of opportunity available to both War Dogs members once the tournament change occurred.
While Kidd’s comments are centered on his own experience, they also place the 2023 G1 in a broader moment of transition. A spot in the field can alter the trajectory of a wrestler’s year, especially when that wrestler has an opportunity to share the ring with top names on a nightly basis. Kidd and Coughlin went from being outside the original plan to being active participants in one of NJPW’s most prestigious annual events.
Kidd embraces the pressure of the G1
Kidd has never been subtle about his confidence, and his reflection on the tournament follows that pattern. He argued that the response he generated did not depend on reaching the final stages of the competition. In his view, his attitude and performances made him one of the central talking points of the entire G1.
“I didn’t even make it to the semis and I was the one people were talking about every night because I just had this — it’s an inside feeling that you can’t act. That was real feelings ingrained in me as a person,” Kidd said.
His comments point to the personal edge behind his wrestling style. Kidd said his reaction was rooted in the belief that he had already been working hard before the G1 opportunity arrived, and that he would not accept being treated as a lesser figure because of how others may have perceived his place in the system.
“I was like, you’re not going to treat me like some little new boy, I’ve been doing this,” Kidd said.
That perspective helps explain why the 2023 tournament remains significant in Kidd’s career narrative. Rather than framing his inclusion as a fortunate break alone, he frames it as a moment where preparation met opportunity. He had a clear message to deliver, and he believed the G1’s demanding environment was the right stage to make it unmistakable.
The tournament also helped reinforce the identity of the Bullet Club War Dogs during that period. Kidd and Coughlin entered with an aggressive edge and a willingness to challenge wrestlers who carried more established reputations. Their presence added a volatile dimension to the field, and their individual wins made clear they were not entering simply to gain experience.
From 2023 entrant to championship holder
Kidd has competed in every G1 Climax tournament since his 2023 debut. He has not yet reached the final, but his continued presence in the tournament reflects his evolution into a regular fixture of NJPW’s heavyweight landscape.
His current position further illustrates how much has changed since the replacement decision he described. Kidd is now the IWGP Global Heavyweight Champion, a role that puts him among the promotion’s most prominent titleholders and places substantial attention on each major defense.
At Wrestle Kingdom 21, Kidd is scheduled to defend the IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship against Yuya Uemura. The match presents another major test for Kidd against a wrestler whose rise has been built around a very different demeanor and in-ring approach. Uemura’s polished technique and measured style contrast sharply with Kidd’s confrontational intensity, creating a championship matchup shaped by opposing ideas of what NJPW’s future should look like.
For Kidd, the road to that Wrestle Kingdom defense includes the 2023 G1 as a crucial chapter. The tournament did not end with him in the semifinals or the final, but it gave him the chance to establish that he belonged in the conversation. His account of replacing Aussie Open makes the turning point even more striking: a place that was not initially earmarked for him became a stage on which he says he changed perceptions.
Fletcher and Davis being removed from the G1 field opened a door. Kidd and Coughlin walked through it, and both scored wins that mattered. Kidd, in particular, continues to view that summer as proof of his ability to thrive under the pressure of NJPW’s biggest tournament format.
As he heads into a title defense against Uemura at Wrestle Kingdom 21, Kidd’s outlook remains unchanged. He sees himself not as a wrestler who was given a temporary opening, but as one who took an unexpected opportunity and used it to demand a permanent place near the top of NJPW.
Darryl Polo
Darryl Polo is a passionate wrestling fan covering WWE, AEW, TNA and beyond. He loves great rivalries, breakout stars and the moments that keep fans talking long after the bell. How we work.