NJPW/GFW Wrestle Kingdom 9 Review
By Mike Smith
NJPW.co.jp
Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Kazuchika Okada for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship
The match started off slow, with both guys hesitant to make the first move, since they know each other so well. Then, then it started to pick up.
Tanahashi started to get some offense going, but he eventually lost control of the match to Okada. Throughout this sequence, every time the pace picked up, even while he was on offense, Okada made sure to slow it down and keep things in control.
Okada did go high-risk a little early, and it cost him, and allowed Tanahashi to get back in the match. However, after a little offense, Tanahashi failed to truly capitalize on it, and Okada had him locked in a submission hold, but he was able to get to the ropes.
Okada was sort of toying with Tanahashi, and it cost him again, and Tanahashi countered a move and hit a little offense before getting Okada set up for High Fly Flow. However, when Tanahashi went to finish Okada off, Okada rolled out of the way.
After regaining control, it was Okada who missed his finisher, The Rainmaker, and allowed Tanahashi to stay in it.
This time, upon gaining control, Tanahashi kept it, and finally went to work on Okada. Tanahashi hit a few moves, before sending Okada, not just to the padded floor at ringside, but all the way to the floor of the Tokyo Dome, and hit an insane flying crossbody out there. Tanahashi brought Okada back in the ring and hit High Fly Flow to the back of Okada, then turned him back over and hit High Fly Flow again, but Okada kicked out.
It was at this point that Tanahashi got a little cocky, going for The Rainmaker, but Okada countered it right into a Rainmaker of his own, but Tanahashi kicked out, the first person to ever kick out of that move.
Okada was left stunned after Tanahashi kicked out of his finisher, and had trouble regaining his composure after that. Okada tried a few more times to connect with The Rainmaker, but he couldn’t find the mark, and his insistence on hitting it probably cost him the match.
Eventually, Tanahashi got one of Okada’s legs caught on the middle rope, and he quickly went to the top to hit High Fly Flow on the standing, one-legged Okada. He then returned to the top to hit the move one more time and retain the IWGP Heavyweight Championship.
Tanahashi defeats Okada via pinfall.
5 out of 5 stars. Instant classic.
Overall Impression
When an entire show has such high expectations, you can’t just gauge it like other shows, it’s just like WrestleMania. When WrestleMania is good, it’s disappointing; when it’s very good, it’s good; but, when it’s great, it’s an other-worldly experience that you never forget.
That’s exactly what this was.
I’m writing this right after the show, at 6 am, in upstate New York and I’m still not tired, thanks to the emotion and energy of the past four hours. It was a show filled with wonderful matches, and every time I watch it, specifically Tanahashi/Okada, I’ll remember this first time, because it was just that special.
I’m not as down on WWE as some people, but if you’re looking for something different, definitely try watching Wrestle Kingdom 9.
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