Sabre Jr. tops Block B as G1 Climax 35 quarterfinals set

The 16th night of NJPW’s G1 Climax 35 unfolded in Shizuoka with the playoff picture crystallizing as the round-robin phase nears its conclusion. Zack Sabre Jr. surged to the top of Block B with 14 points, while Konosuke Takeshita and Shota Umino each finished on 12, with Umino earning the tiebreaker to secure the second available semifinal position. Shingo Takagi and Ren Narita were next with 10 points, and El Phantasmo, Drilla Moloney, and Great O Khan sat on eight. Global Champion Gabe Kidd finished last with zero points after forfeiting his remaining matches. The finalized quarterfinal pairings were set for August 14, featuring two matchups that will determine which two competitors advance to the semifinals.

In the night’s action, Sabre Jr. captured a notable win over YOSHIHASHI in a match that underscored his consistency atop B Block. Also on the card, Takeshita defeated Ren Narita to secure his place in the knockout stage, while Shota Umino defeated Great O Khan to clinch his 12 points and the tiebreaker advantage over Takeshita. Shingo Takagi added a dominant performance by defeating Drilla Moloney, and a forfeit handed El Phantasmo an 8-0 result over Gabe Kidd, cementing...