NJPW G1 Climax 29 Night 1: Results, Grades, and Analysis

Kazuchika Okada (CHAOS) vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi

Okada and Tanahashi is one of the most legendary feuds in wrestling history, as two of the greatest of all time face off again. Their record against each other is 5-5-3, with all 3 draws happening in the G1.

Okada and Tanahashi started by locking up and Okada offered a cleanish break but Tanahashi hit an elbow and both men started through strikes to kill on another, but Okada sent Tana to the ropes and hit a big boot. Tana got right up dodged a dropkick. Okada went for the Rainmaker, but Tanahashi countered and went for a dragon suplex. Okada countered and both men stood off in a stalemate.

Tanahashi hit a forearm, slam, and a flying elbow. Tana hit another forearm and tried for an attack of the second rope, but Okada dropkicked him off the rope to the outside! Okada hit a DDT on the outside and then dropkicked in the ring before posing over Tana’s body to boos from the crowd.

Okada hit a series of back elbows in the corner on Tanahashi. Tanahashi fired back with forearms of his own and went for a kick, but Okada caught the foot and hit a dragon screw of his own! He took that from Tanahashi’s playbook. Okada hit a neck breaker and got a 2 count. Okada sent Tanahashi to the ropes and Tana went for a kick, but Okada caught him again. However, Tana fought out and Okada tried to kick him, so Tanahashi hit a dragon screw of his own!

Tanahashi hit the ropes and hit a flying forearm that sent Okada crashing to the mat. Tanahashi slammed Okada and then hit his flipping senton on Okada, but Okada kicked out. Okada hit a kick to Tanahashi’s face and then a DDT, but Tanahashi kicked out. Okada went for another neck breaker, but Tana got out. Tana ran at Okada, but Okada sent him to the apron. Tana then grabbed Okada’s leg and hit a dragon screw.

Back in the ring, Tanahashi ran at Okada, but Okada hit a flapjack and both men were down. Okada is clearly favouring his knee as he stood up, but he managed to hit an uppercut on Tanhashi. Tana hit a dropkick to the knee but managed to hit his neck breaker over the knee. Okada hit a flying elbow drop on Tanahashi and went for his Rainmaker pose to a great pop from the crowd.

After the crowd popped, Tanahashi rolled Okada up, got a near fall, hit a dragon screw again, and then locked on the Texas Cloverleaf, which is appropriate because they’re in Dallas. Okada made it to the ropes and hit another dragon screw. Okada rolled to ringside as we hit the 15- minute mark, and Tanahashi flew off the top rope to the floor with a High Fly Flow!

Okada went for a TKO, but Tanahashi hit Twist and Shout, Okada got up and hit a shotgun dropkick, Tana got up and hit a sling blade, but Okada hit his dropkick! Okada hit a tombstone and went for the Rainmaker, but Tana countered and hit a sling blade and went for a High Fly Flow and nailed Okada with it. Tana went for a second one, but Okada got his knees up, crushing Tanahashi!

Both men struggled to their feet and Okada went for a second tombstone, but Tanahashi put up a fight for it and tried to life Okada for one of his own. Okada wouldn’t give it up, and they both struggled over it until Tanahashi hit him with a series of hard strikes. Tana went for a slingblade, but Okada rolled him through with a backslide and went into a Rainmaker! Okada maintained wrist control and hit a second one before calling for a third!

Okada went for one more, but Tanahashi rolled him up and almost got a 3! Okada went for a kick, but Tanahashi blocked it and hit a dragon suplex and nearly pinned Okada! Tana went for another sling blade, but Okada countered with another Rainmaker attempt.

Tana countered again, missed a sling blade, but hit 3 huge strikes to finally break Okada’s wrist control! Tana went for a sling blade again, but Okada caught him and hit a tombstone and followed up with another Rainmaker! Okada gets the 1-2-3! Wow, what a great match.

Prediction: Kazuchika Okada

Result: Kazuchika Okada (1-0) (2 points)

Rating: ****3/4 (4.75 stars out of 5)

This was an incredible match. Okada and Tanahashi are the greatest of all time, and they delivered another classic match in their feud. While this wasn’t quite as good as some of their previous matches, that doesn’t mean it was incredible. This was a fantastic match that saw Okada finally defeat Tanahashi in the G1 for the first time!

Show Rating: ****1/2 (4.5 stars out of 5)

This was a fantastic show, top to bottom. It’s hard to pick which match was better between Ospreay/Archer and Okada/Tanahashi. Either one could lay claim to match of the night, easily. Okada, after the match, cut a promo about how this was the first G1 in America, and he promised that it wouldn’t be the last and that they would come back. He wanted to come back to Dallas as the G1 Climax winner and IWGP Heavyweight Champion, saying he wanted to be the first IWGP Heavyweight Champion to win the G1 since 2000.

Okada is the best wrestler alive today, and I wouldn’t be shocked if he does it. His promo was a good one here, with true babyface fire. This was the first time that Okada and Tanahashi faced off on American soil, and it was worth the wait.

Going forward, what will this G1 look like for Tana? Will he be able to make it to the finals one more time? Or is this finally the decline of the Ace that everyone has been predicting? If Okada wins the G1, who will he choose to face at Wrestle Kingdom? All of these questions will be answered in the coming weeks. I can’t wait for Night 2.