By Sean Radican, Torch columnist

RADICAN’S “G1 CLIMAX 25: NIGHT 15” BLOG
AUG. 11, 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 multiple cameras, but no commentary.

UNDERCARD RESULTS

(1) Cody Hall & Yujiro Takahashi beat Jay White & Mascara Dorada.

(2) Karl Anderson & Tama Tonga beat KUSHIDA & Captain New Japan.

(3) Michael Elgin & David Finlay beat Hirooki Goto & Yohei Komatsu

(4) Shinsuke Nakamura & Kazuchika Okada & Tomohiro Ishii & YOSHI-HASHI beat Satoshi Kojima & Yuji Nagata & Tomoaki Honma & Ryusuke Taguchi.

We’re back for the second of three shows at Korakuen Hall!


G1 CLIMAX 25: NIGHT 15 A BLOCK RESULTS & ANALYSIS

(5) IWGP Hvt. Tag Champion Doc Gallows (2) vs. Tetsuya Naito (10) in a G1 Climax 25 A Block match. Naito took forever to get into the ring while making his entrance. The ref and Gallows both asked Naito to take his skull hood and suit off. Naito finally began slowly taking his entrance attire off. Gallows finally had had enough and went after Naito. Naito got him against the ropes and the ref asked for a clean break, but Naito kicked Gallows in the knee. Gallows got the upper hand and sent Naito to the floor. Naito began walking around casually and gallows jumped him from behind. Naito fired back and drove Gallows into the guardrail a couple of times. Gallows took control back inside the ring a short time later. Naito pulled the ropes on Gallows when he charged at him and set up for a dive, but he stopped and laid down in the middle of the ring. Gallows asked, “What the hell is that?” Naito took control inside the ring a short time later. The ref ended up getting bumped by Naito, but Gallows made a comeback and the fans seemed to get behind him a bit. Naito quickly cut him off with a dropkick to the leg. Naito got the Koji clutch at one point, but Gallows managed to get to the ropes quickly. Gallows mounted a comeback and hit a twisting slam on Naito. He followed up with a jack hammer for a 2 count. Gallows went for Gallows pole twice, but Naito blocked it both time. Naito went for a pair of pinning combinations, but only got a 2 count each time. Gallows caught Naito going for a flying forearm and went for Gallows pole, but Naito countered it into a DDT. They battled up top a short time later and Naito went for a hurricanrana, but Gallows countered it into a super Gallows pole for the win. Holy crap!

One of the young boys tried to help Naito to the back after the match, but he shoved him into the guardrail.

Winner: Doc Gallows (4 pts.)

Star rating: (**1/4) – This wasn’t a very long match. Naito takes a surprising loss here with Gallows only having 2 points coming into this match. This definitely puts a roadblock in Naito’s path to the final and it could be over depending on what happens on the rest of this card. Naito had blocked Gallows’s finish several times until he hit it off the top.

(6) NWA Hvt. Champion Hiroyoshi Tenzan (2) vs. Katsuyori Shibata (8) in a G1 Climax 25 A Block match. They went at it right away exchanging blows. Tenzan began nailing Shibata with double chops to ground him. They brawled to the floor a short time later and Tenzan maintained control. Both men began trading blows once again and Shibata got the upper hand in the corner. He eventually locked in a figure 4 and worked on the hold for a long period of time. Tenzan tried to turn it over and eventually got the ropes. Tenzan mounted a comeback and put the boots to Shibata in the corner. He nailed Shibata with his version of the running dropkick in the corner. Shibata surprised Tenzan with a suplex, but Tenzan popped up and decked him with a shoulder tackle. Tenzan went up top, but Shibata cut him off with a dropkick. They battled up top and Tenzan headbutted Shibata to the mat, but Shibata nailed him with another dropkick. He then tossed Tenzan down to the mat and both men were slow to get up. Tenzan hit his signature spinning kick and applied the anaconda vice on Shibata’s injured arm. Shibata tried to stand and eventually they both stood up. Tenzan maintained the hold until Shibata tripped him down to the mat and the fans gasped. Shibata popped up and grabbed his choke sleeper. Shibata let go and nailed him with a combination of strikes capped by a kick to the head, but Tenzan kicked out at 2. Tenzan blocked a kick and nailed Shibata with a headbutt. Tenzan nailed Shibata with several headbutts. He then began nailing Shibata with double chops until Shibata slipped around him and grabbed a choke sleeper. Tenzan shook Shibata off and grabbed the anaconda vice once again. Tenzan then began nailing Shibata with headbutts. He then hit the anaconda buster and applied the anaconda vice again. Shibata struggled not to tap and the ref checked his arm and he was out. Holy s—t!

Winner: Hiroyoshi Tenzan (4 pts.)

Star rating: (***1/2) – This has to be considered another upset in the tournament. Shibata had been having some great matches during the tournament, but with consecutive losses to Yano and Tenzan, he’s eliminated from contention. Tenzan has been good in this tournament and this was a fun match.

(7) Kota Ibushi (6) vs. Toru Yano (4) in a G1 Climax 25 A Block match. Yano threw water and Ibushi when he got into the ring. Yano tried to undo the turnbuckle pad, but Ibushi cut him off. Ibushi then undid the padding and baited Yano into running into it. He then rolled him up for a near fall. Yano and Ibushi went back and forth around the ref until Yano finally nailed him with a low blow and got the dirty pin for the win. EL OH EL.

I just noticed KENTA KOBASHI is in on commentary.

Winner: Toru Yano (6 pts) – Well that was a very short version of a Yano match. Ibushi has certainly fallen a long way after being the MVP of the early weeks of this tournament.

(8) A.J. Styles (10) vs. Bad Luck Fale (10) in a G1 Climax A Block match. This match is Bullet Club vs. Bullet Club. The Bullet club came out together and stood around the ring with Fale and Styles on the inside. Styles and Fale too sweet’d before the match began and the fans loved it. Fale then got down on the mat for Styles to pin him and the fans booed. The ref made the count, but Fale kicked out at 2. Styles and Bullet Club acted shocked. Styles told Fale he was supposed to help him out. Fale turned around shook his head. Styles shoved him and Styles fired back with a shove of his own. Styles told Fale to calm down. He then hugged Fale and teased a too sweet before poking him in the eyes. Fale then tossed Styles over the top to the floor onto a pile of Bullet Club members. They yelled at Fale and asked him what he was doing. Styles then snuck behind Fale and dumped him to the floor. Styles went for a dive, but Anderson stopped him. Fale then dragged him to the floor and began working him over as Anderson sold disgust. Fale reversed a whip and sent Styles over the guardrail and flying into a pile of chairs. Fale went to hit Styles with a chairshot, but Tonga took the chair from him. Styles then hit a leaping forearm off the stage. Styles went to hit Fale with a chair but Takahashi took the chair from him. Styles rolled back to the floor after Fale tossed him to the outside. He began walking through the crowd and Fale gave chase. Anderson tried to stop Fale and they began arguing. Fale and Styles then began brawling in the crowd but it was hard to see it. The cameras caught up to them and gale went for the bad luck fall in the stands, but Gallows saved Styles. Both men then made their way back to the ring. Styles got into the ring first and then put the boots to Fale when he tried to get into the ring.

Styles went on the attack, but Fale nailed him with a huge clothesline. He went for the bad luck fall, but Styles slipped onto the apron and eventually hit a springboard forearm for a 2 count. Styles went for the Styles clash, but Fale powered up and dumped him to the mat. Styles rolled through on Fale a short time later and got the calf killer, but Fale punched his way out of it. They went back and forth and Styles hit a Pele kick, but Fale didn’t go down. Fale then caught Styles with the grenade for a near fall. Fale went for the bad luck fall again, but Styles tried to counter it into a hurricanrana. Fale went for the Styles clash but Styles managed to slip out. Styles then pinned Fale with his feet on the ropes for the win. What a heel!

After the match, Styles looked afraid of Fale, but they ended up hugging and the Bullet Club theme played. Styles then looked over his shoulder and celebrated.

Winner: A.J. Styles (12 pts.)

Star rating: (***) – This was a fun story here with Bullet Club helping to save both men throughout the match only for Styles to get the win with his feet on the ropes in the end. It was fun to watch a group of heels try to make peace throughout this match and after.

(9) Hiroshi Tanahashi (10 pts) vs. NEVER Openweight Champion Togi Makabe (8 pts.) in a G1 Climax 25 A Block match. They went back and forth on the mat and came to a stalemate. Tanahashi played some air guitar and then tossed the guitar into the crowd. Makabe then gestured towards him to bring it. Makabe eventually got the upper hand after a big slam on Tanahashi. Tanahashi slid around Makabe in the corner and tripped him. He then slammed his leg into the ringpost several times and played to the crowd. He did not get a lot of cheers. Tanahashi stomped on Makabe’s leg and kept his foot there while he played some air guitar, which drew a mixed reaction from the crowd. Tanahashi continued to work over Makabe’s leg and grabbed a submission on the mat, but Makabe eventually got the ropes. The fans chanted for Makabe and he told Tanahashi to bring it. Makabe absorbed several kicks, but kept coming at Tanahashi. He continued to yell at Tanahashi as he nailed him with strikes. Makabe finally took down Tanahashi with a big clothesline as he came off the ropes. Makabe then hit his baby punches in the corner followed by a northern lights suplex for a 2 count. Tanahashi tried to mount a comeback, but Makabe surprised him with a clothesline that sent him over the top to the floor. Tanahashi no-sold a whip into the guardrail, but ran right into a powerslam from Makabe.

Tanahashi ended up cutting Makabe off when he tried to get back into the ring and he viciously attacked his leg with stomps and a dragon screw around the ropes. Makabe was able to fight off several leg submission attempts from Tanahashi, but Tanahashi blocked a kick attempt and then hit a dropkick to Makabe’s leg. Tanahashi got a Texas cloverleaf and worked on the hold. The fans fired up and got behind Makabe, who managed to get to the ropes. Makabe fired back and got Tanahashi on his shoulders, but Tanahashi slipped away. Makabe then grabbed Tanahashi by the hair as he went to bounce off the ropes and nailed him with a huge clothesline that left both men down on the mat. They got up and began trading blows. Tanahashi hit a dropkick to Makabe’s leg and went for another one. Makabe went for a lariat and Tanahashi ducked it, so he turned him inside out with a lariat from the opposite arm. Tanahashi fired back and hit a neck breaker. He then went for the high fly flow, but Makabe got out of the way. He then nailed Tanahashi with a German for a 2 count. Makabe hit the kneeling powerbomb for a near fall. He then went up top for the King Kong knee drop, but Tanahashi caught his leg and hit a dragon screw. Tanahashi followed up with the sling blade and Makabe stood up, so Tanahashi nailed him with a high fly flow. He then went back up top and hit another high fly flow for the win. Wow!

It will now be Styles vs. Tanahashi on Aug. 14 to determine the winner of the A Block.

Tanahashi teased leaving the ring after the match, but then came back and did his usual post-show air guitar/promo routine. Kenta Kobashi was shown smiling at ringside several times as Tanahashi delivered a killer air guitar performance.

Winner: Hiroshi Tanahashi (12 pts.)

Star rating: (***1/2) – This was a good match. I liked the self-contained story with Tanahashi going slightly heel and going after Makabe’s leg. Makabe mounted some good comebacks, although Tanahashi never really seemed in danger. The finish was cool with Makabe rising from the ashes with Tanahashi up top only to take a standing high fly flow and then a traditional high fly flow for the finish.


Quick G1 Climax 25: Night 15 Viewing Guide

What to watch: Tenzan-Shibata, Styles-Fale, Tanahashi-Makabe

What you can skip: Gallows-Naito, Yano-Ibushi

Best G1 match on the card: Tanahashi-Makabe, Tenzan-Shibata (tied at ***1/2)

Overall thoughts: This was the night of upsets during the early going with Naito losing to Gallows and Yano beating Ibushi. It’s hard to believe that Ibushi is tied with Yano after tonight with 6 points each after his incredible run of matches during the early stages of the tournament, but that just shows you the peaks and valleys each performer can go through during G1, especially during this drawn out format.

The highlights of the night were Tenzan-Shibata and Tanahashi-Makabe. Once again, the crowd was hot, but they weren’t given a match to truly go crazy for on this show. It was nice to see Tenzan get a win over Shibata. They had a really good back and forth match and I loved the finish with Tenzan escaping the choke sleeper and eventually getting Shibata to pass out with the anaconda vice on his injured arm.

Tanahashi did a good job creating some extra heat for the main event against Makabe by going slightly heel. It seems like he would be a great heel if he did turn, as he was very entertaining and got the crowd behind Makabe while working over his leg. They had a very good match, but it wasn’t great.

Overall, this was a sold night of action, but there were no must-see matches. It is official after this show that the Tanahashi vs. Styles match on Aug. 14 will determine who goes to the G1 finals. That ought to be one heck of an encounter given their history.

CURRENT G1 CLIMAX 25 STANDINGS

A Block Standings

- A.J. Styles (12 pts.)
- Tanahashi (12 pts.)
- Bad Luck Fale (10 pts.)
- 2013 winner Naito (10 pts.)
- Shibata (8 pts.)
- NEVER champ Togi Makabe (8 pts.)
- Kota Ibushi (6 pts.)
- Toru Yano (6 pts.)
- NWA World champ Tenzan (4 pts.)
- IWGP tag champion Doc Gallows (4 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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