August 2014 Latest Topics

[2014-08-03-NJPW-G-1 Climax] Katsuyori Shibata vs Tomoaki Honma

Sun, 07 Jan 2018 23:40:24 +0000

Even better than I remembered it being in 2014. It's a classic sprint smackfest between two of the hardest hitting, sprint puttin' lads in New Japan. Tells Honma's 2014 G1 underdog story quite well too w/ him throwing everything he got at Shibata, only for Shibata to ultimately put him away. Excellent stuff. ****1/2

[2014-08-01-NJPW-G-1 Cimax] Minoru Suzuki vs A.J. Styles

Wed, 02 May 2018 04:34:16 +0000

No thread for this yet? This is one of the more universally liked matches. Fantastic clash of styles (no pun intended), killer arm work, great selling, intensity, unique spots and grit. 2014 MOTYC. ****1/4

[2014-08-01-NJPW-G-1 Climax] Hirooki Goto vs Hiroyoshi Tenzan

Tue, 22 Sep 2020 21:00:53 +0000

Credit where credit is due, I thought this was a borderline masterpiece. One of the things that set this apart from a typical strong style slugfest was the fact that they both seemed to have strategies beyond "take turns clobbering each other until one of them goes down." Goto won me over in the opening minutes when he responded to Tenzan's invitation to come off the ropes with a shoulder tackle by kicking him in the gut and following up with elbows. I also really liked the struggles to maintain control and the way both men had to gradually fight their way back in rather than transitioning with a single big move or counter (or worse, no-selling). There was a sequence near the end (Tenzan ducks a Goto lariat, Goto blocks a Tenzan kick, Tenzan blocks a Goto lariat and headbutts him in the gut, Goto catches Tenzan coming off the ropes with an ushigoroshi) that felt closer to high-end King's Road than modern strong style. Finally, it was compact enough to prevent them from going off the rails with overkill. With this style, less is almost always more.

[2014-08-14-WWE-NXT] Sasha Banks vs Bayley

Tue, 22 Sep 2020 01:32:04 +0000

This was almost a nice little TV match prototype of what they would go on to do later.

The thing about these TV matches, particularly the short ones, is that with 2-3 minutes you only really have time to get your shit in and go home. So they all tend to look the same when you're hitting the same signature moves. The thought that struck me watching this is that Bayley and Sasha make every match of theirs look different. Even the short ones. Thankfully this was a No. 1 Contender's match and got about 6-8 minutes or so and they went to town.

Bayley is a great fired up babyface. Sasha does a tremendous convoluted run around to eventually trip Bayley on the apron and take over. Bayley quickly starts making comebacks and they keep up this nice, frantic pace that befits the moment. Sasha cuts her off with some nice knees in the corner. They go and go and then finally, Bayley is going for her finish but Sasha just casually pulls her hair to counter, and hits the Bank Statement and locks it in, only for Bayley to roll her up tight and snatch the big win. They both look like a million bucks coming out of this. And like I said, a good TV match that was basically a harbinger of things to come.

[2014-08-17-WWE-Summerslam] John Cena vs Brock Lesnar

Fri, 11 Mar 2016 01:33:38 +0000

This is pretty much a squash but is probably one of the 3-5 greatest squashes ever. Cena's selling was pretty fantastic here and Lesnar's offense and character work were pitch perfect. A 15 minute+ match that felt like 3 minutes. **** 1/4

[2014-08-01-NJPW-G-1 Climax] Shinsuke Nakamura vs Tomohiro Ishii

Fri, 20 Mar 2020 03:29:45 +0000

Shinsuke Nakamura vs Tomohiro Ishii - NJPW 8/1/14

This was a really fun Greatest Hits, bomb-throwing sprint match. Maybe not a sprint, but very efficient clocking in around 15 minutes. I love how they build to both guys bigger spots and really make each other earn it. The spot of the match has to be Nakamura doing his signature taunt before the Bom-Ba-Ye Knee only for Ishii to NAIL him with a dropkick. Each man really had the other scouted. They establish each man is going for the killshot early as the very beginning, Ishii goes for the Sliding Lariat and Nakamura goes for the Bom-Ba-Ye Knee. Both miss but both let the other know they arent here for a long time, they are here for a good time. Everything is centered around building to that. Nakamura is in the lead most of the match with Ishii playing catch up. Nakamura is using his knees and strikes to the head to control. Ishii gets his standard offense like the superplex and powerbomb in but for the most part he is reacting to Nakamura. Such as dropkicking him on the taunt, later he would Lariat to counter Bom-Ba-Ye Knee and then headbutt all to evade. There was a time where all these counters did give Ishii an opening and he hit the Sliding Lariat, which is the prelude to his Killshot, the Brainbuster. Nakamura had this scouted and evaded and hit a backstabber and then a Bom Ba Ye Knee to the back of the head. Smart, Ishii couldnt counter because he couldnt see it coming all the other times were head on. After that the end was nigh, they did some counters here and there, but Nakamura was firmly in control and it was a couple more vicious knees to put Ishii away. I like that about New Japan they dont swerve for swerve's sake. Ishii got his Sliding Lariat that was his nearfall, his oh so close moment. Once Nakamura hit the Knee, Ishii can be game, but it was Nakamura's game. When you respect the moves and the wrestlers, the fans respect the match. I enjoyed this one. ****

[2014-08-10-NJPW-G-1 Climax] A.J. Styles vs Hiroshi Tanahashi

Tue, 31 Dec 2019 02:00:22 +0000

IWGP Heavyweight Champion AJ Styles vs Hiroshi Tanahashi

G-1 Climax 2014 Consolation Prize

The biggest star of the company facing the champion for the very first time in the 3rd place match of the G-1 Climax may seem like bad booking, but I think it is really, really good. AJ showed up and won the IWGP Champion and I believe some of that credit is shared among the Bullet Club. Thus AJ has never faced most of these guys. Sure, he is the champion and an experienced vet, but he is inexperienced against this competition. So it only makes sense he slipped up early against Naito. As we know from real sports, it is hard to beat the same twice or three times in the same season so it was bound that Okada would get his win back. He tied with Okada in the block, but Okada had the head to head tiebreaker. It also shows the clear divide between the top four stars (Tanahashi, Okada, Nakamura, and Styles) and everyone else. There is a parity among those four, but they are in a level unto themselves.

Now onto the match, which I think was laid out very well for what it was. People have said it was a bit off, clunky, awkward. I disagree with those negative words. Instead, I think they were showing this was their first match against each other and thus they were feeling each other out throughout the match. Their basic strategies were similar put myself in a position to hit my finish. It was a great first match in the series because they never give away too much, but they are both looking to win.

The start was very even, which really helps Styles' credibility, who looks like a real New Japan star after the G-1 Climax. One weird element was that Tanahashi did a spot that is usually done to heels. The one where you lay out on the top turnbuckle get kicked and then land crotch-first onto the top rope and the babyface shakes it. It was just weird to see the reverse happen. Knowing 2007 Tanahashi as well I do, he must have been drooling to reverse a quebrada into a dragon sleeper and lo and behold he did! Tanahashi cuts off an AJ springboard by tripping him up and that was a nasty fall. My favorite AJ spot ensues, he jumps over the railing, thinks he is so smart and then eats a cross body. Never gets old! In the long standing debate of does Tanahashi's offense looks like it hurts? I think his elbows do, but yes his body punches are Kofi Kingston-light in this match.

Styles obliterates Tanahashi with a spinwheel kick, but Tanahashi grabs a Sling Blade. When Tanahashi pulls down on the head like here, it is a great looking move. The struggle over the Dragon Suplex into a Human Capture Suplex was the best part of this match. AJ really put over how much he does NOT want to go over in this suplex, but his damn arms are trapped, which makes lifting his shoulder very difficult. Tanahashi hitting a Dragon Suplex out of Styles' strike combination was so awesome! AJ has cut off the High Fly Flow twice and the Styles Clash has been cut off once. Tanahashi struggles again on the Styles Clash so AJ hits a GANSO BOMB~! A word on that later. Styles goes for his own High Fly Flow, but eats knees and then Tanahashi hurries to hit his own, but the same fate awaits him. Styles goes for the Styles Clash for a third tim, but Tanahashi is able to get a reverse victory roll to win the match. Bullet Club attacks, Double J feigns the save and smashes a guitar over Tanahashi's head to join the Bullet Club.

As a first match this is perfectly fine. They both had each other well-scouted and Tanahashi was finally able to turn a counter into victory, but it was not definitive. It earns him a title shot, no doubt, but it leaves intrigue open for the winner. Overall, it was just a lot of each wrestler's highspots used against each other without much creativity, It lends itself to that storyline that they were both tentative and working with what brought them to the dance rather than responding organically. Lastly, I wish the Ganso Bomb (it is a safer version than Kawada used as opponent's head does not hit the match) was used more like the Burning Hammer or Emerald Flowsion as AJ Styles' super duper finisher rather than the move that Tanahashi gets up and runs around from 30 seconds later. It is a cool match up and entertaining throughout. I think they set the championship rematch up well. ***1/2

[2014-08-22-ROH-Death Before Dishonor XII] A.J. Styles vs Kyle O'Reilly

Wed, 22 Aug 2018 16:10:44 +0000

Talk about it here.

[2014-08-18-WWE-Raw] Dean Ambrose vs Seth Rollins (Falls Count Anywhere)

Tue, 31 Dec 2019 01:50:16 +0000

Dean Ambrose vs Seth Rollins - WWE RAW 8/18/14 Falls Count Anywhere

From my recollection, this was the best of the disappointing Ambrose vs Rollins feud. It should have been a slam dunk feud, but the WWE got in their own way and cooled this way down before the anticlimatic blowoff. I wanted to include something from the feud, but this is not a sympathy pick. Upon rewatch, I definitely think this holds up as one of the more better and more entertaining matches of 2014. It was not just a match filled with weapons and gimmicks. There was malice behind those shots from Rollins and hatred poured from Ambrose. Rollins turned his back on the Shield and screwed him out of the Money In The Bank contract and he was going to have to exact a modicum of revenge the only way it was afforded to him by beating the holy hell out of Rollins.

Rollins' working punch was on fire early and I loved that sense of struggle to begin the match. The Rollins throat thrust to take over was killer. Rollins gets a little too cocky and Ambrose blows him away with a dropkick. Ambrose tags him back with a throat thrust. I love the tit for tat. Ambrose bodyslams Rollins and the chair together and chairdrop from the top rope. Ambrose is kicking ass, but in desperation Rollins sends Ambrose into the chair. We come back from commercial to see Rollins crossfacing Ambrose with a kendo stick, I love it. Rollins playfully taps Ambrose face with the kendo stick and that pelts him with shots. There is a tenedency in these matches to focus on the spots and forget to be a heel. Rollins did not give an all-star heel performance, but there were glimmers. it helps Ambrose was giving a great babyface performance fighting through pain and whipping the crowd into a frenzy with his out of control antics.

The kendo stick catch and Ambrose hulk up only for Rollins to duck the lariat and hit a jumping high kick was perfect wrestling. They brought the crowd up and then cut them off. Really good shit. Maybe I have not been paying attention recently, but Rollins ought to bring back the roundhouse kick back. It is a great cutoff and he executes it so well. The double cross body block is killer and they really went all out on that collision. That's how you get a match over. I loved Rollins whacking Ambrose with a kendo stick to no avail to try to avoid being catapulted. They really kick it into high gear with Rollins powerbombing Ambrose through a pile of chairs and Ambrose superplexing Rollins through a table. Ambrose hits a wicked clothesline and Dirty Deeds (I am glad they changed that to a double arm DDT), but Kane interferes. Ambrose hits out of control suicide dive onto Kane and Rollins. He has Vegas rocking, BABY! Ambrose runs across the announce tables to SWARM Rollins and Kane. He is outgunned. Rollins hits a nasty curb stomp on the announce table and then one through the cinder blocks to send Ambrose to Hollywood.

I thought the Curb Stomp on the table actually looked better than the gimmicked the cinder blocks. They overthink these things. The big negative is no doubt the selling. Being powerbombed on a pile of chairs and then superplexing someone through a table is a bit much. Ambrose did a relatively good job to fighting through pain unlike Rollins, whose selling was lacking. Also, I would have liked to see Rollins be more heelish. There were times when it was apparent, but that it became more about trading spots. What carries this is that you want to see Ambrose kick Rollins ass, but if Rollins is not reminding us he is a backstabbing chump then it takes a bit of wind out of the sails. The good definitely outweighs the bad. It was never a mindless brawl with you hit a move then I hit a move. Each move had weight and there was a great sense of urgency from both men in their movements. You definitely felt like both men hated each other and there was a reason for why they were inflicting so much pain. Rollins was trying to put Ambrose out so he can cash in Money in the Bank and Ambrose wanted to hurt Rollins for all he did. Both succeeded in beating the hell out of each other, but with a little help from his friend, Rollins got the upperhand. Definitely one of the better brawls of 2014. ****1/4

[2014-08-17-Smash-Smash Super Showdown II] Young Bucks vs Super Smash Brothers

Thu, 12 Dec 2019 20:55:54 +0000

I have a pretty neutral opinion of both of these teams so I was surprised by how much I liked this match when all was said and done. Which makes sense because the Young Bucks are masters of making you think they're going to schtick their way through a match, only to have you hooked before you even realize it's happening. By the end of this match I was rooting for Super Smash Bros hard even though I didn't have a rooting interest going in. That to me is the mark of a match that has some awesome work put in from everyone involved. There's no doubt these are two teams that are great at chaining together offense and that's fully on display here. But so are plenty of little touches that take this from a fun match early on to something much more by the end. And this had a live energy that really came through on tape even without the max volume commentary.

[2014-08-31-Union Pro] Hikaru Sato vs Shuji Ishikawa

Tue, 18 Sep 2018 05:14:50 +0000

Union Pro title match. Sato struggling to keep Ishikawa down was fantastic throughout. Sato's selling when he gets thrown outside or whenever Ishikawa gets a suplex is fantastic. Most of the match is very slow and methodical, they get the most out of even things like Sato blocking a powerbomb. Sato rolls out of the ring twenty minutes in and Ishikawa starts really dominating him. Sato is hurt by every strike Ishikawa throws but he has this nice desperation takedown into a kimura. Unfortunately for him, Ishikawa picks him up while in the kimura and piledrives him. Sato gets a guillotine choke and tries to pin Ishikawa but he kicks out, he follows with a suplex and Shuji still kicks out and then he tries the armbar but Ishikawa stacks it and slams him. Having thrown everything at him, Sato just defends for the rest of the match. Ishikawa gets the splash mountain with seconds left, but he can't get the pin before the time limit. Sato keeps the belt with the draw and the ending with him refusing overtime to get a winner is very good. Incredible match, Sato is outstanding in it.

[2014-08-10-PREMIER VI] Nicole Savoy vs RAZE

Sun, 16 Sep 2018 11:45:44 +0000

RAZE’s PREMIER debut and the second appearance of Savoy after her match against Cole Pistol was cut short. Savoy throws some kicks at RAZE’s thigh and when she ends up catching one of them, looks for a flying arm bar that doesn’t quite come off. RAZE escapes the side headlock and then crowbars Savoy’s arm, pulling it all the way back into a regulation cross arm bar but has to let go as her own shoulders are to the mat. She uses her size advantage to bully Nicole around, throwing some knees to the mid-section weakening her stomach ready for an abdominal stretch. Savoy powers out, hip tosses RAZE to the mat and goes for a cross arm bar of her own, however RAZE maneuvers her own position so that now it’s Savoy’s shoulders that are to the mat. They trade forearms and RAZE eventually lays Nicole out with a stiff clothesline. Savoy fires back with some jumping knees and locks on what I thought at first was a standing guillotine (there’s only one hard camera filming and no close up shots) but think is actually a standing Kimura. RAZE bulls her back into the turnbuckles forcing Savoy to let go but then gets met with a kick to the side of the head. She swings aimlessly, failing to connect, as Savoy snatches an arm, flying arm bar into a cross arm bar and RAZE is forced to tap. There’s a great touch right at the end here as RAZE is about to reach for the ropes with her leg but Savoy controls the leg with her left arm to prevent her from doing so.

I thought this was a decent little match and an improvement on Pistol/Savoy (even taking into account how that one finished due to the unfortunate injury). They eliminated the pure ‘pro-wrestling’ that was prevalent in that and concentrated more on the worked shoot aspect which, considering the size of RAZE and how she can use that to her advantage over her opponent, was a smart call. I mentioned it in the play by play, but I really liked the finish with Savoy controlling the leg with one of her arms to force the tap.

[2014-08-22-ROH-Death Before Dishonor XII] Michael Elgin vs Silas Young

Wed, 22 Aug 2018 16:11:50 +0000

Talk about it here.

[2014-08-22-ROH-Death Before Dishonor XII] Young Bucks vs Mark & Jay Briscoe

Wed, 22 Aug 2018 16:11:12 +0000

Talk about it here.

[2014-08-02-NEW-Wrestling Under The Stars III] Jerry Lawler vs Kevin Steen (Piledriver Match)

Mon, 20 Jun 2016 05:09:04 +0000

Pretty decent match, very watchable. Good selling by Lawler and Steen plays his part as the obnoxious heel well. ** 1/2

[2014-08-01-CMLL] Negro Casas vs Rush (Hair vs Hair)

Wed, 26 Jul 2017 01:02:02 +0000

Great narrative of the outmatched veteran getting decimated by the younger, stronger wrestler and trying to find ways to survive. Rush's offense and rudoing were superb, Casas was as great as you would expect and the finish was awesome. Casas's resigned look in the postmatch was an amazing visual. This had all the pieces to be a MOTYC level match but the lackluster pacing and disjointed feel hinders this pretty badly and it just falls short of the great mark for me. Still, well worth checking out. *** 3/4.

[2014-08-06-Kenta Kobashi Produce-Fortune Dream] Kohei Sato & Yuji Hino vs Daisuke Sekimoto & Kento Miyahara

Sun, 23 Apr 2017 14:01:05 +0000

A piece of shit shooter and a bully big boy against the babyface ace and the thicc big boy. Gotta provide at least some stiff shit.

This is a weird mixture of light hearted action and bomb throwing. There is no sense of urgence, which is not exactly a bad thing, since they provide some laughs and still put on a good match.

Hino and Sekimoto chop exchanges are gross. They are pretty much hitting forearms to the jaw at points, and the sound is loud as shit. Unusual to see Sekimoto being overwhelmed in this type of duel, but it happens here.

Miyahara gets his ass kicked by both Sato and Hino and it is glorious. He is a very good underdog in this setting, and even if he does have them lightning kicks, he is blasted with chops and kicks and elbows throughout most of the match and has to fight from underneath.

They go into a 30 minute time limite draw, and then ask for more 5 minutes. From them on its just non stop bomb throwing and hot nearfalls, which kinda balances out the more carefree pace of the regular time. Still, no one can actually get the pin.

Fun match. Hino is the clear highlight here. He just oozes charisma and some of his offense is pretty unique. *** 3/4

[2014-08-02-NEW-Wrestling Under The Stars III] Matt & Jeff Hardy vs Young Bucks

Thu, 19 May 2016 05:23:24 +0000

Really great stuff, an out of nowhere classic. I can't believe how good Jeff Hardy was in this, he is a guy who had his moments over his career, but I think the consensus was that he was completely shot by 2014, a casualty of drugs and bumps, but I cannot remember him ever looking this good, not only was he bumping like crazy but all of his offense looked really good. When has Jeff Hardy ever thrown good punches? He was cracking the Bucks here, spin kicks looked great, just a unbelievable performance. I really loved how the Hardy's incorporated all of the Bucks stuff into a traditional hot southern tag. Their taunts came off more like douchey heeling and less like meta wink wrestling. More John Tatum less Chuck Taylor. I was also really impressed how the Hardys were able to keep up with the Bucks fancy shit, there are some elaborate sequences in this match, and they looked great, the speed was still there, but they way it was slotted in, made it look less like a dance routine then if the Bucks ran them with Ohio is for Killers or the Addiction. Eric is going so nuts for this match so I feel like I have to throw a little water on the fire, I did think the Meltzer Driver should end a match full stop, I just don't buy Matt putting on a move 45 seconds after selling it, even if he did a nice job of selling. I also think that the Hardy's are a little short on offense, so they spammed the side effect and twist of fate a bit, I loved Matt's gutwrench suplexes, and I would have rather he used more of them or even just some bodyslams. Still those are very minor complaints on what is otherwise a remarkable match. No one could have predicted this

[2014-08-10-NJPW-G-1 Cimax] Kazuchika Okada vs Shinsuke Nakamura

Tue, 10 Feb 2015 18:56:24 +0000

Kazuchika Okada vs Shinsuke Nakamura - NJPW G-1 Climax Finals 8/10/14

The dream match that NJPW booking has wisely put off since Okada burst onto the scene in the beginning of 2012 pits two stablemates from CHAOS against each other for the G-1 Climax Championship and pretty much a mortal lock to headline the 1/4 Tokyo Dome show. Okada has reminded me a lot of old Nakamura. From a technical execution standpoint, Okada is a great wrestler, but he seems disinterested in the outcome of a match and just is not showing passion. In this match being challenged by one of the other two top natives in NJPW, he seems hungry to assert himself as the premiere pro wrestler in the world. I want see more of that from Okada. Nakamura has been great in the matches I have seen in 2014. His new oddball persona of wearing Michael Jackson-inspired jackets and dancing like MJ is entertaining outside the ring and inside he is the last of the Strong Style workers which means a heavy emphasis on counter submission wrestling and strikes especially blows to the head. It is not fancy, but it is going to get the job and it may get it done quickly. Okada does not really have a flash submission or knockout in his arsenal so he is susceptible in his long setup times to a wrestler like Nakamura. Nakamura is what made this match dynamic. He forced Okada out of his comfort zone and to react to how he was wrestling, which made it more compelling than the Okada-style which can be mechanical at times.

Early on, it was all about posturing and bravado. Psyching each other out in a macho pissing contest, Okada does his cocky clean break so Nakamura responds with stare at the belly button. Because these two have never faced off, Nakamura feels like the favorite because of his experience in big time matches. So when Nakamura is fucking around during this break, Okada immediately clamps on his a DDT. Right there, I know Okada came to play. Okada is still a cocky punk so he can't resist putting his one foot on Nakamura's chest and hitting the Rainmaker pose. We get the first strike exchange and of course the King of Strong Style wins with a knee lift. Okada has to avoid those exchanges because that is an area that Nakamura will crush him in. Nakamura just lays waste to Okada in pretty much every conceivable fashion of using a barrage of knee lifts. Now it is Nakamura's turn to get cocky and does little playful kicks to Okada. What is going to be Okada's strategy? When Tanahashi feels overwhelmed, he neutralizes his opponent by attacking the knee. What does Okada have in his arsenal to set up the Rainmaker? The answer is of course, his dropkick.

Nakamura goes for a running knee one too many times and Okada is able to counter by setting him up top hitting a dropkick causing him to tumble all the way to floor. Okada presses his advantage on the outside with a Hangsman DDT. Normally, Okada would let this run for a countout, but he is not fucking around in this match and he is not going to give Nakamura a second to breathe. Big Elbow Drop! Okada really has a case for best elbow drop ever. It is fucking pretty. RAINMAKER POSE~! GEDO IS JAAAAAACCCCCKKKKEEEDDDDD! Now this is where Nakamura shines, his counterwrestling game. First it is a lungblower to buy himself time. Then when Okada goes for a submission, he walks right into the trap. Nakamura gets a rear naked choke and is looking for a cross armbreaker, but settles for a Triangle. As Okada stands to reach for the rope, Nakamura uses his long legs to force him over into a cross-armbreaker. Gedo is freaking out as Okada writhes and flops around looking for the rope. Perfect way to respect the cross-armbreaker. Nakamura buries knees deep into Okada and is looking for the Boma Ye. Okada counters with the White Noise into the Knee (not my favorite move). Okada successfully avoids Nakamura's wild roundhouse kicks and uses dropkicks to set up the Tombstone. Now it is time to Make It Rain in Seibu, FLYING CROSS ARMBREAKER OUT OF THE RAINMAKER~! Holy shit! Definitely one of the best spots of 2014! Nakamura the counterwrestler strikes again. Okada steps on his face to force the release. BOMA YE~! to the back of the head. This is treated like it levels the playing field, but i felt like Nakamura was in the driver's seat. Strike exchange ends with an Okada dropkick. Nakamura pulls one out of the Suzuki game plan and baits him into hitting dropkick again. He collapses on a rope running spot and Okada goes for the dropkick again, but Nakamura was playing possum so Okada crashes and burns and BOMA YE~! KICK OUT! Okada will not be denied tonight. Nakamura gets a running start but as we saw in the Shibata match if you can guard against that it is his downfall. Okada hits with a dropkick on the button. Nakamura blocks The Rainmaker with a knee and looks for Boma Ye, but Okada closes the gap by running towards it and grabbing the leg. Love that! Nakamura uncorks two closed fist to set up Landslide, but Okada reverses out with a backslide. When Nakamura kicks out, Okada hangs on to hit not one, not two, but three Rainmakers to win the G-1 Climax.

That was the story of this match Okada was not fucking around and he was taking no chances. I loved that there were no kickouts. It was Okada ensuring his victory. Okada looked like a boss here using the dropkick liberally like a Misawa would with his elbow to set up his offense. We saw with Shibata how you can defend against Nakamura's Boma Ye and Okada executing that strategy perfectly. He survived Nakamura's counterwrestling and the Flying Cross Armbreaker out of the Rainmaker was an awesome spot. Kicking out of Boma Ye was definitely a big star-making move! You really felt like Okada wanted it more on that night. I distilled action down to its best parts but there was some fluff and overkill late paired with a lukewarm beginning that I think this is behind Styles/Suzuki and Nakamura/Tanahashi, but I would peg this no worse than a top 5 NJPW Match of the Year and Top Ten Match of the Year overall. Nakamura's counterwrestling/strikes versus Okada's dropkick & heart made for one epic story on this night. ****1/2

[2014-08-08-NJPW-G-1 Cimax] Kazuchika Okada vs Minoru Suzuki

Tue, 10 Feb 2015 01:32:49 +0000

Kazuchika Okada vs Minoru Suzuki - NJPW G-1 Climax 8/8/14

This match takes place from the last night of the round robin portion of 2014's G-1 Climax. If Suzuki wins the match, then Okada will not go to the finals and Styles would enter the finals. For these high pressure stakes, I don't think Okada is wrestling like this at all like anything special. Minoru Suzuki is wrestling at a very high level throughout match and really carries the day. Okada disrespects early with the cocky clean break. Suzuki takes exception and takes him down with an armbar. Okada lunges for the ropes. Suzuki is relentless on the arm using the Tarantula and his big kick on the apron. Suzuki has worked the arm pretty well and Okada just blows it off with some elbows. He hits his big elbow drop early so he calls for the Rainmaker. Suzuki goes right for that arm and when Okada misses the dropkick. Suzuki rifles the arm with a kick. There is a nice progression in the armwork now with Suzuki using submission moves that could lead to a submission: Fujiwara Armbar & Cross Armbreaker. In an absolutely awesome moment, Suzuki plays possum by not being able to run the ropes so Okada looks foolish on a leapfrog and when Okada turns his back Suzuki drills him with a dropkick. Suzuki is so fucking good. Suzuki applies a sleeper and is looking for the piledriver to win, but Okada escapes with the White Noise on the Knee. We finally get the strike exchange which Okada wins with a pretty dropkick. Okada hits the weakest Tombstone ever. Suzuki blocks the Rainmaker and BIG CLOSED FIST! GO SUZUKI GO! Okada hits a pretty dropkick and the Rainmaker to win!

I don't know about this Okada guy. He is just there in these matches. He is pretty, adequate at everything and has a really pretty dropkick, is he the Randy Orton of New Japan? It is just a small sampling size so we shall see. Okada could have sold more and had more emotion in this finish stretch, but still he was fine. Suzuki is so awesome in this match and is just a great showcase for him. ****