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NJPW G1 CLIMAX 35: NIGHT 2 REPORT
JULY 25, 2025
OTA, JAPAN AT OTA CITY GENERAL GYMNASIUM
AIRED LIVE ON NJPW WORLD
REPORT BY KELLY WELLS, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR
Commentator: Walker Stewart, Chris Charlton
-Gabe Kidd walked out, no longer on crutches; his knee wasn’t wrapped anymore either. However, he hobbled slightly and didn’t put any weight on the right leg when he got into the ring. He said he really hoped he could come back and be in the G-1, but he had no choice but to pull out of the G-1 Climax. He said he’s received hundreds of messages from people who want him to rest and come back stronger, and when he comes back, that version of Gabe Kidd is gonna be the greatest you’ve ever f(*&in’ seen. Chris Charlton was in the ring to translate all he had just said, and there was a big reaction after that. Gabe Kidd then thanked everyone for their support (in Japanese) and bowed a couple of times.
-In Japanese, the ring announcer told everyone that Kidd would be forfeiting the rest of his matches.
(1) YOSHI-HASHI & SHOMA KATO vs. THE UNITED EMPIRE (Great-O-Khan & Jakob Austin Young)
Yoshi-Hashi & O-Khan worked the heavy majority of the match, which was interesting as these previews are often an excuse to let the tournament guys have an easy night. Young finished off Young Lion Shoma Kato with Jakob’s Ladder (a springboard blockbuster off the corner pad).
WINNERS: The United Empire at 7:50.
(2) EL PHANTASMO & JADO vs. TMDK (Zack Sabre Jr. & Hartley Jackson)
ELP & Sabre goofed around a lot before the match, jawing about the terrible color choices of the other wrestler (they were both wearing their usual gear). ELP finished Jackson with a trap pin. Hey, a win for Jado!
WINNERS: El Phantasmo & Jado at 6:37.
(3) SHOTA UMINO & TOMOAKI HONMA vs. HOUSE OF TORTURE (Ren Narita & Yoshinobu Kanemaru)
The majority of this match was Honma vs. the usual HoT shenanigans. It was as good as it sounds. Honma got an eyeful of whiskey and then a stomach full of Narita’s push-up bar and ate the pin. Narita missed a shot on Umino, his opponent tomorrow, just afterward.
WINNERS: House of Torture at 7:05.
(4) SHINGO TAKAGI & DAIKI NAGAI vs. KONOSUKE TAKESHITA & ROCKY ROMERO
Nagai continued getting the hazing treatment upon his excursion-less graduation from the Young Lion program, and he took most of the offense here. He’s excellent at showing heart already, so fighting from underneath will be a good act for him for a long time. Nagai tapped out to Romero’s El Diablo armbar after getting a long series of near-falls.
WINNERS: Takeshita & Romero at 7:32.
(5) BOLTIN OLEG (4 points) vs. SANADA (2 points) – A Block match
Sanada kept up his streak of bizarre costumes, this time wearing something that looked like a cross between El Gigante and an Oscar statue, including a wild thin thong-like. He was also wearing shades with dollar signs on them. Hey, why not?
Sanada jumped Oleg during his entrance, of course, and Sato waited to call for the bell until there were at least wrestling-adjacent moves going on. Oleg got back into it with a tackle that sent Sanada to the floor. Sanada fought off a shot to the barricade, then hit a drop toe-hold on Oleg onto the barricade. Sanada took Oleg out to the seats and threw him into some, after they were cleared of people. Sato asked for them to come back but didn’t start a count. They fought all the way back to just outside the ring, and Sato decided to count after Sanada was back in, but Oleg was still on the floor. Oleg made it in at ten, but Sanada took him down and covered for two.
Oleg fought from underneath, but Sanada butted him in the midsection, then dropkicked him in the knees to retain control. The two jockeyed for a suplex, and finally the powerhouse Oleg ripped one off. Oleg hit a football tackle to lay out Sanada, then ran the ropes repeatedly and hit a splash (Charlton called it “The People’s Boltin” this time) and covered for two. Oleg did the Boltin Shake taunt, then tried Kamikaze, but Sanada reversed and dumped him to the apron. As Oleg tried to reenter, Sanada kicked up the rope to slam it into Oleg’s nuts. Sanada got booed, and did the ear motion that used to signal that he wanted the cheers to be even louder. Nice.
Sanada dumped Oleg and hit a neckbreaker from high, with Oleg draped on the bottom rope. Sanada took a breather while Oleg sold. Back inside, Sanada trapped Oleg in the Skull End. Oleg escaped, and a series of reversals ensued. Sanada ended up hitting a springboard dropkik, but Oleg staggered, then came back with a big lariat for two. Sanada tried to distract Sato and hit a low blow, but Oleg saw it coming and moved. Oleg caught Sanada on a Skull End attempt and hit The Verdict (an F-5) and Charlton said he hit the verdict because Sanada was a crime against fashion. Oleg got tripped up and Sanada hit him with a rear basement elbow. Oleg hit Kamikaze very soon after.
WINNER: Boltin Oleg at 10:01. (***1/2)
(Wells’s Analysis: Sanada really played it straight here outside of the early attack, which he’s been doing for this tournament outside of the hilarious match with Evil. These two worked a good if not great G-1 match and as Oleg continues to get better, so will their chemistry)
(6) YUYA UEMURA (2) vs. CALLUM NEWMAN (2) – A Block match
The two ran the ropes early, showing off Newman’s speed, before Newman nailed a boot. The match went to the mat, where Uemura got his tun to dominate, as he wrapped up Newman in a series of grapples and holds as he continued to work a Sabre-lite style. Newman broke with a rope and they reset. They went to some strikes and kicks. Uemura hit a beautiful deep arm drag into an armbar. Newman used his very long legs to kick his way to a rope.
Uemura threw some chops in a corner. Newman drove Uemura into a corner and hit a big boot. Newman hit a quick knee, then rested a bit as Uemura sold. Uemura trapped Newman in another armbar. Newman managed another rope break. Uemura got dumped to the apron and Newman hit a thrust kick that sent him to the floor. Newman went up in the corner and hit double knees from the top buckle all the way out on a staggered Uemura. Both guys sold on the floor.
Newman rolled Uemura and hit double knees from the top and covered for two. Newman hit a twisting thrust kick and covered for two again. Uemura dropkicked Newman but Newman reversed and hit a German suplex. Another German suplex with a release. Newman hit a running knee. Newman wanted his finisher but Uemura fought it off. Uemura tried the Deadbolt and hit it on a second effort.
WINNER: Yuya Uemura at 10:49. (***)
(Wells’s Analysis: Nothing wrong with this fundamentally, as fundamentals are what Uemura is all about, but it never really kicked into high gear and got to the next level. I’m sure they left something on the table for the next time they meet. That said, it was totally acceptable as the G-1 gets into the doldrums of being 30-60% completed before the wins and losses really start to look like they’re critical)
(7) TAICHI (4) vs. EVIL (4) – A Block match
Evil jumped Taichi, plus some Young Lions, before the bell. Taichi still had on his entrance coat, and he ripped it off to an okay reaction. He went outside and Evil charged him to a barricade, then blasted him with a removed corner pad. Once referee Marty Asami got around to counting, Taichi reentered quickly. Evil immediately charged him to the uncovered corner. He hit a move so Asami would count. He covered once, twice, and a third time all for two counts.
Evil chopped at a staggered Taichi, who stood up and stood tall, absorbing the chops. Evil went to the eyes to boos and took down Taichi. They went to a corner, where Taichi hit a kick to the face, then crumbled to sell the earlier attack. Taichi was getting back into it but Dick Togo held Taichi’s leg and Evil took control as a result. They hit a bunch of reversals an Evil held onto Asami to avoid being suplexed. Asami threw a big left at Evil to a massive reaction. That was hilarious.
Taichi ran the ropes, and Evil ducked, so Taichi took out Asami as a result. Don Fale and Masatora Yasuda got involved from the outside as the match totally broke down. Taichi fought off Fale to cheers. Evil tried to use a chair but Taichi booted him away as well. Evil got dumped and was staggered when he reentered. Taichi hit an axe bomber for a long two. Fale botched a simple chair shot as Taichi ran the ropes and hit him too late, as he was running away. Man, just go out to pasture already. Evil tried Everything is Evil and Taichi evaded it. Taichi charged Evil into the uncovered corner, then trap pinned him for two. Evil hit the reverse Evil and got the pin.
WINNER: Evil at 10:33. (**1/4)
(Wells’s Analysis: A heavy dose of garbage wrestling here, as Evil exists to do. This could have been a strong late-stage tournament match for heat’s sake with Taichi being a man of the people while Evil is the exact opposite, so it’s too bad it happened so early. Marty Asami striking Evil with a left got a genuine pop out of me)
(8) YOTA TSUJI (4) vs. RYOHEI OIWA (4) – A Block match
Amazingly, these guys never quite overlapped as Young Lions and as a result, this is their first-ever singles meeting. I think Oiwa can really be a Tanahashi-type for them given time, and Tsuji is kind of the guy they want right now, so this could be a match that we go back to and talk about “before they were huge.”
Oiwa worked an early headlock and fought off Tsuji’s attempt to run his way free. Tsuji grappled his way to a reversal, but Oiwa grappled back. After a couple of switches, they ran the ropes and Oiwa hit a dropkick and then took down Tsuji with another dropkick. Oiwa again worked the headlock for a while as the early story was about Tsuji’s ability to overcome it. Tsuji finally got in some strikes, then worked Oiwa’s arm in a corner. Tsuji hit a snap mare and wrenched one of Oiwa’s arm back. After some selling, Oiwa hit his feet and then hit a strike, but immediately sold the worked arm.
Tsuji dumped Oiwa to the apron, then missed a sliding dropkick. Oiwa, on the outside, snapped on a headlock yet again. Oiwa charged Tsuji to a barricade. Oiwa reentered, and Tsuji sold outside. He reentered at 14 and got hit with a shoulder tackle, a scoop slam and a standing senton for two. The two grappled for positon and Tsuji hit a facebreaker and then snapped back Oiwa’s arm as he tried to fight off another. Tsuji drove Oiwa arm-first into a corner and then hit a splash there. Oiwa evaded Marlowe Crash and hit a Tenzan suplex. Both guys sold for a bit.
Oiwa hit a cannonball, then a standing splash for two. Oiwa took Tsuji up in a corner and tried a gut-wrench suplex. Tsuji fought back and the two jockeyed for position. Tsuji managed a sunset flip into a walking powerbomb for two. Tsuji considered his next move as Oiwa sold. Tsuji ran in with a lariat, and a second, and Oiwa weathered it with some fighting spirit. The two went to a short exchange of strikes before Oiwa put down Tsuji and hit a curb stomp. Tsuji came back with a lariat, but got stomped a second time shortly after.
Tsuji fought off Oiwa’s setup move and then threw a hard left and hit his own signature stomp. Falcon Arrow got two. Tsuji worked the digits, then hit the Marlowe Crash. He called for the Gene Blaster. Oiwa recovered enough to drill Tsuji with a lariat. He again sold the pain of his worked arm. Oiwa hit a German suplex and held on for a second. Tsuji fought off the third and they went to a series of reversals. German suplex and a short Gene Blast got two.
Both guys sold on the mat as the fans cheered for their chosen guy. Tsuji tried a Gene Blaster but Oiwa speared him, then hit a lariat, and a sunset bomb – all for two. Oiwa evaded a lariat and hit Chaos Theory for two. Tsuji ducked The Grip and hit a backslide that trapped Oiwa just long enough.
WINNER: Yota Tsuji at 13:43. (***3/4)
(Wells’s Analysis: Good basic fundamentals in the first half, leading to some classic strong style and fighting spirit spots in the back. These two had a very good match but there’s no doubt they’ll do bigger things together if the booking team keeps elevating both of them. Oiwa looked extremely good in defeat, dominating Tsuji most of the way, before Tsuji got crafty and found a new way to win)
(9) HIROSHI TANAHASHI (2) vs. DAVID FINLAY (2) – A Block match
My internet blipped and I saw who won this match before I got to see even one moment of the action. Oh well.
They started slow with some grappling, settling in for a long match where Tana will have to pace himself and his ailing knees. Finlay hit his resting-on-the-ropes taunt and Tanahashi responded with air guitar. Finlay bailed to the outside as Tana did some more air guitar.
Back inside, they grappled. Finlay grabbed the hair to take control, and then they went to some reversals from a standing position, then on the mat. They both complained to referee Red Shoes Unno about hair pulling (they were both telling the truth). They reset.
They locked up and worked their way to a corner. Finlay made Tana promise a clean break, and of course he made no such promise, and he kicked Tana in the midsection to boos. He flipped off the crowd. Tana fired up and strung together some classic offense, leading to the dropkick to the knees that sent Finlay inside-out. Tana ran himself into a Finlay dropkick, also to the knees. Finlay hit some grounded rights, then worked the left leg, striking with a boot. Finlay took Tana to a rope and dropped his weight on the draped weakened leg.
Finlay stomped Tana and paced about for a moment. Snap mare and a basement European uppercut got two. Finlay snapped on a headlock and worked it on the mat. The two went to an exchange of rights. Finlay barked the War Dogs taunt and ran ion and missed in a corner. Tana fired up with some rights. Rope run and a forearm smash by Tanahashi. Body slam by Tana into a rolling senton from the second buckle for two.
Tana ran the ropes, but Finlay followed and snatched up Tana for a back suplex. Finlay booted Tanahashi to the floor underneath the bottom rope. Finlay darted Tana from a fireman’s carry into a post, then sat on the apron for some taunts. Finlay trapped Tanahashi out on the floor and mocked the air guitar. Tanahashi turned it into a headscissor takedown that put Finlay into the post. Red Shoes finally started to count as both guys were on the floor selling. Both guys reentered at 19 with some strong countout-teasing.
The two crawled to one another in the center of the ring and fought from their knees, exchanging rights. They got to their feet and picked up in speed and intensity, growling as they laid in rights. Finlay hit the Dominator for two. Tana caught Finlay in Twist & Shout and hit the trifecta. Sling blade by Tana. A second sling blade got two. Tanahashi went up and hit the High Fly Attack. He was a little short, but Finlay closed the gap to make it look better. High Fly Flow got two. The announcers sold it as an unlikely kickout, but it didn’t seem like the right time, even with it being Tana’s finisher. Tana went up one more time, and this time ate knees. Both guys sold on the mat.
Tana charged Finlay in a corner, but Finlay caught him and turned it into Oblivion. He hit it a second time for two. Finlay tried a powerbomb but Tana trapped him for two. They went to some strikes. Tana fought through but a third right took him down. Finlay tried an impact move but Tana caught him in an inside cradle for the win. Finlay threw a mini-tantrum, now with a record of 1-3, though I think he’s inevitable to come back and be in the mix at the end.
WINNER: Hiroshi Tanahashi at 16:08. (***1/2)
(Wells’s Analysis: Tana isn’t going to fool anyone into thinking that he’s still what he used to be, but he’s got enough of a ground game and enough of a grasp of the basics that he still finds a way to work a watchable sixteen-minute match. At this stage in his career it would normally seem a bit of an eyebrow-raiser to give him multiple main event wins in the G-1, but with this being his farewell tour as a result of mounting injuries, he’s really earned the moments he’s making for the fans here, though even if he somehow advances to the playoffs, he isn’t winning this tournament)
-Tana played to the fans for a bit, then did some air guitar with full audio, throwing back about five to ten years when this was extremely common.
FINAL THOUGHTS: Well, if you absolutely must skip one show on this tour to date, it might as well be this one, a show with plenty to like but maybe nothing to really remember. Tanahashi’s long air guitar goodbye will most assuredly be the lasting memory for the fans in attendance in Ota, though, which likely more than makes up for the fact that it was an early-to-mid tournament show with no must-see matchups. That said, if you have the time, check out the Oiwa-Tsuji match and get excited for the future.
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