G1 Climax 35 Field Finalized As Taichi Replaces Hirooki Goto

Originally posted on Wrestling on SI | By Lyric Swinton | Last updated Jul 8, 2025 2:03 PM ET

The field is set for G1 Climax 35 (for real this time).

This year's tournament will feature 20 wrestlers, four of which were always slated to be determined via a play-in tournament. The Block A play-in matches were Callum Newman versus Taichi and Ryohei Oiwa versus Satoshi Kojima. Block B's play-in matches saw Drilla Moloney facing off with Tomohiro Ishii and YOSHI-HASHI going head to head with Chase Owens.

Of the four matches, Newman, Oiwa, Moloney, and YOSHI-HASHI earned this right to participate in this year's G1 Climax tournament.

An untimely injury from fan favorite and former IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Hirooki Goto created one more open spot in this year's Block A line up. To fill the opening, NJPW announced a last chance gauntlet match for this past weekend's New Japan Soul show in Korakuen Hall, featuring the men who fell short in previous play-in tournament matches.

Hirooki Goto forced to withdraw from G1 Climax 35; Last Chance Play-In Gauntlet set for July 6 Korakuen Hallhttps://t.co/FwWMO10L5P #njpw #G1CLIMAX35 pic.twitter.com/0nV6qOLf5d
— NJPW Global (@njpwglobal) July 5, 2025

The gauntlet kicked off with Chase Owens and Satoshi Kojima, with Owens making quick work of knocking Kojima out of contention. IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Champion Taichi then joined Owens in the ring, and the shenanigans that have come to be synonymous with House of Torture matches ensued as SANADA interfered in hopes of helping Chase Owens clench the win. Tomohiro Ishii, one-half of the IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Champions with Taichi and the last man slated to enter the gauntlet, threw a wrench in those plans by running out to the ring early to even the odds against Taichi.

Owens was defeated, clearing the way for tag team partners Taichi and Ishii to have one of the most classic NJPW bouts of the year. Despite the hard-fought battle, only one man could win, and Taichi emerged as the winner and final entrant into G1 Climax 35.

Other key participants in this year's tournament are: IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Zack Sabre Jr. , NJPW President Hiroshi Tanahashi competing in his final G1 before retiring in January, AEW/NJPW/DDT star Konosuke Takeshita, IWGP Global Heavyweight Champion Gabe Kidd, among many others.

Now that the participants are set, the tournament will begin July 19 in Hokkaido on NJPW World. The top three point earners in each block will move on to a playoff beginning August 14, and the G1 Climax 35 final will take place August 17 in Ariake Arena. The winner will earn a shot at the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship, currently held by Zack Sabre Jr.

This article first appeared on Wrestling on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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