New Japan Pro Wrestling 7/23/2025 G1 Climax 35 Day 4

New Japan Pro Wrestling 7/23/2025 G1 Climax 35 Day 4

Day 3 is here: https://prowresblog.blogspot.com/2025/07/new-japan-pro-wrestling-7222025-g1.html

Oleg Boltin & Toru Yano vs. House Of Torture (SANADA & Yoshinobu Kanemaru)

The heels attack before it starts. Oleg is sent into the seats then San hits him with a chair. San then punches Oleg with a water bottle. YK leglocks Yano in the ring then Yano ropebreaks. Yano pulls San down by the hair.

Oleg slams San. Oleg takes a double boot then hits a double suplex. Oleg karelin's lifts San. Oleg is pulled over the top then San kicks the rope into Oleg's crotch. San dropkicks him in the knee and the chest. Oleg shoulders him over.

Yano pulls off a turnbuckle pad then is sent into the exposed buckle. YK pulls on Yano's leg then figure fours him. YK kicks the ref down and Yano pulls him down by the hair. Yano is sent into the exposed buckle then he spits whiskey at YK and wins.

Thoughts: It was full of shenanigans and multiple people should have been DQ'd. I wasn't a fan of it and it was the usual HoT stuff.

Shoma Kato & Yuya Uemura vs. United Empire (Callum Newman & Jakob Austin Young)

Yuya and CN go at it. CN wristlocks him then Yuya reverses it. CN hammerlocks him then waistlock takedowns him. CN wristlocks him and Yuya reverses it. Yuya goes up and over and hits an armdrag and dropkick. CN running facekicks Yuya. Yuya takes kicks from both then CN standing moonsaults Yuya.

Jake snapmares Yuya and baseball slides him for 2. Yuya hits forearms then flying forearms him. Kato comes in, hits forearms then shoulders over Jake. Kato hiptosses him then dropkicks CN. Kato suplexes Jake for 2.

Kato takes a superkick then a shining wizard from the side by Jake. Yuya double chops CN down then CN kips up and forearms him. CN PK's him from the apron. Kato pushes Jake into CN and rolls up Jake for 2. Jake high kicks Kato then hits a shiranui to win.

Thoughts: It was alright for what it was with them keeping things moving. It was nothing great but it was acceptable enough for a lower card opening match. Kato looked alright here but lost as expected.

Masatora Yasuda & Taichi vs. House Of Torture (Dick Togo & EVIL)

Tai and Yasuda get nailed by Togo, Fale and Evil as they enter. The ref then watches them stomp on Yasuda and Tai. Togo throws Yasuda back. Togo stomps on Yasuda and back elbows him for 2.

Togo hits punches on Yasuda and slams him. Togo chops Yasuda in the corner then hiptosses him. Togo sentons him for 2. Togo eye rakes Yasuda then Yasuda armdrags him.

Yasuda suplexes Togo. Tai and Evil get in. Tai side kicks him. Tai running facekicks him out of the corner. The ref is pushed in Tai's way and Tai is thrown out. Tai gets hit by Fale outside after Togo distracts him. Evil fisherman suplexes Tai, Tai no sells it and running lariats him. 

Yasuda comes in and hits forearms on Evil. Evil blocks a hiptoss. Yasuda hits a slam on Evil after help from Tai then he hits a dropkick for 2. Yasuda hits forearms on Evil then Evil lariats him. Evil sharpshooters Yasuda and submits him.

Thoughts: I didn't like the faces getting attacked before it started and I didn't like the ref just watching along and not doing squat. Yasuda did okay in the little offense he got but it was the usual HoT match.

Tai and Yasuda both get beaten up after.

Daiki Nagai & Yota Tsuji vs. TMDK (Hartley Jackson & Ryohei Oiwa)

Yota back elbows Oiwa and they shoulder each other. Oiwa armdrags and dropkicks him. Yota flying headscissors him then shoulders him over. Nagai goes after Hart then stomps Oiwa. Oiwa takes a dropkick from Nagai. Yota crabs Oiwa.

Oiwa backrolls Yota for 2 then backdrops him. Hart comes in and crossbodies Nagai. Nagai hits forearms then Hart chops him over. Nagai running forearms him several times and euros him over.

Hart hits a corner splash then a big lariat for 2. Oiwa and Hart senton Nagai for 2. Oiwa bangs Yota's knee off the mat. Nagai hits dropkicks on Hart then he spinebusters Hart for 2. Hart hits a big lariat on Nagai then death valley bombs him for the win.

Thoughts: It was alright. Similar to the 2nd match, Nagai got some shine against Hart and that helped make this match.

Hiroshi Tanahashi & Katsuya Murashima vs. BULLET CLUB War Dogs (David Finlay & Gedo)

Tana and DF fight over a wristlock. Tana takes him over then DF headscissors him. Tana side headlocks him then he pulls DF's hair. DF hits forearms in the corner. Tana back elbows him and 2nd rope twisting crossbodies him.

DF takes a double shoulderblock. KM hits forearms on DF. DF lariats him then brainbusters him. KM is thrown out and DF rams him into the rails. DF then stomps on him.

Gedo boots KM around and eye rakes him. Gedo boots him off the ropes then KM flying forearms him. DF stomps on KM then KM shoulders him over. Tana comes in and dropkicks both opponents in the knee. Tana 2nd rope swantons him for 2.

Gedo cradles Tana for 2 then Tana slingblades DF. Tana dragon screws Gedo. Gedo takes corner attacks and a KM powerslam. Tana texas cloverleafs Gedo and submits him.

Thoughts: It wasn't much of note here. The heels had control for most of this until the faces took over and won. Gedo and KM were the punching bags for both team here and KM didn't get much in. 

G1 Climax 2025 Block B Match - YOSHI-HASHI vs. Drilla Moloney

They lock up and Yoshi is backed up on the ropes. They chop battle. Yoshi is sent hard into the corner and Drilla stomps him. DM backbreakers him then kicks him in the back for 2. DM chops him down and sends him hard into the buckles again. Yoshi dropkicks him in the knee.

Yoshi does a bad running headhunter on DM. Yoshi hits a ddt for 2. DM hits a big chop and Yoshi dragon suplexes him. DM dragon's him back. They lariat each other at the same time. DM spinebusters him for 2.

DM top rope elbow drops Yoshi. DM germans him. DM running germans him for 2. Yoshi reverse ddt's him. Yoshi superkicks him. DM step up enzugiri's him. Yoshi canadian destroyers him. Yoshi headbutts him and running lariats him. Yoshi hits a made in Japan and wins.

Thoughts: It was a decent match and they definitely tried here. They rushed a little at times but we got a good performance. 

G1 Climax 2025 Block B Match - El Phantasmo vs. Ren Narita

ELP is hit from behind by Ren as he enters. ELP is sent into the post then send into the seats. ELP hits forearmas and superkicks him. ELP then chairs him. ElP jumps on him off the ramp.

The match then officially starts. ELP corner splashes him and back body drops him. ELP hits mounted corner punches. ELP walks up the buckles, does tricks and diving headscissors him. ELP lariats him over the top. ELP plancha's him outside.

ELP top rope swantons then asai moonsaults him. Ren then legbars him. Ren bangs ELP's knee off the mat then wraps the leg around the post. ELP's knee is then banged off the post. Ren butt drops ELP's leg.

ELP hits forearms then he dropkicks him. ELP chops and double chops Ren. ELP 2nd rope twisting crossbodies him and asai moonsaults him for 2. ELP slams him then 2nd rope elbow drops him. Ren avoids a superkick, tries to legbar him and ELP tries pins. ELP backslides him for 2.

ELP hits a superkick to the gut. Ren chinlocks ELP then germans him for 2. Ren grabs the push-up board and shoves the ref down. Gedo grabs the bar. ELP dropkicks Gedo on accident and Ren rolls up ELP for 2. ELP avoids a facebuster and gets a 2 count. ELP superkicks him for 2.

ELP hits a cutthroat burning hammer then ELP rope walk springboard splashes him. Kanemaru pulls the ref out on the count. Kanemaru stomps ELP then ELP superkicks him. ELP superkicks Ren in the gut. Ren low blows and facebusters ELP. Ren top rope diving kneepresses ELP and wins.

Thoughts: It wasn't good. They did the usual HoT garbage with pre-match attacks, weapons, interference and the ref getting pushed around. The ref didn't care and ELP ended up losing due to it.

G1 Climax 2025 Block B Match - Konosuke Takeshita vs. Great-O-Khan

Khan takes him down and they do some mat wrestling. KT is rolled and they stand off. Khan side headlocks him. KT facekicks him then Khan shoulder throws him. They trade forearms outside. KT is sent into the rails. Khan then slams KT onto the top edge of the rail. Khan camel clutches KT around the rail then boots the rail into KT's head.

Khan pump kicks him from behind then uranage's him on the apron. Khan ties KT's legs up and pulls on the chin. Khan camel clutches him then twists the head. KT ropebreaks. Khan mongolian chops him. KT tries to fire back but he sells his neck. Khan then punches him. Khan sits up top and is hit. Khan then sits on KT's neck on the buckles. 

KT suplexes him. KT 2nd rope diving headscissors him. KT then flying lariats him. KT tope con hilos him outside. Khan facebusters KT then forearms him from behind. They trade forearms on their knees then get up and trade. Khan mongolian chops him.

KT hits forearms. Khan uppercuts him then KT rebound germans him. Khan makes KT fly with a lariat. Khan head and arm chokes him. KH then does his sheep killer. KT pumping knees him then blue thunders him for 2. KT hits a top rope senton for 2. Khan hits a TTD for 2.

KT poisonrana's him then pumping knees him for 2. Khan claws him then flatliners him. KT armdrags him off a chokeslam and forearms him. Khan punches him in the gut. KT hits a big forearm as Khan tries to punc him. KT hits a raging fire and wins.

Thoughts: I liked it. They didn't go too overboard like KT often does. KT didn't have the best selling of his neck here as he made it seem like it hurt him bad early but then he didn't sell it as much later. This was fine.

G1 Climax 2025 Block B Match - Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Shota Umino

Zack facekicks him then Shota forearms him back. Shota shoulders him over twice and dropkicks him in the knee. Shota elbows Zack in the knee then boots the knee. Shota ties up the leg and pulls. Zack then ropebreaks.

Shota misses a dropkick to the knee and Zack twists his head with his feet. Zack kicks him in the back and euros him. Zack hits more euros.

Zack foot chokes him in the corner and spits on him. Zack bullies him with knees. Shota fights back with forearms. Shota dropkicks him in the knee, kneebreakers him and neckbreakers him. Shota hits forearms in the corner and Zack hits euros.

Shota does a chop and forearm flurry. Shota drops him with a forearm. Shota fisherman suplexes him for 2. Shota trips him into a leglock then turns it into an STF. Zack pele kicks the arm then throws him down by the arm. Zack twists the arm and cranks back on it. Shota then ropebreaks.

Zack ducks a euro and hits one. They try pin attempts and Shota armdrags him. Zack twists Shota's head with his feet then Shota tornado ddt's him. Zack hits a michinoku driver. They euro each other. Zackhits a flurry of euros and Shota step up knees him in the back of the head in the corner.

Zack is put up top. Shota 2nd rope superplexes him for 2. Shota dropkicks him. They lariat each other at the same time. Zack crucifixes him into an armlock with a headscissors. Zack cranks back on Shota's arm and Shota ropebreaks. 

Zack chest kicks Shota then slaps him. Shota enzugiri's him then Zack running lariats him. Shota germans him then hits a big lariat that spins Zack in mid-air. Shota running knees Zack for 2. Zack michinoku drivers Shota for 2. Shota cradles Zack for 2 then Zack backrolls him into a bridge pin. Shota hits a big lariat then he northern lights bombs him for the win.

Thoughts: Shota worked the leg early then forgot about it. Zack did some arm submissioms but didn't really focus on it. Both hit some hard lariats here and I still did like the match overall, but a lot of the first half of this was a waste of time due to the injuries not being worked on consistently.

Zack has to be helped out and Shota has words for him on the mic. Shota says the goal remains the same - to be IWGP champ. 

Overall thoughts: The undercard wasn't anything too great as usual but I did like Hartley Jackson's match. Yoshia/Drilla was decent with both trying. Ren/ELP had the usual HoT nonsense. Khan/Takeshita was fine as KT didn't get to go overboard. The main wasn't perfect as Shota worked on the leg early and forgot about it but it was still okay enough that I liked it. I'd give it a slight 6 out of 10 as the G-1 matches were enough to carry the rest of this and I'd say it was a little better than average.