Kazuchika Okada vs. Minoru Suzuki

[7.0] "This was a very good one, and Suzuki's best performance in quite a while, but there are a few things that make this not click for me nearly as much as others. For starters, they telegraphed the time limit draw really early on when it seemed like they were just doing stuff without any urgency towards a finish. To be fair, they made up for that with some dirty, gnarly strikes with all the sweat flying you could ever hope for in a puro main event. I'm glad Suzuki's recent interference-laden style didn't bog this one down but the pacing and structure weren't my favorite. Feels similar to the Tanahashi/Shibata Destruction 2014 match that I respect for its work and psychology but the styles clash is too much and the match isn't a super enjoyable experience. I did like this one, but it was just much closer in quality to the Omega/SANADA match for me than most."

[10.0] "Greatest of All Time. My first ten on the cagematch ever, that surely means something back there and while I still go into that website it will keep being an huge mark for myself. 2017 Kazuchika Okada is one of the best and most important wrestlers to know about, he was so unbeliavable good, the way he did all of his stuff in ring is unmatchable and not able to be compared with basically nobody currently. Even some of his biggest weakness, like the mat work, was well rounded during that era. Kenny Omega, Katsuyori Shibata, and even that one, classics that will be remembered for ages. And guess what? He is not the reason why I said "Greatest of All Time" at first. When I asked Chat GPT what makes you the GOAT of pro wrestling, he said six things. You need to be good, draw money, have an legacy, incredible acchievements and undeniable charisma, and guess what? MiSu fits all of thise categories, some of them ever better than Okada if I'm being honest. That match right here is the perfectly example for what I argue, everyone can be the best, everyone can be considered the GOAT, you just need an arguement, doesn't even need to be an strong one, just one that will make people put faith on your words man. Joseph made an recent post arguing about Jon Moxley being the Greatest Wrestler Ever. Deny his opinion or not, he DID had an base to argue about that. In this match, the ringside is so well used, Suzuki gun attacks to Okada was pointless because it was made to be it, Okada needed to look strong in that bout. Them, MiSu, an mastermind of the ringside, did all of his well known stitches, trying to hit his opoonent with a chair while Red Shoes denies it. And, trust me, that was the LAST time you saw an MiSu stitches in that bout. Everything he did here looked so fresh, so original, he really went into the match of his life and he was rolling for it. I saw him applying an fucking Tombstone Piledriver man. Minoru Suzuki, the master of strikes and submissions, did an Tombstone Piledriver. Why is that? For everyone that already saw Shibata vs Okada at Sakura Genesis will understand, this isn't a match about winning or lose, this is about respect. Okada, arrogant cocky ass champion, booed by the crowd, was teached with pain by an vet, an guy that knew pretty well what it is to represent New Japan. The Heavyweight Champion facing the Never Champion, and guess what? Each time in history that match happenned before that bout, the Heavyweight Champion won. MiSu didn't came here to win, he came to not lose. And he acchieve it with success in a great, fast well paced and well builded time limit draw. That not only made Okada eliminated from the G1 that year but also showed to him an important thing...he can't beat everyone. This is a five stars match for me, highly suggest it for whoever wants to know MiSu for what he is and what he can be. Doing that job at his late 40s is nasty."

[7.0] "I'm discovering more and more each time I watch that these major matches by Suzuki aren't my type, it's not the style of match I like, and even though it has some good moments, this match can't reach the next level of holding my attention [***3/4]."

[10.0] "Magnificent storytelling for 30 minutes where both sides push themselves to their limits in an attempt to win. An explosive ending and a coherent fight from beginning to end."

[9.0] "An excellent match between Kazuchika Okada and Minoru Suzuki. I loved Suzuki's viciousness in this match, with him targetting Okada's neck throughout. Excellent selling from the latter, concerning that. I kind of wish it wasn't a tie, but Okada looked super strong in this, coming back again and again, and having a real strikefest with Suzuki towards the end. Okada's even smiling after Suzuki beats the hell out of him. What a pair of crazy bastards these are. Awesome."

[6.0] "Kazuchika Okada vs. Minoru Suzuki was a good match, but not their best. Suzuki's brutal strikes and submissions made for a solid contrast to Okada's more methodical approach, and there were definitely some intense moments. However, the pacing dragged at times, and it never really hit that next level of urgency or drama. Both guys delivered as expected, but compared to their other battles, this one felt a bit underwhelming."

[7.0] "It was an okay match, way too slow for my liking. Suzuki wasn't as scary as last time. Decent match. Not as good as there 2014 match and less of a spectacle. Suzuki didn't look like that much a menace to me. Kinda underwhelming and I was disappointed and Okada hits his usual moves."

[8.0] "This was a good main event. Both guys were great and I especially liked Suzuki targeting Okada's neck."

[10.0] "Extraordinary encounter. This match is different respect theyr past Climax match: here Okada hit anyway the Cradle Tombstone Pilerdriver but this time even a third Rainmaker wasn't enough; Suzuki didn't fall in front of Okada. In general one of the most intense matches I have ever seen. *****"

[9.0] "Fantastic back and forth battle with a classic fighting against the clock, but Red Shoes was unbearable in this one as he should have disqualified Suzuki at least 2 times. One for Suzuki Gun attacking Okada, two for being thrown out by Suzuki and three would go for using the chair, but Red Shoes (unnecessarly) prevented Suzuki from doing that. This ref needs to do better."

[9.0] "Suzuki and Okada went to war. This was a straight up brutal slugfest. Okada was pushed to the absolute limits as his neck was ready to give out any time in the match. Okada is really hurt even before the match and his injuries are really taking a toll on him. Despite everything he still had the gall to act cheeky in front of someone like Suzuki. Suzuki early on tried to end the match but as the war between these two men rage on, he becomes more concerned with hurting Okada than actually finishing him off. They slap and beat the shit out if each other. This was just one of the most brutal and absolutely hard hitting match I have watched. The crowd was amazing as they watched the once dominant IWGP Heavyweight Champion fall apart slowly over the course of this tournament. ****3/4"

[10.0] "What a match ! The best match of 2017 for me, both guys went to an incredible war, went to a 30 minute time limit draw, that result is reflecting the match, it was the best thing to do. Okada did an excellent performance, Suzuki is a master of slugfest, his fore arms shots are enormous. That match was a masterpiece in all the categories of wrestling : technique, storytelling and a hell of slugfest. *****"

[9.0] "Much better than their New Beginning match, I can't believe I didn't think much of this when I first watched. 30 minutes of pure Okada torture, this barely felt as long as it was. This honestly might be my favourite Suzuki match ****3/4."

[9.0] "I thought their match in February of the same year was better, but this one was not far behind. Again Suzuki pushed Okada to the brink, systematically dismantling him, and doing everything but putting Okada away. I had some issues with psychology at the end with Suzuki not going for the final blow with the clock ticking down, but at that same time, that goes with his character: being more concerned about knocking the crap out of his opponent rather than the outcome of the match. That opened Suzuki up for a Rainmaker but the clock ran out on both of them. A great G1 time limit draw. ****1/2"

[9.0] "Easily their best match between each other thus far. This match really highlights the damage that can build up in a tournament like the G1 Climax, as the Heavyweight champion Okada tries to rebound from his "shocking" loss days ago against the likes of Minoru Suzuki. Big mistake, as Suzuki was also here for retribution after losing to Okada earlier in the year. It's a grueling and brutal bout on an already injured Okada, as his quick bursts of momentum in the beginning are quickly stopped by the numbers game of Suzuki-gun. From there it's all about targeting the neck for both men, with Okada's sequences naturally being centred around the head area, whereas Suzuki goes with his stiff strikes, submissions and at one point even trapping Okada's head in the guard rail. The psychology here is strong, but I also just like how they hit each other really hard and their moves have clear impact as shown through both men's selling. It's a war of survival for The Rainmaker against Suzuki's onslaught and multiple Sleeper Holds, with the last 5 minutes emphasizing this the most. A slap contest that is easily one of the most intense and cathartic sequences I've seen in a wrestling ring, and the fact that this is from a Block match speaks volumes. I can only imagine what it must have been like to witness that live. The ending was also great, showing that the almighty Okada has been broken down and beaten up after trying to stand tall as the best of New Japan. He won the exchange with the only Rainmaker Clothesline he hits the entire match, but could not capitalize from complete exhaustion, mirroring his 1-hour time limit draw against Kenny Omega months earlier, who just so happened to be his very next opponent. This match gives you so much in 30 minutes, yet managed to have me yearning for more, and leaves viewers with burning questions about what is still to come. Truly excellent. ****3/4"

[10.0] "Another phenomenal match between these two legends, this one wasn't good as their match at The New Beginning In Sapporo, but it's still awesome. That was an excellent ending, with the drama builded up correctly. *****"

[6.0] "I wanted to like this match a lot more than I did, but it just didn't really connect with me. It never felt like something that special."

[10.0] "Masterful match; truly. A G1 Classic. This was structured perfectly well with some excellent mat work with both men worked on each others necks which transitioned into the two beating the piss out of each other with HARD Slaps. Okada isn't one for great striking, similar to Tanahashi but his strikes were fantastic as were Suzuki's (then again, Okada's slaps are MUCH better than his forearms - he should stick with the slaps more IMO). Their selling of the hard strikes and unwillingness to lent up and fall. Amazing character work that was perfectly integrated into the match. The ending was done so well too. I'm so tempted to give this the full five but I dunno something just stops me from doing it. It's a fantastic match and a classic nonetheless. ****3/4"

[9.0] "This match was pretty damn awesome, easily one of the tourney's best. Suzuki beat the hell out of Okada and gave the champ everything he could handle. Okada tried hard to prove himself as being able to stand up to Suzuki, but this ultimately cost him in the end as he couldn't finish his signature late-match comeback due to the incredible punishment he had endured throughout. Incredible psychology here, though I think the ending could have been a bit more dramatic, with Okada maybe covering Suzuki right as time ran out instead of just dragging himself around the ring til the bell rang. Minor complaint though, still an awesome match. **** 1/2"

[9.0] "The kind of match I love the most. A long, crude battle between two of the best in the business, who worked hard the neck of the opponent in order to prepare him for their finisher. But after half an hour, no one was able to walk out the winner. Suzuki showed us what it means to be a heel, and Okada a face. One of the most underrated match of 2017."

[9.0] "I like Suzuki-gun interfering early in the match, and CHAOS actually doing something for once taking them out. Suzuki is the baddest man on the planet. Love him trapping Okada’s head in the guard rail. Suzuki mocking Okada during the strike exchange is just great. Sooo many slaps, but at least they looked really good. Like most top end New Japan matches it felt longer than it needed to be, but this is still a great match overall."

[7.0] "I am not the biggest fan of this type of match. Though it was solid, it didn't bring anything new that I hadn't seen and didn't surprise me or hook me up at any point."

[10.0] "One of the best storytelling based matches of the year. Everything clicked here: the amazing story, the references (Suzuki using the Octopus Hold and the Enzuigiri in reference to Inoki) and the great psychology. Definitely my favorite Okada/Suzuki match to date. ****3/4"

[8.0] "Minoru Suzuki -vs- Kazuchika Okada – (G1 Climax – Block B) [****] While it was clearly paced to go long, they in their own unique way kept the intensity high during the in-between moments or selling, waiting for openings and locking in holds. There was something high-class about that. Much better than their IWGP Title match earlier in the year, with this good old-fashioned fight incorporating all these two are known for. Splendid wrestling!"

[8.0] "The perspicacity of those who booked this return match from the memorable battle in February in Sapporro is remarkable. Knowing that creating the dramatic peak of this match via submission would be a mis-step, the contest convincingly trancended a win-loss in the G-1 to a slapfest for the ages. I have been fortunate to be real-close ringide to some wars like Goto/Shibata, but to be in the 7th row like last year, and hear the resounding power of palm forcefully hitting cheek would have been an absolute delight. Certainly the battle of tombtones leading into submission attempts was dramatic, but still ordinary. Thankfully, at some point it seemed Suzuki gave-up on trying to make Okada submit and instead altered the proceedings into a mano-a-mano war making it believable that Okada lacked the energy to cover Minoru as the seconds ticked towards the thirty-minute time limit. Note the (I believe) one-pinfall attempt akin to Tana-Suzuki from October '13. So lovely - I favor this over Okada/Omega II and think it's one of the top bouts of the tournament. **** - **** 1/4 8. 25 - 8. 5"

[10.0] "Okada eliminating SZG early on made me very happy and that only became better as the match went on. Big big slap fest towards the end of the 30 minutes with a finish similar to Okada/Omega II. This felt very different to their New Beginning match but just as good. The 30 minutes flew by amongst the flurry of strikes and neck work. I thought I wasn't going to get a really good Suzuki match but he finally brought it and what a match to do it in. (****3/4)"

[7.0] "An egregiously worked match within the time limit and better than their overlong february one. MiSu starts working on Okada's neck, getting some growing reaction by Rainmaker as minutes pass, also trading some nasty bumps. In the last ten minute they go all out slapping the bodily fluids out of theirselves and seizing every opportunity to win. ***1/4 - ***1/2"

[8.0] "I'm just not feeling this like everyone else is. To me it's not at the level of there classic match in Feb. That was tremendous because they had proper time to tell the story they were telling. If this would have had 10-15 more minutes it would have been better. ****1/4."

[8.0] "(****) It was a good work there and the tension of the match was marked by this and by the end, but too many slaps and taunts. I understand it is an old rival but I expected more show , I'm not a fan of "beating the hell out of each other" matches."

[9.0] "This match was a real slobberknocker. These two beat the hell out of each other, but there didn't seem like there was any urgency to actually win the match in the last 5 minutes making the draw seem very predictable. ****3/4"

[10.0] "Easily the best match of the G1 up to this point. The duel neck work was done to superb perfection and the selling of it was even better. Crowd was super into this and the pacing and structure was perfect and easily a top 3 match of the year for me as well. *****"

[10.0] "Finally, FINALLY, a main event from Okada that is paced well and doesn't go too long, even if it was a 30-minute draw. I think the general back-and-forth of the match suited Okada & Suzuki better than the long-form focus on Okada's leg from the New Beginning title match. Lots of good little moments scattered throughout the first 20 minutes, from the Young Lions neutralizing the interference (that generally has been Suzuki's go-to for gaining advantage) to a slick escape from the rope armbar by Okada to the trading of Tombstones and so on. However, the last third of this match brought it from great to fantastic and more; Suzuki breaking out the slaps was awesome, as he just broke down the ace with a barrage of short strikes, and the teasing/protecting of the Gotch Piledriver was so, so well done with the crowd biting more the higher Okada was lifted for it. There's a continuation of the story from the EVIL match here as well; Okada cannot capitalize on the Rainmaker, this time out of exhaustion instead of over-confidence, with the abundance of them making it apparent that it is clearly not as powerful as it once was, despite the determination still being there (the wrist clutch as both men are on their backs was cool). The slap fight in the last 5 minutes was super intense, and the finish with Okada being egged on to crawl over to the cover by Gedo was a really good final storytelling beat to lead into the climactic third Okada/Omega match. Just an excellent job overall, even if the first 60-70% was not on the level of the final stretch, and finally a match from Okada I can love as much as most people love them (even the Shibata defense had some pacing issues). ****3/4, perhaps the full *****."

[10.0] "Okada is finally losing his edge. Okada this G1 has been a very interesting guy, he came into this tournament with a very lazy and nonchalant attitude towards the crowd and towards his opponents, and even though he put on this goofy demeanor, he still kept on an amazing winning streak. Flash forward to Day 14 of the G1 and Okada finally gains a loss, so coming into this Day 16 match, the old Okada was back with no goofiness and all seriousness since his opponent is one of his most serious match-ups. A bit of background on this match first: August 8th 1988, Inoki vs Fujinami took place in this very same building which ended in an hour draw; Suzuki himself was on the opening match for this card on that same date. This Okada/Suzuki match itself was just a war of survival for Okada to see if he could gain back his confidence in winning. What started out slow with some interference from SZGN built up to a dramatic finish. Suzuki even managed to pull out an Enziguri and even an Octopus Stretch on Okada as an ode to Inoki from 29 years earlier. The slap fight at the end was amazing as well with Suzuki dominating Okada, who then came back and laid out some of his own slaps on the sadistic Suzuki too. Shockingly, the ending of the match came with one Rainmaker, but Okada not having the strength to get the pin, thus ending the match in a 30 minute draw, also as an ode to 29 years ago. This begs the question, will Okada be able to find the energy to fight Kenny in a few days? , ****3/4."

[10.0] "Unbelievable stuff here. Similar to their title match from February in some ways, but running at about twice the speed. Insanely intense submission work, this time aimed at Okada's battered neck and upper back. It made Suzuki's work towards the Gotch-style Piledriver feel especially focused and ruthless. Okada's resigned kind of reaction to Suzuki's borderline babyface work was the perfect payoff to their years of venomous feuding. He laid into Suzuki with probably the most vicious strikes you'll ever see from the guy, and Suzuki's willingness to accept them and give them right back sent the Yokohama crowd over the edge. Speaking of Yokohama, Suzuki's references to Inoki on the 29th anniversary (and in the venue) of Inoki/Fujinami added an extra, historically-informed intensity to the bout, making the lead-up to the time limit finish even more dramatic. And what a finish it is. Okada sells having been utterly knocked loop extremely well, seeming unable to understand the frantic need to pin Suzuki as he had with Omega two months before. The parallel to the Dominion finish leaves us with the understanding that Okada may end up in a similar position on Saturday, but this time it will be in his favour. Absolutely phenomenal storytelling from a bunch of angles. *****"