#155: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Kazuchika Okada, NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 9 (1/4/2015).
This is for Tanahashi's IWGP Heavyweight Championship.
Following his victory over Tanahashi at King of Pro Wrestling in October of 2013, Okada moved away from his great rival to face Tetsuya Naito in the main event of Wrestle Kingdom 8, while Tanahashi moved on to challenge Shinsuke Nakamura for the IWGP Intercontinental Championship.
Along the way, fans universally turned against Naito, positioned as the next great babyface, ala Tanahashi. So, in an unprecedented move, New Japan held a fan vote to see which of the two matches would main event in the Tokyo Dome. Unanimously, the fans chose Tanahashi vs. Nakamura.
The audience wasn't ready to let go of Tanahashi as a top star. Naito was failing across the board as a top star. And Okada, despite proving his worth already, was still seen as second tier to other wrestlers. For Okada, it was made worse when he not only lost the IWGP Heavyweight Championship to Bullet Club leader/foreign heel AJ Styles, but he also failed to regain it back. The top title in New Japan was in the hands of an evil gaijin.
Okada managed to win the G1 Climax 24 to earn another shot at Styles at Wrestle Kingdom 9. However, just a few months before that event, Styles would lose the championship to Tanahashi. Another hit for the supposed "new ace." Okada failed to keep the title away from Styles, he failed to get it back, and he sat and watched as the man he bested previously was the one to bring it back to New Japan.
So, destiny brought these two together again inside of the Tokyo Dome. Tanahashi was once again the man to beat, and Okada was looking to once again silence all doubt that he was truly the new leader of the new era.
The bell sounds, and there is a mixed reaction for both men. A lot for Tana, and a lot for Okada. They lock up, and they exchange control of the back. Okada twists the arm around, and brings Tana to his knees. The champion is back up, and Okada continues to target the arm. Tana with a drop toe hold, into a headlock. Okada transitions to one of his own, and he cranks on it hard. No wasted motion here! Tana tries to escape, but Okada simply applies it harder.
Okada comes off the ropes with a shoulder tackle, and runs into a drop toe hold from Tana, who goes right into the side headlock. Tana with a shoulder tackle of his own, and back to the side headlock. Okada with a head scissors, and both men are back to their feet. They lock up, with Okada forcing Tana into the turnbuckle. Tana turns Okada into the turnbuckle next, and now they exchange control against the ropes. Okada gets in front, and fakes a strike to Tana, patting his chest, then forearming him anyway.
Tana explodes out of the corner with forearms to the face, and Okada returns fire with some of his own. They forearm the other in the turnbuckle with fierce velocity. Tana with a big uppercut shuts that exchange down. Powerslam by Tana, and he goes for his middle rope senton, but Okada forearms him hard to the floor. Okada joins him on the outside, and irish whips him into the steel barricade. He follows that with a boot that sends Tana fumbling over. Okada grabs his head, and lifts him up on the barricade. He connects with a DDT to the floor below.
Okada drags him up the entrance ramp, then goes for the Tombstone, but Tana is fighting it off. They exchange forearms, until Tana hits a jawbreaker. Tana air guitars his way up the ramp some more, then rushes Okada, who catches him with a devastating Heavy Rain on the ramp! Okada brings the champion back to ringside, and throws him inside. Snap mare, and a crisp running kick to Tana’s head follows. Okada tries to pin with just his boot, but Red Shoes ain’t having that shit!
Okada with a few back elbows in the corner, then he irish whips Tana. A boot to the face, followed by a scoop slam and a senton attempt, which Tana is able to avoid. Nice combo of strikes by Tana, followed by a running forearm. A powerslam and a middle rope senton get Tana a 2 count. Tana rushes Okada, and runs into a flapjack from the Rainmaker. Tana with a back elbow out of the corner, and Okada blocks a crossbody into the Deep in Debt submission.
Tana fights with everything he has, and he’s able to get to the ropes. Okada with a scoop slam, followed by a senton from the apron. That gets him a 2 count. Okada gives Tana a light slap on the head, and Tana responds with some forearms. Okada fights back with one single forearm, and he’s egging Tana on for more. They exchange forearms now, and they grab each other by the hair! Neither man will back down. Okada goes to kick Tana, who catches his leg. Okada elbows Tana, then goes for Heavy Rain, which is blocked into a Sling Blade for a 2 count.
Tana rushes Okada, who catches him and places him on the top rope. Tana kicks him away, and Okada is right back up there. Okada is going for Heavy Rain again, but Tana fights it off with some elbows and headbutts, and finally an uppercut. Okada is down, but he’s able to avoid the High Fly Flow, and come back with a diving uppercut to the head. He goes from that to a neckbreaker across the knee, and that gets him another nearfall. Okada powerslams Tana, then goes to the top rope. Diving elbow connects, and then we get the Rainmaker pose!
Rainmaker attempt, but Tana counters into a roll up for 2. Okada goes for a boot, but Tana catches it and hits the Dragon Screw Legwhip! Okada manages to irish whip Tana to the turnbuckle, but the Ace fires out with a dropkick to the leg, sending Okada to the floor. Okada sends Tana to the barricade, and rushes him, but Tana sends him over into the space between the fans. Tana then goes to the top rope, and hits the High Fly Flow over the barricade, to a standing Okada! Amazing spot!
Back in the ring, Tana is back up on the top, but Okada is able to avoid it. He tries for the Rainmaker, but Tana turns it into the Sling Blade. He’s back on top, and hits the crossbody High Fly Flow – but Okada has caught him, and goes for the Tombstone! Tana counters it and hits one of his own! Tana goes back to the top rope, and hits the High Fly Flow to the back! Back up top, and Tana hits it proper this time! Red Shoes counts, but Okada is able to kick out!
Tana goes for the Texas Cloverleaf, but Okada is able to kick him away. Big uppercut to Tana, who looks like he was hit by a fly. Uppercut by Tana, followed by the Sling Blade. Now Tana does the Rainmaker pose! Tana tries for the Rainmaker, but Okada counters into the real Rainmaker! He makes the cover, and Tana kicks out! Tana is the first man to kick out of a proper Rainmaker! He did so at Invasion Attack too, but there was no wasted time here like there was in 2013. Okada looks stunned.
Okada and Tana go to work with forearms to the other on their knees. They slowly make their way back to their feet, and Okada hits a hard uppercut. He goes for the Tombstone, but Tana counters into a roll up for a 2 count. He dropkicks the injured leg again, and bitch slaps Okada a few times. The young challenger will not back down. A few more, and Okada finally drops to his knees. He sneaks in a back slide for a 2 count. He tries for a Rainmaker, and Tana counters into a Straitjacket Suplex for a nearfall!
Tana goes for the Dragon Suplex, and Okada counters into a high German Suplex for 2! Tana connects with the Dragon Suplex for a nearfall. Tana runs the ropes, and Okada connects with a dropkick! Rainmaker is blocked by Tana, who hits a reverse Dragon Screw Legwhip against the ropes. He pulls Okada’s leg into the ropes, and hits another. Tana goes to the top, and hits the High Fly Flow to Okada off the ropes! Tana grabs the leg, and hits it again! He’s back up top, and hits the High Fly Flow to a sitting Okada! One more time with a proper High Fly Flow, and that’s enough for Tana to get the win and retain!
Another sizzling chapter in the story, with a rather surprising result. Coming into this, Wrestle Kingdom 9 was tailor made for Okada to finish his story, and silence Tana once and for all. Perhaps, he was just a little too cocky this outing, as Tana was able to maintain his composure and beat the young Okada once again, and maintain his place atop the mountain. Okada came in with all the momentum in the world – he’d already proven himself to Tana, and he’d won the G1 – but when the lights were on, Okada’s efforts weren’t enough.
He didn’t focus enough on the neck like he had in the past, while Tana was a menace when focusing on the leg throughout the match. That simple difference of strategy was all the difference in the world. The counter sequences as the match wore on were incredible, and the hot Tokyo Dome crowd added a lot to this. These men know each other so well, and yet they’re able to see these moves coming a mile away. Tana kicking out of the Rainmaker may have been Okada’s undoing. His ace in the hole – to beat the Ace – wasn’t enough here. Unlike Invasion Attack, when he had to sell his injured arm, Okada was quick to make the cover here, and Tana was still able to kick out.
The veteran reserve of Tanahashi won the day here, as Okada was so close, and yet so far away. He’d done it before, but under the bright lights of the heavenly grounds of the Tokyo Dome, he simply wasn’t ready for that next step. Or, in Tanahashi’s own words during the post match comments, Okada wasn’t ready to be the Ace.