New Japan Pro Wrestling
G1 Climax 25 – Night 12
Friday, August 7
Act City Hamamatsu – Hamamatsu, Shizuoka
Watch: NJPWWorld.com

Yohei Komatsu vs. Jay White

A rare undercard singles match treat between two New Japan Pro Wrestling youngsters. Mat wrestling and reversals started us off as the two exchanged various holds. The finish saw saw Komatsu roll out of a backslide pin attempt from White. Jay was none pleased and immediately slapped the hell (seriously this was loud) out of Komatsu and attempted a belly-to-back suplex. Komatsu reversed it, pushing White towards the ropes. White came back with a clothesline attempt but Komatsu rolled under him to lock in the single leg crab and pick up the win.

This wasn’t spectacular or even really good but it was solid fun. Jay White is a super solid worker at this point and what more needs to be said about Komatsu? Dude is ready to become a main roster guy the second they pull the trigger. ***¼

https://twitter.com/SenorLARIATO/status/629589916855480320

David Finlay Jr. & Tetsuya Naito vs. YOSHI-HASHI & Toru Yano

Naito was in his Garth/34-year-old apartment dwelling Trans-Am driving guy garb with the trucker hat. This of course is a contrast to his more eloquent mask/suit combo that he brings out for the big shows. On his way to the ring, Yano (his opponent in the next A Block round) threw water at him. In another sign of Naito greatness, he placed his dirty trucker hat on the ring post and spent a majority of the match napping on the second rope. What a great man.

Early in the match, White went for a tag but Naito simply stepped off the apron. The majority of the match (I mean literally 95% of it) was YOSHI-HASHI and Finlay going back and forth. Finlay has a spectacular, Maven-esque dropkick. It’s not greatest of all-time level like Kazuchika Okada’s but it has some solid potential. Let’s call it Jeff Jarrett-level, does that work?

Anyway, Finlay again goes for the tag this time and after some convincing Naito tags in and cleans house, taking it to YOSHI-HASHI. Eventually, Yano and Naito end up brawling outside which allowed YOSHI-HASHI to hit the Loose Explosion (Swanton Bomb) for the victory. To prove Naito is officially the best man in the world, he ran in just as YOSHI-HASHI started his pin. Of course, instead of saving his partner and his team’s victory, he just stood above Finlay with apathy. GREAT MAN, I tell you. **¼

https://twitter.com/SenorLARIATO/status/629593165608157185

Captain New Japan, Kota Ibushi, Togi Makabe & Hiroyoshi Tenzan vs. Tama Tonga, Bad Luck Fale, Doc Gallows & AJ Styles

Everyone paired off quickly and started brawling on the outside. Tama Tonga and Tenzan stayed in the ring. Tonga hit a few Mongolian Chops to toy with Tenzan. The big man was not happy and took back control hitting Tonga, Fale & Gallows with chops until AJ came in to stop it.

Tenzan and AJ had some back and forth. Ibushi tagged in, Styles brought Fale in and basically from here on out it was guys pairing off with their G1 matchups for tomorrow. There was really nothing of note here and most of the out of the ring brawling was hard to see due to the single-cam setup. The finishing sequence saw Captain New Japan (!) get a hot tag and clear house. The ring eventually cleared once again as Tama Tonga and the Cap were the only ones left. Captain had a few hope spots and one or two nearfalls but Tonga was too much for him as the Headshrinker DDT did Captain New Japan in. **1/2

https://twitter.com/SenorLARIATO/status/629597536131653632

Mascara Dorada, KUSHIDA & Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Ryusuke Taguchi, Tiger Mask & Katsuyori Shibata

This match blew the previous mutli-man out of the water. The crowd was super into Tanahashi and Shibata at the start and Dorada being Dorada stole the show with a beautiful Asai moonsault to Liger on the outside.

Shibata and Tanahashi went at it again later in the match with Shibata hitting a series of strikes followed by his corner dropkick. The fans seemed way into Shibata even as he was taking it to Tanahashi.

The end came as Taguchi locked Dorada in his ankle lock (what he calls Oh My & Garankle). Dorada fought it off and looked like he was going to get out of it before Taguchi locked it in tighter forcing the tap out. Fun little multi-man here, definitely check it out if you have the time. ***

https://twitter.com/SenorLARIATO/status/629601073590857728

G1 Climax 25

Yuji Nagata (2) vs. Michael Elgin (6)

#BigMike vs. Yuji “Anti Aging” Nagata! Yeah, it didn’t live up to my expectations. Not that I thought they’d tear the house down but it really took until the final stretch to get going. It was plodding and stiff but lacked the certain tenacity we’ve been getting from Elgin all tournament. These two just never seemed to have a clear idea what they were doing or what they were going for, the end result was an all-around boring match.

Another glaring weakness of the single cam setup and a clear sign that this Yuji Nagata kid just doesn’t know how to work: Nagata did the eye-roll armbar but had his back to the hard cam. C’mon kid, you’re never going to make it in the big leagues like that.

Anyway, I enjoyed the final stretch a lot and it saved the match. Nagata hit a belly-to-belly into the corner but Elgin countered with a Buckle Bomb and an Elgin Bomb for the (somewhat) surprising victory. **3/4

https://twitter.com/SenorLARIATO/status/629610275847733248

Tomoaki Honma (0) vs. Karl Anderson (6)

This was slow moving to start as Anderson tried to grind Honma into the ground with rest holds and European uppercuts. The crowd finally got into it in the last half as Honma gained momentum. He even hitting a Kokeshi! He missed a few after that but such is life when your Tomoaki Honma. Honma got too big for his britches and attempted a top-rope Kokeshi, Anderson sniffed it out and hit Honma in mid-air with the Gun Stun for the victory. Poor Honma. ***¼

https://twitter.com/SenorLARIATO/status/629614536442691584

Satoshi Kojima (4) vs. Hirooki Goto (6)

As hard-hitting and fierce as you would expect in a match between Kojima and Goto. There wasn’t any major highlights but it was a good, clean match between the two that kept myself and the crowd engaged throughout. Goto hit a beautiful looking Code Red from the top which really kicked this match into high gear.

Unfortunately just as this match got into that high gear, Goto hit the Shouten Kai for the win. I think they had more potential here and seemed to wrap it up too quickly. Regardless, I enjoyed this and it’s been the match of the night thus far. ***¾

https://twitter.com/SenorLARIATO/status/629619301390098432

Shinsuke Nakamura (6) vs. Yujiro Takahashi (4)

Boy, was this the definition of just a match. I still don’t know if Nakamura is all the way healthy or really just sleepwalking through the opening portions of matches but it’s becoming a glaring issue right now. He may not be in the top 10 workers on this year’s G1. Think about that.

Anyway, Nakamura took control towards the end. He hit a Boma Ye on Yujiro which was only good for a two count. Now, I know kicking out of the Boma Ye is a thing that just kinda happens in New Japan now but I feel like if there’s ever a guy that can be done with one of them, it’s Yujiro. Oh well. Nakamura hit two more (one from the top and another with more impact) and it was all over. This was not good. **¼

https://twitter.com/SenorLARIATO/status/629623106844381184

Kazuchika Okada (8) vs. Tomohiro Ishii (8)

I really enjoyed this match even if it didn’t live up to my unrealistic expectations as a potential top match from this year’s G1. It wasn’t that but it was solid throughout and deifnitely gets my Match of the Night vote. There was a lot of crowd brawling at the beginning of the match which again sucked as a NJPW World viewer since it was next to impossible to see what they were doing. Oh well.

Once they got back into the ring, it caught fire as the two had some exciting back and forth. At a few points throughout the match it looked like Ishii may pull it out. Ishii hit a gigantic lariat on Okada followed by a legit crowd gasping kickout at 2. Ishii followed up with a Masato Tanaka-esque Sliding D and once again Okada kicked out at 2.999 to the gasp of the crowd.

Okada finally took control at the end hitting a bridging German into the Rainmaker for the win and a spot all alone atop the B Block standings. ****

https://twitter.com/SenorLARIATO/status/629629016710975488

G1 Climax 25 Official Standings

Block ABlock B
AJ Styles8Kazuchika Okada10
Katsuyori Shibata8Tomohiro Ishii8
Tetsuya Naito8Karl Anderson8
Bad Luck Fale8Hirooki Goto8
Hiroshi Tanahashi8Shinsuke Nakamura8
Kota Ibushi6Michael Elgin8
Togi Makabe6Yujiro Takahashi4
Toru Yano4Satoshi Kojima4
Doc Gallows2Yuji Nagata2
Hiroyoshi Tenzan2Tomoaki Honma0

Voices of Wrestling G1 Climax Pick’Em Standings

(Remember to support our sponsor IVPVideos.com and use our exclusive coupon code VOICE)

NameTotalBonusNight 1Night 2Night 3Night 4Night 5Night 6Night 7Night 8Night 9Night 10Night 11Night 12Night 13Night 14Night 15Night 16Night 17Night 18
August Baker7712454454242522444442
Dylan Waco7715435243244444532522
Josh Walther7715335533343424452324
Allen Vick Jr7615444404344514441443
Bastian Sauer7615544433224534442431
Bonski McBonski765435333435555553424
Rob Rodriguez7615434522443535340235
David Dunn7515334432435424323443
Graeme Touchdown7510444442244444353424
Joshua Robinson7515243354344534311542
Ed Burns7413334343145525542431
Alex K.7310444523334435432424
Dan Atwood7310454444144434532512
Ewen MacDonald7313345223324444351524
Siva Punisamy7313344444324444342322
Aaron Bentley7215443323223433442335
Ben Pitchford7210534334134534442433
Chris Maffei725434352344535452434
J. Michael7215334412135455232334
Jake Barry7215344322244425432414
James Starkey7210245443234445432432
Kenny Ortiz726544354234534444422
Marcus Origer7210235441243524445424
Matt Audet7210445434335422443422
Matt Love725434353354543443334
Morten Hansen7213343324234253434433
Skylar Hinnant7211443334253544342431
Barry Meijer7115544441134514432412
Evan Speciner7110444524145333442414
Len Liu7115324233253435424322
Matt Wheal7113345433134534432322
Oliver Court7110543243342434443333
Olivier Tremblay7115345433214422353431
Scott Barker7115533343124434432422
SenorLARIATO7113345433234444332223
Adam Watkinson7013443333244534133422
Cameron Krusemark708443432244544343414
Capu Random7010334323234534344244
Christopher Duarte708335242343544143444
Doug Nunnally708444432325544433422
Kevin George705544442444444252405
Paco Silva Martínez705445554434424232433
Rob Reid705353433354535451423
Robert Palmer7010445423224544253322
Seth Chodosh7010434523132444454431
Taylor Mitchell706434432244534552424
Alejandro Giménez Gómez695345344243444433424
Andrew Chupurdy6910445432224534433313
Bryn Edwards Gunn6913533322343445332421
D Chong6910434332134433542434
Jody Plante6913235312124545433513
John Carroll6910343443422524352414
Mark Shaw695534443325433443433
Matt Trebby695454344244434342424
Paul Volsch698353334322524543244
Richard Jaeger697445353214445242424
Rob McCarron6910543312235544351432
Samuel DiMascio697425524344333442514
Santiago Tomasi6910544523133333442433
Tony Albicocco698544434223544351422
Brian Jackson686344344244344341353
Chad Campbell688433343143545442323
Chris Smith687245252324544333433
Goncalo Monteiro6810143412344545432333
James Baldwin685344424423454442532
John Mulligan688455334244444141332
Joseph Remy685445334334434243433
Keenan Carnegie6810524524414124343523
Mario Morrison688545442234525331332
Nnaemeka Odunze687345353244535322323
Paul Leazar6810444522254335332421
Rich Kraetsch6810433432334424342424
Robert Dougherty688435133334335343433
Ryan Smith685234543235554342423
Ryan Wilson6813134434323354223324
Sean Sedor6810334424224445243323
Tomek Cherek6810434433124424442532
Alexander Panos675444423244435342415
Benson Sam673245542343444443414
Brady Livingston675544343334534242333
Chris Bacon676333344353425432424
Jake Daniel675445353334515452312
Joe Gagne675435314344343443424
Kelly Harrass677344432245534352412
Michael Quealy678544443134534432321
Mike Spears678444333134434432523
Ru Gunn675444424134535352414
Scott675444533233534452422
TJ Hawke6710545523533213222442
Tye Liddell675533433333534342425
Wyatt Eddy675445424444533332422
Ajay Sameer668534322134534432532
Aled M665443432324435442334
Andy Clark668343432134534541540
Azri Firman665324254243535354223
Brandon Howard6610443423234534431313
Brian Ubben665544453144544313412
Daniel Mason665434453215354333243
Dave Taylor665345323144535154423
Dylan Harris668445222343544331423
Ed Mills6610343332244433423432
Edgar Morales665144343344544433431
G Brett Williams663435443155534432431
Gregory Davis668455233234453232233
Heather Christianson665443343245434432423
Izzac Mackenroth667444333234324244325
Jason Bullock665444353224445252431
Jeff Tillery665435543234425542204
Martijn Winkel6610344323115443244333
Matt Kennedy665445314434334443323
Matt Rolder665443333334335343424
Niall Hallinan667442443225444144323
Paul Cooke665445333324544341423
Sean Flynn667244423333542451442
Sean N663445354133433553422
Vic666444334334435432430
Antonio Garza657443433143435433313
Benjamin Good6510344113254444332422
Brian Brennan6510543222234424142434
Chris Burnett655444443134233423534
Christopher Griger658434243124324532434
CRVX655345332233444443522
Darren Lyne657545434124434322413
Dominick Gonzalez655544323234535323522
Erin Hotovy655434432324423432544
Filip Pejic655443332344533443305
Frederick Cholowski655544432243534352502
Jake Glowacki655534542125344332325
Jeremy Sexton657344424044434342423
Joe Estrada6510342432144534432412
Kevin Hare655343433234544443502
Lucas McFadden658455223523443233322
MacLean Craig657245333334524333413
Mitch Cowan658544423144434322413
Monty Rimorin655344334345313242444
Riley Hansen655535352233434432522
scott glover6510544453134335232112
Sean Spencer655444324145525351512
Travis McNeill655443413244344352424
Adam Joyce645345433234435332422
Brandon Gordon645335311234554343343
David Mora645434333234444433422
Dee H645153234344444332424
dillon burgess647433333134535432413
Eddy Collazo6410333314225244143424
Greg P645444342244434241523
Jason Lee6413335323233432443031
Kevin Lyon645344332424544452402
Luuk van Egeraat645344354324453214521
Mark Edward Dowling645324343414234443524
Martin Foster647143543343423442332
Michael Zavala646443312423545343323
Michelle Burkey6415333424114422322225
Parker Holland645344433034335544403
Robert Pannell645244343334534442421
Sherman Lee645233423243435433344
Tanner Teat645444333234333333434
Victor Zoest645444332234534442224
Warren Taylor648533432125524243422
Alessandro Tucci635544433224443350323
Andrew Carpenter6310441422242444342412
Andrew Perkins636244332242533332444
Ayaash M637445242233533232522
Ben Gordon635243433245524443411
Bill Knust633434433333434443422
Darren Lynch638342424334324231353
David Penton635433233425543441323
Ferdinand Meyer635534154224434252233
Gabriel Perez637345433424534321411
Guilherme Jaeger635444323422234442425
James Hagan635234233243434344334
Jamie Mohan635343343314333442533
Jeff Chase635434234244435432322
João Vitor Silveira Passos633444444333333441513
lawrence obrien633042442255435445322
Lou Pickney635344323234433453512
Mark Aasal635343332133355343343
Mark Berlowitz635434543135233442413
Matt Brown635444333233535422413
Matt McEwen635444532233534431413
Matthew Bray633343334344525432314
Mogel635543333235543332412
ntaf635343552334334242314
Phil Williams633433432254434423442
Samuel Cooke637343343344424222522
William Housell Jr.637334442253434241341
William Young635344524245424232323
Zach Smith633544344134344244214
Aaron Lomas6211432313243435342311
Benoit Brunette623544442423343332225
Brady Vincent623234443324534534402
Chris Adams625254224344523333422
Dave Christian625544532334442241412
David Neild623334343244534242522
Edward Miguez625334432144535322423
Garrett Kidney628433233253324332432
Hugh Little625244433324434342413
Jacob K Randlett623235423243534452314
Jamie ODoherty623535543234424053412
Jason Woito625444444342422341314
Jesse Carey625444442342234442412
Jordan Greenhalgh625444342234534342312
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Kevin S627444323034434533321
Lee Thomas625334434243432343242
Mark Smith625433542233424442413
Michael Levy625325544223324242343
Peter Weinstein625433432335424442412
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SASira623434332344434432513
Thomas Green625243233254424352432
Andrew Bates615444332423435232323
Andy Doran615235512234444442412
Antonio Edwards613343333134544232524
Charles Humphreys615244333224544232423
EddieAlCapone615545332223324252333
Evan Grady-Troia613544323135534352312
joe mills613543432135534433213
Lucas Zamarín615353333223535242224
manny kang615234443244525223313
Mary Robinson615224452224345233522
Matthew Nielson610533444334435442411
Mike Fuller613334422134333453533
Phil OConnor616233423443433433331
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Thomas Jayroe615435422143224424433
Alfred Arriola605545333343423332212
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Collin Miller603434332344534352311
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Jesse B603344333254434332313
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Jonathan Parsons605332422334434432432
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Mike Bate605433323333445232422
Rodrigo Garcia605233532324334252423
The Mosayat605444323234433332413
Will True605544432124435252221
Abrasive Obelisk593435423044423341424
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Rancho King592335422244435243412
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Chris Steffensen585334323234435332402
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George T565234414204453342312
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Michael A. DeSota565533332135413152313
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The Jonathon Hunt Experience560335222334434252441
Ben Crooty555433313224215432413
Johnny Marlow550423424224412345225
mark pierson II555422302234433432324
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Superdeformed555225432142324333313
T.C. Carroll550443443233234352411
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Lucha Max533344423024343132413
Thumbster535235212232532341422
Tim Kelly530334413124525332422
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UrbinoPL533323322433335334031
Wayne Maw535342424032233342241
Alex Silva520433222243235442520
Brandon525233431232323242323
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George Andrew525334322131433522213
Niel Jacoby524244343103434132322
Jack Smith510345344114325132411
Kuba Fineczko515235432113234233302
Andrew J. DeYoe502133525125223412331
No One Nation504234441124222113523
Trent Williams505243502014333441321
Adrian Gaskin493343322124433331113
David R. Curington490334322133324252313
Kristin Barry462323321043422333141
Kyle Henke445422321214241022232
Tingle420043313212433132232