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WELLS’S G1 CLIMAX 30: NIGHT 8 REPORT
OCTOBER 1, 2020
NIIGATA, JAPAN
AIRED LIVE ON NJPW WORLD
(a) YOTA TSUJI vs. GABRIEL KIDD
Collar and elbow. Neither got the advantage and they broke to reset. Waistlock by Tsuji was reversed by Kidd in a wristlock and then into a wristlock by Tsuji. Kidd reversed again and and wrenched Tsuji’s arm, and Tsuji tripped Kidd and made a quick cover for one. Reset. Test of strength was teased by Kidd twisted Tsuji’s arm and grounded him, but Tsuji reversed into a headscissors. Kidd did a handstand and escaped to applause, then worked a headlock. Tsuji fought to escape but Kidd tied up his arm. Tsuji fought to the ropes for a clean break and another reset.
Collar and elbow, then Tsuji got behind Kidd and worked a leglock. Kidd wrenched Tsuji’s leg to escape and reverse, then started working toward a sharpshooter, but Tsuji fought it to the ropes for another break at the five minute mark. Tsuji kicked Kidd and exploded in to grab a leg but Kidd got to the ropes. Tsuji charged Kidd in the corner but ate boot. Kidd went at Tsuji with forearms in one corner and threw chops in another. Snap mare and a headlock by Kidd. Headlock and a rope break. Kidd threw a forearm then charged and missed in a corner. Tsuji hit a body slam in the middle of the ring and went for a submission with the legs. Kidd tried to break it with forearms. Tsuji lifted Kidd up by the legs and drove his knee to the mat, then worked a half crab and sat deep into it. Kidd reached a rope to break. Tsuji wanted a suplex but Kidd fought him off with a forearm and a body slam. Kidd got the crowd into it and hit Tsuji with an Irish whip. He looked for a suplex, which Tsuji blocked, then threw a forearm and covered for two. Double underhook by Kidd, but Tsuji lifted him up for a full body slam. Both guys sold on the mat. Tsuji reached his feet first and Irish whipped Kidd, then hit a flying forearm and a dropkick for a two count. Tsuji turned Kidd for a Boston crab but Kidd reached the ropes. Tsuji ran the ropes right into an arm drag. Kidd sat in with a Boston crab of his own and Tsuji took off toward the ropes, but Kidd pulled him away. A second attempt got even closer. A third attempt made it for the break as the match inched closer to the fifteen minute time limit.
Double underhook by Kidd. Tsuji lifted him again but got rolled up with a sunset flip for two. Rope run and a back bodydrop by Tsuji. Tsuji took Kidd over into a Boston crab, and he was a good distance from the ropes. Tsuji sat in deeper and then tried something else, but Kidd rolled him up for two. Both got to their feet and Kidd hit a dropkick. Tsuji ran the ropes and speared Kidd. The two collided in the ring and each tried a rollup but couldn’t finish. A shot exchange continued after the bell and the crowd showed a lot of appreciation for both guys when they exited.
TIME LIMIT DRAW at 15:00. (***)
(Wells’s Analysis: One of the better Young Lion singles matches I’ve seen, and I’ve seen hundreds. I got the feeling around the ten minute mark that this one might go the distance. I’m not saying anything you haven’t heard, but both of these guys have a huge upside)
(1) JUICE ROBINSON (4 points) vs. TORU YANO (6 points)
The ref checked Yano for weapons warily. Juice took his time getting out of his entrance gear and Yano complained about it. “No bulls*&t tonight,” Juice warned to Yano. Yano had an extra Yano t-shirt and offered it to Juice, who put an arm out and had Yano toss it to him. Yano wanted Juice to put it on, and Jice obliged but kept a close eye. For some reason Juice turned around, and Yano rolled him up for two. “Hey! You promised!” Juice said. Yano sprayed Juice with his water bottle and Juice sold it like it was some other substance and Yano rolled him up for two. Juice went outside and poured water in his eyes. Action spilled outside and went to a 19-count as Juice poured Yano’s own bottle on his face. Back in the ring, Juice took Yano to a corner for some kicks. Irish whip, and Yano tried to remove a turnbuckle pad. Juice tied it back up and Yano removed the opposite one. Juice rolled up Yano for two, then tried to hit Yano with the removed pad. Yano bailed and Juice ripped the Yano shirt off and rubbed it like he was wiping himself with it. Yano begged Juice to leave the ring and Juice asked Yano to enter it. Juice went out to the ramp and Yano hit an inverted atomic drop, then tied Juice’s lower legs together with athletic tape and entered the ring. Juice pogo-jumped his way to the ring and entered at 17. Juice hopped toward Yano, who lightly jogged around the ring. Yano kicked Juice but walked into a slam. Juice unwrapped the tape from his legs and tossed it away. Juice did his signature rights. He missed one and Yano rolled him up for a near-fall. Yano tried to block the ref’s view for a low blow, but Juice hit the Left Hand of God. Juice went for his finisher, and Yano blocked it, only to get rolled up for the loss. Just before he left through the ramp, Juice said into the camera “You can’t bulls*%t a bulls*%ter!”
WINNER: Juice Robinson at 6:41. (*)
(Wells’s Analysis: It had a nice flow for a Yano match, I guess. Juice reaches six and is off to a strong start)
(2) HIROOKI GOTO (2 points) vs. ZACK SABRE JR. (2 points)
Zack went low to Goto’s legs, but Goto kept his distance. Goto wrenched Sabre’s arm but Sabre rolled through. Zack jumped in and pinned Goto’s arm with his legs, but Goto hit the ropes to break. Sabre threw vicious kicks, then shoved the ref when he tried to break it up. The ref pulled Zack away and Goto got up and threw some chops. Sabre hit a pump kick and Goto elbowed Zack, then ran the ropes and ran into a Zack tie-up. Goto wailed and then put up Zack in a fireman’s carry, but Zack escaped and hit a bicycle kick to Goto’s arm. He took another shot at the taped arm and the ref checked on Goto, who shooed him away. Goto fired up and threw a kick to Zack’s chest. Zack rolled up Goto and trapped him for a shockingly quick win.
WINNER: Zack Sabre Jr. at 4:00. (*1/2)
(Wells’s Analysis: They had me fooled. They worked this like a match that was going to be pretty long, leading to the quick finish. Goto’s selling an arm injury, which is a favorite move of NJPW when a guy has to lose a lot of block matches but they want him to save face somehow. It might be a long, tough tournament for Goto)
-The ring was cleared for cleaning and disinfection.
(3) HIROSHI TANAHASHI (2 points) vs. YOSHI-HASHI (2 points)
Tana showed off his chest to the crowd to cheers before the bell. He got the crowd fired up, then went in with a waistlock. Drop toe-hold and Tanahashi worked Yoshi-Hashi’s left arm. Yoshi-Hashi reversed and Tanahashi reversed it back. Two more reversals. After a brief mat exchanged, they reset. Yoshi-Hashi threw some forearms and backed Tana into a corner, then hit an Irish whip. He charged into an elbow and Tana took him down and played a quick air guitar riff. Rope run and Yoshi-Hashi hit a dragon screw. He continued working that leg and drove Tanahashi’s knee to the mat, then leaned down and tied up Tanahashi’s leg. Tanahashi reached the rope to break.
Both guys hit their feet. Tanahashi no-sold a forearm and threw a few of his own, then an uppercut. Yoshi-Hashi returned fire and hit a chop in the corner. Irish whip, and Yoshi-Hashi hit a dropkick on Tana’s hobbled leg. Rope run. Tanahashi hit a flying elbow and sold the leg afterward as the crowd fired up. Tanahashi hit a dragon screw, then set up Yoshi-Hashi with a slam and then hit a second-turnbuckle senton for two. Yoshi-Hashi hit his feet and went for a suplex, but Tanahashi rolled through. Superkick by Yoshi-Hashi. Sitout powerbomb for two. This time, Yoshi-Hashi got the crowd clapping. Tanahashi blocked another suplex, and hit his own belly-to-back with a bridge for two. Tanahashi ran the ropes into a chop, and Yoshi-Hashi ran right into a sling blade. Tanahashi went for High Fly Flow but Yoshi-Hashi got his knees up. Both guys sold for a good 30 seconds or so.
Shot exchange in the middle of the ring. They went from one forearm each to two and then three, and then chops, then a palm strike each. Yoshi-Hashi got the better of it, then ran the ropes and hit a lariat, but Tana didn’t go down. Another lariat took him down for two. Yoshi-Hashi went for a submission. Tanahashi tried to get to the ropes but Yoshi-Hashi dragged him back. The crowd stomped in time to Tanahashi’s name. A third trip toward the ropes got Tanahashi near a break, so Yoshi-Hashi brought him back and hit a backstabber. Tanahashi hit a desperation snap suplex and both guys sold on the mat. Tana wrenched Yoshi-Hashi’s leg one way, then the other. Yoshi-Hashi reversed a – sharpshooter attempt? – and got a near-fall. Tanahashi wrenched the leg with another sort of short dragon screw. Tanahashi ran the ropes and Yoshi-Hashi caught him with a snap German, then hit double knees for two. Yoshi-Hashi hit a slam for a convincing near-fall. Tanahashi blocked Karma, and Yoshi-Hashi chopped him. Sling blade out of nowhere for Tanahashi for two. Tanahashi went up again and hit a high cross-body, then charged up the ropes again and hit High Fly Flow to win. The two shared a moment of chatter in the ring that was something of an endorsement by Tanahashi as Yoshi-Hashi, as always, played the role of looking great in defeat.
WINNER: Hiroshi Tanahashi at 18:40. (**1/2)
(Wells’s Analysis: Two years ago these two would put on a pretty great match with this kind of time, but Tanahashi is so hobbled now, I don’t even know how long he’ll be able to do the “give back” portion of his NJ career before he has to hang up the boots. The psychology, thankfully, is very much still alive and they got something out of this despite the limits of Tanahashi’s body)
(4) KENTA (4 points) vs. EVIL (w/Dick Togo) (2 points)
This is Evil’s first match against a stablemate since joining Bullet Club, so the dynamic should be interesting. Indeed, Kenta put up the too sweet, and Evil teased that he’d return it and then hit the too sweet with Togo instead.
The bell sounded and Kenta immediately took a step outside the ring. He returned after a moment but immediately left again when Evil took a step. Then he rolled in and rolled back out. Kenta grabbed Togo and whispered something to him, obviously to get into Evil’s head, and Togo gently pushed him off.
Kenta finally hit the ring after 90 seconds and evil hit a couple of axhandles. Rope run and Kenta hit a boot, sending Evil outside. Kenta followed and ran Evil into the barricade, then put the boots to him. He invited Togo to join him, and Togo waved him off. Kenta put Evil’s head into a ringpost, then held up Evil in a seated position and invited Togo over yet again, which Togo refused. Kenta rolled Evil in for a cover. Kenta kicked Evil a couple of times and gave Togo a thumbs up. Kenta clapped to get the crowd going, then clapped at a different rate to throw them off, as he and Jay White have both been doing a lot. Kenta did the hop over and backwards slap with the boot spot, then covered for two. He gave Togo another thumbs up. Kenta ran the ropes, and Togo tripped him. Kenta went after Togo and Evil headed outside and threw Kenta into a barricade. Evil wrapped up Kenta’s arm in a folding chair and slammed his arm into a post. Evil reentered the ring and removed a buckle pad.
Evil wrenched Kenta’s arm and hit it with an elbow, then covered for one. Evil ran Kenta into the exposed buckle and Kenta rolled out of the ring. Referee Red Shoes Unno went out to check on him, then went back into the ringfor the count. Evil grinned out at Kenta, who rolled in at 10. Evil hit Kenta with a scoop slam and then wrenched an arm on the mat and manipulated the digits as Kenta fought toward, and reached, the ropes to break. Evil smirked again and kicked at Kenta as he fought to his feet. Kenta hit a few quick forearms but Evil wrenched his arm. Evil ran into a big boot and Kenta hit a full body slam. Kenta hit a quick combination of kicks and covered for two. Evil charged Kenta in the corner, who got a boot up. Kenta went up for a flying lariat and covered for two. Kenta looked to drape Evil over a rope for a DDT, but Togo distracted Kenta, and Evil wrenched Kenta’s arm over the top rope. Evil ran Kenta into the exposed buckle and hit a quick suplex for two. Evil complained about the speed of the count.
Kenta fought off a fireman’s carry. Red Shoes got between the two and got bumped. Kenta took Evil down but there was no ref. Kenta went out and got his U.S. Championship #1 contender briefcase. Togo tried to reason with him and got a face full of briefcase. Kenta went in and hit Evil with it as well to cheers. Kenta hit a double stomp from the top, then a suplex to a kneeling Evil for two. Evil fought out of Go 2 Sleep and hit a sitout powerbomb for two. Both guys sold on the mat. Evil ran the ropes and hit a lariat for two. He again complained about the count. He went for Everything is Evil, which Kenta blocked. Kenta hit repeated forearms to take down Evil. Togo got up on the apron and Kenta slammed him inside. Kenta picked up Togo for Go 2 Sleep but Togo grabbed the ref and Evil hit a low blow. Evil hit Everything is Evil to win.
WINNER: Evil at 15:40. (**1/2)
(Wells’s Analysis: There were some nice sequences, and the story with Togo kind of worked even if the match wasn’t exactly a mat classic as a result. Kenta is thoroughly rotten most of the time, but he was almost completely babyfaced for the purposes of this match, which reinforces the fact that Evil truly is the most evil of them all right now)
(5) TETSUYA NAITO (6 points) vs. SANADA (0 points)
The scoreless Sanada seemed to meditate in the corner, head down, before the match started. The audience was clearly into the all-LIJ main event right away. The two circled around and made no contact for 45 seconds, and then Naito went in and took down Sanada and worked a leg. Sanada trapped Naito’s arm briefly and there were a couple of quick mat reversals leading to a reset. The crowd has been clapping in time to wrestlers’ names throughout the tournament, but it’s hard to tell if they’re clapping Naito or Sanada.
Sanada grabbed a headlock and Naito reached the ropes to break. Naito tossed Sanada from the ring, then ran the ropes and Sanada tripped him. Sanada teased an attack but postured in the ring to applause; seems they’re clapping Sanada’s name after all. Naito rolled back in and threw a kick, then some elbows. Rope run. Naito hit a boot, then a dropkick. Action spilled outside and Naito put Sanada into one barricade, then another. Naito rolled into the ring and the ref counted to 17 before Sanada reentered. Naito wrapped up Sanada’s arms with his legs and wrenched back on his head. Sanada tried to bounce to the ropes as the audience clapped in time, and there’s the break. Naito held on and made the ref pull his legs from Sanada. Naito Combinacion Cabron in the corner, then knelt on Sanada, which Red Shoes wouldn’t count. He covered for one. Naito kicked Sanada’s head and then jawed at him as he drove a boot into Sanada’s face. Cravat by Naito. Sanada looked to elbow out, and Naito ran the ropes right into a Sanada dropkick.
Naito ran the ropes and Sanada hit another dropkick after two leapfrogs. Naito bailed and Sanada hit a plancha, then got the crowd more revved up. Both guys escaped some moves leading to a Naito basement dropkick. He heelishly draped a leg over Sanada as he looked out at the crowd that was still seemingly favoring Sanada. Kicks in the corner and a neckbreaker by Naito for two. Naito wiped his boot across Sanada’s face twice, then picked him up. Rope run, reverse. After several reversals, Sanada hit a slingshot snap suplex. Naito went on the offensive with an inverted atomic drop and a tornado DDT. Naito set Sanada up on the top rope and followed, then threw some shots. Sanada escaped underneath and dropkicked Naito’s back to send him into the post. Sanada went up the ropes and brought Naito into the ring with a neckbreaker onto his knee. Crucifix pin attempt for two. A brief dragon sleeper was escaped by Naito, and Naito hit a spinebuster. Both guys sold on the mat as the crowd rhythmically clapped for them.
The two got to their feet in opposite corners and Sanada charged but ate an elbow. Naito threw back elbows in the corner. Naito threw some more elbows while holding onto one of Sanada’s arms. He kept it up with the elbows for a while longer and Sanada collapsed to the mat. Naito took Sanada up and hit a Frankensteiner for two. Naito wanted Destino and Sanada reversed to Skull End. Both reversed and escaped. Naito went up for Destino again, but Sanada caught him for a Samoan Drop. Both sold on the mat again as the match eclipsed 20 minutes.
Both guys got to their knees and exchanged forearms. They got to their feet and continued the exchange for a good minute. To the corner, Sanada floated over for Skull End.. He swung Naito around and cinched it in. Naito briefly escaped but Sanada put it on again, pretty near the ropes. Naito got close to the ropes so Sanada dragged him in and applied it more cleanly. The ref tried to ask Naito if he was still in it. Sanada went up for a moonsault, and Naito got out of the way, though he couldn’t capitalize. Naito stalked Sanada and went for Destino Reverse, reverse, and there’s Destino for a long two count. Naito picked up Sanada again and went for another one, but Sanada caught him. Naito went for a suplex but weight shifted awkwardly and the two went spilling to the mat. Naito hit a back elbow and an enzuigiri, and then Sanada hit Destino!!!! for a two count. Sanada hit a moonsault, then went up again and hit another. It was good to finish.
After both guys recovered, Sanada offered the LIJ fist bump. Naito teased stepping away, but of course returned the gesture before leaving the ring. Sanada got some mic time to finish. As per his usual, it was very brief, and ended with “See you next time.”
WINNER: Sanada at 27:08. (***1/2)
(Wells’s Analysis: It didn’t really kick into the gear I was hoping for, but it was good enough to stand out on a night like tonight. It was also marred, in my mind, by the fact that Sanada opened with three straight losses so it was totally inevitable that he’d rattle off a few wins so he wasn’t essentially out of the running this early. I remain torn on Skull End – Sanada is very popular, but Skull End is a slow, wear-down kind of finisher, and he could really work in a full-time impact finisher as well.)
-Chris Charlton (@reasonjp) tweeted that this is the first time since 2015 that nobody in the entire field is undefeated through their first four matches. This one feels up in the air compared to a lot of other years, and the early standings are really bearing that out.
A BLOCK
Taichi (6)
Will Ospreay (6)
Jay White (6)
Kota Ibushi (6)
Minoru Suzuki (6)
Kazuchika Okada (4)
Jeff Cobb (2)
Tomohiro Ishii (2)
Shingo Takagi (2)
Yujiro Takahashi (0)
B BLOCK
Tetsuya Naito (6)
Juice Robinson (6)
Toru Yano (6)
Kenta (4)
Evil (4)
Zack Sabre Jr. (4)
Hiroshi Tanahashi (4)
Hirooki Goto (2)
Yoshi-Hashi (2)
Sanada (2)
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