[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"
[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] "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. *****"
[9.0] "Es ist eigentlich schon verrückt, wenn man sich heranführt, welche großartigen Matches beide Wrestler schon gegen Gegner wie Omega und Tanahashi hatten, aber die beiden es gegeneinander einfach nicht schaffen einen wahren Klassiker zu erzeugen. Es spricht jedoch auch für die beiden, wenn man ein unglaubliches Match bekommt, aber am Ende dann doch irgendwie ein bisschen enttäuscht ist, dass es kein MOTYC war. Der Grund dafür war vor allem, dass das Tempo zu spät aufgenommen wurde und die beiden es nicht geschafft haben die ersten 25 Minuten interessant genug zu füllen. In dieser Zeit lebte das Match eher von seiner Dramatik, als von seiner Klasse. Dann wurde es jedoch nochmal brennend heiß und gegen Ende bekam man sogar noch kurz ein Spektakel zu sehen. Für einen MOTYC war es mir jedoch etwas zu langsam und unkreativ. Trotzdem ist das natürlich Kritik auf höchstem Niveau, da es trotzdem mein MOTN war und zu den besseren Matches dieses Jahres gehört. **** 1/2 (9)"
[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."
[10.0] "Ich finde das Match wirklich gut. Die Schlussphase war sehr spannend und ich habe große Hoffnung gehabt Naito würde endlich den title holen **** 3/4."
[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] "Brilliantes Match dieser beiden, auch wenn mich der Sieger komplett überrascht hatte und ich damit eigentlich überhaupt nicht mit gerechnet habe. Nichtsdestotrotz war das ein unglaublicher Main Event der mich auch das ein, oder andere mal hat ausmarken lassen (Okadas Kickout aus dem 2. oder 3. Destino, dieser Headscissor Canadian Destroyer Konter von Naito HOLY SHIT! ). Am Ende hatte ich mir allerdings gedacht, warum man hier Okada weiterhin den Titel behalten lässt, weil auch die Story mit Naito rund um den Wrestle Kingdom Main Event genau gepasst, und dass er dann genau hier den Titel gewinnt. Aber dann habe ich mir gedacht das man mit Naito so eine Story aufbaut, dass er genau da wo er immer hinwollte, und zwar der Wrestle Kingdom Main Event, das er auch hier verloren hat, und dass er deswegen so geschämt ist, dass er eine Niederlagenserie aufbaut, weil er an nichts anderes denken kann (ist in der ersten Runde im New Japan Cup rausgeflogen). Im Großen und Ganzen war das hier mal wieder ein überragender Wrestle Kingdom 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)"
[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."
[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."
[9.0] "Excellent match. The selling from Okada towards the end was phenomenal. Naito was amazing. Some slow spots and I have no idea what they are going to do with Okada now but it was a great match. ****1/2."
[10.0] "I don't care if it is better or not than previous main events, this is still a 5 stars match. Intense and unpredictable, it has everything it needs. Okada and Naito are amazing, this is an epic clash with many final moves and counters. Great main event, and MOTY candidate. *****"
[9.0] "Starker Mainer, wie zu erwarten war muss man schon sagen. Am besten gefiel die wieder einmal super durchgezogene Schlussphase. Zwischendrin gab es allerdings etwas Leerlauf und die Forearm-Duelle wirkten auf mich sehr gestreckt. Allemal eine sehr gutes Aufeinandertreffen, aber die Latte liegt inzwischen etwas höher."
[7.0] "Wo soll ich anfangen? Okada vs. Naito war DAS Match, auf das alle gewartet haben. Denn zum einen versprach die Ansetzung natürlich einiges, und zum anderen erhofften sich viele LIJ Fans weltweit, dass Naito endlich seinen großen Moment bekommen würde. Das Match selbst war handwerklich ohne Frage gut. Naito spielte sein Gimmick wie immer perfekt aus, seine Arroganz gepaart mit der Brutalität gegen den Nacken von Okada waren der Treibstoff des ersten Teils des Matches. Aber danach ging mein Hauptproblem mit dem Match los. Okada blieb zwar während Naitos Offensive konsequent am Boden und wirkte erschöpft, bei seiner eigenen Offensive merkte man ihm jedoch nicht an, wie brutal sein Gegner zuvor seinen Nacken bearbeitet hat. Er sellte "nur" normale Erschöfpung. Das war zwar gut, aber dafür hätte es Naitos konsequentes Bodypart-Working am Anfang nicht gebraucht. Lediglich beim Finish merkte man ihm die Nackenschmerzen mal kurz an. Schade. Gleichzeitig gab es immer wieder kurze Phasen, wo sich das Match leicht zog. Klar, das bleibt bei einer derartigen Matchlänge oft nicht aus, aber es kam mir am Anfang und inmitten des Matches so vor, als wöllte man das Match auf jeden Fall auf über 30 Min. ziehen. Die Schlussphase wiederum war dann überragend, ungespoilert war man richtig gefesselt, weil der Ausgang scheinbar offen war. Doch der Ausgang war am Ende auch der Grund, warum ich hier nicht mehr als 7 Punkte geben kann. Mir ist das NJPW Booking ja inzwischen bekannt und das man gern langfristig plant. Und ich verstehe auch, dass Okada momentan das unumstrittene Ace der Promotion ist. Aber die meisten Fans werden hier auf den großen Moment von Naito gewartet haben - und wurden wieder einmal enttäuscht. Genauso wie diejenigen, die sich wünschen würden, dass der Sieg beim G1 auch mal zu mehr führt, als "nur" zum Tokyo Dome Main Event. In diesem Jahr war dieser Schritt für meine Begriffe eigentlich unausweichlich und ich wurde erneut enttäuscht."
[9.0] "Following on from Omega/Jericho, these two decided to bring the crowd back down by working a slow pace to star, something which suits Naito's style perfectly. Once they had the crowd levelled out they built things back up again and by the end everyone was losing their minds all over again. Such a great, expertly paced match. A real work of art (**** 1/2)."
[9.0] "This was an excellent match, but i do feel it was just below the level of the Wrestle Kingdom IWGP title matches of the past few years, Just a little. Still great match though. The result? I'm not sure about this one. But the match was tremendous. ****3/4."
[7.0] "This was, in a word, disappointing. There was a story to be told here, and they did their best to tell it; Naito has been dwelling on being voting out of the WK8 main event for 4 years, he's trying to reclaim that glory and moment taken from him, while Okada is on the run of his life. Naito & Okada go at it and they exhaust each other over 25-30 minutes, and they both hit their second winds going into the final stretch. However, a lot of the exhaustion they did just didn't land, and the only storytelling moments in the match that worked well were Naito's resilience getting up from being face down, and Naito attempting the Stardust Press and failing twice. Naito's fire was actually the only thing that got really over most of this match, with the trademark Okada filler being longer than usual here. The actual quality of the back-and-forth when it was there was as polished as you'd expect from these two, but there really wasn't much to latch on to, and as such some sequences just didn't hit the crowd (or me) very well. The crowd was hot for Naito, though, and that leads to the finish. These are usually Okada's strong suit, but it was just "good" here. They hit finishes, reversed finishes, kicked out of finishes, took finishes and were pulled up only to immediately counter the next move. It was just, there. Overall, with a handful of good moments as exceptions, this whole match felt uninspired for the story it had behind it. A solid main event where nothing physically went wrong, but the structure was definitely off. ***1/2 or so"
[9.0] "It feels weird calling this a bit disappointing given the fact it was fantastic, but that goes to show how insanely high the match quality in NJPW is. While he was the heel, Naito was undoubtedly the fan favourite and the story of the contest was his long journey and redemption. The match itself was highly competitive, with a great closing strtech and unexpected result. The wrestling was as crisp as it gets, which frankly is expected from these two. My one gripe with the match is that I feel it could have been a few minuites longer. And while it doesnt sound like much, it would have given Naito and Okada the chance to build towards the finish a bit more. But anyway, nitpicking aside, the match was phenomenal. ****3/4"
[8.0] "Naito und Okada hatten ein maineventwürdiges Match, aber keines dass ich in die ***** Kategorie einbringen würde. Bis zur Sleeperhold-Sequenz war die erste Hälfte des Matches (bis auf den Aufprall auf die Absperrung) relativ Naito/Okada Standard. Danach haben sich die beiden in eine ansprechende Finishphase reingearbeitet und die Crowd hat auch gut mitgemacht. Ging halt darum, wer den Gegner mit dem härtesten Move ausschaltet, aber irgendwie hat der spezielle Zauber zum Dream Match bei mir (noch) nicht geklickt. Würde die Paarung so im Bereich ****1/4 einsortieren, da die Beiden noch etwas Luft nach oben haben."
[8.0] "Naito und Okada liefern direkt seriöstes Wrestling und bauen klar strukturiert ihr Match auf. Naito sucht früh seine Chance, den Champ nachhaltig zu schwächen. Okada verteidigt sich in gewohnter Manier und variiert die Intensität nach Belieben. Hier und da kommt er aber doch mal etwas mehr aus sich raus und verzieht auch außerhalb seines Sellings mal eine Miene. Ist beim Champion ja nicht unbedingt die Regel. Klassisches Champ/Herausforderer-Match mit fluider Heel/Face-Aufteilung. Das funktioniert und einzelne Sequenzen sind schon im Aufbau der Schlussphase wirklich gut. Der Rainmaker wird schon 2x gezeigt, bevor der Destino die Bühne betritt. Nearfalls beginnen zum guten Zeitpunkt. Die Schlussphase ist gut, aber das große Match einer großen Story ist es eben nicht. Naito wird abgebügelt und dem Match fehlt es an dem gewissen Etwas, welches hier zugunsten des Champs gestrichen wurde. (****)"
[7.0] "Auf jeden Fall unterhaltsam aber nicht auf dem enormen Niveau des letzten Jahres in New Japan. Und für mich auch nicht das beste Match der Card, da Fatal-4-Way, Jericho-Omega und auch Cody-Ibushi mir besser gefallen haben."
[9.0] "Kazuchika Okada (c) -vs- Tetsuya Naito ? (IWGP Title) [**** 1/4] Then for the big attraction. The longest reigning IWGP Champion against a guy that? s quietly, or not so quietly, become the most popular guy on the roster. And it became the epic it promised to be. Slow deliberate pace creating that aura. Great it was! It was going to be Naito? s big night. Or was is? Okada really did come across as a bigger deal than Naito, even if the Naito story was sweeter."
[9.0] "The proper main event of WK 12 was bound to be a classic, and both guys brought their A game (though for some weird reason they had a small moment of miscommunication a bit that almost took away from the match). One of my favorite moments was a simple one but brilliant, where Naito sweeps the leg of Okada and uses it for momentum. The finish was excellent, but also painful to watch. Naito takes a page out of Okada's book and maintains control of Okada after the first Destino to try and hit the second one, only for Okada to catch him and hit a spinning jumping Tombstone and of course the Rainmaker for the win. It was Naito's time to become champ and it didn't happen. On the other hand Okada's reign will be known as the greatest in the history of the company by the time it ends (which now will most likely be at Dominion, if not the next Wrestle Kingdom). **** 3/4"
[9.0] "I had to rewatch this several times before finally making a full opinion on it, and honestly this is definitely an awesome face off in the rivalry that is Okada vs Naito. With that honesty though this match is probably my 3rd MOTN compared to the Alpha vs Omega and Junior 4 way matches as the latter had more heart, drama, and excitement in them. Yes this Dome main event did have the hottest crowd of the night, but the match itself took way too long to get going, and when it finally did it was just a barrage of kick outs and moves. Granted Naito and Okada are experts in those types of matches, but this one just felt like something was missing. It didn't have that epic explosiveness that the Okada/Omega matches had nor did it have the intricate storytelling of the Naito/Tanahashi matches, but it still felt like a worthy chapter in this continuous story of battling for the Ace position. Naito was of course the hotter one coming into the match, so you could make the argument he should've won, but in all honesty Okada was the better choice as to establish the direction the company will take. Okada is the big picture, and this victory was all about solidifying his status as a modern legend, ****1/2."
[10.0] "That match was number 9 between these two guys. The crowd was hot and there was a lot callbacks. Story: Once upon a time Naito was suppose to be the next Tanahashi (NJPW Top Guy), but the public rejected him. Okada who his younger is accepted and surpasses Tanahashi. While Okada becomes the top guy Naito reborn with a new attitude and becomes the most loved wrestler in Japan. Finally he has the chance to redemption where he will beat Okada, but Okada became the ultimate boss and once again shatter Naito dream. (Most critics of this match are related to the fact that Okada won). Okada is no longer the babyface who wants to become the best. He is no longer the underdog that we saw in macthes agains Tanahashi and Nakamura. He become a monster that nobody can beat (that what was being promoted in the video packages by the company). He he is the champion with the longest reign (more than 500 days) but he didn't beat the record most important for a champion: the number of titles defenses. He has 9 title defenses, but the record is 11 by Tanahashi. There is New Beginning, Sakura Genesis, Dontaku (maybe) and then Dominion. I totally see Naito winning at Osaka, the only place on earth that sill booes him because once more he did live up to his promise."
[7.0] "I wasn't that excited for the actual match itself because Okada/Naito just never seems to click for me. Unlike 99% of the time, where "bad chemistry" is merely an excuse to cover for someone (see: Kevin Owens), these two just genuinely don't seem to mesh. Aside from the (really long) clutch, the stardust press teases, and the part with all the finishers, I've already forgotten most of this match. It's still a good match, but compared to prior Dome mains? Not on that level."
[9.0] "Großartiger zweiter Main Event doch für mich diesmal nicht der Überkracher. Wenn die beiden im Ring stehen und dann gegeneinander antreten kommt nur sehr starkes raus so auch diesmal. Für mich zweitbestes Match beim WK 12 da Chris vs Kenny als erster Main Event doch zu stark war. (****1/4) sind trotzdem immer noch sau stark."
[8.0] "What a really good to great way of capping off what may be the best show of 2018 honestly. Okada and Naito had a well built match with both men set to target the neck of the other and Naito especially just try to break down the head and the neck of Okada. Okada was his usual self but this match really didn't pick up down the final minutes like I would've wanted it to as that's usually an Okada trademark especially during this reign with the last 5-10 minutes of his title bouts having you on the very edge of your seat but this match was really good but I'd say Naito was more on point here than was the champion. ***3/4"
[9.0] "I had trouble to get into the match at first as it started pretty slow and i don`t like both as much as most others too. But the last ten minutes of the match were truly amazing. The counter-sequences around both finishers worked really well for me and the ending has a great pschology as Naito felt the need to follow up on his Destino just to get countered. The last third of the match was on par with the best matches i watched. But overall i had too much troubles to get into the match to give it the full score. Maybe it was because of the lenght and overall quality of the show. The Jericho-Omega Match was much faster sothat it was a rough transition for me. (****1/2)"
[7.0] "A white hot crowd longing to see their hero get his redemption against the king of the mountain. A really good match, but the ending is upsetting to say the least. Naito losing threw away 4 years of storytelling and now Okada has literally run through the entire roster. So while I see it may not please everyone, they still wrestled a fun match, even if it wasn't up to the standards set by previous main events."
[10.0] "So this match was awesome but it's not quite 5 stars. It was entertaining throughout and that wild crowd atmosphere made it feel epic, but I felt the action in the ring g lacked a bit. Honestly doesn't surprise me to not find this 5, while they're two of the best in the world, their previous two matches were a bit underwhelming. This match did however have an epic finishing stretch, but the Okada win is a bit deflating ****3/4"
[6.0] "Dissapointing but still good. They kind of went trough the motions and didnt reach any kind of brilliance in building up some moments. Kind of there. Not a good WK main event aside from a few high spots."
[7.0] "This match was predominately par for the course, while I don't have any major complaints that don't involve the outcome, apart from the match having an aura of sluggishness to it, I also don't have anything that positive to say either. The most positive thing I can say about it is that I"m very happy that Naito chose to work the neck instead of a leg, because both men tend to have big selling problems. Fans of both should a have good time with this one, but I can't help but feel a bit underwhelmed when comparing this to some of the bouts each wrestler has had in the last year. ***1/2"
[8.0] "8. 35/10. These two were content with giving us a great NJPW-esque "big main event" match but didn't go to their limit in anyway. After watching their all-time classic matches against various opponents last year (vs. Omega especially), we know very well what these two men are capable of when they bring out the absolute crazy best in them, they did not do that in this still-great bout of wrestling so I decided to rate it accordingly. A fantastic watch if you are into the typical "big" NJPW main event type of match, but as someone who has no particular attraction to that style uncoupled with mind-blowing wrestling and storytelling, my rating didn't go "above and beyond", just like they didn't."
[10.0] "This match was packed with emotions. From the beginning, the promos before the match, to the aftermath, the characters Naito and Okada felt a bit off. The Promo before this match is strangely similar to the Promo at Wrestle Kingdom , Okada's robe felt more oldschool, as if we are supposed to be reminded of his early days as the Rainmaker. If you know Okada and Naito's stories, then you know that this Main Event was a superb Main Event, but more importantly.... it was massively different. There are a ton of Callbacks to their previous encounters, and the story of Naito still clinging to his Stardust Genius Days, which would cost him the victory at the end was expertly told and almost made me cry as Naito collapsed after his loss. What these guys were showing us, is them claiming back their stolen Main Event from 4 years ago, showing what was meant to be the Main Event from Wrestle Kingdom 8. This is why everything in this match makes so much sense. The Stardust PRess attempts from Naito, Okada's old-school robe and this weirdly WK8-like promo at the beginning. Both participants are going out with a smile. Even though Naito surely would have liked to win this match, he has reached his goal finally. So did Okada. They both finally main-evented Wrestle Kingdom, like they were supposed to 8 years ago, and the storytelling in this match prefectly shows that. *****"
[10.0] "Die Crowd war tatsächlich hotter für dieses Match. Das habe ich nicht erwartet! Es war dafür aber das Match was man sich erwartet/erhofft hatte. Es war der Tokyo Dome Main Event mit einem der besten Wrestler der Welt und dem hottesten Star von New Japan pro Wrestling. Es war vielleicht der Perfekte Moment für den Naito Sieg, aber selbst Okada hatte 2 versuche gebraucht bis er endlich Tanahashi im Dome Main Event besiegen konnte. **** 3/4"
[9.0] "Expected it to go longer given the typical length of Okada? s defences during this reign and the fact that the semi-main event went 35 minutes. Also hated Okada? s gear for this match, really distracting. Other than these points, really great. Okada seems to be incapable of putting on a bad IWGP Heavyweight Championship defence, and Naito really rose to the occasion of Tokyo Dome main event. Selling, high spots, tense moments, finisher kick outs, everything you? d want out of a New Japan main event."
[9.0] "A total swerve. I think this was Naito's time. This decision may hurt NJPW's business, and the Naito story appears quite confusing now. NJPW are the best booked promotion though, so maybe they'll turn this seeming blunder into gold. That all being said, this was still outstanding. After the long hardcore spotfest that was Omega vs Jericho, Okada and Naito had to start the match slowly and just build and build. It started off with the usual nice exchanges for a while as Naito would get in his heel spots of time wasting and generally annoying Okada. The match was almost excessively slow at points, but its the sort of slow that you grow to appreciate as the match slowly gets faster and as more important spots and sequences occur. The whole match Naito was working over Okada's neck, and Okada sold the damage quite well in the long-term by slouching his posture and also by majorly gripping his neck when Naito immediately targeted it. The story seemed to be that Naito got too carried away with his Stardust Presses, too desperate to return to the safety of his former self than push forward with his new LIJ self, which allowed Okada to finally get the openings to lead to victory. Naito had such vitriol for Okada and was awesome at wailing away at him in their strike exchanges. Okada was great at acting arrogant and elitist, until that first Destino really rocked his world and he became scared, and then he went into 'ferocious ace' mode. The match built brilliantly as both attempted to put each other away, but Naito waited too long as he helped Okada to his feet after one half-formed Destino, trying to attempt one final full Destino, but instead allowed Okada to put him away with the same revolution tombstone and Rainmaker combo that Okada beat Omega with at WK11. It was an amazing almost surreal moment to see Okada win, even though it seemed destined for Naito to finally win the big one. Not as sensational as Okada vs Omega or Tanahashi, but still damn amazing. ****1/2"
[8.0] "A big time dramatic main event epic. Really liked it. Loved the fire Naito brought, his interactions w/ the crowd were fantastic & their response to him was tremendous. ***3/4"
[10.0] "Für mich ganz klar 5 Sterne. Zwei gefestigte Charaktere, welche die Crowd zum kochen gebracht haben. Technisch perfekt. Highspots und Kickouts meiner Meinung nach an den richtigen Stellen und perfekt aufgebaut. Dem Event auf jeden Fall würdig. Viele beschweren sich über den Sieger, da muss ich aber widersprechen. Obwohl Naito auch funktioniert hätte, war das die richtige Entscheidung. Der Gürtel ist nochmal um so viel wertvoller geworden und Okada's Titlerun ist so legendär, da kann man ihn auch ruhig noch weiterführen. Wenn Naito oder Omega ihm den Titel abnehmen, wird es die Entäuschung vieler nach WK11 und WK12 wett machen. NJPW zieht ihre Rivalitäten über längere Zeiträume und bildet immer wieder neue Facetten(siehe Okada/Tanahashi). Ich glaub auch nicht, dass Omega den Titel beim nächsten Versuch im Dome gewinnt. Ich find diese Dome-Trilogie-Serie, nach der man erst den Titel im Main Event gewinnt genial."
[9.0] "Im Main Event müssen Okada & Naito sich beweisen und liefern ein voll gepacktes Match mit fantastischer Dramaturgie, Match Psychologie und Big Time Feeling. Naito kann Okada besiegen, aber er schafft es nicht den Kopf kühl zu halten und muss in der phänomenalen Schlussphase doch einstecken. Die Psychologie war absolut hervorragend. Das sind einzelne Details & Low Key Momente die das Match wirklich aufziehen & die Charaktere beider Wrestler unterstützen. Die Frage bei so einem Match; Hält es im Vergleich zu anderen WK Main Events. In dem Fall; Nein, tut es nicht. Aber das zeigt die Klasse von NJPW. So ein hochkarätiger Main Event ist für den ein oder anderen enttäuschend, weil er nicht das Niveau von Okada/Tanahashi WK09, Okada/Tanahashi WK10 & Okada/Omega WK11 hatte. Das nimmt aber keineswegs etwas von diesem Match, welches ohne Frage exzellent war (****½). Die größere Frage ist eher, WER kann Okada stoppen?"
