[2017-07-22-NJPW-G1 Climax] Michael Elgin vs Kazuchika Okada

[bradhindsight]

Talk about it here.

 

Ioan Morris at PTBN:

 

 

Elgin made a good start, landing a big chop and replying to the condescending rope-break with elbow strikes before sending Okada over the top-rope with a clothesline. Okada was able to drop Elgin into the crowd, but the follow-up crossbody over the guardrail was caught and Elgin slammed him onto the floor! And again! A back suplex onto the apron earned a two-count, but the slingshot splash was avoided and Okada picked up the pace, hitting a seated dropkick then whipping Elgin into the guardrail outside. Back in, a neckbreaker was followed by the straitjacket chinlock, but Big Mike powered out, nailed a chop, then once again caught Okada and dumped him with a German. A pair of corner clotheslines and a pair of Germans led to an arm-trapped German suplex pin for a near-fall. Okada was able to flapjack Elgin for some respite, and a back elbow, DDT and leaping uppercut earned two, but series of counters ended with Elgin’s powerslam and both men were down.

Elgin floored Okada with a huge elbow strike, but was caught out of the corner with the reverse neckbreaker, which Okada followed with the diving elbow before signalling the Rainmaker. Elgin blocked it, so Okada dropkicked him to the floor instead. With Elgin back in, Okada went for a missile dropkick, but Elgin countered mid-air to a sit-out powerbomb! Two-count only. Front-and-back clotheslines punished Okada, then more counters led to an enzuigiri. Okada ducked a lariat, landed a German suplex, and hit a dropkick before hitting The Dropkick! Elgin countered the Rainmaker with a lariat of hit own and turned him inside-out with another! Sit-out crucifix powerbomb! One, two, no! Okada blocked the buckle bomb, but was floored by a rolling elbow, and Elgin looked for the deadlift superplex only for Okada to flip out. The diving shoulder block was met with a dropkick and after both men looked for a tombstone, Okada was set up top then taken back down with a top-rope superplex! One, two, NO! Buckle bomb from Elgin, Elgin Bomb blocked, Rainmaker countered to a sit-out powerbomb! 2.9! Elgin looked for a Burning Hammer, but Okada flipped out and hit the Rainmaker, holding firm to the wrist before hitting a second. It looked like a definitive third had been blocked, but Okada countered again, this time into a tombstone! Rainmaker! One, two, three!

This had that big time, main event feel – a title match without the title on the line, if you will. Elgin never fails to deliver in these situations for New Japan – this despite coming into the tournament cold – and obviously it’s where Okada excels. I’m always a fan of Okada’s usual routine being counteracted in interesting ways and Elgin proved a great foil in that respect. If I’m being picky I’d say the match peaked about five minutes before the end, but there’s no doubt it plays into the narrative of Okada’s inability to finish opponents like he used to. A tremendous match and a superb effort from both men. ****1/2

 

[ShittyLittleBoots]

This was very much a big move -> big move -> big move match w/ a great atmosphere, and I thought it was good, but it never really reached the ***1/2+ very good to great level in my eyes. ***

[SmartMark15]

I thought there were four or five really great minutes in this thing surrounded on all sides by incredibly boring and unimpressive move trading. Elgin is a supremely uninteresting worker. Never really liked any of what I've seen from him. Good moments for sure but a whole lot of nothing otherwise.

***1/2