Ibushi, Okada, White, Ospreay top A Block after seventh matches in Osaka. 

With just two matches remaining on the A Block schedule after G1 Climax hit Osaka’s EDION Arena for the third time on the tour, Kota Ibushi, Will Ospreay, Kazuchika Okada and Jay White sit atop the group on ten points while Yujiro Takahashi remains the last place runner at zero.

The first group match of the evening saw Jeff Cobb in a must-win situation against Tomohiro Ishii. Always expected to be a hoss fight, the match started in fitting form with both men colliding with shoulder tackles before Ishii was put down by the larger Cobb. An arrogant kip-up from Cobb when Ishii responded however, led the Stone Pitbull to gain an advantage with a backdrop suplex and brutal chops. 

When Ishii got too confident himself as he paintbrushed Cobb with boots and foul language, Cobb threw his opponent clean across the ring with a T-Bone suplex, and set the table for a suplex party. Ishii’s response was to pull away the table cloth, which he did with a huge vertical suplex of his own and chops and jabs fired into Cobb in the ropes, the referee stepping in as Cobb appeared to have difficulty defending himself. 

Sato again stepped in when an almighty elbow rocked Mr. Athletic, but Cobb rallied to deliver a thunderous belly to belly to Ishii, only succeeding in firing up his opponent as the two men exchanged throws. With a lethal rocket headbutt, it was Cobb gaining the upper hand, and the Olympian followed by misdirecting Ishii in midair with a German suplex before a Gachimuchi Moonsault connected for two. 

Ishii escaped Tour of the Islands and landed a jumping high kick, but landed hard on the right knee that has been giving him trouble through the tournament. A slight hobble when running off the ropes gave Cobb time to connect with a headbutt, but Ishii still stayed in the game with a thunderous lariat and then a second blow which all but decapitated Cobb for the nearest of nearfalls. 

Ishii looked to seal the deal with the Vertical Drop; countered by Spin Cycle, Ishii still found his feet and clashed skulls with Cobb until both collapsed to the mat. Ishii charged once more at Cobb, but digging deep with all he had, the former NEVER Champion hit a pop up powerbomb and an almighty Tour of the Islands for the victory. 

Entering his seventh match as the only competitor in G1 Climax 30 with no points to his name, Yujiro Takahashi was fighting for pride against Jay White, but EVIL and Jay White’s political machinations brought a lot of speculation as to just how the match would play out. Full of confidence, White headed to the ring in warming up gear and sneakers, evidently thinking he wouldn’t have to put too much work in. After the bell sounded, White invited Yujiro to lay down for the three to be counted, but Yujiro kicked out twice, before almost rolling White up, and landing a huge forearm to knock the Switchblade down. 

An Inter Collegiate Slam followed for another two, and a low blow got yet another near finish on the reeling White. When Yujiro looked to finish with Pimp Juice, Jay connected with his own low blow, and followed with Bladerunner for the win. 

After the break, Will Ospreay and Taichi faced off at eight and six points points respectively. Taichi looked to the ropes repeatedly to avoid Ospreay’s strength advantage early, and further frustrated his opponent at every opportunity before engaging with a thumb to the eyes, getting a Tijeras for his troubles. Bailing to the outside, Taichi found a weapon in the ringside hammer, and continued firm control of the match by unfair means with a camera cable. 

Pace effectively slowed, Taichi kept up the illegal offense before Ospreay caught a break with a hangspring kick, and Sasuke Special to the floor. With a thumb to the eyes to help, Taichi countered a Reverse Bloody Sunday, but Ospreay stayed on his toes with a scintillating aerial sequence to finally keep Taichi on the ground for a corkscrew, garnering a two count. 

Taichi turned the tide with his own power rather than illegal activity, a jumping high knocking Ospreay off his feet. Taichi showed off his power at the ten minute mark with heavy mid kicks, and when Ospreay looked to hit another handspring, he got caught with a Dangerous Backdrop. 

Taichi tried to follow with Black Mephisto off the top rope, countered into a Cheeky Nando’s from Ospreay. The Assassin looked for a 450 to follow, but met the knees of Taichi, getting hit with the Holy Emperor’s own Hidden Blade and a Last Ride for two. The trousers came off, and Taichi looked to put Ospreay away, but got caught with a superkick from the Briton who tried OsCutter, only to get superkicked out of mid air. 

Both men looked for their respective finishes, neither connecting until Ospreay caught Taichi with OsCutter. The Hidden Blade followed, and then Stormbreaker connected to put Ospreay at ten points. 

Kota Ibushi promised a striking game with Minoru Suzuki, and tested the King with low kicks, but found himself in the ropes early, before Suzuki scored the first takedown, Ibushi blocking the full guard, but getting caught again with a double wrist lock. This time, Ibushi navigated the King onto his back, and looked for a straight arm, but was caught with a heel hook. 

Suzuki barked a challenge at Ibushi as he kicked at him from the hold, and got a response in the form of a mighty boot that sent him off the apron to the floor. An angered Suzuki called Ibushi out to join him on the entrance ramp, where he landed a heavy thudding forearm shiver, chiding Red Shoes Unno when the referee applied his 20 count. 

Back inside, Suzuki laid in some brutal kicks to a seated Ibushi, his brutal strikes knocking the daylights out of the Golden Star but awakening his inner demon. Reacting instinctively at the ten minute mark, Ibushi bought some time with a dropkick and then a solebutt to Suzuki, before a heavy combo landed, Suzuki refusing to stay down as kick after kick connected. 

A demented grin rather than pain was etched on Suzuki’s countenance as he levelled Ibushi with a forearm, but an equally brutal Ibushi came up to meet him. Elbows and headbutts met, before Ibushi looked for a knockout right hand, countered into a sleeper. Ibushi escaped a follow up Gotch Style Piledriver, converted to a Kamigoye attempt that was itself reversed to a Boston Crab. 

Ibushi came free and looked repeatedly for knees, countered time and again until a standing Kamigoye was followed by the full version, putting Ibushi at the top with ten points.  

The main event of an incredible night of action saw Kazuchika Okada and Shingo Takagi meet for the first time, Takagi looking to improve to eight points while Okada wanted to join the trio at ten. After initial testing, it was Takagi scoring the first knockdowns, with the crowd solidly behind the Dragon, but Okada responded with a basement dropkick that took Shingo to the floor. 

Okada took over when Takagi came back inside, and looked to press his advantage with a senton Atomico, evaded by Takagi who took out the Rainmaker’s leg on the apron and followed with a DDT on the floor before taking control with a body scissors in the middle of the ring. Okada caught a breather with a Flapjack to Takagi though, and accelerated, landing a back elbow and leading the crowd in claps and stomps at ten minutes elapsed. 

A pop-up DVD brought the match back to Shingo, but only briefly as Okada’s instincts saw a reverse neckbreaker find its mark. Takagi fired in with chops and a straight fist to Okada, but was dropkicked out to the floor off the top rope, and Okada followed with a devastating DDT from apron to floor. 

A Ryukon lariat found its mark for Takagi to get some time, but the Dragon’s neck appeared to be badly bothering him, and meant a Noshigami attempt was countered into Money Clip, before Takagi was able to work free and hit the intended move. Peppering Okada with elbows, Shingo went for the kill, but was met with a dropkick, Tombstone and the Money Clip, Okada forcing Shingo to the ropes. 

The Rainmaker looked for his own decisive blow from the top, but was met with a thunderous superplex from the top rope. A Pumping Bomber met Okada in the corner, but Okada fired up, cutting Takagi off with a shotgun dropkick but getting immediately met with a sliding lariat as the match passed the 20 minute mark.

Both athletes dug deep, Takagi apparently deeper as he threw blow after blow at the Rainmaker’s head. Okada looked for the victory roll pin that got him his last two wins, Takagi kicking out, but a corkscrew Tombstone followed, and Shingo found himself in the Money Clip. As Takagi tried to get free, a short arm lariat was waiting, but Takagi hit his own Rainmaker as the crowd came unglued.

A Pumping Bomber was ducked by Okada but Takagi scored with Made In Japan for a nearfall, and a second two count from Pumping Bomber at 25 minutes. Okada escaped Last of the Dragon and tried Money Clip again; Okada hit with a short range dropkick and rolling lariat as Shingo got free. 

Crawling over to Takagi, Okada locked in the Money Clip once more. The strength in Takagi faded, but Shingo refused to let Red Shoes stop the match. With three minutes on the clock, Okada pulled Takagi to ring center, this time driving the Dragon to unconsciousness for the stoppage.