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[2013-04-07-NJPW-Invasion Attack] Hiroshi Tanahashi vs Kazuchika Okada


Loss

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  • 8 months later...

I watched this last night with Johnny P. Man, Tanahashi ripped the shit out of Okada's arm and Okada countering with kicks was a thing of beauty. My only (really minor) gripe is that Tanahashi did such an effective job ripping the arm apart that I thought Okada should not have been able to successfully apply his crossface move the 2nd time around. He hooked it so why didn't Tanahashi just yank at the arm or break out easily like he did the 1st time? It is a small gripe but I really enjoyed this match. Great counters and callbacks to previous matches. It would have been even cooler if Okada won with a boot to the face since Tanthashi had no answer for Okada's kicks but the finish was fine. It isn't my MOTY but it belongs in the conversation for sure. We are going to watch the follow up matches soon.

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  • 2 months later...

I watched this last night with Johnny P. Man, Tanahashi ripped the shit out of Okada's arm and Okada countering with kicks was a thing of beauty. My only (really minor) gripe is that Tanahashi did such an effective job ripping the arm apart that I thought Okada should not have been able to successfully apply his crossface move the 2nd time around. He hooked it so why didn't Tanahashi just yank at the arm or break out easily like he did the 1st time? It is a small gripe but I really enjoyed this match. Great counters and callbacks to previous matches. It would have been even cooler if Okada won with a boot to the face since Tanthashi had no answer for Okada's kicks but the finish was fine. It isn't my MOTY but it belongs in the conversation for sure. We are going to watch the follow up matches soon.

 

re: your small gripe, I took it as he was able to hook it on the second time because of the work he had done on Tanahashi's back and core. So essentially Tanahashi didn't have the strength to counter. That said, great point about how to break that submission. Would have been a great touch if he tried to swing his arm back and hit the elbow.

 

I watched the AXS TV version of this today, so the announcers and presentation probably helped my opinion of this one but i thought the booking, psychology and pace was just awesome. I also had no idea going in what the result was really into every nearfall. Went ****3/4 . Leaps better than their WK 7 match.

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  • 1 year later...

IWGP Heavyweight Champion Hiroshi Tanahashi vs Kazuchika Okada - NJPW 4/7/13

 

Okada missed his true calling in life as a chiropractor.

 

Definitely the best match they had together that I have seen so far. I agree with NJPW faboys that this is indeed ***** and the MOTY 2013 (sorry Tanahashi/Ishii). It was superb and the match they needed to have for this feud to ever be considered great. It is no Flair/Steamboat, but this match does launch them up because the previous matches were great, but now they have that big time classic. I liked the character work in the beginning of the match. It adds to the chippiness. Okada has Tanahashi's leg work (dropkick, dragon leg) scouted, but Tanahashi thinking on his feet gets an armbar takedown and wrenches the arm. The refrain of the match is definitely Tanahashi destroying Okada's arm and it is his Rainmaker arm using that to save himself and set up his offense. You see Tanahashi going back to that repeatedly. This adds a new wrinkle because it is usually Tanahashi looking to attack the leg, but he had to adapt because Okada had it scouted. The other major story of the match is that Okada has lost two matches in a row to Tanahashi and he really cant afford to lose a third. I think Okada does wrestle with more urgency because of this.

 

They end up on the apron and Okada wins the battle with a DDT on the apron. Okada is able to be in his zone working on his body part of choice, the neck. He pulls out some gnarly submissions the coolest one was the seated Crucifix hard to explain need to see. Tanahashi was trying hope spots like a reverse crossbody and body punches, but Okada was going back to the neck. Big time running dropkick to a seated Tanahashi's neck sends him to the floor. Okada wants to finish this with a tombstone. He who hits a tombstone first wins the matches in these series. Tanahashi counters by attacking the arm and then sending into hard metal objects. High Fly Flow to the floor cements his control. Loved the dragon arm screws from Tanahashi and great selling from Okada. An interesting subplot as while this weakens Okada considerably, Tanahashi really does not have much in his arsenal to take this to victory so he still will have to rely on his usual finish sequence, but that is something Okada has scouted.

 

Okada hits a flapjack, my least favorite Okada move to transition into the long finish stretch that is very well done. The highlights here are Okada switching the elbow pad to the bad elbow so he can hit his elbow drop (and selling the arm during the Rainmaker pose), but he still sells. Debuting a new submission crossface, but not quite getting it due to a bad arm. Of course, the big shot was the use of the dropkick to squelch any Tanahashi's comebacks (normal dropkick and the dropkick to the floor). Okada hits a Hangman's DDT from the railing. I felt like this was taking the place of the Tombstone to the floor as the final turning point in Okada's favor. They milk the count all the way to 19. We do see Tanahashi working the arm to avoid the Rainmaker, but really selling the effects of this DDT as he is very woozy. After much wrangling, Okada hits the Rainmaker, but is in too much pain to cover immediately. His inability to capitalize cost him at this moment. This was a great nearfall to accompany all the strong arm work from Tanahashi and at the same time really puts over how much damage Tanahashi has taken with his deadweight selling. Okada is still in charge, but you really feel in the home stretch.

Okada goes for the coup d'grace, Tombstone, but Tanahashi wiggles out, but Okada puts him in that nasty crossface. The ref makes this spot! You really believe Tanahashi may submit based on his reactions. It is very dramatic, but Tanahashi does make the ropes. Okada wants the dropkick to the top rope, but Tanahashi has it scouted and Okada leaves his arm prone and Tanahashi dives on it. You knew we would get it. Here comes the Tanahashi run! Can Okada survive? Standing HFF, Sling Blade, Dragon Suplex, HFF on the back and High Fly Flow EATS KNEES!!! OH SHIT! Okada has to dig down deep. Dropkick to back of the head, that's Okada's bread and butter. Smart move. Tombstone reversals you can feel the drama whoever hits this will win the match. I LOVE SPOTS LIKE THIS! Tanahashi attacks the arms and he is going to hit it NO Okada reverses TOMBSTONE! BALL GAME! RAINMAKER SEALS THE DEAL! 1-2-3! NEWWWWWWW IWGP HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION!

 

Tanahashi changes his game plan because Okada knows what's up. The constant refrain of Tanahashi attacking the arm to save himself and set up his moves is repeated throughout the match right up until the end. We see how Okada uses headrops (DDT on apron, from railing and Tombstone) & his dropkicks to gain control and ultimately win. There are great payoffs like first Rainmaker ending with Okada writhing in pain. There is awesome drama like the Okada submission, Tanahashi's last gasp and of course the Tombstone struggle. It is a cool match where Okada felt in control since the DDT on apron, but had a weak link in his arm that Tanahashi could attack, but Tanahashi never really could gain full control. That dynamic made for a dramatic, high tension match. *****

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  • 8 months later...

This already has a pretty legendary reputation & rightfully so. Terrific psychology with Tanahashi trying to take out Okada's Rainmaker arm - his work over Okada's arm was fantastic & Okada sold it like a boss; loved the bit where he couldn't cover Tanahashi after doing the Rainmaker because of how much his arm was in pain. Okada countered that great arm work of Tana's with some neat work over Tanahashi's neck to soft him up for the Rainmaker. Great graps. ****3/4

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  • 6 months later...

Loved this. Absolutely loved this. The opening struggle for the break, that's my five star moment. It set the tone that these two were finally equals and for the first time, Okada felt like a star showing some real personality.

 

Tanahashi brilliantly switches his target to the arm instead of the leg and he almost successfully neutralizing the Rainmaker. Okada sticks to yhe strategy of going after the neck. The second half is insanely heated, smooth, and exciting.

 

Brilliant.

 

*****

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  • GSR changed the title to [2013-04-07-NJPW-Invasion Attack] Hiroshi Tanahashi vs Kazuchika Okada
  • 2 years later...

Man, I have forgotten how smug and arrogant Okada was when he was a baby Rainmaker. His facials here are so damn smackable. Despite his arrogance, the NJPW fans are starting to get behind him and start to wear tiresome of Tanahashi's goody-two-shoes attitude. This means Tana goes into John Cena mode and does all his signature taunts with a touch more pizzazz to really get under his detractor's skin whilst still being a babyface. Okada mostly dominates the first exchanges and works Tanahashi over in a variety of Lucha submissions. Tanahashi lands a Fujiwara early and then spends the rest of the match working Okada's arm. Okada sells his injury well and I loved that he switched his elbow pad over so that he could hit his flying elbow without damaging his arm any further. Small touches like that go a long way. The exchanges we get during the final ten minutes are explosive and exciting, and never look cooperative or too cutesy. Throw in the molten-hot crowd and you got yourself an all-time classic. ★★★★¾

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