7 of the best NJPW feuds in recent memory

Kazuchika Okada vs. Kenny Omega

A rivalry deserving of all the superlatives, Kazuchika Okada and Kenny Omega’s ground-breaking brilliance inside the squared circle helped bring new eyes to NJPW and likely helped set in motion the kind of global support that led to The Elite’s insane popularity and the future All Elite Wrestling. Omega vs. Okada wasn’t solely responsible for all this happening, but it played a huge role.

When fans heard of the match that broke Dave Meltzer’s scale at Wrestle Kingdom 11, they had to watch and were not disappointed to see the athleticism, risk-taking, and story-telling in the first match of a historic four-match feud.

The next match occurred at Dominion 2017, when Okada called out Omega for a second title bout. As you’d expect, the match was furious, building slowly into a feverish crescendo. Although the two men wrestled until a staggering 60-minute draw was called, showing unholy cardio in the process, the match was never boring. It was another masterpiece.

Okada vs. Omega III was Omega’s big star-making moment, as he finally defeated The Rainmaker in the 2017 G1 Climax to prevent Okada from facing Tetsuya Naito in the final. Omega didn’t win the tournament and lost a grueling match to Naito after having already given Okada his all, but his star was set after the win.

And to seal the deal, Omega picked up the final win in the storied rivalry, ending Okada’s record-breaking 720-day reign at Dominion 2018 for a fitting end to The Rainmaker’s run of dominance. It was an incredible, emotional, 65- minute, two-out-of-three-falls match. Omega and Okada, together, changed modern wrestling with their rivalry.