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G1 Climax 30 have officially passed the midway point with this event. B Block was back in action for Night 10 after five days off. Although the A Block has been having the better overall shows due to their stacked lineup of competitors, the B Block more than held up on this night back in Hiroshima with two standout matches to close out this event.
The headline match for the evening was The Ace Hiroshi Tanahashi, battling KENTA. We would also witness Tetsuya Naito facing YOSHI-HASHI and EVIL against Juice Robinson. Other B Block matches for G1 Climax 30 Night 10 were SANADA versus Zack Sabre Jr. and Hirooki Goto against Toru Yano.
We had a limited yet vocal crowd on this evening. The B Block standings heading into the event were:
-- Juice Robinson, Tetsuya Naito, Toru Yano (3-1)
-- EVIL, Hiroshi Tanahashi, KENTA, Zack Sabre Jr. (2-2)
-- Hirooki Goto, SANADA, YOSHI-HASHI (1-3)
For G1 Climax 30 Night 10, your "Matches To Watch" are:
-- Tetsuya Naito vs. YOSHI-HASHI
-- Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. KENTA
Once again, we kicked things off with the always competitive opening matches between the New Japan dojo trainees.
G1 Climax 30 Night 10: Yuya Uemura vs. Yota Tsuji
We kicked things off with the Young Lions of Yuya Uemura meeting Yota Tsuji. These two men have three wins apiece during this G1 Climax 30 tour. This was a rematch from Night 7 where Tsuji won via submission.
We got a tentative start here with some grappling going back and forth. Uemura got control with a shoulder block, taking Tsuji off his feet. Tsuji got the upper hand for the first time in this G1 Climax 30 match by hitting a hip toss.
The action swung between the two men taking control. Uemura put down Tsuji and locked in the Boston Crab. However, Tsuji fought to the ropes. Tsuji then blocked Uemura from hitting a front double Underhook suplex. He then followed with a spear and locked in the Boston Crab. Uemura fought to the ropes as well.
The two men traded strikes and slaps, followed by some pinning combinations as the fifteen minute time limit expired. Uemura gets his first draw, while Tsuji with his second of the unofficial C Block of the G1 Climax 30. This was one of the better matches between the Young Lions so far during this tour.
Results: Yuya Uemura and Yota Tsuji went to a time limit draw
Star Rating: ***1/4
Hirooki Goto (1-3) vs. Toru Yano (3-1) (G1 Climax 30 B Block Match)
The B Block opener on the evening was KOPW 2020 Toru Yano facing Hirooki Goto. They are both members of the CHAOS stable. Yano came at 3-1 following his first loss against Juice Robinson on Night 8 of the G1 Climax 30. Goto has been struggling so far, standing at 1-3 coming into this night. He lost his last encounter in the tournament in short order to Zack Sabre Jr. on Night 8.
The match started with Yano trying to shake Goto's hand and then to give him his shirt, which Goto threw down. He nailed Yano in the back and put on a leg lock into a pinning combo for the win in just eighteen seconds. Hirooki Goto gets two more points in the G1 Climax 30.
This set the record for the shortest match in the history of the tournament.. Surprisingly, thanks to his last two matches, Hirooki Goto now has less match time than even Toru Yano in the G1 Climax 30 so far.
Results: Hirooki Goto (4) defeats Toru Yano (6) via pinfall
Star Rating: N/R
SANADA (1-3) vs. Zack Sabre Jr. (2-2) (G1 Climax 30 B Block Match)
Our next B Block match was SANADA of Los Ingobernables de Japon against one half of the IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Champions Zack Sabre Jr. SANADA came in at 1-3, following his first win in the tournament over Naito on Night 8 of the G1 Climax 30. Sabre Jr came at 2-2, following his win over Goto on Night 8. These two met at WrestleKingdom 14 for the Revolution Pro British Heavyweight Championship with ZSJ getting the win.
Both men traded pinning combinations to start. That was a smart decision to begin this G1 Climax 30 contest following the laat match. We then got some grappling with neither man gaining control for long. SANADA went for a pair of leap frogs followed by a dropkick, sending ZSJ to the floor. He tried to follow with a plancha, but ZSJ evaded and locked on an Octupus Hold.
Back in the ring, SANADA hit a low dropkick to Zack's knee. However, Zack attacked the arm of SANADA and tried to follow with a penalty kick. SANADA blocked and hit a dragon screw. When he went to further attack the leg, Sabre Jr. reversed and locked him into a triangle choke. He then transitioned into a reverse guillotine until SANADA walked to the ropes.
ZSJ kicked at SANADA 's arm, but Cold Skull looked for the Skull End. The two men traded pinning combinations again for near falls. They then traded attempts at the Skull End, ending with SANADA finally hitting a rope assisted TKO. He quickly followed up with the Muta-sault to win in fourteen and a half minutes. SANADA got his second win and two more points in the G1 Climax 30.
This was a well-paced, strong encounter that featured some enthralling technical wrestling and grappling exchanges. Neither man had advantage for long, which made the finish come out of no way in this G1 Climax 30 match.
Results: SANADA (4) defeats Zack Sabre Jr. (4) via pinfall
Star Rating: ***3/4
***Intermission followed***
Juice Robinson (3-1) vs. EVIL (2-2) (G1 Climax 30 B Block Match)
B Block competition resumed with EVIL facing Juice Robinson. EVIL came into this one with a 2-2 record following his win over KENTA on Night 8 of the G1 Climax 30. Juice stood at 3-1 following a win over Yano on Night 8.
EVIL rushed Juice to kick off this G1 Climax 30 contest. Juice got control of the match, but Dick Togo distracted him for EVIL to regain the upper hand. EVIL stacked chairs on the outside and hit a suplex on Juice onto them. He put Juice back in the ring where he exposed the turnbuckle and threw him into them. EVIL then worked over Juice's back.
Robinson landed some offense and went for the Juice combo, but Dick tried to distract him. Robinson then hit a plancha on Togo to take him out of the equation for now. He followed with a crossbody to EVIL for a near fall. EVIL gained the upper hand due to a distraction from Dick again in this G1 Climax 30 contest.
EVIL worked over the back of his opponent. He landed the Darkness Falls for a two count. However, Robinson regained control and hit a jackhammer for a near fall. Juice looked for Pulp Friction, but EVIL grabbed the ref leading to Dick nailing him in the back with a chair. Robinson regained control and hit a gutbuster for a near fall.
Robinson then hit the Juice combo, but EVIL evaded the Left Hand of God. However, Juice Robinson nailed a right hand instead. He looked for Left Hand of God again, but Dick distracted the referee leading to EVIL hitting a low blow. He then followed with Everything Is EVIL for the win in fifteen and a half minutes. EVIL gets two more points in the G1 Climax 30.
This was an entertaining, solid encounter with Juice playing a great babyface to EVIL's usual shenanigans. The crowd was heavily in Robinson's favor here like much of the G1 Climax 30 so far.
Results: EVIL (6) defeats Juice Robinson (6) via pinfall
Star Rating: ***1/2
YOSHI-HASHI (1-3) vs. Tetsuya Naito (3-1) (G1 Climax 30 B Block Match)
Our semi main event of G1 Climax 30 Night 10 was YOSHI-HASHI against Tetsuya Naito. HASHI came in at 1-3 so far, following a loss to Tanahashi on Night 8. Naito stood at 3-1 as the current B Block leader, following his loss to SANADA in Nagaoka.
The two men locked up and traded control back and forth to start this G1 Climax 30 match. Naito hit an atomic drop, followed by a neckbreaker for our first two count. Naito worked over HASHI's neck. He hit a sliding dropkick to the back of the head for a near fall. Naito followed with a cravate to wear him down.
HASHI reversed a tornado DDT into a neckbreaker to get the upper hand. He followed shortly after with a running blockbuster. YOSHI-HASHI hit a Tope Con Hiro to the floor. Back in the ring for this G1 Climax 30 contest, he hit a top rope blockbuster to Naito for a near fall. Naito reversed a powerbomb attempt into a frankensteiner and followed with his corner dropkick combo. HASHI reversed an avalanche frankensteiner by dropping down and hitting a running powerbomb.
Naito countered and hit a tornado DDT, leading to both men being down. He then hit Gloria for a near fall. HASHI blocked Destino by nailing a lariat. After a strike exchange in this G1 Climax 30 encounter, HASHI locked on the Butterfly Lock. Naito tried fighting out, but HASHI hit a backcracker and reapplied Butterfly Lock. He locked in a double wrist lock at the same time until Naito got to the ropes.
Naito got wrist control landing elbows, but HASHI broke out with a headbutt and followed with a dragon suplex. Naito reversed brainbuster into a Destino. He then looked to follow with another, but HASHI reversed into a brainbuster for a near fall.
HASHI looked for Kharma again but Naito hit a rolling kick followed with Valentia for a near fall. Naito followed up with Destino for the win in nearly twenty-five minutes. Tetsuya Naito gets his fourth win and two more points in the G1 Climax 30.
That was a really strong match with YOSHI-HASHI pushing Naito to his absolute limit. This had some great near falls that you had to bite on. HASHI once again overdelivered in the G1 Climax 30 tournament.
Results: Tetsuya Naito (8) defeats YOSHI-HASHI (2) via pinfall
Star Rating: ****
Hiroshi Tanahashi (2-2) vs. KENTA (2-2) (G1 Climax 30 B Block Match)
Our main event of the evening was The Ace Hiroshi Tanahashi battling KENTA. Both men came in at 2-2 with Tana beating YOSHI-HASHI and KENTA losing to EVIL on G1 Climax 30 Night 8. KENTA was victorious in their previous meeting in last year's G1.
KENTA got into Tanahashi's face until he responded with strikes. KENTA hung Tana up on the top rope, while on the apron and started to attack his bad knee. The focus on KENTA's offense in this G1 Climax 30 match was on the knee of his opponent, using the ring post to his advantage. He even mocked Tana's air guitar pose.
KENTA caused further damage to the knee on the outside while using the guardrail. Tana got the upper hand by hitting the dragon screw. He followed with running forearms, a slam and second rope senton for a two count. KENTA regained control hitting a powerslam and attacking the knee again.
KENTA followed up with his Tornado DDT, dropping Tana's neck on the top rope and a flying clothesline for two. He then applied the Figure 4, but Tana got to the ropes. After a strike exchange led to both men on the floor with Tanahashi barely making it in for the twenty count, KENTA took control of this G1 Climax 30 encounter. He hit a corner dropkick followed by the double stomp from the top for a near fall.
Tana looked for the dragon suplex, but KENTA kicked the knee and reapplied the Figure 4 Leglock. Tana fought to the ropes and got to his feet. Tanahashi then hit a Sling Blade. The two men traded strikes, which ended with Tana hitting two Dragon screws. He followed with the Texas Cloverleaf. However KENTA made it to the ropes.
Tana took a page out of KENTA's book with the corner dropkick. KENTA evaded the Sling Blade and pushed Tanahashi into the referee. With the ref down in this G1 Climax 30 contest, KENTA used the New Japan Cup USA briefcase. He then hit a penalty kick and followed with the running knee strike for a near fall.
Tana reversed the Go To Sleep with Twist and Shout. He then followed with two more and a Sling Blade for a near fall. Tanahashi hit High Fly Flow to a standing KENTA and reapplied the Texas Cloverleaf. KENTA fought to the ropes, but Tanahashi made it more high angle to get the submission win in twenty-three and a half minutes. Hiroshi Tanahashi got his third win and two more points in the G1 Climax 30.
That was a great main event with excellent selling from Tanahashi. There was expert in-ring psychology with both men working the knee. It made for a compelling finishing sequence to this G1 Climax 30 main event.
Results: Hiroshi Tanahashi (6) defeats KENTA (4) via submission
Star Rating: ****1/4
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