The early portion of the bout was an early showcase for both Ospreay and Tanahashi, as the former IWGP Heavyweight Champion displayed his veteran experience and the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Champion proved why he’s arguably the best highflyer in the world.
The match-up continued on as a back-and-forth spectacle, with Ospreay connecting with moves such as the suicide dive and shooting star press, which got him a nearfall. Tanahashi would ground the ‘Aerial Assassin’ when he could and came close to having Ospreay tap out to the cloverleaf submission.
A short time later, Tanahashi would have the upper hand after nailing another sling blade that got him a strong nearfall. The former IWGP heavyweight Champion would actually connect with the High Fly Flow, but Ospreay rolled through and got a nearfall.
The IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion would then nail a hook kick and Hidden Blade. Ospreay finished off Tanahashi with a Strom Breaker that got him a three count. Will Ospreay’s final G1 Climax score is 4-5 (8 points) and Hiroshi Tanahashi ‘s record for the tournament is 4-5 (8 points) as well.