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The theme of the G1 Climax 30 so far has been really top notch shows for the A Block, while the B Block have just good shows. This trend continued on Night 8 in Nagaoka. Although this event did not live up to the standard of Night 7 yesterday, faction warfare was featured on this show in the top two matches.
The main event of the evening was IWGP Heavyweight and Intercontinental Champion Tetsuya Naito, facing SANADA in the Cold Skull's hometown. In our semi main event, we would get a battle of the Bullet Club with KENTA against EVIL. The rest of the B Block matches for G1 Climax 30 Night 8 would be YOSHI-HASHI vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi, Zack Sabre Jr. against Hirooki Goto and Toru Yano facing Juice Robinson.
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The points standing for the B Block going into this event were:
-- Tetsuya Naito, Toru Yano (3-0)
-- KENTA, Juice Robinson (2-1)
-- Hiroshi Tanahashi, Zack Sabre Jr, EVIL, Hirooki Goto, YOSHI-HASHI (1-2)
-- SANADA (0-3)
"Matches To Watch" for Night 8 of the G1 Climax 30 are:
-- Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. YOSHI-HASHI
-- Tetsuya Naito vs. SANADA
We kicked things off for this event once again with a match between the dojo trainees continuing the "unofficial" C Block.
G1 Climax 30 Night 8: Gabriel Kidd vs. Yota Tsuji
The opening contest for Night 8 of the G1 Climax 30 was the Young Lions of Gabriel Kidd against Yota Tsuji, one-on-one. These two have split their previous matches on this tour.
We got a tentative start to this one. Tsuji got control by working over the legs of Kidd. Gabriel got the advantage with chops and working over Tsuji with a chinlock. He hit a vertical suplex for a two count. Tsuji used his strength advantage to regain control in this G1 Climax 30 opening match.
Tsuji hit a running dropkick and went for the Boston Crab. Kidd got to the ropes to break. Gabriel then hit a hip toss and locked on the Boston Crab himself. Tsuji got to the ropes. He then hit a back drop before locking on the Boston Crab. Kidd bridged out and flipped Tsuji over. We got a strike exchange, and both men going for pins. They fought to a fifteen-minute time limit draw in this "unofficial" C Block of the G1 Climax 30.
This might have been the best Young Lions match yet of the G1 Climax 30 events. The fight for the win at the end was captivating.
Results: Gabriel Kidd and Yota Tsuji fought to a time limit draw
Star Rating: ***1/2
Toru Yano (3-0) vs. Juice Robinson (2-1) (G1 Climax 30 B Block Match)
Our B Block opener was KOPW 2020 Toru Yano against Juice Robinson. Yano came in at 3-0, while Juice stood at 2-1 following a loss to Tanahashi on Night 6 of the G1 Climax 30.
We started this G1 Climax 30 match with Yano offering Juice a shirt, and as he put it on, Yano rolled him up for a two count. He then distracted the ref to spray sanitizer in Juice's eyes and rolled him up again for a two count. Juice poured water in his eyes. Yano followed him outside, and Juice poured water in his eyes.
Back in the ring, Yano removed the corner mat. Juice forced Yano to the floor. They argued who will come to the other. Juice relented, leading to Yano taping his legs together. However, Juice hopped to the ring before the count out in this G1 Climax 30 encounter. He eventually hit a Full Nelson slam and untaped himself.
In the end, Yano tried putting the ref behind him to hit the low blow. However Juice hit Left Hand of God and reversed another rollup into one of his own for the win in six and a half minutes. Juice gets two more points in the G1 Climax 30. It was Yano's first loss of the tournament. This was a fun, comedy match.
Results: Juice Robinson (6) defeats Toru Yano (6) via pinfall
Star Rating: **
Zack Sabre Jr. (1-2) vs. Hirooki Goto (1-2) (G1 Climax 30 B Block Match)
Our next match of Night 8 of the G1 Climax 30 was one third of the NEVER Openweight Six Man Tag Team Champions Hirooki Goto of CHAOS facing one half of the IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Champions Zack Sabre Jr of Suzuki-gun. Both men came in at 1-2.
Zack Sabre Jr. grabbed a cross armbreaker to Goto's injured right arm and then grounded Goto with boots to the bad arm. Goto looked to strike to get control, but Sabre Jr. got an Octupus Hold. Finally Goto responded from a punt kick by Zack with a lariat that helped him get the advantage. He followed with Ushigoroshi.
In the end, Goto looked for the mid kick. However ZSJ reversed and got the European Clutch for the win in four minutes. Zack Sabre Jr gets two points in the G1 Climax 30. This was a short and crisp match, but it could have been longer. Goto's arm has become his Achilles heel in the tournament.
Results: Zack Sabre Jr. (4) defeats Hirooki Goto (2) via pinfall
Star Rating: **1/2
***Intermission followed***
YOSHI-HASHI (1-2) vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi (1-2) (G1 Climax 30 B Block Match)
The B Block of the G1 Climax 30 resumed with one third of the NEVER Openweight Six Man Tag Team Champions YOSHI-HASHI of CHAOS against The Ace Hiroshi Tanahashi. Both men came in at 1-2 after getting their first wins on Night 6.
We got a grappling exchange to kick things off. The story of the match became YOSHI-HASHI once again being one step ahead of his opponent here. Tanahashi would get the advantage using the dragon screw, but HASHI would repeatedly fight back using an arsenal of high impact maneuvers including the backstabber. This would lead things to heat up with neither man able to gain control for too long in this G1 Climax 30 contest.
In the end, Tanahashi reversed Kharma into a Sling Blade for a near fall. He followed with a High Fly Flow to a standing HASHI. He then followed with another for the win in just under nineteen minutes. Hiroshi Tanahashi gets another two points in the G1 Climax 30.
This was a highly competitive contest with HASHI standing toe-to-toe with the Ace. HASHI looked incredible out there and has truly stepped up throughout this G1 Climax 30 tournament.
Results: Hiroshi Tanahashi (4) defeats YOSHI-HASHI (2) via pinfall
Star Rating: ***3/4
EVIL (1-2) vs. KENTA (2-1) (G1 Climax 30 B Block Match)
Our semi main event of the evening was EVIL against KENTA in a battle of Bullet Club members. EVIL stood at 1-2 coming into this one, while KENTA was 2-1 following his win over ZSJ on Night 6 of the G1 Climax 30.
EVIL put up the Too Sweet for KENTA, only to Too Sweet Dick Togo instead. Each man stalls to start this G1 Climax 30 semi main event off in typical Bullet Club style. KENTA got the early advantage taking this to the floor. Back in the ring, KENTA landed a DDT for a two count.
Dick Togo tripped KENTA to distract him. This led to EVIL gaining control on the outside. Back in the ring, EVIL worked over the injured shoulder of KENTA with an armbar. KENTA regained control with a big boot. He then landed his Tornado DDT, dropping EVIL's neck on the top rope. KENTA followed with a clothesline from the top for a two in this G1 Climax 30 contest.
Togo once again distracted KENTA, leading to EVIL attacking the arm again. He drove his arm into the exposed turnbuckle in the ring and followed with a Fisherman Buster for a near fall. The referee went down due to EVIL putting him in front of a corner attack from KENTA.
KENTA tried to use the NJ Cup USA briefcase, but Dick tried to stop him. He cracked Dick over the head with it and then hit EVIL with the case in the ring. KENTA followed with a double foot stomp and running knee for a near fall in this G1 Climax 30 battle. EVIL fought out of the Go To Sleep and led KENTA to run into the exposed turnbuckle. He then hit Darkness Falls for a near fall. EVIL followed with a lariat for another two count.
EVIL went for Everything Is EVIL, but KENTA hit repeated slaps. He looked for GTS again, but Dick Togo got on the apron. KENTA brought him in and looked for the GTS on him. However Dick grabbed the ref for EVIL to low blow KENTA. He followed with Everything Is EVIL for the win in about sixteen minutes. EVIL gets another two points in the G1 Climax 30.
This was a very solid heel vs heel battle with EVIL outcheating his Bullet Club stablemate. The somewhat teased babyface turn for KENTA continues.
Results: EVIL (4) defeats KENTA (4) via pinfall
Star Rating: ***1/4
SANADA (0-3) vs. Tetsuya Naito (3-0) (G1 Climax 30 B Block Match)
Our main event for the G1 Climax 30 Night 8 was a battle of Los Ingobernables de Japon with SANADA facing the leader and IWGP Heavyweight and Intercontinental Champion Tetsuya Naito. SANADA came in winless at 0-3, while Naito was the B Block leader with a 3-0 record. SANADA is 0-1 against Naito coming in.
We got a tentative start to this G1 Climax 30 Night 8 main event with both men looking for position and wrist control early on. SANADA cut off the running Ingobernable pose and did a fake plancha to flip back inside with some gamesmanship.
Naito finally got control when he brought to the outside running SANADA into the guardrails. Back in the ring, the champion grounded SANADA with a headscissor submission until he reached the ropes. Naito followed with his corner combo and covered for the one count. Naito toying with SANADA clearly playing the heel in his opponent's hometown for this G1 Climax 30 encounter.
We got a series of reversals, which ended with SANADA hitting a rope assisted Twist and Shout. Another counter led to Naito hitting a Tornado DDT. Naito looked for an avalanche frankensteiner, but SANADA ducked out and nailed a dropkick to the back. Naito ran his shoulder into the ring post. SANADA followed with a top rope modified neckbreaker from the top. He then hit a Tiger Suplex for a near fall.
We got a strike exchange from both men's knees in this G1 Climax 30 match. They fought to their feet with SANADA ending the exchange hitting his flip into the Skull End. He spun Naito and got the hooks in looking for the submission. Naito broke free, but SANADA reapplied again. SANADA broke the hold and looked for the Muta-sault, but he missed.
After a struggle due to sweat, Naito hit a running Destino for a near fall. He looked for another, but SANADA reversed back into Skull End. Naito reversed a brainbuster, but SANADA blocked with a knee to the head. SANADA then reversed Valentia with a Destino of his own. He followed with a Muta-sault to the back and another for the win in twenty seven minutes. SANADA defeats Naito for the first time and gets his first two points of the G1 Climax 30.
This was an intense back and forth that resulted in a great main event. Both men showed their counter ability in this one. Some sloppiness towards the end stopped this from reaching the next level though. Naito has truly been a workhorse in the G1 Climax 30 so far with all of his matches exceeding twenty minutes plus in length.
Results: SANADA (2) defeats Tetsuya Naito (6) via pinfall
Star Rating: ****
