The 2025 G1 Climax winner has finally been confirmed.
Despite being a former IWGP World Heavyweight Champion, EVIL has never won the G1 Climax. Takeshita has only competed in two G1 tournaments and he’s pulled off an impressive feat since this is his second year in New Japan Pro Wrestling.
It didn’t look good for Takeshita as the entire House of Torture faction came out with EVIL. It didn’t take long for the group to interfere in the beginning, but the referee would eject them immediately. Unfortunately, they wouldn’t stay gone for long as they came back out around the five minute mark.
Takeshita didn’t waste any time trying to get rid of House of Torture and he took them all out with a flip dive. But Takeshita instantly grabbed his knee hurt. Rocky Romero and The Young Lions helped eject HOT again, but EVIL was like a shark in the water, so he targeted the knee. That didn’t last long thanks to a clothesline. Takeshita hit a kick against the turnbuckle and applied a chokehold. EVIL seemed to be on the verge of tapping until Ren Nartia pulled out the referee. But Zack Sabre Jr. came down and chased him off.
But the situation took a turn for the worse when Takeshita missed a jumping knee. EVIL hit a top rope superplex and got his first nearfall. Then he applied the Sharpshooter, but Takeshita got to the ropes quickly. EVIL hit the Darkness Falls for another nearfall.
Takeshita made his comeback after reversing Everything is EVIL multiple times. He was able to his power drive running knee that gave him a strong nearfall. He tried to hit it again, but his knee buckled. EVIL took advantage with a clothesline that seemingly knocked him out. That only got a two count as well.
EVIL attempted Everything is Evil again, but Takeshita countered with a backslide into a powerbomb. He tried a third jumping knee, but EVIL blocked it. EVIL rocked him with a headbutt. Takeshita responded with a forearm strike. Both men were down because of how grueling the match was. Finally, Takeshita hit the Raging Fire and got the three count.
Konosuke Takeshita will challenge the IWGP World Heavyweight Champion at Wrestle Kingdom 20! This year’s G1 Climax is officially over and it was another great year full of memorable matches.
Check out the full results below:
- G1 Final: Konosuke Takeshita vs. EVIL
- Zack Sabre Jr., Kosei Fujita, Ryohei Oiwa & Hartley Jackson vs. Ren Narita, SHO, Yujiro & DOUKI
- David Finlay, Drilla Moloney, Taiji Ishimori & Gedo vs. Shingo Takagi, Yota Tsuji, Hiromu Takahashi & Daiki Nagai
- Hiroshi Tanahashi, Shota Umino & Yuya Uemura vs. Great O-Khan, Callum Newman & Jakob Austin Young
- Oleg Boltin, El Phantasmo & Tiger Mask vs. SANADA, Don Fale & Yoshinobu Kanemaru
- El Desperado, YOSHI-HASHI & Ryusuke Taguchi vs. YOH, Toru Yano & Master Wato
- Taichi & Satoshi Kojima vs. Togi Makabe & Katsuya Murashima
- Masatora Yasuda & Zane Jay vs. Katsuya Matsumoto & Shoma Kato