'%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)
G1 Climax 30 Night 6 had to follow the best show of the tournament so far from the A Block on Sunday. The Korauken Hall crowd created a great intimate atmosphere despite the restrictions. However, this show, unfortunately, fell just slightly short of the high standard of the previous event.
The headline match featured IWGP Heavyweight and Intercontinental Champion Tetsuya Naito facing Hirooki Goto. We also saw EVIL facing the undefeated Toru Yano and Hiroshi Tanahashi against Juice Robinson in a battle of two of the best babyfaces in NJPW. The rest of the B Block action had KENTA vs. Zack Sabre Jr. and YOSHI-HASHI battling SANADA.
For Night 6 of the G1 Climax 30, four out of the five B Block matches all ranged from good to even great on this event. Your "Matches To Watch" are:
- KENTA vs. Zack Sabre Jr.
- Tetsuya Naito vs. Hirooki Goto
The show kicked off once again with the NJPW Young Lions continuing their series of matches.
G1 Climax 30 Night 6: Yuya Uemura vs. Gabriel Kidd
The opening match for the evening was the New Japan dojo trainees of Gabriel Kidd facing Yuya Uemura. This was a rematch from Night 3 of the G1 Climax 30 in Sapporo. In that contest, Kidd got the victory, so Uemura was looking to avenge that loss here.
We got some grappling to start things out. Gabriel Kidd worked very crisp and smooth here. Uemura came in with more intensity in this one coming off the loss in their previous meeting. Uemura laid in the stomps on Kidd at one point, showing some aggression.
The two men traded strikes, which ended with Uemura hitting a pair of dropkick. He then locked in the Boston Crab and then transitioned into a high angle version for the win in nine minutes. Uemura got his second victory in the "unofficial" C Block of the G1 Climax 30.
This was a well-worked and solid affair between the two young stars.
Results: Yuya Uemura defeats Gabriel Kidd via submission
Star Rating: ***
G1 Climax 30 B Block Match: YOSHI-HASHI (0-2) vs. SANADA (0-2)
Our B Block opener for Night 6 of the G1 Climax 30 was SANADA of Los Ingobernable de Japon facing one-third of the NEVER Openweight Six Man Tag Team Champions YOSHI-HASHI of CHAOS. Both men come into this battle winless, so this is a very important contest to stay alive here.
The two men fought to the floor early. SANADA gained control with a guardrail assisted Twist and Shout. HASHI made it back inside before the 20-count on the outside. SANADA once again got the advantage after a pair of leapfrogs and a dropkick. He followed that with a plancha to the floor with the fans solidly behind the Cold Skull.
HASHI nailed a lariat followed by a running Liger Bomb for a near fall. He set up for a Swanton Bomb, but SANADA got his knees up. Both men expressed some desperation in this G1 Climax 30 match.
SANADA sprung off the middle rope and locks on his Skull End submission. Just when it looks like HASHI has passed out, SANADA surprisingly broke the hold and goes for the Muta-sault. HASHI got his knees up. A strike exchange followed in this G1 Climax 30 contest, ending with SANADA hitting a TKO for a near fall. HASHI then reversed the Skull End and hit a dragon suplex for a two count. He followed that with a brainbuster for another two count.
In the end, several strikes were traded, ending with HASHI hitting a running Meteora for a near fall. He followed with his Kharma finisher for the win in just over fifteen minutes. YOSHI-HASHI got his first two points of the G1 Climax 30. This was a competitive encounter that built to a really suspenseful finish.
Results: YOSHI-HASHI (2) defeats SANADA (0) via pinfall
Star Rating: ***1/4
G1 Climax 30 B Block Match: Zack Sabre Jr. (1-1) vs. KENTA (1-1)
Our next match for Night 6 of the G1 Climax 30 was the New Japan Cup USA winner KENTA of the Bullet Club against one-half of the IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Champions Zack Sabre Jr of Suzuki-gun. Both men came in at 1-1 into this one.
In a change of pace to begin this G1 Climax 30 match, KENTA looked to start with some grappling on the ground against the submission specialist. Both men came in cautious to begin. Zack gained control, getting a leg bar on KENTA.
ZSJ then looked to grapple from his back, but KENTA responded with some stiff kicks. Sabre Jr got control back in the ring and started toying with KENTA laying in kicks of his own. KENTA hit a kitchen sink and laid in more stiff kicks. Zack put his arm behind his back, daring KENTA to kick him more, which he obliged.
Zack attacked the taped arm to regain control in this G1 Climax 30 contest. However, KENTA got the advantage with more stiff strikes. He hit a double stomp off the top for a near fall. KENTA followed that with a running knee strike for another two.
We got a submission battle on the ground with Zack gaining the upper hand. He forced KENTA to make it to the ropes to break. Sabre Jr then laid in kicks, which KENTA responded with some of his own. ZSJ trapped him in a pinning combo for a two count.
In the end, Zack ran at KENTA, who caught him with a knee to the face. He then followed with the Go To Sleep for the win in just under sixteen minutes. KENTA got another two points in the G1 Climax 30. This was a strong blend of styles, which resulted in a great encounter. Zack tried to play the strike game of KENTA and paid for it in the conclusion of this contest.
Results: KENTA (4) defeats Zack Sabre Jr. (2) via pinfall
Star Rating: ****
***Intermission followed***
G1 Climax 30 B Block Match: Juice Robinson (2-0) vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi (0-2)
We resumed B Block competition in the G1 Climax 30 with Juice Robinson against Hiroshi Tanahashi. This is a Teacher vs. Student battle here with Robinson considering Tanahashi his mentor and idol. Juice came into the match at 2-0 following wins over YOSHI-HASHI and KENTA. Tanahashi came in at 0-2, following his upset loss to Yano on Night 3 of the G1 Climax 30.
This encounter started out slow, with both men looking to take control with headlocks and hammerlocks. Juice got control by attacking the back of The Ace. We saw a much more aggressive Juice in this G1 Climax 30 contest.
Tanahashi gained control by going after Juice's knee. He hit a low dropkick and followed with a dragon screw. Robinson got the advantage and looked for the Juice combo. Tanahashi ducked the final punch, but Juice hit a DDT. Tana reversed a suplex and hit Twist and Shout. He ran off the ropes, but Robinson hit a lariat. Both men looked to the Korauken Hall crowd for support by rallying claps in this G1 Climax 30 match.
Juice placed Tana on the top rope for a superplex, but Tana fought off. We got a strike exchange on top, which Juice wins and hit the superplex. He held on and hit a Jackhammer for a near fall. Robinson set up for Pulp Friction, but Tana blocked and hit a Sling Blade. He followed with a second and got a two count.
The Ace went up top looking for the High Fly Flow, but Juice reversed into a rollup for a near fall. Robinson then hit a right hand followed Left Hand of God. Juice then went for Pulp Friction again, but Tana dropped down and cradled Juice for the win in 14 minutes. Hiroshi Tanahashi got his first two points of the G1 Climax 30.
This was a well-paced and smartly worked G1 Climax 30 encounter that kept building and building. Juice wrestled the better match, but Tanahashi pulled out the win by more experienced.
Results: Hiroshi Tanahashi (2) defeats Juice Robinson (4) via pinfall
Star Rating: ***3/4
G1 Climax 30 B Block Match: Toru Yano (2-0) vs. EVIL (1-1)
Our semi main event for the G1 Climax 30 Night 6 was EVIL of the Bullet Club against KOPW 2020 Toru Yano of CHAOS. EVIL came at 1-1, following his win over YOSHI-HASHI on Night 4. Yano came in at 2-0.
Yano immediately went for the corner mat to start this G1 Climax 30 contest. EVIL tried to undo one of his own, but Yano hit him over the back with his. Yano then removed two other paddings. EVIL then hit Yano with the padding that he undid.
On the outside, Dick Togo attacked Yano. However, Yano reversed an Irish whip and taped Togo to the guardrail. EVIL freed Togo shortly after, though. In the ring, EVIL whipped Yano repeatedly into the exposed turnbuckles. When Yano whipped EVIL in, Togo put the padding up to protect his stablemate.
In the end, EVIL hit Yano with a low blow and looked for Everything Is EVIL. Yano blocked and threw EVIL into the ref, who ducked, allowing Yano to hit a low blow. Togo came in and tried to choke Yano behind the ref's back with his wiring, but Yano ran him into EVIL. He then hit a low blow to both men and rolled up EVIL for the win in four and a half minutes. Yano got another two points in the G1 Climax 30.
This was your Yano comedy match that was entertaining for the short length that it went.
Results: Toru Yano (6) defeats EVIL (2) via pinfall
Star Rating: *3/4
G1 Climax 30 B Block Match: Hirooki Goto (1-1) vs. Tetsuya Naito (2-0)
Our main event of the evening is one-third of the NEVER Openweight Six Man Tag Team Champions Hirooki Goto of CHAOS against the IWGP Heavyweight and Intercontinental Champion Tetsuya Naito. Goto stands at 1-1 following his win over SANADA on Night 4 of the G1 Climax 30. Naito came in at 2-0.
Naito got the early control of this G1 Climax 30 match by attacking the taped right shoulder of Goto. On the floor, Naito whipped Goto into the guardrail. Back in the ring, Naito continued to work over the shoulder with a head-scissor submission. Goto reversed a lariat and hit a backdrop suplex, which led to both men being down. He followed with a side heel kick and running bulldog to Naito for a two count.
Naito regained control again by attacking the arm with a sliding dropkick. The two men fought to the top rope where Goto hit a superplex, which led to Naito rolling out of the ring. Goto followed with a plancha to the outside. Fans in Korauken were really into this G1 Climax 30 contest at this point. They traded strikes, which Goto ended with a lariat. He went for another, but Naito reversed and hit a tornado DDT.
Naito hit repeated elbows to the neck and shoulder of Goto. Naito then placed Goto on top and hit an avalanche frankensteiner. He went for a running Destino, but Goto blocked and hit a reverse GTR. He followed with a rope-assisted reverse GTR to Naito for a near fall.
Naito blocked the GTR, so Goto looked for a Ushigoroshi. However, Naito reversed into a modified Destino. The two men traded strikes from their knees and then to their feet. Naito looked to win the exchange, but Goto reversed Valentia into an Ushigoroshi. Naito reversed a GTR and then hit a running Destino out of nowhere for a near fall. Goto reversed another Destino into GTW to take control again in this G1 Climax 30 encounter.
Goto hit a stiff mid kick. However, Naito reversed GTR into Valentia. He then followed with Destino for the win. Tetsuya Naito got his third win and two more points in the G1 Climax 30.
This was a hard-hitting battle. Both men worked exceptionally well together in a match that never let up. This encounter was Goto's best of the tournament so far.
Results: Tetsuya Naito (6) defeats Hirooki Goto (2) via pinfall
Star Rating: ****
Teddy Long snaps when Swerve Strickland's race is brought up HERE
