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NJPW G! CLIMAX 35 NIGHT 13 REPORT
AUGUST 7, 2025
KORAKUEN HALL
TOKYO, JAPAN
AIRED LIVE ON NJPW WORLD
Walker Stewart and Chris Charlton were on commentary.
Results from the preview tags:
(1) EL PHANTASMO & JADO beat YOSHI-HASHI & SHOMA KATO
(2) ZACK SABRE JR & HARTLEY JACKSON beat DRILLA MOLONEY & TAIJI ISHIMORI
(3) REN NARITA & YOSHINOBU KANEMARU beat SHINGO TAKAGI & DAIKI NAGAI
(4) KONOSUKE TAKESHITA & ROCKY ROMERO beat SHOTA UMINO & TOMOAKI HONMA
(5) CALLUM NEWMAN (6 points) vs. TAICHI (6 points) – A Block match
These two have faced off a fair bit recently, as Taichi and Tomohiro Ishii beat Newman and Great-O-Khan for the tag titles. Newman got revenge by beating Taichi in the play-in, though Taichi would qualify anyway in the last-chance gauntlet.
They traded strikes and leg kicks to start the match. They graduated to boots to the head, then round kicks to the chest. Taichi got the better of the exchange, as you might expect, felling Newman with a stiff blow. Newman tried to kip up but immediately collapsed back to the mat. Newman ducked a head kick and landed a wild haymaker on Taichi’s jaw. He charged Taichi in the corner and ran right into a superkick. Taichi stalked Newman, asking the referee to check him, then just kicked him in the head while prone. Taichi went to tear away his pants, but Newman stopped him and did the removal for him at the five-minute mark. Newman spat on Taichi. Taichi was displeased and starched Newman with a violent elbow strike.
Taichi ripped the physio tape off Newman’s back and kicked him in the spine. He hit a back suplex for a two-count, and tried to follow it with a lariat. Newman ducked and went for a suplex, but his back would not handle the strain. Improvising, Newman planted a roundhouse punch to Taichi’s gut which crumpled Taichi to the mat. Newman attacked the midsection with a driving knee, continuing to sell the back. He went to the top and hit a double stomp to the gut, but was slow to cover and only got a two-count. Newman connected with the Firebolt for a near fall. He measured Taichi for the Os-Cutter but Taichi countered with a forearm to the back at the ten-minute mark.
Taichi kicked Newman in the spine, hit a lariat, then a standing lariat for a very convincing near fall. Newman did a full-on flip from that shot. Newman tried to stand but collapsed, prompting another spine kick from Taichi. He went for a back suplex, Newman landed on his feet and hit a basement dropkick to the gut. Newman measured Taichi and hit a running knee, a poison rana, and a running kitchen sink. He dropped Taichi on his head with the Prince’s Curse, but Taichi went to zombie mode and sat up slowly. Newman grabbed his wrist, Taichi spit on him, and Newman hit a kamigoye and a second Prince’s Curse for the win.
WINNER: Callum Newman (8 points) via pinfall at 12:50. (***3/4)
(Lansdell’s Analysis: Callum Newman has, I believe, opened the tournament matches on almost every A Block night so far. It’s a good choice, he’s exciting and young without being a tournament favourite. This was a very different style of match for Newman. There was no high-speed running boot, and the whole match was played out as a war of attrition. Newman’s back had been a story all tournament, and Taichi tried to work it. Newman found an opening to attack the ribs, and that was the story of the match. This is exactly the kind of thing I love about the G1: storytelling that carries over between rounds, psychology, and growth from the competitors.)
(6) BOLTIN OLEG (6) vs. EVIL (8)- A Block match
The HoT Shenanigans (TM) did not even wait for the bell. Evil entered first, then Dick Togo attacked Oleg during his entrance. They rolled him into the ring, where Fale and Evil joined in the beatdown. The referee, standing right there watching it, did not do anything except call for the bell to start the match. Evil locked on the Darkness Scorpion, leaning all the way back for leverage, but Oleg was able to drag himself to the ropes. Evil threw Oleg to the outside, where he whipped him into a barricade. Fale stood a table up against the ring post, and Evil threw Oleg into it. Wouldn’t the metal post have been more effective?
Oleg made it back into the ring and the count of eight. Evil hit a fisherman’s suplex for a two-count, then whipped Oleg into a suddenly-exposed corner. Oleg bounced out of the corner with a lariat, then slammed Evil down. Fale tripped Oleg from the outside, preventing the splash. Evil took advantage of the distraction and took Oleg up into the fans, where Togo joined in on an attempted double suplex. Oleg blocked and barged into both men, then chopped Evil so hard he likely burst several blood vessels. Still up on the landing in the crowd, Oleg hit the Boltin Shake. He stopped Togo from interfering, picking up the interloper and slinging him over his shoulder, then walked back to the ring dragging Evil with him. He deposited both men on the apron, Fale tried to intervene, so Oleg ran him backwards into a barricade.
Back in the ring, Oleg hit a Stinger splash in the corner, then a Boltin Bomb for a two-count. Evil escaped the Kamikaze attempt and hit a pair of running elbow strikes. He tried a third only to be captured with a belly-to-belly suplex and a fireman’s slam for a two-count. He tried a Kamikaze again, Evil slid out the back and hit a rolling elbow. Oleg caught a running Evil and dropped him with the Verdict. Evil pulled the referee into the corner, then avoided a charge causing Oleg to crush the ref with a Stinger Splash. More HoT Shenanigans (TM) ensued, as they brought a table into the ring. They gently placed Oleg on the table as Fale went to the middle rope…and hit a splash through the table. Apparently all of Hontai was fine with this. A new referee came down after Fale and Togo removed the debris. Everything is Evil connected for the elementary victory.
WINNER: Evil (10) via pinfall at 9:44. (*¼)
(Lansdell’s Analysis: Can I just copy-paste my frustration from a dozen other Evil matches? They were actually having a good match until the nonsense ruined it. How does a wrestler pull a referee into the corner and stand in front of him and not get disqualified? How does nobody come out to help against HoT most of the time? Evil moved to ten points, which almost definitely means he will make the semis. My joy is unbounded.)
(7) HIROSHI TANAHASHI (6) vs. SANADA (6)- A Block match
I am convinced, based on Sanada’s Outfit of the Night, that he has access to my Temu wish list. A rare non-main event for Tanahashi, with the loser here being mathematically eliminated.
Tanahashi hit his air guitar pose early, and Sanada hit him with a shining wizard. He went up top for a moonsault, missed, and Tanahashi hit a slingblade. Tanahashi went to the top himself, looked to be losing his balance, and then Sanada barged the referee into the ropes to crotch Tanahashi. It was not a good fall, and the camera angle was awful. Sanada retrieved his guitar, strummed it Tanahashi style, and absolutely waffled Tanahashi with an El Kabong. Sanada rolled the referee back inside, Tanahashi grabbed Sanada and rolled him up with a small package for the win.
WINNER: Hiroshi Tanahashi (8 points) via pinfall at 2:48. (**)
(Lansdell’s Analysis: They didn’t really do much, but they made it intense at least. That guitar shot was loud and looked violent, and it all made sense…but it was under three minutes. Tanahashi stays alive and will likely be the one to spoil Evil’s party when A Block comes to a close.)
(8) RYOHEI OIWA (8) vs. YUYA UEMURA (8) – A Block match
These two were Young Lions together briefly, but I don’t remember them facing off since that time. I had high hopes for the quality of this match coming in.
After an innovative exchange of armdrags that ended in both men trying to hit one at the same time, Uemura grabbed an armlock. Oiwa got a back elbow up to a charging Uemura, but then ran into a deep armdrag and a wristlock. Oiwas tried two snap mares to escape, but Uemura retained his grip on The Grip whose finisher is also The Grip. Isn’t English great? Oiwa managed to escape the hold and apply an abdominal stretch, only for Uemura to reverse it into an octopus hold. Oiwa escaped but again fell victim to an armdrag. Uemura again applied a top wristlock, and this time Oiwa created separation with a dropkick. He took Uemura over with a headlock takedown and squeezed down on the hold. Uemura eventually hit a back suplex, but Oiwa maintained the hold. Uemura backed him into a corner and fought free, then laid in some crisp chops. They exchanged reversals in the corner, ending up with Uemura on the apron. He tried to bury his shoulder into Oiwa’s gut, but Oiwa sidestepped and grabbed the headlock again and dragged Uemura back into the ring with it. He transitioned to a cravate and got a two-count while maintaining the hold. Off the kickout Uemura caught Oiwa with another armdrag. Oiwa whipped Uemura to the corner, Uemura jumped to the second rope for a Kevin von Erich crossbody, Oiwa caught him and grabbed a headlock. Uemura went for a back suplex, Oiwa flipped over it and pushed Uemura to the corner, and this time Uemura connected with the crossbody to leave both men down at the ten-minute mark.
Uemura hit a running back elbow, an arm drag, and a dropkick. A running bulldog got a two-count, then Uemura applied a short arm scissors. Oiwa tried to stack Uemura up for a sneaky pin, but Uemura rolled through and kept the hold applied. Oiwa escaped briefly and tried to grab a headlock, only for Uemura to avoid it and apply a hammerlock. Oiwa escaped by running Uemura into the corner and then leveled him with a lariat. A doctor bomb by Oiwa got a near fall. He slammed Uemura, then went to the top rope for a falling splash that connected for a two-count. At the 15-minute mark Oiwa locked on a rear chinlock. Uemura got a burst of energy and dropped Oiwa with a back suplex to leave both men down. Uemura hit a double chop and a dropkick. He went for the Deadbolt, Oiwa fought it off but ate a head kick. Uemura charged with a clothesline in the corner, but Oiwa avoided the collision and hit a Chaos Theory for a two-count. I love that move so much. Oiwa tried a discus lariat but Uemura countered into a cross armbreaker. Oiwa reversed into one of his own, but Uemura reversed it right back. Oiwa countered into a sleeper and went for The Grip. Uemura blocked the lariat and went for a huracanrana but Oiwa held on and dropped him with a powerbomb into a jackknife pin for a near fall.
Oiwa went for The Grip again, Uemura ducked it and tried to turn the move into the Deadbolt, but Oiwa just clotheslined him with the other arm instead. Again Oiwa went for a discus lariat, and again Uemura ducked under it and hit the Deadbolt for the win.
WINNER: Yuya Uemurua (10) via pinfall at 18:23. (***1/2)
(Lansdell’s Analysis: I am not sure how I feel about this one. There were exciting moments, and they clearly went in with a plan on how to execute the match, but it just felt a bit simple and repetitive. I did enjoy it, but I really don’t know if I enjoyed it as much as I think I did. That probably makes no sense, but then again the match was a unique showcase that is hard to compare with anything else.)
(9) YOTA TSUJI (8) vs. DAVID FINLAY (6) – A Block Match
Finlay lost the Global title to Tsuji at Wrestle Kingdom, and found himself in a do-or-die match against Tsuji on the night. Tsuji started out 4-1 and then lost two straight.
The match became a slugfest early, with Tsuji slapping Finlay’s chest so hard that he hurt his hand. A tilt-a-whirl backbreaker sent Finlay scrambling to the floor. Tsuji went for a tope, but Finlay’s fist said no. Back in the ring, Finlay mounted Tsuji and hammered away at his head. Finlay locked in a camel clutch, trying to make Tsuji humble, but Tsuji got to the ropes. Finlay went for a clothesline but got caught with a reverse STO at the five-minute mark. Tsuji charged Finlay in the corner, Finlay moved out of the way, and Tsuji ended up hitting a sliding dropkick to send Finlay to the floor. He followed him out with a tope. Back in the ring Tsuji hit a Stinger Splash and followed up with a suplex, but Finlay blocked the suplex and hit a buckleplex of his own. Finlay hit a charging elbow and a release suplex slam for a two-count.
Finlay went back to his methodical, bruising offence. He went for the Dominator, Tsuji slipped free and went for a driving knee, Finlay caught it but Tsuji hit a combination of moves that ended in a blue thunder bomb for a near fall. Finlay fought off a powerbomb, so Tsuji just waffled him with an elbow. Finlay fired back, and as we went past the ten-minute mark they exchanged heavy strikes. Tsuji hit a jumping knee but Finlay rebounded with a lariat for another near fall. Tsuji countered a powerbomb into a huracanrana, then hit a superkick and a short-range Gene Blaster. Finlay got a hand on the ropes to prevent the win. Tsuji toyed with Finlay, who responded by spitting at him. Tsuji just kicked him in the jaw and went for the Marlowe Crash…Finlay countered it into a powerbomb! A second powerbomb, with a stack pin, was enough for a two-count. Finlay called for the end and tried for Overkill, but Tsuji caught the knee and hit a powerbomb of his own. Tsuji hit a buckle bomb, then went for another powerbomb. Finlay escaped, hit his own buckle bomb, but Tsuji came right back with Gene Blaster…Finlay rolled him up! 1…2…no!
Finlay hit a cutter, then went for Overkill…Tsuji rolled him up for a two-count. Finlay hit Into Oblivion for a near fall, then connected with his own Marlowe Crash for another near fall at the 15-minute mark. Tsuji escaped Overkill, but Finlay kneed his head into next week. Overkill…finally connected! 1…2…3!
WINNER: David Finlay (8) via pinfall at 15:21. (****)
(Lansdell’s Analysis: I think part of the reason I enjoy Finlay’s matches so much is that they feel different. He has this wonderful ability to be methodical and brutal, but has spurts of speed and energy to really wow you. This match was a perfect example of that: each man going for the other’s moves, periods of slow and then rapid exchanges. Finlay is on a three-match win streak, and Tsuji is exactly the opposite. The final night for each man will be very interesting, with Finlay against Uemura and Tsuji facing Newman.)
Final thoughts: I mentioned to the other PWTorch writers that this tournament has lacked a single standout match that I would tell anyone to go back and watch. A few have come close, and tonight’s main event is among them, but nothing has really pushed the upper reaches of the rating scale in my mind. Not that the matches have been bad, they have just kind of melded into one. A Block will be hard to call going into the final night. Uemura and Evil are both on ten points and just have to win to make the semis. Oiwa, Finlay, Tanahashi, Newman, and Tsuji are all in contention but the tiebreakers get very complicated. I think it will be Uemura, Evil, and Tsuji advancing from the block, with Uemura the block winner.
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