#63: Kazuchika Okada vs. Minoru Suzuki, NJPW G1 Climax 27 (8/8/2017).
The 2017 G1 is considered by many to be not only the best in New Japan history, but also the best tournament in the history of wrestling. When you have matches like going on, it's not hard to see why.
Okada, in the midst of his mammoth fourth reign as IWGP Heavyweight Champion, comes into this match on the heels of his first loss in the tournament to EVIL, and his neck is completely fucked. So naturally, the man standing across from him tonight is the legendary Minoru Suzuki, a man known for his submissions and his pension for being a straight up evil dickhead.
Suzuki, along with the rest of his Suzuki-gun unit, returned to New Japan the previous January following a two year stint in Pro Wrestling NOAH that some would say harmed that company more than helped. Suzuki is the reigning NEVER Openweight Champion, and looks to put another hard beating on the young Ace of the company.
They tentatively go for a lock up, and break apart. They finally lock up, and Okada forces Suzuki into the ropes. Clean break, and Suzuki explodes with several knees to the midsection. Big boot by Okada, followed by a snap mare and a dropkick to the head. On the apron, Suzuki tries for an armbar, and Okada boots him to the floor. Okada sends Suzuki back first into the ringside barricade, then boots him into the front row. He gears up for something, and then Taichi & El Desperado from Suzuki-gun go on the attack. Okada proudly takes them both out, and they’re taken backstage.
Okada with hard elbows to the back of Suzuki, and then he throws him back into the ring. Okada connects with a forearm to the face, and Suzuki returns with some of his own. Nice back and forth exchange here, and Suzuki has the upper hand. He forearms directly onto the injured neck of Okada. He takes the medical tape off, and drives his knee into Okada’s neck from the outside. Suzuki wraps Okada’s head around the barricade, and applies pressure.
Suzuki tosses Okada into the barricade, back first and in a way that applies even more damage to the neck. He grabs a chair and drives the edge of it into the neck. He looks to use it more, and referee Red Shoes is there to confiscate it. Back in the ring, Suzuki lands a stiff penalty kick to the chest of Okada, and another, and he gets a nearfall off of it. Okada tries to fight back with forearms, but Suzuki is having none of it. Okada connects with a running elbow to Suzuki.
DDT from Okada out of the corner, and he kicks himself up. Discus elbow to the face, and Okada gets a nearfall off of it. Powerslam follows, and Okada tries to go to the top rope. Suzuki cuts him off before the climb, and sends Okada into the opposite corner. Running boot to the face. He goes for the PK, and Okada cuts him off. Another forearm exchange in the middle of the ring. Each man comes up after each shot to tell the other that he wants more! Suzuki gets a sleeper hold in, but Okada slips out and hits the Heavy Rain.
Neckbreaker across his knee follows, and Okada scales the top rope. He hits the flying elbow drop, and is back to his feet. Rainmaker pose! Suzuki immediately gets a guillotine choke in. Okada escapes and goes for a Tombstone, but Suzuki escapes that, and hits a dropkick. Suzuki applies the sleeper hold again. Okada is out, and hits a dropkick to the back of the head. Okada then hits a Gotch Style Tombstone, to the chorus of boos!
Suzuki blocks the Rainmaker, but Okada is quick to hit an uppercut. He tries a Tombstone again, but Suzuki counters into one of his own! Big pop. Another huge elbow to the back of Okada’s neck. Suzuki follows that with a running dropkick to the head. Suzuki traps the left arm of Okada in his legs, and looks to stretch the injured neck of the Rainmaker. Suzuki transitions to a leg scissors, and Okada is able to get his foot on the bottom rope to break the hold.
Suzuki drives his elbow into the head of Okada, and hits a PK to the spine. And another! More forearms to the jaw, and Okada looks lifeless against the ropes. Okada tries for the dropkick, and Suzuki holds onto the ropes. Suzuki with one of his own to the neck, and Suzuki gets the Octopus Stretch locked in, adding even more pressure to the neck. Okada looks to be out, so Suzuki releases the hold and pins Okada. And, the Rainmaker kicks out.
Suzuki attempts the Gotch Style Piledriver, but Okada is fighting it off. Suzuki drives the edge of his elbow into Okada’s spine, and tries again. Another forearm to the face, and Suzuki runs the ropes. This time, Okada catches him with the dropkick. Okada goes to the top, and hits a nice shotgun dropkick that levels Suzuki! High angle German Suplex to Suzuki, and Okada tries for the Rainmaker again, but Suzuki slips out and tosses Okada over his hip and into a sleeper hold. Suzuki is on top of Okada’s back for added pressure! He wraps the legs around the midsection, and Okada has nowhere to go! Somehow, Okada gets his leg on the bottom rope.
Suzuki unleashes a barrage of palm strikes to the face, and Okada crumbles at Suzuki’s feet. Okada is up, and Suzuki continues his flurry of strikes. He lifts Okada back up, but the Rainmaker is able to hit a Rainmaker! He maintains wrist control. Another Rainmaker. He makes the cover, and Suzuki is able to kick out. Okada tries for another, and Suzuki slaps the shit out of him repeatedly. Over and over again! But Okada fights back with slaps of his own! He won’t back down.
The barrage continues, and now both men are unleashing hell on the other. Suzuki places his hands behind his back, and eggs Okada on for more! Okada obliges, and tries to lift him up for a Tombstone, but the King of Pro Wrestling fights it off. Suzuki tries for the Gotch Style again, but Okada continues to fight it. More slaps to the face of Okada, and vice versa. Okada’s strikes are starting to show signs of fatigue, but Suzuki won’t slow down. And hey, neither will Okada!
Okada goes on a brief barrage, but Suzuki slows him down! Out of nowhere, Okada connects with a proper Rainmaker! His eyes looked glazed, and he crawls towards Suzuki. He makes it to his left arm, as the bell rings – the 30 minutes have expired! They went to a draw.
That was a fantastic display of violence. Who's to say if Okada believed he was going to defeat Suzuki here, but he absolutely welcomed the barrage of violence. Like his match earlier in the year with Katsuyori Shibata, Okada looked like an absolute badass taking the amount of punishment he took from Suzuki here. And not only that, but he didn't back down from it, either. He wanted more, which Suzuki was more than willing to give.
And Suzuki proved once again why he's one of the best workers in the business. He brought an air of legitimacy to this, as he systematically toyed with the Rainmaker, and he tore him apart throughout. He may not have won the match, but he certainly had a hand in Okada's fate for the remainder of the tournament. Both men only had one match left in their blocks, and Suzuki's destruction throughout this left Okada a marked man for his final block match. The man who'd end up beating Okada? Kenny Omega.