New Japan Pro Wrestling 7/19/2025 G1 Climax 35 Day 1

New Japan Pro Wrestling 7/19/2025 G1 Climax 35 Day 1

G1 Climax 2025 Block B Match - Shingo Takagi vs. YOSHI-HASHI

Shingo side headlocks him and they shoulder battle. They trade forearms and Yoshi shoulders him over. Shingo back elbows him then ddt's him. Shingo suplexes him. Yoshi hits chops. Shingo release backdrops him and takes a dragon suplex. Yoshi lariats him then codebreakers him. Shingo hits a sliding lariat and is superkicked.

Yoshi running lariats him then Shingo does a cobra twist style pin for 2. Shingo forearms, punches and headbutts him. Shingo then lariats him. Shingo running lariats him. Shingo lifts him on his shoulders and Yoshi does like a crucifix driver out of it and pins him.

Thoughts: This was disappointing. These two are good but they didn't get the time here to do anything special. They also had to rush and no sell a bit. 

G1 Climax 2025 Block A Match - EVIL vs. Callum Newman

Evil hits CN from behind before it starts and sends him out into the rails. Evil gets on the mic and talks trash while standing on him. Evil then chokes him with tape. Evil eye rakes him then sends him over the top to the floor.

CN is lifted by Don Fale outside and Dick Togo chairs CN.  Evil suplexes him for 2. Evil hits chops then eye rakes him. Evil double chops him down, CN kips up and double chops him.

CN running facekicks him and PK's him. CN then plancha's Fale and Togo outside. CN then plancha's Evil outside. CN misses a top rope double stomp. Evil clips him. CN blocks a sharpshooter attempt. CN legsweeps him then superkicks him in the side of the head. CN top rope double stomps Evil for 2. CN cross-legged fisherman suplexes Evil for 2.

CN buzzsaw kicks him. Evil whips CN into the ref. Togo chokes CN with a weapon then Fale hits CN in the gut. Fale samoan spike slams CN. Evil then sharpshooters CN and submits him.

Thoughts: It was all garbage here with Evil doing little but cheating. It was your usual Evil match and it was nothing of interest.

G1 Climax 2025 Block B Match - Drilla Moloney vs. Great-O-Khan

DM hits Khan from behind and pounds on him. They trade forearms. Khan lariats him in the back of the neck. Khan is atomic dropped when he comes off the 2nd rope and DM dropkicks him. DM dropkicks him through the ropes.

DM ties Khan's hair around the rail outside and chops him. DM double stomps him for 2.Khan suplexes DM in the ring for 2. Khan uranage backbreakers him. Khan double underhook suplexes him into the buckles. Khan forearms him in the back. Khan atomic drops him. Khan then ties up DM's legs and pulls on the chin. Khan hits forearms.

DM blocks a claw attempt then Khan mongolian chops him. DM suplexes him. Khan backbreakers him and mongolian chops him. Khan shoulder throws and pump kicks him. DM then spinebusters him for 1.

DM runs at him and gets forearmed. Khan then hits a TTD for 2. DM rolls him up for 2 then hits a rolling spear for 2. Khan does a cobra twist with a claw.

DM hits a rolling spear then over the shoulder piledrivers him for the win.

Thoughts: It was a decent match as expected here with them throwing each other around and doing heavyweight offense. It wasn't great and I think Khan could have thrown a little more spirit into this, but it was enough.

G1 Climax 2025 Block A Match - Yuya Uemura vs. Oleg Boltin

They do some amateur wrestling then trade wristlocks. Yuya throws him down by the arm and armlocks him. Oleg blocks an armdrag then he shoulders Yuya over. Oleg hits corner spears.

Yuya throws him over by the arm then yanks back on it with his body. Yuya top wristlocks him. Yuya armdrags him and does an armlock. Oleg slams him out of the armlock. Oleg corner splashes him then throws him on a a slam. Oleg splashes him for 2. Oleg karelin's lifts Yuya. Yuya dropkicks him then backdrops him for 2. Yuya armbars him and Oleg ropebreaks.

Yuya hits chops in the corner. Oleg bearhugs him then belly to belly suplexes him. Yuya hits forearms then Oleg forearms back. Yuya hits double chops then takes a chop from Oleg. Yuya enzugiri's him and Oleg standing dropkicks him.

Oleg misses a corner charge and is german'd. Oleg then flips him with a lariat. Yuya rolls him up for 2 then crucifixes him. Yuya escapes an F-5 and hits his front suplex and scores the pin.

Thoughts: It was a little heavy on the arm work which wasn't the most exciting thing at times. Then the finish stretch came and ended quickly. I do think they had a better one on them if they had used their time a bit more wisely. I thought it was a bit boring.

G1 Climax 2025 Block B Match - El Phantasmo vs. Shota Umino

ELP backs him up on the ropes and clean breaks him. ELP side headlock takeovers him. Shota headlock takeovers him and then they stand off. ELP sunset flips him. Shota dodges a superkick and they stand off again.

They shove each other and trade shots. ELP slaps him around and Shota hits forearms. ELP dropkicks him then lariats him over the top. ELP topes him into the rail.

ELP chops him outside then stands on his head outside. ELP springboard swantons him then asai moonsaults him. ELP elbows Shota's chest then twists his nipples. Shota dropkicks him in the knee and neckbreakers him. Shota fisherman suplexes him for 2. Shota enzugiri's him then hits a UFO neckbreaker. They trade strikes. Shota headbutts him in the chest. ELP then hits 2 superkicks for 2. ELP hits a CR2 for 2.

ELP misses a springboard splash and takes a low flying knee for 2. ELP germans him. Shota no sells it and dragon suplexes him. Shota then flips him with a lariat for 2. Shota fisherman busters him and wins.

Thoughts: Like the last match, I didn't think they used their time wisely and I thought it was building for a much longer match. It ended right as it started to get interesting and I thought it was just average.

Shota hugs ELP and Jado after. 

G1 Climax 2025 Block A Match - David Finlay vs. Ryohei Oiwa

They lock up and go to the ropes. DF armdrags and headscissors him. Oiwa then armdrags and armlocks him. They each hit forearms in the corner. DF double throat thrusts him then Oiwa back body drops him. Oiwa hits back elbows. DF stun guns him and russian legsweeps him.

DF hits boots to the head and euros him down. DF backbreakers him. DF running euros him in the corner then throws him. Oiwa hits forearms and takes a double throat thrust.

Oiwa back elbows him then hits a dropkick. Oiwa backdrops him. Oiwa hits forearms and DF spits at him. DF lariats him over the top and goes with him to the floor. DF then shoulderblocks him into the rail door outside.

DF hits a dominator inside for 2. Oiwa backrolls him for 2 then hits a ddt. Oiwa throws him down by the arm and drops on it. Oiwa then armlocks him. DF slips out and sleepers him. Oiwa reverses it and is backbreakered.

They trade forearms. Oiwa spinning forearms him then DF uranage backbreakers him for 2. DF buckle bombs him and hits oblivion for 2. Oiwa cradles him for 2. DF hits spinning forearms. Oiwa hits a chaos theory german for 2. Oiwa blocks overkill and doctor bombs him. Oiwa spinning lariats him and wins.

Thoughts: I was surprised to see DF lose here considering how hard he has been pushed over the last few years. It was average for the most part. Oiwa tried but DF didn't have a lot to offer here and it wasn't the most exciting match. 

G1 Climax 2025 Block B Match - Konosuke Takeshita vs. Gabe Kidd

Gabe slaps him and is shouldered over. Gabe flips out of a german then KT flying elbows him. KT chinlocks him. Gabe shoulders him over.

Gabe running lariats him outside. Gabe then sends him into the rails. Gabe tries to suplex him over the top but KT lands on his feet then brainbusters him on the floor. KT corner facekicks him then hits a blue thunder inside for 2.

Gabe hits a punch then release saito suplexes him. KT gets up and exploders him. They lariat each other at the same time and KT running lariats him. Gabe brainbusters him for 2. KT hits a package tombstone then a wheelbarrow german.

KT runs at him and is lariated for 2. Gabe goes to pick him up for a move but KT is down. Gabe hits a straight punch then hits slaps. Gabe hits a big forearm then runs into a big forearm from KT. They trade forearms outside and KT drops him with one. Gabe barely beats the count in then takes a pumping knee as he gets in.

Gabe piledrivers him for 2. They trade strikes and Gabe hits a knee to the head. KT forearms him from behind then head twists him. KT does a grounded chickenwing and wins as Gabe is out.

Thoughts: They hit a lot of hard strikes and big lariats here. The finish wasn't really built up to that well and the selling definitely could have been better in this. I liked the stiffness but I don't think it was the great one they tried for.

They fight after and it gets broken up. 

G1 Climax 2025 Block A Match - SANADA vs. Yota Tsuji

Sanada has a new entrance jacket with speakers with lights on his shoulders. Sanada also has like cheetah spots in his hair.

Yota flying headscissors him on a fake handshake attempt by Sanada. Yota goes to dive on him and Sanada picks up his guitar. Sanada kicks the middle rope into Yota's crotch and sends him into the rails. Yota's head is banged off seats in the crotch. Sanada then hits him with a water bottle.

Sanada basement dropkicks Yota when Yota gets in. Sanada then hits a magic screw. Sanada shining eizards him. Sanada boots him out of the corner and and goes for a dragon sleeper. Yota then falcon arrows him.

Yota pumping knees him in the corner. Yota goes for a marlow crash but Sanada kicks him in the crotch. Sanada shining wizards him from behind. Yota avoids deadfall and takes a dropkick to the knee. Sanada hits another shining wizard. Sanada misses a moonsault attempt and Yota spears him to win.

Thoughts: Sanada did the basic heel tactics here and his usual moveset and Yota played the underdog against him. They didn't get much time at all for this so it didn't really develop into anything great. 

G1 Climax 2025 Block B Match - Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Ren Narita

Ren runs at Zack and is facekicked. Ren hits a forearm and goes for a rolling armbar. Zack then reverses it. Ren legbars him and Zack leglocks him. Ren goes for the armbar again and Zack misses a PK.

Ren stalls outside. Zack misses a facekick and Ren eye rakes him. Zack then flying kicks him. Zack does a triangle over the top rope and they fight outside. Zack running facekicks Ren and sends him into the rails. Zack misses a kick on the rails and Ren kicks the rail into Zack's leg.

Zack's knee is banged off the floor. Ren hits Zack in the knee with a push-up bar. Ren wraps Zack's leg around the post and pulls.

Ren stomps on Zack as he gets back in the ring then wraps his leg around the middle rope. Ren butt drops Zack's leg. Zack hits chest kicks then Ren kneebreakers him. Zack headlock throws him then twists his neck with his feet.

Zack euros Ren several times. Zack then pele kicks the arm and dropkicks him in it. They each go for sleepers and Zack does an octopus on him. Ren then rolls into a leglock on Zack.

Ren grabs his push up bar. Zack blocks a low bar, twists the arm and PK's him. Zack hits kicks to the chest and slaps Ren around. Zack headbutts him then hits a big slap to drop Ren. Ren grounded guillotines him and Zack tries a pin out of it. Zack michinoku drivers him.

Ren kicks him in the knee then clips him. Zack armbars Ren then pulls back on both arms. Zack then does a headscissors with an armbar but Ren bites the leg. Ren bangs Zack's knee off the mat then Zack grounded sleepers him. Ren low blows Zack then facebusters him. Ren top rope diving knee's him while he's standing and wins.

Thoughts: Ren winning was another upset here. I didn't see that one coming. Ren mostly worked the knee in this one while Zack worked the arm. It mostly made sense just it wasn't super exciting. I guess it was okay but not much else. This got a lot of time at 16 minutes.

G1 Climax 2025 Block A Match - Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Taichi

They lock up and Tai clean breaks him. Tana side headlocks him. Tai hits shots to the head. Tana then hits euros. Tai side kicks him. Tai hits kicks on him then hits Kawada kicks. Tai hits chest kicks.

Tana dragon screws him out of the corner. Tana wraps Tai's leg around the rail then dropkicks it. Tana stomps Tai's leg then elbow drops it. Tai upkicks Tana. Tana dragon screws Tai.

Tai enzugiri's him in the corner. They trade euros for chops and Tai gamengiri's him. Tai buzzsaw kicks him. Tana dropkicks him in the knee then texas cloverleafs him. Tana avoids a gamengiri then dragon screws his leg from under him. Tana then does a texas cloverleaf.

Tai lariats him from behind then hits a gamengiri. Tana slingblades him. Tai no sells it then Tana running lariats him. Tana hits another slingblade for 2. Tana misses a high fly flow and Tai rolls him up for 2.
Tana dragon screws him then Tai superkicks him. Tana hits another dragon screw then Tai flying lariats him. Tai backdrops him for 2. Tai tries a top rope backdrop but Tana rolls on him. Tana top rope crossbodies him. Tana then hits another top rope crossbody for 2. Tana hits a top rope high fly flow and wins.

Thoughts: Tana worked the leg all throughout this one. Tai fought him off with gamengiri's and various kicks. I would have liked more legwork in the end since so much of the match was based around it. I thought it was okay overall but with both guys being older, there was a limit to how good this was going to be. 

Tana then talks on the mic after.

Overall thoughts: Opening night's of the G1 usually have most of the wrestlers in the tournament wrestling on it. That makes for a longer show but also means not everything gets enough time due to so many matches happening. The wrestlers also still have to get through a bunch of other matches, so they don't get too crazy to avoid injury. It wasn't that great of a show overall. We just had a bunch of okay matches only and some of the matches that looked promising ended before they could really deliver. I would say the main or Gabe/Takeshita was the best match of the night but there's nothing here I would rewatch. This one did not give me a lot of hope for the rest of the tournament and I'd just give this a 5 out of 10.