By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
New Japan Pro Wrestling “G1 Climax 35 – Night 10”
August 2, 2025, in Hiroshima, Japan, at Hiroshima Sun Plaza Hall
Streamed live on New Japan World
Walker Stewart and Rocky Romero provided commentary. The venue is a small arena; the lights were low so I can’t really see the crowd to gauge the attendance.
* 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. What is 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. 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. A reminder that we only have four B Block matches because Gabe Kidd injured his leg on the opening night and has forfeited his final eight matches.
1. Bolltin Oleg and Toru Yano vs. “United Empire” Callum Newman and Jakob Austin Young. Oleg and Newman opened, and Stewart said their match on Sunday will be a first-time-ever singles matchup. Callum hit a stiff roundhouse kick to the chest. Yano entered at 2:30 and immediately removed a corner pad and traded his comedy offense with Young. Yano hit a roll blow, rolled up Jakob, and got the pin. That was over before it began!
Boltin Oleg and Toru Yano defeated Callum Newman and Jakob Austin Young at 4:02.
2. “The Mighty Don’t Kneel” Hartley Jackson and Ryohei Oiwa vs. Taichi and Yasuda. Taichi and Oiwa opened. Oiwa hit a senton on Yasuda. Hartley entered and hit a splash to the mat on Yasuda. Taichi and Oiwa traded blows. Jackson hit a short-arm clothesline on Yasuda for a nearfall at 6:00. Taichi and Yasuda hit a team suplex on the massive Hartley. Yasuda went for a Boston Crab, but Hartley fought free, and Hartley flattened him with a senton for a nearfall. Hartley hit the Jagged Edge (Death Valley Driver) to pin Yasuda.
Hartley Jackson and Ryohei Oiwa defeated Taichi and Yasuda at 8:13.
3. “House of Torture” Sanada and Yoshinobu Kanemaru vs. Yuya Uemura and Shoma Kato. Sanada had a guitar over his shoulder and a cigar in his mouth. Sanada and Yuya opened, and Walker noted this is the third singles match between these two just this year! On the floor, Kanemaru whipped Yuya into the guardrail. Sanada dragged Yuya past the guardrail and into the crowd. Yuya dove back into the ring at the 19-count at 4:00, but once in the ring, Sanada immediately hit a Magic Screw neckbreaker, and Sanada was in charge. Yuya hit a dropkick, and they were both down. Shoma and Kanemaru finally tagged in and battled, and Kanemaru applied a Boston Crab and sat down deep until Kato tapped out.
Yoshinobu Kanemaru and Sanada defeated Shoma Kato and Yuya Uemura at 7:21.
4. Yota Tsuji and Daiki Nagai vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi and Katsuya Murashima. Yota and Hiroshi opened. Again, Tanahashi is stuck on 99-ever G1 Climax wins, and I think he loses his next two, then gets the magical 100th win on his final chance against EVIL. Tanahashi hit a second-rope crossbody block. Murashima hit a flying senton on Daiki, and he celebrated a bit too hard on his air guitar until Tanahashi settled him down. (Murashima shows more personality than any Young Lion I’ve seen!) Murashima hip-tossed Tsuji and got a nearfall at 3:00.
Nagai got in and battled his fellow Young Lion. Nagai hit a Spinebuster for a nearfall at 5:00, and he tried to get a Boston Crab, but Murashima is just too big for him to flip. Murashima hit a Bulldog Powerslam. Tanahashi put Yota in a Texas Cloverleaf, while Murashima put Nagai in a Boston Crab, and Nagai tapped out. That was fun. Rocky noted that neither Tanahashi nor Tsuji “gave too much away of their strategy” in this match.
Hiroshi Tanahashi and Katsuya Murashima defeated Daiki Nagai and Yota Tsuji at 6:36.
5. “House of Torture” EVIL and Dick Togo (w/Don Fale) vs. “Bullet Club” David Finlay and Gedo. The HoT came out first. Finlay entered the ring, charged at EVIL, and we’re underway. We had a bell at 00:20 to officially begin, even though they were brawling on the floor, once again showing the inconsistency of the rules in NJPW. Grrrrrr. Stewart noted that EVIL is the points leader in the A Block at this moment. Togo and Gedo fought in the ring. EVIL made a cocky one-footed cover on Gedo at 2:30. EVIL shoved Finly off the apron to the floor, as the HoT continued to work over Gedo. Finlay got in and unloaded punches on EVIL. EVIL put Gedo in a Sharpshooter, and Gedo tapped out.
EVIL and Dick Togo defeated David Finlay and Gedo at 5:42/official time of 5:22.
6. Ren Narita (8) defeated Gabe Kidd (0) via forfeit in a B Block tournament match. Again, just putting this here to keep track of points. I feel like a big opportunity was missed here — Katsuya Murashima should have filled in for Kidd for eight straight matches, getting him some valuable in-ring singles action. Sure, he would have lost them all (and the matches would have been technically exhibition bouts), but it would have meant this live crowd would have seen the Narita match promised to them. Young Lion Zane Jay could have easily taken Murashima’s slot in preview tags.
7. Shota Umino (4) vs. Yoshi-Hashi (8) in a B Block tournament match. Shota needs this one, and he hit some European Uppercuts early on. They went to the floor, where Y-H whipped him into the guardrail, then he hit a snap suplex on Shota onto the thin mat on the floor at 2:00. They got back into the ring and traded punches, with Shota selling pain in his lower back from that suplex. Yoshi-Hashi hit a lot of chops. Shota hit a springboard tornado DDT, and they were both down at 6:30. Shota applied a crossface, with Y-H reaching the ropes at 8:00.
Yoshi-Hashi hit a Canadian Destroyer, and he was fired up. Shota hit a running knee for a nearfall. Shota picked him up, but Y-H hit a modified Destino, and they were both down. They got on their knees and traded forearm strikes. They got to their feet at 11:30 and traded forearm strikes. Suddenly, we had no commentary; they let the sound of the blows speak for themselves! (It was only maybe a minute). Yoshi-Hashi hit a fisherman’s buster for a believable nearfall. Shota hit a decapitating clothesline, then the “Second Chapter” (Death Valley Driver) for the pin. That will go down as an underrated mid-show tournament match.
Shota Umino (6) defeated Yoshi-Hashi (8) at 13:28.
8. El Phantasmo (2) vs. Shingo Takagi (4) in a B Block tournament match. Again, with four losses already, ELP will be the first man eliminated if he loses here. They took turns playing to the crowd; as Stewart noted last night, these guys had quite a feud a couple years ago. ELP hit a plancha to the floor at 2:00, then a top-rope moonsault press onto a standing Shingo on the floor. In the ring, ELP hit a springboard senton and a Lionsault for a nearfall. They traded forearm strikes while mockingly chuckling. (It’s pretty funny; the crowd was amused.) Phantasmo set up for a dive, but Shingo cut it off with a forearm strike as the 5:00 call was spot-on.
Shingo hit a Death Valley Driver on the ring apron, and ELP finally rolled back into the ring at the 18-count. Shingo immediately splashed him in a corner at 7:00, then hit a top-rope superplex, then a twisting neckbreaker for a nearfall. ELP hit an enzuigiri; Shingo hit a sliding clothesline at 8:30. Phantasmo hit an airplane spin-into-a-slam for a nearfall. Shingo nailed the Made In Japan (pumphandle powerbomb) for a nearfall at 10:00. ELP hit a Poison Rana and a hard clothesline, then the CR2 (modified Styles Clash) for a nearfall at 11:30, and they were both down. ELP hit a superkick for a nearfall.
Phantasmo went for a frogsplash, but Shingo got his knees up, and Shingo hit a diving forearm strike and a standing powerbomb for a nearfall at 13:00. He hit a flipping vertical powerbomb, then a stiff Pumping Bomber clothesline for a nearfall. Shingo then hit the Last of the Dragon (modified DVD) for the pin. A really good match, and at 1-5, ELP is our first eliminated participant in this year’s G1. (He does have an upcoming forfeit win for at least two more points. And I’ll reiterate that Walker is trying to say that ELP has a chance to reach the playoffs; he does not.)
Shingo Takagi (6) defeated El Phantasmo (2) at 14:26.
9. Konosuke Takeshita (6) vs. Drilla Moloney (8) in a B Block tournament match. They immediately traded forearm strikes and went to the floor, where Takeshita suplexed him onto chairs. They got back in the ring, and Takeshita cranked on the head and kept Drilla grounded. Drilla hit a dropkick at 5:00, then a baseball slide dropkick to the floor. In the ring, Takeshita hit an Exploder Suplex and a clothesline, but Drilla hit a brainbuster, and they were both down. Drilla missed a flying elbow drop; Takeshita rolled him over for a nearfall at 7:30, then Konsuke hit a Blue Thunder Bomb for a nearfall.
Drilla hit a Spinebuster. This time, he hit the top-rope elbow drop for a nearfall at 9:00. Takeshita hit a piledriver move for a nearfall. They got up and traded multiple forearm strikes. Takeshita caught him with a jumping knee. Drilla hit a clothesline for a nearfall at 12:30, then a Gore, and he set up for the Drilla Killa, but Takeshita escaped. (Again, no one has kicked out of a Drilla Killa!) Takeshita hit a running knee to the face. Moloney again couldn’t hit the Drilla Killa, as Takeshita landed on his feet. Konosuke immediately hit the Raging Fire (twisting Falcon Arrow) for the pin! Yes, I never thought Drilla was winning here, but that was really, really good.
Konosuke Takeshita (8) defeated Drilla Moloney (8) at 14:03.
10. Great-O-Khan (6) vs. Zack Sabre Jr. (6) in a B Block tournament match. Basic feeling-out process early on and reversals on the mat with nothing notable worth describing. (Not saying it’s dull; just nothing really notable.) O-Khan hit a release back suplex at 7:30. Sabre hit a Pele Kick to the shoulder. They hit stereo pump kicks to the chest, and both went down. The 10:00 call was spot-on, and Stewart wondered if this one could go 30 minutes, as they were certainly on a slower pace. O-Khan slammed Sabre to the mat and applied a modified Anaconda Vice on the mat. Stewart noted that O-Khan has never beaten Sabre in a singles match before.
O-Khan locked his arms behind his back at 16:00 and let Sabre hit some European Uppercuts on him. Sabre then locked his own arms behind his back and let O-Khan hit some clotheslines. O-Khan hit a straight punch to the gut and got a nearfall. Sabre hit a tornado DDT. O-Khan hit an Eliminator for a nearfall at 18:00. Sabre hit a Zack Driver, then he applied a leg lock around the neck, and O-Khan suddenly tapped out. That definitely got really hot for the final five or so minutes.
Zack Sabre Jr. (8) defeated Great-O-Khan (6) at 19:59.
* Sabre got on the mic and said in Japanese to O-Khan, “Wasn’t that fun?” He kept speaking to the crowd in Japanese. He only said a sentence or two, dropped the mic, and left.
Final Thoughts: Shingo-ELP was really sharp and narrowly beats Takeshita-Moloney for best match of the night. And that really good Yoshi-Hashi vs. Shota match takes third. No, the main event wasn’t bad at all, but I can’t rank it in the top three of the night.
RANT TIME: Time to give Walker Stewart a little math lesson (he’s got a great voice and has been a wonderful addition to NJPW, but he did go to school in Oklahoma! I kid!). There are 45 tournament matches in each Block. Let’s say just two guys go 7-2. That’s 14 wins, so there are 31 other wins divided by seven competitors (because Kidd will get zero wins) for an average of 4.4 wins for those seven guys. That is more than four wins per person. Point being, because of Kidd’s forfeits, it actually guarantees that at least five men will finish with winning records. THUS, ELP was eliminated the second he lost his fifth match. There is simply no mathematical scenario where he remains alive for one of the three playoff spots. Okay, end of my math rant.
The tournament resumes Sunday with the A Block back in tournament action. Tanahashi vs. Tsuji is the headliner. Again, I’m predicting Tanahashi loses Sunday and his following match, so he gets his milestone 100th G1 win in his final opportunity against EVIL. After an off-day on Monday, the B Block resumes Tuesday with Sabre vs. Shingo in the main event.
Except their can be draws. Will there be a shit ton of draws? Of course not but their *could be* meaning he is still alive. You’re wrong just like you were wrong when you were ranting during the NJ Cup