Winner Of NJPW G1 Climax 30 Crowned
And the winner is...
New Japan Pro Wrestling's G1 Climax 30 has come and gone, and we now know who will advance to Wrestle Kingdom 15 for a Heavyweight title match.
For the second year in a row, Kota Ibushi takes home the honors, defeating SANADA in a 35-minute battle that ended with Ibushi landing two kamigoyes.
Ibushi becomes the first person to win back-to-back G1 Climaxes since Hiroyoshi Tenzan won the 2003 and 2004 tournaments.
Ibushi's only losses in the tournament came to Shingo Takagi and Jay White, the latter of whom had to be beaten by Tomohiro Ishii in order for Ibushi to advance from the A block.
In a post-match ceremony, Masahiro Chono awarded Ibushi with the G1 Climax trophy and flag. In the closing of his speech, Ibushi promised to "become God".
Ibushi will challenge the IWGP Heavyweight champion at Wrestle Kingdom 15 in early 2021. Tetsuya Naito is the current titleholder.
Elsewhere at the G1 Climax final, Naito teamed with BUSHI in a loss to Bullet Club members EVIL and Yujiro Takahashi. Fellow Bullet Club members Jay White, KENTA, Gedo, and Taiji Ishimori lost an eight-man bout to Master Wato, Jeff Cobb, Juice Robinson, and Hiroshi Tanahashi.
Written by Justin Henry
In addition to writing lists and commentaries for Cultaholic, Justin is also a features writer and interviewer for Fighting Spirit Magazine, and is co-author of the WWE-related book Titan Screwed: Lost Smiles, Stunners, and Screwjobs.
