NJPW G1 CLIMAX 35 RESULTS – NIGHT 16 (8/13): Pomares’s results & analysis of Takeshita vs. Narita, Umino vs. O-Khan, ZSJ vs. Yoshi, Takagi vs. Moloney, more

NJPW G1 CLIMAX 35: NIGHT 16 REPORT
AUGUST 13, 2025
HAMAMATSU, SHIZUOKA, JAPAN AT ACT CITY HAMAMATSU
AIRED LIVE ON NJPW WORLD
REPORT BY MAURICIO POMARES, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR

Commentator: Walker Stewart

UNDERCARD TAGS

(1) HIROSHI TANAHASHI & KATSUYA MURASHIMA vs. TAICHI & MASATORA YASUDA

Tanahashi took Yasuda down with a sling blade, allowing Murashima to beat him with a powerslam and a Boston Crab.

WINNERS: Hiroshi Tanahashi & Katsuya Murashima at 8:18

(2) TMDK (Ryohei Oiwa & Hartley Jackson) vs. UNITED EMPIRE (Callum Newman & Jakob Austin Young)

Young caught Jakcson with a Tornado DDT and a trust kick, only for Jackson to shut him down with a running elbow and the Jagged Edge.

WINNERS: TMDK at 6:22

(3) BOLTIN OLEG & TORU YANO vs. HOUSE OF TORTURE (SANADA & Yoshinobu Kanemaru)

Oleg dropped Kanemaru on top of Yano’s knees and Yano scored the pinfall with an inside cradle.

WINNERS: Boltin Oleg & Toru Yano at 5:30

(4) YUYA UEMURA & SHOMA KATO vs. YOTA TSUJI & DAIKI NAGAI

Tsuji trapped Kato in a Boston Crab, transitioning it into a Pendulum swing for the submission win.

WINNERS: Yota Tsuji & Daiki Nagai at 6:38

(5) BULLET CLUB (David Finlay & Gedo) vs. HOUSE OF TORTURE (EVIL & Dick Togo)

Finlay choked Evil out, but it distracted the referee, allowing Don Fale to knock Gedo out and Togo to take the win.

WINNERS: House of Torture at 4:31

B BLOCK MATCHES

(6) SHINGO TAKAGI (8) vs. DRILLA MOLONEY (8) – B Block Match

They immediately attacked each other with numerous shoulder tackles and forearm strikes. Moloney blasted Takagi with a chop and Takagi responded with a corner clothesline. Moloney beat Takagi down with a barrage of chops and clotheslines, followed by a dropkick. They drove each other into the guardrail and Moloney smashed Takagi’s head into a seat. Takagi drove Moloney head-first into the ring post, but Moloney was able to retaliate with a suplex on the floor. Back in the ring, Moloney clocked Takagi with an enzuigiri, only for Takagi to shut him down with a back body drop.

Moloney caught Takagi with a boot to the face before receiving a series of jabs. Takagi crushed Moloney with a corner clothesline and put him down with a superplex, followed by a swinging neckbreaker for a two count. Moloney blocked Made in Japan, but Takagi nailed him with a lariat and a bunch of forearms to the head. Moloney caught Takagi with a thrust kick and floored him with a spinebuster for a nearfall. Before Takagi could react, Moloney fired up and nailed him with a diving elbow drop. Moloney slapped Takagi’s back, only for Takagi to lay him out with a Death Valley Driver.

Takagi pummeled Moloney with a series of elbows and countered the Last of the Dragon with Made in Japan for a nearfall. Takagi avoided an enzuigiri and blasted Moloney with a sliding lariat to the back. Moloney tried to go for the Drilla Killa, but Takagi landed on his feet. Moloney quickly spiked Takagi with a piledriver for a close two count. Takagi blocked Gore once, but Moloney connected it the second time for a nearfall.

Takagi blocked the Drilla Killa and started exchanging forearms and jabs with Moloney. Moloney withstood a sliding Pumping Bomber and kicked out at one, only to immediately collapse off his feet. Takagi flattened Moloney with a Death Valley Driver and turned him inside out with a Pumping Bomber for a close nearfall. Takagi immediately dropped Moloney with the Last of the Dragon to eliminate him.

WINNER: Shingo Takagi (10 pts) at 12:06 (***3/4)

(Pomares’ Analysis: Very hard-hitting and very fun match to end both these men’s campaigns. Not much else to say, this was more or less on the same level to their two previous matches and a fun start to the tournament matches.)

(7) YOSHI-HASHI (8) vs. ZACK SABRE JR (12) – B Block Match

YOSHI nailed ZSJ with several chops to the chest, only for ZSJ to respond with a Pele kick to the arm and a neck twist. ZSJ tied up YOSHI’s arm around his head and put him in a headscissors lock. ZSJ maintained the hold and picked YOSHI’s foot, but YOSHI was able to fall into the ropes. YOSHI withstood a kick to the chest and hit ZSJ with a chop, but ZSJ immediately swept him off his feet and stomped him down. ZSJ targeted YOSHI’s hand with joint manipulation before stomping it. YOSHI caught ZSJ with a dropkick to the knee and hit him with a corner elbow strike.

ZSJ blocked a neckbreaker, only for YOSHI to take him down with a running blockbuster. YOSHI hung ZSJ on the top rope and clocked him with a dropkick to the back for a two count. YOSHI knocked ZSJ off his feet with a chop, until ZSJ caught him with an armbar using the top rope. ZSJ Irish-whipped YOSHI into the guardrail, but YOSHI was able to counter a suplex into a neckbreaker on the floor. Back in the ring, YOSHI dropped ZSJ with a diving blockbuster. ZSJ tied YOSHI’s arms into the Rings of Saturn, but YOSHI was able to reach the ropes. ZSJ knocked YOSHI off his feet with an uppercut and a Penalty kick, only for YOSHI to counter the Zack Driver with a reverse DDT.

YOSHI hit ZSJ with a chop and turned him inside out with a lariat. ZSJ missed a clothesline, allowing YOSHI to drop him with a backbreaker. ZSJ shocked YOSHI with the Zack Driver, but couldn’t go for the pinfall. YOSHI blocked a pump kick and turned ZSJ inside out with another lariat. YOSHI nailed ZSJ with a thrust kick and dropped him with Kumagoroshi for a nearfall. ZSJ avoided the Loose Explosion and trapped YOSHI in a Triangle Choke and hyper-extended his arm, until he was able to reach the ropes. ZSJ stomped YOSHI’s elbow  and clocked him with a Penalty kick for a two count.

YOSHI kicked out a roll-through and planted ZSJ with Ushigoroshi, followed by a thrust kick. YOSHI crushed ZSJ with the Loose Explosion for a close nearfall. ZSJ avoided Karma and put YOSHI in a sleeper hold before knocking him down with an uppercut. ZSJ slapped YOSHI numerous times, until YOSHI caught him with an armbar takeover. YOSHI countered an armbar with a roll-up, only for ZSJ to trap both of his arms into the Rings of Saturn. ZSJ tied both of YOSHI’s arms with his legs, until the referee called for the match to end.

WINNER: Zack Sabre Jr (14 pts) at 17:36 (****1/4)

(Pomares’ Analysis: Zack Sabre Jr’s performance in this G1 has been phenomenal and this was the latest example of it. Some great sequences and nearfalls that really made me think Yoshi had an actual shot at avenging his fallen partner. While I really hoped Yoshi would shock the world and earn himself a title shot, I can’t complain when seeing him look this strong against the world champion.)

(8) SHOTA UMINO (10) vs. THE GREAT-O-KHAN (8) – B Block Match

Umino surprised O-Khan with a sunset flip before they started exchanging quick pinning combinations. O-Khan turned Umino inside out with a clothesline and dropped him with a modified flatliner. Umino avoided the Eliminator, only for O-Khan to ram him into the guardrail. O-Khan Irish-whipped Umino into the guardrail and laid him out with a hip toss. O-Khan dropped Umino with a back suplex onto the edge of a guardrail and threw him into several rows of chairs.

O-Khan planted Umino with a fireman’s carry takeover and put him in a head-and-arm triangle. Umino managed to reach the ropes, but O-Khan immediately shut him down with a Xploder. O-Khan hit Umino with a backbreaker and put him in a Claw Cobra Twist. O-Khan laid Umino out with the Rolling Derby, but he kicked out at two. Umino caught O-Khan with a Tornado DDT and nailed him with a jumping knee to the back. Umino dropped O-Khan with a superplex, but he kicked out at two. O-Khan blocked a power move with a back body drop and managed to shut him down with TTD. They blasted each other with clotheslines at the same time before O-Khan nailed Umino with an uppercut.

Umino clocked O-Khan with an enzuigiri, only for O-Khan to take him out with a straight punch. Umino nailed O-Khan with a lariat, but O-Khan blocked a second one with a Superman Punch for a nearfall. O-Khan tried to go for the Eliminator, only for Umino to shut him down with a pair of knee strikes and plant him with a powerbomb for a two count. Umino clobbered O-Khan with a lariat before O-Khan countered his fisherman suplex with one of his own. O-Khan shocked Umino with a pop up Eliminator for a nearfall. Umino countered the Eliminator with the Second Chapter to pick up the win.

WINNER: Shota Umino (12 pts) at 12:05 (***)

(Pomares’ Analysis: Not a bad match, but quite unremarkable for the last night of block action. Maybe the crowd wasn’t into it or maybe these two just don’t have the greatest in-ring chemistry, but this felt like a foregone conclusion and a flat ending to O-Khan’s complain.)

(9) KONOSUKE TAKESHITA (10) (w/Rocky Romero) vs. REN NARITA (10) (w/Don Fale & Dick Togo) – B Block Match

Don Fale and Dick Togo attacked Takeshita and Romero during their entrance and drove him into the guardrail. Once the match started, Narita caught Takeshita with a boot to the face. Takeshita caught Narita with a forearm to the knee and laid him out with a DDT on the floor. Back in the ring, Takeshita cracked Narita with a big boot and pummeled him with a bunch of forearm strikes and knees to the face. Narita drove Takeshita into a row of chairs and Fale and Togo pummeled him down. Narita crushed Takeshita’s knee with a chair shot into the floor.

Back in the ring, Narita smashed Takeshita’s leg into the ring post before smashing it into the floor. Narita put Takeshita in an ankle lock and pulled it into the ring post. Back in the ring, Narita dropped Takeshtia with the Narita Special and put him in a knee bar. Takeshita attacked Narita with forearm strikes, only for Narita to trap him in a Guillotine Choke. Takeshita managed to lift Narita and spike him with a brainbuster. After struggling to run into Narita, Takeshita pummeled him with forearm strikes and put him down with a superplex for a nearfall. Narita tried to go for a kneebreaker, only for Takeshita to catch him with a knee strike, followed by a DDT.

Togo distracted the referee and Fale pulled Takeshita’s leg before knocking Romero into the guardrail. Narita put Takeshtia in an abdominal stretch and put her in a kneebar. Takeshita managed to take Narita down with a German suplex and knock him off his feet with a lariat. Narita blocked Raging Fire and drove Takeshita into the referee. Fale clobbered Takeshita with a chair shot to the back and Togo choked him out with his chain. Takeshita knocked Togo away and Romero took Togo out with a suicide dive. Takeshita blocked a shot with the push-up bar and sent Narita out of the ring with a forearm strike before crushing him and Fale with a Tope con Hilo.

Romero brawled with Togo away from the ring and the Young Lions dragged Fale to the back. Back in the ring, Takeshita put Narita in a chicken wing sleeper. Takeshita caught Narita with a jumping knee and laid him out with a Xploder for a close two count. Takeshita cracked Narita with a Power Drive Knee, only for Yoshinobu Kanemaru to show up and pull the referee out. Kanemaru hit Takeshita’s knee with his whiskey bottle, allowing Narita to trap him in a knee bar. Takeshita barely managed to grab the ropes and break the hold.

Takeshita avoided the Hell’s Guillotine, but Narita countered the Blue Thunderbomb with a sleeper hold. Narita dropped Takeshita with a German suplex for a close two count. Takeshita blocked a low blow, only for Narita to drop him with the Double Cross for a nearfall. Takeshita countered the Hell’s Guillotine with a Last Ride powerbomb. Kanemaru grabbed Takeshita’s arm, but accidentally blinded Narita with the whiskey spit. Takeshita put Narita in the chicken wing sleeper and made him pass out.

WINNER: Konosuke Takeshita (12 pts) at 20:50 (***1/4)

(Pomares’ Analysis: Tons of House of Torture nonsense as per usual, but I can’t deny that I really bought into the nearfalls in the final few minutes. HoT matches miss more often than not, however actually seeing anyone overcome the interference always ends up feeling cathartic and this was no exception. Probably would feel more annoyed with a different result, but Takeshita went through and that’s all I care about.)

– Zack Sabre Jr, Shota Umino and Konosuke Takeshita advanced to the playoffs.

FINAL THOUGHTS: A night of two halves, but weirdly the first half ended up being more enjoyable than the second one. Takagi vs. Moloney was pretty fun and I’d argue ZSJ vs. Yoshi is a must-watch. The main event was more House of Torture shenanigans, but at least it ended the show on a positive note. I feel somewhat mixed on the playoff matches set up, however any combination of Finlay, ZSJ and Takeshita should make up for whatever happens on the other side of the bracket.

You can contact me at mauriciopomares@gmail.com, on Twitter @PomiWrestling or on BlueSky @pomiwrestling.bsky.social