By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
New Japan Pro Wrestling “G1 Climax 35 – Night 16”
August 13, 2025, in Kangawa, Japan, at Act City Hamamatsu
Streamed live on New Japan World
Walker Stewart provided commentary, and he said he’s going solo tonight with no help later in the show. The venue is a small gym; the lights are low, so I can’t really see the crowd, but there were not that many people in attendance. The lighting over the ring was good. (During a brawl in the fifth match, I can tell the crowd is maybe 500-600).
* 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. This is everyone’s ninth and final tournament match, so we’ll know by the end of this show which three competitors have reached the playoffs. So far, only Zack Sabre has qualified for the playoffs, so we’ll find out the other two participants tonight. A reminder we have just four tournament matches, as Gabe Kidd has forfeited his final eight matches after getting injured in his opener.
1. Hiroshi Tanahashi and Katsuya Murashima vs. Taichi and Yasuda. Taichi and Murashima opened, and Taichi put him in a single-leg crab. Tanahashi entered at 3:30 and hit a flying forearm on Taichi, then his second-rope somersault senton for a nearfall. The Young Lions got back in and battled. Murashima hit a Powerslam, then he locked in a Boston Crab, and Yasuda tapped out.
Hiroshi Tanahashi and Katsuya Murashima defeated Taichi and Yasuda at 8:17.
2. “The Mighty Don’t Kneel” Ryohei Oiwa and Hartley Jackson vs. “United Empire” Callum Newman and Jakob Austin Young. Callum and Oiwa opened and traded some good reversals, and Oiwa hit a gut-wrench suplex at 1:30. Hartley got in and hit his flying crossbody block. Newman hit a running kick on Hartley. Jakob got in at 4:30 and hit some chops on Jackson that Hartley no-sold, and Hartley hit a powerslam for a nearfall. He flattened Young with a senton splash, then the Jagged Edge (Death Valley Driver) to pin Young.
Ryohei Oiwa and Hartley Jackson defeated Callum Newman and Jakob Austin Young at 6:21.
3. Toru Yano and Boltin Oleg vs. “House of Torture” Yoshinobu Kanemaru and Sanada. Oleg finished at 5-4 but missed the playoffs due to a tiebreaker. The HoT attacked, and we’re underway. They brawled into the crowd. In the ring, Boltin tossed Sanada around in his arms and hit a gut-wrench suplex at 3:30. Kanemaru tied Yano in a Figure Four, but Oleg broke it up. Oleg put Kanemaru on his shoulders and tossed him down onto Yano’s knees. Yano then immediately rolled up Kanemaru for the pin. Adequate.
Toru Yano and Boltin Oleg defeated Yoshinobu Kanemaru and Sanada at 6:03.
4. Yuya Uemura and Shoma Kato vs. Yota Tsuji and Daiki Nagai. Yuya, like Oleg, finished 5-4 but also missed out of the playoffs due to the tiebreaker. The Young Lions opened, with Nagai hitting a bodyslam for a nearfall. Yota got in and traded forearm strikes with Kato. Yuya entered and hit a bulldog for a nearfall on Tsuji at 3:30. Yota fired back with a backbreaker over his knee. Kato tagged in and hit some chops on Tsuji, then a dropkick and a suplex for a nearfall. Yota tied him in a Boston Crab, and turned it into a pendulum, and Kato submitted.
Yota Tsuji and Daiki Nagai defeated Yuya Uemura and Shoma Kato at 6:38
5. David Finlay and Gedo vs. “House of Torture” EVIL and Dick Togo (w/Don Fale). They all started brawling, and we had a bell 11 seconds later. They brawled into the crowd, and for the first time, I can see how small this room is. They returned to ringside, and Fale got in a few body blows on Finlay. EVIL got Finlay back in the ring, choked him, and got a nearfall at 3:00. Gedo and Togo got in and battled. Gedo hit a superkick for a nearfall. Finlay choked EVIL, but it allowed Fale to jump in the ring and hit a Grenade (pop-up heart punch) on Gedo. Togo jumped on Gedo for the cheap pin.
EVIL and Dick Togo defeated David Finlay and Gedo at 5:17/official time 5:06.
6. El Phantasmo (8) defeated Gabe Kidd (0) in a B Block tournament match. Again, this didn’t take place, but with this forfeit win, ELP finished at a respectable 4-5.
7. Shingo Takagi (8) vs. Drilla Moloney (8) in a B Block tournament match. They charged at each other at the bell and hit shoulder blocks with neither man going down, so they switched to trading forearm strikes. They fought to the floor at 1:30, and Shingo whipped him into the guardrail. In the ring, Moloney hit a jumping knee in the corner at 4:00. Shingo hit a top-rope superplex, then a twisting snap suplex for a nearfall at 5:30. Moloney hit a superkick and a spinebuster for a nearfall, then a top-rope elbow drop at 7:30, and he was fired up.
Shingo hit a Death Valley Driver for a nearfall. He hit a Made In Japan pumphandle powerbomb for a nearfall at 9:00. Moloney hit a piledriver for a nearfall. (The 5-minute call was 30 seconds late; the 10-minute call was 10 seconds early!) Moloney hit a Gore for a nearfall. Shingo hit a sliding clothesline, and they were both down at 11:00. He hit another DVD and a Pumping Bomber clothesline for a believable nearfall, and the crowd popped for Drilla’s kickout. Shingo then hit the Last of the Dragon (modified DVD) for the pin. A really good mid-card match; Walker called it a “career-best performance” for Drilla.
Shingo Takagi (10) defeated Drilla Moloney (8) at 12:07.
8. Zack Sabre Jr. (12) vs. Yoshi-Hashi (8) in a B Block tournament match. Again, Sabre is already in the playoffs. They traded forearm strikes and chops at the bell. Sabre tied a leg lock around Yoshi-Hashi’s neck, and he cranked on a leg, too. They got up, and Sabre hit some European Uppercuts and was in charge early on. He stomped on Yoshi-Hashi’s hand at 3:30. Yoshi-Hashi hit a Headhunter (running Blockbuster) at 5:00. Sabre applied a cross-armbreaker in the ropes. They fought to the floor at 7:00, and Zack whipped him into the guardrail. Yoshi-Hashi hit a standing neckbreaker on the thin mat at ringside.
Yoshi-Hashi hit a top-rope flying Blockbuster for a nearfall. Sabre tied up an arm on the mat. Yoshi-Hashi hit an inverted DDT at 10:00, and they were both down. He hit a backbreaker over his knee for a nearfall, but Sabre immediately hit a Zack Driver, and they were both down at 11:30. Yoshi-Hashi made a hand gesture like Hirooki Goto and hit a brainbuster for a believable nearfall, but he missed a Swanton Bomb. Sabre immediately applied a leg lock around the neck and turned it into a leg lock around an arm, but Yoshi-Hashi reached the ropes at 14:30.
Sabre hit some more kicks to the damaged left arm and got a nearfall. Yoshi-Hashi hit a Goto-style neckbreaker over his knee and a Superkick. He hit a Swanton Bomb for a believable nearfall at 16:00. Sabre hit more European Uppercuts. Yoshi-Hashi applied a cross-armbreaker; Sabre escaped and applied a Rings of Saturn-type double armbar. This crowd was HOT and into this. After tying Yoshi-Hashi into a pretzel a few more times, he finally tapped out. A hot crowd, combined with an enthusiastic Walker Stewart, really brought this match to a whole new level. With the win, Sabre has earned a first-round bye into the semifinals.
Zack Sabre Jr. (14) defeated Yoshi-Hashi (8) at 17:35.
9. Shota Umino (10) vs. Great-O-Khan (8) in a B Block tournament match. O-Khan hit a Flatliner in the first minute, and Shota rolled to the floor to regroup. O-Khan followed and hit some Mongolian Chops and a hip-toss onto the thin mat at ringside, then he bodyslammed Umino onto the top of the guardrail at 2:00! He whipped Shota into the crowd. They got back into the ring before being counted out, with O-Khan still in charge. He hit a double-underhook suplex for a nearfall at 4:30. Umino hit a tornado DDT, and they were both down at 6:30. Shota hit a second-rope superplex for a nearfall.
O-Khan hit some more Mongolian Chops and chops. Shota hit an enzuigiri and a clothesline, but O-Khan popped up at the one-count. Shota hit a Shining Wizard and a powerbomb for a nearfall at 11:00, then another hard clothesline. O-Khan hit a snap suplex for a nearfall and a pop-up Eliminator for a nearfall. Umino hit his “Second Chapter” brainbuster for the pin. Good action. Shota has qualified for the playoffs, along with Sabre… and the winner of the main event!
Shota Umino (12) defeated Great-O-Khan (8) at 12:04.
10. Konosuke Takeshita (w/Rocky Romero) (10) vs. Ren Narita (10) in a B Block tournament match. Narita came out first. Don Fale and Dick Togo attacked Takeshita and Romero as they walked to ringside so I started my stopwatch at first contact. The ref checked on Takeshita, who slid into the ring, attacked Narita, and we got a bell to officially begin at 1:19. Takeshita put Ren’s feet on the apron, and he hit a DDT to the floor. In the ring, Takeshita hit a Helluva Kick. They brawled back to the floor; this room is deep on two sides and narrow on two sides. Fale and Togo got in some more shots on Takeshita. “This is a disgusting display; this is not what professional wrestling should be!” Stewart angrily shouted.
They got back to the ring, where Ren slammed Takeshita’s knee around the ring post, then slammed it onto the thin mat at ringside at 6:00. They got in the ring, and Ren kept Takeshita grounded. Takeshita got to his feet and hit some forearm strikes at 9:00, but was hobbling; Ren applied a front guillotine choke and dragged him back to the mat. Takeshita hit a brainbuster, and they were both down. Takeshita hit a second-rope superplex for a nearfall at 11:00, then a DDT. Takeshita climbed the ropes, but Fale yanked him to the ground and pushed him into the guardrail. Ren applied an Octopus Stretch in the ropes and released it at the four-count at 12:30.
In the ring, Takeshita hit a German Suplex and a hard clothesline. The ref got bumped again, and Walker Stewart was infuriated! Togo hopped in the ring and choked Takeshita. Rocky got in and dove through the ropes onto Togo. Takeshita avoided being hit by Ren’s push-up bar at 15:00, and he kicked Fale to the floor, then he nailed a flip dive to the floor on Ren and Fale. Romero chased Togo to the back. Fale was also helped to the back. In the ring, Takeshita looked like he was going for a cross-face chickenwing, but Ren fought free. Takeshita hit an Exploder Suplex for a nearfall at 17:30.
Konosuke hit a running knee for a visual pin, but the ref got pulled to the floor. Kanemaru got in and struck Takeshita with a whiskey bottle. Ren tied a leg lock on Takeshita and cranked back. Ren went for the Hell’s Guillotine, but Takeshita ducked it. Narita hit a German Suplex for a nearfall. Narita nailed the Double-Cross (X-Factor faceplant) for a believable nearfall at 20:30. Walker sounded on the verge of losing his voice! Ren again went for a Hell’s Guillotine, but Takeshita caught him and hit a standing powerbomb! Kanemaru accidentally sprayed alcohol in Narita’s eyes. Takeshita applied a crossface chickenwing, and Narita passed out. (I initially didn’t believe it was over, as we’ve seen the HoT ring the bell so many times this tournament!)
Konsosuke Takeshita (12) defeated Ren Narita (10) at 22:13/official time of 20:54.
Final Thoughts: Maybe it was having two full days off. Maybe it was the fact that it was the final night. Whatever it was, the four tournament matches featured some inspired pro wrestling action. All four tournament matches were really, really good. I never thought that entering the day that Yoshi-Hashi was winning, but there were several times during that match that I thought he was getting the victory over Sabre. I thought it was a stellar mat-based match, so that gets my pick for best. I really didn’t think Ren was winning either, but Takeshita brings out the best in everyone, and that takes second. Likewise, I fully thought Shingo was winning, and I’ll agree with Stewart that might be the best Drilla singles match I’ve seen.
No rest for the wicked! The round-robin Block action is over, but the elimination round begins right away on Thursday! Takeshita faces David Finlay, while Shota Umino faces Yota Tsuji. Again, EVIL and Zack Sabre (as winners of each Block) have a first-round bye.
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