NJPW World

[JLM]

G1 Climax 35 Night 4 - Takeshita vs Great-O-Khan

No Takeshita G1 action on night 3. Night 3 did have a main event between generational rivals Yota Tsuji and Yuya Uemura and it was a belter. However, on with the Takeshita coverage:

First time singles meeting for these two! Great-O-Khan had a mad G1 last year. Not expected to do much, ate losses for the first half of the blocks, then went on a five match winning streak and made the play offs. He is. to say the least, an eccentric individual. Definitely quite a departure from Kidd and EL-P for our man. We're talking amateur wrestling crossed with brawling crossed with Iron claws and, as you'd expect from the gimmick, wild shrieking Mongolian chops. Exceedingly odd, exceedingly confident, a unique gimmick and undeniable oddball charisma about him. He is not an elite in-ring performer but he IS something completely different and that works for him. 

This was fun! Thankfully this crowd was much hotter than the disappointingly flat one for EL-P vs Takeshita and it made a world of difference. Probably 50/50 split at first with maybe a slight edge for Great-O-Khan, but as it went on this turned into a 100% pro-Takeshita crowd. Takeshita doesn't have a clue what to do against this man at the start. He's getting out-wrestled on the mat, he's getting thrown into and onto the barricades at ring side, he is eating Mongolian chops and he is getting his neck stretched with an array of submission holds. Poor lad looks lost. He does a fantastic job selling the neck in this one, with the idea being that his wrecked neck and shoulders are preventing him winding up and following through with the big fore arm smashes. 

This all leads to a terrific sequence where Takeshita has to almost go Orange Cassidy mode. His upper body isn't working, so he switches to rear wheel drive to fight his way back into the match. He hits Khan with boots out of the corner, then a flying head scissors from the second rope, then a really ugly looking flying body block where he'd normally do the Takeshita Line. Then tops it off with his big Tope to the outside. Just a beautiful bit of in-ring storytelling, allowing Takeshita to hit this big exciting sequence to turn the tide, all while conveying this reluctance to use his damaged body parts.

After this we're into high gear and it's big heat, big bombs and big drama until the end. Takeshita rallying but O-Khan cutting him off, hitting the neck when he can, a particularly good near fall countering the Raging Fire and landing a Tenzan Tombstone Driver. Best  bit of the match for me, though, was Takeshita landing an absolute beauty of a power drive knee that I 100000% bought as the finish. It looked so definitive, it came at the peak of what felt like the hottest part of the match. Not only did Khan get a shoulder up, but that hand shot up off the mat and clamped right onto Takeshita's head with the Iron Claw! Bloody tremendous spot, I got jump scared and so did the people. Face Hugger outta nowhere! Not only that, but he gets all the way up to his feet and pushes Takeshita all the way DOWN into a pin with the claw, and I bit on THAT near fall as well! 

Wonderful twists and turns in this one. I had no doubt going into this that Takeshita would win, but by god I was concerned by the end of this and the entire crowd was too. Looking at the schedule, I was NOT expecting Takeshita vs Great-O-Khan to be my favourite of the three I've watched so far, but here we are! 

Night 4 standings:

Spoiler

Next up, The Alpha vs Shingo Takagi. Their last match was highly rated and well received but left me completely cold, and Takeshita vs  Ishii the following day ended up blowing it out of the water for me. That said, I believe this pairing has a banger in them and I hope they pull it off this time. 

Edited July 23, 2025 by JLM

[JLM]

G1 Climax 35 Night 6

Hulk Hogan tribute at the start of this show!. Pictures of a young Hogan with the IWGP title. Ten bell salute, then the ring announcer did one last "Aka Corner: HULK-UH HOOOOGAAAAN" and then the audio cut out due to International copyright issues. Presumably they played Real American, but it made me realise I hadn't heard his New Japan theme. Turns out it's an absolute banger:

 

 

BUT I DIGRESS.... 

G1 Climax 35 Night 6: Konosuke Takeshita vs Shingo Takagi. **WATCH THIS MATCH IT IS ABSOLUTELY BLOODY BRILLIANT AND IF THERE ARE BETTER MATCHES THAN THIS IN THE G1 THIS YEAR THEN I WILL FEEL TRULY BLESSED^^

No Takeshita tournament action on Night 5, so straight onto night 6. We're main eventing the show tonight! First show closer of the tournament for Takeshita.

Shingo has had a tough start to the tournament, losing to Yoshi-Hashi and Great-O-Khan. He has two points, but only because Gabe Kidd had to forfeit their match due to injury. Kidd is out of the whole thing unfortunately, his knee injury apparently more severe than everyone had hoped. 

So yeah, Shingo is in a tough spot, he is looking for his first win against the man who took his NEVER Openweight title at the beginning of the year. It's a really big ask for this to be the match that turns his G1 fortunes around and, crucially, he KNOWS IT. It is this simple fact that makes this one thousand times better than their match in January. In January it was two supremely confident haymaker throwers swinging at each other until one of them won. It was a spectacle in a popcorn movie sort of way but it didn't have genuine heat, emotion or story to it.

This one, though, the man with the most puffed out chest and the most unflappable self belief is shaking his head, he's looking uncertain. He's telling the crowd to make noise for him because he really needs it this time, and boy do they ever. You can't beat a Japanese crowd for this particular type of story, as it's not just cheers of encouragement but also real concern. You can feel the empathy when they're rooting for a favourite who's down on their luck. You get full chants of "TAKAGI!" from the whole crowd, but you also hear individual people shouting "TAKAGI-SAAAAN" as if they're speaking to him directly. 

As much as I love to sing the praises of Takeshita, this was simply a masterclass from Shingo Takagi. The little head shake at the start sets the tone for the whole match, and then you follow him on this wild emotional journey as it goes on. He is ALMOST Takeshita's equal in the pure HOSS-power stakes but not quite. This is shown repeatedly, as every time he gets a little flurry or they're going even, Takeshita will cut him off or go one gear higher. What he has though, is experience and knowledge of Takeshita's habits. There's a little spell where he baits Takeshita into exchanges and cuts him off by being smarter and quicker. He feigns leaving himself open for a flying forearm to the back of the head that Takeshita has gone for in every previous match, and is ready to punish him for it. At one point he tricks Takeshita into ducking like the Bucks and has the follow up ready there. It's not just a cool sequence though, it's the fact that you can see his confidence growing every time it works. He's roaring at the people but you can see him smiling as well, thinking "holy shit it's working! I can outsmart him! I can win this!"

At another point they do the thing where they trade big moves and they both no-sell, but again it's in service of the story this time. Takeshita lands an exploder as a nod to Jun Akiyama. Shingo does one back, Takeshita German, Shingo German. Takeshita massive knee, Shingo massive lariat. Shingo collapses, but the whole thing is helping to convey that Shingo is juuuust about hanging in there. Shingo is near death after landing his retaliation lariat, suggesting that if he HADN'T thrown that one last bomb at Takeshita to buy more time he'd have lost the match there. It's not a dick measuring contest like last time, it's Shingo in outright survival mode. 

An incredible sequence where Takeshita lands the Raging FIre but flops onto his back, too weak to hold onto the cover. Shingo uses his veteran instincts to roll to the ropes. Takeshita comes to his senses and is just frantically reaching out for the cover, not realising Shingo has gone the other way:

Spoiler

 

Then there is an even BETTER sequence where Shingo's soul has left his body due to the Raging Fire but he somehow still will not die. One of the best "the lights are on but nobody's home" performances I've seen in a wrestling match. Glassy eyed, completely out of it but somehow defiant at the same time. Is this not the face of a man who is going through the fight of his god damn life? 

Spoiler

 

More bombs, more insanely nail biting near falls. I bit on too many of them to count. If I wanted to nit pick the match then I could see an argument for there being too many. For me though, they were so bloody well earned. Shingo had entered an otherworldly state of refusal to die. It wasn't near falls for the sake of near falls, the man was just not being pinned on this day. His body had decided this even if his brain couldn't quite fathom how or why. Best example was the Power Drive knee kick out, where Shingo looked like the most shocked man in the building that hie shoulder popped off the mat:

Spoiler

 

The initial shock, and then this even better shot of him staring into the the ceiling lights but possibly also Valhalla:

Spoiler

Then it's time for an end to this madness. Takeshita has been here before. He has learned to identify when a bomb throwing contest is unwinnable. It has taken him time to learn this because he wins so many of the bloody things, but he knows the signs. He has looked into the eyes of men who will not be knocked out by his heaviest shots. He has the solution. the Gabe Kidd Killer, the dreaded chicken wing.

I have never wanted Takeshita to lose more than in this moment. I was BEGGING Shingo to survive this and bah god did he keep me believing in him. Look at THIS:

Spoiler

Yes, that is Takeshita BITING HIS OWN FINGERS to prevent Shingo from  prising that arm from around his neck. Shingo meanwhile reaching DEEP into his fire reserves, holding onto the ref for dear life. 

The place is going ballistic for Shingo at the end here, all wanting him to survive as badly as me. Melodrama through the roof. 

SPOIILER FOR THE FINISH:

Spoiler

Alas, after the most valiant effort, the lights go out. Once again a PHENOMENAL performance from Shingo while in this hold. The panic, the determination, and then you see the light fade from his eyes in real time, like he's somehow learned to method act actually dying for a few seconds for the purposes of pro wrestling. 

 

What an outstanding pro wrestling match. All of the stars. Bloody hell. 

 

After the match Takeshita says Shingo is the one person he respects the most in all of pro wrestling, so he is the one person he cannot allow himself to lose to. He knows Shingo will get stronger and he will keep improving in kind, and he will see him again. Then "Everyone listen to me. Pro wrestling is a hell of a sport, and at the top of that sport is Konosuke Takeshita. My next summit is this year's G1 Climax. If anyone wants to bitch and moan about that, they can stand in front of me in this ring and see how tough it will be to stop me."

Hell yes. 

Standings after Night 6:

Spoiler

Next up for The Alpha: Zack Sabre Jr!!!! What a delightful proposition that is. 

Edited July 30, 2025 by JLM

[JLM]

G1 Climax 35 Night 8: Konosuke Takeshita vs Zack Sabre Jr.

This was definitely the spiciest match up for me once the full line up was finalised. First time singles meeting between two of my favourites and a fascinating clash of styles. ZSJ the current IWGP World Heavyweight champion, having won it back from Hirooki Goto at the end of June. He is also last year's G1 Climax winner. Talk about being the man to beat! This is, of course, the main event of the evening.

Despite his accolades, ZSJ has had a poor start to the tournament. He lost to Ren Narita on night one, Shota Umino on night four, didn't face Gabe Kidd due to Kidd's injury and beat El Phantasmo on night 6. He has 4 points (2 behind Takeshita) but he has only actually won one match. That said, during the Phantasmo match, a switch flipped for ZSJ and he entered a "not fucking around" state. Think it was riiiight about here: 

https://www.reddit.com/r/SquaredCircle/comments/1m9y9hx/njpw_g1_day_6_spoilers_zsj_is_done_playing_around/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button

 

 

 

This was an excellent match. I'll say right away it didn't hit the glorious highs of Takeshita/Shingo, but it was still two of the best in the world right now going at it for 20 minutes and I had a great time. It told the story of a first time meeting well, as well as ZSJ being truly in the zone after his shaky start to the G1. They do some grappling, Takeshita showing he's no slouch in this department and giving us a side of his game we don't see often, but obviously losing out in the main against the best in the world. He manages to stay in it by using his raw power to get out of things when he's been outfoxed, but it's clearly not a winning strategy. 

He tries strikes and power offense instead, but ZSJ is prepared for that too, capturing the arm at every opportunity. I really liked ZSJ using multiple illegal holds in the ropes to do as much damage as possible. He has a clear gameplan and he is ruthless in executing it, maintaining a brilliant ice cold demeanour for almost the whole match here. He is  incredibly focused on mitigating Takaeshita's power and gradually taking away his tools and dismantling him bit by bit, absorbing the hits when he has to but always staying on task.

Whenever the tempo goes up a bit or it gets scrappy, Takeshita briefly has the advantage. Some brawling on the outside, some flurries of strikes and suplexes in the ring. It's always temporary though, as ZSJ will catch him in something. 

They do the obligatory shit-test strike exchange, but it's at a point in the match where Takeshita has weakened, and a point in ZSJ's run as top guy where his own striking game is the strongest it's ever been. He absolutely ROCKS Takeshita with a European uppercut, with the crowd, the commentators and Takeshita himself all as stunned as I am by it. Brilliant selling from Takeshita on that one, selling the dizziness from being hit but also the disbelief that this technical wizard just smacked him in the face harder than Shingo or Boltin. 

They also highlight Takeshita's increasing desperation at one point as he goes for the Chicken Wing that has won him two matches in this tournament and has become his "in-case-of-emergency-break-glass" finishing move, and ZSJ is able to effortlessly slip out of it in a fraction of a second, putting that idea to bed immediately. You may be able to beat fellow Hulk Smash type opponents with your surprise submission hold but it is not gonna fly against the world of sport wizard. The beauty of a tournament with all these shows running so close together is the wonderful storytelling throughlines you can establish like that. 

By the closing stretch, Takeshita is wounded and desperate and playing into ZSJ's hands. The Power Drive knee is caught and followed up with a gorgeous exchange of pinning holds on the mat, a big wind up elbow smash is caught with a cross arm breaker. One brilliant spot where Takeshita is reeling after another massive strike from ZSJ. Zack runs at him full pelt for a double leg takedown. Takeshita counters with a knee. ZSJ *knew* he'd do that and actually successfully captures the leg, but the speed and ferocity of it is so strong that he gets smashed in the jaw regardless. So he ends up completing the takedown whilst being temporarily knocked out. Absolutely tremendous. 

Really loved the finish as well, as it again played into Takeshita throwing out his biggest shots and ZSJ anticipating them. He goes for the raging fire, ZSJ turns it into a sleeper and then he simply will not release it. The struggle from Takeshita to get out is amazing. Throws himself onto his back, no joy, climbs all the way up to the top turnbuckle and throws himself backwards, still can't get out. Hoists ZSJ up into an electric chair position with raw power. Still can't get the bastard off him. Eventually he realises he has no hope of getting out of this and has to tap. 

Great match, comfortably Takeshita's second best of the G1 run so far. 

Standings after Night 8: 

Spoiler

Block A:

• Yota Tsuji [8 pts]
• King of Darkness” EVIL [6 pts]
• Oleg Boltin [6 pts]
• Ryohei Oiwa [6 pts]
• Yuya Uemura [6 pts]
• Taichi [4 pts]
• Hiroshi Tanahashi [4 pts]
• Callum Newman [4 pts]
• SANADA [4 pts]
• David Finlay [2 pts]

Block B:

• YOSHI-HASHI [8 pts]
• Ren Narita [8 pts]
• Drilla Moloney [8 pts]
• Great-O-Khan [8 pts]
• Zack Sabre Jr. [6 pts]
• KONOSUKE TAKESHITA [6 pts]
• Shota Umino [6 pts]
• El Phantasmo [4 pts]
• Shingo Takagi [4 pts]
• Gabe Kidd [0] (Out of G1 due to injury)

 

Next up for Takeshita is Night 10, against Birmingham's own Drilla Moloney. 

Edited August 7, 2025 by JLM

[JLM]

G1 Climax 35 Night 10 Konosuke Takeshita vs Drilla Moloney

Drilla Moloney surprisingly ahead of Takeshita on points going into this match,. Two very simple stories for this one: Drilla Moloney the Junior-turned-heavyweight trying to hang with a monster heavyweight in Takeshita, while at the same time trying to avenge Gabe Kidd, his very close friend and fellow Bullet Club War Dog. The announcers play up that Moloney and Kidd facing each other in the G1 was a dream match for both of them, and Takeshita has ruined that by taking Kidd out of the tournament. Takeshita playing full on heel for this match against an under-sized and justifiably motivated opponent. 

The first half of this was just OK. They hit each other hard and put across well that Moloney was doing his best to trade blows with Takeshita but was ultimately outclassed by Takeshita's raw power. He has some flurries of offense and hope spots but it is mostly a beatdown. It got a bit better as it went on as the crowd sympathy for Moloney grew, but still nothing spectacular.

Thankfully the last 5 minutes or so it suddenly ramped up massively, as Takeshita bites Moloney on the head and then yells "GABE..FUCKING...KIDD!" right in Moloney's face before trying to finish the match with Kidd's signature rebound lariat. The crowd goes bananas after this and the place is 100% behind Moloney for a big dramatic closing stretch. Moloney lands the Kidd rebound lariat himself for a good near fall. He also showcases some astounding strength trying to move Takeshita into position for the Drilla Killa, which is Brody King's Gonzo Bomb. The finish in particular is a phenomenal feat of strength, reverse suplexing Takeshita up onto his shoulder, then flipping Takeshita from his front onto his back, all on one shoulder, then rotating him over for the Gonzo bomb. Takeshita has to be about 5 inches taller and 30lbs heavier than Moloney, so this was some real Bandido-esque shit. 

Unfortunately for Drilla, the Alpha is able to rotate all the way over and land on his feet as Moloney sits out, then showcases his OWN power by deadlifting the seated Moloney all the way up for the Raging Fire. 

I wasn't expecting much from this match and had it down as a routine win, but the unfortunate injury to Kidd on night one ended up giving this some added spice and gave it a much hotter closing stretch than expected. 

Standings after night 10

Spoiler

Rank	A Block	B Block
1	EVIL (8)	Drilla Moloney (8)
2	Yota Tsuji (8)	Great-O-Khan (8)
3	Yuya Uemura (8)	Ren Narita (8)
4	Boltin Oleg (6)	Yoshi-Hashi (8)
5	Callum Newman (6)	Konosuke Takeshita (8)
6	Ryohei Oiwa (6)	Shota Umino (8)
7	Taichi (6)	Zack Sabre Jr. (8)
8	David Finlay (4)	Shingo Takagi (6)
9	Hiroshi Tanahashi (4)	El Phantasmo (4)
10	SANADA (4)	Gabe Kidd (0)

 

[JLM]

G1 Climax 35 Night 12 Konosuke Takeshita vs YOSHI-HASHI

YOSHI-HASHI was not expected to do anything in this block but has ended up being the surprise package of group B, with big upset wins over Shingo Takagi and Ren Narita. He also beat Drilla Moloney and has a forfeit win over Gabe Kidd. Most people's predictions would have placed him near the bottom, instead he's on 8 points along with almost everyone else in the block. Phantasmo and Kidd eliminated, Shingo hanging in there on 6 points, then the remaining SEVEN guys all tied on 8 points. Pretty big match for Takeshita here, a chance to break out of the pack against someone he SHOULD beat comfortably but who has proven to be the ultimate banana skin opponent. 

This match was bonkers. First few minutes Takeshita is treating it like it IS going to be a routine win, picking his opponent apart at his leisure. It's all going to plan until he's caught with a low dropkick to the knee out of nowhere. This allows YOSHI-HASHI some respite, then some offense, then his momentum and self belief begin to grow. When he's able to escape the first Raging Fire attempt by countering into a DDT he has the people believing too. After that this was pretty much a sprint for 12 minutes, with YOSHI-HASHI putting up the fight of his life and hitting The Alpha with every single one of his best shots. Some great near falls off flash pins too, as earlier in the tournament YOSHI-HASHI beat Ren Narita inside 90 seconds with a shocking surprise pin. But yeah, this was a crazy back and forth brawl, with  Takeshita steadily ramping up the intensity and YOSHI-HASHI trying his god damned hardest to win the unwinnable match.

Really fun match, elevated by the crowd going nuts for the underdog despite the match being in Takeshita's home prefecture. Alas it is not to be for the wily veteran on the run of his life, as Takeshita proves to be too overwhelming in the end and lands the trusty Raging Fire to put him down. 

Huge win for Takeshita, taking him ahead of the pack and giving him a great chance of making the play offs.

Standings after night 12:

Spoiler

Rank	A Block	B Block
1	EVIL (8)	Konosuke Takeshita (10)
2	Yota Tsuji (8)	Zack Sabre Jr. (10)
3	Yuya Uemura (8)	Ren Narita (10)
4	Oleg Boltin (8)	Yoshi-Hashi (8)
5	Ryohei Oiwa (8)	Drilla Moloney (8)
6	Callum Newman (6)	Shota Umino (8)
7	Taichi (6)	Great O-Khan (8)
8	David Finlay (6)	Shingo Takagi (6)
9	Hiroshi Tanahashi (6)	El Phantasmo (4)
10	SANADA (6)	Gabe Kidd (0)

 

 

 

 

 

 

[JLM]

G1 35 Night 14 Konosuke Takeshita vs Shota Umino

Very spicy one here. Umino one of the Reiwa Three Musketeers, the three potential future aces of New Japan alongside Yota Tsuji and Ren Narita. My boy Yuya Uemura is the unofficial fourth musketeer, but those were the three specifically named by the New Japan office. Umino is quite a controversial figure amongst Western/Online fans. He gets a lot of flack for being over pushed and not as charismatic as his peers. Seems to be more popular with the Japanese fans, though has yet to ascend to Ace status. He hasn't been too successful in the G1. failing to make the play offs in 2023 and 2024. A messy 2024 overall including a nasty hip injury and very patchy results and performances. His fellow musketeers have all won things in the meantime, but Shota has yet to win a title or tournament.

He's been doing a bit of a redemption arc thing this year, hitting rock bottom in February where he lost to Great-O-Khan and shaved his head after the match, adopting a more gritty and stoic persona. This saw him get to the final of the New Japan Cup, and he also had two IWGP World Title shots. He lost in that final and lost both title shots, but he's been back in the main event mix and they're definitely telling the story of him scratching and clawing his way up to that top guy position.

Huge match for him here. Uemura and Tsuji both beat Takeshita last year, Tsuji also got to the finals of the G1 last year. Umino needs the win to get out of the 8 tie break in this group of death, but he also could reeeeeallly do with that big statement win against The Alpha as proof he is the man to lead this new generation. This is also the main event of the evening.

Then the match happens and I kinda see what people are getting at with Umino. This had all the story and all of the components of a proper G1 main event classic. They got 25 minutes, it was the last match on the card, Takeshita is ridiculous and has had absolute BANGERS with Tsuji and Uemura previously. Umino though, on this night, just didn't bring it for me. I think maybe there was a lack of chemistry and clash of styles too. They had an interesting first ten minutes where Umino went after Takeshita's leg and Takeshita went after Umino's head and neck, following up on a brainbuster on the floor he gave to Umino the previous night. They then completely forget about that and do the bomb throwing and the roaring, and it becomes clear the first ten minutes were just filler because they were going for 25. It wasn't BAD and the crowd was firmly behind Umino, but I didn't think he had the fire and heart he needed to show here. They hit each other fairly hard but it didn't have the explosiveness of Takeshita's other bombfests, Umino does the big dramatic facial expressions when he's struggling but they're just a bit... silly? Compared to the showing from Shingo against Takeshita where his facial expressions told every single bit of the story, Umino's feel like the facial expression equivalent of a Dolph Ziggler "good promos are when you shout" promo. 

Disappointing as I wanted this to be Umino's star marking Takeshita match, much like  a number of his peers got against The Alpha last year, but it didn't hit for me and I was not nearly as invested in the closing stretch as I should have been. Umino DID get the big win to go even on 10 points with Takeshita but I didn't really feel it. 

Standings after Night 14

 

Spoiler

Rank	A Block	B Block
1	EVIL (10)	Zack Sabre Jr. (12)
2	Yuya Uemura (10)	Konosuke Takeshita (10)
3	Boltin Oleg (8)	Ren Narita (10)
4	Callum Newman (8)	Shota Umino (10)
5	David Finlay (8)	Drilla Moloney (8)
6	Hiroshi Tanahashi (8)	El Phantasmo (8)
7	Ryohei Oiwa (8)	Great-O-Khan (8)
8	Yota Tsuji (8)	Shingo Takagi (8)
9	SANADA (6)	Yoshi-Hashi (8)
10	Taichi (6)	Gabe Kidd (0)

 

One more match for Takeshita against Ren Narita. Takeshita has to win that AND hope Umino doesn't win his last match, as Umino would go through on the head to head rankings. 

Think I'll have to watch the end of the blocks shows in full again to soak up all the last minute drama. 

 

 

[JLM]

Bonus Match: G1 35 Night 13: Yuya Uemura vs Ryohei Oiwa

Had to watch this one as well. Fascinating match up here. Yuya Uemura followed the typical young lion path, trained in the Inoki Dojo, did his time as a young lion, then ventured out into the world on excursion. All of the musketeers did this in fact. Narita and Uemura went to America and worked for AEW, New Japan STRONG and Impact. Umino went to Europe and worked RevPro and OTT, Yota Tsuji went to England as well but truly found himself during his time in CMLL. 

Oiwa went for the very unconventional route and spent his excursion in Japan working for NOAH. "Born in Inoki-ism but Forged in NOAH" as the commentators put it.  He had an exceptional run there too; highlighted by a pair of classics against NOAH's "Young Ace" Kaito Kiyomiya. His excursion and return has been less pronounced than the others because he was still working shows in Japan, but he spent the time quietly becoming excellent and has every right to be in the future stars conversation with the other four.

Oiwa definitely looks and carries himself like a NOAH guy. He has that stocky, thick-strong kind of build, not as big as the legendary All Japan heavyweights but he's in that mould.  He works a tight, snug in-ring style where everything feels like a struggle and every hold is locked in tight. His style is to pulverise the opponent's neck with various holds, then shatter the remains of their neck with his mighty discus lariat. 

Oiwa is the PERFECT opponent for Yuya Uemura. Generational rivals with the classic parallel journeys along different paths story. Uemura wearing his Western influences on his sleeve with the flamboyant look, the Ricky Steamboat inspired arm drags, the Shawn Michaels inspired pomp and circumstance. Oiwa the no-frills stoic Japanese heavyweight, letting his wrasslin' doing the talking. Oiwa with a shaggy, Morishima-esque hair cut, black tights, black boots. Uemura with a preposterous blonde and red buzz mullet hawk thing designed to look like flames, with ring gear to match. Ryu vs Ken in terms of presentation and demeanour.

They're also both technical masters who have near identical gameplans, with Oiwa working the neck to set up the lariat and Uemura working the arm to set up the Deadbolt. Oiwa with the strength and power advantage, relying on this to supplement his technical prowess, Uemura with the speed, agility and quick thinking. Pretty much custom built to face one another, and this match is the first time they have ever met in the ring. 

This match was brilliant. I loved every second of it, and it's immediately taken the number 2 spot of the G1 matches I've watched this year. The emotional rollercoaster of Takeshita/Shingo is going to be tough to top, but this match was just gorgeous pro wrestling from start to finish. The opening exchanges they're trading holds and counters, occasionally erupting into little flurries of action where it's clear Uemura is quicker but Oiwa is stronger. They're a perfect match for each other in the grappling stakes, coming out even repeatedly and then each gaining the edge from time to time due to the speed or power gap. They both have spells where they take control of the arm or the head and refuse to let go no matter what, holding on through counters and suplex attempts, occasionally breaking out into some running of the ropes or strikes, but all in service of finding a cunning way to re-establish their favoured hold.

The intensity and danger ramps up so organically as it goes on, with Oiwa pressing his strength advantage but clearly feeling the effects of the arm work as all of Uemura's opponents do. They land some big hits and have some big near falls, but neither of them ever deviates from their strategy. It's the polar opposite of everything that was wrong about Takeshita vs Umino. They're both trying to maintain control of their preferred body part and set up their killing blow for the whole match. They go back to it at every possible opportunity, it just gets increasingly difficult to do that as the match goes on because of the damage they've done to each other and the exhaustion.

By the end you can see the desperation setting in for both of them, culminating  in a red hot closing stretch where Oiwa goes all in trying to land the discus lariat while Uemura tries to capture him for the Deadbolt. They even have the perfect duelling finishing moves to be rivals, as the Deadbolt is such a natural foil for a big spinning lariat. Magnificent closing moments, as Uemura initially captures a lariat attempt by snaring the right arm, only for Oiwa to flatten him with the left. Oiwa then runs the ropes and unleashes a full force discus lariat to try and end it. Uemura catches the right arm again, only this time he seamlessly slips behind and grabs the left as well, ending up back to back as if going for a backslide. He then flips Oiwa over, keeping the arms locked so he's now captured for the Deadbolt. A finish Jay White would be proud of, immediately adjusting based on what went wrong last time, and baiting the opponent in to hang themselves. 

Adored this match. Oiwa is bloody brilliant and I fucking love Yuya Uemura. Give this lad the G1, strap the rocket to him Gedo, then in a year or two these two can run this back in the main event in the Tokyo Dome and it will be match of the year. 

Seriously though, for all the losses of big names, conservative booking, over-reliance on knee-less legends and their weird obsession with these House of Torture interference-fests, the key players and building blocks for New Japan's future are there. There are young, exciting talents and captivating rivalries like this one on this roster, they just need to pull the trigger on them and I really really hope they do. 

Oh and lastly because I haven't mentioned it yet, Uemura's theme song! The thought of a Dome crowd belting this out if he ever ascends to Ace status. Chills: 

 

If that is not the theme song of a superstar I don't know what is. 

Edited August 9, 2025 by JLM

[JLM]

G1 Glimax 35 Night 15 Block A Finals

Aaand they fucked it. No rocket strapped to Uemura this year, instead a torpedo fired at my hopes and dreams.

David Finlay and Yuya Uemura main evented this show in a match where whoever won would secure a play off spot. It was a good match but I am so deflated by the result.

Uemura, forced out of the G1 last year due to legit injury after having the match of his career against Takeshita. This year he's one of the stars of the show and has two of the best matches of the block stages against Tsuji and Oiwa, along with crackers against Boltin, Tanahashi, Taichi AND this strong final match against Finlay, and he STILL doesn't get into the play offs.

So the Block A qualifiers are Yota Tsuji (correct choice, no-brainer) David Finlay (acceptable) and EVIL (sigh). EVIL stinking up the block, giving everyone their worst match of the tournament doing the same schtick every match. It's like the Deathriders if it went on FOREVER and the babyfaces never win. Ref bumps, shenanigans, tedium. Also instead of the group being full of good wrestlers and led by a credible main eventer, it has Bad Luck Fale in it and their leader is rubbish. 

So Block A finishes with EVIL 1st, Finlay 2nd and Tsuji 3rd. 

Booooooooooo. 

On a more positive note, there is still the possibility of Tsuji taking the whole thing, and that would be a a solid step forward and show of faith in one of the new generation stars.

 

Block B

To continue the positivity, there is still Block B Finals day to come!

Block B looks like this:

Zack Sabre Jr already qualified on 12 points. 

The matches that matter on finals day are:

Shota Umino (10 points) vs. Great-O-Khan (8 points)

Konosuke Takeshita (10 points) vs. Ren Narita (10 points

This one is messy. Great-O-Khan is out no matter what as he lost to both Takeshita and Narita, so even if he beats Umino, they'd both go through ahead of him.

Umino lost to Narita and beat Takeshita.

So on final day:

If Umino wins he qualifies, if he loses he needs Narita to beat Takeshita.

If Narita wins he qualifies, if he loses he needs Khan to beat Umino. 

If Takeshita wins he qualifies, if he loses he needs Khan to beat Umino. 

I will of course be rooting for Takeshita to get through to the semis, though could see it being Narita and Umino. 

 

Play-offs look like this currently:

Play off Quarter final 1: David Finlay vs (Block B Second place)

Play off Quarter final 2:  Yota Tsuji vs (Block B Third Place)

Play off Semi Final:    EVIL vs (Winner of Quarter final 2)

Play off Semi Final;  Zack Sabre Jr vs (Winner of Quarter final 1)

 

In the absence of a dream Uemura or Takeshita win, what I'd like to see (and I think is somewhat likely):

Finlay vs Umino and Tsuji vs Takeshita.  Umino beats Finlay, Tsuji beats Takeshita.

Tsuji beats EVIL, ZSJ beats Umino

Tsuji vs ZSJ in a rematch of last year's grand final, only this time Tsuji wins. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[JLM]

G1 Glimax 35 Block B Finals Day!

Block finals day with two matches that count: Shota Umino vs Great-O-Khan and Takeshita vs Ren Narita.

Pretty good stories for both of these. Umino against the guy who prompted him to shave his head and do a complete reset back in February, Great-O-Khan could potentially force some mad four way tie if he beat Umino and the other results go his way, but he's pretty much here as Umino's chief hater and wants to ruin his tournament. Umino needs to prove that his new chapter working out for him by beating the guy who started it. 

Narita vs Takeshita is the exact same match as last year. Final day of the block, Narita vs Takeshita to see who goes through to the semis. Almost a year to the day as well. 

 

Great-O-Khan vs Shota Umino

This was good but not as good as it should be, given this really long term story they're trying to tell for Umino. What should be a huge match, emblematic of his road to redemption , starts off with a crowd pretty much evenly split between the two. He just doesn't quite connect on the level he needs to with his performances. He is a babyface, he has fans,  but he doesn't seem to command the emotional investment New Japan wants him to. Luckily for him, if you want your heroic babyface on the comeback trail to appear to be in great peril. The Great-O-Khan is peril personified. He brings such a great sense of unpredictability and danger. He's really won me over with the bits I've seen from him on this G1 run, and he played a brilliant role here in getting the crowd fully pumped and fully behind Umino by the end. They also kept this short despite the semi main event billing, and that's for the best for both of these guys. Again, given that it was a rematch several months and a lot of character development in the making it should have felt bigger and been hotter,  but it turned into an exciting back and forth bombfest that did wake the people up. Umino eventually conquering one of his demons and making it to the play offs. 

 

Konosuke Takeshita vs Ren Narita

So here we are again. Block finals day, Narita vs Takeshita for all the marbles. Takeshita has, broadly, leaned more into the outsider/semi-heel role for a lot of this G1. However, when the choice is an outsider or having TWO House of Torture representatives in the play offs, the people's choice is clear. Of course the decision is also made easier by the HOT bullshit starting during Takeshita's entrance and never letting up. He is jumped by Dick Togo and Don Fale IMMEDIATELY. One pretty cool spot here where gets splattered through the guard rail and right into the crowd onto some strategically placed empty seats.

Then the HOT beatdown goes on and on and on and on. This was 20 minutes long and it felt like 15 of them were spend doing the world's ploddiest beatdown of Takeshita around the arena as the commentators keep having to explain that Red Shoes "didn't see it" or is "employing a long leash" as the referee. 

On the plus side, the people were pretty rabid for a Takeshita win by the end. The House really did a number on his knee and, by Takeshita standards, he sells it pretty effectively. He sometimes forgets as is his wont, but he was mostly very sympathetic here. His big fire up at the end was great, Rocky Romero whupping Dick Togo's ass got a great pop too. Fun closing stretch, Takeshita at one point his the biggest Last Ride powerbomb I've ever seen, but maaan the first half was just so boring. Quality aside though, Takeshita was able to clutch it out with the trusty emergency chicken wing and make it through to the play offs for the second year in a row!

Sooo the play offs are set:

Takeshita vs David Finlay, winner faces Zack Sabre Jr. 

Yota Tsuji vs Shota Umino, winner faces EVIL

 

So my prediction was off partly because I messed up the maths/how the play offs work.

So I'd LIKE to see: 

Takeshita over Finlay, ZSJ over Takeshita.

Tsuj over Umino, Tsuji over EVIL

Tsuji over ZSJ. Rematch from last year's final, Tsuji gets his redemption and a statement win over the IWGP champ.

 

They seem to be reeeally trying to do a thing with Umino though, so him beating Tsuji and getting the big heroic win against EVIL and his bullshit would serve that purpose. Tsuji is better though. He is just much much better, so I'm praying they do the right thing.

 

What I think will actually happen:

Finlay over Takeshita, ZSJ over Finlay

Umino over Tsuji, Umino over EVIL

Umino over ZSJ. 

 

They could also fall into old ultra-conservative habits and just have ZSJ win again, but even though Umino hasn't won me over I'd rather they at least fully backed SOMEONE from this new generation. 

 

[WyattSheepMask]

What’s the archive like on NJPW World these days? I stopped subscribing about 18 months ago as I wasn’t keeping up with the current stuff, but I liked to delve into the archive from time to time. It was a nightmare to search though so I’m hoping things have improved 

[waters44]

Well fucking hell what a semi final night

Spoiler

Tsuji gets knocked out legit by Don Fucking Fale and EVIL progresses to the final. Looks like the ref called an audible. Horrible scenes of the wrestlers trying to get Tsuji back out the ring and to the back, I really hope he’s ok

Then Takeshita and ZSJ have the best match of the whole tournament but at what cost? Because from what I could see Zack nearly died three times. That suplex towards the end was one of the scariest things I’ve seen. Red shoes face during the replay was a picture and was just how I looked.

Here’s a vid I sent to my mate - I’ll have to delete soon as it’s taking up half my allowance. Please excuse the swearing! 

 

 

@WyattSheepMask the search function is still pony I’m afraid but there is quite a bit on there. Best bet would be to search the year and comb through all the options to find what you want 

Edited August 16, 2025 by waters44

[JLM]

G1 Climax 35 - Quarter Finals

Happy to see this one was in a packed Korakuen hall, hard to beat it for atmosphere and it has been one of the stars of this year's G1 as always. 

 

Quarter Final Match: Konosuke Takeshita vs David Finlay

Finlay trying to rival Jay White for the greatest G1 comeback of all time here, getting off to a horrible start and then going on a winning streak to get through to the play offs when he appeared to be dead and buried. Takeshita still dealing with the injured knee. exacerbated by the extended House of Torture attacks in his last match. 

Red hot crowd at the start of this one and they were rewarded with a superb match, this was fantastic. Finlay absolutely ruthless right from the off here. He has been in "win or die" mode for five matches in a row and he brings that energy right for the start. He shoves Takeshita off the top rope right down to the floor and then it's a full on assault. Setting up tables, throwing Takeshita into the guard rail and the launching him over it. Takeshita lands some big hits of his own but he is mostly getting mauled. Finlay also starts going after the knee, and the opening assault culminates in a bloody terrifying looking powerbomb from the apron through some tables. The crowd was 50/50 at the start of the match, but by this point the tide has turned in Takeshita's favour as he's a one legged man getting attacked by a rabid animal. 

Then the final act is high drama and crazy heat, as Finlay tries everything he can think of to try and finish off the Alpha, his composure completely unravelling as Takeshita grows into the match and refuses to die. Both guys utterly desperate. swinging wildly and looking like they could both win or lose at any moment. I had no idea what was going to happen, totally on the edge of my seat, as was the entire crowd in the building. 

Eventually our hero is able to clutch it out, putting together a powerhouse sequence of a gigantic last ride powerbomb, then the power drive knee and then the Raging Fire to get it done! Loved this match. It was messy and chaotic and told the story of two guys who have been through hell to get here both swinging for the fences to avoid elimination.

Next up for the Alpha: Zack Sabre Jr. in the semis. Going up against the god of submissions with a busted knee, what could possibly go wrong?

 

Quarter Final Shota Umino vs Yota Tsuji

Two of the Reiwa Musketeers battling for the chance to be the one to finally topple EVIL. Umino in his "new chapter" on the road to redemption, Tsuji the losing grand finalist from last year trying to take the final step this time.

I am fully rooting for Tsuji here. In the absence of Uemura, he is my preferred New Generation guy I'd like to see them get behind. Umino has shown me during this tournament why people have reservations about him being the guy, Tsuji has been next-in-line for some time. He's far more charismatic, he has a more exciting in-ring style. I think he can be overly high spotty and not quite the satisfying in-ring storyteller I'd like hm to be, but he definitely gets me more invested than Umino and he's never actively bored me. Also he has that smile. What a smile.

This was good! It was nearly 30 minutes long but I found it absorbing and it didn't drag for me. Tsuji was brilliant in this, spending the first half of it giving Umino the shit-test of his life, daring his generational rival to step up to his level. Repeatedly brutalising him with overhand chops, giving him the mocking weak knees, kicks, standing on his back, standing on his head, occasionally letting Umino stand up to exchange a few blows before dropping him again. 

Umino then spends the middle third clawing his way back into it by demolishing Tsuji's knee. Tsuji does an excellent job selling this, not necessarily by hobbling and holding it for every second of the match, but more having it give out on him at key moments to give Umino an opening. 

Great spot in the middle too, where Tsuji is back in charge, but instead of putting together a ton of his big hitting bombs like he normally would, he goes for the Boston Crab instead. This is a call back to Umino beating him via Boston Crab in a pre-excursion Young Lions match several years ago. Looking for a bit of revenge, but also continuing to test Umino's resolve and challenge him to do something about it. 

Then there is a wild back and forth exchange of big bombs and crazy near falls and all of that good stuff. Much like Takeshita/Finlay I could not call the winner at all, made even more dramatic by the fact that I really wanted Tsuji to win! Particularly great spot in the closing minutes where Tsuji busted out Ultimo Guerrero's Guerrero Special, the avalanche reverse suplex Tsuji learned from Guerrero on his CMLL excursion. After much scrambling and back and forth action, I was thrilled when Tsuji eventually took it!

Easily the best of the Umino matches I've seen in this year's G1, though I have to give the lion's share of the credit to Tsuji, who was a brilliant cocky prick for the first half, sold the leg like a champ in the middle, and had the best moments during the wild closing stretch. 

Sooo semi finals:

Takeshita vs Zack Sabre Jr

Yota Tsuji vs EVIL

Happy to see that my "What I'd LIKE to see" bracket is so far playing out.

Still going with ZSJ over Takeshita, Tsuji over EVIL, Tsuji over ZSJ. It's what I'd like to see happen and, with some cautious optimism, is what I think WILL happen. 

 

 

Edited August 17, 2025 by JLM

[Merzbow]

Real recognise real.

 

Edited August 18, 2025 by Merzbow

[TildeGuy~!]

Haven’t watched much of this years G1 so haven’t really heard the reactions to Takeshita from the live crowds but most Japanese fans online hate he's the winner and main eventing the Dome, calling him an outsider and a part timer.

Probably the reason they booked him against Evil in the final to tone down the reaction he would have received if he beat Tsuji

[westlondonmist]

2 hours ago, TildeGuy~! said:

Haven’t watched much of this years G1 so haven’t really heard the reactions to Takeshita from the live crowds but most Japanese fans online hate he's the winner and main eventing the Dome, calling him an outsider and a part timer.

Probably the reason they booked him against Evil in the final to tone down the reaction he would have received if he beat Tsuji

I think it shows how out of ideas they are. Having to use an AEW star as their main event for the Dome, having EVIL in the final too. 

Basically struggling with the aftermath of lazy booking of Okada constantly winning.