By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
New Japan Pro Wrestling “G1 Climax 35 – Night 8”
July 30, 2025, in Osaka, Japan, at Yamato University Yamato Arena
Streamed live on New Japan World
Walker Stewart and Rocky Romero provided commentary. The venue is a small arena or a really big gym. The risers were sparsely filled. The lights were low, but the ring was well lit.
* 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 B Block is in action, plus preview tags. Because Gabe Kidd has forfeited his matches due to injury, we have just four tournament matches today.
1. Taichi and Yasuda vs. Yota Tsuji and Daiki Nagai. The Young Lions battled early on. Taichi and Yota traded offense. Nagai hit a spinebuster on Yasuda and applied a Boston Crab, and Yasuda tapped out. The Young Lions were in this one at least five of the seven minutes.
Yota Tsuji and Daiki Nagai defeated Taichi and Yasuda at 7:12.
2. Hiroshi Tanahashi and Katsuya Murashima vs. Shoma Kato and Yuya Uemura. Stewart reiterated that Tanahashi is sitting on 99 G1 Climax wins. (Again, I’m predicting he loses out before getting the 100th win in the final night against rival EVIL.) Tanahashi and Yuya opened. The Young Lions locked up at 2:30. Murashima hit a massive senton at 4:30. Yuya got back in and hit a deep armdrag and a dropkick on Tanahashi. Murashima nailed a Bulldog Powerslam on Yuya for a nearfall at 8:00. Yuya hit a back suplex for a nearfall. Yuya applied a Fujiwara Armbar, and Murashima tapped out. That was a pretty good preview tag.
Yuya Uemura and Shoma Kato defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi and Katsuya Murashima at 9:02.
3. “House of Torture” Sanada and Yoshinobu Kanemaru vs. “United Empire” Callum Newman and Jakob Austin Young. The HoT came out first and they attacked the UE as they got in the ring, and they all immediately brawled to ringside. They got in the ring and we have a bell to officially begin at 00:26. Sanada and Callum rolled back to the floor and into the crowd. Back in the ring, the heels worked over Jakob. Kanemaru sprayed alcohol in Young’s face, rolled him up, and got the pin.
Yoshinobu Kanemaru and Sanada defeated Callum Newman and Jakob Austin Young at 7:11/official time of 6:45.
4. “The Mighty Don’t Kneel” Ryohei Oiwa and Hartley Jackson vs. “House of Torture” EVIL and Dick Togo (w/Don Fale). As usual, the HoT attacked before the bell, and we’re underway, and they worked over Hartley. Oiwa got a hot tag at 3:00 and hit dropkicks on each heel. Hartley hit a delayed vertical suplex on Togo. Oiwa applied a top hammerlock, and Togo tapped out. Basic.
Ryohei Oiwa and Hartley Jackson defeated EVIL and Dick Togo at 6:03.
5. “Bullet Club” David Finlay and Gedo vs. Toru Yano and Boltin Oleg. Oleg and Finlay opened. Boltin backed him into a corner and hit a series of chops, then a splash to the mat for a nearfall. Yano got some rollups on Gedo. Yano hit a low blow, got the rollup, and got the pin. Meh. Finlay’s face showed his frustration, as he just keeps losing so far in this tournament, even in preview tags.
Toru Yano and Boltin Oleg defeated David Finlay and Gedo at 6:23.
6. Yoshi Hashi (8) defeated Gabe Kidd (0) via forfeit in a B Block tournament match. Again, Kidd was pinned in his first match and has forfeited his final eight due to a knee injury.
7. El Phantasmo (2) vs. Great-O-Khan (4) in a B Block tournament match. O-Khan attacked, and we’re underway. Phantasmo hit a plancha to the floor, then a dive through the ropes and barreled onto O-Khan, and they brawled into the crowd. ELP leapt off a short balcony (maybe 8-12 feet tall) and down onto O-Khan on the floor at 2:30, and they eventually brawled their way back to ringside. They got back in the ring, where O-Khan hit his Mongolian Chops at 5:30. ELP hit a springboard crossbody block and a Lionsault for a nearfall at 7:30, and they were both down.
O-Khan tied ELP behind his back and bent him in half, before slamming him to the mat for a nearfall. He went for a German Suplex, but ELP rotated and landed on his feet. O-Khan hit a German Suplex. They hit stereo clotheslines and were both down at 10:00. O-Khan hit more Mongolian Chops. Phantasmo hit some kicks, then an Airplane Spin into a release powerbomb for a nearfall at 12:00. O-Khan dropped him with a straight punch to the jaw. ELP hit a second-rope DDT and a superkick for a nearfall. O-Khan hit a second-rope Super Eliminator (Claw to the head, slam to the mat) for the pin. I’ll call that an upset; I thought ELP needed that win.
Great-O-Khan (6) defeated El Phantasmo (2) at 14:51.
8. Ren Narita (6) vs. Drilla Moloney (6) in a B Block tournament match. Narita came out first. Rocky said this was a first-ever singles match, but they’ve fought many times in multi-man matches. Yoshinobu Kanemaru attacked Drilla from behind on the floor, and I started my stopwatch here, as Kanemaru whipped Moloney into rows of hard (not folding!) chairs. Narita attacked and hit Drilla, too, as they fought in the crowd. They got into the ring and we finally had a bell at 2:50, with Narita applying a headlock and a rear-naked choke. Moloney had a cut on his forehead.
Drilla finally hit a brainbuster, and they were both down at 6:00. Drilla fired up and hit some chops in the corner. He blocked a low-blow attempt and hit a spinebuster for a nearfall. While standing on the floor, Kanemaru hit a chairshot to the back on Moloney, and Narita grounded Drilla. Ren tried a Double-Cross (X-Factor) but Drilla blocked it. Ren hit a low blow, and this time he hit the Double-Cross.
Narita went for the Hell’s Guillotine (top-rope flying knee strike to the throat), but Drilla caught him and hit a powerbomb for a nearfall at 10:30. He set up for the Drilla Killa, but Ren escaped. The ref got bumped. Kanemaru got in the ring, but Drilla speared him. Drilla superkicked Ren and moved Narita’s prone body to the center of the ring. He hit a top-rope elbow drop and was fired up. It was Drilla’s turn to hit a low blow uppercut, then a spear, then the Drilla Killa (swinging piledriver) for the pin.
Drilla Moloney (8) defeated Ren Narita (6) at 12:20/official time of 9:30.
9. Shota Umino (4) vs. Shingo Takagi (2) in a B Block tournament match. They traded forearm strikes early on, and Shingo hit a senton at 2:30. They brawled to the floor. In the ring, Shota tied up the right leg, and he hit a fisherman’s suplex for a nearfall at 6:30. He kept kicking and targeting the damaged right leg. Shingo hit a Dragonscrew Legwhip. They seem to be going at a pace that indicates a 20+ minute match. Shingo backed him into a corner and hit some chops and forearm strikes. He hit a sliding clothesline for a nearfall at 9:00. Shota hit a Dragonscrew Legwhip on the damaged right leg, and he switched to an STF.
They got up and traded forearm strikes. Shingo hit a back suplex; Shota hit an Exploder suplex; Shingo hit a Dragon Suplex; Shota hit a Dragon Suplex, and they were both down at 13:00. Nice sequence! Shingo took a tornado DDT. Shingo hit a top-rope superplex for a nearfall at 15:00. He hit a clothesline to the back of the head, then a Made In Japan (pump-handle powerbomb) for a nearfall. Shota hit a tornado DDT, and they were both down at 17:00. Shota hit a hard clothesline. Shingo hit a twisting neckbreaker. They got up and traded forearm strikes.
Shota hit an enzuigiri at 19:30, then a running knee for a nearfall. He hit a decapitating clothesline. Shingo hit a brainbuster but only got a one-count. They traded thudding headbutts. Shingo nailed the Last of the Dragon (modified DVD) but sold the pain in his right knee upon landing at 21:30. He hit a Pumping Bomber clothesline for a nearfall. He hit a second Last of the Dragon for the pin! A very good match. Shingo needed that win to stay in the hunt for a playoff spot.
Shingo Takagi (4) defeated Shota Umino (4) at 22:47.
10. Konosuke Takeshita (6) vs. Zack Sabre Jr. (4) in a B Block tournament match. Standing switches to open, and Sabre applied a cravat, and they each applied straitjacket choke holds. Takeshita hit a suplex as they were tied in a knuckle lock at 3:30, and he choked Zack in the ropes. Sabre hit a dropkick on Takeshita’s knee at 5:30, and he tied up Takeshita’s legs in the ropes, and broke the hold before a five-count. He kept Konosuke grounded by tying the legs into a pretzel. They got to their feet, and Sabre unloaded some European Uppercuts, then he twisted the right wrist. Takeshita hit a German Suplex at 8:30. They went to the floor, where Takeshita whipped him into the guardrail.
Takeshita hit a brainbuster onto the thin mat at ringside! In the ring, he hit a Helluva Kick and a German Suplex, then a decapitating clothesline for a nearfall at 10:30. Sabre tied him in a cross-armbreaker in the ropes. He snapped Takeshita’s elbow between his ankles at 12:30. Takeshita hit a back suplex; Sabre popped up and hit a roundhouse kick to the chest, and they were both down. Takeshita hit a Tombstone Piledriver and a wheelbarrow German Suplex at 14:30. They traded rollups. Sabre went to a cross-armbreaker. Takeshita hit a Blue Thunder Bomb for a nearfall at 17:00. Sabre nailed the Zack Driver for a nearfall.
They got up, and Sabre hit more European Uppercuts as Takeshita hit some forearm strikes. Sabre charged, but Takeshita caught him with a running knee that clocked and dropped Zack at 20:30. Takeshita set up for Raging Fire, but Sabre blocked it and applied a rear-naked choke. So, Takeshita fell backwards to drop his weight onto Sabre, but Sabre held on. Takeshita climbed the ropes, with Sabre still on his back, and they fell from the top turnbuckle to the mat, with Sabre still having the move locked in. After several attempts to escape, Takeshita tapped out! A very good match. Not my favorite of the tournament, but still quite good.
Zack Sabre Jr. (6) defeated Konosuke Takeshita (6) at 22:38.
Final Thoughts: A strong double main event. I’ll narrowly go with Shingo-Shota for best match, ahead of Sabre-Shingo. Both were very good matches, and I wouldn’t be surprised if three of these four are in the playoffs (especially with Gabe Kidd out; I had high hopes for Gabe to have a big run this year.) Drilla-Ren was fine and I’ll reiterate what I’ve written before — I really like that the Drilla Killa is well-protected and I don’t think anyone in NJPW has kicked out of it yet. ELP vs. O-Khan was fine but I’d say it also was below my expectations.
After a day off, the A Block will have their sixth tournament matches on Friday, with the B Block back in tournament action on Saturday. Friday’s headliner is Tanahashi vs. Uemura. I was shocked a month ago when Tanahashi beat Yuya, and I berated the booking. But that was before the brackets were revealed and we learned that Tanahashi was going to do a final G1. Point being, I fully expect Yuya to get his win back.
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