Tag: g1 climax 35

NJPW G1 Climax 35 finals notes: Excursion returns, Wrestle Kingdom 20

Posted on by Bryan Rose

Notes from Sunday’s G1 Climax finals.

David Finlay, who has been in a rough patch following his failure to win the G1, seemed to find a new path for the Bullet Club War Dogs on Sunday. After Taichi and Satoshi Kojima won a tag team match, Finlay came out and introduced the two newest members of the War Dogs: Yuto Nakashima and Oskar Leube. The former young lions attacked Kojima then turned their attention to Taichi, laying him out and posing with the IWGP Tag Team title, indicating they wanted the next shot against Taichi and Tomohiro Ishii.

Nakashima and Leube graduated from young lion status after New Year Dash 2024 and have spent the last year in a half working in Europe, including matches in RevPro and wXw. 

After the show ended, NJPW revealed the logo for next year’s Wrestle Kingdom 20 event. International ticket information will be announced soon.

In other prelim notes, YOH pinned Desperado in a multi-man tag team match, likely setting up a future IWGP Jr. title match. In the next match, Boltin Oleg gained a measure of revenge over Don Fale by taking him out with a big splash, continuing to set up a possible NEVER title confrontation between the two.

After Bullet Club War Dogs (Finlay, Drilla Moloney, Gedo, and Taiji Ishimori) defeated Daiki Nagai, Hiromu Takahashi, Shingo Takagi, and Yota Tsuji, Takagi and Moloney had a staredown while Finaly and Tsuji as well as Hiromu and Ishimori met eye-to-eye as well.

In the semi-main event, the House of Torture emerged victorious over TMDK, continuing their winning streak. However it was Kosei Fujita who saved TMDK from a post-match attack, indicating he and a partner wanted a shot at DOUKI and SHO’s IWGP Jr. Tag Team titles.

WOR: UFC 319, MJF vs. Mistico, Triplemania

Posted on by Garrett Gonzales

Dave Meltzer and I, Garrett Gonzales, are back with our post-UFC 319 episode of Wrestling Observer Radio.

Paul Fontaine joined us to go over the show as well as the news coming out of it.

Here were some of the rest of the topics we covered:

  • MJF & Mistico angle for the anniversary show
  • G1 Climax 35 semi-finals matches
  • Triplemania results
  • WWE SmackDown & AEW Collision notes
  • Saturday wrestling news

Click here to listen (sub needed) or watch on YouTube (video sub needed)

Finals set for NJPW G1 Climax 35

Posted on by Ian Carey

Just one more match is left in the G1 Climax tournament this year.

The semifinals took place today at Ariake Arena in Tokyo. Konosuke Takeshita defeated Zack Sabre Jr. in the main event to book his spot in the finals. EVIL defeated Yota Tsuji in the other semifinal match to advance as well. Takeshita vs. EVIL takes place tomorrow at Ariake Arena.

Takeshita fought through an injured knee and numerous ZSJ submission attempts for the win. The finishing sequence saw him hit a top rope Raging Fire, a Powerdrive Knee, and then another Raging Fire to get the pin.

Yota Tsuji was also favoring his knee throughout his semifinal bout with EVIL, who attacked him before the bell. Don Fale and Dick Togo interfered, although the odds were eventually evened up by Shingo Takagi and Daiki Nagai. After Don Fale hit the Bad Luck Fall on Tsuji, EVIL swooped in and locked up the Darkness Scorpion. Tsuji didn’t tap out but went unconscious, leading the referee to call for the bell.

Our own Corey Michaels has a detailed report on today’s show available here.

NJPW G1 Climax Semifinals results from August 16, 2025

  • El Desperado, Ryusuke Taguchi, Shota Umino, YOSHI-HASHI & Yuya Uemura defeated Master Wato, Satoshi Kojima, Taichi, Toru Yano & YOH
  • House of Torture (Don Fale & Yujiro Takahashi) defeated Oleg Boltin & Tomoaki Honma 
  • United Empire (Callum Newman, Great-O-Khan & Jakob Austin Young) defeated El Phantasmo, Hiroshi Tanahashi & Katsuya Murashima
  • Daiki Nagai & Shingo Takagi defeated War Dogs (David Finlay & Gedo)
  • House of Torture (SANADA & Yoshinobu Kanemaru) defeated War Dogs (Drilla Moloney & Taiji Ishimori)
  • House of Torture (DOUKI, Ren Narita & SHO) defeated TMDK (Hartley Jackson, Kosei Fujita & Ryohei Oiwa)
  • G1 Climax semifinal #1: EVIL defeated Yota Tsuji
  • G1 Climax semifinal #2: Konosuke Takeshita defeated Zack Sabre Jr.

NJPW G1 Climax 35 semifinals set

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Following Thursday’s show at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, NJPW G1 Climax 35 is down to its final four competitors.

Yota Tsuji and Konosuke Takeshita secured their semifinal spots with respective victories over Shota Umino and David Finlay as the G1 playoffs began. Both semifinal matches will go down this Saturday with EVIL vs. Tsuji and Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Takeshita determining which two competitors advance to the finals.

EVIL and Sabre earned byes to the semifinals by finishing atop A and B Block during round-robin competition. The semifinal bouts are both rematches from earlier in the tournament, where EVIL defeated Tsuji and Sabre defeated Takeshita.

Ariake Arena in Tokyo is hosting the semifinals on Saturday with the finals then happening at the same venue the next day.

Along with bragging rights, the G1 winner receives an IWGP World Heavyweight Championship shot that is traditionally used at NJPW’s annual Wrestle Kingdom spectacular at the Tokyo Dome in January. Sabre is the current champion, having defeated Hirooki Goto to regain the belt back in June. Sabre could choose his Wrestle Kingdom challenger if he wins the G1.

NJPW G1 Climax 35 remaining schedule —

Saturday, August 16:

  • Semifinal match: EVIL vs. Yota Tsuji
  • Semifinal match: Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Konosuke Takeshita

Sunday, August 17:

  • Tournament finals

NJPW G1 Climax 35 results: Playoffs begin

Posted on by Marc Quill

The NJPW G1 Climax 35 Playoffs begin today with the quarterfinals matchups in a sold out Korakuen Hall.

The main event features the second place finisher in B Block facing the third place finisher in A Block, with Shota Umino taking on Yota Tsuji. The winner advances to the semifinals on Saturday to face A Block winner EVIL.

Both began their careers in the NJPW Dojo system as Young Lions around the same time, so they have met 12 times previously with Umino holding a 10-2 edge.

In today’s semi-main event, the second place finisher in A Block faces the third place finisher from B Block, with David Finlay taking on Konosuke Takeshita. The winner will face B Block winner and IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Zack Sabre Jr. in the semifinals on Saturday.

Finlay has won the only prior career singles meeting against Takeshita.

Today’s show streams live on NJPW World beginning at 5:30 a.m. Eastern time.

**********

– We began things with the opening video highlighting our A & B Block winners, as well as the men who will battle it out tonight in the two playoff matches we’ll see just ahead.

– We were welcomed for our English commentary by Walker Stewart & Chris Charlton as we got ready for our preliminary bouts to get underway.

YOSHI-HASHI & Shoma Kato vs. Satoshi Kojima & Taichi

This tag match got under way with Kato and Taichi kicking things off for their respective sides. Kato tried to strike at Taichi with repeated running forearms, but struggled to lift Taichi up for the slam. After some effort, Kato finally managed to hit a slam on Taichi as he had the upper hand early. Taichi grounded Kato with a side kick as he pushed him towards his team’s corner, so that Kojima could enter the match with a tag.

Kojima delivered a neckbreaker on Kato, but only got a two count in the process. Kato recovered and got into an exchange of strike with the veteran Kojima, who got the best of the Young Lion. Kojima tagged in Taichi as the two tried for a double team. Kojima ended up accidentally hitting Taichi after Kato dodged a strike. This allowed YOSHI-HASHI to finally enter the match with a tag.

YOSHI-HASHI felled Kato with a running strike in the corner, followed by a DDT for the near fall. The two foes got into a strike exchange, but Kojima entered the match once again and trapped YOSHI-HASHI in the corner to hit his signature machine-gun chops. YOSHI-HASHI fought back as he and a now-legal Kato attempted the double team on Kojima.

In the ensuing chaos, Taichi was asked by Kojima to hit a double team move on Kato, but ended up on the receiving end of an accidental strike from his partner. Kato avoided the running elbow from Kojima and nearly won it after a roll-up pin. However, Kojima picked up the victory after a second attempt of the elbow and the pin.

Post-match, Taichi refused a handshake from his partner, undoubtedly after the friendly fire we saw.

Satoshi Kojima & Taichi def. YOSHI-HASHI & Shoma Kato via pinfall

**********

House of Torture (Yoshinobu Takemaru, Yujiro Takahashi, Ren Narita, SANADA) vs. Toru Yano, Jado, El Phantasmo, Boltin Oleg

We got things started with the House of Torture attacking their opponents right away. In the ring, ELP had to contend with the faction’s combined might early on, but seemed to have a handle on things as he took three of them down with a dropkick. He tagged in the enigmatic Yano, who immediately exposed one of the turnbuckles. He got taken down by a quadruple kick from HoT.

Takahashi threw Yano into the exposed turnbuckle as he got a near-fall. Takemaru got the tag as he continued to work away on the back of Yano with a knee being driven to it. Narita entered the match and maintained the HoT’s advantage on Yano.

Yano hit the inverted atomic drop on SANADA, which allowed Boltin Oleg to enter the match. He got his trademark Boltin Shake on the former IWGP World Champion. Narita grabbed at Oleg’s leg, which allowed SANADA to take a momentary advantage. The attempted double suplex failed as Oleg slammed SANADA and Narita with a suplex instead.

ELP and Jado looked good with the double team, but Phantasmo took himself out with an attempted dive to the outside. In the ring, Jado fell victim to a cheapshot to the knee by Narita while the ref was distracted by SANADA trying to bring in a guitar. This allowed Narita to pick up the win for the House of Torture with a leglock submission on Jado.

House of Torture def. Jado, Toru Yano, Boltin Oleg, & El Phantasmo via submission

A decent opener, but like with most of the House of Torture’s oeuvre of matches, your mileage may vary with how you feel about the faction and their heel antics.

**********

United Empire (Jakob Austin Young, Callum Newman, Great-O-Khan) vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi, Katsuya Murashima, Yuya Uemera

The commentary mentioned Tanahashi’s involvement in the huge eight-man tag Lights Out Steel Cage match at AEW’s Forbidden Door show as The Ace made his entrance.

The two teams size up one another before the bell rang, as Tanahashi and Great-O-Khan kicked things off for their teams. O-Khan had Tanahashi locked into the corner as he hit a two-handed chop on him, followed by another one. Tanahashi responded with a crossbody as Murashima took out J.A.Y. and Newman.

In the ring, Tanahashi, Uemera, and Murashima hit a trio of diving splashes on O-Khan before J.A.Y. and Newman recovered and took the former two out. This left Murashima to be taken out by a United Empire triple-team attack.

As things settled down for a bit, O-Khan tagged J.A.Y. into the match as they seemingly had Tanahashi at their mercy. Young took down Tanahashi with a Slingblade, but only got a two-count. Newman entered the match and maintained control for the United Empire until a knee from Tanahashi flattened him.

Uemera got the hot tag as he held his own against the United Empire trio. A fast-paced series of reversals from Uemera and Newman ended with a suplex from Uemera, as Murashima got the tag for his team. Newman recovered, but immediately got sent flying by a running shoulder charge from Murashima. The powerslam from Murashima wasn’t enough as Newman just managed to kick out.

Murashima locked in the Boston Crab on Newman, but Great-O-Khan broke it up. O-Khan had Murashima and Tanahashi trapped in dual Iron Claws, but the two men escaped. Newman recovered and hit the running knee on Murashima, and he ultimately secured the victory with a Prince Devitt-styled Coup de Grace for the pin and win.

United Empire def. Katsuya Murashima, Yuya Uemera, & Hiroshi Tanahashi via pinfall

A fun trios tag match and it’s clear that a sea change is coming within the United Empire. That should be interesting to see.

**********

Shingo Takagi & Daiki Nagai vs. Bullet Club War Dogs (Taiji Ishimori & Drilla Moloney)

Nagai and Ishimori opened the match as the two traded offense in the early stages of the bout. Nagai dropped Ishimori with a shoulder block, but got sent to the outside after a failed suplex attempt. On the outside, Drilla threw Nagai into the barricade as Ishimori exited the ring and did the same to his foe.

The War Dogs maintained control of the match as they kept Nagai isolated from Takagi. Moloney got the tag into the match and he blasted Nagai with a hard chop to the chest. Nagai showed some fighting spirit, but a big elbow from Moloney kept him grounded. Moloney tried for a slam, but Nagai escaped as Takagi finally got the tag.

Takagi struck Moloney with strikes, and was met with some offense from Drilla in the process. Moloney took a bit too long to taunt and got hit with a back elbow from Takagi as a result. Takagi and Nagai showed great team chemistry as they hit a double team scoop slam on Moloney, but that didn’t end the match.

It was spine on the pine with Moloney crushing Takagi with a hard spinebuster. Nagai and Ishimori tagged in for their respective teams. Suplex by Nagai only got a two count, as he had the Boston Crab immediately applied on Ishimori. Moloney broke it up and tried for the Drilla Killa, which Nagai managed to fight out of.

With the ref’s back turned, Ishimori hit Nagai with a low blow kick, as he then followed that up with the running crucifix and the Bulldog submission hold for the victory.

Bullet Club War Dogs def. Taiji Ishimori & Shingo Takagi via submission

I quite enjoyed this one, and the rivalry between Moloney and Takagi has me interested in seeing these two in singles action in th near future.

**********

House of Torture (EVIL, DOUKI, Don Fale) vs. TMDK (Zack Sabre Jr., Hartley Jackson, Ryohei Oiwa)

The House of Torture, of course, struck first with an ambush on their opponents. Outside the ring, Sabre Jr. and EVIL mixed it up, while inside the ring, it was DOUKI and Oiwa who got things started officially.

Oiwa had the hammerlock applied on DOUKI, as he then slammed him down hard on the mat afterwards. DOUKI hung on to the referee after an attempted Irish whip by Oiwa, which allowed EVIL to pull at his leg to maintain the House of Torture’s advantage. We got successive tags from Don Fale and then EVIL, who continued to punish Oiwa in their corner.

Outside the ring, DOUKI hit Oiwa with a weapon while EVIL had the referee distracted. Oiwa finally stopped the advance of EVIL with a dropkick as Sabre Jr. got the tag. The IWGP World Champion held his own as he had EVIL grounded, followed by applying an arm submission on Don Fale.

Sabre tried for the power slam, but EVIL raked at the eyes of his opponent. EVIL then followed that up with a fisherman suplex, but got a near-fall. He choked away at Sabre Jr. but the Champ turned it around momentarily. A bridged pin from Sabre couldn’t put the match away as he took down EVIL with a kick to the test.

It was time for big meaty men slapping meat as Hartley Jackson and Don Fale entered the match. In the power battle, Jackson got the best of Fale with Oiwa’s help, but that wasn’t enough. A distraction from Dick Togo on the outside allowed DOUKI to strike Jackson with a weapon to the face. This gave Fale the pinfall win in the usual House of Torture manner.

In the stands, the action seemed far from over as Sabre Jr. had EVIL trapped in a submission as the battle raged on. EVIL hit the IWGP World Champion with a lowblow as he briefly glanced at the title belt itself before he left with his House of Torture allies.

House of Torture def. TMDK via pinfall

Perhaps having two House of Torture matches that end in the same manner of distraction finish that the faction is infamous for might’ve been a bit too much. The post-match stuff between ZSJ and EVIL was at least interesting.

**********

G1 Climax Playoff Quarterfinal Match: David Finlay vs. Konosuke Takeshita

Gedo was the cornerman for Finlay, while Takeshita’s Don Callis Family ally Rocky Romero stood in his corner.

The two men locked horns in the ring to start before they started trading blows. As Takeshita headed up top, he got sent outside by a shove from Finlay. At ringside, Finlay hit a running shove on Takeshita that sent him over the barricade. Finlay taunted Hiroshi Tanahashi, who was on Japanese commentary, before he pulled out the infamous Japanese-grade tables from under the ring.

Finlay looked like he wanted to put Takeshita through the tables, but The Alpha turned it around and threw him into the barricade before he blasted Finlay with a knee to the face. The action spilled back into the ring with Takeshita appyling a rear chinlock on Finlay for a moment before the broken. The back of Takeshita’s knee was targeted with a chop block from Finlay, which gave him the opportunity to continue the attack on the vulnerable target.

Finlay further damaged Takeshita’s knee as his slam caused it to hit the bottom ropes hard. The Rebel Savior threw down Takeshita before he applied a single-leg crab, again targeting the injured knee of his opponent. Takeshita mustered up strength to break the hold by reaching the ropes in time.

Takeshita recovered and hit a vertical brainbuster on Finlay, which created some much-needed breathing room for him. He powered through his bum knee as he threw Finlay shoulder-first into the square turnbuckle coverings repeatedly. Takeshita headed to the top rope and tried for the senton, but Finlay got the knees up.

Finlay lifted Takeshita up for the Northern Irish Curse backbreaker, but that wasn’t enough to put this match away. Finlay attacked Takeshita with clubbing blows to the back of the head, followed by the running elbow, but again, Takeshita refused to go away quietly. With evil intentions, Finlay dragged Takeshita to the apron and looked to once again put him through the tables. Takeshita stunned Finlay with a strike and attempted a back suplex through the tables. Finlay escaped as he then threw Takeshita through the tables with a fierce powerbomb.

Finlay rolled back into the ring and wanted to win via countout, but Takeshita found the strength to make it back in before the count of 20. Finlay lifted Takeshita onto the top turnbuckle and bit at his forehead before attempting a superplex. Takeshita fought back with a headbutt and tried for a sunset powerbomb, to no avail.

Finlay got the upper hand with repeated buckle bombs that targeted Takeshita back. However, The Alpha recovered a poison rana, followed by the Power Drive knee. One, two… Finlay just kicked out at two. Takeshita attempted the Raging Fire, but Finlay countered into a ushigoroshi, followed by the powerbomb. Somehow, Takeshita kicked out at two after all that.

Finlay wanted to finish this with a little Overkill, but he got flattened by a hard knee from Takeshita. We got a wild sequence of reversals that ended with a powerbomb and a Power Drive from Takeshita. In the end, Takeshita picked up the victory with one final Raging Fire, as he punched his ticket to the G1 Climax Semifinals and a match with Zack Sabre Jr.

Konosuke Takeshita def. David Finlay to advance to the G1 Climax Semifinals

Solid, solid stuff between Finlay and Takeshita, especially as the match intensified near the end. The ZSJ vs. Takeshita semis match should make for a fun one, especially given the history between these two men.

**********

G1 Climax Playoff Quarterfinal Match: Yota Tsuji vs. Shota Umino

Tsuji and Umino got into a test of strength early on, with neither man winning out. Tsuji eventually got Umino in a standing headlock, as he then took him down with a shoulder block. Umino responded with a running shoulder block of his own that brought Tsuji to the mat.

Umino attacked Tsuji with repeated European uppercuts, but he failed to connect with a kick, as Tsuji deftly dodged it and mocked his foe by standing on him derisively. Tsuji now had the momentum as he blasted Umino with strikes of his own. He hit an impressive running hurricanrana that sent Umino to the outside. Tsuji followed that up with a suicide dive on Umino. At ringside, Tsuju threw Umino into the barricade and continued his attack in the stands.

Tsuji stomped at Umino before he headed back to the ring and seemed like he wanted to win via countout. However, instead, he was challenging Umino to stand up and fight by getting himself back in the ring. As Umino entered the ring, Tsuji dropped him with a scoop slam, then following that up with hard chops to the chest.

Tsuji continued to taunt Umino with nonchalant kicks, but the Roughneck tried to fight from underneath. Umino created a needed opening with a down-low dropkick on Tsuji’s knees. In the corner, Umino delivered a blast of strikes to “Gene Blast” in the corner. Umino connected with a dragon screw to keep Tsuji grounded. He targeted the leg of Tsuji with another dropkick.

In the corner, Umino zeroed in on Tsuji’s hurt right knee with repeated attacks on it. He lifted Tsuji up for a powerbomb, but couldn’t capitalize. Tsuji literally turned that around into a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker on Umino.

Umino countered Tsuji’s attempt at a Boston Crab with a modified STF. Tsuji found himself pulled into the middle of the ring as Umino locked in the STF again. After a long struggle, Tsuji managed to break the hold by reaching the bottom rope. Umino targeted Tsuji for a DDT, but got sent outside instead. Tsuji climbed on the middle turnbuckle strut and hit a standing diving moonsault on Umino at ringside.

With the action once again back in the ring, Tsuji struck Umino with a series of particularly hard chops to the chest. He planted his boot on the face of the downed Umino in the corner. As Tsuji tried to head to the top, his knee buckled on him, which gave Umino a much-needed opening. Powerbomb from Umino only got a near-fall.

With a second wind, Umino tried for a running lariat, but he once again found himself on the backfoot after a headbutt to the jaw from Tsuji. The Boston Crab was finally applied by Tsuji, but Umino refused to give up. Through the pain and struggles, Umino tapped into his fighting spirit and reached the bottom rope to barely escape the Crab.

Tsuji looked down on Umino, who slowly got himself back to his feet and struck his foe with a elbow to the face. Tsuji hit back with an elbow before the two traded elbows in this war of attrition. Tsuji tried to chop Umino down, but he couldn’t take him down.

Umino rolled through a German suplex by Tsuji, but he got taken down with a clothesline. He somehow kicked out of that. Tsuji connected with his top rope curb stomp, but Umino again kicked out at two. Umino intercepted a Gene Blaster attempt and hit a running knee. That, miraculously, was not enough for the win.

Tsuji hit his curb stomp and sized up Umino for another Gene Blaster attempt. Umino met that with a hard lariat, as he then hit another successive lariat. Tsuji finally managed to nail the Gene Blaster on Umino. One, two… 2.999999999!!! Tsuji hoisted Umino up top and hit the Guerrero Special before he finally dashed the G1 hopes of Umino with one final Gene Blaster and the victory.

After the match, Tsuji addressed Umino and told him that everyone can be great in their own way. He stated that he and Umino will have to do this again in the future. Tsuji talked about how he had belief in his own self and that he’s put his life in the ring every time he steps in it. He promised to be the one to carry New Japan Pro-Wrestling now and into the future.

Yota Tsuji def. Shota Umino via pinfall

That was an incredible semifinal main event, and the story of Shota’s underdog run in the G1 really brought this match together. I was on the edge of my seat, especially as the match winded down. Just great stuff from both G1 quarterfinal matches we saw today.

G1 Climax Update

  • Semifinal 1: Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Konosuke Takeshita (8/16/25)
  • Semifinal 2: EVIL vs. Yota Tsuji (8/16/25)
  • Finals: Winner of ZSJ/Takeshita vs. Winner of EVIL/Tsuji (8/17/25)

NJPW G1 Climax 35 update: 3 wrestlers advance from B Block

Posted on by Ian Carey

The final night of G1 Climax 35 B Block round-robin action took place today in Hamamatsu.

IWGP World Champion Zack Sabre Jr. topped the block with 14 points and a 7-2 record after defeating YOSHI-HASHI on today’s show. His only losses came against Shota Umino and Ren Narita. ZSJ advances to the semifinals on August 16, where he will face the winner of tomorrow’s quarterfinal match between David Finlay and Konosuke Takeshita.

Takeshita secured his place in the knockout round with a win over Ren Narita in today’s main event, finishing third in the block with 12 points. He tied with Umino, who defeated Great-O-Khan today, but Umino placed ahead based on his head-to-head victory over Takeshita.

Our own Corey Michaels has a detailed report of today’s show available here. The updated schedule and final standings are available below.

Wednesday, August 13 in Hamamatsu results

  • B Block: Konosuke Takeshita (12 points) vs. Ren Narita (10 points)
  • B Block: Shota Umino (12 points) defeated Great-O-Khan (8 points)
  • B Block: Zack Sabre Jr. (14 points) defeated YOSHI-HASHI (8 points)
  • B Block: Shingo Takagi (10 points) defeated Drilla Moloney (8 points)
  • House Of Torture (Dick Togo & EVIL) defeated War Dogs (David Finlay & Gedo)
  • Daiki Nagai & Yota Tsuji defeated Shoma Kato & Yuya Uemura
  • Oleg Boltin & Toru Yano defeated House Of Torture (SANADA & Yoshinobu Kanemaru)
  • TMDK (Hartley Jackson & Ryohei Oiwa) defeated United Empire (Callum Newman & Jakob Austin Young)
  • Hiroshi Tanahashi & Katsuya Murashima defeated Masatora Yasuda & Taichi

Upcoming Schedule

Thursday, August 14 in Tokyo (Korakuen Hall)

  • David Finlay (2nd Place A Block) vs. Konosuke Takeshita (3rd Place B Block)
  • Shota Umino (2nd Place B Block) vs. Yota Tsuji (3rd Place A Block)

Saturday, August 16 in Tokyo (Ariake Arena)

  • EVIL (A Block Winner) vs. Winner of: Shota Umino vs. Yota Tsuji
  • Zack Sabre Jr. (B Block Winner) vs. Winner of: David Finlay vs. Konosuke Takeshita

Sunday, August 17 in Tokyo (Ariake Arena)

  • Tournament Finals

Final Round Robin Standings

A Block Standings

  • EVIL – 12 points
  • David Finlay – 10 points
  • Yota Tsuji – 10 points
  • Yuya Uemura – 10 points
  • Boltin Oleg – 10 points
  • Ryohei Oiwa – 8 points
  • Hiroshi Tanahashi – 8 points
  • SANADA – 8 points
  • Callum Newman – 8 points
  • Taichi – 6 points

B Block Standings

  • Zack Sabre Jr. – 14 points
  • Konosuke Takeshita – 12 points
  • Shota Umino – 12 points
  • Ren Narita – 10 points
  • Great-O-Khan – 8 points
  • Drilla Maloney – 8 points
  • YOSHI-HASHI – 8 points
  • Shingo Takagi – 8 points
  • El Phantasmo – 8 points
  • Gabe Kidd – 0 points

NJPW G1 Climax 35 results: B Block’s final night

Posted on by Corey Michaels

The G1 Climax 35 playoffs will be set following today’s final night of B Block action in Hamamatsu.

The top three in B Block following today’s show will advance to the playoffs, with the top points total earning a bye into Saturday’s semifinals. Seven competitors remain mathematically alive heading into the show, with only one wrestler having secured their playoff spot in the Block.

In today’s main event, Konosuke Takeshita faces Ren Narita. Both stand at 10 points entering today, and the winner is guaranteed to make the playoffs.

Shota Umino (10 points) faces Great-O-Khan (8 points) in the semi-main event. Umino makes the playoffs with a win, while O-Khan needs a win and help to make the next round.

Zack Sabre Jr. takes on YOSHI-HASHI in tonight’s second tournament bout. Sabre has already secured a playoff spot and will be wrestling for a bye, while YOSHI-HASHI is mathematically eliminated from contention.

Shingo Takagi (8 points) and Drilla Moloney (8 points) square off in tonight’s first tournament bout. Both need to win and need help to have a chance at the playoffs.

**********

  • Hiroshi Tanahashi & Katsuya Murashima defeated Masatora Yasuda & Taichi
  • TMDK defeated United Empire
  • Oleg Boltin & Toru Yano defeated House Of Torture
  • Daiki Nagai & Yota Tsuji defeated Shoma Kato & Yuya Uemura
  • House Of Torture defeated War Dogs
  • Shingo Takagi defeated Drilla Moloney
  • Zack Sabre Jr. defeated YOSHI-HASHI
  • Shota Umino defeated Great-O-Khan
  • Konosuke Takeshita defeated Ren Narita

Main Card – Tag Team Matches

Hiroshi Tanahashi & Katsuya Murashima defeated Masatora Yasuda & Taichi

Taichi spent the early half dominating Murashima. Yasuda continued that offense, but Murashima laid him flat for a hot Tanahashi tag. Taichi kept the Ace occupied at ringside. Meanwhile, Yasuda grounded Murashima with a Lion Tamer. Murashima slammed Yasuda and tapped him out with a Boston Crab.

TMDK (Hartley Jackson & Ryohei Oiwa) defeated United Empire (Callum Newman & Jakob Austin Young)

(Either it’s temporary frustration or a change in personality for Newman, but I do wonder what’s coming next for him. He needs a shakeup so maybe this disappointment is what’s needed to mix things up.)

Newman’s injuries and exhaustion from the G1 Climax kept him slow against the spry Oiwa. Young attempted to keep Jackson away, resulting only in stunned confusion; Newman kicked him to ringside. Jackson made a hot tag, squashing Newman under his own girth. Young too sustained this damage from Jackson after Oiwa offered a scoop slam. Jackson pinned Young following a Jagged Edge.

Oleg Boltin & Toru Yano defeated House Of Torture (SANADA & Yoshinobu Kanemaru)

(This finish was the perfect combination of Boltin’s Superman and Yano’s Deadpool. Using their chemistry made this an entertaining short bout.)

House of Torture immediately cut down their opponents. Kanemaru took advantage of Yano’s turnbuckle antics to attack his knee. Elsewhere, SANADA left Boltin in a heap of chairs amid the audience. Boltin double-suplexed SANADA and Kanemaru, swinging the former in his patented Boltin Shake. SANADA attempted a Skull End and an inside cradle, but both failed as Boltin lightly tossed him through a side suplex. Unwisely, Kanemaru sought a flying crossbody, but Boltin caught him and lent him to Yano for a roll-up pinfall.

Daiki Nagai & Yota Tsuji defeated Shoma Kato & Yuya Uemura

(This was the right move, keeping Tsuji on track and giving hope as opposed to sowing doubt. As for Uemura, he sold the dejection of delivering everything to the tournament just to fail, so well.)

Nagai and Tsuji kept Kato isolated, keeping him flat while knocking Uemura from the corner. A spirited comeback for Uemura saw Tsuji bulldogged onto the mat. Kato made a desperate crawl to escape a Boston Crab, but Tsuji transitioned it into a stretch that tapped out the Young Lion.

House Of Torture (Dick Togo & EVIL) defeated War Dogs (David Finlay & Gedo)

(I’m not asking for much, just that we get a Finlay win over EVIL. Or at least a clean finish in their upcoming Block-A match. I know that’s like throwing a wish to a brick wall, but I’m begging.)

House of Torture abused the War Dogs before the bell could ring, with EVIL driving Finlay through the chairs in the crowd. Don Fale joined the affair, battering Finlay on the barricade. EVIL choked Finlay with the tag rope. Finlay swung a comeback with a Northern Irish Curse. EVIL sought to interrupt Gedo’s momentum, but was choked by Finlay instead. Fale hit Gedo with his Grenade, giving Togo the pinfall.

G1 Climax B-Block Matches

Shingo Takagi (10) defeated Drilla Moloney (8)

(The match did well to position Moloney as a next-up guy. Meanwhile, shining Takagi up as a legend who still has a fire burning deep within his soul is the move at this point. Excellent B-Block opener before the playoffs. Moloney was on fire for this year’s tournament.)

Moloney showed glimpses of hope after the bell, but Takagi got the upper hand at ringside, throwing the War Dog into barricades. The men then battled in the sea of chairs hastily abandoned by the crowd. Evenly matched, the seasoned Takagi unsheathed a lariat, returning control to his favor. A wrathful Moloney quelled Takagi’s momentum with a Spinebuster. Takagi struck Moloney with a Made in Japan. Evading a lariat, Takagi struck with a sliding Pumping Bomber to Moloney’s back. He responded to Takagi with a Piledriver. Having dropped Moloney with a Pumping Bomber, Takagi followed with a Last of the Dragon to defeat Moloney.

Zack Sabre Jr. (14) defeated YOSHI-HASHI (8)

(Well done. Very well done. YOSHI-HASHI’s been an underrated part of the G1 Climax, even after being eliminated. Paired with the personal story of avenging Hirooki Goto against the man who won the title back from him, YOSHI-HASHI put on a match of the night contender.)

Right out of the gate, YOSHI-HASHI and Sabre collided. Sabre soon gained control of YOSHI-HASHI’s legs. YOSHI-HASHI agonized during Sabre’s transition to torturing his wrist. YOSHI-HASHI turned the tides, eventually impacting Sabre with a dropkick. They fought across the barricades outside. YOSHI-HASHI returned the match in his favor with a Headhunter.

Sabre worked YOSHI-HASHI’s arm. YOSHI-HASHI landed a stiff lariat that rattled the IWGP World Heavyweight Champion. YOSHI-HASHI scored a nearfall with a Kumagoroshi. Sabre wrenched YOSHI-HASHI’s arms back. Ushigoroshi and a superkick rendered Sabre mat-prone, punctuated by Loose Explosion. YOSHI-HASHI snared Sabre’s arm in an extensioned, but the Brit reversed it, ultimately pulling it back until YOSHI-HASHI submitted.

Shota Umino (12) defeated Great-O-Khan (6)

(Fine match. The Hamamatsu, Shizuoka crowd wasn’t as on-fire for this one as the previous two B-Block matches tonight. That said, this match was what it needed to be, a settling between Umino and Khan, not demanding to be some epic.)

Khan overwhelmed Umino quickly, with the latter narrowly escaping an Eliminator. At ringside, Khan delivered Mongolian chops prior to slingshotting Umino to the blue steel guardrails. As though that were not enough, he sent Umino through the chairs before a dispersed crowd. Khan continually slammed Umino, maintaining a lock on his neck. Umino finally rebounded with a Tornado-DDT.

Khan recovered with a Tenzan Tombstone to daze Umino. Though Umino withstood a flying right hook, he escaped Khan’s claw to discharge a powerbomb. Khan turned Umino’s Northern Lights Suplex to a cradle. Umino turned the page to a Second Chapter for the win over Khan.

Main Event G1 Climax B-Block

Konosuke Takeshita (12) defeated Ren Narita (10)

(This may be one of my favorite House of Torture comeuppances. Takeshita was a warrior, through and through. At times, this match left me breathless. By no means was it Omega/Okada or Steamboat/Flair, but it was a thrill. Credit to Walker Stewart as well, for he brought out something akin to Jim Ross. He truly helped elevate the match. Fantastic main event.)

True to House of Torture fashion, Narita found a prompt advantage with his allies battering Konosuke Takeshita and Rocky Romero of The Don Callis Family. Somehow holding a stoic rage, Takeshita charged in, but fell back to Narita’s boot.

Takeshita fired back with repeated knees to Narita’s jaw. Within the sea of the Hamamatsu crowd, Narita tormented Takeshita, tossing him into chairs. He even slammed Takeshita’s knee with a steel chair. Unsatisfied, Narita swung Takeshita’s knee into the ringpost, where his co-horts added to the damage.

Returning to his technical roots, Narita held his opponent in a submission, to which Takeshita countered into a Brainbuster. Sneakily stealing the control of the match, Narita resumed abusing Takeshita’s knee. The Alpha rallied back with a lariat. Aiming for a German suplex, Takeshita instead was sent into the referee. Don Fale struck Takeshita with a chair whereas Dick Togo choked him with a wire. Romero dispatched both men.

Takeshita downed Narita with an elbow. A tope suicida decimated Narita and his legion of horribles. An Exploder Suplex toppled Narita, as did a Powerdrive Knee. Yoshinobu Kanemaru jammed a bottle of whiskey into the back of Takeshita’s knee. Narita once more returned to stretching Takeshita’s leg. Tapping one time for adrenaline, Takeshita broke the hold with a hasty rope grab. Refusing to stay down, Takeshita plummeted Narita with a Last Ride. Showing great ring awareness, Takeshita yanked his arm from a Kanemaru intrusion and ducked a mist of whiskey to choke Narita into unconsciousness with a Crossface Chickenwing for a triumphant victory.

G1 Climax Playoff Update

Shota Umino and Yota Tsuji face off on August 14. The winner of that match will face EVIL on August 16.

Konosuke Takeshita and David Finlay face off on August 14. The winner of that match will face Zack Sabre Jr. on August 16.

(With the exception of Shota Umino versus Great-O-Khan, the B-Block matches tonight were a blast. YOSHI-HASHI’s last stand against Sabre was an emotional thrill, whereas Takeshita overcoming the odds of House of Torture provided a catharsis to end the night. Those are the matches to watch in terms of quality; Shingo Takagi versus Drilla Moloney is just an added bonus.)

NJPW G1 Climax 35 update: Three wrestlers advance from A Block

Posted on by Ian Carey

Three wrestlers have advanced to the knockout round in G1 Climax 35.

The final night of round-robin action in A Block took place Sunday in Gunma. EVIL finished with 12 points and the top record in the block, earning a bye to the semifinals on August 16. He defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi on the show in what may have been Tanahashi’s final G1 match. In honor of the occasion, EVIL promised to fight clean. It appeared as though he would keep that promise until he threw powder in Tanahashi’s eyes and got help from Don Fale and Dick Togo. He picked up the win with Darkness Falls.

A four-way tie at 10 points followed EVIL in the standings, with David Finlay and Yota Tsuji advancing on tie-breakers (head-to-head record among all tied competitors). Finlay will face the third-place wrestler from B Block in the quarterfinals on August 14, while Tsuji will face the second-place finisher from the group. Finlay booked his spot in the knockout stage with a win over Yuya Uemura in the main event, and Tsuji defeated Callum Newman. A detailed report of today’s show via Corey Michaels is available here.

Night 15 results from Sunday, August 10 in Gunma:

  • War Dogs defeated Daiki Nagai & Shingo Takagi
  • TMDK defeated Shoma Kato & YOSHI-HASHI
  • United Empire defeated Katsuya Murashima & Shota Umino
  • House of Torture defeated The Don Callis Family
  • Oleg Boltin defeated Taichi
  • SANADA defeated Ryohei Oiwa
  • Yota Tsuji defeated Callum Newman
  • EVIL defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi
  • David Finlay defeated Yuya Uemura

A Block Standings

  • EVIL – 12 points
  • David Finlay – 10 points
  • Yota Tsuji – 10 points
  • Yuya Uemura – 10 points
  • Boltin Oleg – 10 points
  • Ryohei Oiwa – 8 points
  • Hiroshi Tanahashi – 8 points
  • SANADA – 8 points
  • Callum Newman – 8 points
  • Taichi – 6 points

B Block Standings

  • Zack Sabre Jr. – 12 points
  • Konosuke Takeshita – 10 points
  • Ren Narita – 10 points
  • Shota Umino – 10 points
  • Great-O-Khan – 8 points
  • Drilla Maloney – 8 points
  • YOSHI-HASHI – 8 points
  • Shingo Takagi – 8 points
  • El Phantasmo – 8 points
  • Gabe Kidd – 0 points

Remaining Schedule

The tournament continues on Wednesday with the final night of round-robin for B Block in Shizuoka.

Wednesday, August 13 in Shizuoka

  • B Block: Shota Umino (10 points) vs. Great-O-Khan (8 points)
  • B Block: YOSHI-HASHI (8 points) vs. Zack Sabre Jr. (12 points)
  • B Block: Konosuke Takeshita (10 points) vs. Ren Narita (10 points)
  • B Block: Shingo Takagi (8 points) vs. Drilla Moloney (8 points)

Thursday, August 14 in Tokyo (Korakuen Hall)

  • 2nd Place A Block vs. 3rd Place B Block
  • 2nd Place B Block vs. 3rd Place A Block

Saturday, August 16 in Tokyo (Ariake Arena)

  • A Block Winner vs. Winner of 2nd Place B Block vs. 3rd Place A Block
  • B Block Winner vs. Winner of 2nd Place A Block vs. 3rd Place B Block

Sunday, August 17 in Tokyo (Ariake Arena)

  • Tournament Finals

NJPW G1 Climax 35 results: Konosuke Takeshita vs. Shota Umino

Posted on by Corey Michaels

The NJPW G1 Climax 35 tournament reaches the home stretch today with a B Block show from Yokohama Budokan.

Konosuke Takeshita faces Shota Umino in the main event of today’s show, the next-to-last night of B Block action. With only the top three point totals advancing to the playoffs, Umino needs a victory to control his tournament future. He enters the bout with 8 points in a four-way tie for fourth place. Takeshita has 10 points as part of a three-way tie atop the B Block.

Shingo Takagi faces Ren Narita in the semi-main event today. Shingo enters the bout with 6 points in a two-way tie for eighth place in the 10-person block. Narita has 10 points.

IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Zack Sabre Jr. and his 10 points take on Drilla Moloney and his 8 points in tonight’s second tournament bout.

YOSHI-HASHI with 8 points faces the mathematically eliminated El Phantasmo and his 6 points in tonight’s first tournament matchup.

A series of tag matches previewing Sunday’s A Block card fill out today’s undercard. The show streams live on NJPW World beginning at 5:30 a.m. Eastern time.

**********

  • Oleg Boltin & Toru Yano defeated Masatora Yasuda & Taichi
  • House Of Torture defeated TMDK by disqualification
  • Daiki Nagai & Yota Tsuji defeated United Empire
  • House Of Torture defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi & Katsuya Murashima
  • Tomoaki Honma & Yuya Uemura defeated Bullet Club War Dogs
  • El Phantasmo defeated YOSHI-HASHI
  • Zack Sabre Jr. defeated Drilla Moloney
  • Shingo Takagi defeated Ren Narita
  • Shota Umino defeated Konosuke Takeshita

Main Card – Tag Team Matches

Oleg Boltin & Toru Yano defeated Masatora Yasuda & Taichi

(Taichi convincingly looked dejected, despite striking hard and true. Boltin certainly looks more confident in the G1 Climax since last year.)

Taichi led Yasuda in a united front against Boltin, but he overpowered his way out. Yano removed a turnbuckle pad, propelling Yasuda into its corner. It wasn’t easy, but Yasuda toppled Boltin with a hurricanrana and a dropkick.

Taichi directed a kick to Yano, who tumbled out of the ring. Boltin unleashed a belly-to-belly suplex to Taichi. An Axe Bomber was his response. Yano sent Yasuda down with a slam. Yasuda silently agreed to Taichi slamming him onto Yano. Yasuda fell victim to a successful schoolboy pin, losing the match.

House Of Torture (SANADA & Yoshinobu Kanemaru) defeated TMDK (Hartley Jackson & Ryohei Oiwa) by disqualification

(I admit, I’m a sucker for the classic Guerrero style antics.)

Oiwa outwrestled SANADA’s grapple attempts. Offering his hand to shake, SANADA watched as Oiwa was taken to the barricade by Kanemaru whereas Jackson retaliated against SANADA. Into the crowd SANADA dragged Oiwa, ruthlessly beating him with a defenseless water bottle.

Kanemaru and SANADA clobbered Oiwa in the corner. Jackson attempted to garner a comeback with a Jagged Edge but SANADA pulled the referee in to complicate it. Evoking the spirit of Eddie Guerrero, SANADA slapped his trusty acoustic guitar, tossed it to Jackson, and lay on the mat. The referee caught Jackson holding the guitar (despite sheepishly hiding it behind his back. TMDK was then disqualified.

Daiki Nagai & Yota Tsuji defeated United Empire (Callum Newman & Jakob Austin Young)

(I’m stoked for Newman and Tsuji on August 10’s series of A-Block matches. Here’s to hoping nothing too worrisome is afflicting Young.)

Newman had the advantage with high speed and lucha libre offense, yet fell onto Tsuji’s knees once caught. Nagai maintained his team’s control with a dropkick to Young. He retorted with one of his own. Tsuji dropped Newman with a scoop slam and jumped on his prone opponent. A Gene Blaster by Tsuji put Young away for the pinfall.

Post-match: United Empire attacked Tsuji and Nagai. Tsuji dragged Newman to the front. Young was already taken to the back; he had to be checked on earlier in the match.

House Of Torture (Dick Togo & EVIL) defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi & Katsuya Murashima

A generous EVIL offered to fight fair for Tanahashi’s final G1 Climax season.

(Okay, they actually did it. House of Torture put on a clean match. I fully expect this to not be the case tomorrow and will probably be proven wrong. But for all intents and purposes, this was an enjoyable change of pace with a huge subversion of expectation.)

Seemingly true to his word, EVIL asked Togo not to interfere in the early goings. Tanahashi and Murashima took turns tagging in to work Togo’s arm. Murashima caught Don Fale attempting to distract him, to which EVIL instructed Fale to back away. Togo nearly resorted to underhanded tactics, but thought better of it.

Murashima hoped to work EVIL’s leg, but ate a lariat for his efforts. Togo kept Tanahashi on the outside as EVIL locked in a Darkness Scorpion to Murashima, tapping him out.

Post-match: EVIL shook Tanahashi’s hand as Fale and Togo evacuated. Both teams parted ways amicably.

Tomoaki Honma & Yuya Uemura defeated Bullet Club War Dogs (David Finlay & Gedo)

(Finlay’s epic G1 comeback clashes against Uemura’s strong performance thus far come August 10. Their interactions may not have invested me in this match, but this head-to-head clash still compels me to wait in anticipated breath for the next round of A Block matches.)

Uemura looked to have Finlay’s number, wearing him down for Honma’s Kokeshi, which ultimately failed. Gedo worked on Honma’s face, but he and Finlay missed their own stolen Kokeshi. The veteran finally landed a Kokeshi on both fallen opponents. Finlay plopped Uemura with a Backbreaker, lending him to Gedo for his patented Gedo Clutch.

Uemura pulled Gedo in for a Deadbolt, but he escaped only for a deep arm drag. Armbar then in place, Uemura tapped Gedo out for the victory.

G1 Climax B-Block Matches

El Phantasmo (6) defeated YOSHI-HASHI (8)

(There wasn’t much sauce to this match. Both are entertaining wrestlers, but there was no heightened drama or stakes, nor any levity. The Kanagawa fans in attendance may have enjoyed this, but I did not so much. Not bad by any stretch, just painfully average.)

YOSHI-HASHI locked in with Phantasmo, leading to a struggle between the two. Phantasmo kicked YOSHI-HASHI to the outside and followed with a plancha. He leapt to a moonsault from the top rope to YOSHI-HASHI on the outside, who evaded just in time. This rattled Phantasmo’s legs momentarily.

Phantasmo confidently planted YOSHI-HASHI with a Brainbuster. YOSHI-HASHI turned the tide with a dropkick and a baseball kick to render Phantasmo horizontal. Phantasmo fired back with a springboard senton and a springboard moonsault. YOSHI-HASHI returned fire with a dragon suplex and a lariat. He aimed for an Ushigoroshi but failed.

Panic settled in the wrestlers as they urgently pulled out their deepest moves. Phantasmo landed a CR2 to no avail. He then plummetted YOSHI-HASHI with a Burning Hammer. A Thunderkiss ’85 put away YOSHI-HASHI for good, gifting Phantasmo the pinfall.

Zack Sabre Jr. (12) defeated Drilla Moloney (8)

(Sabre’s mixture of technical wrestling, mocking attitude, and cunning makes him dangerous and this match exemplifies this. Moloney’s a powerful beast, but when up against calmer, out-thinking opponents, that won’t account for much.)

Moloney powered out of Sabre’s rapid succession of holds after the bell. However, Sabre regained and maintained control with utmost flexibility with a headlock takedown. Moloney suplanted this with headscissor holds and a short piledriver.

Sabre mockingly tossed his forearm repeatedly into Moloney’s jaw, resulting in the latter throwing in a louder, thunderous forearm to stagger him. Moloney attempted to counter a Zack Driver, only to have his neck twisted by Sabre’s ankles.

The maintained control held by Sabre soon ended with a sit-out piledriver and a Gore. Baiting Moloney into a forearm exchange, Sabre surprised him with a Zack Driver and moved to working onhis arm. In the nick of time, Moloney caught a Penalty Kick, using it to land a powerbomb. He sought to do another one, but Sabre took advantage of Moloney’s weakened bicep, tapping him out in a triangle hold.

Shingo Takagi (8) defeated Ren Narita (10)

(So much happened in this match and I only covered half of it. Takagi and Narita had an action-filled thrill ride that commanded full attention the whole way through.)

Yoshinobu Kanemaru shocked Takagi from the darkness to batter him on the outside.

Enjoying this reversal of fortune, Narita flung Takagi into the chairs before the fans. He clobbered Takagi’s knees with steel chairs and left him for dead in a canyon of chairs. Desperately hobbling to the ring, Takagi collapsed once more thanks to Kanemaru attacking the leg en route to the ring.

Narita tied Takagi’s leg to the rope, pulling hard to strain the knee. Fortunately for him, Daiki Nagai came to his aid by pulling Narita to the outside. Referee Marty Asami fell into Takagi as he hyped up the crowd. Kanemaru took advantage of this with a chair shot. Takagi dropped Narita from the top rope as blood cascaded from his nose. Narita quelled Takagi’s providence with a hold to aggravate the already soft knee.

Takagi nearly choked out Narita for the win, had it not been for Kanemaru ringing the bell. A low-blow and Made in Japan almost gave Takagi the win, but Kanemaru pulled Asami away from the pin. He then attempted to spray whiskey in Takagi’s eyes. Nagai stopped Narita from using his board. Takagi successfully pinned Narita after a Last of the Dragon.

Main Event G1 Climax B-Block

Shota Umino (8) defeated Konosuke Takeshita (10)

(Takeshita has more than proven his ability to deliver classic matches in NJPW. But here, Umino felt like a star. His perseverance and heart won out after a grueling battle where tenacity overcame the stoic, yet raging wildfire that is Takeshita.

Takeshita quickly proved indominatable against the tenacity of Umino. He then went to work on Umino’s neck. Umino turned the tables with a fisherman’s suplex but the Brainbuster he took the prior day took effect. He sent Takeshita a-whirling with two dragon screw legwhips. Takeshita endured stomps to his knee and stumbled mid-Irish Whip.

Umino went for a facelock and drove Takeshita’s knee into the mat. Takeshita caught Umino and wrenched control with a powerbomb and an STF. At ringside, Umino dispatched Takeshita’s knee onto the floor and delivered a hateful lariat across the barricade. Takeshita dropped Umino on the hard blue floor among the crowd with a Brainbuster. Narrowly beating the 20-count on way to the ring, Umino was instantly greeted with a lariat.

Umino heaved Takeshita with a fisherman’s suplex, met by a German suplex by Takeshita. A Tornado-DDT gave him further room for control. Takeshita weathered a heated forearm exchange to send Umino spiraling from the top rope. Umino replied with a superplex in the corner. Snapping Umino’s neck, Takeshita reeled his opponent in for a Crossface Chickenwing. Faded, but not out, Umino weakly kicked out of a pin. A Blue Thunderbomb couldn’t even do the trick.

Catching Takeshita’s leg mid-kick, Umino knocked Takeshita down with a lariat. Takeshita countered Umino’s Second Chapter into a Brainbuster. A second attempt at a Second Chapter did the trick, with Umino getting the win over the Alpha.

(The B-Block stumbled at first, but each match progressively improved on the last. If Umino continues with matches like this, I’ll be a fan again.

NJPW G1 Climax A Block standings: Two wrestlers eliminated

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Two wrestlers were eliminated from A Block contention on Thursday as NJPW G1 Climax 2025 enters its final stretch.

Taichi and SANADA are both out of contention following their losses on today’s show. A defeat to Callum Newman ended Taichi’s hopes, while SANADA was mathematically eliminated by a loss to Hiroshi Tanahashi.

The A Block standings now have Yuya Uemura and EVIL leading the way with 10 points. Behind them, there is a logjam with six wrestlers still in contention at eight points. Three wrestlers from the block will advance to the playoffs pending the results of the final night of A Block action this Sunday.

Here are the current A Block standings:

A Block standings —

  • Yuya Uemura: 10 points (5 wins, 3 losses)
  • EVIL: 10 points (5 wins, 3 losses)
  • Ryohei Oiwa: 8 points (4 wins, 4 losses)
  • David Finlay: 8 points (4 wins, 4 losses)
  • Yota Tsuji: 8 points (4 wins, 4 losses)
  • Oleg Boltin: 8 points (4 wins, 4 losses)
  • Callum Newman: 8 points (4 wins, 4 losses)
  • Hiroshi Tanahashi: 8 points (4 wins, 4 losses)
  • Taichi: 6 points (3 wins, 5 losses)
  • SANADA: 6 points (3 wins, 5 losses)

In the B Block, eight wrestlers are still in contention. El Phantasmo and Gabe Kidd have officially been eliminated, while Shingo Takagi still has a very slim mathematical path to the playoffs despite only having six points.

B Block standings —

  • Konosuke Takeshita: 10 points (5 wins, 2 losses)
  • Ren Narita: 10 points (5 wins, 2 losses)
  • Zack Sabre Jr.: 10 points (5 wins, 2 losses)
  • Shota Umino: 8 points (4 wins, 3 losses)
  • Drilla Moloney: 8 points (4 wins, 3 losses)
  • YOSHI-HASHI: 8 points (4 wins, 3 losses)
  • Great-O-Khan: 8 points (4 wins, 4 losses)
  • Shingo Takagi: 6 points (3 wins, 4 losses)
  • El Phantasmo: 6 points (3 wins, 5 losses)
  • Gabe Kidd: 0 points (withdrew from tournament due to injury)

There are now only six shows remaining in the tournament, which will conclude at Ariake Arena in Tokyo on August 17. The winner receives an IWGP World Heavyweight Championship shot that is traditionally used at Wrestle Kingdom.

The remaining G1 schedule can be seen below:

Friday, August 8 in Kanagawa

  • B Block: El Phantasmo vs. YOSHI-HASHI
  • B Block: Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Drilla Moloney
  • B Block: Shingo Takagi vs. Ren Narita
  • B Block: Shota Umino vs. Konosuke Takeshita

Sunday, August 10 in Gunma

  • A Block: Yuya Uemura vs. David Finlay
  • A Block: Taichi vs. Oleg Boltin
  • A Block: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. EVIL
  • A Block: Yota Tsuji vs. Callum Newman
  • A Block: Ryohei Oiwa vs. SANADA

Wednesday, August 13 in Shizuoka

  • B Block: Shota Umino vs. Great-O-Khan
  • B Block: YOSHI-HASHI vs. Zack Sabre Jr.
  • B Block: Konosuke Takeshita vs. Ren Narita
  • B Block: Shingo Takagi vs. Drilla Moloney

Thursday, August 14 in Tokyo (Korakuen Hall)

  • 2nd Place A Block vs. 3rd Place B Block
  • 2nd Place B Block vs. 3rd Place A Block

Saturday, August 16 in Tokyo (Ariake Arena)

  • A Block Winner vs. Winner of 2nd Place B Block vs. 3rd Place A Block
  • B Block Winner vs. Winner of 2nd Place A Block vs. 3rd Place B Block

Sunday, August 17 in Tokyo (Ariake Arena)

  • Tournament finals

NJPW G1 Climax 35 updated standings and schedule

Posted on by Ian Carey

G1 Climax 35 is heading into its final few shows, and the field is still wide open.

Three wrestlers from each block will advance to the knockout stage this year, with the block winners receiving a bye to the semifinals. Even without the additional knockout round spots, most competitors would still be in the running to advance, especially in the A Block where first and last place are separated by only two points.

The third-to-last night of round-robin action for B Block took place today in Osaka. Joseph Collins has a detailed report on the show available here. Zack Sabre Jr. defeated Shingo Takagi in the main event. The IWGP World Champion has only lost to Ren Narita and Shota Umino so far in the tournament.

Narita, Konosuke Takeshita, and Sabre sit atop B Block with 10 points. They are followed by Drilla Moloney, YOSHI-HASHI, Great-O-Khan, and Umino with 8 points. El Phantasmo sits at 6 points, including his default victory over Gabe Kidd scheduled for the final night, and is eliminated. Takagi also has 6 points and would need to win out and receive considerable help to have any chance of advancing.

The updated standings and remaining lineup are below:

A Block Standings

  • EVIL – 8 points
  • Yuya Uemura – 8 points
  • Ryohei Oiwa – 8 points
  • Yota Tsuji – 8 points
  • Boltin Oleg – 8 points
  • SANADA – 6 points
  • David Finlay – 6 points
  • Callum Newman – 6 points
  • Taichi – 6 points
  • Hiroshi Tanahashi – 6 points

B Block Standings

  • Konosuke Takeshita – 10 points
  • Ren Narita – 10 points
  • Zack Sabre Jr. – 10 points
  • Shota Umino – 8 points
  • Great-O-Khan – 8 points
  • Drilla Maloney – 8 points
  • YOSHI-HASHI – 8 points
  • Shingo Takagi – 6 points
  • El Phantasmo – 6 points
  • Gabe Kidd – 0 points

Remaining Schedule

The tournament continues on Thursday with the penultimate night of round-robin for A Block at Korakuen Hall.

Thursday, August 7 in Tokyo (Korakuen Hall)

  • A Block: Taichi vs. Callum Newman
  • A Block: Boltin Oleg vs. EVIL
  • A Block: HIroshi Tanahashi vs. SANADA
  • A Block: Yuya Uemura vs. Ryohei Oiwa
  • A Block: Yota Tsuji vs. David Finlay

Friday, August 8 in Kanagawa

  • B Block: El Phantasmo vs. YOSHI-HASHI
  • B Block: Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Drilla Moloney
  • B Block: Shingo Takagi vs. Ren Narita
  • B Block: Shota Umino vs. Konosuke Takeshita

Sunday, August 10 in Gunma

  • A Block: Yuya Uemura vs. David Finlay
  • A Block: Taichi vs. Boltin Oleg
  • A Block: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. EVIL
  • A Block: Yota Tsuji vs. Callum Newman
  • A Block: Ryohei Oiwa vs. SANADA

Wednesday, August 13 in Shizuoka

  • B Block: Shota Umino vs. Great-O-Khan
  • B Block: YOSHI-HASHI vs. Zack Sabre Jr. (10 points)
  • B Block: Konosuke Takeshita vs. Ren Narita
  • B Block: Shingo Takagi vs. Drilla Moloney

Thursday, August 14 in Tokyo (Korakuen Hall)

  • 2nd Place A Block vs. 3rd Place B Block
  • 2nd Place B Block vs. 3rd Place A Block

Saturday, August 16 in Tokyo (Ariake Arena)

  • A Block Winner vs. Winner of 2nd Place B Block vs. 3rd Place A Block
  • B Block Winner vs. Winner of 2nd Place A Block vs. 3rd Place B Block

Sunday, August 17 in Tokyo (Ariake Arena)

  • Tournament Finals

NJPW G1 Climax 35 results: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Yota Tsuji

Posted on by Corey Michaels

NJPW’s G1 Climax 35 tournament continues today with an A Block show from Fukuoka.

Hiroshi Tanahashi faces Yota Tsuji in the main event tournament match. Tanahashi is part of a three-way-tie for last place in A Block, while Tsuji is part of a three-way-tie for first place. Tanahashi has 4 points, while Tsuji stands at 8.

The next G1 tournament win for Tanahashi will give him 100 for his unparalleled career.

David Finlay and his 4 points face EVIL and his 8 points in today’s semi-main event.

Yuya Uemura with 8 points and coming off a victory over Tanahashi, faces SANADA and his 4 points.

Taichi faces Ryohei Oiwa in a battle of 6 points on the show.

The other competitors with 6 points also square off with Boltin Oleg vs. Callum Newman.

A series of tag matches previewing the next B Block show on Tuesday round out today’s undercard. The show begins at 4 a.m. Eastern time on NJPW World.

**********

Main Card – Tag Team Matches

The Don Callis Family (Konosuke Takeshita & Rocky Romero) defeated Shoma Kato & YOSHI-HASHI

(YOSHI-HASHI, given his G1 record this year, doesn’t inspire hope in me to win this to enter the semi-finals, let alone the finals. The B-Block matches on August 5 may change that, but I look to Takeshita to maintain his dominance.)

Takeshita tossed YOSHI-HASHI around at ringside, while the nimble Romero used aerial kicks keep Kato down. Kato ran the ropes at Takeshita’s request, eventually knocking the Alpha down. YOSHI-HASHI kept up the momentum, but Takeshita’s shoulder drove him away. Romero pinned Kato after a Sliced Bread.

House Of Torture (Ren Narita & Yoshinobu Kanemaru) defeated United Empire (Great-O-Khan & Jakob Austin Young)

(Whether to instill further doubts in Khan or to sow seeds of an epic babyface comeback, Khan’s knee and arm injuries add drama to his G1 journey. Plus, it’s a smart plan by House of Torture—wear down your opponent so they’ll be easy to handle the next night. Khan sold his wounds well.)

Sensing the still-present damage to Khan’s arm courtesy of Zack Sabre Jr the previous night, Narita targeted his right arm. Kanemaru, meanwhile, later focused on Khan’s left knee. Young left Narita dazed after he gained control and floated into a Tornado-DDT. Kanemaru yanked the referee down while he applied utmost pressure to Young in a figure-four leglock. Narita kept Khan at bay while Young tapped out to the leglock.

Post-match: Kanemaru and Narita brought in a steel chair to add further punishment to Khan’s knee.

Bullet Club War Dogs (Drilla Moloney & Taiji Ishimori) defeated El Phantasmo & Jado

(It’s hard to say who will walk away with additional points tomorrow. Moloney’s on a hot streak right now, but Phantasmo in 2025 has a certain flair about him.)

Ishimori suffered at the hands of Jado and Phantasmo, with the former landing a DDT. Moloney feigned a ripcord to subvert Phantasmo into a series of chops. Phantasmo aimed for a CR2 but rolled away to Jado after a Spinebuster. Ishimori played dead after Jado’s clothesline, only to pull him in for a roll-up for the win.

TMDK (Hartley Jackson & Zack Sabre Jr.) defeated Daiki Nagai & Shingo Takagi

(Nagai came into his own in this match. Takagi’s support went a long way, too. With whatever happens with the remnants of Los Ingobernables de Japon, I hope Nagai finds his place with them.)

Sabre and Takagi wrestled to a standstill. Nagai had no such luck against Jackson. Sabre popped in for his own technical pressure on the Young Lion. Jackson returned for a senton, but Takagi saved Nagai. Together, they neutralized Jackson. Nagai even narrowly toppled Jackson with a Canadian Destroyer!

Sabre came to Jackson’s aid, but Nagai snatched him for a Spinebuster. Jackson’s girth prevented a powerslam by Nagai, and he responded with a senton. He then followed up with a Jagged Edge to Nagai.

G1 Climax A-Block Matches

Oleg Boltin (7) defeated Callum Newman (6)

(Boltin is his own beast, but Newman pulled out a hard-fought effort. Despite the back issues, he made Boltin fight for the win.)

Boltin rolled to the outside after a hurricanrana by Newman. Outside, he withstood the unforgiving blue steel barricades. Chops and slams by Boltin aggravated Newman’s injured back. Newman transitioned Boltin’s Kamikaze to a semi-successful hurricanrana. Boltin landed a standing Kamikaze.

Newman pressed into Boltin’s midsection with a stomp from the top rope. He rolled through Boltin’s suplex. With swiftness, Boltin caught Newman, who had full momentum, and planted him with a Kamikaze for the win.

Ryohei Oiwa (7) defeated Taichi (6)

(Taichi is 6-6 in his G1 win-loss record, so he can’t get too comfortable. While I support him, I’m also investing in Oiwa stock.)

Equally strong, Taichi and Oiwa repeatedly reached an impasse. Taichi broke this with a kick. Oiwa gained the upper hand, pummelling Taichi with a scoop slam and a senton. An enzuigiri handed Taichi a comeback. Oiwa escaped a Black Mephisto to drop Taichi with a Doctor Bomb. Dangerous Backdrop provided Taichi with a moment to breathe.

A weary war of stiff forearms wore weaker, but Taichi’s wrist control kept him in control. An Axe Bomber cemented it. Taichi cut off any offense Oiwa might have wanted with enzuigiris each time. However, in the nick of time, Oiwa sent Taichi falling with The Grip. This earned Oiwa the pinfall.

SANADA (6) defeated Yuya Uemura (8)

(Perhaps the only match I wasn’t fond of. Were it not for the House of Torture, this bout would’ve had the makings of a great match.)

Within minutes, SANADA had wrist control, but it shifted to Uemura. SANADA regained it, but a deep armdrag swung it back in Uemura’s favor. SANADA opted to other forms of offense, but Uemura would return wrist control in his favor with more arm drags. Shining Wizard by SANADA broke the cycle. Choosing something new, Uemura plunged SANADA with a back suplex.

Uemura tried for an armbar. SANADA propelled Uemura into Referee Marty Asami, leading him to proceed with a low blow. Uemura rolled out of the way of SANADA’s guitar shot. After Asami missed a capture pin, Yoshinobu Kanemaru slid into the ring to spray whiskey in Uemura’s face.

SANADA finally blasted Uemura with his guitar; Kanemaru took advantage of this by rolling Asami back over and directing his attention to SANADA’s pin. This lent SANADA the pinfall.

David Finlay (6) defeated EVIL (8)

(Surprisingly great. This naturally warranted a lack of referee during the more plunder-heavy moments of this match. Moreover, the odds stacked against Finlay gave the Bullet Club leader the support of fans needed to propel him to victory. Throughout his G1 journey, at this juncture, Finlay needed this win.)

Finlay cut EVIL’s entrance short as he drove him into the crowd. EVIL tubmled onto the floor as Finlay landed upright, clotheslining him to the outside. Don Fale and Dick Togo joined EVIL in tossing Finlay into the barricade, even knocking over a commentary desk. Both opponents traded profanities on the microphone as EVIL choked Finlay with the wire.

Referee Red Shoes prevented EVIL from using a steel chair, leading to the House of Torture leader to toss it to Gedo. This lent Fale and Togo to aid EVIL by removing the turnbuckle pad. Landing in the exposed iron of the padless corner, Finlay fired back with an Irish Curse. Fale attempted to squish Finlay in the corner but instead landed Red Shoes. He, EVIL, and Togo struck Finlay with a steel chair as a Young Lion carried Red Shoes to the back.

EVIL and his henchmen were singlehandedly thwarted by Finlay, with Fale shockingly sent back in a vertical suplex. Fueled by adrenaline, Finlay nearly spelt doom for EVIL with a powerbomb, stopped only by a low blow. EVIL grabbed a steel chain to choke Finlay and adorned his lariat with its unforgiving metal. Spear by Finlay downed EVIL. Gedo handed Finlay a shillelagh. Kenta Sato replaced Red Shoes as referee. Finlay defeated EVIL with an Overkill.

Main Event G1 Climax A-Block

Hiroshi Tanahashi (6) defeated Yota Tsuji (8)

(Hope for The Ace is on the horizon. Tanahashi gaining his 100th G1 win bolsters the heightened stakes of the tournament. Can he keep up this momentum? He’s made career history, but will he end his career on the highest note possible? This is what the G1 is about, beckoning fans to speculate where things will go from here.

As far as the match goes, Tanahashi had his undying charisma driving the match, fully weaving his age and weakening knees into the storyline and the match structure. Tsuji was no slouch either, making Tanahashi look like a billion yen. To fill his Gene Blasters with so much dread that they’re hardly seen, he had the potential of a threat, supplanted by the legend.)

Tanahashi clenched hold of Tsuji’s wrists, broken by a rope break. Tsuji worked Tanahashi’s knees, most painfully exemplified by a horizontal Dragon Screw Legwhip. Karma found Tsuji, as Tanahashi sprang his own Dragon Screw Legwhip. Scoop slam reintroduced Tsuji to the mat, followed by a top rope senton. Tsuji countered a Slingblade with a backslide and a knee to the Ace’s face.

Tsuji aimed to send Tanahashi reeling with a vertical suplex but fell to the mat after a Twist’n’Shout. Tanahashi ended a standoff by stopping Tsuji’s Gene Blaster with a Slingblade. The Ace countered another Gene Blaster into a Snapdragon Suplex. Despite his best efforts, Tsuji bore the brunt of three High Fly Flows and lost the match.

(All but one of the G1 matches hit on all cylinders. Whether it’s the youthful clash of Oleg Boltin and Callum Newman, the continuance of the War Dogs versus House of Torture between David Finlay and EVIL, Taichi falling behind Ryohei Oiwa, or Tanahashi gaining his 100th G1 win, there was much to enjoy. Sadly, the House of Torture had to get a win, with SANADA taking out Yuya Uemura, with interference. But that pales in comparison to the hype of the tournament as it heats up.)

NJPW G1 Climax 35 results: Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Great-O-Khan

Posted on by Corey Michaels

Four B Block matches are set for today’s NJPW G1 Climax 35 event in Hiroshima.

In the main event, IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Zack Sabre Jr. faces Great-O-Khan. It’s the fourth career singles meeting between the two, with Sabre winning all three previous matchups. O-Khan is part of a four-way tie atop B Block with 8 points, while Sabre has 6 points in a three-way tie for fifth place in the Block.

Drilla Moloney and his 8 points face Konosuke Takeshita and his 6 points in today’s semi-main event in a first-time singles meeting between the two.

Shingo Takagi takes on El Phantasmo in another tournament bout on today’s show. Both are tied for eighth place in B Block with 4 points. Shingo has won two out of three previous singles meetings with ELP.

YOSHI-HASHI and Shota Umino square off in today’s first tournament matchup. YH has 8 points, while Umino has 6 points.

Five tag team bouts previewing the next A Block matchups round out today’s undercard. The show begins at 3 a.m. Eastern time on NJPW World.

**********

Main Card – Tag Team Matches

Oleg Boltin & Toru Yano defeated United Empire (Callum Newman & Jakob Austin Young)

(Yano is underrated when it comes to matches like these: playing the fool so well that everyone thinks his comedy is part of the act, but it lets him outsmart others. That’s the secret of where the genius of his character lies. Also, though quite brief, the momentary exposure of Boltin and Newman leaves tomorrow’s A-Block matches enticing; it’ll be interesting how these young foreign NJPW talent fare one-on-one.)

Newman started off with some momentum against Boltin after some kicks, but a shoulder tackle and a Boltin Shake shook him off. Young equalized Yano and joined Newman in overwhelming Boltin. Yano tore the turnbuckle pad and threw it at Young. Feigning hurt against the exposed turnbuckle, Yano used Young’s momentum during an Irish Whip to drop and roll him up for the pin.

TMDK (Hartley Jackson & Ryohei Oiwa) defeated Masatora Yasuda & Taichi

(Yasuda’s brilliance is budding, as seen in this match. Jackson selling for him despite being monstrous held the idea that the rookie could chip and tear at the beast to one day slay him. Good stuff.)

Evenly matched, Oiwa and Taichi wrestled to a stalemate. Hiroshima cheered Yasuda on as he attempted a flip on Jackson. Despite suffering the full weight of Jackson falling on him, Yasuda avoided Oiwa with a hurricanrana and dropkick.

Though their partners wrestled to another standstill, Yasuda gained some offense with high dropkicks on Jackson, and ate a burning lariat for his efforts. Jackson dropped courtesy of Taichi and Yasuda’s unified vertical suplex.

Jackson’s senton may have crushed Yasuda’s midsection, but his Jagged Edge gave him the pinfall over the Young Lion.

Shoma Kato & Yuya Uemura vs. House Of Torture (SANADA & Yoshinobu Kanemaru)

(Soon, Milano is going to have enough and beat somebody up if people keep involving him in their matches. The way the match went, in storytelling structure, it seems Uemura might triumph over SANADA tomorrow in the A-Block matches.)

A callous SANADA battered Uemura, dragging him into the crowd (and through Milano Collection, again). Abandoned for a hopeful 20-count, Uemura sprinted to beat the timer. Kato may have started with spirit against Kanemaru, but the veteran was wiser and merciless in his approach, dropping the upstart repeatedly on the mat.

Locking in a Boston Crab, Kanemaru dragged Kato into the center. Pulling back and sinking low, he forced a tap-out by the Young Lion.

Hiroshi Tanahashi & Katsuya Murashima defeated Daiki Nagai & Yota Tsuji

(Some nice levity to this match. The flex-off, Murashima having too much fun with the air guitar, it added to the fun. Tanahashi and Tsuji should have a nice match tomorrow. Tonight reads that we’ll see the Ace pass the torch to another Reiwa Musketeer.)

Following a flex-off, Tanahashi’s seasoned expertise saw him topplle Tsuji with a flying crossbody. The Ace and Murashima then teamed against Nagai; Murashima was so amped up about it that he got carried away with the air guitar pose that Tanahashi had to calm him back down.

Several spiteful chops and a dropkick by Nagai wore down on Murashima. Using Murashima’s momentum against him, Nagai planted him with a Spinebuster. Murashima barreled into a comeback, pouncing on Nagai. Tanahashi intercepted Tsuji with a Dragon Screw Legwhip. Together, Tanahashi and legal man Murashima held Tsuji and Nagai in Boston Crabs; Murashima sank his Crab in deeper upon a crawling Nagai to tap him out.

House Of Torture (Dick Togo & EVIL) defeated Bullet Club War Dogs (David Finlay & Gedo)

(Thankfully a short House of Torture match. However, credit where it’s due, the aftermath of the Bullet Club Civil War added to the match’s drama, especially in those closing moments.)

No time was spared in this match, as EVIL and Finlay reignited their Bullet Club war to the Hiroshima crowd. Don Fale played equalizer, taking out Finlay on the outside. Togo and EVIL tormented Gedo, where Fale joined them. Gedo pounded Togo with a Fistdrop. Togo ripped away the turnbuckle pad and EVIL whipped Finlay into it.

Fale and Togo held Finlay down as he locked eyes with EVIL who tapped Gedo out with a Darkness Scorpion.

G1 Climax B-Block Matches

Shota Umino defeated YOSHI-HASHI

(Hiroshima loved this one and I appreciate it as well. Umino’s quietly been putting on classic G1 performances, contrasting his rough early 2025.)

YOSHI-HASHI withstood Umino’s early fire, sending him across the barricades. Increasingly confident, YOSHI-HASHI fell victim to Umino targeting his knee. Basement dropkick by YOSHI-HASHI brought Umino’s trajectory to a screeching halt.

Umino applied pressure to an STF, to which YOSHI-HASHI could barely crawl out of. YOSHI-HASHI planted Umino with a Canadian Destroyer. A right-handed lariat cut the head off of YOSHI-HASHI, with a knee to drop him. YOSHI-HASHI reversed Umino’s Northern Light’s Suplex with a DDT. After an intense trade of lariats and kicks, each more devastating than the last, Umino pinned YOSHI-HASHI after a Second Chapter.

Shingo Takagi defeated El Phantasmo

(After a solid opener, Takagi and ELP elevated the show with a classic. Starting with goofy banter, the pair quickly heated up the scene with a display that left Hiroshima in applause.)

Phantasmo interacted with the audience for an extended period, soon wearing out Takagi’s patience. Tijeras courtesy of Phantasmo flipped Takagi over, giving way to offense on the blue steel guardrails at ringside. Takagi’s right hand stopped Phantasmo’s floaty offense with a quick yet effective punch. He flipped the Canadian with a Driver onto the ring apron.

While Takagi did incur a Step-Up Enzuigiri, he delivered a Pumping Bomber. Unidentified Flying Opponent sent Takagi crashing back down. The heat of the match began to boil, as Takagi planted Phantasmo with Made in Japan. Phantasmo swung a comeback with a Poisonrana and a CR2. Failing a Sudden Death, Phantasmo soared from the top rope but narrowly suffered a sliding Pumping Bomber.

CR2 by Phantasmo was reversed into poisonrana, followed by a Pumping Bomber. Takagi stole a CR2, hit Phantasmo with another Pumping Bomber, and sealed the deal at last with a Last of the Dragon.

Konosuke Takeshita defeated Drilla Moloney

(The match was already a great watch, but that final stand fueled on pure rage and hate elevated this. Moloney embodied a protagonistic fire and spirit that made it all the more heartbreaking when Takeshita stopped his endeavors.)

Moloney and Takeshita immediately went to war, soon spreading to the audience and into the chairs surrounding. Takeshita endured chops and promptly downed Moloney with a stiff forearm. Moloney barreled Takeshita out of the ring and into the barricade. Exploder suplex by Takeshita stopped Moloney’s control, with a Brainbuster providing additional damage.

Takeshita rolled out of the way of an elbow drop, resulting in Moloney landing loudly and painfully on the mat. Blue Thunderbomb by Takeshita added more salt in the wound. Moloney slammed Takeshita with a Spinebuster, and succeeded with a fruitful Elbow Drop. Invoking the name of the injured Gabe Kidd, Takeshita incurred Moloney’s wrath that ended with a powerful lariat. Takeshita survived a Drilla Killa, ending the match in a Raging Fire for the win.

Main Event G1 Climax B-Block

Zack Sabre Jr. defeated Great-O-Khan

(What an excellent, unique showcase! Sabre had to cut away Khan’s most powerful asset, his arms, to take the win from Khan. Had he not have succeeded in wearing down Khan’s arm, Sabre would not have eked out this victory. Khan’s matches have this flair of an unstoppable force, but in this, his kryptonite cracked his skin. This is the ruthless Zack that should have had his defenses since his first NJPW World Heavyweight Championship reign.

Cautiously dancing around the other, Sabre and Khan grappled to a few impasses. Even when they got physical, they were evenly matched, with both men working the other’s arms and both men falling after boots to the faces at the same time. Khan implemented his Claw during a Cobra Twist. Sabre grounded Khan with a cross-armbar.

Finding a sweet spot in Khan’s left arm, Sabre battled with Khan for control until a back suplex broke his hold. Sabre prevented Khan’s Mongolian Chops but wound up slammed mid-air and flung around like a ragdoll.

Firmly ensnaring his limbs around the arm of his opponent, Sabre was raised up and slammed. The aches of the arm-targeting were evident in Khan’s half-Mongolian Chops to Sabre. Enduring strikes in succession, Khan brought his forearm into Sabre’s midsection, momentarily downing him. Bristling past Sabre’s Tornado-DDT, Khan blasted him with an Eliminator. Following an unsuccessful Zack Driver, Sabre held Khan in an armbar.

(Each B-Block match tonight brought something new that told a different story, each of which still commanded full attention. Heading over halfway into the tournament, and everyone is becoming more pronounced in their viability as a potential finalist. As I type this, I’m finding myself changing my favorites to win.)

NJPW G1 Climax 35 results: Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Konosuke Takeshita

Posted on by Corey Michaels

Night eight of the NJPW G1 Climax 35 tournament takes place today in Osaka with four B Block matches on the card.

In the main event, Zack Sabre Jr. faces Konosuke Takeshita in a first-time-ever singles meeting.

Sabre, the IWGP World Heavyweight Champion, is off to a rough start in the G1, tied for seventh place in the 10-man B Block with just 4 points. Takeshita, the former NEVER Openweight Champion, is part of a four-way tie for third place with his 6 points.

Shota Umino and Shingo Takagi will square off in the semi-main event. Shingo is in ninth place in the Block with just 2 points thus far, while Umino has 6 points.

Ren Narita, tied for first place in the B Block with his 8 points, faces Drilla Moloney and his 6 points in the second tournament bout of the night.

Great-O-Khan (6 points) and El Phantasmo (4 points) kick off today’s tournament action.

Five undercard tag matches previewing Friday’s A Block show begin today’s card. The show streams live on NJPW World beginning at 5:30 a.m. Eastern time.

**********

Main Card – Tag Team Matches

Daiki Nagai & Yota Tsuji defeated Masatora Yasuda & Taichi

(This moreso emphasized the growth of Nagai and Yasuda, so they may possibly graduate soon. I can’t wait to see how they develop later on.)

Nagai cornered Taichi early on, who tagged in Yasuda. Tsuji got the better of Yasuda who escaped after bringing out a hurricanrana. Taichi endured a Backbreaker and curb stomp to release a lariat on Tsuji. Nagai sent Yasuda soaring with a Monkey Flip following some fast-paced grappling. A dropkick by Yasuda gave him control once more. Nagai sank in a Boston Crab on Yasuda, successfully dragging him to the middle of the ring for a tap-out.

Yuya Uemura & Shoma Kato defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi & Katsuya Murashima

(Murashima has been earning accolades of his own, undoubtedly one of the most impressive of this recent crop of Young Lions. That said, Kato shows promise as he’s got the timing down and the in-ring awareness. Some in-ring psychology and some charisma and he’s set.)

Uemura and Tanahashi grappled after the bell, with the Ace coming out on top after a drop toehold. Murashima whittled Kato down, with he and Tanahashi taking turns slamming their opponent. Withstanding the unforgiving offense of Tanahashi, Kato toppled him with a dropkick. Uemura with a hot tag sprang with a fiery flurry of his own including a dropkick of his own. Dragon Screw Legwhip by Tanahashi gave him enough time to tag in Murashima. In rampaging fury, Murashima charged Uemura, who turned things around by targeting the Young Lion’s arm. Armbar fully locked in, Uemura tapped Murashima out.

House Of Torture (SANADA & Yoshinobu Kanemaru) defeated United Empire (Callum Newman & Jakob Austin Young)

(If anyone would want to create a highlight reel for Callum Newman, this match would give ample footage for it. Presented as the most effective member of this match, he came off like a star.)

Unsurprisingly, House of Torture intercepted their opponents before the bell for an underhanded assault. SANADA tossed Newman across the crowd area, toppling several chairs. Newman, back in the ring, quickly dispatched Kanemaru and SANADA with kicks. SANADA attempted thwarting this momentum with a Skull End, reversed only by a resounding kick by Newman. Young spiked Kanemaru, but SANADA prevented him capitalizing on it. Whiskey Mist by Kanemaru gave him a Gedo Clutch pinfall victory over Young.

TMDK (Hartley Jackson & Ryohei Oiwa) defeated House Of Torture (Dick Togo & EVIL)

(A classic House of Torture comeuppance bout, Jackson and Oiwa played to their strengths well. Nothing groundbreaking, as expected for an early half match on a G1 night, but not bad, either.)

Despite House of Torture’s typical antics of pre-match ambushes, Jackson survived a Senton by Togo and choke by EVIL. Sent outside to some bullying by HoT’s Don Fale, Jackson equalized him by reversing an Irish Whip to the barricade. Though Oiwa brought his might, struggled with Kanemaru courtesy of an EVIL interference; Jackson dispatched EVIL. His vertical suplex on Togo allowed Oiwa to work his arm in a Juji-gatame.

Oleg Boltin & Toru Yano defeated BULLET CLUB War Dogs (David Finlay & Gedo)

(Rather than exemplify the impressiveness of Finlay and Boltin, they saved it for later. In its place was a hilarious match not too dissimilar to a Bugs Bunny classic cartoon.)

Finlay brought the heat to Boltin, and he returned it in kind, capping it off with a Boltin Shake. A vengeful Finlay proceeded to target Boltin’s knee. Landing a Senton to Boltin, Finlay then taunted Yano on the rope. With Boltin wore down and horizontal in the ring, Gedo hoped for an easy win, only for the Kazakh wrestler to kick out of a pin leading to Finlay to tag back in. Distracting Gedo with the turnbuckle pad, Yano rolled Gedo up for a 2-Count. In a tug-of-war with hair and facial hair, Yano attempted another roll-up. Launching Gedo into the exposed corner, Yano hit Gedo with a Low Blow and won the match with a roll-up.

G1 Climax B-Block Matches

Great-O-Khan defeated El Phantasmo

(A nearly great match. This was intense as the match approached its closing stretch. Phantasmo having the bulk of the fight in his favor, only for Khan to pull out a devastating move at the last moment capped off a bout that felt like either man’s game to win.)

Khan’s power had an edge over Phantasmo, but a Tope Suicida sent him over the guardrails and into the crowd. Teasing dropping Khan onto Yamato Arena’s exposed floor, Phantasmo instead found himself ringside, battered on the guardrail. Pressing all of his weight on Phantasmo, Khan followed up his comeback by flipping his opponent over his shoulder. Phantasmo regained control with a crossbody and a moonsault.

Using his claw over Phantasmo’s face, Khan spun him around to disorient him. Phantasmo retaliated with a lariat, leading both men to collapse after a simultaneous lariat onto one another. Unidentified Flying Opponent courtesy of Phantasmo further wore on Khan. A desperate yet effective Tornado-DDT + Sudden Death brutalized Khan, but couldn’t keep him down. Khan’s Super Eliminator from the top rope devastated Phantasmo for the three crucial seconds, giving the United Empire member a victory.

Drilla Moloney defeated Ren Narita

(This wasn’t just a House of Torture comeuppance. This was survival by a one-man army. Moloney superseding Kanemaru and unleashing pressure on Narita, unrelenting, gave a heat to this match that will be an underrated match in the G1 Climax catalog.)

Yoshinobu surprised Moloney during the entrance, giving Narita an early advantage. To make matters worse for Moloney, Narita bit into his forehead, drawing blood. Kanemaru continued to aid Narita from the outside, softening Moloney. Fed up, the War Dog swung a comeback by catching Narita’s low blow and blasting him with a Spinebuster. German suplex by Narita scrambled Moloney for a chokehold. Moloney caught Narita mid-air for a powerbomb. A mighty and wild succession of offense by Moloney incapacitated Narita with a Drilla Killa gifting the War Dog a pinfall.

Shingo Takagi defeated Shota Umino

(Wow. For all the struggles Umino has had in recent years regarding fan perception, it cannot be denied how skillful he is. The action, the drama, the intensity ramped up increasingly, outright demanding a viewer’s attention.)

Umino and Takagi locked up, with the latter grabbing control with a shoulder tackle. In an instant, Umino earned a reprieve, trapping Takagi’s leg in the guardrail, swinging it against the blue steel. Back in the ring, Umino worked Takagi’s leg, with a Fisherman Suplex bringing more damage. Takagi, after much flinching and cringing, reversed Umino’s Dragon Screw Legwhip with one of his own. A sliding lariat lent Takagi more of an advantage.

Umino evaded a Made in Japan for a Dragon Screw Legwhip in the corner. STF locked in, Umino dragged Takagi deep as he sunk in the torment. A couple of Exploder Suplexes by Umino rendered he and Takagi immobile. From the top rope, Takagi flung Umino to the center of the ring and made a spirited comeback with a Made in Japan. Tornado-DDT by Umino returned Takagi back to the mat. Umino temporarily staggered during a forearm exchange but came out of it with a Strike-Knee and a Decapitation Lariat. Last of the Dragon by Takagi destroyed Umino, but unfortunately Umino’s targeting of the knee slowed him down. This cost him a Pumping Bomber victory as well. Ultimately, however, a Burning Dragon sealed the deal, making Takagi the winner.

Main Event G1 Climax B-Block

Zack Sabre Jr. defeated Konosuke Takeshita

(What a match! Takeshita started out unfazed by the holds and submissions, calmly ekeing out of whatever Sabre threw at him. Sabre’s irritation at reaching for a rope break causing him to change tactics and be ruthless gave him all the edge. It was only a waiting game from there, and all Sabre had to do was hold on. Fantastic story.)

Sabre and Takeshita grappled to a stalemate, with the latter calmly dancing around the former’s technical offense. Grounded by a headscissors hold, Sabre wriggled dearly for a rope break despite his misgivings on them. Springboard dropkick by Sabre cut off Takeshita at the top rope, ruining his left leg. Sabre continued to target that leg, particularly the knee region. Contorting Takeshita like a pretzel, Sabre tied his opponent’s arm into his leg for a nasty bend.

On the outside, Takeshita reclaimed control of the match via a Brainbuster on the floor. Back in the ring, Sabre resumed work on Takeshita’s leg, and eventually arm. Eventually, Takeshita fired back with lariats and kicks. Cobra Twist by Sabre stretched Takeshita some more, but he fought out with a suplex. Reversal after reversal, the pair traded pins until Takeshita relented so he could deliver a knee. A Blue Thunderbomb by Takeshita and a Zack Driver by Sabre nearly finished the other. Sabre loudly slapped the neck of Takeshita, sent momentarily reeling, only to collide headfirst with Takeshita’s knee. Clinging tightly around Takeshita’s neck, Sabre held on even through a drop to the outside, maintaining control the whole way through. Unable to escape, Takeshita tapped out.

(The tag matches continue to paint a glimpse to the next night of Block A matches. Tonight’s G1 matches were incredible, progressively growing in match quality and they were all better than good.)

NJPW G1 Climax 35 live results: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Ryohei Oiwa

Posted on by Corey Michaels

NJPW G1 Climax 35 continues today in Nagoya with a show featuring five A Block matches.

In the main event, company president Hiroshi Tanahashi faces the up and coming Ryohei Oiwa in a matchup of two wrestlers with 4 points each in the tournament. It will be the first career singles meeting between the two.

In the semi-main, EVIL and Yuya Uemura go head-to-head in another first-ever singles matchup between them. EVIL is tied for the A Block lead with 6 points, while Uemura has 4 points.

SANADA and Taichi will square off in another A Block battle. SANADA has 2 points, while Taichi has 4. These two have met seven times in singles matches in their careers, with SANADA holding a 6-1 edge.

David Finlay and Callum Newman go one-on-one in the show’s second tournament bout in yet another first-time meeting. Both enter the bout with 2 points each.

In the first tournament match of the night, Yota Tsuji faces Boltin Oleg, with the winner in position to take the A Block lead with a victory. Both are tied with EVIL with 6 points atop A Block to this point.

A series of tag team matches previewing the next B Block matches fills out today’s undercard. The show begins at 4 a.m. Eastern time on NJPW World.

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Tag matches

El Phantasmo & Jado defeated United Empire (Great-O-Khan & Jakob Austin Young)

(Phantasmo was in great form for an opener. His banter with Young was hilarious.)

Khan seemed to have early control after the bell when he grappled with Phantasmo. Jado had the misfortune of Khan applying the pressure of his weight seated on the top rope turnbuckle. Jado clenched a comeback after a lariat, to which Phantasmo followed up on with a plancha to Khan and Young. Back in the ring, Phantasmo landed a Canadian Revolution 2 on Young for the win.

Katsuya Murashima & Shota Umino defeated Daiki Nagai & Shingo Takagi

(Murashima has great potential. Hopefully soon, he’ll have a great stable to join. Umino was actually pretty fine here. Nagai is settling in well with Takagi, Hiromu Takahashi, and Yota Tsuji in the Los Ingobernables de Japon remnants.)

Nagai tagged in Takagi after quickly gaining an advantage over Murashima. Umino got the better of Takagi with a Fisherman Suplex, but ate a lariat for his troubles. Murashima briefly had control until Nagai unleashed a Spinebuster and a Boston Crab. Exchanging lariats, Takagi eventually overwhelmed Umino. Murashima tapped Nagai out with a Boston Crab.

BULLET CLUB War Dogs (Drilla Moloney & Taiji Ishimori) defeated House Of Torture (Ren Narita & Yoshinobu Kanemaru)

(Easily digestible. This knew what it had to be and didn’t overstay its welcome. Moloney and Ishimori were splendid.)

Narita and Kanemaru bore down on Ishimori, who escaped with a big boot to the former. A huge dropkick by Moloney to Narita kept him in solid control, later followed by a Spinebuster. Kanemaru avoided Ishimori’s offense by throwing the referee in his way and locked in a figure-four leglock. Ishimori reversed another figure-four leglock into a cradle and later a Gedo Clutch for the pinfall.

TMDK (Hartley Jackson & Zack Sabre Jr.) defeated The Don Callis Family (Konosuke Takeshita & Rocky Romero)

(Using TMDK to combine their efforts on Romero was a smart play. In that, they forced Takeshita to work more on a handicap basis, even when Romero was active. This also paid dividends in the end for Jackson to put Romero away. The prospect of Sabre and Takeshita leaves me salivating; they have every potential for a barn-burner.)

Jackson used his strength and Sabre utilized his submission maneuvering to promptly weaken Romero. Sabre continued bullying Romero, taunting Takeshita in the process. Takeshita flew in with a kick to Sabre, but couldn’t faze Jackson with one so he threw in a stiff forearm. Following a dense octopus hold, Sabre was rendered incapacitated with Takeshita’s lariat. Jackson smashed Romero with a Senton. Romero gave a valiant last stand, but ultimately fell to Jackson’s Jagged Edge as Sabre and Takeshita brawled against a barricade.

G1 Climax 2025 Block A Matches

Yota Tsuji defeated Oleg Boltin

(Holy heck. This started off tonight’s Block A matches right. Tsuji and Boltin left my blood flowing on this one.)

A Boltin Shake dizzied Tsuji in the early goings. Further overbearing on Tsuji, he wrenched in a Boston Crab. Boltin crashed over the barricade courtesy of Tsuji’s Tope Suicida. Boltin and Tsuji battled for leverage, with a Gene Blaster superseding a German suplex. A Kamikaze by Boltin caused considerable damage. Nagoya’s voice grew resonant as the pair battled on the top rope, but Tsuji grounded both men and won via a Gene Blaster.

Callum Newman defeated David Finlay

(Newman getting this win is definitely good for his NJPW resume, putting him in a good place. As El Phantasmo and Walker Stewart brilliantly illustrated on commentary, Finlay is desperate to get a win over Hiroshi Tanahashi like the other leaders of Bullet Club and despite his ruthlessness in this match, this thought haunted him the entire time. Good stuff.)

Newman wasted no time, dropkicking Finlay, raining down punches, and another dropkick—Finlay couldn’t even take off his jacket. From the ring, Finlay sent Newman flying to the outside. Irate, he tossed Newman through the chairs amid a dispersing Nagoya audience. Refusing to lose, Newman endured the many punishments of Finlay. A big boot lent Newman space to recover. A superkick + lariat combination seemed to have given a harder grip on the match, but an Oblivion wrought devastation on his opponent. Finlay sought a powerbomb, but Newman transitioned it into a sitout pin for the victory.

SANADA defeated Taichi

(I wasn’t a fan of this. Granted, Milano Collection A.T. and Masatora Yasuda were some pleasant surprises to this.)

Interrupting his own theme song, Taichi went to work on SANADA with no hesitation. Matching this energy, SANADA brought Taichi to the outside, leaving Nagoya to once more be inconvenienced out of their seats. Milano Collection A.T. on commentary came to Taichi’s aid, throwing SANADA into a chair. With some kicks, Taichi at last had some momentum, until Yoshinobu Kanemaru accosted him. SANADA reached for an underhanded tactic, but attempted a top rope move instead. This gave Taichi room for offense, ending with a backdrop.

SANADA grabbed Referee Marty Asami to trounce a Black Mephisto attempt. Taichi’s jackknife pin was close, but Kanemaru pulled Asami ahead of the 3-count. Low blow by SANADA, combined with a Shining Wizard would have given him an easy win, had it not been for an intervening Young Lion Masatora Yasuda. Taichi hesitated slamming SANADA’s guitar over his head, wasting enough time for Kanemaru to return with a Whiskey Mist. SANADA finally used the guitar on Taichi for the win.

Post-match: SANADA and Kanemaru looked as though they would assault Taichi more, before Yasuda met them in defense of Taichi. They gave him a beatdown and left.

Yuya Uemura defeated EVIL

(House of Torture matches are actually good when they get a comeuppance. Uemura being the hopeful, shining beacon for that despite the drama and the shenanigans made up for this being the stable’s second consecutive match.)

Uemura showed promise once the bell rang, but EVIL and Don Fale teamed up to torment him on the outside. EVIL worked Uemura’s back, yet that didn’t stop him from delivering a back suplex. Dick Togo distracted Uemura, giving EVIL ample opportunity to toss his opponent to the outside for a beatdown by Fale and Togo. Uemura caught EVIL with an armbar, to which Fale distracted the referee. Togo followed this with a chairshot to Uemura’s back.

Fed up with the distractions, Uemura dove onto Fale and took out Togo. EVIL fired back with Darkness Falls and a lariat. Deadbolt Suplex gave Uemura the 3-count pinfall.

Main event — G1 Climax Block A

Ryohei Oiwa defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi

(My enjoyment of Tanahashi’s retirement run stems from how sincere his desperation gets; he doesn’t need to do it with meandering promos or low blows. He does it all with in-ring storytelling. It’s endearing: he faces his matches in his twilight like a young man in the dawn of his career. Oiwa benefits from this immensely, as he’s one of the young stars that evokes what Tanahashi was in his prime.)

Tanahashi and Oiwa were evenly matched in their lock-ups, but Oiwa showed flashes of brilliance with a headlock takedown. Tanahashi grounded his opponent, working Oiwa’s legs. A dropkick supplanted the Ace, yet the harm done to Oiwa’s legs still remained evident. Oiwa withstood a big forearm and a Twist’n’Shout to toss the veteran from the top rope to the center of the ring. Tanahashi halted Oiwa’s upward trajectory with a German suplex. Oiwa swung a comeback, catching Tanahashi mid-air with a wristlock.

Oiwa stole the Ace’s High Fly Flow, succeeded with a Doctor Bomb. Clenching in a sleeper hold, Oiwa tossed a spinning lariat. Defying a cradle by Tanahashi, Oiwa pulled out another spinning lariat, this time putting Tanahashi down for good. With a pinfall, Oiwa progressed in the G1 Climax.

The tag matches tonight were fun, but not required viewing, save for TMDK versus the Don Callis Family. The Block A matches profited from Boltin and Tsuji’s war, Newman’s upset over Finlay, Uemura surviving the House of Torture, and Tanahashi’s stand against Oiwa. The structure, storytelling, and finish for Taichi versus SANADA left a sour taste in my mouth, sweetened only by Yasuda and Milano’s assistance.