#156: Kazuchika Okada vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi, NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 10 (1/4/2016).
This is for Okada's IWGP Heavyweight Championship.
After suffering a horrible defeat to Tanahashi in the Tokyo Dome again in 2015, Okada spent the year perfecting his craft. He got better, he got wiser - no longer was he just a snot nosed young kid. He was becoming a ring general. At Dominion in June of 2015, Okada was finally able to regain the IWGP Heavyweight Championship from AJ Styles, who himself had regained the championship from Tanahashi just a month after Wrestle Kingdom 9.
Tanahashi would bounce back by winning the G1 Climax 25, and thus setting up a match with Okada at the Dome for the 2nd year in a row. Tana had bested Okada in the Dome twice before this, and surely he could do it again. Okada had managed to regain his place at the top of the mountain, but one thing still bothered him: when the lights were brightest on January 4th, he'd yet to beat Tanahashi.
Here, for the final time, the title for Ace would be decided. Both men are better than they ever have been before, and at the end of the day, there can be only one.
The bell sounds, and here we go! This is already one of the loudest Dome crowds Iâve heard. Makes me think of All Japan in their heyday. They lock up, and Okada gets the advantage first, pushing Tana into the ropes. Clean break, and Tana goes for a bitch slap, and Okada is quick to hit a forearm to the face, before backing away. Like last year, Okada is confident. But unlike last year, he doesnât seem cocky.
Another lock up, and Okada hits the forearm to the face again, knocking Tana to the mat. Knee to the midsection by Okada, and Tana is able to slip a forearm in of his own. They stand eye to eye in the middle of the ring, and Tana slaps Okada. The champion explodes with several forearms to the face. A big boot to the face follows. Okada elbows Tana in the face, then goes to crank the neck. Tana counters out of it with a hammerlock.
Tana goes to take the back, and Okada finds a way to get a side headlock in. Not for long, as Tana gets a head scissors locked in. Okada slips out and takes the side headlock again. Tana is up to this feet and takes a headlock of his own. Okada tries to send him into the ropes, and Tana tightens the grip. Now Okada slips out and takes the side headlock again. Both men are showing great fundamentals thus far. Tana is out and gets a chop block in, targeting the right leg of Okada. Tana now stomps at the leg of the Rainmaker, and then drops several elbows to the knee. Tana goes to the mat, and twists the knee up towards his body. Okada is able to get to the ropes, breaking the hold. Tana again stomps on the leg, and sends his knee into the quadriceps muscle.
Okada fights his way back up and sends Tana into the corner, but the challenger comes down with a crossbody. Okada catches him and goes for the Tombstone, but Tana reverses it and gets himself onto the apron. Okada scales the middle rope and hits a dropkick, sending Tana falling back first onto the ringside floor. He throws Tana into the barricade, and hits a boot to the face, sending him falling over. Okada runs the floor and hits a dive over the barricade, landing right on Tana.
Okada tosses Tana back into the ring, because a countout just wonât do it. A scoop slam, and a senton from the apron keeps the challenger down. Okada gets a nearfall off of that. Okada grabs the chin and pulls back on the neck, while driving his knee into the spine. Tana is back to his feet, sending his elbow into the gut of Okada. He runs at Okada in the corner, but the champion places him on the top turnbuckle. He goes for a dropkick, and Tana stops him. Tana now goes for his signature senton, and Okada moves out of the way. Yeah, these two know each other very well.
Okada sends Tana into the opposite corner, then hits him with a back elbow to the head, followed by a DDT. He kicks himself up, then hits a diving uppercut forearm for a 2 count. Okada ties the arms of Tana up around his neck, adding more pressure to the head. More uppercuts send Tana into the corner, and the challenger goes to kick the leg of Okada out, but the champion avoids it with a smile. He goes for a standing senton, and Tana avoids that!
He gets irish whipped into the corner, but Tana tries for the dropkick to the leg and he hits it this time. Okada is in pain. Back elbows drop Okada, and Tana catches a big boot into a Dragon Screw Legwhip. Okada rolls to the floor, and Tana goes to the top rope. He is met by Okada, who hits uppercuts from the apron. Tana gets Okadaâs leg caught in the ring ropes, and hits another Dragon Screw Legwhip. Tana rolls back into the ring, and hits another one in the ropes. With the champion still trapped in the ropes, Tana goes to the apron and hits the Sling Blade on Okada, dropping him back first on the apron! Now Tana is back to the top rope, and he hits the High Fly Flow crossbody to Okada on the outside! Tana returns to the ring, and Okada just barely makes it in before getting counted out. Tana with the powerslam, then he hits a middle rope frog splash to the injured leg. Tana traps Okada in the Texas Cloverleaf, which is not going to do any favors to the legs of the champion. Okada is able to slither towards the bottom rope.
Tana sends Okada into the corner and traps his leg in the ropes again. A quick dropkick connects flush. Tana rushes Okada, who catches him in a neckbreaker across his knee â his injured knee! Both men are slowly back to their feet, exchanging forearms in the middle of the ring. Tana looks to have the advantage with extra uppercuts, but Okada responds with a shotgun dropkick to the chest, followed by a low dropkick to the face, and he repeats that several times, but Tana kicks out at 2.
Okada goes to the top rope, and comes down with a nasty shotgun dropkick right to the chest, and Tana is able to kick out again. Powerslam by Okada, and he goes to the top rope again. Huge elbow drop connects, and Okada hits the Rainmaker pose for all to see. He goes for the Rainmaker, but Tana slips out. Okada catches him in a Tombstone attempt, but Tana turns it into a rollup attempt. Back up, Tana dropkicks the injured leg again. Okada goes for a big boot, and Tana hits another Dragon Screw Legwhip.
Tana avoids a dropkick by Okada, and he takes another legwhip! The Texas Cloverleaf is locked in again, and Okada is far from the ropes! After some struggle, Okada crawls towards the ropes to break up the submission. Okada goes for Heavy Rain, and Tana catches him in Twist and Shout, then hits the Sling Blade! Tana goes to the top rope, and misses the High Fly Flow! Okada lifts Tana up for the Tombstone, but Tana counters out of it and hits the Twist and Shout again. Okada is quick to recover, and he hits the Tombstone! Okada hits the Rainmaker clean as a whistle, and Tana somehow kicks out at 2! Okada cannot believe it. Okada goes to the top, and he hits a High Fly Flow of his own! Tana is able to kick out, and Okada goes for the Rainmaker again, but Tana counters into his own Rainmaker! The disrespect both of these men are showing to each other tonight!
Tana kicks at the knee of Okada to create some kind of space. Both men are back up, and Tana continues to kick at the injured knee. Okada blocks a shot, and goes for the Tombstone again, and Tana slips out. Rainmaker attempt is blocked by the Sling Blade by Tana! Dragon Suplex gets a close 2 count! Tana goes to the top rope, and hits the High Fly Flow to the back of Okada! Back up to the top again, Tana hits the normal High Fly Flow, and Okada kicks out at the last second! The fans are jumping up and down in excitement! You do not see that often!
Tana goes back to the top rope, and as he comes down, Okada catches him with a nasty looking dropkick to the midsection! Okada grabs Tana and goes for a German Suplex, but Tana tries to fight back with elbows to the head. Bitch slap by Tana to the face. He runs off the ropes, and Okada catches him with a beautiful dropkick. Rainmaker misses, and Tana goes for Sling Blade, and Okada catches him in a German Suplex. He goes for the Rainmaker again, but Tana slaps him to break out of it. Except, Okada doesnât let go of the wrist! He maintains control, which is what he didnât do in 2015!
Short arm Rainmaker connects! One more! Okada brings Tana back to his feet and hits the Rainmaker proper! He makes the cover, and Red Shoes counts the 3! Okada retains, and heâs finally defeated Tana in the Tokyo Dome!
What an unbelievable big time main event for New Japan. When the Japanese crowd is literally jumping out of their seats, you know you have accomplished something incredible. I never once saw people do that during the All Japan days in the 1990s. But when you have a story this detailed â a four year battle for supremacy between Kazuchika Okada and Hiroshi Tanahashi â people are going to be invested.
And these two did a fantastic job of telling this story, one that was sold as the finale of the rivalry, and one that remained the finale for several years. Okada learned his lesson from the year prior, as he came in confident enough in his skills, but not too cocky to overlook the obvious skills of his challenger. And Tanahashi gave his absolute all here, doing everything right in his targeting of the leg, and the countering of the Rainmaker at every pass. The only thing Tanahashi really failed at in this match was finding the victory.
The story at the end of the match, âthe wrist control spot,â is one of the most important moments in modern New Japan history. It added a gigantic layer of depth to this match, and itâs one that New Japan repeated for years on. That was all Okada had to do â not let go. Because thatâs what cost him at Wrestle Kingdom 9. But the Okada of 2015 paled in comparison to the one in 2016. This Okada was smarter, wiser, and he knew what needed to be done. Tanahashiâs will was simply not enough for the young Okada, who was hell bent on taking the spot on top no matter the cost.
This match was well wrestled. The counter sequences and reversals, as always, were well done. Chemistry like these two have is once in a generation. And they finished the story beautifully after four long years. In 2015, Tana proudly declared that Okada wasnât quite ready to be the Ace. In 2016, Okada earned the right to be Ace, because he was the better man. Tana would have his time in the spotlight again in the future, but for now, the world belonged to the Rainmaker.