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After a tremendous Night 17 filled with shocking results and angles, the B Block of the G1 Climax 30 would be decided on Night 18. With Kota Ibushi waiting as the A-Block winner, EVIL, Tetsuya Naito, and SANADA all had a shot to win the B-Block on this night. Fans would get a show with less shock, but it did have plenty of action for the fans to enjoy.
The main event of the evening would be EVIL facing his former IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Champion partner, SANADA. If EVIL won, he would take the block. SANADA needed to win and some help. In the semi-main event, IWGP Heavyweight and Intercontinental Champion Tetsuya Naito would face KENTA. Naito needed a win and an EVIL loss, while a loss for Naito meant the main event would determine the entire block. The rest of the block matches would be Zack Sabre Jr versus Hiroshi Tanahashi, Hirooki Goto meeting Juice Robinson, and Toru Yano against YOSHI-HASHI.
This was the second of three straight nights in Ryogoku with another limited capacity crowd. There was also live English commentary once again. The B-Block standings heading into the night were as follows:
- EVIL, Tetsuya Naito (6-2)
- SANADA, Zack Sabre Jr. (5-3)
- KENTA, Hirooki Goto (4-4)
- Hiroshi Tanahashi, Juice Robinson, Toru Yano (3-5)
- YOSHI-HASHI (1-7)
For G1 Climax 30 Night 18, your "Matches To Watch" were:
- Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Zack Sabre Jr.
- Tetsuya Naito vs. KENTA
- EVIL vs. SANADA
The opening contest once again is another round of the New Japan dojo trainees battling it out.
G1 Climax 30 Night 18: Gabriel Kidd vs. Yuya Uemura
The opening encounter was the Young Lions of Gabriel Kidd meeting Yota Uemura. Uemura won their last meeting on G1 Climax 30 Night 15. Tsuji already won the C-Block, so this was for second place.
The fans got a tentative start to the G1 Climax 30 opener. Uemura started focusing on the left arm as he has in past matches. He did a hip toss into a key lock and rolled around the ring working the arm over more.
Kidd got control by attacking the hamstring. He applied a toe hold and transitioned into a butterfly lock at the same time. Uemura reversed a suplex into an inside cradle for a two. Kidd rolled up Uemura for a near fall.
The two men traded strikes until Kidd landed a dropkick to a running Uemura. Kidd then hit his butterfly suplex for the win in just over eight minutes. Gabriel Kidd got his fifth win of the "unofficial" C Block of the G1 Climax 30. This was a decent opening match.
Results: Gabriel Kidd defeats Yuya Uemura via pinfall
Star Rating: **3/4
YOSHI-HASHI (1-7) vs. Toru Yano (3-5) (G1 Climax 30 B-Block Match)
The B-Block opener for G1 Climax 30 Night 18 was Toru Yano versus YOSHI-HASHI in a battle of CHAOS members. Both men were eliminated from winning the B-Block. Yano won their prior meeting in the G1.
HASHI checked Yano and discovered all the stored tape on the KOPW 2020 before the bell for this G1 Climax 30 contest. Yano removed the corner mat and tried to use it, but HASHI got it himself. After the ref was knocked down, HASHI hit Yano with the corner mat. He then hit a neckbreaker for a two.
HASHI reversed the hand sanitizer attack and threw Yano into the guardrail. He then revealed that he had tape on him and taped Yano to his walking stick in the guardrail. Yano made it in the ring before the twenty-count. He then untaped himself from the stick in the ring.
Yano and HASHI avoided the exposed turnbuckle. Yano then got two near falls on rollups. They traded reversals of the low blow until HASHI got a pinning combination reversal for the win in just over six minutes. YOSHI-HASHI got his second win and two more points in the G1 Climax 30. It was a fun match for what it was.
Results: YOSHI-HASHI (4) defeats Toru Yano via pinfall
Star Rating: **1/4
Hirooki Goto (4-4) vs. Juice Robinson (3-5) (G1 Climax 30 B-Block Match)
The next B-Block contest was Hirooki Goto facing Juice Robinson. Both men were eliminated from winning the block in the G1 Climax 30. They had split their four meetings overall, so this was a rubber match.
The two men came out hot to start the G1 Climax 30 match charging each other and trading strikes. Things went back and forth until Juice attacked the injured right shoulder of Goto. Juice worked over the arm on the outside and inside the ring. Goto cut off Juice's attack with a back suplex.
Goto followed up with a spinning heel kick in the corner and running bulldog for a two count. Juice broke out of Ushigoroshi attacking the arm. Juice then hit a cannonball and rallied the Ryogoku crowd for this G1 Climax 30 contest. Juice hit a superplex and tried following with a jackhammer, but Goto reversed into a neckbreaker onto his knee. The two men met with a collision of lariats in the center of the ring. Goto then caught Juice with Ushigoroshi.
Fans got to see a series of reversals, which led to Juice catching the mid kick into the Right Hand Of God. Goto reversed Pulp Friction into a sleeper hold. Goto transitioned into a pinning combo for a near fall. After more reversals, Juice finally landed the Left Hand of God twice. He then followed with Pulp Friction for the win in twelve minutes. Juice Robinson got his fourth win and two more points in the G1 Climax 30.
That was a solid G1 Climax 30 encounter. Both men worked hard and made for a physical match. Juice has grown to become one of the best babyfaces in NJPW right now.
Results: Juice Robinson (8) defeats Hirooki Goto (8) via pinfall
Star Rating: ***1/4
***Intermission followed***
Hiroshi Tanahashi (3-5) vs. Zack Sabre Jr. (5-3) (G1 Climax 30 B-Block Match)
B-Block action resumed with Hiroshi Tanahashi battling Zack Sabre Jr. Both men were eliminated from the G1 Climax 30, so this was all about pride. These two had a 4-4 record against each other.
The fans got a somewhat fast pace to start with Zack looking for the pin early in this G1 Climax 30 matchup. Tanahashi got on a headlock, looking to control the pace. Sabre Jr. transitioned into a headscissors and then a cravate. Tana got on an abdominal stretch, which ZSJ reversed into a triangle choke. Tanahashi kicked out and went for the Cloverleaf, but Zack got back on the triangle.
Fans got a series of reversals into pinning combinations until Tanahashi hit a low dropkick to ZSJ's knee. Zack applied a guillotine choke, which Tana reversed into the Twist and Shout. ZSJ got the European Clutch for a near fall. Tanahashi got up and hit a Sling Blade. The Ryogoku crowd got into that G1 Climax 30 contest a lot.
Tana went High Fly Flow, but ZSJ rolled through into a cross armbreaker. However, Tanahashi reversed into a rollup for the win in twelve minutes. That was a good technical wrestling display. The match was filled with impressive sequences and counters. It was just well-paced wrestling that could have gone longer throughout the G1 Climax 30 match.
Results: Hiroshi Tanahashi (8) defeats Zack Sabre Jr. (10) via pinfall
Star Rating: ***1/2
KENTA (4-4) vs. Tetsuya Naito (6-2) (G1 Climax 30 B-Block Match)
The semi-main event for G1 Climax 30 Night 18 was KENTA against Tetsuya Naito. KENTA was already eliminated, while Naito needed a win to keep himself alive. These two feuded earlier in the year after KENTA attacked Naito, following his win to become the first IWGP double champion at WrestleKingdom 14. Naito defeated KENTA in their previous meeting at New Beginning in Osaka.
Kevin Kelly informed the fans that Naito will hold the record for the most match time in G1 history with this match. KENTA stalling at the bell to start this G1 Climax 30 encounter. KENTA did a small package for a two-count to kick things off. After Naito took a break on the floor, both men start tentatively trying to work the arm.
KENTA started to play a cat and mouse game with Naito, leading to him cracking Naito over the head with the New Japan Cup USA briefcase. He then worked over Naito on the outside, running him into the guardrail.
Back in the ring, KENTA controlled the pace in this G1 Climax 30 contest. Naito blocked a big boot and hit an atomic drop-neckbreaker combo. He then hit a back elbow and sliding dropkick. Naito hit his combination carbon for a two count. KENTA regained control and hit a tornado DDT on the top rope. He followed up with a flying clothesline. KENTA hit some strikes and fisherman's buster for two. KENTA reversed a tornado DDT into a falcon arrow for a near fall.
Naito hit an inverted frankensteiner. He then worked over KENTA's neck with elbows. Naito followed with an avalanche frankensteiner. He then hit Gloria for two in this G1 Climax 30 battle. KENTA caught a charging Naito with the Hangman's DDT for a near fall. KENTA hit a series of slaps, but Naito reversed the Go To Sleep into Destino for a two count.
KENTA elbowed out of Destino and followed with spinning back fists. Naito hit Valentia and looked for the Destino, but KENTA scored with an inside cradle for the win in 21 minutes. KENTA pinned the IWGP Heavyweight and Intercontinental Champion and got his fourth win. Naito was eliminated from the G1 Climax 30. That was a hard-hitting, entertaining contest. It was definitely a competitive and intense match with KENTA barely pulling out the win.
Results: KENTA (10) defeats Tetsuya Naito (12) via pinfall
Star Rating: ***1/2
EVIL (6-2) vs. SANADA (5-3) (G1 Climax 30 B-Block Match)
The main event of the evening was EVIL facing his former tag team partner in Los Ingobernables de Japon, SANADA. EVIL came in at 6-2, while SANADA stood at 5-3. The winner of the match would win the B-Block of the G1 Climax 30. EVIL had a 2-1 record against his former LIJ stablemate heading in.
EVIL stalled to begin the G1 Climax 30 encounter. Both men went for their finishers early before EVIL escaped to the outside. Back in the ring, Dick Togo distracted SANADA by grabbing his foot leading to EVIL clotheslining him to the outside. EVIL grabbed steel chairs with Togo distracting the referee. EVIL hit a suplex on the stacked chairs on the floor. In the ring, EVIL worked over SANADA's back. Dick Togo attacked SANADA on the floor again before sending him back inside. SANADA got the upper hand with a low dropkick to the knee and a back suplex.
SANADA hit a dropkick and followed with plancha to the floor. SANADA took Dick Togo into the ring and put him in the Paradise Lock. He taunted EVIL as he stood on Dick. SANADA then put EVIL in the Paradise Lock. He rallied the crowd and then hit the double dropkick to free them both. EVIL caught the leg of SANADA, giving it to the referee before hitting a kick to the ribs to regain control of the G1 Climax 30 main event.
SANADA used his speed and hit a springboard dropkick. He looked for the Skull End, but EVIL escaped. SANADA hit a rope-assisted Twist and Shout and followed with a Tiger Suplex for two. SANADA spun EVIL in the Skull End and let go. He followed with the Muta-sault, but EVIL moved at the 15-minute mark of the G1 Climax 30 battle.
EVIL ran SANADA twice into the exposed turnbuckle. EVIL hit a huge superplex and followed with the Darkness Scorpion Death Lock, focusing on the back again in the G1 Climax 30 match. SANADA made it to the ropes. EVIL then hit the Darkness Falls for a near fall.
At the 20-minute mark of the G1 Climax 30 B Block Finals, SANADA reversed Everything Is EVIL into the TKO. After a series of reversals, SANADA once again locked on Skull End and got the hooks in this time. SANADA let go and hit two Muta-saults, but Dick pulled the ref out of the ring. Togo then got in the ring and hit SANADA with a chair. Dick and EVIL then hit Magic Killer on SANADA. This led to Hiromu Takahashi coming off commentary to help SANADA and attack Dick.
EVIL and Dick hit the Magic Killer on Hiromu and got rid of him. SANADA got an inside cradle when the ref returned for two. EVIL then hit two lariats and looked for Everything Is EVIL, but SANADA reversed. He looked for Skull End, but EVIL grabbed the referee to allow Dick the opportunity to use the choker. Dick got on the apron, but Hiromu pulled him down. SANADA reversed EVIL and got the rollup with the bridge for the win in 27 minutes. SANADA got his sixth win and took the B-Block of the G1 Climax 30.
That was a very good G1 Climax 30 main event with great storytelling. It built and built until the end with SANADA overcoming the interference of Dick Togo. It an amazing babyface effort from SANADA here.
Results: SANADA (12) defeats EVIL (12) via pinfall
Star Rating: ***3/4
