NEW JAPAN PRO-WRESTLING

NEWS

OCT.2.2020

#TOPICS

G1 Climax 30 night 9 preview 【G130】

A Block returns to action in Takamatsu

There’s very little time to rest in G1 Climax 30, and after three nights away (four for the participants of A Block), Kagawa sees combatants come fresh to the ring after the ‘luxury’ of the longest rest period in the tournament. That down time will be more than paid for with matches all the way through the week in a tough four day run starting here in Takamatsu. 

Kota Ibushi (3-1) vs Will Ospreay (3-1)

Overall singles record: 1-1 G1 record: 1-0 Ibushi

With five men on A Block all tied at six points, every match on tonight’s card will be key to determining the second half of the competition. That said Takamatsu’s main event might be most important of all. Ibushi and Ospreay head into the evening with one loss apiece, Ibushi having been beaten by Jay White, while Ospreay fell to Shingo Takagi. 

Ibushi has said of Ospreay that he reminds him of a younger version of himself; certainly Ospreay, who idolised Ibushi coming into pro-wrestling, has patterned himself after the Golden Star’s career. For both men, high risk, fast flowing matches that went viral online gave way to a more mature, powerful striking style, albeit one that isn’t afraid to take big chances, and a move to heavyweight competition.

Meetings in 2019 at the Tokyo Dome and during the G1 were inevitable and hotly anticipated. Their first clash at Wrestle Kingdom 13 saw Ospreay win in commanding fashion while Ibushi had to take a month away with a concussion. Some six months later and a Korakuen clash saw Ibushi come out on top, this despite an ankle injury that put a question mark over his campaign; Ibushi credited the injury and matches like the one with Ospreay with forcing him to adopt a more strike based style that eventually saw him to tournament victory. Yet Ospreay too was wrestling hurt at the time, with a neck injury that also raised question marks. 

Now with both men relatively fresh and coming off victories against Jeff Cobb and Jay White respectively, will it be Ibushi, or Ospreay moving to eight points this Monday?  

Tomohiro Ishii (1-3) vs Taichi (3-1)

Overall singles record: 4-1 Ishii G1 record 1-0 Taichi

Tomohiro Ishii and Taichi had quite opposite starts to their G1 campaigns. Ishii lost his first three matches, finally finding victory in a hard fought main event against Shingo Takagi Wednesday, while Taichi started at 3-0 before passing out (not tapping out) to Kazuchika Okada’s Money Clip in Korakuen Hall. 

The question then is whether that one victory and one defeat represent a blip or big swings in momentum. For Taichi, he will be hoping that his one victory over Ishii in the Nippon Budokan last year, will represent a swing in momentum for his feud with the Stone Pitbull; indeed Taichi used the momentum from his personal issues with Ishii to really tap into a new level of aggression through 2019 that has served him extremely well this year. A win here will set Taichi up extremely well for getting the 12 points usually recognized as they key watermark for finals contention; a loss and stalled momentum could hurt the Holy Emperor badly.

Kazuchika Okada (2-2) vs Minoru Suzuki (3-1)

Singles record: 5-1-2 Okada G1 record: 2-0-1 Okada

Takamatsu sees the ninth singles confrontation between Minoru Suzuki and Kazuchika Okada in eight years, and while the scorelines would indicate a clear upper hand for Okada, that gives lie to the matches themselves, always bitter and brutal wars that have seen the Rainmaker pushed to the very brink, and sometimes past the limits, at least of the clock. 

Suzuki’s first and only win over Okada came in their first encounter at New Beginning in 2013, when Suzuki realized the Rainmaker meant money, to NJPW and as a conquest for himself. Since then Okada has been on an undefeated streak against the King, but three of his five victories over Suzuki- at Dontaku in Fukuoka in 2013, London for Royal Quest in 2019, and most grueling, a 40 minute match in Sapporo in 2017 where Okada’s arm was hanging on to his body by the barest thread- have clocked in past the 30 minute time limit of G1 group matches. Indeed, their record includes two thirty minute draws, both on Suzuki’s home turf of Yokohama. 

This time out? If Okada had Suzuki’s number in the past, one wonders whether the same will hold true. Suzuki is on a tear with only one loss to his name against Taichi in Hokkaido. His wins meanwhile have all come by turning his opponent’s greatest strengths and finishing moves against them, countering Vertical Drop Brainbuster, the Tour of the Islands and the Pimp Juice into Gotch Style Piledrivers to beat Ishii, Cobb and Yujiro respectively. Kazuchika Okada has been resolute to the point of stubbornness in insisting he has ‘more than just the Rainmaker’ in 2020, and in establishing the Money Clip as his preferred submission finish. Could that put him in trouble against inarguably one of the most feared grapplers in this tournament?

Jeff Cobb (1-3) vs Jay White (3-1)

Singles record: 1-0 White (2019 G1)

After a strong 1-1 start in the G1 saw Jeff Cobb pick up his first win on A Block’s second night, defeating Shingo Takagi in Hokkaido, Mr. Athletic has struggled. Though he’s shown his impressive athleticism and grappling ability against Minoru Suzuki and Kota Ibushi, he hasn’t been able to convert to victory in either of those difficult matchups, with both his recent opponents using the big man’s momentum against him. Suzuki countered out of a Tour of the Island attempt into a sleeper and quick Gotch Style Piledriver, while Ibushi caught a charging Cobb with a short knee and follow up Kamigoye in Korakuen Hall. 

Using an opponent’s momentum and strength against them in Jay White all over. Gladly accepting the label of ‘best defensive wrestler in NJPW’, the Switchblade certainly has a lot of weapons that he can turn against Cobb, and indeed did so in last year’s tournament. Should Cobb finally be able to drop one of his bombs on Jay White however, it may be game over for the Kiwi at the crucial midway point of the tournament. 

Shingo Takagi (1-3) vs Yujiro Takahashi (0-4)

First singles meeting

Precious few people had Yujiro Takahashi’s name circled as a potential factor in the final running for G1 Climax 30. The Tokyo Pimp himself, returning after a five year exodus, likely didn’t in his heart of hearts, and although his zero point status is disappointing for Yujiro, the quality of his competition makes it not an outright shock. Yet for Shingo Takagi, currently sitting at just two points after four matches, greater cause for concern. His sole victory, in Kobe over Will Ospreay was a spectacular one, but after dropping his very next bout against Tomohiro Ishii in Korakuen, Takagi finds himself in the same two point territory in his B Block LIJ opposite number SANADA; effectively in need to win out if he’s to attain the golden 12 points that would put him in the running on the final day. 

For Yujiro, four losses means that though he isn’t completely out of the running, he could well be by the end of the night. Yet Takahashi may not only easily slip into the role of A Block spoiler, he may actively enjoy it. Without the mental pressures of ascending to the top flight, it’s easy to see the sneaky Yujiro drag others to his level, and that may start with the Dragon in Takamatsu. 

Yuya Uemura (2-3 this tour) vs Gabriel Kidd (2-2-1 this tour)

Singles record 3-1 Uemura (1-1 this tour)

Night eight of the G1 tour in Nagaoka saw a shocking turn in the ongoing battle of the Young Lions. After a long exchange of victories left Yuya Uemura, Gabriel Kidd and Yota Tsuji all deadlocked at 2-2 after six nights, it seemed like we were in line for more of the same when Tsuji got a win up over Uemura. Then the next night, he and Kidd went the distance to a 15 minute broadway. If we were keeping score, then Tsuji would be at seven points, Kidd at five and Uemura lagging behind at four. That means the master of the overhook suplex really needs to assert himself here against his British opposition, with a win keeping him within striking distance of the tour’s leader. A loss, and Kidd and Tsuji might set themselves a clear distance above the Noge Dojo young gun.  

BACK TO NEWS TOP