By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
New Japan Pro Wrestling “G1 Climax 35 – Night 7”
July 27, 2025, in Aichi, Japan, at Port Messe Nagoya Exhibition Hall 1
Streamed live on New Japan World
Walker Stewart provided commentary. This is a small arena.
* This year’s tournament features two Blocks with ten wrestlers per Block. It is a round-robin tournament, so each competitor will have nine singles matches over 19 shows in about a month. The top THREE in each Block will advance to the playoffs; the winner of each Block will have a first-round bye. Different this year is that A2 will face B3 in the playoffs, while B2 will face A3. (Last year, A2 faced A3 in a repeat of a match they could have had just days earlier, so I think this is a better format.) Wins are worth two points, and a draw is one point.
* Today, just the A Block is in action, plus preview tags. We’ve already reached the mid-point! This is the fifth of nine tournament matches for these 10 competitors. Three guys are at 3-1, four guys are at 2-2, and three others are at 1-3. Last year, some wrestlers did reach the playoffs via a tie-breaker at 5-4, so someone who falls to 1-4 at the end of today’s show is not eliminated, but certainly in trouble.
1. “United Empire” Great-O-Khan and Jakob Austin Young vs. El Phantasmo and Jado. O-Khan and ELP opened. O-Khan shoved Jado into the guardrail and chopped him, and the UE worked Jado over in the ring. ELP got the hot tag and cleared the ring. He hit a huracanrana on O-Khan at 5:30, clotheslined him to the floor, and hit a plancha onto him. In the ring, Jakob hit a running knee on ELP for a nearfall, then a Russian Leg Sweep for a nearfall. Phantasmo hit a CR2 (modified Styles Clash) to pin Young. Solid.
El Phantasmo and Jado defeated Great-O-Khan and Jakob Austin Young at 8:14.
2. Shota Umino and Katsuya Murashima vs. Shingo Takagi and Daiki Nagai. The Young Lions opened. (In almost every preview tag, the G1 participants start!) Quick mat reversals. Shingo entered and hit a suplex on Katsuya at 2:00. Murashima knocked him down with a running shoulder tackle. Shota tagged in and hit some chops and forearms in the corner; Shingo fired back with his own. Nagai did a monkeyflip on Katsuya at 5:00. Katsuya fired back with a flying forearm. Nagai hit a spinebuster and immediately applied a Boston Crab, but Shota made the save. Murashima hit a Bulldog Powerslam, and he applied his own Boston Crab, and Nagai tapped out!
Shota Umino and Katsuya Murashima defeated Shingo Takagi and Daiki Nagai at 7:07.
3. “Bullet Club” Taiji Ishimori and Drilla Moloney vs. “House of Torture” Ren Narita and Yoshinobu Kanemaru. As per usual, the HoT attacked from behind, and all four brawled to the floor, past the guardrail, and into the crowd. They got in the ring, and we had a bell at 00:49, as the HoT worked over Ishimori and targeted his left knee. Drilla entered at 3:00 and brawled with Ren, hitting a dropkick for a nearfall. Ishimori and Kanemaru tagged in at 6:00, and Ishimori hit a handspring-back-enzuigiri. The ref got caught in the middle of their exchange. Kanemaru applied a Figure Four, but Ishimori escaped. Ishimori hit a low-blow mule kick, rolled up Kanemaru, and got the pin. Decent for a heel-heel matchup.
Taiji Ishimori and Drilla Moloney defeated Ren Narita and Yoshinobu Kanemaru at 7:20.
* El Phantasmo joined Walker Stewart on commentary.
4. “The Mighty Don’t Kneel” Zack Sabre Jr. and Hartley Jackson vs. Rocky Romero and Konosuke Takeshita. Like the prior match, the non-G1 competitors opened, with Rocky hitting some chops that Hartley completely no-sold, and Hartley splashed onto him for a nearfall in the first minute! Sabre entered and tied Rocky in knots, and he hit some European Uppercuts. Takeshita got a hot tag at 5:00, and he battled Sabre. He hit a hard clothesline on Zack, and they were both down. Rocky and Hartley got back in, with Romero hitting a head-scissors takedown. Hartley splashed him in the corner and hit a massive senton for a nearfall at 7:30. Sabre hit his Pele Kick on Takeshita’s shoulder. Hartley hit his flying crossbody block on Rocky, then the Jagged Edge (Death Valley Driver) to pin Romero. Good action.
Zack Sabre Jr. and Hartley Jackson defeated Rocky Romero and Konosuke Takeshita at 8:58.
5. Boltin Oleg (6) vs. Yota Tsuji (6) in a B Block tournament match. Yeah, this should be the main event. They brawled at the bell, and Oleg hit a backbreaker over his knee. Yota is 1-0 in head-to-head matchups, having beaten Oleg in last year’s G1. Oleg flipped Yota in his arms and hit a gut-wrench suplex for a nearfall at 1:30, then a bodyslam, and he applied a Boston Crab. Yota hit a second-rope huracanrana, then a dive through the ropes at 3:30, barreling onto Boltin. In the ring, Yota hit a suplex for a nearfall. Boltin went for a Vader Bomb, but Yota blocked it. Boltin hit a dropkick at 5:30, and the 5-minute call was really late. Boltin hit the Vader Bomb, and he set up for Kamikaze, but Yota grabbed the top rope to escape.
Yota set up for the Marlow Crash, but Boltin caught him coming off the ropes, and Oleg hit a German Suplex at 7:00. Yota popped up and nailed the Gene Blaster (spear), and they were both down. They got up and traded forearm strikes. Yota hit two superkicks and a thudding headbutt. Boltin hit a Kamikaze (forward Finlay Roll) out of nowhere for a nearfall; Walker noted how few times he’s seen someone kick out of that. Yota nailed some running knees; he set up for the Gene Blaster, but Oleg hip-tossed him to avoid it. Oleg hit a Death Valley Driver, and he again tried to get a Kamikaze, and he climbed the ropes! They crashed to the mat. Yota popped up, hit the Gene Blaster, and scored the pin. I’ll reiterate that could have been the main event. Yota moves to the top of the A Block.
Yota Tsuji (8) defeated Boltin Oleg (6) at 10:39.
6. David Finlay (w/Gedo) (2) vs. Callum Newman (2) in a B Block tournament match. Newman hit a shotgun dropkick and we got the bell to begin; Finlay hadn’t even removed his jacket! Callum landed some punches, as Walker talked about the feud between the Bullet Club and the United Empire and the bad blood remaining between these two. Finlay threw Callum to the floor, and they went into the crowd. They got back into the ring at 2:30, with Finlay in charge. He whipped Newman into the corner and hit a senton for a nearfall. Walker talked about Finlay losing to Tanahashi two days ago; ELP noted he’s never wrestled Tanahashi and hopes to get a chance in the coming months. Interesting.
They got up and traded forearm strikes, and Callum hit his sprinting Mafia Kick at 6:00. Newman hit a plancha to the floor. In the ring, Newman hit a top-rope doublestomp to the chest for a nearfall. Finlay hit an Irish Curse backbreaker over his knee, then a Dominator (swinging faceplant) for a nearfall at 9:00. Newman fired back with a hard clothesline. He hit the Oblivion shoulder-breaker over his knee for a nearfall, then a Buckle Bomb. Newman got a huracanrana out of nowhere for the pin! Finlay was enraged and threw a temper tantrum!
Callum Newman (4) defeated David Finlay (2) at 10:35.
7. Taichi (4) vs. Sanada (w/Yoshinobu Kanemaru) (2) in a B Block tournament match. These former Just 5 Guys teammates have battled already this year. Taichi came out second, and he charged at Sanada as soon as he got in the ring, attacked him, and we got the bell to begin. They brawled into the crowd. Sanada hit him with water bottles. The ref ordered them back into the ring, but hasn’t started a count. Sanada slammed Taichi onto the ring apron at 3:00. They got into the ring with Sanada now in charge, and he planted his foot in Taichi’s throat. Taichi hit some spin kicks to the thighs, then an enzuigiri in the corner, and they were both down at 5:00.
Kanemaru grabbed his ankle; it allowed Sanada to take control again, and they went back to the floor. In the ring, Sanada hit some more dropkicks. Taichi hit an enzuigiri at 8:00, and they were both down. Sanada tied him in a Skull End, but he missed a moonsault, landing on his feet. Taichi hit a back suplex for a nearfall at 10:30. The ref got bumped. Sanada went for a low blow, but Taichi blocked it; Taichi hit a low blow and got a rollup, but the ref was pulled from the ring. Sanada hit a low blow uppercut and a Shining Wizard. Kanemaru slid a guitar into the ring, but Yasuda (a Young Lion) confiscated it, and Yasuda brawled with Kanemaru. Kanemaru sprayed alcohol into Taichi’s eyes. Sanada got the guitar back, and he did his best Jeff Jarrett, clocking Taichi over the head with it for the tainted pin.
Sanada (4) defeated Taichi (4) at 14:11.
8. Yuya Uemura (4) vs. EVIL (w/Don Fale and Dick Togo) (6) in a B Block tournament match. EVIL came out first, and he attacked as Yuya got through the ropes. EVIL was in charge, and he applied a half-crab at 3:30. Yuya fired back with a deep armdrag and a dropkick. Togo distracted the ref. EVIL threw Yuya to the floor, where Fale slammed Yuya back-first into the guardrail. In the ring, EVIL hit a clothesline and was back in charge. Yuya hit a huracanrana, and he applied a cross-armbreaker at 7:30. Fale distracted the ref, allowing Togo to hit a chair shot to Yuya’s back. Togo hit his knife-edge chop to Yuya’s groin; EVIL got a cover and a nearfall at 9:30.
This has been a ‘very House of Torture-style match’ and that is not a compliment. Yuya nailed a Deadbolt (double-underhook suplex), and they were both down. Yuya hit a bodyslam, and he was fired up. Yuya went to the top rope, but he hit a splash to the floor on Fale, then he whipped Togo into the guardrail! He went back to the top rope, but he missed a crossbody block. EVIL immediately hit a Darkness Falls (powerbomb), then a hard clothesline, and he put Yuya in the Sharpshooter, but Uemura got to the ropes at 12:30. EVIL shoved the ref down and set up for a Magic Killer, but Yuya fought free. EVIL hit a suplex. Yuya hit the Deadbolt with a high bridge for the pin!
Yuya Uemura (6) defeated EVIL (6) at 13:47.
* Hiroshi Tanahashi has 99 career wins in the G1 Climax tournament, more than anyone ever. I now predict he will lose his next four matches… so he can finally win his 100th over EVIL on the final night of the tournament. It would not only get him to 100, but it also could serve as a way for Tanahashi to eliminate EVIL from the playoffs. But that’s just my speculation. Okay, to the main event!
9. Ryohei Oiwa (4) vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi (4) in a B Block tournament match. The crowd was hot and split at the bell, and they locked up with a feeling-out process. Tanahashi hit a dropkick on the knee and targeted it. Oiwa hit an armdrag at 5:00 and targeted the left arm. Tanahashi hit his second-rope somersault senton for a nearfall at 7:30. Tanahashi hit a Twist-and-Shout neckbreaker and a Sling Blade. He went to the top rope, but Oiwa threw him to the mat. Oiwa hit a senton for a nearfall at 10:00. Tanahashi hit a German Suplex with a bridge for a nearfall.
Tanahashi missed a frog splash, and Oiwa immediately applied a top hammerlock behind the neck at 12:00. Oiwa applied a sleeper on the mat. Oiwa hit a back suplex, then a frogsplash for a nearfall, then a Doctor Bomb for a nearfall. He went for his discus clothesline, but Tanahashi got an inside cradle for a nearfall. Just seconds later, Oiwa hit the discus clothesline for the pin. A HUGE win for Oiwa, who feels like he’s still coming off his Young Lion run. Solid match overall, but yeah, that didn’t feel like a main event to me.
Ryohei Oiwa (6) defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi (4) at 14:18.
* Oiwa got a chance to speak on the mic; not sure if I’ve heard his voice before.
Final Thoughts: I totally understand that they want Tanahashi headlining matches in his retirement tour and final G1, but yeah, Boltin-Tsuji was short, crisp, hard-hitting, and was the best match of the show. I’ll go with Callum-Finlay for second, and now I’m intrigued with what happens to Finlay. He’s 1-4… last year, Great-O-Khan started 0-4 but made the playoffs after winning five straight. I’ll put even money that Finlay wins his last four in a row — even if he doesn’t make the playoffs. Sanada’s and EVIL’s respective matches were really dragged down by the HoT shenanigans.
After three straight days of G1 Climax action, the wrestlers finally get a two-day break. The tournament will resume on Wednesday with just the A Block in action, with Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Konosuke Takeshita as the headliner. The B Block matches resume on Friday.
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