Dan The Wrestling Fan.

#203: Satoshi Kojima vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi, NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 5 (1/4/2011).

This is for Kojima’s IWGP Heavyweight Championship.

Kojima was once a New Japan standout, before making the jump to All Japan Pro Wrestling at the start of the 2000s, which pissed a lot of fans off. He would appear in the 2010 G1 Climax Tournament, and win the whole thing, by pinning Hiroshi Tanahashi in the finals, which also pissed people off, as they felt Tanahashi let down the company by losing to an outsider. With the win, Kojima declared that he was dedicated to New Japan going forward. He would win his second IWGP Heavyweight Championship from Togi Makabe in October of 2010, and have Tanahashi calling him for a rematch in the Tokyo Dome. A battle for leadership in New Japan in the new decade would see an historic achievement happen.

The bell sounds, and we get a nice staredown between both men. The crowd are firmly behind Tanahashi. They fight into the ropes, and Tanahashi chops Kojima in the chest. They lock up, and exchange control of the back. Kojima with a side headlock takedown. He transitions to a head scissors, and Tana works his way free. They both get back to their feet, and we have a stalemate. They lock up again, and Tana attempts to hammerlock the arm. Kojima holds the headlock, and hits a hard shoulder tackle.

Nice arm drag by Tana, and he dropkicks the shoulder next. Snap mare by Tana, and he continues to work on the right arm of Kojima – the lariat arm. He hyperextends the arm next. Standing frog splash to the arm by Tana, and he slams it straight to the mat a few times. Tana gets Kojima in the turnbuckle, and uppercuts his arm a few times. Nice middle rope crossbody by the Ace. Kojima catches a kick and hits a Dragon Screw Legwhip, Tanahashi style on Tanahashi!

Kojima places the leg on the top rope, and uppercuts it right under the knee. That looked very painful! Tana rolls to the apron, and Kojima goes to the floor to chop block the leg from under him. Back in the ring, Kojima traps Tanahashi in the Sharpshooter. Tana crawls, and is able to get to the bottom rope. Kojima doesn’t relent, and he continues his attack in the corner. Machine gun chops, Kobashi style, to Tana next. Big forearm dive in the corner follows.

Kojima goes to the top rope, and hits an elbow drop for a nearfall. They exchange elbows next, with Kojima hitting a rolling elbow. Tana bitch slaps him, and continues his combination attack. Diving forearm by Tana off the ropes. Nice powerslam by Tana, followed by a middle rope senton for a 2 count. Tana stomps away at the bad arm of Kojima, who responds with a spike DDT. Kojima with a neckbreaker across his knee.

Tana avoids a suplex, and looks for the Tiger Suplex. Kojima counters with a Koji Cutter, but Tana counters that with a variation of the Sling Blade. Low dropkicks to the bad arm follow by the Ace. Tana snaps the arm off of his shoulder a few times, until Kojima hits the Koji Cutter out of nowhere! The champion places Tana on the top rope, and hits another Cutter! He covers, and Tana is able to kick out. Kojima removes the elbow pad, and looks for the Lariat, but Tana counters into a roll up for 2.

Tana tries for the Tiger Suplex again, and transitions to a Strait Jacket Suplex for a nearfall. Tana with a Dragon Screw to the injured arm, then he goes to the top rope. High Fly Flow to the back! He goes back to the top, and goes for it again, only for Kojima to get his knees up to block it. Kojima with a lariat to the back of the head, and Tana with a Sling Blade. Sit out Fisherman Buster, and another, and Tana goes to the top rope. Tana connects with the High Fly Flow, and Kojima is able to kick out. Tana is knocked to the apron, and hit with a nasty Lariat that turns him inside out! Red Shoes almost counts Tana out, but Kojima implores him not to. Kojima wants to win the right way. He brings Tana back into the ring with a brainbuster. He covers, and Tana is able to kick out. Kojima with some elbows in the corner, and he places Tana on the top rope. Nice Frankensteiner by the champion!

Tana blocks a lariat, and Dragon Screws the arm a few times! He blocks two lariats, and gets leveled by a third with the good arm of Kojima! He covers, and Tana kicks out again! Kojima hits the proper Lariat with his bad arm! Tana kicks out again! The work on the main arm of Kojima in this match has paid off for the challenger. Tana blocks another Lariat, and hits two Tiger Suplexes, and Kojima kicks out.

Sling Blade by Tana! He goes to the top rope, and hits the High Fly Flow crossbody! Tana right back to the top rope, and he hits the High Fly Flow proper! He covers, and that’s enough for the 3 and the win! Tana wins his 5th IWGP Heavyweight Championship. Awesome match between two all time greats. It told a really great story, as Kojima focused on the leg of Tana, while Tana zeroed in on the main arm of Kojima. That arm work throughout the match probably saved Tana, as those lariats at the end by Kojima were still crazy as hell.

This wasn’t up to par with the typical Wrestle Kingdom quality of wrestling, but it’s still pretty damn good. Tanahashi is one of the best to ever do it, and Kojima has always been a fun guy to watch. Tana’s trademark iron will brought him the victory at the end of the day, as he got to stand tall inside the Big Egg.

The historic achievement I mentioned in the beginning? This was the start of what many consider to be Hiroshi Tanahashi’s greatest run as IWGP Heavyweight Champion. He would hold the title until February of 2012, and his run of title defenses saw an increase in quality and attendance for New Japan Pro Wrestling throughout 2011. It’s considered to be the final piece of the puzzle that helped bring the company out of the dark ages, and into the incredible run they had throughout the 2010s.

Who ended that title reign? Some chump named Kazuchika Okada.