'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Following arguably one of the best G1 Climax shows of all time, the B Block was back in action here in Aichi. G1 Climax 30 Night 14 would really shape the standings as both sides of this tournament hits the final stretch of shows. The headline match featured the top feud in NJPW since their return from lockdown.
The main event of the evening would be the rubber match between IWGP Heavyweight and Intercontinental Champion Tetsuya Naito and EVIL. These two men traded the dual straps over the summer. The other matches on this card would feature Hiroshi Tanahashi facing Hirooki Goto, SANADA meeting Juice Robinson, KENTA taking on Toru Yano and YOSHI-HASHI battling Zack Sabre Jr.
A limited capacity crowd was in attendance here in Aichi. The arena was a very nice, different scenery. The B Block standings heading into this show were:
- Tetsuya Naito (5-1)
- EVIL (4-2)
- Hiroshi Tanahashi, Hirooki Goto, Juice Robinson, SANADA, Toru Yano, Zack Sabre Jr. (3-3)
- KENTA (2-4)
- YOSHI-HASHI (1-5)
For G1 Climax 30 Night 14, your "Matches To Watch" are:
- Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Hirooki Goto
- EVIL vs. Tetsuya Naito
We opened once again a battle between the New Japan dojo trainees in the "unofficial" C Block of this tour.
G1 Climax 30 Night 14: Gabriel Kidd vs. Yota Tsuji
The opening contest was the Young Lions of Gabriel Kidd facing Yota Tsuji. These two had a time limit draw earlier in the tour, followed by Tsuji defeating Gabriel Kidd on G1 Climax 30 Night 11.
A more tentative start than their last encounter here. Tsuji got control by using his power and size advantage. Kidd made a comeback using a few European Uppercuts. He started firing up by landing a series of strikes in the corner. The two men battled for a suplex, which Kidd hit for a two count. Tsuji blocked the butterfly suplex by grabbing the ropes. Yota then hit a spinning slam for a near fall. He quickly followed with the Boston Crab, but Kidd made the ropes.
Kidd got out of the rolling slam, followed by the two trading slaps. Kidd then hit a dropkick and followed with the Butterfly Suplex for the win in seven minutes. Gabriel Kidd gets his fourth win in the "unofficial" C Block of the G1 Climax 30. This was a solid opening contest, continuing the good run of Young Lions matches on the G1 Climax 30 tour.
Results: Gabriel Kidd defeats Yota Tsuji via pinfall
Star Rating: ***
G1 Climax 30 B Block Match: YOSHI-HASHI (1-5) vs. Zack Sabre Jr. (3-3)
The B Block opener was YOSHI-HASHI meeting Zack Sabre Jr. HASHI came in at 1-5 following a loss to Goto, while ZSJ stood at 3-3 following a win over Yano on G1 Climax 30 Night 12. Zack has won their two previous meetings.
Both men started tentatively. ZSJ got control by working over the arm. HASHI made it to the ropes and got control by evading some strikes and landing a side kick. He followed up by hanging Zack on the top rope and hitting a sliding dropkick.
Sabre Jr attacked the arm again to get the upper hand in this G1 Climax 30 contest. However, HASHI turned things around with a running Liger Bomb for a near fall. He quickly followed with the Butterfly Lock, but the two men traded submissions back and forth. HASHI then reapplied the Butterfly Lock until ZSJ made it to the ropes. Zack got the advantage and hit a penalty kick for a near fall.
The two men traded strikes, with HASHI taking control after landing a lariat. He followed with a meteora for a near fall. HASHI then hit a thrust kick and looked for Kharma. Zack reversed and looked for the cross arm breaker, which HASHI reversed into a rollup for a two count. ZSJ then locked back on a cross arm breaker and transitioned into a triangle choke. He then further transitioned to a double armbar for the submission win in under 14 minutes. Zack Sabre Jr got another two points in the G1 Climax 30.
This was a well-paced technical wrestling display. The two men had a good chemistry and continued YOSHI-HASHI's great run of matches in the G1 Climax 30.
Results: Zack Sabre Jr. (8) defeats YOSHI-HASHI (2) via submission
Star Rating: ***1/4
G1 Climax 30 B Block Match: Toru Yano (3-3) vs. KENTA (2-4)
The next B Block match was KOPW 2020 Toru Yano facing KENTA. Yano came in at 3-3 following a loss to ZSJ, while KENTA stood at 2-4 following a loss to SANADA on G1 Climax 30 Night 12. KENTA won their last match in 2013 for Pro Wrestling NOAH.
We got a standoff between the two men with KENTA wanting to use his New Japan Cup USA briefcase and Yano with a chair to start this G1 Climax 30. Both men stalled to get in the ring after this. The ref counted them out before the two men entered the ring.
We were about two minutes into this G1 Climax 30 contest before the two men engaged. Yano quickly got control and pulled out his tape. KENTA got control and got the tape himself. However, Yano was ready with hand sanitizer to the eyes. He also threw the corner mat at KENTA to get the countout win, but KENTA made it back in.
The two men tried blinding each other with sanitizer and using the exposed turnbuckle in the ring. However, when they went outside, their fight over the water wound up blinding the referee.
KENTA brought Yano up the ramp with his briefcase. He hit Yano with the briefcase twice, revealing KENTA had a bunch of tape in the case. KENTA then taped Yano to the entranceway, ran to the ring and won by countout in nine minutes. KENTA got his third win and another two points in the G1 Climax 30.
Results: KENTA (6) defeats Toru Yano (6) via countout
Star Rating: *1/4
***Intermission followed****
G1 Climax 30 B Block Match: SANADA (3-3) vs. Juice Robinson (3-3)
The B Block matches resumed with SANADA facing Juice Robinson. Both men stood at 3-3 following SANADA beating KENTA and Juice losing to Naito on G1 Climax 30 Night 12. These two men have split their last two G1 meetings.
Both men traded reversals at the start of the G1 Climax 30 contest. SANADA hit a sliding dropkick to the knee, but Juice landed a spinebuster that made his opponent roll to the floor. Juice took further control on the outside until SANADA made it back in the ring to break the count.
Juice worked over SANADA until he went for the cannonball in the corner. SANADA moved and took Juice to the outside where he landed a plancha to the floor. Back in the ring for this G1 Climax 30 encounter, SANADA reversed a gutbuster and put Juice in the Paradise Lock followed by the sliding dropkick. Juice regained control and landed the cannonball in the corner before rallying the crowd. He then followed with a superplex and jackhammer combination for a near fall.
The two men evaded each other's offense until Juice reversed a hurricarana into a powerbomb for a near fall. Juice started the Juice combo until SANADA evaded Left Hand of God and did a tilt twirl into the Skull End. Juice broke free and went for Pulp Friction, which SANADA evaded. We got a series of reversals of both men's finishers in this G1 Climax 30 match including Juice putting SANADA in Skull End. SANADA hit a dropkick and then did a moonsault into Skull End.
We got more reversals until SANADA once again put on Skull End. This time, he spun Juice around in the Dragon sleeper position. SANADA broke the Skull End and hit the Muta-sault for the win in fifteen minutes. SANADA continued his winning streak with his fourth straight win and got two more points in the G1 Climax 30. This was a very good encounter filled with smooth transitions and reversals.
Results: SANADA (8) defeats Juice Robinson (6) via pinfall
Star Rating: ***1/2
G1 Climax 30 B Block Match: Hirooki Goto (3-3) vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi (3-3)
Our semi main event of the evening was Hirooki Goto battling Hiroshi Tanahashi. Both men came in at 3-3 following Goto beating HASHI and Tanahashi losing to EVIL on G1 Climax 30 Night 12. These two have a long history with a dozen matches in the past with Goto only winning once.
We got a strong Lock up and trading of headlocks to start this G1 Climax 30 encounter. Goto landed a shoulder block, but Tana looked for a rollup for a quick two count. Tana then hit an early dragon screw and started working over the leg. Goto broke free of a leglock and hit a corner clothesline. He followed with a running bulldog for a two.
Tana quickly regained control in this G1 Climax match with a dragon screw to target the leg again. He looked for the Texas Cloverleaf, but Goto made it to the ropes before it could be applied. Although Tana continued to target the leg, Goto caught him with an Ushigoroshi. The two men then traded strike ending with Goto landing a lariat. Goto looked for GTR, but Tanahashi reversed into a dragon sleeper. Goto then reversed into a suplex attempt, but Tana reversed into a Twist and Shout.
Tana looked for Sling Blade, but Goto got a lariat to the back. However, Tanahashi hit a Sling Blade in response. Tana responded with a palm strike right to the jaw in a callback to their match in the G1 27. The Ace went to the top where Goto met him. After the struggle, Goto hit an avalanche Ushigoroshi for a near fall. He hurt his knee again in the process in this G1 Climax 30 contest.
Goto then hit a mid kick and looked for GTR. Tanahashi blocked, so Goto hit a reverse GTR instead. Tanahashi tried rolling Goto up, but Goto caught him and hit GTR for the win in thirteen and a half minutes. Hirooki Goto gets his fourth win and two more points in the G1 Climax 30.
This has to be considered an upset and huge win for Goto. That was a strong G1 Climax 30 encounter filled with both men going back and forth. This made for a highly enjoyable contest.
Results: Hirooki Goto (8) defeats Hiroshi Tanahashi (6) via pinfall
Star Rating: ***3/4
G1 Climax 30 B Block Match: EVIL (4-2) vs. Tetsuya Naito (5-1)
Our main event of the evening was EVIL against Tetsuya Naito. EVIL stood at 4-2 following a win over Tanahashi, while Naito came in at 5-1 following a win over Juice on G1 Climax 30 Night 12. These two men were once both members of Los Ingobernables de Japon until EVIL betrayed Naito following winning the New Japan Cup 2020 and joining the Bullet Club. They also traded victories and the IWGP dual gold over the summer in two meetings.
After a tentative start to this G1 Climax 30 contest, Naito got the advantage with a series of kicks and strikes. He followed with the Tranquilo pose after the fake dive to the outside. Back in the ring he grounded EVIL locking on an arms trapped submission. EVIL made it to the ropes.
Dick Togo got involved pulling Naito to the outside. EVIL followed by attacking the champion with steel chairs. He then hit his homerun chair combo to put Naito down on the floor. Back in the ring, EVIL worked over Naito's neck. He then threw the champion into an exposed turnbuckle. Naito regained control of this G1 Climax 30 encounter with a sliding dropkick, followed by his corner combo. He then hit a baseball slide on Dick Togo on the outside.
Naito looked for a neckbreaker, but EVIL raked the eyes. Dick tried to once again get involved, but Naito ran EVIL into him on the apron and hit a spinebuster. Naito went for a tornado DDT, but EVIL reversed into a fisherman's buster. EVIL followed with a running clothesline in the corner and hit a superplex for a near fall in this G1 Climax 30 contest.
EVIL then put on the Scorpion Death Lock, but Naito made it to the ropes. Naito blocked EVIL with a rolling kick and followed with Gloria for a near fall. He looked for Destino, but EVIL went for a low blow that Naito blocked. EVIL then blocked a neckbreaker and hit a senton. EVIL then ran Naito face first into the exposed turnbuckle and hit a reverse t-bone suplex to regain the upper hand in this G1 Climax 30 main event. He followed with a lariat for a near fall. EVIL then went for Darkness Falls, which Naito reversed into Destino.
EVIL reversed another Destino into Darkness Falls for a near fall. Both men looked for their finishers, but both reversed. Dick Togo got in the ring, which Naito laid out. However, that distraction was enough for EVIL to hit a low blow. EVIL distracted the ref by getting a steel chair, so Dick could choke out Naito with his wiring. Naito fought out though. After a series of reversals, Naito hit a running Destino for a close near fall. EVIL reversed a standard Destino into Everything Is EVIL for the win in twenty four minutes. EVIL got his fifth win and two more points in the G1 Climax 30.
That was a good main event contest. Both men worked hard in this G1 Climax 30 encounter. They used the interference from Dick Togo in the right spots and allowed EVIL to get a clean win in the end. EVIL now is the B Block leader due to this tiebreaker over Naito.
Results: EVIL (10) defeats Tetsuya Naito (10) via pinfall
Star Rating: ***1/2
