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G1 Climax 35 night 1 (July 19) Preview 【G135】
Sapporo kicks off the greatest tournament in sports
The tournament of tournaments has almost arrived. A month long journey through the summer heat to determine the very strongest in professional wrestling will begin on July 19 in the northern island of Hokkaido. Opening weekend will see two nights with ten matches each, and a stacked pair of cards to get things started strong.
Watch all of G1 Climax 35 live in English on NJPW World!
Main event: A Block- Hiroshi Tanahashi vs Taichi
Singles record: 2-1 Taichi
It's quite a turnaround for Taichi. After not even being in the conversation in the G1 Climax this year following his loss to Callum Newman in the Play-Ins, the Holy Emoperor now finds himself in the night one main event. It took an unforgiving performance and unbending will to reach this spot in Sapporo; its fitting that his first opponent tonight is the epitome of the iron will in Hiroshi Tanahashi.
Three time G1 Climax winner is back in the mix for his first G1 in two years and the last of his career. Tanahashi has every intention of winning the greatest of tournaments in his final running, and no amount of effort or home town Sapporo crowd support will stop the Ace. For a Tanahashi who has undertaken an insanely demanding schedule in his final year, Taichi represents a difficult start to an intensely demanding schedule.
9th Match: B Block- Zack Sabre Jr. vs Ren Narita
Singles record: 1-1
For the third time in a tournament setting, but the first in a G1, Zack Sabre Jr and Ren Narita go head to head in the top B Block bout of the evening. Their first singles bout in 2023 was in the finals of the tournament to crown the inaugural NJPW World TV Champion, a title Sabre won to start a year Narita would end by joining HOUSE OF TORTURE. The following spring, it was clear Narita hadn't abandoned his pride as a grappler and pure styled wrestler entirely, as he and Zack had a thriller in the New Japan Cup quarterfinals; a thriller, that is, until the HOUSE interfered.
Now the two sit at one win apiece and one has to wonder how both men will approach the contest. Sabre has been open about taking a much harsher approach to his in ring stylings in this second reign of IWGP World Heavyweight Champion, and will take no nonsense from Narita. Yet will Ren rise to the task, or use everything in his bag of tricks to get one up on the champion early?
8th Match: A Block- Yota Tsuji vs SANADA
Singles record: 2-0 SANADA
It's been less than two years since Yota Tsuji and SANADA last competed in a one on one singles bout, but it might as well be a lifetime. Both of those bouts in 2023 were soon after Tsuji returned from excursion, one an immediate challenge to then IWGP World Champion SANADA, the the during that year's G1. Tsuji was eager- perhaps overly so- to usher in his new vision and a new era, while SANADA was painting his own 'new landscape' as IWGP Champion.
As both perhaps still struggled with a lack of experience in their respective roles, SANADA's experience edge in a big match environment stood out on both occasions, and Tsuji lost twice. Now Tsuji has levelled up considerably thanks to his just recently ended reign as IWGP Global Champion. SANADA meanwhile has certainly changed, although many would argue over whether he's advanced. Tonight Tsuji faces not the Just Four Guys SANADA he battled before, but HOUSE OF TOTRURE's SANADA, and that means Tsuji has to be prepared for any amount of torturous tactics, not just of the sartorial variety.
7th Match: B Block- Gabe Kidd vs Konosuke Takeshita
The G1 is set to start hot with one of the most anticipated matches of the tournament when Gabe Kidd battles Konosuke Takeshita. Kidd has vowed to win this year's G1 as the IWGP Global Heavyweight Champion, and to go on to claim double gold. He has his work more than cut out for him, starting on July 19 with the Alpha, Konosuke Takeshita. Takeshita's sensational ability made him a focal point of last year's G1, and there's no doubt the drive both men hold will see them looking to steal the headlines on opening night, and set the pace to take the headlines on closing night as well.
6th Match: A Block- Ryohei Oiwa vs David Finlay
Another first time matchup sees Ryohei Oiwa take on David Finlay. What should be a high impact collision will have Oiwa looking to prove himself in his debut G1 match against a former IWGP Global Champion. For Finlay though, unseen or heard from since being stretchered away from Dominion back in June, a lot of questions will be answered with this big time singles bout.
5th Match: B Block- Shota Umino vs El Phantasmo
In a difficult 2025 for Shota Umino, a run of high profile defeats, in Chicago to Hirooki Goto, Fukuoka to Shingo Takagi and in a tag bout, in Osaka to Zack Sabre Jr. can not have helped the mental state of the Roughneck. What has helped though, has been the presence of El Phantasmo. ELP, who this time last year was involved in a similar mental struggle, has helped Umino re-emerge from a shell he imposed on himself earlier in the year. Now Phantasmo presents a significant test for Umino's Second Chapter. For both men, opening night victory seems set to dictate the pace for the tournament to come, but who will that victory belong to?
4th Match: A Block- Yuya Uemura vs Boltin Oleg
Yuya Uemura's 2024 debut G1 crashed to an unfortunate halt before the end, when an injury in his penultimate league bout halted a campaign that could have seen the Heat Storm reach the playoffs. The injury also prevented fans from seeing an intriguing first time singles collision for Uemura against Boltin Oleg, but we get that contest first this year on night one. Down in defeat to Hiroshi Tanahashi and Yota Tsuji in his last two singles matchups, Uemura wants to kick things off with a win, but having just claimed his first singles title, Boltin will be in no hurry to create a contender to his NEVER Championship.
3rd Match: B Block- Great-O-Khan vs Drilla Moloney
Though United Empire and BULLET CLUB War Dogs coming to blows is nothing new, that factional feud predates Drilla Moloney's shift to the heavyweight division, and as such, Great-O-Khan and Moloney presents a fresh singles bout to kick off their respective campaigns. Moloney defeated Tomohiro Ishii for the second time this year to get his way into this year's tournament, and with a sensational year to date, should be tipped to go far. O-Khan though has had a taste of G1 success at last, when last year saw them reach the playoff phase. They have to get past powerful opposition indeed if they are to set a similar pace in 2025.
2nd Match: A Block- Callum Newman vs EVIL
Singles record: 1-0 EVIL
The first A Block match of G1 Climax 35 will see Callum Newman facing EVIL. Newman's G1 Climax 34 loss to EVIL was a harsh, but perhaps necessary, education for the Prince of Pace, who will be forewarned and forearmed when it comes to EVIL's dirtier tactics this evening. EVIL will be planning to set the table for a dominant G1 for the 'new' HOUSE OF TORTURE, and perhaps thinks he has this first match in the bag, but overlooking Newman would be a grave error.
1st match: B Block- YOSHI-HASHI vs Shingo Takagi
Singles record: 1-0 Takagi
The G1 Climax kicks off for 2025 with YOSHI-HASHI facing Shingo Takagi. Only the second singles meeting for the two, after the first night of G1 Climax 32, comes as YOSHI-HASHI carried the hopes and expectations of his injured friend Hirooki Goto, a huge motivating factor for the Headhunter, but one that Shingo will seek to soundly ignore and rebuff.
The tournament of tournaments has almost arrived. A month long journey through the summer heat to determine the very strongest in professional wrestling will begin on July 19 in the northern island of Hokkaido. Opening weekend will see two nights with ten matches each, and a stacked pair of cards to get things started strong.
Watch all of G1 Climax 35 live in English on NJPW World!
Main event: A Block- Hiroshi Tanahashi vs Taichi
Singles record: 2-1 Taichi
It's quite a turnaround for Taichi. After not even being in the conversation in the G1 Climax this year following his loss to Callum Newman in the Play-Ins, the Holy Emoperor now finds himself in the night one main event. It took an unforgiving performance and unbending will to reach this spot in Sapporo; its fitting that his first opponent tonight is the epitome of the iron will in Hiroshi Tanahashi.
Three time G1 Climax winner is back in the mix for his first G1 in two years and the last of his career. Tanahashi has every intention of winning the greatest of tournaments in his final running, and no amount of effort or home town Sapporo crowd support will stop the Ace. For a Tanahashi who has undertaken an insanely demanding schedule in his final year, Taichi represents a difficult start to an intensely demanding schedule.
9th Match: B Block- Zack Sabre Jr. vs Ren Narita
Singles record: 1-1
For the third time in a tournament setting, but the first in a G1, Zack Sabre Jr and Ren Narita go head to head in the top B Block bout of the evening. Their first singles bout in 2023 was in the finals of the tournament to crown the inaugural NJPW World TV Champion, a title Sabre won to start a year Narita would end by joining HOUSE OF TORTURE. The following spring, it was clear Narita hadn't abandoned his pride as a grappler and pure styled wrestler entirely, as he and Zack had a thriller in the New Japan Cup quarterfinals; a thriller, that is, until the HOUSE interfered.
Now the two sit at one win apiece and one has to wonder how both men will approach the contest. Sabre has been open about taking a much harsher approach to his in ring stylings in this second reign of IWGP World Heavyweight Champion, and will take no nonsense from Narita. Yet will Ren rise to the task, or use everything in his bag of tricks to get one up on the champion early?
8th Match: A Block- Yota Tsuji vs SANADA
Singles record: 2-0 SANADA
It's been less than two years since Yota Tsuji and SANADA last competed in a one on one singles bout, but it might as well be a lifetime. Both of those bouts in 2023 were soon after Tsuji returned from excursion, one an immediate challenge to then IWGP World Champion SANADA, the the during that year's G1. Tsuji was eager- perhaps overly so- to usher in his new vision and a new era, while SANADA was painting his own 'new landscape' as IWGP Champion.
As both perhaps still struggled with a lack of experience in their respective roles, SANADA's experience edge in a big match environment stood out on both occasions, and Tsuji lost twice. Now Tsuji has levelled up considerably thanks to his just recently ended reign as IWGP Global Champion. SANADA meanwhile has certainly changed, although many would argue over whether he's advanced. Tonight Tsuji faces not the Just Four Guys SANADA he battled before, but HOUSE OF TOTRURE's SANADA, and that means Tsuji has to be prepared for any amount of torturous tactics, not just of the sartorial variety.
7th Match: B Block- Gabe Kidd vs Konosuke Takeshita
The G1 is set to start hot with one of the most anticipated matches of the tournament when Gabe Kidd battles Konosuke Takeshita. Kidd has vowed to win this year's G1 as the IWGP Global Heavyweight Champion, and to go on to claim double gold. He has his work more than cut out for him, starting on July 19 with the Alpha, Konosuke Takeshita. Takeshita's sensational ability made him a focal point of last year's G1, and there's no doubt the drive both men hold will see them looking to steal the headlines on opening night, and set the pace to take the headlines on closing night as well.
6th Match: A Block- Ryohei Oiwa vs David Finlay
Another first time matchup sees Ryohei Oiwa take on David Finlay. What should be a high impact collision will have Oiwa looking to prove himself in his debut G1 match against a former IWGP Global Champion. For Finlay though, unseen or heard from since being stretchered away from Dominion back in June, a lot of questions will be answered with this big time singles bout.
5th Match: B Block- Shota Umino vs El Phantasmo
In a difficult 2025 for Shota Umino, a run of high profile defeats, in Chicago to Hirooki Goto, Fukuoka to Shingo Takagi and in a tag bout, in Osaka to Zack Sabre Jr. can not have helped the mental state of the Roughneck. What has helped though, has been the presence of El Phantasmo. ELP, who this time last year was involved in a similar mental struggle, has helped Umino re-emerge from a shell he imposed on himself earlier in the year. Now Phantasmo presents a significant test for Umino's Second Chapter. For both men, opening night victory seems set to dictate the pace for the tournament to come, but who will that victory belong to?
4th Match: A Block- Yuya Uemura vs Boltin Oleg
Yuya Uemura's 2024 debut G1 crashed to an unfortunate halt before the end, when an injury in his penultimate league bout halted a campaign that could have seen the Heat Storm reach the playoffs. The injury also prevented fans from seeing an intriguing first time singles collision for Uemura against Boltin Oleg, but we get that contest first this year on night one. Down in defeat to Hiroshi Tanahashi and Yota Tsuji in his last two singles matchups, Uemura wants to kick things off with a win, but having just claimed his first singles title, Boltin will be in no hurry to create a contender to his NEVER Championship.
3rd Match: B Block- Great-O-Khan vs Drilla Moloney
Though United Empire and BULLET CLUB War Dogs coming to blows is nothing new, that factional feud predates Drilla Moloney's shift to the heavyweight division, and as such, Great-O-Khan and Moloney presents a fresh singles bout to kick off their respective campaigns. Moloney defeated Tomohiro Ishii for the second time this year to get his way into this year's tournament, and with a sensational year to date, should be tipped to go far. O-Khan though has had a taste of G1 success at last, when last year saw them reach the playoff phase. They have to get past powerful opposition indeed if they are to set a similar pace in 2025.
2nd Match: A Block- Callum Newman vs EVIL
Singles record: 1-0 EVIL
The first A Block match of G1 Climax 35 will see Callum Newman facing EVIL. Newman's G1 Climax 34 loss to EVIL was a harsh, but perhaps necessary, education for the Prince of Pace, who will be forewarned and forearmed when it comes to EVIL's dirtier tactics this evening. EVIL will be planning to set the table for a dominant G1 for the 'new' HOUSE OF TORTURE, and perhaps thinks he has this first match in the bag, but overlooking Newman would be a grave error.
1st match: B Block- YOSHI-HASHI vs Shingo Takagi
Singles record: 1-0 Takagi
The G1 Climax kicks off for 2025 with YOSHI-HASHI facing Shingo Takagi. Only the second singles meeting for the two, after the first night of G1 Climax 32, comes as YOSHI-HASHI carried the hopes and expectations of his injured friend Hirooki Goto, a huge motivating factor for the Headhunter, but one that Shingo will seek to soundly ignore and rebuff.
