Tag: njpw g1 climax results

NJPW G1 Climax 35 live results: Shingo Takagi vs. Konosuke Takeshita

Posted on by Corey Michaels

NJPW’s G1 Climax 35 tournament rolls on tonight with four B Block matches in Ota.

In the main event, Shingo Takagi faces Konosuke Takeshita in one of the more highly-anticipated matchups of the tournament. Takeshita enters the match with 4 points, while Shingo has 2 points, with his only win so far coming via forfeit due to Gabe Kidd’s injury and withdrawal.

Three more B Block matches are set for the show.

Shota Umino and Ren Narita will match up in the semi-main event. Both enter the contest with 4 points thus far in the G1.

Zack Sabre Jr. will take on El Phantasmo in a battle of two wrestlers each with 2 points.

B Block leader YOSHI-HASHI and his 6 points will face Great-O-Khan (2 points) in the night’s first tournament bout.

A series of tag team matches previewing the next A Block battles fill out today’s undercard.

The show kicks off at 2 a.m. Eastern time on NJPW World.

**********

Pre-show

The NJPW roster joined ringside during a tribute to the late Hulk Hogan who passed away on July 25, 2025 at the age of 71.

Main card

Oleg Boltin & Toru Yano defeated Daiki Nagai & Yota Tsuji

(Nagai has shown promise thus far with the LiJ alumni during this early stretch of the G1.)

Boltin had the early advantage over Tsuji, culminating in a Boltin Shake. Nagai joined Tsuji in planting Boltin with a 2-on-1 suplex. Yano removed the turnbuckle pad, as is his wont, but Nagai outsmarted him right into the exposed corner. Spinebuster by Nagai whittled down the veteran, but resulted in a Demon Killler powerbomb, giving Yano and Boltin the victory.

United Empire (Callum Newman & Jakob Austin Young) defeated BULLET CLUB War Dogs (David Finlay & Gedo)

(Optimistic win for the United Empire’s junior members.)

Newman forewent the formalities during Finlay’s entrance as he interrupted. The pair brawled, with Finlay tossing Newman into chairs amid a fleeing crowd. Back in the ring, he controlled Newman’s arm, with Gedo offering additional punishment. Young fended off Gedo using his legs; a dropkick rattled him further. Neman saved Young from Finlay’s Dominator before they combined their offense to him and Gedo. Young pinned Gedo via Jakob’s Ladder to win the match.

House Of Torture (SANADA & Yoshinobu Kanemaru) defeated Masatora Yasuda & Taichi

(If Taichi were to start a new stable, Yanemaru would be a great addition.)

House of Torture immediately went to work on Yasuda and Taichi, the former of which wore on SANADA. Taichi found himself dragged to the chairs as SANADA clobbered him with a water bottle (before politely handing it back to the commentator he stole it from). Yasuda had no choice but to withstand the wrath of Kanemaru and SANADA until landing a scoop slam despite his softened knee. Wrist control and spry legs gave Taichi an edge that overwhelmed Kanemaru and SANADA. Once more into the Ota crowd, SANADA send Taichi into a commentary table.

At last, Taichi swung a comeback in the form of a lariat to SANADA. Kanemaru landed on his shoulders following Yasuda’s heightened dropkick. With a Boston Crab vigorously in place on Yasuda, SANADA tapped him out.

Post-match: Unsatisfied for the first two times, SANADA returned Taichi into the crowd.

House Of Torture (Dick Togo & EVIL) defeated Tomoaki Honma & Yuya Uemura

(I’d have preferred a Uemura win, but that’s just me. As far as House of Torture matches go, this didn’t overstay its welcome.

Re-using their teammates’ game plan from the previous match, House of Torture swarmed their opponents. Honma flattened Togo before paying homage to Hulk Hogan. Togo regained command of the match in working Honma’s arm. EVIL and Don Fale rung the ring bell to distract the referee after Togo landed an Italian Fistdrop to Honma. Uemura was unleashed next, yet EVIL tossed him to Togo and Fale for extra damage. Gritting his teeth through the pain, Uemura battled past his abdomen pain working in tandem with Honma to wear down EVIL. Togo broke up Honma’s pin to EVIL after a successful Kokeshi. Magic Killer by House of Torture to Honma gave the stable yet another victory.

Post-match: EVIL, Togo, and Fale wrenched the knee of Uemura, even as Young Lions attempted to pull them away.

TMDK (Hartley Jackson & Ryohei Oiwa) defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi & Katsuya Murashima

(While building Tanahashi and Oiwa up later, NJPW put Jackson to good use in giving Murashima a spot to shine and show his character’s strength and cunning.)

Oiwa locked up with Tanahashi, with the Ace geting the upper hand twice. He followed with a flying crossbody. A Twist’n’Shout gave Tanahashi confidence, but Oiwa powered out. Murashima sought to test his girth and strength against Jackson but quickly lost his composure. A senton by Jackson winded Murashima. Jackson bullied young Murashima until he fired back with a pounce. Oiwa held Tanahashi on the apron to watch as Jackson dropped Murashima with a Jagged Edge for the win.

G1 Climax B-Block

Great-O-Khan defeated YOSHI-HASHI

(Yoshi-Hashi’s story during this year’s G1 Climax remains compelling, a desperation to win the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship, so setbacks like these set the drama up quite well.

Khan’s strength hinted at early benefits, but YOSHI-HASHI double-palmed him to the mat. Dropping YOSHI-HASHI onto the ring apron, Khan punctuated this devastating enviornmental-assisted assault with his trademark sit on a precariously perched YOSHI-HASHI on the tope rope. Gaining speed, Khan fell victim to a Head Hunter by a defiant YOSHI-HASHI. Refusing YOSHI-HASHI’s fisherman suplexes and tombstone piledrivers, Khan landed a DDT but couldn’t capitalize. Clutching Khan’s wrist, YOSHI-HASHI weakened Khan only to run into Khan’s Pop-Up eliminator. YOSHI-HASHI unfortunately ran into Khan’s Claw, ultimately finished off by his Eliminator.

Zack Sabre Jr. defeated El Phantasmo

(Immediately one of this year’s G1 Climax’s best matches. A wonderful story build on respect, told with desperate moves in the final stretch to create a perfect drama.)

Phantasmo wriggled out of Sabre’s every technical maneuver. In one particular pin attempt, Sabre bridged out. Each man traded holds in an attempt to pin or submit the other. With unwavering neck control, Sabre dragged Phantasmo around. In a sudden comeback, Pantasmo shot Sabre outside with a dropkick.

Tope Suicida from Phantasmo flipped Sabore over the barricade and into the seats. Phantasmo landed a Tornado-DDT but didn’t pin Sabre in time for the pin. Phantasmo driver nearly gives the Canadian a win, as did his theft of Sabre’s Zack Driver. Bullied by Sabre, Phantasmo fought his way to a comeback, with a Thunderkiss 85 seeming like a sure shot before Sabre drove his knees up. Following a nasty Zack Driver, Sabre’s spider-like reflexes wrapped his limbs around Phantasmo for an octopus-hold that tapped Phantasmo out.

Ren Narita defeated Shota Umino

(Narita’s always better outside of the grasp of House of Torture. It’s pleasing to know that is a constant, because it makes his other matches better.

Lurking on the outside, Narita soon saw himself laid flat on the floor. Playing possum while grabbing his worn knee, Narita reversed Umino’s fortune with tosses into the steel barricade. Reversing the momentum, Narita gained control of Umino’s wrist, bending it against the steel barricade. Narita worked the arm of Umino, wrenching it back, pulling it closer to out of socket. Fisherman Suplex and a STF failed Umino, but agonized Narita. Grounded, Narita pulled back as much as he could on Umino’s arm. After pulling Narita back into the ring for a STF, Umino was distracted by the ring bell, sounded by Yoshinobu Kanemaru. Swiftly evading Narita’s weaponry,

Using a board that Kanemaru gave him, Narita nearly struck Umino with a stick. Double cross rendered Umino further unconscious, yet still kicking. A flying knee stomp to the back of Umino’s skull ended the match in Narita’s favor.

Main event

Konosuke Takeshita defeated Shingo Takagi

(I didn’t think anything tonight would eclipse El Phantasmo versus Zack Sabre Jr, but Takeshita and Takagi stole the show. Ota became unglued and the atmosphere grew beyond electric. Not only did Takagi lose his breath, but I did too.

Locking up, Takagi and Takeshita’s strengths were evenly matched, leading to a test of wills. Takagi had an edge in his experience, but Takeshita’s prowess lent him a comeback, as seen with a flying shoulder-tackle. A diving senton took the breath out of Takagi. Sensing a Blue Thunderbomb, Takagi wriggled out of Takeshita’s clutches and flipped him with a Dragon Screw Leg Whip. Reading Takeshita like a book, Takagi goaded his opponent so he could dodge and down him with a DDT.

Using DDTs of his own, Takeshita landed Takagi nastily on his neck a few times. A Sliding Pumping Bomber bore down on Takeshita. An Exploder Suplex reawakened Takeshita’s chances, with a series of German Suplexes by Takagi. Pumping Bomber on the top rope plummetted Takeshita to the mat, but Takagi couldn’t win from his Made in Japan. Takeshita fell to a Pumping Bomber and a Last of the Dragon, but much to Takagi’s chagrin, neither could pin the Alpha. He burned Takagi with a Raging Fire, but he escaped to the ropes. In an epic closing sequence full of finishers and explosive moves, Takeshita choked the life out of Takagi’s breath. Eyes bulging madly, Takagi was fully ensnared in Takeshita’s rear-naked chickenwing; unwilling and unable to give in, the referee declared Takeshita the winner.

Tonight’s G1 Climax was not exactly full of bombastic spectacles, save for El Phantasmo versus Zack Sabre Jr and Shingo Takagi versus Konosuke Takeshita. Yet, because of these two matches, this show is recommended viewing.

NJPW G1 Climax 34 night 13 live results: Shingo vs. EVIL

Posted on by Chick Fritts

Night 13 of the NJPW G1 Climax 34 tournament features A Block matches in Yokohama.

In the main event, Shingo Takagi (6 points) takes on EVIL (10 points) in a battle of former LIJ stablemates. It will be the sixth career singles meeting between the two, with Shingo currently holding a 3-2 edge.

In the semi-main, Zack Sabre Jr. (10 points) faces Gabe Kidd (6 points). It’s the fifth career singles meeting for Sabre & Kidd, with Sabre up 3-1 all-time.

Shota Umino (6 points) takes on Jake Lee (6 points) in another A Block battle on today’s show.

SANADA (8 points) vs. Great-O-Khan (6 points) is the second tournament bout of the show.

Tetsuya Naito (8 points) vs. Callum Newman (4 points) kicks off the tournament matches on today’s event.

Today’s undercard:

  • Yota Tsuji & BUSHI vs. Yuya Uemura & TAKA Michinoku
  • Jeff Cobb & Francesco Akira vs. David Finlay & Gedo
  • Hirooki Goto & Tomoaki Honma vs. El Phantasmo & Jado
  • Konosuke Takeshita & HENARE vs. Ren Narita & Yoshinobu Kanemaru
  • Boltin Oleg & Toru Yano vs. Shoma Kato & Katsuya Murashima

**********

Recommended Matches

SANADA vs. Great-O-Khan – This was a fun match built around limb work. While SANADA isn’t at his strongest selling an injury, O-Khan more than made up for that with a focused performance.

Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Gabe Kidd – This was a fantastic clash of styles. Kidd and ZSJ meshed well here, leading to a firey battle to determine the fate of A Block.

**********

Undercard Results

Boltin Oleg & Toru Yano defeated Shoma Kato & Katsuya Murashima

Konosuke Takeshita & HENARE defeated Ren Narita & Yoshinobu Kanemaru

Hirooki Goto & Tomoaki Honma defeated El Phantasmo & Jado

Jeff Cobb & Francesco Akira defeated David Finlay & Gedo

Yota Tsuji & BUSHI defeated Yuya Uemura & TAKA Michinoku

**********

A Block Results

Tetsuya Naito defeated Callum Newman

This match was what you’d expect from a Naito opener in 2024. It wasn’t horrible, but nothing I’d seek out.

Newman rushed Naito on his way to the ring. Naito tried to hold on outside the ring but a dropkick sent Naito into the barricade, leaving Newman with an early lead over the IWGP champion.

Once the match entered the ring and officially began, Naito dumped Newman to the floor and removed his entrance vestments. He then pulled Newman back in the ring and began to focus on Newman’s neck.

Naito tried for his super hurricanrana, but Newman flipped onto his butt instead of his head. Newman followed up with a pair of kicks to gain some momentum over Naito, but a spinebuster and more neck work ended his rally.

Newman reversed Destino into a knee strike, setting up an OsCutter attempt that he missed. Naito then tried for Destino again, hit it, but only scored a nearfall. To close, Naito hit another Destino and pinned Newman to win the match.

Naito’s victory leaves him with 10 points.

Great-O-Khan defeated SANADA

This match was surprisingly great. I was focused and played to O-Khan’s strengths quite well.

O-Khan opened the match by trying to catch SANADA off guard, initially by pushing him into the ropes before transitioning a choke into a spinning backbreaker of sorts.

After missing an early attempt at Eliminator, O-Khan ate a SANADA magic screw reversing the momentum of the match. SANADA then tried for the rounding body press but landed on his feet, jamming his knee on the landing. This opened the door for a targeted O-Khan attack, forcing SANADA to the floor.

On the outside, O-Khan continued to focus the leg with attacks against the barricade and on the floor. The assault continued in the ring, with O-Khan utilizing multiple holds to establish control in the ring.

A pair of dropkicks bought SANADA some separation. He followed up with a quick plancha to establish control, but his leg stopped him from taking full advantage. SANADA tried for Skull End, only for O-Khan to reverse into a leg hold. SANADA slipped free and hit a partial shining wizard that did more damage to SANADA than O-Khan.

O-Khan delivered a couple of kicks to the back of SANADA’s knee but SANADA managed to answer with a TKO. The follow-up shining wizard was blocked by a stiff right from O-Khan, resetting the match.

O-Khan tried to get the eliminator, but SANADA slipped free. The response O’Connor roll from SANADA was reversed into a sleeper. O-Khan transitioned into a German suplex, but SANADA landed on his feet, leaving him free to hit the shining wizard to the back of O-Khan. SANADA hit a second shining to set up Deadfall, but O-Khan reversed into a facebuster. O-Khan then landed eliminator and pinned SANADA to win the match.

O-Khan keeps his G1 alive with this win, advancing to 8 points.

Jake Lee defeated Shota Umino

Umino reversed the expectations by rushing Lee as the match began. He then pursued Lee to the floor, where he tried having a War Dogs-style fight with Lee. Lee, unsurprisingly, won out here, drove Umino into the barricade, and hit Umino with a chair.

Back in the ring, Lee used basic holds to maintain his control, slowly working over Umino. After an extended period on the back foot, Umino landed a dropkick to gain a bit of momentum. The followup apron DDT and fisherman suplex scored Umino a nearfall.

Lee caught Umino with a knee strike to the midsection to force Umino back to the mat. Lee then kicked Umino while he was down, leading to a count that nearly ended the match.

Umino caught a knee from Lee and dropped him with a forearm. Umino then teased Lee with strikes, leading to an exchange in the middle of the ring. Lee won out and hit a German, only for Umino to answer with Blaze Blade. Umino followed up with ignition, scoring a nearfall.

On his second attempt, Umino hit death rider for a false finish. He picked Lee for another, but Lee reversed into a back suplex. Lee then turned back to his wear-down offense long enough to hit a chokeslam and score a nearfall.

Umino cut off the FBS with a Blaze Blade. He followed up with a second Blaze Blade, but the death rider followup was stuffed. Lee then landed Face Break Shot and pinned Umino to win the match.

Lee’s win puts him at 8 points, while this loss mathematically eliminates Umino from playoff contention.

Zack Sabre Jr. defeated Gabe Kidd

This match was fantastic. ZSJ was the perfect foil to Kidd’s ego.

Kidd tried chopping down ZSJ early. ZSJ responded by trying to take Kidd to the mat, but Kidd kept chopping. ZSJ fled to the floor, and Kidd continued to chop.

After dozens and dozens of chops, Kidd challenged ZSJ to sit in the ring and trade slaps. After landing a few back-and-forth palm strikes, Kidd bit ZSJ. This fired ZSJ up, leading to a rally.

After being on the receiving end of some high-impact ZSJ strikes, Kidd landed a lariat and a brainbuster. ZSJ responded with some targeted offense, focusing Kidd’s arm to maintain control. Kidd powered through with a suplex to reset the match.

After a short back and forth on the mat, Kidd hit ZSJ with Emerald Flowsion. He then attempted a moonsault, but ZSJ caught him in a triangle. Kidd fought out heavy strikes, but only after receiving heavy damage.

ZSJ tried for the Gotch piledriver, but Kidd stuffed it. When Kidd tried to answer, ZSJ caught him with the Zack Driver. A rebound lariat from Kidd led to another back-and-forth, ending with a choke from ZSJ. Kidd responded by saying he’d never tap out, flipping off the crowd, and passing out.

This win guarantees ZSJ’s spot in the playoffs with 12 points. Kidd has also been eliminated from contention.

Shingo Takagai defeated EVIL

This was horrible.

EVIL rushed Shingo as the match began, taking the match to the floor immediately. He drove Shingo into the barricade and attacked him with chairs to establish a strong lead.

After a long time on the back foot, Shingo hit a leg whip to gain some footing. Takagi’s rally was fairly uneventful, lasting until EVIL landed a lariat to retake control.

Shingo challenged EVIL with a quick strike exchange, ending with a sliding bomber that left Shingo ahead. When Shingo tried to follow up, EVIL bumped the referee and gouged EVIL’s eyes. Dick Togo then hit the ring, helping EVIL take control.

Hiromu ran to the ring to help Shingo but was overwhelmed without backup. A man dressed as BUSHI then appeared only to attack Shingo. Another BUSHI showed up, leading to the reveal that the original was Kaneamaru. From here, House of Torture destroyed Shingo with basically no pushback.

Shingo escaped Everything is Evil and landed a pumping bomber to buy some time. Shingo followed up with Made in Japan, but Dick Togo rang the bell early, breaking up the followup pin.

The referee was bumped again. Kanemaru then hit Shingo with his whiskey bottle, setting up the Magic Killer. Hiromu hit the ring again, causing enough distraction for Shingo to avoid Kanemaru’s whiskey misting. BUSHI then hit the ring and misted EVIL himself.

LIJ cleared the ring of HoT, leaving EVIL alone with Shingo. Shingo hit the pumping bomber. He then transitioned into Last of the Dragon and won the match.

Shingo now rests at 8 points, staying alive in the G1.

NJPW G1 Climax 34 night 12 live results: Goto vs. Finlay

Posted on by Chick Fritts

A sold-out Korakuen Hall in Tokyo hosts B Block action on night 12 of the NJPW G1 Climax 34 tournament.

In the main event, Hirooki Goto (6 points) faces David Finlay (8 points). It will be the first career singles meeting between the two, as Goto looks to stay alive, while Finlay aims to keep his spot atop B Block.

In the semi-main, Yuya Uemura (6 points) faces Ren Narita (6 points). Uemura and Narita were part of the same class of Young Lions and thus have met 12 times previously in singles bouts, with Narita winning all 12.

HENARE (6 points) will take on Yota Tsuji (6 points) in another B Block bout on the show.

Konosuke Takeshita (6 points) faces El Phantasmo (4 points) in more B Block action.

In the night’s opening tournament bout, Jeff Cobb (8 points) will face Boltin Oleg (4 points) with Cobb trying to keep pace atop the B Block.

Tonight’s undercard:

  • Tetsuya Naito & Shingo Takagi vs. EVIL & Dick Togo
  • Shota Umino & Tomoaki Honma vs. Gabe Kidd & Jake Lee
  • SANADA & TAKA Michinoku vs. Great-O-Khan & Callum Newman

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

**********

Recommended Matches

Jeff Cobb vs. Oleg Boltin – This was one of my favorite matches from the tournament. With every outing from Oleg, he looks better than the last.

Konosuke Takeshita vs. El Phantasmo – This was the most over-the-top match of the tournament. It was filled with intensity and passion. It’s easily one of the standout matches from this year’s G1.

Hirooki Goto vs. David Finlay – Again, if you’re looking for a traditional New Japan main event, it seems like Goto is your man this G1. He more than delivered tonight with a classic, emotional performance.

**********

Undercard Results

Great-O-Khan & Callum Newman defeated SANADA & TAKA Michinoku

Gabe Kidd & Jake Lee defeated Shota Umino & Tomoaki Honma

Tetsuya Naito & Shingo Takagi defeated EVIL & Dick Togo

**********

B Block Results

Jeff Cobb defeated Oleg Boltin

This match was fantastic. What started as a wrestling showcase escalated into a war of convincing power moves and desperation.

This match opened with grappling, showing off both guy’s amateur backgrounds. Oleg won out in the initial scramble, forcing Cobb to the floor. After returning to the ring, Cobb caught Oleg with a strike instead of grappling, changing the flow of the match. Oleg responded by throwing Cobb across the ring and laying into Cobb with strikes of his own.

Cobb answered Oleg by kicking him on the mat to establish a lead. When Cobb attempted his standing moonsault, Oleg moved out of the way to reverse the momentum once more. Both men traded dropkicks to stay on even footing as the match continued to heat up.

Oleg eventually caught Cobb with a belly-to-belly suplex. This opened the door for a substantial sequence from Oleg, ending with a splash that scored him a nearfall. Oleg then tried to follow up with his gut wrench throw, but Cobb slipped free and did the move himself to retake the lead.

Cobb tried for a lariat, but Oleg caught him with another massive suplex. Oleg then hit Cobb with his gut wrench throw and a Boltin Bomb for a nearfall. With the end in sight, Oleg tried for his finish, but Cobb slipped free. This led to a back-and-forth for control, initially favoring Cobb.

Cobb tried for the Aloha Maker, but Cobb reversed into the Kamikaze. This scored another nearfall for Oleg. When Oleg tried for another, Cobb slipped free, leading to back-and-forth lariats. Cobb’s lariat won out in the end, leaving him free to hit Tour of the Islands and win the match.

With this win, Cobb leads B Block with 10 points. It also eliminates Oleg from playoff contention.

Konosuke Takeshita defeated El Phantasmo

This match was insane. It was filled to the brim with wild action all at an absurd pace. This was, without a doubt, the best performance I’ve ever seen from ELP and a fantastic outing from Takeshita.

ELP started this match with confidence, landing a dropkick before gesturing to the crowd. Takeshita fired back with the Takeshita line and some taunting of his own. ELP then tried a strike, but Takeshita ducked, leading to an awkward headbutt in the midsection, leaving both men flustered. Takeshita followed up with a DDT and an Irish whip to establish a substantial lead.

ELP ducked a knee from Takeshita, sending Takeshita to the floor. ELP followed up with a reckless suicide dive and a stunning moonsault into the floor seats to completely reverse the momentum of the match. ELP then took a moment to celebrate in the crowd before returning to the ring with a springboard senton and moonsault for a nearfall.

ELP tried for a crossbody, but Takeshita caught him, reversing into a dazzling blue thunder bomb. Takeshita then walked to the floor, where he grabbed a table. Takeshita then posted the table outside the ring. ELP faught back on the apron, preventing Takeshita from driving him through the table. They then fought to the top rope, where ELP landed an avalanche rana and a Thunderkiss 86 for a false finish.

Takeshita escaped the CR2 once, but ELP followed up with a quick sequence that allowed him to hit it on his second attempt; Takeshita kicked out. ELP then tried for sudden death, but Takeshita fell to avoid the finish. Takeshita rolled to the outside, where ELP caught him with a pump kick that left him lying on the table from earlier. ELP then climbed to the top rope, but a moment of hesitation allowed Takeshita to meet him on the apron. Takeshita then grabbed ELP and hit him with a disgusting bastard driver through the table.

A now bloody ELP barely beat the count. Takeshita tried following up with a finish, but ELP slipped free and hit the sudden death for another false finish. ELP then struggled to engage in a strike exchange before trying for another quick pin and hitting another superkick. As ELP tried for his finish, Takeshita reversed into the bastard driver position, but ELP rolled through into a pin attempt. Takeshita powered out, hitting ELP with a wheelbarrow German. Takeshita then took ELP’s head off with a lariat, only for ELP to kick out at one. Takeshita then hit the power drive knee, but ELP kicked out again. Finally, Takeshita hit Raging Fire to win the match.

This win leaves Takeshita with 8 points and eliminates ELP from contention in B Block.

Yota Tsuji defeated HENARE

This was another entertaining match. I’d say it was the weakest so far, but it was still more than solid.

This match opened with a relatively slow feeling-out process, with both men looking to prove their strength. HENARE established an early lead that he used to strike down Tsuji methodically. Tsuji answered HENARE with a sudden curb stomp that led into a tope that turned the match on its head.

Tsuji tried for a suplex that HENARE stuffed. HENARE then hit a suplex of his own. When he tried to follow up in the corner, Tsuji caught him with another curb stomp. Tsuji then followed up with a Samoan drop from the top rope.

A strike exchange allowed HENARE to fight his way back into the match. The Bezerker Bomb left HENARE in a seemingly strong position until Tsuji dropped Henare with a lariat to reverse momentum once again. Tsuji launched into a short rally that ended with a lariat from HENARE, resulting in a match reset.

A knee strike from Tsuji turned into an intense strike exchange. HENARE ended it with a rampage, scoring him a nearfall. HENARE then hit a knee of his own but couldn’t land Streets of Rage. The pair traded headbutts before HENARE ran at Tsuji. Tsuji then sprung up, hit HENARE with the Gene Blaster, and pinned HENARE to win the match. 

Tsuji’s win leaves him in solid position with 8 points.

Ren Narita defeated Yuya Uemura

This wasn’t great, but there are defintly worse House of Torture matches. Uemura’s personality and selling carried this match to a watchable level, so that’s something.

Narita jumped Uemura as the match began. He then drove Uemura’s legs into the ringpost and the floor before throwing him into the barricade to establish a strong lead. Back in the ring, Narita continued to target Uemura’s leg.

Uemura eventually fired up, chopping at Narita in the corner. Narita answered by gauging at Uemura’s eyes. When Uemura tried fighting back, he collapsed under the weight of his own body.

A sudden arm drag and dropkick from Uemura acted as a soft reset for Uemura, but the damage to his leg prevented Uemura from taking full advantage. He still managed to land a suplex before climbing to the top rope, where Kanemaru pushed him to the mat. Narita then locked in the knee bar, re-establishing a substantial lead.

Narita tried for the guillotine knee but missed. This allowed Uemura to knock him to the floor and hit a plancha, reversing the match’s momentum. He followed up with a crossbody for a nearfall and a German suplex for another.

Uemura tried for the deadbolt suplex, prompting Narita to bump the referee. Kanemaru missed the follow-up whiskey misting, and Uemura ejected him from the ring with a dropkick. Narita tried for a pushup bar shot, but Uemura blocked him and hit a dragon suplex to maintain his control.

Uemura tried for the deadbolt again. This led to Narita hitting the referee again and a low blow. Narita then landed the double cross and pinned Uemura to win the match.

Narita advances to 8 points.


Hirooki Goto defeated David Finlay

This was another classic Goto match, and a very good one at that.

In the opening back-and-forth, Goto dumped Finlay on the floor. He followed up with a tackle in the ring, but Finlay answered with a drop on the rope and a leg sweep to reverse momentum. The match then worked its way to the floor, where Finlay slammed Goto into the barricade and bit Goto’s forehead.

Back in the ring, Finlay began to pick apart Goto with a deliberate offense that lasted until Goto landed a massive lariat to reset the match. Goto followed up with a back suplex, but a lariat from Finlay sent both men back to the floor.

Finlay removed the padding on the outside and attempted a powerbomb on the exposed floor. Goto stuffed the move and dropped Finlay on the floor himself. Finlay answered by throwing Goto into the barricade again, maintaining a lead.

In the ring, Finlay continued to bite Goto, drawing the referee’s attention. This allowed Goto to fire back with a lariat and a ushigoroshi to retake the lead. A reverse GTR and a lariat set up the normal GTR, but Goto failed to connect. Instead, he landed a rope-assisted Shoto for a nearfall.

When Goto tried for the GTR again, Finlay slipped free and landed Oblivion. After Goto kicked out, Finlay hit a turnbuckle powerbomb and a traditional powerbomb for a nearfall. Finlay then tried for his finish, but Goto stuffed it, transitioning into Shouten Kai.

With Goto reversing the momentum, Gedo tried distracting the referee long enough for Finlay to use his shillelagh. Goto cut him off with a headbutt. Goto then threw the shillelagh to the floor and dropped Finlay with a GTW for a nearfall.

Goto attempted GTR, but Finlay reversed into Oblivion. On the decent, Goto caught the knee, blocking Finlay’s finish. Goto then dropped Finlay with a headbutt and hit Finlay with GTR to win the match.

Goto joins the crowded 8-point club, keeping his G1 very much alive.