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It has been a week since the G1 Climax 30 ended and we have already taken a look at the best matches and top performers from this month-long tournament. However, one of the most intriguing things every year is the storylines told during the event. Through the commentary and the extraordinary wrestlers' efforts, storylines unfold through this match of the year factory.
G1 Climax 30 was probably the most unique of any tournament in its history. With the lack of fans in attendance and necessary restrictions in place, the audience was a story within its self. Although the Osaka crowd on at Oct. 10 show were responsive, this was a rather subdued year in comparison to the last few especially. We also didn't have multi-man matches to add to certain stories as only A Block and B Block wrestlers performed on the night of their competition.
This part helped further develop and add emphasis to the mythical C Block between the NJPW Young Lions. Giving dojo trainees the chance to compete in the opening matches helped their progression and allowed fans to grow a connection with Yota Tsuji, Yuya Uemura, and Gabriel Kidd. We also saw huge wins for Jeff Cobb and Juice Robinson during the G1 Climax 30 tournament itself.
In this article, we will look at the top 10 storylines of the G1 Climax 30.
#10 YOSHI-HASHI: The Most Improved Performer of the G1 Climax 30
Heading into the G1 Climax 30, YOSHI-HASHI often appeared unworthy of his spot in the tournament. Although this member of CHAOS just won his first NJPW title as a NEVER Openweight Six-Man Tag Team Champion, his singles match as of late didn't live up to the high standards of the previous G1s.
With that being said, HASHI more than delivered throughout the B Block competition. In his second match in the tournament against EVIL, he showcased his fire and fortitude in the ring. He also delivered motivated showings against top stars like Tetsuya Naito and Hiroshi Tanahashi in the G1 Climax 30, as well. There was a distinct difference in the way he performed in this tournament that revitalized how not just the fans view him, but also his fellow competitors. This was a tournament appearance that he can be very proud of.
#9 Taichi's evolution
Taichi was another performer whose fans didn't appreciate coming into the G1 Climax 30. As one half of the IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Champions, he has been a divisive competitor in NJPW for years. Although his singing persona makes him stand out as a character, he has been hit or miss in the ring. However, this year's tournament showed his continued evolution.
Taichi went toe-to-toe with the leader of Suzuki-gun, Minoru Suzuki on Night 3 of the G1 Climax 30. Even as the King of Pro Wrestling came at him with ferocity, Taichi didn't back down, hit Suzuki as hard as he hit him, and won in the end. He also had one of the most underrated encounters of the tournament in his battle against Tomohiro Ishii. This, along with his victory over Shingo Takagi and war of strikes against Kota Ibushi, allowed him to stand out, unlike other years.
This was a year in which Taichi performed at a high level and stood among the highest in-ring competitors in the G1 Climax 30. Many have even pinpointed him as one of the MVPs of the entire tournament. We will have and see if NJPW will allow his success to develop into a bigger push as a heavyweight singles wrestler.
#8 Ishii/Shingo/Suzuki: The Battle for G1 Climax 30 MVP
Every year of the tournament, Tomohiro Ishii is regularly considered the G1 MVP. His consistency, phenomenal selling, and intense comebacks make every match compelling. In the G1 Climax 30, Ishii stood out for another year as one of the best performers with quality matches on almost every A Block night, but he wasn't alone in the MVP race.
Minoru Suzuki has had one of the greatest years of his illustrious in-ring career. His maniacal character work creates a unique dynamic in every encounter he had in the G1 Climax 30. Whether he was battering Ishii or going move for move against Will Ospreay, every single contest gave you something unique. Suzuki was also apart of the most memorable match of the tournament in an instant classic against the eventual winner, Kota Ibushi, on Day 13. His final opponent of the G1 was yet another participant who was in the running for best performer.
Shingo Takagi entered only his second G1 appearance of his career. Although he had good contests throughout 2019, Takagi took things up to another level in the G1 Climax 30. His Wrestling Observer Newsletter five- star match plus encounters against Ospreay and Kazuchika Okada were among the very best outings in the tournament. All three men gave us some of the most thrilling performances of this calendar year, making him worthy of being called the G1 MVP.
#7 Tetsuya Naito: The Iron Man
The IWGP Heavyweight and Intercontinental Champion, Tetsuya Naito, came into the G1 Climax 30 with momentum. Having just recaptured the IWGP dual gold, Naito wanted to prove himself once again as the top star in all of NJPW. Though he couldn't win the B Block, the leader of Los Ingobernables de Japon once again showed why he is considered among the best wrestlers in the world.
From night one's extraordinary war of attrition against Hiroshi Tanahashi, Naito was at top form throughout the G1 Climax 30. He regularly appeared in the main event of B Block competition. Even when he wasn't in the closing match, he usually clocked in with the longest match of either day of the tournament.
Naito also showed the ability to have different kinds of encounters. Whether it was a technical clinic against Zack Sabre Jr or a hard-hitting affair facing Hirooki Goto, the IWGP dual champion was stellar. This led to Tetsuya Naito setting the all-time match time record for the G1 Climax 30 with over three hours in the ring.
Tetsuya Naito had some barnburners, but above all else, he proved that he can be the Iron Man of NJPW like previous IWGP Champions such as Kazuchika Okada and Tanahashi. The G1 Climax 30 gave him extra credibility and may have been a precursor that his current reign will be more successful than his previous ones.
#6 Hiroshi Tanahashi goes from Ace to the gatekeeper
Just two years ago, Hiroshi Tanahashi won his third G1 tournament, defeating Kota Ibushi in the finals. The Ace used that momentum to dethrone Kenny Omega in the main event of Wrestle Kingdom 13. Heading into this year's tournament, Tanahashi was considered one of the lead candidates to come out of the B Block of the G1 Climax 30. However, over the course of the month, we saw that his role had changed.
Although Tanahashi was still in the main events of some B Block nights and delivered high-quality matches, he was no longer considered a top guy when it came to victories. We saw a G1 Climax 30 tournament in which The Ace fell to Hirooki Goto, EVIL, and SANADA in rapid succession, taking him out of contention to win the block.
Still, Tanahashi arguably was the MVP of the entire B Block, even though he only finished with eight points at the end of the G1 Climax 30. With stars such as EVIL, SANADA, and eventual winner, Kota Ibushi, given positions in the upper card, The Ace will have to move down in the shuffle on occasion including this year. However, this was the first G1 tournament that we could truly see Tanahashi transition from Ace to the gatekeeper in the eyes of the NJPW higher-ups.
#5 Okada challenges himself
Ever since returning from NJPW's lockdown, Kazuchika Okada just hasn't seemed the same. The Okada of old was a match of the year machine and usually finished his opponents in a similar fashion. The Rainmaker had become one of the most insurmountable finishers in professional wrestling, but it was not something we had seen from Okada since Wrestle Kingdom 14. Coming into the G1 Climax 30, most New Japan fans thought it was only a matter of time before we saw the finishing moves' return.
For Okada, this tournament would be defined by his attempt to win matches in new ways. Whether it was through his Cobra Clutch dubbed the Money Clip or various cradles, Okada didn't win one match in the G1 Climax 30 with The Rainmaker. It resulted in various degrees of success when it came to in-ring work. While his encounters with Shingo and Ishii were thrilling, other matches didn't share the same flare of the past.
Whatever side of the ledger you fall on the quality of Okada's work, one thing is for certain coming out of the G1 Climax 30. Whenever Kazuchika Okada does finally go into his bag of tricks to use the Rainmaker once again, it will result in one of the most visceral reactions from an NJPW crowd in ages.
#4 Ospreay creates his Empire
From the very beginning of this G1 Climax 30 tournament, Will Ospreay seemed to be embrae the online chatter around his character. The Aerial Assassin was came off much cockier in contests against Ishii, Suzuki, and Ibushi. These teases didn't prepare anyone for what was to come in Ospreay's final A Block match though.
In the G1 Climax 30 A Block finals, Will Ospreay faced his CHAOS stablemate, Kazuchika Okada. Okada was the man who brought him into NJPW and welcomed him into CHAOS. However, over the course of five previous meetings, Ospreay was never able to defeat his surrogate older brother. On this night, nothing including their longtime friendship would get in the way of victory.
With the help of his girlfriend Bea Priestley and a returning Great-O-Khan, Ospreay used the Stormbreaker to finally overcome The Rainmaker. After the G1 Climax 30 match, Ospreay solidified his heel turn by blasting Okada with the Hidden Blade and telling him that he held him back this whole time. His post-match comments confirmed that Priestley and O-Khan were the first members of a new NJPW stable, The Empire.
#3 SANADA gets out of the LIJ shadow
SANADA has always been a loyal member of Los Ingobernables de Japon since his introduction to NJPW in 2016. After falling short to Kazuchika Okada in the 2019 New Japan Cup and subsequent matches following, the Cold Skull became a near man. Ever so, SANADA was an early favorite in the B Block heading into the G1 Climax 30.
To kick off the tournament, SANADA lost three straight B Block matches and looked like he was heading for a fourth loss against the leader of LIJ, Tetsuya Naito. On Day 8, SANADA produced the underrated gem of the G1 Climax 30, defeating Naito in a thrilling main event. He followed that huge victory with four consecutive wins including a crucial victory over Hiroshi Tanahashi on Day 16.
In the B Block Finals, SANADA faced his former IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Champion partner, EVIL. The Cold Skull stepped up his game and overcame the odds of Dick Togo in EVIL's corner with the help of Hiromu Takahashi. SANADA won the B Block of the G1 Climax 30, taking the next step in his evolution. Although he fell to Ibushi in the finals, this tournament was nothing but success for SANADA in every way.
#2 Bullet Club Civil War brewing
During this G1 Climax 30, the competitor who had the most engaging character work in and out of the ring had to be "Switchblade" Jay White. In what he coined the Jay1, White put on entertaining matches night in and night out. However, he did some of his best work on the mic in post-match interviews. The key here was the simmering dissension among the Bullet Club.
Following EVIL's win over KENTA in the G1 Climax 30, Jay White made sure to make acknowledge that he didn't appreciate the way EVIL treated his fellow Bullet Club member. The following day after his G1 Climax 30 match, EVIL said that not everyone falls in line with Switchblade. This led to Day 13 in the A Block where Jay White faced Yujiro Takahashi. Thinking that his stablemate would just lay down for him, White was surprised when Yujiro not only did not. Instead, he used low blows and other dirty tactics to try to achieve a victory.
Switchblade pulled out the victory, but he wasn't happy with Yujiro or his manager, Gedo. The fans had to assume that this distraction caused White to fall short of winning the A Block of the G1 Climax 30, falling to Ishii on the final night. Although EVIL also came up short, the brewing civil war will continue to be a vital story in NJPW for the months to come.
#1 Kota Ibushi's quest to become a God
Following his victory in last year's tournament, Kota Ibushi didn't have the same success in 2020. He lost to Kazuchika Okada and Jay White on consecutive nights at Wrestle Kingdom 14 in the Tokyo Dome. Ibushi also lost in the New Japan Cup 2020 and fell short in his first defense of the IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Championships alongside Hiroshi Tanahashi. However, the Golden Star wouldn't be denied as he continued his quest to become a God in the G1 Climax 30.
Kota Ibushi had a fantastic tournament with terrific battles against Tomohiro Ishii, Shingo Takagi, and a Match of the Year candidate against Minoru Suzuki. With a 7-2 record following a stiff encounter defeating Taichi in the A Block finals, Ibushi took the win and went on to face SANADA in the G1 Climax 30 Finals.
Ibushi made history in the G1 Climax 30 Finals in an astonishing finish to his victory over SANADA in the main event. The Golden Star became only the third man in history to win back to back G1 Climax tournaments and the first to do so since 2003-2004.
With instant classic encounters and a win in the G1 Climax 30, Ibushi says that his quest to finally match his Gods in Tanahashi and Shinsuke Nakamura will be complete when he is victorious in the Tokyo Dome and wins the IWGP Heavyweight and Intercontinental Championships. We will see if Kot Ibushi can finally become a God in New Japan Pro Wrestling at Wrestle Kingdom 15.
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