G1 Climax 34 night 4 (July 25) Preview
Main event: Yuya Uemura (2–0) vs Konosokue Takeshita (2–0)
Going into his first G1 fresh off a loss and short reign as KOPW 2024 champion, many had this tournament as a referendum on Yuya Uemura. After two gutsy performances and most important, two hard fought wins against David Finlay and Hirooki Goto on Opening Weekend, Uemura is passing the test in front of him with flying colours.
In the meantime Konosuke Takeshita certainly flew to the forefront in NJPW with his G1 debut victory over Yota Tsuji, before a heavyweight slugfest with jeff Cobb saw him victorious again. Now, whose undefeated streak will end? Can Uemura, right down the road from his home prefecture of Ehime hand Takeshita his first ever NJPW loss?
8th Match: HENARE (2–0) vs David Finlay (0–2)
Singles record: 3–0 Finlay
It’s Champion versus Champion when HENARE faces David Finlay, and the NEVER Openweight Champion and IWGP Global heavyweight Champion could not have had more divergent starts. For Finlay, a pair of losses; first to Yuya Uemura on opening night and then in the main event of the double header in Osaka to Yota Tsuji. Now the pressure is mounting on the Savage King to get on the board, and will find solace in his 3–0 singles record against HENARE.
The Face of Fury had a frenetic start to his G1 campaign, and exerted his superiority over both El Phantasmo and Boltin Oleg to get to four points. That already matches his career best record of last year, barely out of the starting blocks; a third win will feel all the more sweet if it comes as a first time ever win against a one time Hontai contemporary.
7th Match: El Phantasmo (0–2) vs Yota Tsuji (1–1)
Singles record: 1–0 Tsuji
El Phantasmo came into the G1 broken hearted, and he heads into Kagawa with a broken wheel as well, Ren Narita targeting ELP’s knee en route to handing him a second loss. Phantasmo’s next task is Yotya Tsuji, a man he faced while arguably at 100% form during the New Japan Cup, and still fell to a Marlowe Crash. With Tsuji on the board thanks to a win over Finlay Sunday, this could be an easy Thursday evening’s work for the LIJ member unless Phantasmo can quickly turn a corner.
6th Match: Jeff Cobb (1–1) vs Ren Narita (1–1)
Singles record: 1–0 Cobb
After , Jeff Cobb sets his sights on HOUSE OF TORTURE’s Ren Narita. Narita certainly enjoyed his mockery of El Phantasmo on the way to his first victory of the tournament in Osaka, but this bout should be no laughing matter. Over four years since they met in singles competition while Narita was a freshly on excursion Young Lion, will Cobb be delivering a harsh education, or will Narita have the smarts to avoid going on a Tour of the Islands?
5th Match: Hirooki Goto (0–2) vs Boltin Oleg (1–1)
Hirooki Goto’s opening weekend may not have gone the way he wanted to results wise, but the 0–2 CHAOS member definitely showed up when it came to his in ring performances, and made Jeff Cobb and Yuya Uemura both work and breathe hard. Uemura especially was the recipient of a violent education at the hands of the veteran, and class will be in session with Boltinn Oleg tonight. This time, will that education end with Goto getting the passing grade, or will Boltin be able to double up his two points to four?
4th Match: Los Ingobernables De Japon (Shingo Takagi & Tetsuya Naito) vs HOUSE OF TORTURE (EVIL & Dick Togo)
Before one time parejas turned long time foes Tetsuya Naito and EVIL tie up in Nagasaki on Saturday, the two meet in tag team action tonight. Dick Togo will likely be HOUSE OF TORTURE’s sacrificial lamb, but does the so called ‘President’ EVIL have other tricks up his sleeve?
3rd Match: TMDK (Zack Sabre Jr. & Kosei Fujita) vs War Dogs (Jake Lee & Gabe Kidd)
As Zack Sabre Jr gets set to battle Jake Lee Saturday, tag team action sees TMDK face the War Dogs. While Gabe Kidd was uncharacteristically amicable toward Lee at the pre G1 press conference meanwhile, the two will become opponents soon enough, making this an intriguing dynamic to keep an eye on.
2nd Match: Shota Umino, Tomoaki Honma & Shoma Kato vs United Empire (Great-O-Khan, Callum Newman & Francesco Akira)
As Great-O-Khan is next on the horizon for Shota Umino Saturday, six man action sees Hontai and United Empire collide. Newman handed a loss to Umino on his first night of the tournament meanwhile and will be feeling confident opposite a side of past, present and future of the NJPW home team.
1st Match: Toru Yano & Katsuya Murashima vs Just Five Guys (SANADA & TAKA Michinoku)
The first match of the evening sees Toru Yano team with Young Lion Katsuya Murashima to face SANADA and TAKA Mihcinoku of Just Five Guys. The next block action for SANADA has him opposite Gabe Kidd in Nagasaki, making this match quite the change of pace, but perhaps there’ll be a hint in the wily Yano for SANADA to make use off against Kidd Saturday?
