Kazuchika Okada vs. Tetsuya Naito

[9.0] "I get why Naito wouldnt win here as Omega was the one to do it, however my issue with this match is it feels they tried really hard a t the end stages to capture what they had with Okada v Omega last year to get another 6 star classic which really caused it to slide down a little the work on the necks of both men were good and it was a pretty good match all around Okada retains and keeps it a dominate reign"

[10.0] "Very good match. I really liked the cool moments in this encounter and how Naito targeted Okada's neck."

[9.0] "[4, 75 Stars] I feel bad for Naito because he deserved to win the title after his legendary 2017 season. These guys have nothing but bangers to their credit. It's easily one of my top 10 favorite rivalries of all time."

[7.0] "I was slightly disappointed by this match. I don't know. I feel like with other Okada matches during this reign, there was an insane level of storytelling. This felt like it was moves for the sake of moves, and the storytelling wasn't as good. Plus, it felt like the crowd wasn't like electrically white hot as other Dome matches. This is obviously because Okada and Naito had to follow Jericho and Omega but still. It is hot but not Dome main event hot. I will say, even though it's probably the weakest match in his reign here, the name's that have been growing are impressive. Shibata, Suzuki, Omega, Cody Rhodes, and now Naito. Insane resume."

[10.0] "The story is what makes the match a masterclass in wrestling. On paper its not a complex match. Naito wants to main event wrestle kingdom like he was suppose to years back. However, Okada does not care. He think he is just another obstacle in his goal of being the best IWGP heavyweight champion of all time. So in this match we see many call backs that lead to Naito's downfall. He gets too cocky and lets his guard down many times. He tries for the shooting star move I think and Okada easily reverses. This is a call back before his excursion days. He than feels the need to use a second destino on Naito by calling the crowd to cheer him on leading to Okada reversing into a tombstone resulting in the rainmaker. 1, 2, 3 and bam Naito loses. Too me this is peak New Japan storytelling simple on the surface but complex in the ring. I have to give this match a 6.5 out 5 stars. I think the Tokyo dome instantly elevates any type of main event match ever. I don't know what it is but the aura in these matches are crazy."

[10.0] "Amazing back and forth battle. Both men played their heat great, both had good hope spots, both made some exciting spots and everything went smoothly. The only thing I would've changed would be the finish. Perfect time for Naito to win but it is what it is."

[8.0] "(8.5) Yeah weird match, it feels like it never figured out what it wanted to be, Naito was confident but never too dominant, when Okada got doing it was never more dominant than a couple rest holds. The ending is great, and it feels similar to Kenny vs Naito from 2016, but overall I think the tension could have been built a lot more."

"Naito started the match with a lot of confidence, successfully avoiding all of Okada's moves and giving the impression that he knew exactly what it would take to win. He continuously targeted Okada's back, methodically setting him up for the Destino. However, his overconfidence led him to attempt -- and miss -- a Stardust Press. Sensing Naito's momentum, Okada turned to a recently added move in his arsenal: the Cobra Clutch. He executed the Rainmaker swiftly, without any setup or signature poses like the Piledriver. Despite the lack of theatrics, the move dealt significant damage to Naito. As the match progressed, the moves started to wear on both competitors. Even though Naito successfully hit his finisher, this was the moment when "Big Match Okada" seemed to come alive. Despite the brilliant reversal of the Rainmaker into the Destino, Okada ultimately secured the victory."

[10.0] "Although I believe Naito shouldve won here considering his incredible year & g1 run I also understand Kenny Okada was probably already set up. Nonetheless this match is still incredible with great nearfalls"

[10.0] "Rewatching this match for the first time in 6 years, one thing stands out to me: you never forget who you are/where you came from. Kazuchika Okada, the shapeshifter, the kid from the suburbs who left middle school to become a pro wrestler, first in Mexico, then in Japan, then as The Rainmaker, was untouchable once again. And Tetsuya Naito, the kid from Tokyo who came through the Dojo, who would go to the New Japan matches loyally and dreamed one day of being in the main event of Tokyo Dome, got lost in the moment and bested by his younger rival once again. The idea of Naitos consistency, his heart on his sleeve of his Destino, left him bare at this moment against the ever-changing Okada, who more than a man was a symbol of greatness during this meteoric rise in New Japan. Okada was as Don Callis called him during this match, a classic wrestling champion. Funny enough, beneath the Ingobernable spirit, that is also what Naito wanted to be. Comparing this match to the one two years later when Naito finally would get the sun and win the big one, the difference in entrance gear is noticeable. Here, Naito wears the mask of the dead wolf, to suggest hes above it all, hes got a killer instinct that has murdered the Stardust Genius for El Ingobernable. When he came out in 2020, Naito wore the fur coat with the phrase Todo o Nada on his sleeve. He won when he truly showed Okada who he was, but on this night, Jan 4, 2018 he just hadnt gotten over the bright lights yet. A masterclass in storytelling in what would prove to be the midpoint of an all time rivalry between two of the greatest wrestlers from the land of the rising sun. *****"

[10.0] "Just a perfectly executed wrestling match that reeked of New Japan, in a good way. Okada and Naito are wrestling soul mates in a way. The ending stretch was peak drama and the counters were incredible."

[9.0] "Naito came into the match full of confidence, avoided all of Okada's moves and looked like he knew what he had to do to win the match. He repeatedly attacked Okada's back precisely to set him up for Destino. From too much confidence he even allows himself to miss a Stardust Press. Okada sensed Naito's good momentum and resorted to a move he recently introduced to his arsenal: the Cobra Clutch. He executes the Rainmaker quickly, without any Piledriver or specific pose beforehand. Even so, the move hurt Naito quite a bit. The moves started to get to Okada and even though Naito executed his finisher, this is where it seemed like BIG MATCH OKADA was activated. As beautifully executed as the Destino reversed out of the Rainmaker, Okada still came out victorious."

[9.0] "You know how this starts off, it's an NJPW main event so they work it slowly with some technical wrestling. Things changed after Naito hit a neck breaker on Okada on the outside onto the rail, this would set the foundation for Naito's neck work throughout the match on Okada to set up the Destino. Okada about a couple of minutes later the aggressor on the outside, and hit a spike DDT from the rail to the floor giving Naito a taste of his own medicine from earlier. However, most of the match is still Naito working on Okada's neck despite this. Okada's selling all match long was fantastic. They would continue to build toward the finish, and they had all the usual amazing counters they would do, but my favorite part was when they traded strikes and Naito smacked Okada really hard. All of this culminates at the finish where Naito counters a rainmaker into a Destino, but when he gets desperate and goes for a second one Okada turns it into a tombstone and then a rainmaker for the win. The match has a bit too much dead space for me to go higher on it, but it is still an excellent wrestling match despite an odd booking choice.****1/2"

[5.0] "I have Just finished to Watch this match to prepare my re-watch to their match at the WK 14 and this Is a bid delusione. I had High axpectatives but what I had was peak-valley peak-valley peak-valley enormous Valley quite good peak. Okada was Okada as Always and Naito was in slugfest style but everythink, EVERYTHINK was in fucking slow motion. The ended was stupid, Naito hits the third-fourth destino but fucks It up and try to do without Sense another destino, so Okada reverses It, tombstone, rainmaker and good night. Considering this was the main event, there Is no Sense of why they failed here, also because Omega/Jericho was truly 5 stars and It was much better than this. That's the differenze betwenn these two match: Omega/Jericho was five out of five and this was five out of ten. The kind of match I'll never seen twice. **1/2"

[5.0] "This fell into the worst traps of the NJPW main event style. Felt like they were going in slow motion until the finishing stretch, which both guy fall victim to from time to time. An off-night from two greats."

[2.0] "Looking back on this match in terms of nostalgia and considering its aftermath, this match seems to me an even bigger failure than before. In terms of contributing to history, it made no sense. In fact, it has to be said that Naito's story should have peaked in this match, not a few years later. I immediately told myself that it was a failure when Okada won. And looking at the kind of raine Naito had, the long-awaited time as main champion - I realize I was right. Rayne Naito turned out to be very boring, and his victory is even more obvious than ever. It all made little sense. The same Kenny could have waited, as I don't think his history and health obligated him to beat Okada at that particular Dominion. I'm sure Kenny would have done better even today, because that's Kenny Omega. Looking at the bout, to me it's a huge failure. Almost absolutely every action feels hollow, there is extremely little story in the match, and the action is just plain boring. I've always been a stickler for the opinion that these two have no chemistry with each other. I'll admit that there is a story, though it's lined up randomly, but it's there. Nevertheless, from start to finish the fight is tedious, there wasn't something for which I can praise it as opposed to something for which I can trash it. Even thinking back on it now, I don't remember a single highlight, it was just uninteresting, and that's saying a lot **"

[9.0] "This feels like more of a milestone in a large, over-arching character arc of Naito ascent to greatness. Loved this."

[9.0] "To me, this will always be one of the dumbest booking decisions out there. While Okada has had an incredible title run in 2017, Naito was called the MVP. He was the guy with the drawing power, with the love of the majority of Japan, and the one who should have won. You don't stick to your booking thoughts when an absolute star who everyone loves and everyone wants to win the title pops up... you do the right thing. Just dumb. ****1/2"

[10.0] "Amazing match. The storytelling was superb and Naito trying to finish the match with the Stardust Press and failing was the perfect sad way to end the match. (*****)"

[9.0] "Great match. Somehow, a match of this quality is a little disappointing. The action was great and on point but the chemistry between Okada and Naito was nonexistent. There was no urgency and no desperate feeling, Little angst between Okada and Naito and just didn't have the big fight feel that Okada matches have. It was a little underwhelming. That being said, it was still a hard fought contest with amazing action. ****1/2"

[9.0] "I gave this match 5 stars back when I saw it three years ago, and my feelings on it have worsened slightly on rewatch. The last half of the match is incredible like all Okada matches are, loved moments like Naito going for his old finisher the Stardust Press, but it needed more storytelling in the beginning to reach GOAT level, it felt like they were going through the motions a bit. Okada winning this is still a terrible booking decision, but rating the match itself, it was great and probably MOTN ****1/2."

[5.0] "This match is a generic NJPW main event with the formula they have since 2017 : so we had a bad building. The first part of the match is very cool to watch because the story is centered for Naito, so it's not really disturbing to see the phantom Okada against him. Naito did everything in his part, but when the story got more centered on Okada, who by the way was a phantom all the match, Okada was extremely bad. In fact, his teasings of Rainmaker were executed randomly, his selling was bad, when Naito's one was really good. And the only time a teasing of Rainmaker was a little bit logical in the match, where Okada was underestimating Naito because he finally got the full control of the match, Okada did nothing interesting. Moreover, the ending is very bad, where Okada has one more time an awful selling. He wins 3 seconds after taking a Destino. He counters the second Destino like nothing with his generic Tombstone/Rainmaker ending. **1/2"

[5.0] "This match truly gets good in the last 10 minutes, the rest of it is the same stuff you've seen from their previous encounters. The result hurt Naito more than it made Okada look good, Okada is considered by alot of people the best wrestler, so a loss here absolutely wouldn't have hurt him seeing he was 6 months into his reign... which would go another year and a half."

[9.0] "Perhaps the turning point for what would follow in New Japan. Would Okada continue his legendary title reign as IWGP Heavyweight champion? Or would Naito prove himself Okada's equal when the stars had aligned for his redemption? These questions, specifically the latter would be the driving force for the narrative of this match. Naito walked into the main event with extra swagger in each step, looking up at the sold-out Tokyo Dome, a contrast to his anxious past self 4 years ago. This Naito is tranquilo, feigning tie-ups and setting the pace early on, hitting all sorts of Neckbreakers in preparation for his finisher. We see the damage done on Okada; slouching in his posture overtime and bringing more immediate attention to the neck when a move is done. Though it does give Naito the opportunity to get carried away, being countered with a Cobra Clutch multiple times and attempting his signature move of old, the Stardust Press, to no avail. Okada was great at playing the arrogant character himself, until a Destino finally hit its target and shifted into the final act. Some fantastic reversals into finishers from both men, but the last one holds the most weight. Naito's incessant desire for ending the match his way ultimately costing him everything, falling to the same Spinning Tombstone/Rainmaker combination that Okada won with at last year's Wrestle Kingdom. We can argue over whether the result was right or not, but I think we can all appreciate the effort and storytelling that went into this match. ****3/4"

[9.0] "It told a tremendous story, had fantastic selling from Okada (which is normally his weak point), the crowd was super hot for both men, but Naito mostly. The sequences were perfectly done, almost everytime besides a noticeable botch here and there. It was a fantastic match. MOTN for sure, only probably is that the Corbra Clutch that they built up in the weeks before, felt like a non factor. Never did it once feel like Naito would tap to it. Sad, only flaw. ****1/2"

[8.0] "The opening 25 minutes weren't boring per se, but the only thing of note that happened during them was Naito working over Okada's neck for a bit. After that though, the signature NJPW finishing stretch was still there and the crowd made a lot of noise, but this in the end fell well short of the expectations many now have with Wrestle Kingdom main events."

[9.0] "Almost an 8.. It's a really good match, but it feels like they could have done better. They never really convinced me that they really hated each other and the chemistry just seemed off despite all the spot being pulled off well."

[10.0] "A great example of counter wrestling as them come up with counters for virtually every move and then counters for counters. There is only one spot in the match that I don't like: when Naito gets out of the tombstone, but inexplicably is too exhausted to even get to his feet when thus far it had seemed he had more in the tank than Okada. But just like Okada had during his whole reign, no matter how out of it he seemed, he always had a little left for a game changing rain-maker, which led to a furious finish. The debate on whether or not Naito should have won will always be there, but this match itself lived up to the Wrestle Kingdom main event spot. ****3/4"

[10.0] "This match sparked one of the most intriguing debates in wrestling. Should Naito have won? At this point in time it was difficult to argue Okada losing because of how incredible and consistent his reign was. After all, if Okada lost the title here we never would've seen his classic defenses against Tanahashi and Omega. Unfortunately for Naito it did seem like this was his destiny, and the perfect time in his career for him to win the title. Despite what you may think of the result, this match was tremendous. It told such a beautiful story and the wrestling was top notch. It started off slightly slow with the usual impressive exchanges and with Naito heeling it up, but once Naito began targeting the neck of Okada it reached next level. Naito worked over Okada's neck the whole match and in vicious fashion. Okada's selling was fantastic which you can't say for all his matches. This match had another compelling layer of story with Naito getting carried away with his Stardust Presses and Destino's which ultimately led to his downfall. They gradually increased the pace and the exchanges and sequences were brilliantly done. The finishing stretch had all the Dropkick/Tombstone/Destino/Rainmaker counters you'd expect from a Naito/Okada match and the crowd was loving it. Naito hitting Okada with a Canadian Destroyer was all kinds of epic. Also, i loved the strike exchange with Naito just slapping Okada. This closing stretch was so smartly done with both men kicking out of each others finishers and Naito's overindulgence with Destino's. He hit Okada with a half-Destino and attempted to put him away with a full Destino but Okada would counter with the same Tombstone/Rainmaker combination which he used at WK11. This was an amazing match that should not be overlooked because of the result. *****"

[8.0] "This match was really good but it's not good as past 3 wrestlekingdom main event. But holy sh*t nearly everyone was behind Naito"

[10.0] "I always thought that this match was kind of underrated, maybe they don't have the perfect chemistry they have with wrestlers like Tanahashi or Omega but they still work really well together and have so much history. Seeing them finally in the main event of Wrestle Kingdom is great. The story of Naito finally being in the main event of Wrestle Kingdom, struggling with the pressure and failing to keep the "Stardust Genius" away, wich cost him the match against his greatest nemesis... this is just wonderful storytelling with so much drama. I know that a lot of people are still fuming over the fact that Naito lost but I didn't mind at all. I think this is a perfectly done heartbreaking loss with both guys looking stronger. Okada was almost like a god after this, wich was great to continue his legendary reign, and Naito already was elevated by the fact it was his first main event + it has strengthened his ultimate underdog status. I don't think this is the end of the story, it feels like their path will cross again in a Tokyo Dome main event."

[8.0] "Eh. The ending absolutely spoiled it for me, to be honest. Naito shouldn't have gone for that second consecutive Destino. If he'd just pinned Okada there and then, it would've made the match so much better than it was. As it stands, just decent."

[10.0] "The real MOTN! This match have a excellent storytelling and an awesome in-ring action. Everything here is perfect, even the camera angles were tolding the story of this match, no doubt why Tetsuya Naito and Kazuchika Okada are one of the best in NJPW. *****"

[7.0] "I thought this match was good but unfortunately Okada has set such a high standard that it just didn? t feel like the great Tokyo Dome main event I thought it was going to be. Still enjoyed it though"

[6.0] "On rewatch this felt pretty average. This just didn't feel like something epic or like the biggest match of the year. This is just two megastar playing their routine. And that's it. ***"

[9.0] "Only when it's Okada vs. Naito can an excellent match be something of a disappointment. I didn't expect Naito to win, but I did expect him to put his best foot forward, and we didn't quite get that. We did get the usually great performance from Okada, although it's disappointing to see some people twist that in order to find a justification for giving this match a low rating, although they're not alone in finding the most absurd of reasons to lowball a match just because a lot of other people love it and they're desperate to delude themselves into believing that they''re so much smarter than everyone else."

[10.0] "This match was fantastic. I liked how loud the crowd was for Naito during his entrance. They were really loud at the start. They take it very slow at the start. Naito takes a few opportunities to play it cool and taunt. Naito takes his time and walks around the outside and avoids locking up. Naito targets Okada's neck after doing a neckbreaker onto the barricade. I really like his work over Okada's neck. Momentum is back and forth throughout the body of the match with both getting in good offense. Okada locked in the cobra clutch and was very good with how he held it in despite Naito's efforts to escape. Naito hit an excellent avalanche reverse hurricanrana which doubled as a big move and an attack on Okada's neck. The crowd became really wild after Naito attempted a stardust press and the match started getting really great with really good sequences between the two. I really like how Naito fought to stay in the match like kicking out of the Rainmaker and avoiding the tombstone even though he'd taken a lot of damage. There was a great moment when Okada was hitting forearms and kept hitting weaker and weaker then Naito spit in his face and hit a hard slap. The last few minutes were great with the two going for finishers and the crowd was loving it. Naito made one mistake and kept Okada up for a second Destino instead of going for the pin. Okada countered and hit a tombstone and then finished with a final Rainmaker for the win."

[8.0] "Very good main event, the crowd was so hot for Naito to finally win the title that every move and interaction he had was a highlight. The action is good, but not spectacular, but what was really great here was the storytelling. Naito became to cocky, he believed that he could taunt and goad Okada in the final moments of the match, and gets caught and loses everything. ****"

[10.0] "Underrated as I still see this as a MOTY contender as I write this five months in. Great main event. ****3/4"

[6.0] "The slow start to this match really hurts it, especially since it was following the unbelievably fast paced Jericho/Omega match from beforehand. Things don't really pick up until 15/20 minutes into it, and while the last 5 minutes are worth wild, it doesn't save the first half of the match, which felt like a chore to sit through. I can appreciate build up, but in this case it just didn't click."

[9.0] "These two, as great as they are, don't tend to have their best matches against each other, so I may have had slightly lower expectations than some. That being said, this match was tremendous. The epic, climactic closing minutes of the match didn't last as long as a lot of Okada matches, but they made up for that by being incredibly exciting. (****1/2)"

[8.0] "I don't know if it is their best match, but this is still a great match. Crowd was super into Naito and the match as a whole. ****1/4"

[9.0] "Not their best match, but a good way to end Wrestle Kingdom indeed. Okada and Naito worked a less intense, more relaxed match, with a lot of psychology and submissions, but I was expecting something more."

[7.0] "Okada es un Gran Luchador, Naito es un Luchador Sensacional.... Porque le doy 7 puntos apenas? , Este combate no fue malo pero hay una cosa que se llama Desinterés, El Doble Main Event es una estúpida idea (Sin decir lo triplemente estúpido de lo que hicieron en Hell In A Cell del 2015) o sea, no esta mal ver un combate con aspecto ME, pero después de Jericho vs Omega se deseaba algo mejor, Okada con unos pantalones mas raros pero eso no importa, El combate fue muy bueno pero desde un punto de vista, faltaba mas momentos emocionantes o Kickouts de la mejor manera posible, quiero decir... Okada vs Omega del año pasado fue una Monstruosidad de Combate y ver esto hubo ese pequeño Desinterés y hablo por dos partes: Pre-Match y Post-Match, Pre-Match por el debido Doble Main Event que hasta el mismo Jericho se enfado sino decir algo mas relevante que el otro (Porque en si, Jericho vs Omega fue lo mejor de la noche) y Post-Match porque Naito no le dio todo en este combate y Apenas Okada le sobraba Rainmakers o Piledrivers. Pero la buena cara, este combate se armo una buena rivalidad y promos donde quier, Naito ganando el G1 Climax fue estupendo y retando a Okada estuvo de lo mejor."

[9.0] "Kazuchika Okada (c) vs Tetsuya Naito IWGP Heavyweight Championship - This match was great in itself and one of the most anticipated when it came to build-up in quite some time. Naito on this night was playing the Stardust Genius just like he was back at WK8 against Okada. There was some nice wrestling going on in this match and they had the crowd behind them too. A really good highlight of this match was Okada catching Naito into the Air Raid Crash Neckbreaker only to be countered into the sort of Hurricanarana/Destroyer from Naito(Sort of like Volador Jr's finisher). And the finish on the other hand whilst some may be mad about it, it shows Naito's cockiness and symbolises that he shouldn't copy Okada. Let go Naito. [****1/2]"

[7.0] "I thought this might end up being my 2nd favorite match on the night, but while I enjoyed parts of it I did have some issues with it. It really did seem to drag at points, and there were long sequences that didn't seem to have much drama or have a real effect on the match at all. I like both guys, they are good wrestlers with charisma, but this was something of a let down for me. I think some editing on the long run time would have helped!"

"I thought it was pretty good, though the booking decision wasn't exactly what I would've liked. It was a definite step down from the previous match, though, which I feel hurt it."

[9.0] "Not as good as expected. However - still an incredible pro wrestling match with two of the very best today."

[10.0] "A fairly slow beginning half with Naito mostly dominating Okada with neckbreakers and all his usual offence but the finish was pretty much perfect. Right at the start, there was a sequence taken straight from their Wrestle Kingdom 8 feud with Okada doing a backwards roll under Naito's front flip, with Okada trying to take out the Stardust Genius because Okada knows he can best that version of Naito. In the end, Naito went for a Gloria + Stardust Press combo, meaning Okada's plan worked. From the first Rainmaker the tide had shifted to Okada's favour and when it was coming to its climax, Naito hit a Destino which most probably could have finished Okada. Instead, Naito pointed to the fans (something that tranquilo Naito would have avoided) and went for another Destino with Okada's inner champion instincts taking the match from then on, finishing Naito with a Rainmaker. Naito left the Dome with a smile on his face, trying to hide his disappointment with failing in the main event. Amazing in the psychology and storytelling department, maybe could have been slightly better in-ring but great NewJapanMainEventTM anyway. (****3/4)"

[3.0] "This match could be summed up the same way as every okada title match of this run baring the shibata match: 1. Way to long 2. First 15-20mins were completely superfluous to the match as a whole, only there to pad the run time. 3. Some very good chemistry between the workers in terms of all the spots being hit well. 4. A couple of nuts moments such as the railing DDT and the super reverse Rana, which are ignored 30 seconds later and don't matter in any way the person who was taking the move got the next bit of offense in both times. 5. The dancing around one another at the finish, no selling the previous 35 mins Unlike the omega matches this had a much simpler finishing run with better selling and more time given for moves to breath, at least more than they were in the omega matches. The first cobra clutch and the attempts to get out of it was the best section of he match and then later naito managed to get out of it was good. One negative of the match was don and Kelly who were as usual quite bad, they started by talking about how many stars Dave meltzer is going to give the match which is utterly dreadfull. On the whole this was an meh match which made up for its glaring flaws by having some good chemistry and everything being hit well, just none of it felt meaningfull until the very end. it followed the normal formula and like all okada matches since 2013 was nothing special, I had no built in interest in naito so to people who did may have found more suspense in this than I did. Around the **1/2 mark."