[2013-01-04-NJPW-Wrestle Kingdom VII] Hiroshi Tanahashi vs Kazuchika Okada

[Loss]

Talk about it here.

[Loss]

The idea that these two are comparable to Flair and Steamboat or Misawa and Kobashi is ridiculous, but I still think this was a good match. I don't think it's that much of a stretch to compare them to their 90s counterparts like Muto and Chono though. I sort of get why Tanahashi fans have a tough time describing what they like about him. Most of the stuff he does is pretty perfunctory, but he has a knack for crafting a match that feels like a real back-and-forth battle with momentum shifts at just the right moments.

 

It stood out to me how early 00s WWE main event style this seemed, specifically when Okada did his hand gesture thing and the camera panned back, and also when Okada is trying to reach the ropes when Tanahashi has the crab submission thing on and Tanahashi walks him back to the middle of the ring. I don't know enough about their finishers to know if they tried stealing them from each other just to put the icing on the cake, but that would make sense.

 

This has nothing to do with the quality of the match, but I noticed it in the CMLL and I'm noticing it here. The styles globally aren't as diverse and distinct as they used to be. The wrestling style isn't 100% the same everywhere, but it has moved noticeably in that direction. And that lack of distinction makes this stuff a little less fun to watch.

[Kevin Ridge]

Man, was totally thinking the same thing after watching these couple matches. I was expecting an alternative and different match to WWE and came away feeling there was not much of a difference. Like mentioned with the camera pulling out back, felt something out of the WWE playbook. I just checked out Meltzer's star ratings for the three matches shown and am not on the same level after viewing. This is still a pretty good match though. Okada using Lucha type submissions. The camera seemed to always zoom into his face. Much more than they would for Tanahashi. It started off with both guys feeling each other out before Okada hits a dangerous elevated DDT out of nowhere. Ending was really good with lots of swings and back and forth between both guys. Maybe my expectations were too high going in after hearing all the talk about NJPW lately. Also, going in cold without knowing much of what was going on leading up to this match. Went over an half an hour and they did not lose me. I do not want to come off like I did not enjoy the match but the overall presentation was not what I was expecting.

[Childs]

I have to say, watching this in the context of other non-WWE stuff from January has cast it in a better light. I've still never watched a Tanahashi-Okada match without my attention drifting during the body. God are they bland when working basic control sections. And I don't think either is a great offensive wrestler (though Okada's dropkick and Tanahashi's dive to the floor are great moves). But they're very good at constructing long runs to the finish that pop the crowd over and over. Compared to so much of the dreck out there, they really did build to key moments during the match. And those moments weren't lost in the Dome, which, as we've seen over the years, isn't the easiest thing to do.

 

I'm still baffled by the folks who call this the best in-ring stuff of the last 15 years. But I'm softening.

[Dylan Waco]

Rewatched this given that Childs and Loss seem to have enjoyed it on some level. Also I did like at least one, if not two of their matches from last year at least a bit.

 

If anything I thought this was worse on second viewing. Unbelievably tedious match. Probably the most bored I've been watching a match in some time actually, which is saying something since I came in with the intent to watch it more carefully. Felt almost HHH-ish at times in it's dullness, and while there were a couple of really nice spots, absolutely nothing was engaging on any level. I wouldn't call it "bad" in the traditional sense, but I'd be hard pressed to name a match that I think is less interesting.

[Childs]

It's funny, I don't even really disagree with you. Whenever I try to assess these recent NJ matches, I feel like I'm reacting to perception -- both the crazy hype from the true believers and my own skepticism -- as much as what's actually on screen.

[cactus]

The opening 'feeling out' exchanges were decent enough, just very paint-by-numbers. The last time I saw this match was when I watched the entire event shortly after it had aired. I didn't care who won it and only watched it as I wanted to see every match on the card and I was understandably burnt out after watching four hours of wrestling, so I was rather bored during the first 15 minutes. I think it's a fair point to say that they can be rather bland during their control segments, although I enjoyed them more on a rewatch as I genuinely want to see what people who are calling these matches the modern day equivalent of Flair vs Steamboat see in these matches. Yeah, the average opening minutes holds this back. Many NJPW main events suffer from this problem, but I was nowhere near as bored as I was when I sat through the first 15 minutes of Styles vs Okada from last October.

 

But then when the match finally gets going, oh my, it's good. It's everything I want in a big match main event, even if the Dominion match has better sequences. Most of the NJ guys can work a great finishing stretch, but everything fell into place just right here. It avoided being formulaic and crowd ate up every second. Not as good as their Dominion match, as it's way too bloated, even with all the great stuff sprinkled throughout.

 

★★★¾

[Superstar Sleeze]

I know the no selling spot you speak of and I think it was really poorly executed Sling Blade from that position.


IWGP Heavyweight Champion Hiroshi Tanahashi vs Kazuchika Okada - Wrestle Kingdom VII

 

The rubber match and sort of the bow on the first chapter of their series. It seems the diehards of this feud consider the first matches to be inferior to the second three matches so there is hope. I think the June match was better and this was on the level of the February. The spots are for the most part just rearranged, but it does feel very same-y up until this point. That's why I will write the same positives and the same negatives. New Japan is the best at constructing match layouts and building to a finish in an efficient with little overkill. That's been NJPW's heavyweight modus operandi since the 90s (I cant say the 80s because I have not watched a lot of NJPW from the 80s yet). The key difference is the lack of a Hashimoto with that big time ass kicker charisma. It does feel very WWE. It really feels like the Japanese version of Cena vs Orton. The matches are great, but leave you wanting more.

 

Perfunctory NJPW mat wrestling to start. Tanahashi blocks the dropkick when he is on the top rope, but Okada dropkicks the ropes to nutshot him and then hits an Hangman's DDT. Vintage Orton! Between that, the beautiful dropkick, the personality of a potted plant and the ability to cure insomnia are these two actually the same person??? Has anyone ever seen Orton & Okada in the same place at the same time? Okada is working the neck, never seen that before. Tanahashi dropkicks Okada's knee as he is charging. That's a bit different way to start the leg work. They are setting up the same control segments in different ways. Notice how the challenger gets the first control segment. High Fly Flow to the floor as is the norm when Tanahashi begins his leg work. The dragon leg screw in the ropes is almost blocked, but Tanahashi dropkicks the knee and then does it. Again, I think they should go from Tanahashi leg work to his finish, but instead Okada gets a DDT and it is back to the neck. The key to his first win was a Tombstone on the floor and that's what he wants now. Tanahashi understanding this avoids it all cost and hits Sling Blade. High Fly Flow eats knees. Okada runs through some stuff, but when it comes time for the Rainmaker it is time for Tanahashi to run through his finish run suplexes. High Fly Flow and kick out! That's fine because they built two matches previously where one finish was enough so I think this is fine escalation. Cloverleaf by Tanahashi makes sense here with the leg work. Okada nails a tombstone. It was in the ring, but still he who hits the Tombstone seems to win these matches. Rainmaker into Sling Blade. Okada goes back to the Tombstone to set up the Rainmaker again. Great struggle over the second Tombstone with Okada reigning down the elbows to the injured neck only for Tanahashi to dropkick the injured leg. Tanahashi nails the Tombstone. HUGE! High Fly Flow to a standing jelly-legged Okada and second High Fly Flow for the victory!

 

Again, there is really smart stuff in here. Okada never hits the Rainmaker so that's completely protected. Okada gets to kick out of a High Fly Flow. The Tombstone has been a huge part of this rivalry. The Tombstone on the floor basically won Okada the title. The struggle over the Tombstone in June and here basically determined the winner. The last 2-3 minutes was excellent. The beginning just felt same-y and kinda pedestrian. Again, they did not over stay their welcome at all. Everything was efficient. Just missing that emotion. Great again, but not a classic. ****

How I rank the first chapter:

1. Dominion ****1/4
2. New Beginning ****

3. Wrestle Kingdom VII ****

 

Flair/Steamboat this is not.

[SmartMark15]

Opening ten, fifteen minutes are deathly boring. Just slow, uninspired offense without any sense of urgency or drama. Some good spots sprinkled in here and there. I liked the elbow exchange that heated up when they both grabbed hair. I thought the sequence on the ramp was incredibly tedious and killed what little heat they had built up. Ah, but when Tanahashi wants to kick it into gear, he sure can pull it off. Tanahashi starts to up the intensity and the pacing and work really does go into a pretty great place. The finishing stretch is hot but without the selling and drama that made the Dominion match great. But there's some real tension in some of the false finishes towards the end.

 

****