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With the G1 Climax 30 coming to a close, we have to look back on a month's worth of incredible professional wrestling filled with masterful performances. With so many classic matches and breakout moments for each wrestler, this tournament usually allows someone to showcase the best in ring work of their career. Every year with this tournament, one competitor stands out above all else as the MVP of the entire G1 Climax.
Over the course of nine matches, determining who stood out the most could be a difficult endeavor. Some performers are able to stand out via their character work, their breakout performances or just purely having the very best matches in the G1. During this G1 Climax 30 tournament, so many competitors performed at the highest level we have seen them at in NJPW or anywhere else.
Jeff Cobb broke out and put on some of the best matches of his career in the G1 Climax 30. YOSHI-HASHI and Taichi proved themselves as singles stars being able to show a fire that we had not previously seen from them. Will Ospreay is always guaranteed to have fantastic matches. Tetsuya Naito proved that he can still be an iron man and an elite top star for NJPW. Jay White had the best tournament as far as character work, with his excellent heel persona shining in what he called "the Jay1".
With those competitors mentioned, we will take a look at the 5 MVP candidates of the G1 Climax 30. We will also list which matches to watch from the tournament for each contender.
#5 Minoru Suzuki (vs. Ibushi - G1 Climax 30 Day 13; vs. Ospreay - G1 Climax 30 Day 11)
At 52 years old, Minoru Suzuki has had his best in-ring year of his 30-year career. With stellar matches against Jon Moxley, Shingo Takagi and Yuji Nagata earlier in 2020, Suzuki came in with a lofty resume of encounters and somehow only added to that across the G1 Climax 30.
He started off the tournament with a stiff battle against Ishii on Day 1. However, the best was still yet to come in the G1 Climax 30. On Day 11, Suzuki went move for move with one of the fastest wrestlers in the world in Will Ospreay. It was a great encounter where Suzuki proved that he can work with anyone in the business.
Of course, there was his instant classic, Match of the Year candidate with Kota Ibushi on Day 13. Suzuki had MVP performances on so many different nights in this tournament. Following missing the cut last year, Suzuki made the most of every opportunity in the G1 Climax 30.
#4 Kota Ibushi (vs. Suzuki - G1 Climax 30 Day 13; vs. Takagi - G1 Climax 30 Day 11; vs. Ishii - G1 Climax 30 Day 5)
Kota Ibushi defeated SANADA in the G1 Climax 30 Finals to win back-to-back tournaments, but he more than made a statement throughout this month with outstanding matches every night. The very best G1 Climax 30 encounter was Ibushi against Suzuki on Day 13. These two men put on a showcase of strong style that will be looked back on for years to come. However, that was not his only stellar match.
Ibushi had a fantastic main event against Shingo Takagi on Day 11. He also had a bruising war with Ishii on Day 5. His main event matches against Jay White and Will Ospreay as well as his high octane sprint facing Jeff Cobb would be remembered more fondly if not for the vast amount of tremendous efforts we saw on every show in the G1 Climax 30.
Ibushi has really overcame a quiet 2020 for himself after failing to become the IWGP Heavyweight Champion at Wrestle Kingdom 14. While 2019 seemed obvious to be his year, this tournament showed that he could come out of nowhere and prove that he is one of the best wrestlers in the world. His strikes, selling and dramatic finishing sequences made every match stand out in the G1 Climax 30.
#3 Hiroshi Tanahashi (vs. SANADA - G1 Climax 30 Day 16; vs. Naito - G1 Climax 30 Day 2)
Although he was one of the top stars of the B Block, Hiroshi Tanahashi was more or less a gatekeeper of sorts with his booking of a 4-5 record throughout the G1 Climax 30. Despite that record, Tanahashi pulled out remarkable performances at age 43, proving to be an all-time great once again.
His ability to sell via his facial expressions and body language is why he has to be considered a legend in our business and it stood out among everyone in the B Block. This G1 Climax 30 featured so many classic Tanahashi performances against the likes of EVIL, Juice Robinson and Zack Sabre Jr. His mix of technical mastery and fiery babyface comebacks has only seemed to have grown immensely with age.
His standout matches against SANADA on Day 16 and his Match of the Year candidate against Tetsuya Naito on Day 2 were both incredible efforts that showed that he may be positioned as the gatekeeper, but he still has what it takes to be among the top of the card in NJPW. This G1 Climax 30 did not have Tanahashi in the running at the end, but without question he proved why he is still The Ace of the universe.
#2 Tomohiro Ishii (vs. White - G1 Climax 30 Day 17; vs. Cobb - G1 Climax 30 Day 13; vs. Ospreay - G1 Climax 30 Day 3)
Year after year, the MVP of the G1 seems to always be Tomohiro Ishii. His hard hitting and physically intense battles usually are the most standout encounter of every tournament. From his war with Shibata in 2013 to his bloody encounter with Omega in 2018, Ishii always brings the goods during G1 season. In the G1 Climax 30, Ishii once again delivered instant classics and bangers on an almost nightly basis.
From his A Block opener with Suzuki in the G1 Climax 30, Ishii set the pace for another stellar tournament. His contest with Will Ospreay on Day 3 showed his range, being able to work the Aerial Assassin's type of match. His phenomenal barnburner with Jeff Cobb gave us the best match of his opponent's time in NJPW. The two men delivered a stiff, grueling affair that showed what a hoss fight is all about.
On the G1 Climax 30 Day 17, Ishii and Switchblade Jay White gave us an amazing ending to the A Block competition. The Stone Pitbull's babyface performance in this encounter showed off his fiery comebacks and top-notch selling in epic fashion. The dramatic conclusion with Ishii overcoming White and Gedo got such a stirring reaction from the fans in Ryogoku.
Ishii's selling always delivers visceral reaction from the crowd. His unique ability to no-sell and then finally sell his opponent's offense is similar to a video game boss. That skill is why he is considered the best seller in NJPW and arguably the entire industry. The only reason why Ishii doesn't take the top spot is a performer who also gave Ishii another thrilling encounter.
#1 Shingo Takagi (vs. Kazuchika Okada - G1 Climax 30 Day 13; vs. Kota Ibushi - G1 Climax 30 Day 11; vs. Will Ospreay - G1 Climax 30 Day 5)
The only man who delivered two Wrestling Observer Newsletter five star-plus matches during the G1 Climax 30 was Shingo Takagi. For a competitor who was not even in NJPW for two years, Shingo's ability to adapt to the strong style sprints of the G1 has been nothing short of stellar.
The Dragon Gate alum has been a revelation in NJPW and quickly established himself as one of the best wrestlers in the promotion. In the G1 Climax 30, Shingo had a wide range of extraordinary encounters. From his opening salvo with Jay White from his final A Block battle with Suzuki, Takagi gave us plenty to be grateful for.
In between his first and last matches in the G1 Climax 30, Shingo delivered two Wrestling Observer Newsletter five star-plus matches with his spectacular rematch of the Best of Super Juniors 26 Finals against Will Ospreay on Day 5 and a stunning epic encounter with Kazuchika Okada on Day 13. These two bangers, along with his gems against Kota Ibushi and Taichi, showed what Shingo does best. He gives hard hitting violence and a next-level type of speed and swiftness to everything he does in the ring.
Despite only four wins in the entire tournament, Takagi showed in the G1 Climax 30 that he deserves to be in the main event scene in NJPW. This past month guaranteed that we will see more of The Dragon in future G1 tournaments to come. This is why Shingo Takagi is the G1 Climax 30 MVP.
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