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Cero Reviews NJPW G1 Climax 30 9.27

Posted: Sep 27th, '20, 13:12
by cero2k
NJPW G1 Climax 30, day 5
September 27, 2020
Kobe, Japan

Gabriel Kidd vs. Yota Tsuji - 5/10
Submission heavy match, they spent about two thirds of the match going for submissions, and then at the end they exchanged some strikes and big moves and Kidd picked up his second win with the double underhook suplex.

G1 Climax 30 Block A Match
Taichi (4) vs. Yujiro Takahashi (0) - 5.5/10
So many complains not related to the match, first of all, how do they have the true ace of the G1 Climax, Lord Taichi be the curtain jerker? He's undefeated and far more handsome than White. Second, if there was ever a match to make the effort to get Miho Abe and Pieter on opposing corners, this was it.

This as really boring, but I did had fun at some spots here and there. There was one where I got kinda excited because it seemed like Taichi was gonna provoke Yujiro to a fist fight, but then he just came back with his usual slow ass kick that he always does. This gave me the impression that any other year with the full roster, this would had been one of those chaotic heel vs heel matches with Chase and Jado and Kanemaru all over the place.

Yujiro is a wrestler that I really wish he'd do better. He is talented, he COULD go, but he doesn't, he's like The Miz, he knows his place in the company, doesn't really challenge it, he has a 100% safe wrestling style that gets him paid and he gets to be healthy, never hurting, and he'll be able to have this position long after Naito and Ibushi and Hiromu's bodies break down. It's hard to ask him to get physical when he has his shit down.

G1 Climax 30 Block A Match
Minoru Suzuki (2) vs. Jeff Cobb (2) - 6/10
This was going really good while they were grappling, but once they got to their feet and got more physical, the match really went down. You could tell that Cobb was not comfortable being physical with Suzuki for some reason, his punches were either weak or completely off Suzuki, even a shoulder tackle looked disconnected, and in a way, this was also what probably cause some of the spots where Cobb couldn't keep Suzuki up on his arms. Finish saw Suzuki win with the GSP.

G1 Climax 30 Block A Match
Tomohiro Ishii (0) vs. Kota Ibushi (2) - 9/10
Crazy to believe that Ishii now had back-to-back speed matches and looked perfectly capable. Like, it's not an X-Division match, but they have a couple of fast paced flurries here and there. This was 95% striking with some Germans sprinkled on top, and it was great. Just two dudes hitting each other on the head over and over and over until one of them couldn't get up anymore.

There was a point towards the end of the match that I don't know if Ishii had been punched loopy, but he seemed mistimed and took a lariat on top of his head. I noticed it with a spot where he was supposed to block a knee, but got impatient that Ibushi was selling the set up so much that he just kinda went and grabbed the leg instead. You can argue that he grabbed the leg to block Ibushi from doing anything, but I think we all know there was something weird there.

Ishii is now 0-3. Can't remember the last time Ishii had such a bad record.

Post-match - Ishii and Ibushi, laying on the mat, kept punching each other and I'm pretty sure one of those got Ibushi in the face for real.

G1 Climax 30 Block A Match
Shingo Takagi (0) vs. Will Ospreay (4) - 9.5
These two had my 2019 MOTY, this wasn't it, close, but it wasn't it, it was so awesome nonetheless. When Ospreay loses, he makes sure people earn the win. They hit each other with everything they had, Ospreay is doing Shooting Star Presses and Bloody Sundays out there, Shingo is going pop-up DVDs and top rope spots, a TON of lariats and forearms and elbows and springboards and near falls left and right. At the end, Shingo won with The Last of the Dragons. This is just something that you need to go out of your way to watch, it's one of THOSE G1 matches.

G1 Climax 30 Block A Match
Kazuchika Okada (2) vs. Jay White (4) (w/Gedo) - 8.5/10
White teasing the fans to clap and chant for his opponents when fans can't is freaking glorious! He's just awesome, his actions in the ring are awesome, his selling is great, he has the perfect sell to the Cobra Clutch, one of discomfort and annoyance, because that's really what that submission is, uncomfortable and annoying. Hell, here's one for you, Okada's best match so far was White's (IMO) worst.

The match was mostly Okada working White's head while White worked Okada's back. White got heat for a while before Okada's comeback and then they went to the near falls and finisher chase. Give thanks to White that I thought this match had the best performance of the Cobra Clutch, which is still underwhelming, but the match offered the action for fast and spontaneous lock-ins, and like I mentioned, White sold it better than the rest have. Similar to Ibushi, White just kinda started chasing the Bladerunner and then hit it and won. Not many people kicking out of the Bladerunner now a days.

At this point, Okada really needs to avoid being in the same building with Jay White when they come to Kobe.

Post-match - White cut his winner's promo telling Okada that he is history now, while White is the present and future and this is not the G1, but the J1 because he is undefeated. He thanked Okada for being part of the 2 yr anniversary of the White/Gedo union being created.

OVERALL THOUGHTS
It started kinda weak, but god diggity dang, this ended up being a great show. Ishii vs Ibushi and Shingo vs Ospreay were back to back awesome, and then while the main event was somewhat weaker, White is just fucking awesome.

Standings
2 Kazuchika Okada
4 Kota Ibushi
4 Will Ospreay
6 Jay White
2 Shingo Takagi
4 Minoru Suzuki
6 Taichi
2 Jeff Cobb
0 Yujiro Takahashi
0 Tomohiro Ishii