10 Best Matches From The G1 Climax 30
1. Tetsuya Naito Vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi (G1 Night 2)
The masterpiece of the tournament, immediately an all time classic from the second it ended. On the first night of B Block, two of the greatest of all time Tetsuya Naito and Hiroshi Tanahashi re-ignited their masterful feud from a few years ago with this gripping physical and narrative classic.
Naito delivered the champion performance we all knew he was capable of, embedding his natural arrogance when facing Tanahashi with the aura of the top star in the company. He isn’t completely a heel - he’s far too likeable for that - but he despises Tanahashi and will fight with every ounce of his strength to keep the Ace down.
Tanahashi played the perfect underdog veteran that everyone still believes can get the upset, embedding his natural sympathetic presence with his broken down body perfectly. Every major moment felt like he was resisting his own body’s limitations, pushing through pain and degradation to keep Naito from gaining two points as long as he could.
The near falls were unbelievable and the two have some of the most natural chemistry in wrestling history, with every second feeling transcendent, especially in those final 10 minutes. The best this year’s G1 had to offer.