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NJPW G! CLIMAX 35 NIGHT 17 REPORT
AUGUST 14, 2025
KORAKUEN HALL
TOKYO, JAPAN
AIRED LIVE ON NJPW WORLD
Walker Stewart and Chris Charlton were on commentary. Only two matches of note were on the show, the two playoff matches to see who makes the semifinals of the G1.
Results from the preview tags:
(1) SATOSHI KOJIMA & TAICHI beat YOSHI-HASHI & SHOMA KATO
(2) HOUSE OF TORTURE (Ren Narita & Yujiro Takahashi & Yoshinobu Kanemaru & Sanada) beat JADO & EL PHANTASMO & TORU YANO & BOLTIN OLEG
(3) UNITED EMPIRE (Callum Newman & Great-O-Khan & Jakob Austin Young) beat KATSUYA MURASHIMA & YUYA UEMURA & HIROSHI TANAHASHI
(4) TAIJI ISHIMORI & DAIKI NAGAI best TAIJI ISHIMORI & DRILLA MOLONEY
(5) DON FALE & DOUKI & EVIL beat HARTLEY JACKSON & RYOHEI OIWA & ZACK SABRE JR
(6) KONOSUKE TAKESHITA vs. DAVID FINLAY – G1 Climax Playoff match
Chris Charlton mentioned that Takeshita was coming into the match with a bad knee, resulting from his last group match against Ren Narita. Finlay beat Takeshita in the G1 last year, albeit in the group stage. An interesting undertone to the match was the presence of Rocky Romero in one corner and Gedo in another; former Chaos stablemates who became heated rivals when Jay White turned on the stable with help from Gedo.
Very quickly the match became a slugfest. Finlay charged into a Takeshita boot in the corner, then Finlay knocked Takeshita off the top turnbuckle to the floor. Finlay followed him to the outside and barged him hard into and over the barricade into the fans. Finlay used the break to retrieve a pair of tables from under the ring, which certainly would never figure into his demise later in the match. Right? Finlay tried to powerbomb Takeshita into the tables, Takeshita fought it off and hit a running boot to send Finlay over the barricade. Back in the ring, Takeshita locked in a chinlock to slow things down. Finlay went to the eyes to break the hold, ducked under a big boot, and chop-blocked Takeshita’s bad knee to take control.
Finlay went to work on the knee. He applied a leg grapevine, then switched approaches and snapped backwards on the joint. At the five minute mark he positioned himself to scoop slam Takeshita so that Takeshita’s leg hit the ropes on the way down. Finlay dropped Takeshita with a release suplex slam, then covered for a two-count. Off the kickout Finlay applied a single-leg crab. Takeshita gritted his teeth and dragged himself to the ropes to cause a break.Takeshita fought out of a German suplex attempt, spun around, and dropped Finlay directly on his head with a brainbuster. He threw Finlay into the cornerpad shoulder-first, then did it twice more for fun. Takeshita went to the top for a senton…but got nothing but knees! Finlay hit a uranage backbreaker for a near fall, then laid in a succession of clubbing crossface forearms. He hit a basement lariat to the back of the head and covered for a two-count as we went past ten minutes.
Finlay nudged Takeshita under the bottom rope to the apron, right in front of those ominous tables. Takeshita averted disaster with a violent-sounding elbow, then tried a blue thunder bomb through the tables. Finlay kicked his kneecap to free himself, then powerbombed Takeshita off the apron through the tables to the floor. It’s like he has no respect for the traditions of wrestling tropes! The referee started his count as Finlay rolled back into the ring. Takeshita rose zombie-like from the table at 14, stumbled around for five seconds, and lurched under the ropes at 19 and a half. Finlay positioned Takeshita on the top turnbuckle, and a battle ensued for positioning. Takeshita planted a headbutt between the eyes and went for a sunset bomb, but his knee gave out. Finlay hit a pair of nasty-looking buckle bombs to end the rally.
Finlay tried a third buckle bomb, but Takeshita countered with a huracanrana. He followed up with a poison rana and a Power Drive knee for a very near fall. The crowd got behind Takeshita as he went for Raging Fire…countered by Finlay! Into Oblivion! Finlay covered…and only got a one-count! He went straight into a powerbomb and cover for a near fall, and only then did he allow his frustration to show as we heard the 15-minute call. Finlay called for the end and set up for Overkill. Takeshita blocked it but then ate a rolling forearm. Finlay looked for a lariat but only found a Takeshita pump kick. Takeshita went for another knee strike but ran into a schoolboy rollup for a two-count. Finlay went for a powerbomb, Takeshita slipped out and hit a Last Ride into a Power Drive knee. He set for Raging Fire….connected! 1…2…3!
WINNER: Konosuke Takeshita via pinfall at 17:12. (****¼) Takeshita will face Zack Sabre Jr in the semifinal.
(Lansdell’s Analysis: Match of the tournament so far, by some margin. Finlay has been having great matches all tournament, and honestly it felt like something of a letdown for his winning streak to end at this stage. That said, Takeshita in the semis gives us the potential for some fresh and incredible matches, starting with the semifinal. Finlay on the other hand was never likely to win the tournament; I don’t think they would give him the honour of being the first to win the New Japan Cup and the G1 in the same year. His path forward is an unclear one – we hope he is finally done with Evil, but he seems unlikely to challenge for the title before the new year. He’s above the Global title, so who does he feud with? I can see a world where Takeshita not only goes to the finals but wins the tournament, in the process making a case for two title shots against ZSJ. It’s an unlikely outcome though, because all signs point to the winner of the main event being the winner of the whole thing.)
(7) YOTA TSUJI vs SHOTA UMINO – G1 Climax Playoff match
Tsuji came out first, and was in his short tights for the night. These two were Young Lions together and have been mentioned in the same breath for a long time. Although Umino has long been considered the Chosen One, he will be the last of the new generation to hold a singles title. Calling Umino’s booking “confusing and stop-start” would be like saying House of Torture matches sometimes involve a little dishonesty. In contrast, Tsuji has held the Global title and has had three world title matches, albeit unsuccessful ones.
Tsuji got an early takedown with a tackle, but Umino quickly returned the favour. The difference in pace between this match and the one prior was obvious even after a minute. Umino plastered Tsuji with a series of European uppercuts. Off an Irish whip, Umino went for an armdrag. Tsuji held the rope, then just put a foot on Umino’s back and posed. Tsuji laid in some strikes, encouraging Umino to fight back. Umino did in fact fight back. Tsuji caught him with a surprise flying headscissors that sent Umino to the floor, then followed him out with a tope. Tsuji whipped Umino into a barricade, and they wandered up into the fans.
Tsuji stomped Uemura into the floor, then casually strolled back to the ring at the five-minute mark. The referee started his count, which sounded very quick to me, but Umino still got back to the ring at the count of 17. Tsuji greeted him with a slam and a running splash for a two-count. Tsuji blistered Umino’s chest with some very loud and unpleasant-sounding chops. He hit a gutbuster for a two-count and called to the crowd, who seemed to be firmly behind Umino. Tsuji cut off a rally with a right-hand to the gut, but Umino managed to kick Tsuji’s leg out of his leg and regain control.
Umino trapped Tsuji in the corner and unloaded with a barrage of strikes. He whipped him across the ring, hit a running European uppercut, and then took Tsuji down with a dragon screw. He went for a kneebreaker, Tsuji tried to elbow free but Umino shook off the blows and hit it anyway. He followed up with another basement dropkick to the knee. He stomped on Tsuji’s knee in the corner as we went past the ten-minute mark. A pair of dragon screws in the corner transitioned into an STF, which sent Tsuji scrambling to the bottom rope. Umino went for a powerbomb, but Tsuji punched his way out of it and hit a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker. I guess his knee was feeling better.
Tsuji tried to apply a Boston crab, but Umino countered and reapplied the STF. Tsuji got close to the ropes, so Umino dragged him back to the middle of the ring and went right back to the STF. Again Tsuji dragged himself toward the ropes, and again Umino pulled him back. The third time was the charm as Tsuji finally forced the rope break. Umino measured him and went for a slingshot DDT to the apron. Tsuji avoided it and caught Umino with a knee to the head. Tsuji went to the top…moonsault to the floor! Both men were down on the outside at the 15-minute mark. Tsuji was first to his feet, and he hit a quintet of thunderclap-like slaps to Umino’s chest. He toyed with Umino before attempting the Marlowe Crash…and his knee gave out as he jumped to the ropes! Umino pounced on the opening, attacking the knee and hitting a kneebreaker into a back suplex.
Umino stayed on the attack with a powerbomb for a two-count. He called to the crowd, measured Tsuji…and ran into a backbreaker from Tsuji. A rising knee strike to the jaw crumpled Umino, and again both men were down. The crowd got behind Tsuji for possibly the first time in the match. He planted Umino with a falcon arrow and got a two-count at the 20-minute call. He turned Umino over into a Boston crab. Umino tried to fight out of it, but Tsuji sat back on the hold. With a burst of energy, Umino made it to the ropes. Tsuji looked defeated, but as the crowd got behind him he walked over to Umino and invited him to get up. They stared each other down, and the slugfest was on.
They traded elbow strikes in the middle of the ring. Umino got off a flurry of alternating shots, Tsuji fired back with a series of slaps to the chest. Umino kicked Tsuji’s knee, Tsuji kicked Umino’s head. One of these things is not like the other. Umino fired up and got to his feet, but ate a reverse STO and a German suplex. Again Umino fired up, but this time he ran into a superkick and a big lariat for a near fall. Tsuji went for the Marlowe Crash, connecting this time for another near fall. At the 25-minute call Tsuji set himself for the Gene Blaster, Umino sidestepped it and hit a German suplex and a shining wizard. Tsuji tried a short-range Gene Blaster but only found Umino’s knee in his face. A second shining wizard was only good enough for a two-count.
Tsuji ducked a lariat and sloppily rolled Umino up for a two count. He sidestepped an attempted kick to the knee and hit a curb stomp to the face, an alley oop, and a traditional curb stomp. Again he set himself for a Gene Blaster…but got flattened by a lariat! A second lariat from Umino got another near fall, as the crowd chanted “Shota, Shota!” Tsuji countered Second Chapter into a Stunner, Umino came right back with a shotgun dropkick and a lariat, but Tsuji hit Gene Blaster! 1…2…no! The crowd gasped as one when Umino kicked out. Tsuji put Umino on the top turnbuckle, facing outwards, and went up with him…super inverted suplex! Gene Blaster! 1…2…3!
WINNER: Yota Tsuji via pinfall at 28:18. (****3/4). Tsuji will face Evil in the semifinals.
(Lansdell’s Analysis: That match was incredible. I have given Tsuji a lot of stick for not developing or evolving his in-ring skills since pretty much his return from excursion, but on this night he absolutely showed another gear. Umino played his part in the match, looking like a believable winner at times to finally complete the seemingly-inevitable coronation. It might be time to admit that it’s not inevitable at this point. Once again Umino comes up short in a big match, but similarly Tsuji once again puts himself in position to have a major title shot. He has two more matches to get through, but if this is truly the turning point for NJPW then he pretty much has to win this tournament. The match was lacking only one thing for me that kept it from the full boat, that being Umino not really trying to hit Second Chapter enough. A minor gripe, and it didn’t stop me thinking he was going to win, but it would have elevated the drama just a little bit more.)
Final thoughts: Most G1s have a couple of classic matches scattered throughout the tournament, to keep you interested in the middle rounds. They were notably lacking this year, but the two playoff matches we had tonight were both incredible. We now have ZSJ vs Takeshita and Evil vs Tsuji in the semis, and honestly the only combination I cannot see in the final would be Evil and ZSJ. Umino and Finlay will both be fine in the long-run, but both have had some big letdowns recently and their recovery will need to be carefully managed. Going forward though, the semis have a lot to live up to in terms of match quality. I think we will end up with Tsuji and Takeshita in the finals, and from there you can pretty much flip a coin.
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