The G1 Climax 30 was a professional wrestling tournament produced by New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). The tournament commenced on September 19 and concluded on October 18, 2020. It was the thirtieth edition of G1 Climax, and forty-sixth edition of the tournament counting its previous forms under different names. A Block winner Kota Ibushi defeated B Block winner Sanada in the final to win the tournament.
Considered NJPW's most important tournament, the G1 Climax features twenty wrestlers, divided in two blocks of ten ("A" and "B"). Each participant faces all nine other wrestlers within the same block in singles matches. The winner of each block is determined via a point system, with two points for a win, one point for a draw, and no point for a defeat; each night of the event sees the ten members of one block compete for the tournament. On the final day of the event, the winners of both blocks face each other to determine the winner of the G1 Climax, who will gain a future match for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship at Wrestle Kingdom, NJPW's biggest yearly event. The event was broadcast live on TV Asahi and Fighting TV Samurai [ja] in Japan, and New Japan Pro-Wrestling World worldwide.
The tournament features twenty wrestlers, divided in two blocks of ten ("A" and "B"). Each participant faces all nine other wrestler within the same block in singles match, with the winner of each block being determined via a point system, gaining two points for a win, one point for a draw, and no point for a loss; each night of the event sees the ten members of a same block compete for the tournament. In case of several wrestler sharing the top score, the results of the matches those wrestlers had when facing each others in the tournament act as tiebreaker, with the one having the most wins over the other top-scorers determining the winner of the block.[1][2]
On the final day of the event, the respective winners of both blocks face each other to determine the winner of the G1 Climax, who would gain a future match for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship, NJPW's top championship, at Wrestle Kingdom, NJPW's biggest yearly event; if the IWGP Heavyweight Champion himself wins, he gets to pick his opponent at Wrestle Kingdom. The Young Lion matches have a fifteen-minutes time limit, while the matches of the tournament have a 30-minutes time limit (with the time limit being reached resulting in a tie); the final match between the two block winners has no time limit.[1][2]
History
In January 2020, NJPW announced that the 2020 edition of the G1 Climax would take place from September to October, instead of its usual July–August schedule, to avoid conflict with the 2020 Summer Olympics.[3] During the New Japan Road event on September 9, NJPW announced the full tournament bracket for the G1 Climax.[4][5]
Storylines
The event includes matches that result from scripted storylines, where wrestlers portray heroes, villains, or less distinguishable characters in scripted events that build tension and culminate in a wrestling match or series of matches.[6]
The tournament saw the in-ring returns of Juice Robinson and Will Ospreay to NJPW for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic began.[7]Jay White, Jeff Cobb, and Kenta returned to NJPW in August on their weekly TV show, NJPW Strong, which was taped in America. However, this tournament was White, Cobb, and Kenta's returns to Japan since the start of the pandemic.
On night 17, during the match between Kazuchika Okada and Will Ospreay, Bea Priestley, Ospreay's girlfriend, made her debut appearance in NJPW, at ringside. As Okada locked his Money Clip submission onto Ospreay, Priestley attempted to enter the ring, distracting the referee in the process, allowing Tomoyuki Oka to make his return to the company as Great O-Kharn (later changed to Great O-Khan, in reference to Genghis Khan of the Mongol Empire),[28] attacking Okada with an Eliminator, helping earn the victory for Ospreay. Afterwards, Ospreay turned heel on Okada by attacking him after the match from behind with his Hidden Blade elbow. In a backstage interview, Ospreay announced that he would officially leave Chaos to start a new faction with him, Priestley, and O-Khan called The Empire (later changed to United Empire).[29]
On November 7, 2020, Kota Ibushi unsuccessfully defended his briefcase, being the first man to do so, by losing it to Jay White at Power Struggle.
Notes
^This match broke the record for the shortest match in G1 Climax history; previously held by Kenzo Suzuki vs. Tadao Yasuda in the 2002 tournament, which lasted 37 seconds.
^Ibushi became the first wrestler to win back to back G1 Climax tournaments since Hiroyoshi Tenzan in 2003 and 2004.
