By Sean Radican, Torch columnist

RADICAN’S “G1 CLIMAX 25: NIGHT 14” BLOG
AUG. 9, 2015
TOKYO, JAPAN
AIRED LIVE ON NJPWWORLD.COM

I’m not watching the tag matches on the undercard this year, but I will include the results. If anything noteworthy happens in a particular tag match, I will watch it.

Update: This show has full production! Huzzah!

UNDERCARD RESULTS

(1) Bullet Club (Tama Tonga & Bad Luck Fale) beat David Finlay, Jr. & Jay White.

(2) YOSHI-HASHI & Toru Yano beat Kota Ibushi & Mascara Dorada.

(3) Bullet Club (A.J. Styles & Doc Gallows & Cody Hall) beat Naito & Ryusuke Taguchi & Captain New Japan in a six-man tag match.

(4) Tanahashi & Tenzan & IWGP Jr. Hvt. champion KUSHIDA beat Togi Makabe & Shibata & Jushin Liger in a six-man tag match.

G1 CLIMAX 25: NIGHT 14 B BLOCK RESULTS & ANALYSIS

I caught the most insanely strange add during intermission for the Chaos DVD that Toru Yano has been pushing this year during G1 that had Yano teaching Okada, Nakamura, Ishii, and several others that were dressed up look they were attending Catholic school. A shot of Okada dunking a basketball aired along with Yano leading CHAOS in singing the CHAOS song. Holy s—t. Mind blown!

(5) IWGP Hvt. Tag Champion Karl Anderson (8) vs. Michael Elgin (8) in a G1 Climax 25 B Block match. Yano is in on commentary for this show! Elgin blocked a kick and took Anderson down with a shoulder tackle during the early stages of the match. He caught Anderson coming off the ropes and hit the WORLDS STRONGEST SLAM! Elgin then hit a delayed vertical suplex and the fans fired up. The fans fired up and chanted for Elgin. Anderson fired back and sent Elgin to the floor with a running kick on the apron. Elgin barely beat the ref’s 20 count at 19 to get back into the ring. Anderson then began working him over. Elgin finally mounted a comeback, but Anderson fired right back and hit a big running kick in the corner. Anderson then hit a Liger bomb and covered Elgin for a 2 count. Anderson went up top, but Elgin nailed him with a kick as he went for a splash. Elgin caught Anderson with a code breaker off the turnbuckles a short time later. He then hit a deadlift German that popped the crowd, but Anderson managed to kick out at 2. Anderson fired back and hit a neck breaker a short time later. He then nailed Elgin with a big neck breaker over his knee for a 2 count. They went back and forth trading shots in the middle of the ring. Elgin ended the exchange with a huge lariat and both men were down. The fans fired up as both men struggled to get to their feet. Elgin went for his deadlift falcon arrow off the apron and hit it for a near fall. The fans applauded Elgin after that spot and began chanting his name. Gallows got on the apron and so did Tonga, but he fended them off. Anderson then lifted Elgin for a TKO, but Elgin rolled Anderson up and then hit a deadlift powerbomb to the floor! Holy s—t! Elgin fired up and went for a corkscrew senton off the top and landed it for a near fall. Elgin then went for a buckle bomb and hit it, but Anderson fired back with a kick. Elgin then hit a backfist and the fans fired up. Elgin went for another buckle bomb, but Anderson turned it into a gun stun for the win. Good lord!

Winner: Karl Anderson (10 pts.)

Star rating: (***3/4) – This was just an awesome match and Elgin was on fire here. That’s the Elgin I know that just captivates the audience with his power. Elgin’s deadlift powerbomb to the floor to wipe out Bullet Club was insane. The gun stun out of the powerbomb at the end was crazy as well. What a match!

(6) Yuji Nagata (2) vs. Satoshi Kojima (4) in a G1 Climax 25 B Block match. They went back and forth on the mat during the early going and Nagata got an arm bard, but Kojima quickly got his foot on the ropes. Both men then began trading blows in the middle of the ring. They went back and forth and Kojima nailed Nagata in the mid-section and he fell to the mat. Kojima hit the machine gun chops in the corner. He went up top a short time later and hit his signature elbow drop. Nagata ended up on the floor as the ref and a doctor checked on his mid-section. Kojima went to the floor and went right after Nagata. Kojima finally fired back and caught Kojima with a knee to the gut as he came off the ropes. Nagata went for an exploder again and this time he landed it. Nagata followed up with a twisting neck breaker with Kojima’s feet on the ropes for a 2 count. Kojima fired back and caught Nagata with a DDT. He caught Nagata with an ace crusher a short time later. Nagata fired back and hit an enzuguri. Nagata went for a Saito suplex, but Kojima blocked it. Nagata then ducked a running lariat and got his white eyes arm bar. The fans really fired up as Nagata worked on the hold. Kojima struggled, but finally managed to get to the ropes. Kojima hit a suplex for a 2 count and went for another running lariat, but Nagata ducked it and eventually hit a backdrop driver for the win.

Nagata helped Kojima to his feet after the match.

Winner: Yuji Nagata (4 pts.)

Star rating: (***1/4) – This was a lot of fun while it lasted. The fans were very much into the back and forth action between these two. It’s a shame Nagata only has 4 points in the tournament because he’s been fantastic.

(7) Kazuchika Okada (10) vs. Yujiro Takahashi (4) in a G1 Climax B Block match. The fans chanted for Okada after the opening bell rang. They went to an interview in the crowd with Takahashi’s valet during the early stages of the match, which really cracked me up. Okada wiped out Takahashi and offered to too sweet Hall, but then pulled back. That was fantastic. Takahashi bailed to the crowd and looked for some help from his valet, but Okada grabbed him from behind. Takahashi ended up reversing a whip and he sent Okada into the guardrail. He then hit a fisherman buster on the floor and his valet gave him a double thumbs up. Hall went after Okada and Gedo tried to stop him, but Hall wiped him out as well with Takahashi distracting the ref. Takahashi worked over Okada for a long period of time until he cut him off and mounted a comeback after a DDT. He placed Takahashi up top and nailed him with his signature dropkick. They went to the floor and Okada booted Takahashi over the guardrail and into the crowd. Hall tried to attack him, but he sent Hall into the crowd as well. He then wiped them both out with a big running splash over the guardrail and the fans fired up huge! Okada continued to roll along and locked in red ink in the middle of the ring. Takahashi broke free by biting Okada’s hand. He then nailed Okada with a sliding kick. Takahashi sent Okada throat-first into the top rope and hit an angle slam for a 2 count. Okada fired back and went for a lariat, but Takahashi ducked and hit him with one of his own. HE followed up with a buckle bomb and hit Miami shine, but Okada kicked out at the very last second! Holy s—t! Okada countered him a short time later with an inverted neck breaker over his knee and both men were down on the mat. Okada went for a tombstone, but Takahashi grabbed the ref. He then shoved the ref into Okada as he came off the ropes. Hall got into the ring and went after Okada. He knocked Gedo off the apron. Hall and Takahashi then began working over Okada. Hall nailed Okada with a discus clothesline and Takahashi made the cover, but Okada kicked out at the last second. The ref was still down and Hall held up Okada for Takahashi, but Gedo tripped him and Okada sent Hall packing with a big lariat. He then caught Takahashi with a big dropkick, a tombstone, and the rainmaker for the win!

Gedo went to the commentary booth once the match was over.

Winner: Kazuchika Okada (12 pts.)

Star rating: (***1/2) – This was a really fun match with Okada constantly overcoming a stacked and getting the win in the end in grand fashion. Okada really carried himself like a stars in this match and the fans went crazy chanting for him as he mounted his comebacks.

(8) Shinsuke Nakamura (8) vs. Tomoaki Honma (0) in a G1 Climax B block match. The fans sounded like they were firmly behind Honma when the match began. Nakamura went for his signature clean break and acted like he didn’t want to because Honma smelled. He wiped his face on the ref’s shirt after backing away from Honma. Honma fired back and took Nakamura down with a lariat. Nakamura fired back and hit his signature running knee in the corner, which sent Honma flying to the floor. Nakamura picked Honma up on the outside and dumped him into the crowd unceremoniously. He then draped him over the guardrail and nailed him with a running knee. Nakamura worked over Honma for a long period of time. Honma countered a front choke from Nakamura into a vertical suplex and the fans fired up. He went for a kokeshi off the ropes a short time later, but Nakamura got out of the way. Honma ducked a charge in the corner and nailed Nakamura with a kokeshi off the ropes and then a diving blockbuster for a 2 count. Nakamura fired back with his signature spin kick a short time later and both men were down as the fans chanted or Honma. Both men went back and forth trading blows. Nakamura got the upper hand and hit several knee strikes to Honma’s mid-section. He then set up for a Boma ye, but Honma blocked it and hit a huge lariat. He followed up with a brainbuster, but Nakamura kicked out at 2. They went back and forth and Nakamura hit a Boma ye off the turnbuckles that left both men down. Nakamura set up for aother Boma ye, but Honma got out of the way and hit a diving kokeshi to the back of the head and then another kokeshi off the ropes. Honma finished the sequence with a jumping piledriver for a near fall. The fans went nuts as Honma wet for a kokeshi up top, but Nakamura rolled out of the way. Nakamura then hit a Boma ye, but Honma kicked out at the last second. Holy s—t! Namamura hit a reverse powerslam and set up for another Boma ye, but Honma nailed him with a flying kokeshi Nakamura then popped up and caught him by surprise with a Boma ye for the win. Wow!

Winner: Shinsuke Nakamura (10 pts)

Star rating: (****) – These guys went pretty much all-out for the last 8 minutes of this 11 minute match. This got insane down the stretch with Honma rising from the dead and surprising Nakamura with a flying kokeshi only to eat a Boma ye and lose a short time later.

(9) Tomohiro Ishii (8) vs. IWGP IC Champion Hiroki Goto (8) in a G1 Climax 25 B Block match. The fans were hot for the start of the match and chanted for Ishii. Goto targeted Ishii’s head during the early going but Ishii fired up and they began trading forearms. The pace increased as they continued to trade in the center of the ring. Holy s—t they are really tagging each other during the early going here. Wow! Ishii finally won the exchange with a big chop to the throat and both men were down. They went to another strike exchange a short time later and Goto went down after taking another chop to the throat. Ishii worked over Goto and hit him with some light kicks to the head. Goto got angry and began just absorbing blows from Ishii. Ishii bounced off Goto going for a shoulder tackle and then got decked after taking a big forearm. They went back and forth and Ishii hit a Saito suplex and both men were down once again. They battled up top and Ishii hit a delayed vertical superplex and made the cover, but Goto kicked out at 2. Goto punched away a lariat from Ishii and then Ishii returned the favor. Both men then hit lariats at the same time, but they didn’t go down. They repeated the double lariat spot and Ishii yelled at Goto and they hit another double lariat, but neither man went down. Goto finally decked Ishii with a lariat and the fans applauded. Goto then hit a Saito suplex for a 2 count. Ishii countered a neck breaker attempt from Goto and hit a release German that left both men down on the mat once again. They went back and forth and Goto caught Ishii on his shoulders and nailed him with a neck breaker over his knee. Goto tried to go up top, but Ishii held on to his boot. Goto escaped and went up top, but Ishii popped up and nailed him with a headbutt to the chest. They battled up top and began trading forearms. Goto finally nailed him with a big headbutt and hit his code red variation off the top for a near fall. Holy s—t!

Ishii fought out of Goto’s grasp a short time later and Goto went for a discus lariat, but Ishii cut him off with a headbutt to the chest and both men were down on the mat. Both men traded lariats, but neither man would go down. They continued to take turns hitting lariats and Ishii nearly fell after taking one from Goto, but he held himself up in the corner and returned fire. Goto hit a huge lariat and Ishii held himself up by grabbing Goto. Goto went for a lariat, but Ishii nailed him with one of his own and made the cover for a 2 count. Wow! Just wow! Ishii missed a diving lariat, but lifted Goto up and hit a neck breaker over his knee. He then hit a diving lariat for a near fall and the fans and announcers went crazy. Goto slipped out of a brainbuster attempt and they went back and forth until Goto hit a huge lariat and both men were down once again as the fans went insane. Goto got up and hit a big clothesline in the corner. He then got Ishii on his shoulders up top and nailed him with a neck breaker over his knee off the turnbuckles for a near fall and the fans went nuts again. Goto blocked a shouten kai attempt and hit a headbutt, but Goto nailed him with a clothesline and Ishii kicked out at 1. Goto lifted Ishii up and they began trading headbutts. Goto got the upper hand after a pair of headbutts and hit shouten kai for the win. What a match!

Goto cut a post-match promo and concluded by shouting “BANZAI, BANZAI, BANZAI” to send the fans home happy.

Winner: Hirooki Goto (10 pts.)

Star rating: (****3/4) – This was definitely my favorite match of the tournament so far. It was just an incredible war from start to finish with both men going all out. They had some incredible strike exchange and tests of endurance. The fans got hotter and hotter as it went on leading into a red hot finish. It doesn’t get much better than a match like this during G1.

Quick G1 Climax 25: Night 14 Viewing Guide

What to watch: EVERYTHING!

What you can skip: NOTHING!

Best G1 match on the card: Ishii-Goto (****3/4), Honorable mention: Nakamura-Honma (****)

Overall thoughts: This was the best night of tournament action I’ve seen so far and I think we are in for a great final week of G1 tournament action. The crowd at Korakuen Hall was read hot for this show and every match delivered from the B block. Of course, the crowning jewel here was the incredible Goto-Ishii match. These two have great chemistry together and they delivered an incredible main event.

Karl Anderson vs. Michael Elgin started the show off with a bang. Elgin was on fire here and he had a great spot where he hit a deadlift powerbomb on Anderson from the ring to the floor to wipe out the interfering Bullet Club members. The finish was crazy as two with Anderson countering an Elgin bomb into the gun stun for the win.

Okada put on a very good match against Takahashi, who is one of my least favorite wrestlers to watch in the tournament. He carried himself like a star and overcame the outside interference of the Bullet Club to get the win in the end with a small assist from Gedo.

The highlights of the show were Nakamura-Honma and Goto-Ishii. Nakamura vs. Honma was just a fantastic match. They didn’t get a lot of time, but Honma made some incredible comebacks. The best spot was when he popped up from the dead and hit a leaping Kokeshi on Nakamura, who was set up to put him away with a Boma ye. Honma fell short once again, but this is a match you’re going to want to go out of your way to see.

The main event between Goto and Ishii was an all-out war that went a shade over 17 minutes. They went all-out building with some great striking exchanges early and pacing the match perfectly to bring the crowd up and down. By the end of the match, it felt like an all-out war with some great fighting spirit spots and strike exchanges down the stretch. The crowd got hotter and hotter as the match went on and you’re going to want to go way out of your way to see this match.

Overall, night 14 is can’t miss if you’re picking and choosing which G1 matches to watch. All of the matches on this show delivered and the main event was one of the best matches I’ve seen this year and the best match of the tournament so far. I can’t wait to watch this final stretch of shows, as it’s still a big question mark as to who is going to come out on top from each side.

CURRENT G1 CLIMAX 25 STANDINGS

A Block Standings

- Tanahashi (10 pts.)
- Bad Luck Fale (10 pts.)
- 2013 winner Naito (10 pts.)
- A.J. Styles (10 pts.)
- Shibata (8 pts.)
- NEVER champ Togi Makabe (8 pts.)
- Kota Ibushi (6 pts.)
- Toru Yano (4 pts.)
- NWA World champ Tenzan (2 pts.)
- IWGP tag champion Doc Gallows (2 pts.)

B Block Standings

- 2014 winner IWGP World Champ Okada (12 pts.)
- Shinsuke Nakamura (10 pts.)
- IWGP tag champion Karl Anderson (10 pts.)
- IWGP IC Champ Hirooki Goto (10 pts.)
- Tomohiro Ishii (8 pts.)
- ROH's Michael Elgin (8 pts.)
- Yujiro Takahashi (4 pts.)
- Satoshi Kojima (4 pts.)
- Yuji Nagata (4 pts.)
- Honma

***

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