Hiroshi Tanahashi is slipping in the rankings.
The former IWGP World Heavyweight Champion has one final opportunity to compete in the main event of Wrestle Kingdom. Tanahashi is retiring next year and he’s fighting in his last G1 Climax. The 48-year-old was off to a solid start thanks to his wins over David Finlay and Taichi, but night seven wasn’t so good for the former IWGP World Heavyweight Champion.
Tanahashi fought Ryochei Oiwa and the experience of the former saw him dominate Oiwa. Tanahashi went back to his game plan of targeting the knee. Oiwa focused on the arm. That almost paid off when Oiwa locked in a hammerlock submission around the 12 minute mark. He then made the transition into a sleeper hold. Tanahashi managed to stay alive, but that only opened him up to more attacks as Oiwa hit a back suplex and a frog splash for a strong nearfall.
Oiwa went to finish off Tanahashi, but the New Japan veteran got an inside cradle for another nearfall. Unfortunately for Tanahashi, Oiwa put him away for good with a Discus clothesline. Tanahashi isn’t the only falling behind.
David Finlay once again lost his G1 match as Callum Newman got a surprise pin on the second generation star. Yota Tsuji emerged the leader of Block A as he beat Oleg Boltlin to clinch the top spot.
Check out the results for night seven below:
- Jado & El Phantasmo def. United Empire (Jakob Austin Young & Great-O-Khan)
- Katsuya Murashima & Shota Umino def. Daiki Nagai & Shingo Takagi
- War Dogs (Taiji Ishimori & Drilla Moloney) def. HOUSE OF TORTURE (Yoshinobu Kanemaru & Ren Narita)
- T.M.D.K. (Hartley Jackson & Zack Sabre Jr.) def. Rocky Romero & Konosuke Takeshita
- G1 Climax 35 A Block: Yota Tsuji (8) def. Oleg Boltin (6)
- G1 Climax 35 A Block: Callum Newman (4) def. David Finlay (2)
- G1 Climax 35 A Block: SANADA (4) def. Taichi (4)
- G1 Climax 35 A Block: Yuya Uemura (6) def. EVIL (6)
- G1 Climax 35 A Block: Ryohei Oiwa (6) def. Hiroshi Tanahashi (4)