The four day stretch of G1 Climax events will come to an end with B-Block, as does the middle of the tournament. After tonight, we will see who takes the lead in B-Block as the tournament reaches its final sprint.
G1 Climax 2020 Block B Match: Hirooki Goto vs. YOSHI-HASHI
Fellow NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Champions will start this night, and it could be the win that YOSHI-HASHI has been looking for. Hirooki Goto might have just beaten Toru Yano in 18 seconds, but his shoulder issues make him vulnerable. Meanwhile, YOSHI-HASHI is coming into this match after taking Tetsuya Naito, EVIL and Hiroshi Tanashi to the limit. He’s on the run of his career, he just needs to target the arm of his friend and partner to get a win.
YOSHI-HASHI did as expected and targeted that hurt arm, but also got overconfident and slapped Goto. This was what Goto needed to wake up. What would follow that slap was a fantastic back and forth battle between allies, featuring another spirited and hard hitting showing for YOSHI-HASHI. He’d just about have Goto beat, but a single GTR would put him down for the finish, and Goto just needs to keep the fire he had in this match going forward to end this one with a decent score.
Match Rating: 3.75/5 (*** ¾)
G1 Climax 2020 Block B Match: Toru Yano vs. Zack Sabre Jr.
The last time Toru Yano met Zack Sabre Jr. was in the 2018 G1 Climax, when Yano was trying to play fair and use his wrestling experience to win matches. This allowed ZSJ to beat Yano with some ease, but now Yano is playing his game. ZSJ was able to beat Yano in a wrestling match, but tonight he needs to defuse Yano, something that isn’t too easy.
In a twist, Yano was going to play fair. He threw out his tape and started to wrestle ZSJ. Granted ZSJ would end up tied to a chair in the barricades at one point, low blows were thrown and a turnbuckle was exposed, but Yano also did some chain wrestling and hit a suplex. You can’t expect too much out of him. Clearly ZSJ brings out the best in Yano, and we got a fine little match as a result, but when you try to out wrestle ZSJ, you lose. A kneebar would be applied, Yano would tap out, but he made a (somewhat) honest attempt!
Match Rating: 3.25/5 (*** ¼)
G1 Climax 2020 Block B Match: KENTA vs. SANADA
In the 2019 G1 Climax, KENTA & SANADA had their only match, when KENTA was losing steam after a long tournament and SANADA was starting his sprint towards the finals. This is the situation once again, as SANADA looks to keep going after beating both Tetsuya Naito & Zack Sabre Jr, and KENTA just lost to EVIL & Hiroshi Tanahashi. SANADA won last time, will history repeat itself?
A cheap shot before the bell gave KENTA an advantage early on, letting him wrestle this match at his favored slower, submission focused pace. This would persist throughout, with SANADA keeping up due to his technical wrestling skills. Around the ten minute mark, the pace picked up, SANADA got moving and he’d nab the win with a flash pinfall. An alright match, but one that took too long to get going and then ended suddenly.
Match Rating: 3/5 (***)
G1 Climax 2020 Block B Match: Tetsuya Naito vs. Juice Robinson
Juice Robinson & Tetsuya Naito have a rough history. From Robinson being a target as a Young Lion in 2015, to a 3-0 record against the IWGP Double Champion. However, Robinson is having a great tournament, and getting revenge over an increasingly cocky Naito would be the sweetest revenge he could ask for. Their previous matches have been fantastic, and this one is likely to keep that trend alive.
All the ingredients for a good match were here. Natural chemistry, Robinson playing the underdog, Naito playing the overconfident heel, an interested crowd, and the great action that comes with it all. It was a back & forth match, both men getting their signature blows in but having less in their tanks after a long tournament. Everything just took a bit more as they passed the 15 minute mark, even more so as they passed 20 minutes.
However, the big moves kept coming until an insane finishing stretch. Robinson would mock Naitos signature taunt, punch him right in the face, kick out of Destino and the crowd damn near jumped out of their seats. Another Destino, Robinson would be put down and Naito is becoming truly untouchable in B-Block.
Match Rating: 4.5/5 (**** ½)
G1 Climax 2020 Block B Match: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. EVIL
This match might as well be just titles GOOD vs. EVIL, as that is what it boils down too. Hiroshi Tanahashi is the complete opposite of EVIL, but they come into this match with six points each. Tanahashi has won his matches with heart, passion and the support of the fans, EVIL has won using low blows and interference. This match will decide who keeps their momentum as we enter the final stretch of this year’s G1 Climax, and history is on the side of Tanahashi, but he’s never faced this new level of EVIL.
This match was simply a masterclass on how to play a babyface with Tanahashi as the teacher. He had everyone in the room, except Dick Togo & EVIL on his side. The crowd was behind him, commentary was behind him, even Young Lion Yota Tsuji tried to held deal with Togo at ringside. Sadly, in the end, interference was too much, Tanahashi got crotched on the top rope as he tried for the High Fly Flow, and this would all lead to EVIL nailing his STO for the win. Even the best babyface will sometimes lose, but his performance was impeccable as always. There is seriously no one else who plays the role as good as Tanahashi, he’s the best of the best.
Match Rating: 4/5 (****)
What was your favorite match of Night Twelve of the 2020 G1 Climax? Let us know in the comment section down below!
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