By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
New Japan Pro Wrestling “G1 Climax 35 – Night 18”
August 16, 2025, in Tokyo, Japan, at Ariake Arena
Streamed live on New Japan World
Walker Stewart and Chris Charlton provided commentary. Korakuen Hall is a sellout tonight. The venue is an arena, on par in size with an NBA arena (meaning for basketball, it could probably seat 17,000 or so).
* The round-robin portion of the G1 Climax is over! Today’s show features our two semi-final matches, with the finale set for Sunday. I never looked at the NJPW website on Friday to see if a lineup was posted, so every match (except the semi-finals!) will be a mystery to me.
1. Togi Makabe and Tiger Mask and Tatsuya Matsumoto vs. Shoma Kato and Masatora Yasuda and Zane Jay. Zane has impressed me so much on the U.S. NJPW dojo shows and he’s now been training in Japan; he started off looking like a young Jack Evans but he’s put on a lot of upper body muscle mass in the past year or so. This might be my first time seeing Matsumoto, who opened against Jay. Tiger Mask’s team worked over Yasuda. Shoma knocked Togi down with a shoulder tackle at 6:30. Zane got in and also knocked Makabe down with a shoulder tackle, and he put Togi in a Boston Crab. Togi put Zane in a Boston Crab, sat down deep, and Jay tapped out. Quite basic but fine. Charlton pointed out that this was Matsumoto’s “first career win.”
Togi Makabe, Tiger Mask, and Tatsuya Matsumoto defeated Shoma Kato, Masatora Yasuda, and Zane Jay at 9:45.
2. Ryusuke Taguchi and Yoshi-Hashi and Yuya Uemura and Shota Umino and El Desperado vs. Toru Yano and Yoh and Master Wato and Taichi and Satoshi Kojima. These guys are all essentially babyfaces. Umino wasn’t happy to be here, showing his disappointment in losing on Thursday. Charlton filled me in on some history I didn’t know of Taichi turning on Satoshi Kojima a decade ago (which explains the humor of them accidentally hitting each other on Thursday). Taichi and Yuya opened. Yano battled Umino and almost immediately tapped out to Kojima in some good humor. Umino got out his frustration with a series of chops on Kojima, who, of course, returned those chops. Yoshi-Hashi entered at 3:00 and hit some chops on Kojima. Yoh and Despe locked up at 4:30.
Wato and Taguchi entered for the first time at 6:00 and traded forearm strikes, as Stewart and Charlton talked about how these two have teamed in the past year. Taguchi hit his flying buttbump for a nearfall. Taichi and Kojima were shoved into each other. They hit a team suplex! Kojima offered a handshake, but they were attacked before Taichi could respond. Yuya and Umino hit stereo dropkicks at 8:00. Taguchi hit a flying buttbump on Wato for a nearfall, and they traded rollups. Despe snapped Wato’s throat across the top rope; Taguchi immediately rolled up Wato for the flash pin. This was so much better than expected.
Ryusuke Taguchi, Yoshi-Hashi, Yuya Uemura, Shota Umino, and El Desperado defeated Toru Yano, Yoh, Master Wato, Taichi, and Satoshi Kojima at 8:53.
3. “House of Torture” Don Fale and Yujiro Takahashi vs. Boltin Oleg and Tomoaki Honma. The HoT came out first; the babyfaces attacked as they got in the ring, and we’re underway! The commentators talked about how Fale is pretty much solely responsible for one of Oleg’s losses that kept him out of the playoffs. The heels worked over Oleg early on. Oleg hit a shotgun dropkick on Yujiro at 3:00. Fale hit the Grenade (pop-up heart punch) on Honma, then a flying elbow drop to pin him. This was the perfect length for this. Oleg kept brawling with Fale after the bell, with Fale hitting a flying elbow on Oleg, with Yujiro slapping the mat three times. Fale held Oleg’s NEVER Openweight title, but he threw it on the mat before leaving.
Don Fale and Yujiro Takahashi defeated Bolltin Oleg and Tomoaki Honma at 4:45.
4. “United Empire” Callum Newman, Great-O-Khan, and Jakob Austin Young vs. El Phantasmo, Hiroshi Tanahashi, and Katsuya Murashima. Tanahashi and O-Khan opened, as the commentators speculated on who would be Tanahashi’s opponent for his final match. ELP’s team each hit a rolling senton on O-Khan, and they all played air guitar. (Murashima is so awesome because he gets so into it!) The heels snuck up behind Murashima, but he hit a series of dropkicks and played some more air guitar. This POPPED the crowd. O-Khan hit his Mongolian Chops on Tanahashi at 3:30.
Calllum and ELP got in and traded fast reversals. ELP hit a springboard splash to the floor on two guys. In the ring, ELP hit a Lionsault on O-Khan for a nearfall at 6:30. ELP came off the ropes, but O-Khan caught him with a punch to the jaw. Murashima tagged in and battled Newman, and Katsuya hit a back-body drop and a running shoulder tackle that sent Newman flying. Callum missed a top-rope doublestomp; Murashima rolled him up for a nearfall. Callum suplexed Murashima for the pin. Lame finish – a suplex? really? – to end a good match.
Callum Newman, Great-O-Khan, and Jakob Austin Young defeated El Phantasmo, Hiroshi Tanahashi, and Katsuya Murashima at 9:39.
5. “Bullet Club” Gedo and David Finlay vs. Shingo Takagi and Daiki Nagai. Like Umino, Finlay did not look happy to be here. Nagai and Finlay opened. The BC worked over Nagai early on. Shingo finally got in at 4:00 and hit some bodyslams. He hit a sliding clothesline on Gedo, tied him in a double armbar, and Gedo submitted.
Shingo Takagi and Daiki Nagai defeated Gedo and David Finlay at 6:34.
6. “Bullet Club” Taiji Ishimori and Drilla Moloney vs. “House of Torture” Sanada and Yoshinobu Kanemaru. Charlton reiterated a stat I’ve heard before… Kanemaru is something like 15-1 all-time against Ishimori, which is just funny, as Ishimori just can’t beat this guy. (I remember when Kanemaru got a flash pin on Ishimori in a BoSJ match when this was discussed.) They all brawled at the bell. Kanemaru and Sanada worked over Ishimori. Moloney got the hot tag at 3:30 and brawled with Sanada. Moloney crotched Sanada in the ropes and hit a Gore for a nearfall. Drilla and Ishimori tried to spray whiskey but they hit the ref! The HoT hit double low blows. Sanada cracked a guitar over Drilla’s head and pinned him.
Sanada and Yoshinobu Kanemaru defeated Taiji Ishimori and Drilla Moloney at 6:34.
7. “The Mighty Don’t Kneel” Hartley Jackson, Ryohei Oiwa, and Kosei Fujita vs. “House of Torture” Ren Narita, Sho, and Douki. Good to see Fujita back! The HoT attacked, and we’re underway. Fujita hit a shotgun dropkick on Douki; those two brawled to the floor, where Douki crotched Kosei against the ring post at 2:00! In the ring, Douki hit an enzuigiri; Fujjita fired back with a leg lariat, and they were both down. Oiwa got in and hit a dropkick at 4:30. He tied up Ren and targeted the left shoulder. Hartley got in and hit a massive splash on Ren for a nearfall at 6:30. Ren hit a chop block to the back of Hartley’s knee, but Hartley hit a back suplex and his massive senton for a nearfall. Sho grabbed a wrench and hit Hartley’s knee, and Douki hit the leg with a pipe! Ren tied Hartley in a leg lock on the mat, and Hartley submitted.
Ren Narita, Sho, and Douki defeated Ryhoei Oiwa, Kosei Fujita, and Hartley Jackson at 8:31.
8. EVIL (w/Don Fale, Dick Togo) vs. Yota Tsuji (w/Shingo Takagi) in a G1 Climax semi-final match. EVIL attacked, and we had a bell two seconds later. The HoT attacked Yota on the floor. EVIL shoved Yota back-first into the guardrail at 1:30. They got back into the ring and traded forearm strikes. EVIL tied him in a modified Figure Four at 3:00, and he kept Yota grounded for several minutes. Tsuji hit a splash to the mat at 6:30. EVIL knocked Yota down on the floor, but Tsuji dove back into the ring at the 19-count; EVIL immediately covered him for a nearfall at 9:30, then he tied Yota in a Sharpshooter, but Tsuji eventually reached the ropes.
Yota hit a top-rope Spanish Fly and a flipping powerbomb for a nearfall at 13:00, and he was fired up. (When has EVIL ever taken a Spanish Fly???) EVIL hit a discus elbow. Yota accidentally hit a Gene Blaster (spear) on the ref! Immediately, Dick Togo and Don Fale jumped in the ring and attacked Yota. Shingo jumped in for the save. Everyone started hitting low-blow uppercuts on each other, and the 15:00 call was spot-on. We got back to just Yota and EVIL in the ring, and Tsuji hit the Marlowe Crash (top-rope Stomp to the head) for a nearfall. He went for a Gene Blaster, but EVIL blocked it. EVIL went for Everything is Evil (uranage), but Yota blocked that. Togo grabbed the ref’s ankle, allowing Fale to jump in and hit a Razor’s Edge on Yota! EVIL locked in a Sharpshooter, and Yota passed out. “This is outrageous!” Stewart shouted. I’m stunned. Like many, I presumed Tsuji was winning the whole tournament. Charlton reiterated that Tsuji was unconscious.
EVIL defeated Yota Tsuji at 18:08 to advance to the finals.
9. Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Konosuke Takeshita (w/Rocky Romero) in a G1 Climax semi-final match. A feeling-out process early on. Sabre beat Takeshita earlier in this tournament. Takeshita finally dropped him with a shoulder tackle at 3:30, and he tied Sabre in a straitjacket sleeper. Sabre began tying up the left arm and twisting the fingers and wrist, but Takeshita got to the ropes at 8:00. They fought on the apron, where Sabre stomped on the shoulder, and Takeshita fell to the floor. Konosuke fired back by putting Sabre’s feet on the apron and hitting a DDT to the floor. In the ring, Takeshita hit a Helluva Kick and a German Suplex, then a Mafia Kick and a flying clothesline as the 10:00 call was right on.
Sabre hit a spin kick to the back of the knee. Charlton said it was inevitable he would target that damaged knee. He tied the left leg in the ropes, letting go before the five-count. They got up and traded forearm strikes. Takeshita nailed an Exploder Suplex at 13:30, then another, for a nearfall. Sabre caught an arm in mid-punch and went for a cross-armbreaker on the mat, but Takeshita escaped. Konosuke hit a Blue Thunder Bomb for a nearfall at 15:00; Stewart reiterated that we have no time limit. Sabre went to an ankle lock while he was seated on the mat; Takeshita eventually reached the ropes. They got up, and Sabre hit some European Uppercuts.
Takeshita dropped him with a stiff forearm strike. He hit his own Zack Driver for a nearfall, and they were both down at 18:00. Sabre got some rollups, and this crowd was HOT and buying every one of them. Takeshita hit a German Suplex and tried to bridge for the pin but his knee buckled and they were both down at 19:30. Takeshita hit a modified mid-ring Sliced Bread; Sabre hit the Zack Driver for a nearfall at 21:00. Sabre hit some Yes Kicks to the chest; Takeshita popped up and hit a clothesline and they were both down.
They finally got up and traded forearm strikes. Sabre dropped him with an open-hand slap to the face at 24:00. They fought on the ropes in the corner; Sabre dropped underneath and reapplied an ankle lock. They again fought on the ropes, and Takeshita hit a Raging Fire brainbuster, dropping Sabre on the top of his head!!! He hit another Power Drive running knee, then a regular mid-ring Raging Fire (twisting Falcon Arrow) for the pin. That was fantastic but that Raging Fire brainbuster from the corner looked downright dangerous.
Konosuke Takeshita defeated Zack Sabre Jr. at 26:46 to advance to the finals.
* EVIL came to the ring, wearing a shirt that indicated he had won the G1 already. However, EVIL backed away and headed to the back with no punches thrown. Takeshita got on the mic and told the crowd to “keep your eyes on me,” and he vowed he would make things interesting.
Final Thoughts: After Wednesday’s first round, I felt quite confident that Yota would beat EVIL, then beat Takeshita, to win the G1 Climax. EVIL’s win went over like the proverbial wet fart in a crowded church. I assumed Takeshita would win here, as Sabre already beat Takeshita earlier in the tournament. Plus, from a booking standpoint, no one wants to see the champion also win the G1… because who would be the No. 1 contender? Anyhow, yes, that main event was fantastic. It took a devastating move to put Sabre away. Yes, I jumped in my chair as Sabre’s head crunched down to the mat on that corner Raging Fire. The undercard was pretty good; we had a 10-man tag that topped all reasonable expectations, and just having so many of the juniors back in action helped out a lot.
SO… it all comes down to Takeshita vs. EVIL. While I thought it would be Tsuji in that spot… it guarantees the crowd will be 100 percent behind Takeshita. We’ll see how it all wraps up on Sunday.
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