By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
New Japan Pro Wrestling “G1 Climax 35 – Night 9”
August 1, 2025, in Kagawa, Japan, at Sun Messe Kagawa
Streamed live on New Japan World
Walker Stewart provided commentary. The venue is a small arena. With the lights low, I couldn’t really see the crowd.
* 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. This is everyone’s sixth tournament match. David Finlay is in last place at 1-4 and will be eliminated with a loss. Again, last year, wrestlers did reach the playoffs via a tiebreaker at 5-4, and I expect that will happen this year as well.
1. Shota Umino and Katsuya Murashima vs. Shoma Kato and Yoshi-Hashi. The Young Lions opened. Y-H entered and chopped Murashima. He hit a Headhunter (running Blockbuster) on Shota at 4:30. Kato hit a suplex on Umino for a nearfall. Shota hit a hard clothesline and pinned Kato. Basic but fine.
Shota Umino and Katsuya Murashima defeated Shoma Kato and Yoshi-Hashi at 7:10.
2. Konosuke Takeshita and Rocky Romero vs. Drilla Moloney and Taiji Ishimori. Moloney and Takeshita opened, and Stewart said this is the first time these two have met in the ring. Ishimori pulled Takeshita to the floor, and Rocky did the same to Drilla. In the ring, Takeshita tossed Ishimori across the ring, and he hit a Mafia Kick at 2:00. Rocky hit his Forever Clotheslines on Ishimori. Ishimori nailed a shoulder-breaker over his knee on Rocky at 4:00.
Moloney tagged in and traded forearm strikes with Drilla. Moloney hit a brainbuster on Takeshita. Rocky and Ishimori got back in, and Romero hit a tornado DDT for a nearfall at 6:00. Romero applied a cross-armbreaker on Ishimori, but Drilla made the save. Takeshita and Drilla fought to the floor, with Takeshita whipping him into the guardrail. Meanwhile, Ishimori tied Rocky in the Bone Lock (crossface), and Rocky tapped out. Really good action for a preview tag.
Drilla Moloney and Taiji Ishimori defeated Konosuke Takeshita and Rocky Romero at 7:23.
3. Shingo Takagi and Daiki Nagai vs. El Phantasmo and Jado. Shingo and ELP have had quite a feud in the past two years, and ELP shouted “I’m daddy!” at Shingo before the bell; Shingo was not amused. Jado and Nagai opened as Walker filled in viewers on the history between ELP and Shingo, leading to a “who’s your daddy” match. Yes, that happened. Shingo tagged in at 2:30, and he cleared the ring. ELP mockingly did Shingo’s hand gestures. He hit an enzuigiri on Shingo; Shingo fired back with a sliding clothesline. Nagai got back in and hit a Spinebuster on Phantasmo. ELP put Nagai on his shoulders and did an Airplane Spin-into-a-powerbomb for the pin.
El Phantasmo and Jado defeated Shingo Takagai and Daiki Nagai at 5:56.
4. “United Empire” Great-O-Khan and Jakob Austin Young vs. “The Mighty Don’t Kneel” Zack Sabre Jr. and Hartley Jackson. Sabre and O-Khan opened. The massive Jackson battled Young. O-Khan and Sabre traded forearm strikes, and O-Khan hit a gut-wrench suplex. Hartley hit a big senton on Jakob for a nearfall, then the “Jagged Edge” (Death Valley Driver) on Young for the pin.
Hartley Jackson and Zack Sabre Jr. defeated Great-O-Khan and Jakob Austin Young at 5:40.
* Drilla Moloney joined Walker on commentary. Walker insists that Finlay is not eliminated with a loss here, and that is illogical — there is no way someone can make the playoffs at 4-5.
5. Callum Newman (4) vs. Sanada in an A Block tournament match. Sanada attacked as Newman tried to enter. Newman hit a flip dive to the floor. There was a bell to officially start at 00:15 even though neither man was in the ring, once again showing NJPW’s inconsistency on the rules here. Very annoying! They fought past the guardrail and into the crowd. Back in the ring, Newman was in charge, but he accidentally got caught in the ropes, which may have legit hurt his mouth. Newman hit his sprinting Mafia Kick at 5:00. Sanada hit a basement dropkick on the knee.
Sanada pushed the ref in the way, and Newman hit a springboard flying elbow onto the ref, and that earned some boos. Sanada went for Skull End, but Newman quickly escaped and got a rollup for a visual pin at 7:30, but the ref was still down. Sanada hit a Shining Wizard to the back of the head. Callum hit a hard clothesline and a fisherman’s buster; the ref got up to make a two-count. Sanada couldn’t hit Deadfall. He went for a low blow, but Callum blocked it, and Callum hit a pair of jumping knees and a suplex for the pin!
Callum Newman (6) defeated Sanada (4) at 10:26/official time of 10:11.
6. Ryohei Oiwa (6) vs. EVIL (w/Dick Togo and Don Fale) (6) in an A Block tournament match. Yet another first-time-ever singles match. Oiwa got a few quick rollups and a dropkick, so EVIL rolled to the floor to regroup. EVIL pushed Oiwa into the guardrail at 2:00, and he choked Oiwa with a mic cord. They got back into the ring with EVIL stomping on Ryohei and keeping him grounded. Back on the floor, Fale pushed Oiwa into the guardrail, then stood on Oiwa’s back before pushing him back into the ring. Oiwa hit a DDT at 4:00. Togo, while standing on the floor, hit a chairshot to the back. Fale hit a bodyslam on the thin mat at ringside. In the ring, EVIL got a nearfall at 6:00.
Togo hopped on the ring apron, so Oiwa crotched him on the top rope. Fale got on the apron, so Oiwa dropkicked him. Hartley Jackson appeared out of nowhere and brawled with Fale. Oiwa hit a back suplex on EVIL, then a top-rope frogsplash for a nearfall at 8:00. Oiwa couldn’t hit his discus clothesline. Oiwa hit a German Suplex for a nearfall, then a Chaos Theory rolling German Suplex for a nearfall. Togo threw powder in Oiwa’s eyes. EVIL hit a clothesline for a nearfall. He applied a Sharpshooter, and Oiwa tapped out. All the shenanigans we’ve come to expect from a House of Torture match.
EVIL (8) defeated Ryohei Oiwa (6) at 9:27.
7. Boltin Oleg (6) vs. David Finlay (2) in an A Block tournament match. Again, despite what Walker is saying, there is no mathematical scenario where someone at 4-5 can reach the three-slot playoffs. ‘The math doesn’t math.’ Even if Tsuji finished 8-1 and EVIL finished 7-2, someone else would still finish 5-4. Point being, Finlay needs to win here. They rolled to the floor at 1:30 and brawled. Finlay pushed Oleg off the apron, with Boltin crashing into the guardrail. In the ring, Oleg hit a massive chop at 6:00, then a belly-to-belly suplex, then his gut-wrench suplex.
Finlay hit the Northern Irish Curse backbreaker over his knee, then the Oblivion neckbreaker over the knee for a nearfall. Finlay hit a standing powerbomb, but he couldn’t hit Overkill (pop-up knee strike to the sternum). Oleg hit a German Suplex, then another for a nearfall at 10:00, then an F5 face plant. Finlay escaped a Kamikaze attempt, got a rollup, and scored the pin. Again, I never once thought Boltin was winning here, just because of the point situation.
David Finlay (4) defeated Boltin Oleg (6) at 10:51.
8. Yota Tsuji (8) vs. Taichi (4) in an A Block tournament match. Yota hit a headscissors takedown, and he dove through the ropes onto Taichi, and they brawled into the crowd. Taichi got back in at the 18-count, but Yota immediately dropkicked him back to the floor. Stewart noted that Taichi beat Yota when Tsuji was still a Young Lion. In the ring, Yota applied a leg lock around the waist, but Taichi reached the ropes at 4:00. They got up, and Taichi dropped him with an Ax Bomber lariat, then a stiff kick to the spine. Yota hit a stomp to the head at 6:30.
They traded Mafia Kicks, and Taichi hit an enzuigiri, and they were both down. Yota hit a headbutt and a stiff buzzsaw kick at 9:00. Tsuji hit a running powerbomb for a nearfall. Taichi hit a stomp to the head at 11:00. Yota hit a slam and his own stomp to the head. He set up for the Gene Blaster, but Taichi hit a forearm strike and a back suplex for a nearfall. Taichi hit a hard clothesline for a nearfall. Yota hit a Gene Blaster, and they were both down at 13:00. Yota hit some jumping knees and got a nearfall. Tsuji came off the ropes, but Taichi caught him with a superkick, and Taichi hit another back suplex, then the Black Mephisto (Air Raid Crash) for the pin. Another very good match.
Taichi (6) defeated Yota Tsuji (8) at 14:56.
9. Yuya Uemura (6) vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi (4) in an A Block tournament match. I’ll reiterate that Tanahashi just beat Yuya in a singles match a month or so ago, and I was perplexed by that booking. But that was before we learned Tanahashi was going to compete in this year’s G1. Point being, I fully expect Yuya to get the win back here. Standing switches to open and friendly reversals between these two babyfaces. Tanahashi hit a second-rope crossbody block at 3:30 and a basement dropkick on the knee, then a few more. Yuya hit some deep armdrags and a dropkick at 6:30. Walker noted that Yuya hasn’t beaten Tanahashi yet.
Yuya hit a back suplex for a nearfall. Tanahashi hit a Dragonscrew Legwhip and targeted the left leg. He applied a Texas Cloverleaf, but Yuya reached the ropes at 9:30. Yuya set up for Deadbolt, but Tanahashi blocked it. Yuya snapped the arm and applied a cross-armbreaker. (Drilla is in the booth, but he barely speaks. It’s kind of like watching the movie Major League where the color man barely says a word the whole film.) Yuya hit the Deadbolt suplex at 12:00, but he sold the pain in his knee and couldn’t hold a bridge on a pin attempt. Tanahashi hit some Sling Blade clotheslines for a nearfall, then a top-rope crossbody block.
Tanahashi missed the High Fly Flow frogsplash at 14:00. Yuya hit his own frogsplash for a believable nearfall, but he missed a second top-rope splash attempt. They got up and traded forearm strikes. Tanahashi hit a basement dropkick on the knee at 16:30. Yuya partially blocked a Dragonscrew Legwhip, wound up on top, and got a nearfall. He switched to the cross-armbreaker, but Tanahashi rolled him up for a nearfall. Tanahashi hit a Dragon Suplex for a nearfall! Yuya finally hit the Deadbolt (double-underhook suplex with a bridge) for the pin. A very entertaining match.
Yuya Uemura (8) defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi (4) at 18:39.
Final Thoughts: Two really strong matches to top the show. I’ll narrowly go with Taichi-Tsuji for best match, as there was great mystery over who was winning that one. The main event was about as good as Tanahashi has looked yet on this tour, but I never once thought he was winning. He is still stuck on 99 G1 Climax wins over his career, and as I’ve noted a few times, I expect him to lose out before beating EVIL for the magical 100th win in his final G1 match.
No surprise that everyone is between 4-2 and 2-4, so no one has locked up a playoff spot, nor has anyone been eliminated. Again, no one will finish 8-1. So even if you have two guys finish 7-2, mathematically, there is no way you can avoid someone else finishing 5-4. Point being, a 4-5 record will not get you into the playoffs. The tournament will continue Saturday with the B Block in action, headlined by Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Great-O-Khan. No rest for the wicked, as the A Block will be in action on Sunday.
I’m not sure you should say finishing 4-5 and making the playoffs is illogical after saying nobody would finish 5-4 and win the New Japan Cup and then someone did