Join Bruce Lord and Karen Peterson for a full review of the opening weekend of this year’s G1 Climax later on Sunday. This show will be available to those who sign up to the free tier of the POST Wrestling Café.
A second full slate of matches capped off the opening weekend of the 2025 G1 Climax tournament on Sunday.
Unfortunately, the show at Hokkaido Prefectural Sports Center in Sapporo got off to a downbeat start as Gabe Kidd came to the ring on crutches.
The IWGP Global Champion forfeited his scheduled match to Zack Sabre Jr, as he revealed he had hyperextended his knee during Saturday’s match with Konosuke Takeshita. He said he wanted to return to the tournament. Full story here.
At this early stage, three competitors have two wins under their belt. EVIL sits alone atop the A Block after victory over Yota Tsuji. Drilla Moloney and YOSHI-HASHI are both on four points in the B Block with wins over Shota Umino and Ren Narita respectively.
Sunday’s show was main-evented by Taichi securing his first victory by defeating his former protege Yuya Uemura.
The A Block contest saw the two men exchange heavy strikes from the opening bell.
A stiff kick from Taichi appeared to knock Uemura out, but Taichi pulled him to his feet to continue the match. Uemura rallied, nearly securing a win with a Deadbolt Suplex. After a series of counters, Taichi landed a final strike and a Black Mephisto for the pinfall victory.
Elsewhere on the show, Great-O-Khan scored his first-ever singles victory over Shingo Takagi. O-Khan targeted Takagi’s arm throughout the match, which prevented Takagi from successfully executing his Last of the Dragon finisher. O-Khan capitalized and hit the Eliminator for the B-Block win.
House of Torture shenanigans reigned as EVIL defeated Yota Tsuji. The match featured interference from Dick Togo and Don Fale, with EVIL attacking Tsuji during his entrance. Despite a spirited comeback from Tsuji, EVIL hit the Reverse EVIL to win.
Full results:
- B Block: Zack Sabre Jr. [2] def. Gabe Kidd [0] via forfeit
- A Block: Callum Newman [2] def. Hiroshi Tanahashi [2]
- B Block: Drilla Moloney [4] def. Shota Umino [2]
- A Block: Oleg Boltin [2] def. Ryohei Oiwa [2]
- B Block: YOSHI-HASHI [4] def. Ren Narita [2]
- A Block: David Finlay [2] def. SANADA [0]
- B Block: Great-O-Khan [2] def. Shingo Takagi [0]
- A Block: EVIL [4] def. Yota Tsuji [2]
- B Block: El Phantasmo [2] def. Konosuke Takeshita [2]
- A Block: Taichi [2] def. Yuya Uemura [2]
Current standings:
A Block
- EVIL [4]
- Yuya Uemura [2]
- Yota Tsuji [2]
- Ryohei Oiwa [2]
- Hiroshi Tanahashi [2]
- Taichi [2]
- David Finlay [2]
- Callum Newman [2]
- Oleg Boltin [2]
- SANADA [0]
B Block
- Drilla Moloney [4]
- YOSHI-HASHI [4]
- Shota Umino [2]
- Ren Narita [2]
- Konosuke Takeshita [2]
- El Phantasmo [2]
- Zack Sabre Jr. [2]
- Great-O-Khan [2]
- Gabe Kidd [0]
- Shingo Takagi [0]
