The championship match for the 2025 New Japan Pro Wrestling G1 Climax tournament is set.
The final will feature EVIL against Konosuke Takeshita, who won their respective semifinal bouts on Saturday at the Ariake Arena in Tokyo in front of 4,558 fans.
In the main event, Konosuke Takeshita defeated IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Zack Sabre Jr. to secure his place in the final. The contest, which lasted just under 25 minutes, was a grueling battle of submissions and strikes.
The match began with technical exchanges before Takeshita gained an advantage by hitting a DDT on Sabre from the apron to the floor, targeting the champion’s neck. Sabre fought back by systematically attacking Takeshita’s knee and elbow, using a variety of submission holds to weaken his opponent. Despite the damage, Takeshita hit a Blue Thunder Bomb for a two-count.
Momentum shifted frequently in the latter stages. After Takeshita’s near-fall, Sabre immediately transitioned into a triangle choke, but Takeshita reached the ropes. Later, Sabre hit his Zack Driver for a near-fall of his own, quickly following up with an armbar.
The finish came after both men traded heavy blows. Takeshita landed a top-rope Raging Fire, followed by a Powerdrive Knee. He then hit a second Raging Fire to pin Sabre for the victory.
The first semifinal saw EVIL defeat Yota Tsuji by referee stoppage after 18 minutes. EVIL attacked Tsuji before the bell, immediately targeting his knee, which was an issue for Tsuji throughout the contest.
The match was marked by constant interference from EVIL’s House of Torture stablemates, Don Fale and Dick Togo. This eventually drew out Shingo Takagi and Daiki Nagai to even the odds at ringside for Tsuji.
Tsuji rallied and scored a near-fall after a Spanish Fly from the top rope. However, the turning point came when Tsuji accidentally hit the referee with his Gene Blaster. With the official incapacitated, Fale entered the ring and hit Tsuji with a Bad Luck Fall.
EVIL then applied the Darkness Scorpion, and with Tsuji unresponsive, the referee called for the bell.
The G1 Climax 35 final is scheduled for Sunday at the Ariake Arena.
Full results
- G1 Climax Semifinal: Konosuke Takeshita def. Zack Sabre Jr.
- G1 Climax Semifinal: EVIL def. Yota Tsuji
- House of Torture (Ren Narita, SHO & DOUKI) def. TMDK (Ryohei Oiwa, Kosei Fujita & Hartley Jackson)
- House of Torture (SANADA & Yoshinobu Kanemaru) def. War Dogs (Drilla Moloney & Taiji Ishimori)
- Shingo Takagi & Daiki Nagai def. War Dogs (David Finlay & Gedo)
- United Empire (The Great-O-Khan, Callum Newman & Jakob Austin Young) def. Hiroshi Tanahashi, El Phantasmo & Katsuya Murashima
- House of Torture (Yujiro Takahashi & Don Fale) def. Tomoaki Honma & Oleg Boltin
- Shota Umino, Yuya Uemura, YOSHI-HASHI, El Desperado & Ryusuke Taguchi def. Taichi, Satoshi Kojima, Toru Yano, YOH & Master Wato
- Dark Match: Togi Makabe, Tiger Mask & Tatsuya Matsumoto def. Shoma Kato, Masatora Yasuda & Zane Jay
