NJPW Destruction in Kobe: Results, Grades, and Analysis

Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Kazuchika Okada (CHAOS) – Tokyo Dome Main Event Match

Tanahashi and Okada did not start this one slow, exchanging a series of forearms in the early portion of the match. Tanahashi went outside and smashed Okada’s knee over the apron. However, Okada is not one to take a beating lying down, and he went right after the weak knee of Tanahashi. Okada worked over the knee for several minutes, but Tanahashi was able to hit a chop block and a dragon screw leg whip. Okada and Tanahashi are both suffering with their knees, doing a great job of selling.

Okada went for his neckbreaker over the knee, but Tanahashi fought out and went for a twist and shout. Okada countered and went for a DDT, but Tanahashi hit a dropkick to Okada’s knee. Okada fought back and hit his neckbreaker, leaving both men on the mat. Tanahashi went to the top rope, but Okada dropkicked him off. Tanahashi caught himself before falling to the floor, and as he tried to get back onto the turnbuckle, Okada went over and began to smash and strike Tanahashi’s knee. Tanahashi had to get up untangling himself from the turnbuckle.

Okada immediately did a knee breaker, and then locked on the figure four leglock, making Ric Flair proud. This was a different tactic from Okada, who is looking to submit the Ace with a move he doesn’t do often. However, like the best wrestlers do, Okada executed the move perfectly, leaving Tanahashi screaming in pain. Okada smiled as he knew the match was in hand. Tanahashi rolled to the ropes and outside the ring, but Okada drove Tanahashi’s knee into the floor.

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Somehow, Tanahashi managed to pick Okada up and hit a tombstone, injuring his own knee in the process, but leaving Okada out on the floor! Tanahashi climbed the top rope, and decided to break the count at 15. Tanahashi flew to the outside with a massive High Fly Flow, driving Okada to the floor, but hurting his knee again in the process. Amazing spot right here. Tanahashi refused to take the count out again, and rolled Okada in. Tanahashi went for the sling blade, but Okada countered and went for the Rainmaker.

Tanahashi countered and hit the Twist and Shout, before hitting a sling blade. Okada got his knees up when Tanahashi went for the High Fly Flow, leaving Tanahashi in a crumpled heap on the mat. Okada was also slow to get up, because he’s been injured quite badly by Tanahashi. Neither man was able to hit a tombstone, so they settled for exchanging forearms. Okada nailed a dropkick to the knee, and Tanahashi was not able to run the ropes because of it.

Tanahashi hit a sunset flip, but Okada kicked out. Tanahashi hit a dragon screw, but Okada hit a dropkick after. Tanahashi went for the dragon suplex, but Okada countered. Okada went for the Death Valley Driver, but Tanahashi countered into a neckbreaker! They exchanged tombstone attempts, but Okada countered and went for the spinning Rainmaker. Tanahashi slapped Okada, and Okada hit a dropkick to the back of Tanahashi’s knee. Tanahashi countered the Rainmaker wit ha sling blade and went for the High Fly Flow! Tanahashi hit it, but he couldn’t complete the pinfall, and Okada barely kicked out.

Tanahashi climbed back up to hit another, but Okada countered and dropkicked him out of midair! Amazing. Okada hit the tombstone, but he had a hard time getting up because of his knee. Okada went for the Rainmaker, but Tanahashi countered. After a few more counters, Okada hit the spinning Rainmaker, and he went for one more, but Tanahashi countered and hit the dragon suplex, but Okada literally kicked out at the last micro-second. Tanahashi went to the top rope again, but Okada cut him off with a dropkick again!

Okada tried to give Tanahashi a tombstone off the middle rope, but Tanahashi countered and fought out. Okada got back up and went for a gut wrench suplex, but Tanahashi fought him off again. Tanahashi slapped him and hit a High Fly Flow as he was falling off the middle rope to the mat! That was incredible. Tanahashi hit a second one while Okada was standing, and barely made it back to the top rope for a third, but Tanahashi hit and got the 1-2-3! Hiroshi Tanahashi finally defeated Okada for the first time since 2015!

Result: Hiroshi Tanahashi

Rating: ****** (Six Stars out of Five)

Jay White ran out and immediately attacked Tanahashi with a Sling Blade. After leaving Okada laying, White started to stomp on Okada. The Young Lions tried to stop him, but White beat them all up. White went up to Rocky Romero, and threw him aside, knocking his CHAOS stablemate over, before grabbing a chair and bringing it back to the ring. YOSHI-HASHI made his way down to the ring to make the save, and accidentally busted himself open on the apron. White hit him with a chair and sent him to the outside before checking on him (which was nice, because he was legit injured).

White made it look like he was taunting him, but it was a classy move. Gedo ran down and took the chair from White. Okada stood up and faced White, while Gedo nailed Okada with the chair! Gedo turned on Okada! White hit Okada with a Blade Runner! It appears that Gedo has kicked Okada and YOSHI-HASHI both out of CHAOS, though Okada is going to continue to team with Ishii at NJPW Fighting Spirit Unleashed. Maybe Okada will need to join Tanahashi to regain his position at the top? NJPW might see a new stable formed with Tanahashi, and maybe them joining forces to combat Jay White. We are probably going to get clarity on this soon. It’s possible that both will still be in CHAOS, and that this is just the start of a long power struggle. This was an incredible angle. Gedo announced that both Tanahashi and Okada both aren’t going to the main event of the Tokyo Dome, because White beat them both, so White is going to the main event.

Gedo said he only sides with winners, not losers like the two guys on the mat. It’s the Switchblade Era, and that it was coming soon. It looks like Switchblade is going to challenge Okada next for the title shot at Wrestle Kingdom. Maybe we’ll see that match at NJPW King of Pro Wrestling in October. This was one heck of a closing angle, as Gedo turned on Okada after 6 years of cornering him. This was absolutely insane.