10 Best Matches From The G1 Climax 30

The match that every single moment of the tournament had been building towards, this main event between Kota Ibushi and SANADA absolutely lived up to the expectations of a G1 final. This was most notable for SANADA's incredible babyface performance and connection to the crowd, with his improved pacing and counters helping him stand out as the star of the future. Ibushi is experienced in G1 finals and he uses his veteran qualities to bring the best out of SANADA, constantly installing doubt in the audience if he’ll be able to overcome his leg pain to hit the Kamigoye.

While it didn’t have conventional babyface/heel drama, the uncertainty from the crowd over who was taking the victory ensured investment, especially after the closest near fall in modern wrestling. Ibushi kicked out of SANADA’s O’Connor Roll literally milliseconds before the referee Red Shoes’ hand hits the mat for the three. You can hear the crowd audibly gasp when they pulled it off; they were convinced SANADA had it won.

After this, the two men performed a miraculous final stretch where Ibushi pulled out another unbelievable win after two Kamigoyes and became only the third man to win back to back G1 Climax tournaments.