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The G1 Climax 30 has delivered quality wrestling matches on four-night of the tournament so far. The A Block matches have stood out on good to great shows. However, Night 5 in Kobe came in with lofty expectations with a card featuring many big-time matches.
The main event of Night 5 of the G1 Climax 30 reignited the rivalry between "Switchblade" Jay White and Kazuchika Okada. Fans were also treated to a rematch between Will Ospreay and Shingo Takagi following their 2019 Match of the Year. Tomohiro Ishii vs. Kota Ibushi and Minoru Suzuki vs. Jeff Cobb also delivered two hard-hitting affairs. Taichi vs. Yujiro Takahashi also contributed an A Block match on the night to round out a stacked show that many fans were looking forward to.
There was a limited capacity of 2500 attendees in Kobe to witness this stellar lineup. This crowd proved to be more vocal than a lot of the previous audiences, as well. For Night 5 of the G1 Climax 30, your "Matches To Watch" are:
- Tomohiro Ishii vs. Kota Ibushi
- Shingo Takagi vs. Will Ospreay
- Jay White vs. Kazuchika Okada
Dojo trainees of New Japan Pro Wrestling kicked things off once again this evening.
Gabriel Kidd vs. Yota Tsuji
Our opening match was an encounter between the Young Lions, Yota Tsuji, and Gabriel Kidd. This was a rematch from Night 2 of the G1 Climax 30. The series of matches featuring the New Japan dojo trainees have seen Kidd go 1-1 and Tsuji earned a record of 2-1.
There was some mat-based grappling to start. Tsuji took control using his strength advantage. Then, Yota went for the single leg crab early. However, Gabriel Kidd used his speed to gain some momentum.
In the end, Kidd landed a beautiful dropkick followed by his butterfly suplex to win in seven and a half minutes. Kidd gets his second victory in the "unofficial" C Block of the G1 Climax 30. Afterward, Kidd talked trash to Tsuji.
This was a well-worked contest. Gabriel Kidd has been showing more personality and an edge in these opening matches so far.
Results: Gabriel Kidd defeats Yota Tsuji via pinfall
Star Rating: **1/2
Yujiro Takahashi (0-2) vs. Taichi (2-0) - G1 Climax 30 A Block Match
In the A Block opener, Taichi of Suzuki-gun took on Yujiro Takahashi of the Bullet Club. Taichi came into this G1 Climax 30 match with a 2-0 record after an upset win over his leader Minoru Suzuki on Night 3. Yujiro was 0-2.
This G1 Climax 30 match started after Takahashi used his pimp cane to attack Taichi before the bell. As such, Yujiro controlled the match early on. Taichi cut him off outside the ring, choking him with a camera wire before he brought him back in the ring.
Both men exchanged big boots and then strikes. This ended when Takahashi landed a lariat and followed up with an Angle Slam for a two count. Yujiro looked for Pump Juice, but Taichi reversed it and hits a backdrop driver. Taichi removed his tights and went for a thrust kick, which Yujiro reversed into the Miami Shine.
In the end, Taichi pushed the ref down and lands a low blow. He followed up with a Gedo Clutch pin for the win and two points in eleven minutes in the G1 Climax 30. This was a clunky but decent match that was probably better than many expected.
Results: Taichi (6) defeats Yujiro Takahashi (0) via pinfall
Star Rating: **3/4
Jeff Cobb (1-1) vs. Minoru Suzuki (1-1) - G1 Climax 30 A Block Match
Next, Jeff Cobb faced the NEVER Openweight Champion, Minoru Suzuki. Cobb comes in at 1-1, following a win over Shingo on Night 3 of the G1 Climax 30. Suzuki stands at 1-1 himself.
To begin this G1 Climax 30 contest, Suzuki started on his back, looking to take the match on the ground. We saw some solid grappling between the two with each man jockeying control.
Suzuki took the match outside of the ringe where he gained control. Once back in the ring, Cobb gained momentum by using his power. Suzuki won a strike exchange with a stiff forearm. However, Cobb cut him off with a dropkick.
Suzuki reversed a lariat into a choke and then looked for the Gotch Piledriver, but Cobb nail him wit a lariat. He followed up with two rolling gutwrench suplexes. After a struggle, Jeff then hit an Oklahoma slam followed by a standing moonsault for a near fall.
Suzuki blocked the Tour of the Islands and transitioned into the choke. He followed that with his Gotch Piledriver to win in nine and a half minutes. Suzuki picked up two points in the G1 Climax 30. This was a solid, fun encounter. The abrupt ending made this slightly below some fans' expectations.
Results: Minoru Suzuki (4) defeats Jeff Cobb (2) via pinfall
Star Rating: ***1/4
Tomohiro Ishii (0-2) vs. Kota Ibushi (1-1) (G1 Climax 30 A Block Match)
The A Block of the G1 Climax 30 resumed with Tomohiro Ishii vs. Kota Ibushi. Ishii came in at 0-2 after two great matches against Suzuki and Ospreay. Ibushi stands at 1-1 after a loss against Switchblade on Night 3 of the tournament.
Early on in this G1 Climax 30 contest, they traded strikes until Ishii took control. Tomohiro no-sold the forearms from Ibushi and landed a stiff forearm himself. Ishii looked to follow with a lariat, but Ibushi hit a snap frankensteiner. The competitors exchanged kicks and chops next as Ibushi stunning Ishii with a barrage of kicks.
Ishii shrugged off a springboard dropkick from Ibushi, so Kota withstood a power slam. Both men traded German suplexes, which they both no sold. Ibushi landed a dropkick, putting them both down.
While on their backs, they traded kicks to the head and open palm slaps until they returned to their feet. Ishii landed stiff chops to the throat. However, Ibushi no-sold a lariat in the corner and landed a strike to the throat. Then, he followed up with a high kick and the Last Ride sit-out powerbomb for a near fall. This was an intense G1 Climax 30 battle.
Ibushi looked for the Kamigoye, but Ishii blocked and landed a headbutt. Ishii reverses a frankensteiner into a powerbomb for a two-count. He then landed a lariat for a near fall. Ishii reversed the Kamigoye into a huge headbutt and then hits a sliding lariat for another near fall.
Ibushi reversed another brainbuster, who landed a brainbuster of his own. Another striking exchange in this G1 Climax 30 war ended with Ibushi landing a high kick. Ishii then goes for a German suplex, but Ibushi landed on his feet and hit the Bomaye for a near fall.
In the end, they traded strikes until Ibushi landed a V Trigger followed by the Kamigoye for the win in nearly sixteen minutes. Kota Ibushi scored another two points in the G1 Climax 30. After the match, both men were still trying to fight one another. This was a fierce, hard-hitting battle. This encounter was a great sprint G1 style match. Ibushi picks up another win, while Ishii dropped to 0-3.
Results: Kota Ibushi (4) defeats Tomohiro Ishii (0) via pinfall
Star Rating: ****1/4
Shingo Takagi (0-2) vs. Will Ospreay (2-0) - G1 Climax 30 A Block Match
Will Ospreay took on Shingo Takagi in a rematch of 2019 Best of Super Juniors Finals and Match of the Year in the penultimate of the night. Ospreay came in at 2-0, following a win over Ishii on Night 3 of the G1 Climax 30. Shingo was 1-1, following his loss to Cobb on the same night.
The two men were greeted loud applause from the crowd before they locked up in this G1 Climax 30 encounter. Early, there was a series of reversals and counters that were hard to keep track of. Ospreay attempted a handshake, showing off his newfound cockiness again. The former IWGP Junior Heavyweight threw Shingo into the guardrail on the outside, but Shingo can regain control. Back in the ring, he dropped Ospreay from the top rope neck first and hit a DDT.
There was a chop exchange as both men laid it in. The fight for control went back and forth between the two as they both landed big strikes. Another sequence of reversal in this G1 Climax 30 contest ended with Ospreay hitting a stunner out of an attempted suplex from Shingo.
He then landed Pip Pip Cheerio and followed with the Sasake Special to the outside. Then, Ospreay looked for the Stormbreaker, but Shingo fought out of it. However, Ospreay hung him up in the tree of woe and landed a Coast to Coast dropkick. He then executed a Shooting Star Press for a near fall.
Ospreay looked for an Oscutter, but Shingo reversed it into a Noshigami. Ospreay countered the Pumping Bomber into a Liger Bomb for a two count. He then followed with the Oscutter for another near fall. Afterward, Ospreay landed a series of kicks and looked for the Stormbreaker again. However, Shingo reversed and hits Made In Japan for a close near fall. He then hit a Pumping Bomber, turning Ospreay inside out for another two counts in this G1 Climax 30 match.
Ospreay hit a side Superkick, followed by a reverse hurricarana. He went for the Hidden Blade, but Shingo hit him with a headbutt instead. Ospreay hit a C4 for a two count. The two men then traded pinning combinations, which ended with Ospreay hitting a lariat.
Ospreay then looked for the Super Oscutter, but Shingo blocked by pushing him onto the top rope. He landed a lariat and then hit an avalanche Made In Japan. Shingo followed with a Pumping Bomber for another near fall. Shingo then hits the Last of the Dragon for the win in twenty-two minutes. Shingo Takagi earned two points in the G1 Climax 30.
This was a truly amazing match that featured high impact offense, spellbinding counters, and two of the very best wrestlers in the world. It was the best match of the G1 Climax 30 so far and a match of the year candidate. Ospreay and Shingo have once in a generation type chemistry.
Results: Shingo Takagi (2) defeats Will Ospreay (4) via pinfall
Star Rating: *****
Jay White (2-0) vs. Kazuchika Okada (1-1) - G1 Climax 30 A Block Match)
Our main event of the evening was a rematch from last year's G1 Supercard with "Switchblade" Jay White facing Kazuchika Okada. White stands at 2-0 following wins over Shingo and Ibushi. Okada was 1-1 following his win over Yujiro Takahashi on Night 3 of the G1 Climax 30. These two have a head-to-head record of 2-1 in favor of the Switchblade.
Jay White produced some hilarious heelwork, chanting "Okada" during his entrance. To start this G1 Climax 30 main event, White stalled on the outside as per usual. After an initial lockup with a clean break, another lock upended with White administering a clean break, but Okada landed some forearms followed by a sliding dropkick. Later, White distracted the referee, so Gedo attacked Okada. Okada no sold and chased Gedo into the ring, where White attacked from behind. Switchblade then worked over Okada's injured back to gain control.
Okada looked to rally around the Kobe crowd here for Night 5 of the G1 Climax 30, but Gedo grabbed his leg. Okada chased Gedo up the ramp. However, White attacked him from behind again. Okada hits a double DDT on both White and Gedo on the ramp though.
Back in the ring, White regained control. Switchblade hits the Blade Buster for a near fall. He mocked the fans by mimicking their claps for Okada. Okada cuts off White by hitting an air raid crash neckbreaker. During a strike exchange, Okada screamed at Jay to strike him harder.
Gedo tried to interfere on the apron, but Okada avoided White and hit a dropkick to the back that sent Switchblade crashing into Gedo. White does the Rainmaker pose and then set up for the move. However, Okada reversed and hits a dropkick. He followed with a Tombstone Piledriver and locked on the Money Clip.
White reversed a Discus Rainmaker into a uranage. White then went for the Blade Runner, but Okada hits a dropkick instead and followed with a discus lariat. However, Gedo got the referee's attention to allow White to hit a low blow and gain the advantage in this G1 Climax 30 contest.
White again went for Blade Runner, but Okada attempted the Money Clip. However, White reversed and landed a Sleeper Suplex. He followed immediately with the Blade Runner for the win in nineteen minutes and earned two more points in the G1 Climax 30. This was a very good main event that featured some smooth reversals throughout. This contest fell short of their match at Madison Square Garden, but it was still a strong and fitting end to the best show of the G1 Climax 30 so far. White remains undefeated with a 3-0 record, while Okada is now 1-2.
Results: Jay White (6) defeats Kazuchika Okada (2) via pinfall
Star Rating: ***3/4
