#64: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Kazuchika Okada, NJPW G1 Climax 26 (8/12/2016).
It's wrestling's greatest rivalry. Yes, I said it. And I will die on that hill.
Kazuchika Okada and Hiroshi Tanahashi had battled for years over the title of "Ace." And after many ups and downs, Okada finally settled the score at Wrestle Kingdom 10 in January of 2016. That night, he not only defended the IWGP Heavyweight Championship against Tanahashi, but he finally beat his greatest rival in the legendary Tokyo Dome. There was no more doubt: Okada was the Ace.
So, when the blocks for the 2016 G1 Climax were announced, curious minds thought the same thing: Okada and Tanahashi were in the same block, for the first time since 2013. Even though the war for the top spot in the company had been settled, Tanahashi still had a lot left in the tank, and he not only wanted to prove that he could still go at a top level, but he wanted to see if Okada had settled into his new role, or if he had a few more things to learn. Okada, meanwhile, looked to continue his dominance over the promotion with another decisive victory over Tanahashi.
A win for either man gives him the A Block. If it goes to a time limit draw, both men are out, and Hirooki Goto takes the block. Did I mention that their last G1 meeting went the full 30 minutes?
The bell sounds, and Sumo Hall is white hot for this one. They are tentative to lock up at first, but eventually do. Tana takes control of the back, and Okada takes control of the arm. Tana escapes and gets a side headlock takedown in. Okada is up, and Tana tosses the air guitar to the crowd. They lock up again, and Okada gets Tana against the ropes. Clean break, and Tana now has Okada into the ropes. Tana fakes a clean break, and slaps Okada in the face.
The Rainmaker attacks with forearms, and hits a shoulder tackle. He tries for the Rainmaker, but Tana escapes and hits a sunset flip. Okada is up with a neckbreaker across the knee, followed by a shotgun dropkick. Powerslam, and the diving elbow drop right away! Rainmaker pose! Tana counters the Rainmaker into a very close small package pin attempt. He’s right back up with a dropkick to the kneecap, sending him to the outside.
Okada brings Tana back into the ring. Scoop slam, and a senton from the apron onto Tana gets Okada a 2 count. Okada gets Tana in a...I don’t even know what to call this: He has Tana’s legs behind his arms, and he has his hands locked with Tana’s hands, and he’s stretching him and also holding his shoulders down. Tana eventually escapes. Tana with big right hands to Okada, who responds with a forearm. Okada goes for the big boot, but Tana catches it. He dropkicks the opposite leg, and Okada is down.
Tana focuses on that leg now, driving his knee into the quad. He drops an elbow, and bends the knee around his midsection. Tana, in an homage to 2003 Triple H, has Okada in an Indian Death Lock of sorts. Okada tries to fight back with chops to the chest, but Tana just adds more pressure. Okada finally gets to the bottom rope. In the corner, Tana continues his assault of the leg. Okada sends him into the opposite corner, but Tana kicks him away. Okada catches him and sends him flying with a back body drop.
Several back elbows to the head follow from Okada. He sends Tana into the corner, and hits a diving back elbow, followed by a spike DDT. Running uppercut gets Tana down for 2. Okada then puts Tana in the Red Ink submission. Tana inches closer to the ropes, but Okada cranks back hard on the hold. Tana eventually touches the ropes to break the hold. Okada connects with an uppercut, then sends Tana into the turnbuckle. The Ace explodes out with a huge diving forearm.
Forearm exchange ensues between the two eternal rivals. Okada with a boot to the face, and Tana with a combination of strikes. He uppercuts Okada in the corner, and sends him to the opposite corner. He rushes Okada who catches him, places him on top, and dropkicks him to the floor below. Okada sends Tana into the barricade, and looks to boot him over, but Tana catches the boot, and hits a Dragon Screw Legwhip against the steel!
Tana returns to the ring, and scales the top rope. He comes down to the outside with a High Fly Flow crossbody to Okada! Tana grabs Okada and looks to bring him back into the ring, but Okada catches him with a Tombstone on the floor! Okada returns to the ring, and Tana just barely makes it in. Okada goes to the top, and misses a Shotgun Dropkick. Tana gives him two Dragon Screws – the latter of which was to the back of the leg!
Tana attempts the Texas Cloverleaf, but Okada gets to the ropes before it is fully applied. Tana continues to stomp on the injured leg. He goes for the Sling Blade, and Okada catches him in a Tombstone attempt. He transitions into Heavy Rain...which Tana counters into the Sling Blade! Tana hits a beautiful Straitjacket German Suplex for a 2 count. Tana goes to the top rope, but Okada cuts him off immediately with an uppercut. He joins Tana on the top rope. Tana uppercuts him back to the mat, and goes for the High Fly Flow, and Okada rolls out of the way. Shotgun dropkick to the back of the head. Okada connects with a beautiful dropkick. He tries for the Rainmaker, but Tana counters into a ripcord Sling Blade instead!
Tana rushes Okada in the corner, but Okada slows him down. Tana is on the apron, and eats a forearm. He gives one back in return. Nice exchange here. Okada goes to boot Tana down, but Tana catches the leg and hyperextends it over the top rope! He drags Okada to the apron, and Dragon Screws the leg against the hardest part of the ring. Now he gets the Texas Cloverleaf in, and he isn’t light when it comes to the pressure! Okada fights desperately to get to the ropes, and he does.
Back to their feet, Okada goes for the dropkick, but Tana holds onto the ropes! Tana connects with the Sling Blade, then heads to the top rope! High Fly Flow connects to the back of Okada, and he goes for it proper, but Okada gets the knees up at the last second! Tana tries for a Dragon Suplex, but Okada grabs the ropes to avoid it. He hits a back elbow to the head, and tries for a Tombstone, but Tana reverses it, and hits one of his own!
Tana with a neckbreaker, and he’s back up to the top. He goes for High Fly Flow, and Okada catches him with a nasty dropkick right to the midsection. Tana has crumbled, and Okada goes for the Rainmaker. Tana bitch slaps him to avoid it, but walks into a high German Suplex from Okada! Another Rainmaker attempt, and another bitch slap – but Okada maintains wrist control and hits the Rainmaker! He tries it again, and Tana counters into a Dragon Suplex! Okada kicks out!
Right up, Okada hits a Gotch Style Tombstone for a close 2 count! He pulls Tana back up, and tries the Rainmaker again, but Tana counters and goes for his own. Okada counters it, and tries the Rainmaker again, but Tana counters with a Sling Blade! He goes to the top rope, and hits the High Fly Flow crossbody! Back up, Tana hits the High Fly Flow proper! Red Shoes counts, and not only does Okada kick out, but the 30 minutes has expired!
With the draw, Hirooki Goto has taken the A Block and will go to the finals. He lost to both men during the tournament.
So, you may or may not know this, but I wrote a wrestling book, called "King's Road," where I write about the 100 best wrestling matches I've seen. In my research for it, this match didn't stick out to me that much. In hindsight, I don't know what the fuck I was thinking.
That was one of the most exciting wrestling matches I've ever seen. The chemistry that these two have is insane. At this point, this is the 9th singles meeting between the two since Okada's return from excursion in 2012. And despite their story having a proper ending at Wrestle Kingdom 10, they still manage to add another wrinkle to it overall.
For Tanahashi, it was about proving that he was still on Okada's level. He may have stepped down as the top man, but he could still go toe to toe with the man who made him step down. And that, he certainly did. From start to finish, Tana hung with Okada, and at some points, even exceeded his long time rival. And as far as the finish goes, Tana had it in the bag, if not for the time limit. He was on the up against Okada, and he had him dead to rights.
Which brings me to Okada. He kicked out of the High Fly Flow as the time expired. He wasn't going to let there be doubt. If the time simply expired, people would wonder "If Tana only had a few extra seconds." In defiantly kicking out, Okada sent a message that Tana isn't on his level. Sure, Tana nearly had the match won. But had the time not been a factor, Okada still kicked out of Tana's best. Had the match gone on, what would the result be?
That kind of context adds so much to this. On top of all of those story nuances, the match was just kick ass. Their chemistry is incredible, and they almost never miss. They had Sumo Hall eating this night, and they were white hot the longer that the match went. The final 10 minutes in particular were beyond words. That had to be one of, if not, the best closing stretches to a match ever. So many sequences, so much emotion - it had it all. The greatest rivalry keeps on giving.