G1 Climax 30 Night 18 Results: EVIL-SANADA in B Block Finals
After a tremendous Night 17 filled with shocking results and angles, the B Block of the G1 Climax 30 would be decided on Night 18. With Kota Ibushi waiting as the A-Block winner, EVIL, Tetsuya Naito, and SANADA all had a shot to win the B-Block on this night. Fans would get a show with less shock, but it did have plenty of action for the fans to enjoy.
The main event of the evening would be EVIL facing his former IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Champion partner, SANADA. If EVIL won, he would take the block. SANADA needed to win and some help. In the semi-main event, IWGP Heavyweight and Intercontinental Champion Tetsuya Naito would face KENTA. Naito needed a win and an EVIL loss, while a loss for Naito meant the main event would determine the entire block. The rest of the block matches would be Zack Sabre Jr versus Hiroshi Tanahashi, Hirooki Goto meeting Juice Robinson, and Toru Yano against YOSHI-HASHI.
This was the second of three straight nights in Ryogoku with another limited capacity crowd. There was also live English commentary once again. The B-Block standings heading into the night were as follows:
- EVIL, Tetsuya Naito (6-2)
- SANADA, Zack Sabre Jr. (5-3)
- KENTA, Hirooki Goto (4-4)
- Hiroshi Tanahashi, Juice Robinson, Toru Yano (3-5)
- YOSHI-HASHI (1-7)
For G1 Climax 30 Night 18, your "Matches To Watch" were:
- Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Zack Sabre Jr.
- Tetsuya Naito vs. KENTA
- EVIL vs. SANADA
The opening contest once again is another round of the New Japan dojo trainees battling it out.
G1 Climax 30 Night 18: Gabriel Kidd vs. Yuya Uemura
The opening encounter was the Young Lions of Gabriel Kidd meeting Yota Uemura. Uemura won their last meeting on G1 Climax 30 Night 15. Tsuji already won the C-Block, so this was for second place.
The fans got a tentative start to the G1 Climax 30 opener. Uemura started focusing on the left arm as he has in past matches. He did a hip toss into a key lock and rolled around the ring working the arm over more.
Kidd got control by attacking the hamstring. He applied a toe hold and transitioned into a butterfly lock at the same time. Uemura reversed a suplex into an inside cradle for a two. Kidd rolled up Uemura for a near fall.
The two men traded strikes until Kidd landed a dropkick to a running Uemura. Kidd then hit his butterfly suplex for the win in just over eight minutes. Gabriel Kidd got his fifth win of the "unofficial" C Block of the G1 Climax 30. This was a decent opening match.
Results: Gabriel Kidd defeats Yuya Uemura via pinfall
Star Rating: **3/4