[10.0] "This is peak story telling. The crowd desperately wanted Tanahashi to win which is what made this match even better. Tanahashi has always been an underdog for his matches against Okada, and this match isn't any different. Okada dominated the match, Tanahashi had great hope spots and everything just clicked between these two. Amazing match."
[9.0] "This is the first match in the final chapter of this rivalry. At first, it was a prime Tanahashi vs the young up-and-comer Okada. They were equals, Now Okada is the in his prime champion and Tanahashi is the wily veteran trying to see if he still has what it takes to beat his greatest rival. The story of Tanahashi trying to stop Okada from breaking his record is a story that has been told many times. Can this once-great champion muster the strength and turn back the clock to beat the man poised to break the record he worked so hard to achieve? The action in the match is the typical standard for these two, that being excellent. Tanahashi has lost a step since their last meeting with the injuries and time catching up to him. But rather than hide that, it's a crucial beat in the story of this match. Tanahashi isn't supposed to win. For the first time in their rivalry, he's the underdog. This adds a new wrinkle to this long story and works to make this match feel unique. We're no longer trying to see who is better, it's Okada. This match is about pride and trying to see if Tanahashi can put off Father Time just long enough to save his record. Not to the same level in-ring as some of their others, but story-wise as rich as anything they've done before. 4.5 stars."
[8.0] "[4.0*] Man this match was SO disappointing, specially because this is literally the highest rated one by Dave, and the only one from this legendary feud to surpass the 5 star mark. Well, in my evaluation, 3 matches already surpassed that, and this one is the second worst one of them (discounting the one from 2010). Until this show, only the New Beginning 2012 one was worse, counting all the G1 matches. Man, this was not a bad match, not at all, I am giving this a 4*, but after all the expectation, after the 2 year hiatus from the feud, I genuinely expected a proper 5.5* match, not this. It was so overly dramatic, in a try-hard way. An attempt of an epic that had a lot of dead time, with almost 10 minutes of the match being purely of rest holds, which is kind of insane, even from them. We all know their matches started in a slow paced but on this one they crossed the line, lol. There was a point I almost skipped a couple of minutes. Now, just to compliment a little bit of the match I gave 8 points, it had obviously a high level of techniques and they had indeed a lot of chemistry. I enjoyed and appreciated a couple of spots, such as the Rainmaker kickout at 1 by Okada and the classic High Fly Flow to the outside, but the lack of nearfalls made me wonder if this is literally an epic, how the hell you do not have proper nearfalls? Anyways, the wrestling was impeccable but the match was not."
[8.0] "I'm mystified this is considered by WON their best match, this was good work with weird no selling that only undermined them. I honestly put this on par with their first encounter."
[8.0] "The highest rated match between Okada and Tanahashi according to WON, isn't the best one by quite a margin, although it's undeniably a good match, and if someone says it's trash, they will be lying... it's a great freaking match, with many well executed moves and fantastic spots, their chemistry is godly, and the level of wrestling extremely high like always, but the match also have some flaws, specially at the ending stretch. I wasn't bothered with the beginning of the match like some people, it was slow, of course, but it's normal and they were clearly trying to wrestle an epic match, I think most of the stuff connected, Tanahashi targeted Okada's left knee, and it's a shame that the limb work was ignored later on the match, but when it happened was nice, and Okada basically demolished Tanahashi, that looked weak before Okada, as he's not very young anymore, and Okada was in his prime, and living a historic title reign. The storytelling of the match was great, Okada was trying to break Tanahashi's record of title defenses against the Ace himself, the stakes were really high, it was a fight for honor, Tana wanted to keep his record and also show that he still can beat Okada and be considered THE guy of New Japan, and Okada couldn't afford losing to a shadow that he'd already surpassed. The way they've wrestled wasn't probably the best option, considering how deep and interesting the situation was, but they tried to do something different, we've already seen them reaching the highest level possible, so anything equal to that would've been more of the same, so I respect the try for something new, but unfortunately the no-selling move sequences and the kickouts at 1 aren't my thing, and considering how tense the experience should be, it's not ideal to put these things, should've had more emotion, but the match was great nonetheless. The forearm exchanges were awesome, and the ending stretch had some good nearfalls, but the blows and the slaps were the best moments, because it showed how emotional and important the match is - {****}"
[8.0] "Okada and Tanahashi had a slow-burning match that was quite good. Tanahashi somewhat abandoned his strategy of harassing Okada's leg, which actually relaxed Okada's ring work. I think we should commend Tanahashi's ring work. His logic was quite correct; he first showed us that he could counterattack, and then it was when Okada spread his arms that he directly expressed his psychological activities. This is a gradual process, which, to me, is much better than a radical counterattack, at least in terms of logic, it is more reasonable. However, I would raise some doubts about these excessively long slow-burning matches. For a long time, they were consuming match time, of course, which is necessary for them. After all, this is the main event of NJPW, the IWGP Heavyweight Championship match, they stretched the match to 35 minutes, but it is indeed a match that should be around 25 minutes. I want to say that an image with normal resolution is clearer and better looking than a forcibly stretched image. I think the problem with this match lies in the "forcibly stretching." Tanahashi's flying tackle knocked down Okada, after a pause, Tanahashi tried to rush to Okada and was knocked down by Okada's Tombstone Piledriver. Then they started to share a long counting time, after returning to the ring, they did not speed up, but continued to consume time, and only then did they really enter the fast-paced confrontation. There are also some other points worth talking about, the suspense of this match only lies in Tanahashi, that is to say, only Tanahashi is closest to winning, Okada on the contrary does not have this opportunity, but I do not understand what they want to say.... There are also some other segments, such as Okada's German-suplex being bounced off by Tanahashi in one second, and then entering a state of being invincible, which actually echoes a concept in Japanese wrestling: the fighting spirit (I don't know how to call it). I think this concept comes from a person's will (this will includes the so-called samurai spirit of Japan), but compared with Okada's one-second bounce, I think the latter may have a little bit more (just a little bit more) rationality. That is because we can explain that Okada is to some extent immune to his own Finishing Move, of course, the latter may be a transcendental concept.****1/4"
[9.0] "This was a pretty good match. The first half of the match had its slow points and was a little hard to get into, but the second half was amazing with the drama, psychology and storytelling."
[7.0] "A tad disappointing for me given the caliber of the two stars, the history of their feud, and the amount that this particular match was hyped up. I thought the very holds-heavy opening was a bit slow, and the ending a bit too abrupt. That being said, it's Okada and Tanahashi, so even an off match for them is pretty damn good..."
[9.0] "One of the hardest matches for me to rate. On the one hand, the storytelling, the drama and the psychology was top-notch, without a doubt. On the other hand, the first few minutes were goddamn slow (3 minutes of rest holds! ) and they tried to make this overly epic. The finish also came out of nowhere given Tanahashi being pinned after just one Rainmaker. If they wanted to set things up differently, they made it, but this is not for fans who don't like NJPW's style. One of the best psychological matches I've ever watched, but it was also possible to pick up the pace a little bit"
[4.0] "So, I wanted to check and see if my opinions from years ago have remained in tact. That I find the New Japan overly long slow and drawn out style to be still boring even though they are highly beloved. I've watched a lot of wrestling since 2018, hell this is probably the year I've watched more wrestling than I have in my whole 20 years as a fan. and the answer to that is with a resounding yes. I am still not a fan of these matches. I'm a lot less harsher on them though, but that does not mean that they don't still feel ass numbingly long. This match has a super hot crowd to it, I mean there are women in the crowd who look super worried at the safety of Tanahashi throughout. The match starts out with what feels like a 5 minute side headlock, then there's an Indy standoff, and then some cool Draping DDTs by Okada. The Tombstone on the outside by Okada was also really cool. And then at one point Okada does the rainmaker pose and then Tanahashi gets up and they stare at each other for what feels like a while before they start wrestling again, that felt real amateurish. I'll also comment that the strikes in this match looked super weak, like they were fine at points, but they didn't look that painful. Hell the slaps from Tanahashi at the end were soft looking too, and he usually throws those with hands of stone. I think these two are too damn similar for their own good, Tanahashi and Okada need other types of wrestlers, like master technicians and unscrupulous brawlers to get a great match out of them. These two just never have any entertaining chemistry to me. I honestly don't know how people could raise their nose and call this boring slog a "masterpiece"."
[9.0] "Whilst I don't think this is the best match these two have had this was still incredible. They start out with a feeling out process to see what they can still do against each other, but eventually Okada would take control of the match and would begin to brutally target the neck of Tanahashi. I honestly think Okada is better as a heel due to the fact he isn't selling as much, and his facial expressions as a cocky arrogant champion are so good as well. Tanahashi trying to avoid the rainmaker at all cost during this was also a nice story added into the match. This becomes awesome when Tanahashi starts making his comeback at the end, both men showing fighting spirit by kicking out of big moves at 1 was dope, especially Okada's kicking out of the rainmaker at 1. Loved the ending with both men after a slapfest being exhausted, but as Tanahashi looks to run off the ropes Okada had his tights grabbed and then hit the rainmaker.****3/4"
[8.0] "One of the greatest feuds in NJPW history but this felt like one of the weakest in the series of matches.Still a good match though just felt a little lackluster considering the stuff they had done before."
[10.0] "I love this match. I love Okada and Tanahashi together. I love the fully realized God Kazuchika Okada just whipping Tanahashi around, with a big smile on his face. *****"
[9.0] "A beautiful damn match. Okada had completely overthrown Tanahashi as the Ace and was ruling the roost as the IWGP Champ while age and injury were catching up to Tanahashi to the point where Minoru Suzuki had absolutely squashed him a few months ago. Granted it's Minoru Suzuki but it's Hiroshi freakin' Tanahashi damnit! Chock it upto pride or whatever, he could NOT let Okada tie his 12 title defense record though, despite his broken-down body. The first half sees Tanahashi desperately trying to outwrestle Okada in an attempt to target the leg. He's giving it his best but Okada is still able to regain control with ease; he's much more relaxed in the ring than Tanahashi and even when Tana would get his opportunity to work on top, his control segment would never last very long. He's never able, or rather never allowed to fully work Okada's leg as The Rainmaker constantly shuts him down at every turn. The narrative direction is unique when compared to their previous works but both guys nonetheless play their roles to perfection; Tana's very much the underdog fighting from underneath here. He isn't able to withstand Okada's neck work anymore now, and the way he sells here is phenomenal. Okada embraces the cocky top guy role, bullying Tanahashi, drawing the ire of the crowd with his disrespectful ways. He does such a great job during his control that it makes the comeback spot in the finishing stretch all the more goose-bumps-inducing. And let's not forget the Ace because boy he does he bring the fire in that closing sequence, giving it his absolute all despite having nothing left in the tank. And just when you think there's hope. Just when he breaks Okada's grip, Okada simply puts an end to things with a single Rainmaker, further driving home the fact that Tanahashi is no longer the Ace. In comparison to their previous efforts, this one's not that action-heavy and the pacing is brisk but not once did I feel bored. Masterful storytelling that made me fully buy-in despite knowing the result."
[9.0] "Loved the storytelling in this match, a broken down old ace doomed to lose against the champion who's long surpassed him. This match was predictable as hell but you can't help but get behind Tanahashi as the underdog. Not one of their best matches, but still amazing ****1/2."
[4.0] "Incredibly overrated match. Maybe one of the most overrated matches ever. Tanahashi starts the match doing a work on Okada's left leg, Okada sells absolutely nothing, he did every move he wanted to do without even selling his legs more than 5 seconds after taking moves on it. Okada looks trash, he needs so many attempts to do his Rainmaker, and Tanahashi needs only one to do it. Even if Okada kicks out at 1, he continues to try to do that move, like the champion cannot find another strategy. Okada was so lost here. Their all time classic at WK 10 is at the sky, that match is at the garbage. **1/4"
[10.0] "This was much different than anything they'd done before, this wasn't young up and comer vs the Ace, it was Ace vs Ace, and Okada had nothing to prove, but Tanahashi did, he was beginning to realize that Okada really was THE Ace, he was about to break Tanahashi's record, Tanahashi did everything he could to try to prove he could still be on top, but Okada was too good, this match had one of the best endings in history"
[9.0] "Best Okada match this year till Dominion 2018. Although the wrestling wasn't as good as their WK10 match. The story more than makes up for it with Okada being made to look super strong, and Tanahashi made to look old, broken and defeated. The only thing I had a problem in this match was I wanted it to go a bit longer. But alas that was not to be. Okada winning was the right decision. But with the fans at his back, Tanahashi almost looked like he was going to go out with the title. Also I liked the fact that Okada used the rainmaker only once. The Rain maker has been overused too much in my opinion. ****3/4"
[8.0] "Most of this match was really slow. A couple of hangman DDTs from Okada were the biggest offense for the first 17 minutes or so as Okada dominated and even seemed to take Tanahashi lightly as he taunted him. Then he motioned for his signature Rain-maker and Tanahashi came to life. Even so, a cross-body to the outside from Tana would be his biggest offense of the match thus far, and soon thereafter Okada hit a tombstone to the outside to set up a long exchange of forearms, which I didn't understand because Okada had 3 big neck moves on Tana and all Tana had was a big crossbody on Okada. Okada should've had the advantage. Instead things go back and forth and the last 7 minutes or so are pretty good, despite the fact that it took Tana the better part of a minute to get Okada up for a tombstone, and there was another obvious botch when Tana took a wild swing at Okada expecting Okada to duck, but instead Okada took an awkward lump to the head. Thus, this was not the classic I was expecting. Emotion is the main driving factor in the match, just because of the importance of the match, but quality-wise, I thought this was one of the weaker matches I've seen of their classic rivalry. ****1/4"
[10.0] "Yet another classic between the two best wrestlers this past decade by far. There wasn't anything I didn't like about this match. The beginning was fine, them trying to figure out what the other can still do and what they have learn, test of stretch. Sizing each other up like old foes. That was good. Then Okada took control of the match and then the match went into big match mode. Okada being the heel in this feud, beating down Tanahashi, targeting his neck, being a dick to Tanahashi in his very few chances to become champion again. But through there previous encounters Tanahashi knew Okada's weak spots and started to turn the tables on him. Okada's selling of those forearms was amazing and he made them look like killer blows. Those bitch slaps by Tanahashi were amazing as well. That finishing stretch was a great example of fighting spirit with both men not staying down, trying to put each other way but Okada caught Tanahashi in the end with the rainmaker and got the win. ****3/4"
[9.0] "Die Tanahashi vs. Okada Fehde die 2016 ihren Ende fand gehört zu meinen absoluten Lieblingsmatchserien. Obwohl der Kampf um den Ace-Spot entschieden wurde, fordert Tanahashi hier trotzdem Okada nochmal zu seinem Titelkampf heraus. Wie immer ging ich mit großen Erwartungen in dieses Match und die zwei haben alles andere als enttäuscht. Das Tempo hat wirklich extrem gut gepasst und das ganze Match war gut strukturiert, so wie eigentlich immer von den beiden. Das Selling war von beiden wie immer sehr genial und die Intensität passte am Ende auch. Was jedoch am Ende verhindert, dass dieses Match zu den besten Matches der beiden gehört, war das Tempo in den letzten zehn Minuten. Da haben die zwei manchmal etwas zu lange gesellt und die eigentlich heiße Schlussphase etwas abgekühlt. Das Finish selbst war für eine höhere Bewertung auch etwas zu unspektakulär. Das haben die zwei sicherlich auch schon besser hinbekommen, auch wenn das natürlich Kritik auf höchstem Niveau ist. Alles in allem trotzdem eines der besten Matches von NJPW in diesem Jahr. **** 1/2 (10)"
[10.0] "By 2018 the Okada/Tanahashi rivalry had gone through several arcs, with The Rainmaker already being crowned as the new 'Ace', but Okada wanted to fully eclipse Tanahashi with his 600+ day long IWGP title reign. In contrast to their first matchup in 2012, Tanahashi was now the underdog, fighting to save his legacy against the younger, faster and stronger competitor. Okada's arrogance gives off a patronising air from the second he steps through the curtain. His confidence is warranted though, as he consistently counters and overwhelms Tanahashi in the beginning, going so far as to pat the former Ace as they break. The challenger tries to hold onto any advantage he finds, but the Rainmaker is well-versed to his rival's methods and rips the momentum away. The match follows familiar beats: Tanahashi persists in targeting the leg and Okada hits all his signature manoeuvres, but here Okada seems relaxed and comfortable in his ways, always managing to regain control. The former Ace refuses to lie down however, standing opposite of Okada's Rainmaker pose and seconds later connecting a High Fly Flow to the outside. There is still fight left in the old dog, but that relief doesn't last as Okada bounces back with a Tombstone on the floor. The final act is all based around Tanahashi's defiance, battling valiantly and throwing everything he has left in his spirit towards the champ. Yet the smug look on Okada remains, countering the High Fly Flow he couldn't stop in previous G1 matches and kicking out at 1 from his own Rainmaker used against him. Like all their contests, the final seconds are exquisite. Tanahashi's anger is put into slaps, each harder than the last and leaves the champion slumped on his knees. But when it looks like a miracle is still possible, Okada pulls him back, gains wrist control and end the match with one decisive Rainmaker. This might not be their best, but this is storytelling at its finest; with every movement holding clear underlying meaning. *****"
[10.0] "I really thought that Hiroshi Tanahashi was going to dethrone Kazuchika Okada and stop him to break the record, I was so innocent... When Okada hitted the Rainmaker, I was in shock, I started to pray for Tanahashi and was waiting for a kickout outta of nowhere, but he didn't kicked out. I was very shocked, and THIS is why I love pro-wrestling. *****"
[8.0] "Kazuchika Okada (c) -vs- Hiroshi Tanahashi - (IWGP Title) [*** 3/4] Absolutely had a story to tell! Not too happy with the pace and length, though this wasn't a match I was looking at my watch or anything like that. The drama had me. It had the explosions when there needed to be. It's Tanahashi structured and Okada length making the historic moment feel extra special."
[10.0] "Hiroshi Tanahashi and Kazuchika Okada have had some incredible matches, but this one was the best of the their deservedly legendary feud. It was the perfect storm of highspots, psychology, storytelling, drama, etc, rolled up into one awesome package."
[10.0] "Das Match war erneut weltklasse. Wenn es 2 Wrestler gibt, denen ich stundenlang zusehen kann, sind es Okada und Tanahashi mit ihren Matches. Die Chemie der beiden ist einfach unglaublich gut und die beiden schaffen es, dass jedes Match auf seine Art fantastisch wird. Ich bin einfach beeindruckt und freue mich auf ihr Match bei Destruction, welches nicht weniger klasse werden wird."
[10.0] "Yet another classic between these two. The storytelling, character work, and wrestling here is perfect. Okada hasn't lost clean in a non-G1 match in over 3 years at this point, and is in full cocky mode, while Tanahashi despere ately wants to prove he is still the ace and can still lead the company. The match is full of callbacks, such as reversals, move steals, and of course the fantastic moment when Tanahashi breaks wrist control, only to be caught and defeated by ONE rainmaker. *****"
[9.0] "Here we have the latest chapter in the greatest rivalry of the modern era and it is a banger. Big match atmosphere heading into this one which is obviously understandable considering the stakes involved (Okada's title and Tana's record) as well as the history of excellence these two men share. More than ever before, Tanahashi comes into the match the underdog and is the obvious crowd favourite. Okada on the other hand, displays his character range going full on cocky heel, ala Rainmaker circa '13, only this time he is also the dominant ace of the company. The match itself is a masterclass of pure wrestling and pacing but what truly gives the bout character are moments such as Tana getting in Okadas face during his signature pose and Okada just laughing back at him. It is this conbination of amazing wrestling and exceptional character work that make matches like this one stand out. Phenomenal main event and a worthy addition to the Okada/Tanahashi saga. ****3/4"
[10.0] "Incredible match. Okada is the best in the world, and Tanahashi is no slouch either and they put on a classic. It was elevated even more by the crowd watching it."
[9.0] "Not a strict 'classic' like their other matches, but still beyond amazing. Definitely a MOTY contender, and a great (current) final chapter to their rivalry. This was unlike any other match they? ve had. It had the slow opening, the big bombs, lots of symbolism, and the killer finishing stretch all as usual, but it also felt unique because it felt deliberately slower than usual. This wasn't at all bad, as I really enjoyed how then slower pace gave more focus to the symbolism and storytelling. Tana showed his veteran experience early on as he easily manhandled Okada, showing signs that perhaps Tana really could end Okada's streak and become IWGP champ yet again. Tana's age would catch up to him though, as Okada managed to not only eventually gain control but exercise such control in a very arrogant and aggressive manner. Okada has always been a world class heel when given the opportunity to demonstrate it. His facial expressions and typical heel actions always come off as appropriately detestable, especially when paired with Tana's amazing underdog babyface selling. Both were, of course, selling their exhaustion and fighting spirit extraordinarily. There were a lot of great callbacks to their famous previous matches, but my favourites were Tana pulling out those desperate slaps, Tana hitting Okada with his own Rainmaker (and Tombstone), Tana's attempted targeting of Okada's leg, and of course Okada's trademark wrist control. I totally lost it when Tana broke Okada's wrist control, as I was suddenly in shock, wondering whether that implied that Okada's streak was finally over, but luckily Okada put him away with JUST ONE Rainmaker. This appeared indicative that Okada had now totally and fully surpassed the old NJPW ace. ****1/2. PS some novices need to learn the difference between a full Rainmaker, a half Rainmaker, and a Rainmaker used by someone other than Okada. The ? actual? Rainmaker still has a 99% success rate."
[4.0] "At this point I? m honestly not a fan of New Japan main event style, but still I can usually find enough to say the match was at least good. I can? t really say that this time. There were a few things I liked, like Tana getting in Okada? s face during the Rainmaker pose, but everything between these two feels dated to me at this point, they already clearly passed the torch so there was no real feeling Tana would actually win the title, and so you? ve got two guys going through motions for yet another needlessly long match. I haven? t been opposed to Okada? s long reign but I think I? m finally getting turned off by it. It? s still not a terrible match, of course, but I didn? t feel like I enjoyed myself very much at all. Okada kicking out of the Rainmaker at once was an especially galling moment, I guess the Rainmaker is just absolutely dead as a useful finisher unless you hit 5 or 6 of them."
[9.0] "Amazing stuff. This match was filled to the brim with callbacks to their historic meetings over the past several years, which made for some really incredible storytelling. Some examples include Tana's leg-work early, Tana attempting a Sling-Blade on the outside which Okada countered into a Tombstone, and the High-Fly Flow attempt right at the 30-min mark. Loved Okada working on top and his utterly disrespectful behavior every minute of his control. Tana's selling was really great, and every time he began to mount a comeback, it had both me and the Fukuoka crowd emotionally invested in seeing the Ace pull off the seemingly unthinkable. How times have changed though, as just 6 years earlier, it was Tana who was on top and didn't take the upstart Okada seriously, so it's easy to see why Okada revels in his opportunity to dominate the now broken-down Tanahashi. The finishing stretch was really dramatic, with both men displaying admirable fighting spirit in an attempt to match each other. The best example was Okada kicking out at 1 to Tana's Rainmaker after the Ace had just kicked out at 1 himself. Tana slapped Okada viciously and even managed to break Okada's wrist control, but in the end, Okada managed to hang on and hit the decisive Rainmaker. The story that Okada had completely surpassed Tanahashi was told perfectly, as he not only broke Tana's title defense record and beat him with only 1 Rainmaker, but Okada also avoided making the exact same mistake that ended Tana's historic reign 6 years prior by underestimating his opponent. ****1/2"
[8.0] "I found this to actually be pretty interesting, despite not being into the idea of going back to this mildly overrated rivalry. Okada & Tanahashi brought the character work here, big time, and I really enjoyed that. They weren't just fighting for the title here, this was more about Tanahashi's record that Okada made it his mission to break. Cocky Okada is good stuff and the flashes of it here were very good, while Tana attempting to avoid any and all Rainmakers was a sound strategy. My main problem here is that this dragged a little more than most Okada matches, and Okada main events can fucking DRAG, so that's kinda bad. I was legitimately watching this match at 150% speed and there was a point where I thought to myself "man they're taking this pretty slowly" after forgetting that I had it on that speed. I will say that I just LOVED Tana doing a Rainmaker and Okada kicking out at 1; stolen finishes that backfire are the best. From that spot until the finish I thought the match kicked ass with all the slaps as the emotion bubbled to the surface, but I can't help but feel like this was yet another 20-22 minute main event stretched into 35 by NJPW to make it an "epic" when it didn't need to be. ***3/4"
[7.0] "Die suggerierte Dramatik stellt sich für mich nie ein. Viel zu dominant ist Okada als Champ und viel zu fern ab vom Schuss war Tanahashi zuletzt. Als Bonus in der guten Rivalität der Beiden natürlich ein nettes Bonbon, aber kommt so nicht über eine Filler-Titelverteidigung hinaus bis Omega bald wieder die Relevanz ins Title-Picture bringen wird. Beide Wrestler neigen zu einem schablonenhaften Match-Aufbau und den findet man auch hier. Zwar ist der natürlich wesentlich hochklassiger als von vielen anderen Wrestlern dieser Welt. Nicht immer mein Geschmack. Die Geschichte um den Rainmaker gefiel mir hingegen gut. Die Konter von Tana waren oft sehr nice und letztendlich reicht dann endlich mal wieder nur einer, damit der Champ einen weiteren Tag als Würdenträger abhaken kann. (***¾)"
[10.0] "Context and their previous matches is why so many people consider this a classic. Literally every movement in this match has some type of underlying story to it. Tana still playing to the crowd like he's still the Ace against the guy they know is the actual Ace. Okada not respecting Tanahashi at all compared to their other encounters. The kick out at ONE from Tana's rainmaker. Okada finding a way to get out of the high fly flow near the 30 min mark. Something he couldn't do the last time these 2 faced in the G1. Then finally Okada ending this feud once and for all with 1 rainmaker after Tanahashi thought he had the advantage. You can't ask for a better final match between these 2 as it put pieces of each match they've ever had together into 1 amazing story. Good shit, ****3/4"
[9.0] "Excellent match. Not quite the 5. 5 star match for me but more like 4. 5 or 4. 75 star. I really loved the story of this being the match that will probably be last match between these, as the The Ace is no longer the NJPW's ace and Okada & Tanahashi as always giving us a fantastic performance."
[8.0] "Bei den beiden Namen konnte das hier eigentlich gar kein schlechtes Match werden. Dennoch finde ich es nicht so stark wie ihre vorherigen Aufeinandertreffen. Das Match beginnt mit den üblichen Hold- und Konterphasen und Okada übernimmt relativ schnell die klare Heelposition. Nach einigen harten Aktionen außerhalb des Rings dominiert ein sehr arroganter Okada lange Zeit und Tanahashi wirkt hier phasenweise absolut chancenlos, bis er zur Schlussphase wieder zurück kommt. Die Endphase ist dann großartig gehalten, aber so richtig will der Funke bei mir nicht überspringen, dass Tanahashi eine Chance hätte. Trotzdem gutes Finish. Insgesamt ist mir das Match aber ein klein wenig zu "einfach" gehalten von den Moves her und es fehlen die ganz großen Momente. Auch ist das Pacing in der Mittelphase zum Teil doch etwas sehr langsam. Trotzdem ein starkes Match von den beiden, was im Rahmen der Historie hier diese Rivalität ordentlich abschließt.. ****1/2"
[8.0] "8. 4/10 : Great match ! Of all the Tanahashi matches I have ever seen, (I haven't seen a lot but I have seen many of his best) this may be the one I enjoyed the most. I usually don't like what he brings to the table that much, he (clearly) is not bad per say, but his matches are very formulaic and don't do much for me. This match on the other hand was different. Though it didn't stray far away from the NJPW main event formula, it still succeeded to make me forget about it during the last 10 or so minutes of the match. And there lies my second issue with this match and most NJPW main events in general : NOT EVERY MATCH MUST GO OVER 30 MINUTES. I would appreciate these matches way more if they didn't start with 10-15 minutes of complete boredom, shorten that shit and make it more entertaining, otherwise don't expect me to rave over the match no matter how good its closing stretch may be. EDIT : So the WON ratings just came in and FUCK did uncle Meltz overrate this. No, no... This does not belong in the same league as the rest of the over 5*. FUCK NO. I get that it's a personal opinion and a very subjective choice ; he is an avid lover of this duo, I mostly dislike Tana... I can see the disconnect between us but to rate this this HIGH ? ! This wasn't even the best match of the night let alone the MOTY. Hell no man... I mean I saw a 5 star coming cause I know he is a sucker for this type of match but this was completely out of nowhere for me. The reason this pisses me off is the Jurassic amount of better matches that have 5 or less stars that deserve way more recognition than this still very great match, that's what grinds my gears. One man's opinion I guess..."
[10.0] "Incredible match as always but I can't give this 5 because of the starting 5 or so minutes. Too slow really, it was some nice grappling and all but they've had matches with similar lengths which had a hotter start. Regardless, these two had yet another classic and I can see why Meltzer gave it what he did. (****3/4)"
[10.0] "I have an awful memory but I remember what's important! .. 1) Wrestle Kingdom 2016, 2) Wrestle Kingdom 2015, 3) King of Pro Wrestling 2013, 4) Invasion Attack 2013, 5) THIS ONE, 6) G1 2016, 7) Dominion 2012, 8) Wrestle Kingdom 2013, 9) New Beginning 2012, 10) G1 2013. So much in wrestling is instantly forgettable, but this is the most unforgettable series of my lifetime. The sometimes-crummy Fukuoka crowd can get up for big matches, and they were so thrilled to be getting this fitting "epilogue" chapter of this rivalry and the love for Tana is palpable !"
[9.0] "Yet another chapter in the legendary Okada Tanahashi rivalry, excellent match with plenty of callbacks to their earlier encounters as well as some new additions to their story."
[4.0] "Ganz miese Entscheidung, dieses Match auf Ospreay/KUSHIDA folgen zu lassen (Die folgende Bewertung wird daher besonders subjektiv). An sich ein richtig gutes Match, aber nach der Vorlage einfach nicht konkurrenzfähig. Ich bin mir nicht ganz sicher, warum dieses Match hier so hochgelobt wird. Das war ganz weit weg von Gargano/Almas (vom Wrestling her), Gargano/Ciampa (von der Story her) als MOTYC-Contender. Auch der Co-Main Event hatte von beidem deutlich mehr zu bieten. Eines der schwächsten Matches dieser beiden Legenden in dieser ausgereizten Paarung. (**1/4)"
[8.0] "A very good match, but certainly not a MOTYC. I think pinning Tanahashi with a single Rainmaker was absolutely the right move, as the finisher was starting to lose its credibility. That did however mean that the match felt like it ended somewhat abruptly. The match felt like it was mostly buildup to a dramatic climax that never really came. It was good build-up, but it's hard not to be disappointed considering the guys involved. (****)"
[10.0] "This was everything that I wanted out of this contest. A showdown between two great rivals, mixed in with some callbacks from their previous matches. We got to see the cocky and arrogant Okada back from 2012, an "Ace" performance yet again from Tanahashi, and a very similar scene from their match at Wrestle Kingdom 10. This, in some ways, was the perfect story being told by two men who know each other so well. The stakes were big, the setting was just right, and these two delivered on every single level imaginable. Legendary stuff. *****"
[10.0] "To be honest, this match didn't have much hype surrounding yet both delivered again. While the wrestling itself may not the best, the story was top notch for sure. This was an old, broken down ace vs the current, cocky ace with the title reign of nearly 700 days. Okada definitely played heel here and tana was a total fan favorite. He played face role well and crowd wanted him to win so bad but okada proved that he totally surpassed tana at every aspect to be the undisputed ace. He only needs one rainmaker to beat his long time rival. Best single match in NJPW in 2018 so far may be."
[10.0] "THE TWO GREATEST OF ALL TIME. Gänsehaut. Einfach nur Gänsehaut. Was Okada & Tanahashi hier 6 Jahre nach dem Start ihrer Fehde und 2 Jahre nach Ende ihrer Fehde noch einmal als Farewell abliefern ist alles, was ich an professionellem Wrestling liebe. Ich möchte gar nicht in die Details gehen, aber das hier war pure Perfektion. In Sachen Story Telling, Match Dramaturgie, Match Psychologie ist das einfach nicht zu überbieten. Die Sequenzen steigern sich mit der Zeit zu immer größeren Spot Ketten und Moves, aber es geht nie in den Over Kill. Im Gegenteil. Minimalistisch reicht der erste Rainmaker völlig aus. Die Okada&Tana Story Line ist eigentlich beendet, aber wenn sie so etwas als "Bonus" draufsetzen bin ich definitiv dabei. Guckt man sich die Historie an, habe ich ihre Matches von Invasion Attack & KoPW 2013, sowohl als auch ihr WK09 Match mit 5* bewertet, ihr WK10 Match sehe ich als das Beste Match aller Zeiten und alle anderen Matches sind von 4. 25-4. 75. Nichts wird das hier dieses Jahr noch toppen können. Okada & Tanahashi sind die 2 Besten Wrestler aller Zeiten (*****)."
[8.0] "Loved the beginning w/ Tana controlling things with a Headlock. Okada's control segment after that was very enjoyable as well w/ him targeting the neck of Tanahashi. The absolute best moment of the whole match was Tana getting to Okada's face during the Rainmaker pose, which was answered w/ a cocky smile by Okada. Awesome moment there. Lots of positives there, but this also had it's negatives - it did drag quite a bit in some segments (which was to be expected) & there was quite a bit of dull stuff in it, but overall, yeah, this was very good. I was not excited or interested in the match at all on paper & I didn't even feel like watching it in all honesty, but I am glad to see & say that they delivered a very good match. ***1/2"
[10.0] "I honestly think this is my favorite of their series. Despite all the matches they've had, they managed to still make something that's different and stands out. This has the usual slow start, but the second half is absolutely wild. And the fact that it only took one finisher to end it made it that much better. There was just an amazing intensity with each move. This was really special and one of the best of Okada's run *****"
[8.0] "This match carried a lot of expectations for me, given the long history between these two, and I'd say it delivered. The Ace, despite his age and injuries throughout his career, still showed Okada that he has plenty of fight in him. Okada, on the other hand, has proven himself to be the very best, and saw this as a match that was below him, which proved to be his weakness. He'd sometimes smile and get to look down upon Tanahashi here, doing a Rainmaker pose fairly early only for Tanahashi to come back to life and put a stop to it. Overall, this was a somewhat slow paced, but competitive and balanced match where both got in plenty of offense and, knowing each other well, were able to do a number of counters and reversals. I was 100% positive Okada would win, but there was a brief moment where that could have changed when Tanahashi came close to landing two High Fly Flows in a row. Lastly, two things: Okada's not terribly consistent with selling the knee in his matches; Tanahashi did some damage to his knee and it didn't play much of a factor. Second, one of the big things for me to give a match a 9 or 10 here is rewatchability - if a match is truly exceptional, I should want to revisit it time and time again. I don't feel this was one of those matches, but it came very close."
[10.0] "Destiny finally arrived for both Tanahahashi and Okada as they went at it again in another amazing match for the legacy of the future of New Japan. Like the previous match, this started quite slow with mostly simple holds and moves for the first 10 minutes. Eventually both men started kicking it up a notch and telling a wonderful story with lots of callbacks to previous matches. For one reason or another, the crowd was predominantly behind Tanahashi, which allowed Okada to channel the more heelish side of him that he rarely lets loose nowadays. In probably the most shocking part of the match, even though it had looked like Tanahashi had finally found the strength to overcome Okada, ONE Rainmaker is all it took to prove the point that Okada is just on another level than Tanahashi in every way. All the (important) title records now belong to Okada, and we're living in the Rainmaker era now. Okada challenging Kenny to one more definitive match raises the stakes even higher, ****3/4."
