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The G1 Climax 30 tournament resumed with the B Block back in action in Okayama, following a stellar show on Night 11 from the A Block. The standings would really shape out on this night with wrestlers potentially being eliminated. We would also see a main event featuring two former IWGP Heavyweight Champions who had one of the sleeper matches of last year's tournament.
The headline match on this evening would see EVIL facing Hiroshi Tanahashi. Our semi main event would feature IWGP Heavyweight and Intercontinental Champion Tetsuya Naito, against Juice Robinson. The rest of our B Block matches on G1 Climax 30 Night 12 would be SANADA battling KENTA, Zack Sabre Jr. versus Toru Yano and Hirooki Goto facing YOSHI-HASHI.
We had a socially-distanced, limited-capacity crowd here in Okayama. The B Block standings heading into this night were:
-- Tetsuya Naito (4-1)
-- EVIL, Hiroshi Tanahashi, Juice Robinson, Toru Yano (3-2)
-- Hirooki Goto, KENTA, SANADA, Zack Sabre Jr. (2-3)
-- YOSHI-HASHI (1-5)
For G1 Climax 30 Night 12, your "Matches To Watch" are:
-- Juice Robinson vs. Tetsuya Naito
-- EVIL vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi
Our opening match of the evening was once again another clash between the NJPW Young Lions.
G1 Climax 30 Night 12: Gabriel Kidd vs. Yuya Uemura
The opener of the show was the New Japan dojo trainees of Gabriel Kidd meeting Yuya Uemura. These two men last met on G1 Climax 30 Night 9 with Uemura taking the win there. Kidd came in at last place in the "unofficial" C Block of these Young Lions.
We got a technical wrestling exchange to start this G1 Climax 30 opening contest. Both men were evenly matched in the grappling department. Kidd locked on a single leg crab before Uemura got to the ropes. They exchanged strikes with Uemura gaining control. He then locked on the first attempt at the Boston Crab. Kidd fought to the ropes.
Gabriel reversed a brainbuster attempt and hit one of his own for a near fall. He followed with the butterfly suplex for the win in just under nine minutes. Gabriel Kidd get his fourth win win in the C Block of the G1 Climax 30. This was once again very well worked and decent for the amount of time they got.
Results: Gabriel Kidd defeats Yuya Uemura via pinfall
Star Rating: **3/4
Hirooki Goto (2-3) vs. YOSHI-HASHI (1-4) (G1 Climax 30 B Block Match)
Our B Block opener on this show was Hirooki Goto against YOSHI-HASHI. Both men are members of CHAOS and two thirds of the NEVER Openweight Six Man Tag Team Champions. Goto came in at 2-3, following his win over Yano in the shortest G1 match in history. HASHI stood at 1-4 following a loss to Naito on Night 10 of the G1 Climax 30. If HASHI loses here, he is mathematically eliminated.
We got a tentative start to this one between the tag team partners. YOSHI-HASHI showed more of an attitude in this G1 Climax 30 match. HASHI missed a corner attack and Goto responded with a back suplex. He followed up with a side kick in the corner and a running bulldog.
HASHI regained the upper hand with a running blockbuster. Goto reversed a lariat into Ushigoroshi. The two men traded lariats, which neither sold. HASHI followed up with another lariat for a near fall. HASHI reversed a lariat attempt into a dragon suplex and followed with a metora for a two count. He transitioned into the butterfly lock, working over the injured shoulder of Goto. Goto fought out, but HASHI responded with a brainbuster for a near fall.
HASHI looked for Kharma, but Goto fought out and hit GTW. The two men traded strikes with Goto getting the upper hand in this G1 Climax 30 contest. He looked for the mid kick, but HASHI caught the kick, slapped him and hit a lariat. He then went for Kharma, but Goto reversed. However, HASHI responded with a headbutt. He picked Goto up who hit him with a headbutt of his own.
In the end, Goto responded to a slap with one of his own. He quickly followed with GTR for the win in over fourteen minutes. This was a very good encounter and another strong performance from YOSHI-HASHI. He has also been one of the B Block MVPs so far in the G1 Climax 30.
Results: Hirooki Goto (6) defeats YOSHI-HASHI (2) via pinfall
Star Rating: ***1/2
Toru Yano (3-2) vs. Zack Sabre Jr. (2-3) (G1 Climax 30 B Block Match)
Our next B Block contest was Toru Yano meeting Zack Sabre Jr. Yano stood at 3-2 following his loss against Goto in the shortest tournament match ever. ZSJ came in at 2-3, following a loss against SANADA on Night 10 of the G1 Climax 30.
Yano was taking tape from out of his gear during the early moments. Zack challenged Yano to amateur wrestling to begin this G1 Climax 30 encounter. They fought to the outside, where Yano had more tape hidden at ringside. He nearly got the count out win by taping ZSJ's wrist to a chair and getting him stuck in the guardrail.
Back in the ring, Yano started showing off his amateur skills in this G1 Climax 30 match. He hit a fireman's carry slam, followed by a belly to belly suplex. They fought to the outside again where Zack Sabre Jr. reversed a belly to back suplex into an ankle lock. ZSK then dragged Yano up the entrance way still in the ankle lock until the fifteen count. ZSJ and Yano both ran to the ring with the two men making it back in at the nineteen count.
ZSJ focused on the ankle in the ring during this G1 Climax 30 encounter. He locked on the ankle lock again. Yano fought to the corner to break the hold. He then threw Zack to the opposite corner and removed the corner mat to expose the turnbuckle. Yano reversed the European Clutch into a rollup for a near fall. Sabre Jr. caught a low blow attempt into a rollup of his own for two.
We got a series of near falls followed by Yano running his opponent into the exposed corner. He followed with a small package for a near fall. Yano tried for another low blow, but Zack caught the leg and put him in a knee bar. Yano tried using the corner mat to break the hold, but the ref took it away. ZSJ twisted his other leg in the hold and forced Yano to tap for the win in twelve and a half minutes. Zack Sabre Jr. picked up his third win and two more points in the G1 Climax 30.
That was a fun yet technically sound comedy match. This was one of Yano's better matches of the tournament.
Results: Zack Sabre Jr. (6) defeats Toru Yano (6) via submission
Star Rating: ***1/4
***Intermission followed***
SANADA (2-3) vs. KENTA (2-3) (G1 Climax 30 B Block Match)
B Block matches resumed with SANADA against KENTA. SANADA came in at 2-3 after two straight wins, while KENTA stood at 2-3 following a loss to Tanahashi on Night 10 if the G1 Climax 30. SANADA beat KENTA in last year's tournament.
KENTA attacked SANADA before the bell to gain the early advantage here. He tried grounding his opponent and dictating the pace. SANADA cut off KENTA to get his first upper hand. He locked him in the Paradise Lock. After rallying the Okayama crowd for this G1 Climax 30 contest, he then hit the running dropkick to break KENTA free. KENTA raked the eyes and hit a powerslam to regain control.
He followed with the tornado DDT onto the top rope. KENTA then hit a flying clothesline for a two count. SANADA evaded KENTA, sending him to the floor. SANADA faked out the dive, but KENTA dropped him on the apron and followed with a rope hung DDT in the ring for a near fall. KENTA quickly hit his running boot and corner dropkick. He followed with the double foot stomp from the top for a near fall.
KENTA looked for Game Over, but SANADA got to the ropes. Back on his feet in this G1 Climax 30 match, SANADA hit a TKO. KENTA then ran him into the referee and looked to use the New Japan Cup USA briefcase. SANADA reversed, hit a dropkick and looked for the Muta-sault. KENTA got his knees up and rolled him up for a near fall.
After a series of near falls for both men, SANADA got KENTA in a cradle with a bridge for the win in eleven and a half minutes. SANADA got his third win and two more points in the G1 Climax 30. That was a strong contest with some good technical wrestling throughout. SANADA is surging up the standings.
Results: SANADA (6) defeats KENTA (4) via pinfall
Star Rating: ***1/2
Juice Robinson (3-2) vs. Tetsuya Naito (4-1) (G1 Climax 30 B Block Match)
Next up, we have Tetsuya Naito going one on one with Juice Robinson. Naito came in at 4-1, while Juice stood at 3-2 following his loss to EVIL on Night 10 of the G1 Climax 30. This was their fourth meeting with Naito winning every time.
We got loud claps from the crowd at the bell for this G1 Climax 30 encounter. Juice played mind games, taking a page out of the champ's playbook with faking out of the lock up. The two men finally locked up with a tentative start here in this G1 Climax 30 encounter. We got a standoff with Naito taunting Juice's rally clap. Juice got the first upper hand by hitting a senton that sent Naito to the floor. On the outside, he used the guardrail to his advantage wearing down the champion.
Naito took control and started to taunt his Juice chant, while having his opponent locked in a headscissor in this G1 Climax 30 contest. Juice got the upper hand again with a spinebuster. We got a series of reversals, which led to Naito hitting a hip toss and followed with a sliding dropkick to the back. Naito got Juice's boot and hit a reverse neckbreaker onto his knees. He brought him in the middle of the ring and locked on the Koji Clutch until Juice got to the ropes.
Juice blocked Gloria and then reversed a running forearm into a Full Nelson slam. He followed up with a running corner senton before rallying the crowd. Juice hit a superplex and rolled through into the jackhammer for a near fall. Naito reversed a gutbuster into an inverted frankensteiner. Naito further attacked the neck with elbows, while having wrist control. He followed up with an avalanche frankensteiner.
Naito looked for the running Destino, but Juice reversed and hit a side kick turning Naito inside out. Juice blocked a tornado DDT and looked for a Jackhammer, but Naito reversed into a Destino for a near fall. Juice reversed another Destino attempt into a powerbomb, which had both men down in this G1 Climax 30 contest.
The two men traded strikes and headbutts from their knees. Naito began taunting Juice with both men fighting to their feet. Juice then hit a lariat and set up for Pulp Friction, but Naito elbowed out. Juice responded with Left Hand of God. Naito then reverses Pulp Friction into another running Destino for a close near fall. He then hit a third Destino for the win in twenty five minutes. Naito is the first to five wins and gets two more points in the G1 Climax 30.
That was a fantastic encounter which turned into a back and forth struggle between the two men. It was Juice's best match of the G1 Climax 30 so far.
Results: Tetsuya Naito (10) defeats Juice Robinson (6) via pinfall
Star Rating: ****1/4
EVIL (3-2) vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi (3-2) (G1 Climax 30 B Block Match)
Our main event of the evening was EVIL battling Hiroshi Tanahashi. Both men came in at 3-2, following wins on Night 10 of the G1 Climax 30. They have met four previous times with Tanahashi winning three out of four.
Tanahashi took the early advantage working over EVIL with a side headlock to start this G1 Climax 30 main event. Both men grabbed the hair before Tana gets control hitting a second rope crossbody and does the air guitar. Dick Togo dragged Tana out of the ring and attacked him, while EVIL distracted the ref.
EVIL hit a homerun chair combo on Tana with Dick distracting the ref. EVIL then took out Yota Tsuji at ringside with a suplex on a stack of chairs. Tanahashi made it back in the ring before the countout in this G1 Climax 30 match. EVIL removed the corner mat and threw Tana back first into the exposed turnbuckle. Tanahashi tried fighting back, but EVIL caught his leg and threw it to the ref. However, Tana caught his leg and hit his dragon screw. He followed up with a running forearm, a slam and second rope senton for a two count.
EVIL hit a German Suplex and looked to regain his control in this G1 Climax 30 main event. He followed with a Fisherman Buster for a two count. EVIL blocked a Texas Cloverleaf attempt and tried to throw Tana into Dick. Tana responded with a baseball slide to Togo and hit the dragon screw on EVIL from the apron. Tanahashi then locked on the Texas Cloverleaf. EVIL fought to the ropes to break. Tana blocked a low blow, but EVIL threw him into the exposed buckle once again. EVIL followed with a lariat for a two count in this G1 Climax 30 encounter.
Tans fought out of Everything Is EVIL and then reversed Darkness Falls into a Sling Blade. Tanahashi then looked for High Fly Flow, but Togo got on the apron. However, Tsuji was there to remove Dick. Tana hit High Fly Flow to a standing EVIL and followed with the Texas Cloverleaf once again in this G1 Climax 30 main event. EVIL grabbed the referee though which allowed Dick to come in with his wire trying to choke Tana breaking the hold. Tana reversed a lariat from EVIL into Twist and Shout. He followed with Sling Blade for a near fall.
With EVIL down, Tana hit one High Fly Flow and looked for another. While on the top, Dick threw a chair at Tana. However, the Ace caught it and gave it to the ref. Togo used that distraction to crotch Tana on the top rope. EVIL hit a superplex for a near fall. The crowd and Tsuji tried to rally behind Tana at this point. EVIL hit Darkness Falls for another two count. He followed with Everything Is EVIL for the relatively clean win in twenty minutes. EVIL gets his fourth win and gets two more points in the G1 Climax 30.
This was a compelling babyface vs heel matchup. Tana had another dynamic babyface performance, while EVIL and Dick played their shenanigans perfectly. That was a fun main event encounter.
Results: EVIL (8) defeats Hiroshi Tanahashi (6) via pinfall
Star Rating: ***3/4
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