Loss Posted March 10, 2014 Report Share Posted March 10, 2014 Talk about it here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Superstar Sleeze Posted July 24, 2016 Report Share Posted July 24, 2016 IWGP Heavyweight Champion Kazuchika Okada vs Hiroshi Tanahashi - NJPW 10/14/13 The series is at 2-2-1, but with Okada as champion going into the match and being 1-0-1 in the last two you can tell Tanahashi was feeling the pressure. He starts off more conservative with a headlock base. Then he even feigns a knee injury. He really milks it and even I think it is going to lead to an Okada heat segment so he had all fooled. He was prancing around doing air guitar to a big pop in the crowd and with me. He goes after the arm, but misses the somersault splash. Okada works the neck with the usual offense, the key highlights being the dropkick to the floor and the Hangmans DDT from railing. The match picks up when Tanahashi press slams him from the top. So if Tanahashi ever wrestles Flair people cant say Flair forced him to do that spot. Tanahashi needs a strike exchange, missed dropkick before he can take over with arm work. This is some vicious arm work. You can really feel the desperation in Tanahashi that he needs to win this match as he brutally attacks the arm. The transition out is pretty lame with Okada hitting his two weird suplexes that he always hits. Okada sells the arm on the Rainmaker pose. Tanahashi gets a neato pinning combination to avoid the Rainmaker. RAINMAKER~! Woah! That was early. Okada arm hurts too much ala Invasion Attack. The submission move he uses is called Red Ink, but he tries that, but cant hold due to the bad arm. Tanahashi should stick with the arm strategy in future matches. Tanahashi hits a wicked Dragon Suplex and then Sling Blade. High Fly Flow to a standing Okada, but Okada rolls to the outside, but there is no escaping Tanahashi as he hits one on the outside. I think that's the best use of the High Fly Flow to the outside I have seen. Okada nails a Tombstone on outside! BALL GAME! They really milk this spot. They really do protect the Tombstone. It comes down to Tanahashi trying to use his arm work to save the match with Okada trying to nail a Rainmaker and both of them are pretty much out of it from all the punishment. If the tombstone is not enough, Okada hits two picture perfect dropkicks, which should be enough. RAINMAKER~! Wait that was a Tanahashi Rainmaker! He gets a nearfall, here comes the High Fly Flows, but Okada got his knees up. TOMBSTONE~! BALL GAME~! RAINMAKER~!This is the inferior version of the Invasion Attack match. It is a better template than they were using before, but the problem here was it was lacking the transitions of Invasion Attack and the drama. Instead they substituted bomb throwing. Here it felt my turn, your turn. Invasion Attack Okada's control was tenuous due to a bad wing, but Tanahashi could never really overcome the hole he was put in by the DDT on the apron and then subsequent headrops. Here, it was Tanahashi worked the arm really well and Okada sold, but then lets do bomb throwing. It sounds like I am being harsh, but I do think this is their second best match together because it is just plain more exciting than the previous ones and did think selling was great. I thought selling down the stretch was awesome. ****1/2With six out of eight watched here are the rankings:1. Invasion Attack 2013 ***** 2. Kings of Pro Wrestling 2013 ****1/2 3. G1 Climax 2013 ****1/44. Dominion 2012 ****1/4 5. New Beginnings 2012 **** 6. Wrestle Kingdom VII **** Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShittyLittleBoots Posted April 21, 2017 Report Share Posted April 21, 2017 What a MARVELOUS match. Tanahashi's performance in this is one of my favorite things ever - love, love, LOVE the beginning with him keeping Okada down with those tight headlocks, and then once Okada got some offense in, he fakes a goddamn leg injury. What a man. He then does some amazing work over Okada's arm, even more awesome than the damage he did to that same arm at Invasion Attack 6 months earlier - and then Okada's selling which was pretty much perfect. Talking about selling, how about Tanahashi, huh? The dude sold his ass off in this match. An all-time great match. ***** Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SmartMark15 Posted October 31, 2017 Report Share Posted October 31, 2017 So much better than their dragging G1 bout. The fire is back but without quite the same heat as the Invasion Attack match. I do love crazed angry wily Tanahashi. Might be my fave incarnation of his. He was willing to play dirty to put away Okada this time including that amazing possum spot which the director missed. Tanahashi fighting on top was really quite good throughout the match. Okada's selling was improved and consistent throughout the match as well. Particularly enjoyed his struggle to get his submissions locked in and to hold them. Made for some great drama. Thought the finish was hot and I'm actually quite a fan of the countering and dodging so it was incredibly entertaining all the way to Okada finally nailing that final crucial Rainmaker. Great match. ****1/2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Microstatistics Posted May 9, 2018 Report Share Posted May 9, 2018 Decent for Tanahashi heel work and him turning up the aggression with regards to the armwork. But in a lot of ways this just feels like an inferior version of the Invasion Attack match. Okada's arm selling also isn't nearly as good. **3/4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.