#154: Kazuchika Okada vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi, NJPW King of Pro Wrestling (10/14/2013).
This is for Okada's IWGP Heavyweight Championship.
The G1 Climax solved nothing. The score was still tied, and the 30 minute time limit draw in the tournament meant that these two men were guaranteed to go one on one one more time in 2013. Not only was the IWGP Heavyweight Championship at stake, but also the title of Ace of New Japan, as well as the man who would enter Wrestle Kingdom 8 as champion to face off against G1 Climax winner Tetsuya Naito. The stakes were as high as they had ever been between these two. It was time to finally settle the score.
Based on the crowd reactions for their entrances, this is easily the biggest singles match these two have had up to this point. Referee Red Shoes raises the title up for all to see, then we get the proper ring introductions. This is the definition of a ābig fight feel.ā
The bell sounds, and both men explode at each other right away! Okada goes for a dropkick and misses, and Tana looks for the Cloverleaf right away! The sense of urgency is unreal. Both men stop to stare each other down in the middle of the ring, taking in the atmosphere of this night. They lock up, and Okada takes the back first, before Tana slips out and takes Okadaās back. Drop toe hold by Okada, and Tana takes the side headlock. Itās established by this point that these two know each other very well.
Tana keeps the hold on as Okada attempts to send him off the ropes. Tana comes off the ropes to shoulder tackle Okada down, and then gets the side headlock in once again. Okada sends Tana into the ropes again, and Tana is smart and immediately takes the headlock back. Tana tightens his grip hard, putting more pressure on the neck. Okada gets to his feet and sends Tana into the corner, but the Ace is quick to fight back and take the headlock. He is relentless!
Okada escapes and shoulder tackles Tana down to the mat, and kicks at the back. A quick powerslam, followed by a senton from the apron connects flush. Okada gets a swinging neckbreaker in for a 2 count. Okada sends Tana into the turnbuckle, and drives his back elbow into the neck repeatedly. An irish whip is reversed by Tana, who sends Okada into the opposite corner. He looks for an attack, but Okada elbows him, and places him on the top. Tana comes down for an attack, and appears to hurt his knee.
Heās in immense pain now. He may have blown his knee out. Okada sits him up and goes for an attack, but Tana just collapses down. Red Shoes checks on Tanaās condition. Then, out of nowhere, Tana is back up! He catches Okada in a small package attempt, followed by a dropkick to the legs! Hell, even the good hearted Ace Tanahashi is showing desperation right there, feigning an injury! Tana plays air guitar, and hops around on the āinjuredā leg. Some of the fans even boo this!
Tana tosses Okada down and traps the arm in a stretch. He stomps at it, and slams it against the mat. He snaps at the shoulder, before sending Okada to the mat, and trapping the arm in a hammerlock in his legs. Keep in mind, this is the Rainmaker arm as well. Okada rolls around the ring several times in an attempt to break this hold, and finally gets his foot on the rope. Tana stays focused and kicks at the arm. Okada looks for a comeback with forearms, but thereās too much pain in the arm.
Tana comes off the ropes with a flying forearm next, as he looks to keep the pace slow. He powerslams Okada, and then scales the turnbuckle to come down with a senton. He goes to kick Okada, who catches him in a Dragon Screw Legwhip! Okada sits Tana down and hits a running dropkick to the head, followed by a flapjack for a 2 count. Tana looks for a flying splash in the corner, but Okada avoids it, and places him on the top rope. A beautiful dropkick sends Tana to the outside.
Okada sends Tana crashing back first into the steel barricade, then boots him over into the front row. Now he positions Tana onto the barricade, and drops him with a nice DDT to the floor. Back in the ring, Okada spikes Tana with another DDT, then traps him in the Deep in Debt submission hold, putting extra torque on the neck. Tana is able to get his foot on the rope, but Okada holds the submission just a few seconds longer for extra measure. A powerslam follows, and Okada goes to the top rope. Tana is back up and grabs him to toss him to the mat. Tana does the Rainmaker pose! Okada isnāt happy, and both men exchange bombs in the middle of the ring. Neither gets the advantage, so they grab each otherās hair and scream! More forearms from both, with Tana getting the upper hand. Okada goes for a big boot to the face, but Tana catches it and hits his signature Dragon Screw Legwhip. Stinger Splash in the corner follows, and Tana avoids a dropkick attempt from Okada, and hits one of his own to the prone champion. Tana unleashes a version of the Dragon Screw to the injured right arm of Okada. Uppercuts to the arm are next on the agenda for the Ace, followed by a vicious Dragon Screw to the arm.
Tana stomps at Okadaās midsection while heās under the ropes, and he even shoves Red Shoes away at one point. Tanaās desperation is ringing through tonight. He headbutts the arm of Okada now, and he shouts in anger when pulled away. He runs at Okada who catches him for a neckbreaker, but Tana rolls out of it. Okada stays in the lead with a small attempt at the Red Ink submission, but Tana quickly crawls towards the ropes. Tana stands on the apron, and brings Okadaās arm down over the ropes. Okada with a big boot to the face, followed by a scream of his own.
Neckbreaker over the knee follows, and that gets Okada a nearfall. He hits a big Heavy Rain for another nearfall. Okada powerslams Tana and scales the turnbuckle again. He comes down with a beautiful elbow drop, and immediately clutches his injured arm. Heās still able to do the Rainmaker pose. He attempts the Rainmaker now, but Tana attacks the arm, and counters into a Gedo Clutch pin for a close 2 count. Okada is right back up and he hits the Rainmaker out of nowhere! But his arm is too injured to capitalize right away! He crawls over Tana, who is able to kick out.
Okada stays on the offensive and locks in the Red Ink submission. He canāt pull back the way he wants due to the pain in his arm. He finally musters up enough strength to lock it in full, torquing on the neck of the Ace. Tana crawls quickly to the ropes to break it up. Okada goes for the Tombstone, but he simply canāt grip Tana long enough! Tana is up and uppercuts Okadaās arm, and follows with a Dragon Suplex and a Sling Blade!
Tana explodes out of the corner with a shotgun dropkick, then immediately goes to the top. He comes down with the High Fly Flow to a standing Okada! He goes for it proper, but Okada smartly rolls to the outside. Tana looks at him, and flies to the outside with the High Fly Flow to Okada! Tana looks to capitalize on his attack, but Okada is right back up and he hits a Tombstone to the floor! Red Shoes starts to count. Okada is back in first, and Tana rolls in at the last possible second.
Both men stand in the middle, and Okada is first to attack with a forearm. Tana goes for an uppercut to the arm. They exchange this back and forth, showing incredible Fighting Spirit. Okada with several uppercuts, and Tana responds by bitch slapping him. Okada hits two beautiful dropkicks! He goes for the Rainmaker, but Tana counters into a Rainmaker of his own for a razor thin 2 count! Tana hits the Styles Clash to Okada, then comes down from the top with a High Fly Flow to the back! One more time, but Okada gets his knees up right before impact!
Sumo Hall is rocking! They chant for both men! Okada is up first with a dropkick to the back of Tanaās head. He lifts him up and goes for the Tombstone, but Tana reverses it! Okada reverses that and hits the Tombstone! He shouts to the heavens and lifts Tana back up. Rainmaker attempt is reversed by Tana, who goes for a Dragon Suplex. Okada counters that with another Rainmaker attempt, which Tana ducks out of! Sling Blade attempt by Tana, but Okada counters THAT with the Rainmaker -which Tana avoids last second! But Okada is quick to turn Tana around and hit the Rainmaker! Red Shoes counts, and Okada has done it! What a fucking amazing sequence at the end! Okada ends all the doubt, and puts a stamp on it ā he is the new Ace of New Japan!
Is exceptional the right word to describe this match? Yes, of course it is! I believe the modern formula for New Japan main events was solidifed with this match, and boy, did every main event after this have quite the match to beat. Despite this being their 4th singles meeting in 2013 alone, and their 6th since February of 2012, Kazuchika Okada and Hiroshi Tanahashi still found a way to switch things up and keep this feud fresh and exciting. Tanaās fake knee injury early on was a stroke of genius, and one of the best storytelling moments in this entire rivalry. Here, Tana showed desperation, having to fake an injury, and attack at the risk of getting disqualified. He knew what was at stake here, and he pulled out things he wouldnāt normally do. Thatās how scared he was of Okada taking his spot.
When compared to Okadaās game plan in this match, it makes it even more amazing. Okada didnāt resort to anything different. He stuck to his tried and true game plan of slowly wearing Tana down for the Rainmaker, and it absolutely worked. He was confident, and he knew that he had this win in the bag from the start. Tana didnāt, and thatās ultimately what cost him the match. Still, it wasnāt for a lack of trying, as these two mesmerized in an outstanding match that is one of the very best wrestling matches of the 2010s.
The key to how these matches turn out so well is the sequences these two can pull off with each other. How they can do those counters so well and so fluidly is beyond my thinking. But hey, thatās why they do what they do. The closing sequence in particular ā with Tana countering out of the Rainmaker several times ā was extraordinary. He was holding on for dear life, but he couldnāt escape the inevitable, and Okada proved once and for all that what he said at Wrestle Kingdom 6 the night he returned from excursion was true: He was taking all of this from Tana.
And so, with that, the feud of Okada and Tanahashi ended. Tana stepped away from the heavyweight title scene as promised, while Okada moved on to the next challenge as the new Ace of the company. Exceptā¦.thatās not what happened. Because two months later, New Japan held a fan vote to decide which match would main event Wrestle Kingdom 8. Okada was set to defend the IWGP Heavyweight Championship against G1 Climax 23 winner Tetsuya Naito. However, the fans completely turned on Naito ā positioned as the next big babyface of the company ā putting the company in a bind.
So, an unprecedented fan vote was created, and the fans were unanimous: the main event would be the IWGP Intercontinental Championship match between champion Shinsuke Nakamura and challenger...Hiroshi Tanahashi. While this change of pace can certainly be blamed on Naitoās short comings as a top star, Okada took it personally, and realized that maybe he wasnāt the Ace after all. It wouldnāt be long before he and Tana would meet once again, in the second installment of their decade long story.