SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
NJPW G1 CLIMAX 35 NIGHT 1 REPORT
AUGUST 1, 2025
SUN MESSE KAGAWA
KAGAWA, JAPAN
AIRED LIVE ON NJPW WORLD
Walker Stewart started the night on solo commentary for the night’s A Block action.
Results from the preview tags:
(1) SHOTA UMINO & KATSUYA MURASHIMA beat YOSHI-HASHI & SHOMA KATO
(2) DRILLA MOLONEY & TAIJI ISHIMORI beat KONOSUKE TAKESHITA & ROCKY ROMERO
(3) EL PHANTASMO & JADO beat SHINGO TAKAGI & DAIKI NAGAI
(4) ZACK SABRE JR & HARTLEY JACKSON beat GREAT-O-KHAN & JAKOB AUSTIN YOUNG
Drilla Moloney joined Walker Stewart on commentary.
(5) CALLUM NEWMAN (4 points) vs. SANADA (4 points) – A Block match
The Sanda Outfit of the Night was a gorgeous white sequined suit that I would most definitely wear. His hair on the other hand was right out of the Dennis Rodman repertoire.
During Newman’s entrance, Sanada attacked. Newman got the upper hand and hit a tope con giro to the floor. They brawled on the outside, Newman tried to bring things back to the ring but Sanada kicked the middle rope into Newman’s groin as he tried to get back in. Sanada stayed on the offence on the outside, knocking Newman into Milano Collection AT at the Japanese announce booth. Sanada left Newman on the ground amongst the fans and returned to the ring. Newman joined him at the count of 17, only to get dropped with a neckbreaker. Newman avoided Sanada with a cartwheel and hit a beautiful high dropkick to take control.A running PK got a two-count for Newman. Sanada blocked a suplex and went for a Magic Killer, Newman escaped but then missed a standing shooting star press. After a few more dodges Newman levelled Sanada with a running kick.
Newman went to the top rope for a double stomp. Sanada moved and dropkicked Newman’s knees. Sanada went to the top for a moonsault but also missed, landing on his feet. Newman hit a pair of kicks and an elbow and went for the Os-Cutter…Sanada pulled the referee in front of him to block. He retrieved his guitar and lined up a shot, but Newman ducked and hit a superkick. Newman went for a powerbomb, Sanada fought out of it and locked in Skull End! Newman slipped down and rolled up Sanada, but the ref was still out of it. Newman tried to revive the ref and was rewarded by a shining wizard from Sanada. Newman came back with a lariat to counter another shining wizard, then dropped Sanada with Firebolt for a very near fall. As the referee recovered, Sanada seemed to be out cold. Newman hit a knee lift and went for another Firebolt, Sanada escaped out the back and went for Skull End again. They exchanged multiple counters and reversals, Newman escaping Skull End and ducking a shining wizard, then reversing a Deadfall into his own attempt. Sanada escaped, the referee got pushed away and Sanada went for a pop-up low blow…Newman caught the kick! Newman hit a knee lift, a running knee strike, and the Prince’s Curse to collect the points.
WINNER: Callum Newman (6 points) via pinfall at 10:11. (***1/4)
(Lansdell’s Analysis: Good fun opener. There was standard referee-bumping nonsense but at least there was no interference this time. Newman looked good here except for one scary moment on an Irish whip where his head slipped under the top rope. Sanada had no HoT support, which is clearly a story they want to tell…but will anyone care about yet another Sanada faction change?)
(6) RYOHEI OIWA (6) vs. EVIL (6)- A Block match
Evil being on six points at this stage is about what I expected, but Oiwa has been a surprise so far. Evil was of course flanked by Don Fale and Dick Togo.
Surprisingly they waited for the bell to start the match, and Oiwa immediately went for the quick win with a trio of rollups for two-counts. He hit a dropkick and an armdrag, and then focused on Evil’s arm. He went for a cross armbreaker, Evil resisted and rolled to the ropes for a break. Evil went to the outside, inviting Oiwa to join him. The youngster declined. Evil came back to the ring, raked Oiwa’s eyes, and whipped him into a suddenly-exposed corner. They went to the outside where Evil choked Oiwa with a microphone cable while trash-talking into the mic.
Back in the ring, Evil covered Oiwa for a two-count before throwing Oiwa back outside for some Fale and Togo shenanigans. They rolled Oiwa back in and Evil hit a fisherman’s suplex for a two-count. Evil covered again for another two, then complained about the slow count. Oiwa grabbed him and rolled into a small package for a noticeably faster two-count. Well, Evil asked for it. Oiwa blocked a clothesline and nailed a DDT. He hit a shoulder tackle, a slam, and a senton for a two-count. At the five-minute mark a ref bump allowed Togo to clatter Oiwa in the back with a chair. Fale slammed Oiwa on the outside and rolled him back in for Evil to cover, but only for a two-count. A lariat got a one-count as Oiwa fired up. Evil went for Darkness Falls, Oiwa escaped and ran Evil chest-first into the exposed corner.
Togo got up on the apron but was promptly crotched by Oiwa. Fale took his turn on the apron, Oiwa dropkicked him down and Hartley Jackson came to ringside to help even the odds somewhat. Oiwa repeatedly bounced Evil’s head off the exposed top turnbuckle, threw him shoulder-first into the corner, then hit a back suplex. Oiwa hit a top rope falling splash for a neat fall, then locked in a rear chinlock. He went for The Grip, Evil blocked and went for Everything is Evil, Oiwa escaped that and went for a German suplex. Togo got on the apron and held on to Evil’s hand to block the suplex, but ref kicked the hand free! Oiwa hit the German for a near fall, and followed up with Chaos Theory for another near fall. He went for a discus lariat, Evil ducked it and Togo threw powder into Oiwa’s face. Evil hit a lariat for a very near fall, then locked in Darkness Scorpion for the victory.
WINNER: Evil (8) via submission at 9:27. (**¼)
(Lansdell’s Analysis: I did not hate this as much as I would normally have hated an Evil match with interference. Oiwa stood well against it, and had some help for a change. Evil was always likely to advance out of the block – you need that heel in the elimination rounds after all – and Oiwa was batting above his average. Decent match aside from the nonsense.)
(7) DAVID FINLAY (2) vs. BOLTIN OLEG (6)- A Block match
Finlay had been on a losing streak coming into this match, and had been showing a lot of frustration as a result.
Oleg went for an early Kamikaze, sending Finlay scrambling to the outside for a breather. Oleg pursued him and threw him back in, so Finlay rolled out the other side. Again Oleg went after him, laying in shots before rolling Finlay inside again. They struggled back and forth on the apron, Finlay snapped Oleg’s neck over the top and then barged him off the apron to the floor and into a barricade. He whipped Oleg into another barricade, Oleg got his foot up to block the impact but Finlay barged into him and knocked him through the gate anyway. Back in the ring, Finlay covered for a trio of one-counts. Finlay punished Oleg with shots and dirty tactics, then covered for a one-count that was ended by an emphatic kickout.
Oleg tried to mount a comeback and succeeded at taking Finlay over the top rope to the floor with a clothesline at the five-minute mark. Oleg whipped Finlay into a barricade as the referee counted, and rolled him back inside at the count of 13. Oleg chopped Finlay loud enough to reverberate in the building and send a ripple of oohs through the crowd. He threw Finlay with an overhead belly to belly suplex, then got a three-rotation Boltin Shake. He lifted Finlay for the Kamikaze, but Finlay reversed it and hit a uranage backbreaker and Into Oblivion for a near fall. That came out of nowhere. Oleg blocked a powerbomb but Finlay rolled through the counter and into a sunset flip for a near fall. They traded heavy blows in the middle of the ring until Oleg hit a pop-up Kamikaze out of the blue for a near fall. Oleg went for another one, but Finlay countered with a powerbomb for a two-count. He went for Overkill, Oleg caught the knee and hit a German suplex. He hit a second and bridged into another near fall at the ten-minute mark.
Oleg again lifted Finlay for Kamikaze, Finlay fought it off briefly but got dropped with an F5. Again Oleg went for Kamikaze, Finlay escaped out the back and rolled Oleg up with a head-capture pin for the flash win!
WINNER: David Finlay (4 points) via pinfall at 10:52. (***1/4)
(Lansdell’s Analysis: Oleg’s matches are falling into a pattern where the match starts to get good, then I notice how repetitive his offence is, then the match ends before it gets to the annoying point. I was a little surprised to see Finlay not only win clean here, but to do so with a roll-up. I figured his turnaround would come from fighting dirty, throwing more doubt on his path forward. Fun match though, I would like to see more from these two.)
(8) YOTA TSUJI (8) vs. TAICHI (4) – A Block match
An interesting matchup here as Taichi has really stepped things up for this G1 as the replacement for Hirooki Goto. Tsuji has basically strolled so far for his four wins.
Tsuji got an early headscissors that sent Taichi to the floor. He followed with a tope, driving Taichi into a barricade. Tsuji continued his assault on the outside as they brawled into the crowd. Tsuji returned to the ring at the count of 16, with Taichi behind him at 18. Tsuji hit a sliding dropkick to send Taichi back to the outside. Tsuji retrieved him and rolled him back inside where he clamped on a body scissors. Taichi eventually got to the ropes for the break. Tsuji toyed with Taichi before slapping him hard. It only angered Taichi, who came back with a stiff lariat at the five-minute mark that left both men down.
Taichi recovered first and hit a snap mare and a kick to the spine. Tsuji called him on, and Taichi kicked him in the chest. A head kick in the corner crumpled Tsuji, and gave Taichi the time to tear off his pants. Further support for my argument that pro wrestling is just angry burlesque. Tsuji beat Taichi to the punch…with a superkick. So he beat him to the kick I guess. A curb stomp left Taichi laying while Tsuji appealed to the crowd. Taichi avoided the Marlowe Crash and hit a spinning backfist and a head kick to again turn the tide. The crowd were loudly chanting for Taichi, but it did not help as Tsuji caught a kick attempt and headbutted Taichi. He followed up with a loud round kick to the head. He set for Gene Blaster…Taichi avoided the impact and lifted him for Black Mephisto! Tsuji escaped and hit a strong powerbomb for a near fall at the ten minute call.
Tsuji hit a lariat, Taichi blocked a brainbuster and avoided a spear, then rolled Tsuji up with a Gedo clutch for a two-count. Tsuji caught a thrust kick, but both men staggered each other with a big elbow strike. Taichi was first to recover, and he stomped Tsuji’s head down into the mat. Tsuji ducked a standing lariat and hit a falcon arrow for a two-count. He returned the curb-stomping favour and set for Gene Blaster…but ran into an uppercut! Backdrop driver from Taichi! 1…2…no! Taichi connected with a standing lariat for another near fall, then called for the finish. Tsuji surprised him with a short-range Gene Blaster, and both men were motionless in the middle of the ring. The crowd came alive for Taichi again, as both men went to opposite corners. They collided mid-ring, Tsuji getting the upper hand with a knee strike for a two-count. He went for Marlowe Crash again, but only found Taichi’s foot. Backdrop driver from Taichi! 1…2…no! Black Mephisto…connected! 1…2…3!
WINNER: Taichi (6) via pinfall at 15:58. (***1/2)
(Lansdell’s Analysis: The action was good, and they had good chemistry. The drama was hurt for me by the start. Tsuji threw Taichi outside a couple of times only to do nothing and just roll him back in. Then he spent almost all of the first five minutes on offence. Combined with the need to reel Tsuji’s points total in, the outcome was a bit predetermined for me. Still, they played it out well and it was entertaining.)
(9) HIROSHI TANAHASHI (4) vs. YUYA UEMURA (6) – A Block Match
Another main event for Tanahashi in his farewell G1, though this one is much more understandable given the comparisons between these two and the recent victory Tanahashi had over Uemura. The crowd was solidly behind Tanahashi as the match got underway,
As you would expect from these two, they started with an exchange of headlock takedowns and escapes. Uemura got the upper hand with a top wristlock, transitioning into an armlock. Tanahashi countered into a hammerlock, but got himself caught up in the ropes which forced a break. Uemura charged into a back elbow from Tanahashi, who followed up with a Kevin von Erich crossbody. He dropkicked Uemura’s knees, then grapevine Uemura’s leg around the middle rope. He kicked the knee a couple of times, dragged Uemura to the middle of the ring, and continued to work on that knee as we passed five minutes.
Uemura dragged himself to the ropes to force a break. Tanahashi did not relent on his knee-focused offence, cutting off a rally with a kick to the kneecap. He whipped Uemura to a corner, but ran up the ropes and hit his own Kevin von Erich crossbody. A pair of armdrags and a dropkick later and Uemura was in control. He hit a running two-hand chop in the corner and a back suplex for a two-count. Off the kickout, Uemura grabbed a kimmura. Tanahashi got himself to the ropes. Uemura attacked the arm some more and went for a dragon suplex. Tanahashi blocked, running Uemura into the ropes and out to the apron. He hit a dragon screw in the ropes then dragged Uemura back into the ring where he hit another dragon screw, this one on the mat.
Tanahashi turned Uemura over into a cloverleaf. Uemura hauled himself to the ropes again. As we hit ten minutes, Tanahashi tried a slingblade. Uemura blocked and went for the Deadbolt, Tanahashi fought it off but got dropped with an armbar DDT. Uemura threw Tanahashi with an armdrag and transitioned into a cross armbreaker, again sending Tanahashi to the ropes. So far this feels like two people wrestling at each other, not with each other. Tanahashi blocked an armwringer and again dropkicked the knees, but his slingblade was once again blocked….Deadbolt from Uemura! He bridged but could not hold it due to the damage to the knee, just to immediately counter my statement about wrestling at each other. Uemura crawled over for a cover anyway but only got a two-count. Uemura paused for entirely too long, then went up top. Tanahashi ducked the crossbody and hit an arm-trap German suplex for a two-count.
A third slingblade was countered into a German suplex, but Tanahashi popped right up and hit a reverse slingblade, then a traditional one for a near fall. He went up top…High Fly Attack! He went back up for High Fly Flow but Uemura moved, then went up top himself…High Fly Flow: Tribute Edition! 1…2…no! Uemura went up again but Tanahashi ducked under the crossbody, which is exactly how Uemura injured himself last year. At the 15-minute mark, Tanahashi crawled over to Uemura. They traded blows from their knees, then on their feet. Uemura got the advantage with a series of two-hand chops, so Tanahashi went back to the knees with a low dropkick. He went for a dragon screw, Uemura countered and sat down for a near fall. Uemura hit a huracanrana into an armbar, but Tanahashi rolled him up for a near fall. He ducked a clothesline and hit a dragon suplex for another near fall. He tried a second one, Uemura was able to fight it off and hit an enzuigiri. Uemura captured both arms for the Deadbolt, Tanahashi resisted but eventually succumbed to give Uemura the win.
WINNER: Yuya Uemura (8) via pinfall at 18:40. (***3/4)
(Lansdell’s Analysis: This was easily Tanahashi’s best match in a long time, much better than the last time these two faced off. It’s what I expected that match to be, in fact. They are so similar in style that they should be able to sleepwalk to three-plus stars. I would have gone even higher if the opening several minutes didn’t feel like two ships passing in the night. It wasn’t until Uemura had trouble bridging because of his knee that I thought the match kicked into gear. Even then, Tanahashi did not return the storyline favour by showing any damage to his arm. Uemura and Tsuji being tied at the top is a great sign going forward, and I would hope they both qualify for the next round.)
Final thoughts: This was a solid show. I found myself asking, during his match, if Taichi is more popular now than Goto was last year? The fans are heavily behind him, and I would not be surprised if there is some talk of giving him a push after the tournament. Don’t sleep on Newman either, he has been steadily improving and getting himself in position for a strong closing to the tournament and a semifinal spot. The block is nicely set up with three rounds to go: Tsuji, Uemura and Evil tied at 8 points with a big group at 6 behind them. Nobody is out of contention yet, making the next night or two very interesting.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.