[9.0] "After Tanahashi victory at Wrestle Kingdom, Okada won the New Japan Cup and earned his way back to the title scene, and they did what's their best match until this point. This is the match that in my opinion they finally perfected their craft, everything is smooth and perfect, all the moves are well-executed, their chemistry level reached to 100% right here. The style of the match is much like the others, but this time they did everything brilliantly, Tanahashi is almost a heel here, because of the way he completely demolishes Okada's arm, the rainmaker arm, and Okada sells it pretty well and they build the match around this fact, incredible psychology. I think this match is very important to Okada because it definitely made everyone see him as an equal to Tanahashi, and not only a young man who shocked the world at New Beginning... he demonstrated he's capable of beating the Ace multiple times - {****3/4}"
[9.0] "[4.75*] The best match of the feud until this point. The Ace Hiroshi Tanahashi worked in a more heelish style for the first time on the feud and even got booed by the crowd multiple times when he kept the submissions after Red Shoes told him to stop. He brutally attacked Okadas arm throughout the whole bout. which created a lot of antecipation for the Rainmaker finishing move. The interactions on the ringside were great, specially the classic High Fly Flow to the ringside and the DDT on the barricade by Kazu. As always, the reversal sequences were incredible, but my only issue with the whole match was the fact that it was clearly built in a predictable way for Okada to win and they never really let us thought Tana would win, because there was no High Fly Flow kickout. The Rainmaker nearfall however was very good, we knew it would not end there because Okada took 10 seconds to score the pin, but this was awesome for the psychology and his selling on this bout was magnificent. At the end of the day, Kazu proved that he was not a fluke and could beat Tana again, even with a injured arm."
[10.0] "The psychology and story telling here is brilliant. Its a sheer back and forth between the two, with great selling between both men. The failed rainmaker, the ending sequence and everything throughout was beautiful times and paced creating a match that had me fully invested throughout. The crowd being absolutely electric throughout this, and that energy was certainly tangible through a screen."
[10.0] "This match was abosulety incredible, definitely a must-watch if you like in-ring psycology and great selling. Tanahashi's work on Okada's arm is top notch and Okada's is also really good. Tanahashi counter game was also incredible. Okada, instead, started working on Tanahashi's neck following a ddt on the apron. Again, great by Okada and great selling by Tanahashi. Really good counter game by Okada and nice submission spots. I loved that anytime Tanahashi was in danger he went to the arm and that injured arm also prevented Okada from covering immediately following a rainmaker. The arm dragon screw used mutiple times by Tanahashi was a thing of beauty and the combo of standing high fly flow + slingblade + dragon suplex was insane. I also loved the work around the tombstone, where Okada attempted it multiple times but Tanahashi was able to counter until he made the mistake one of his own but Okda countered and finally managed to hit the tombstone. The closing stretch was awesome and I just talked about how I loved the tombstone before the final rainmaker. Okada and Tanahashi had perfect chemistry here and everything they did, every manuever, every sequence was super smooth and excecuted flawlessly. 10/10 - 5*/5*"
[10.0] "This is a masterpiece of in-ring psychology, not just because of the arm work (which includes stuff that should have been copied everywhere by now), but because of how they reverse the face-heel dynamics of the previous matches without fundamentally changing either character. This would set the stage for the Wrestle Kingdom 9 and 10 main events, and Okada becoming the ace of the company. We really did have it all."
[6.0] "I'm not big on this series whatsoever, but I'm still trying to find why everyone likes these two when they wrestle together. To me it's like putting two electrons together, with anyone else they can have the ability to create magic, but when you put them with each other, they repel. I think Okada & Tanahashi are too similar for their own good, in some cases when you put a highly skilled striker, brawler, or technician with another of that respective style, it usually creates amazing performances with those two. But with these two, who are both all-rounders, it for whatever reason doesn't usually fit. There's some good moments I enjoy like the opening exchange with Okada doing the chest pat gimmick at the start and then Tanahashi following up by kicking him in the gut. Okada sold his arm incredibly well throughout the match. I liked the guardrail DDT Okada did to Tana spiking him on his neck. I enjoyed seeing the Deep in Debt that Okada should bring back and just have it replace the money clip, or combine them and do some sort of Cobra Clutch version of the D.I.D, that'd be neat. And I did enjoy the ending sequence. Those are the only moments I liked of this 30 minute match. People praise the psychology of this but I found myself asking more questions than yelling bravo or YOOOOOOO. Like "Why did Okada put his elbow pad on the elbow that's been getting worked on to do his elbow drop, shouldn't he just use the left elbow that the elbow pad was already on and not risk damaging his elbow anymore, like the pad won't actually save his elbow from hurting against Tana's chest, he's still falling from a great height to land elbow first, it's gonna hurt either way.". Or "Why didn't Tanahashi go for the cover after the High Fly Crossbody to the outside, actually why did Okada get back up after getting thrown into the ring, he should be winded right? ". I also thought the Apron DDT Okada did looked like it didn't have any impact and that Tanahashi's sell was a little silly. I also thought that when Tanahashi reversed Okada's move that Okada hit Ryback's shellshock and was puzzled for a second until he got back up. and finally, I think the Red Ink is a stupid looking move and the fact Tanahashi had zero sense of urgency trying to get to the ropes was baffling. It's not a bad match, but it's nowhere near an all-timer, maybe if I watched this back then I'd appreciate it, but there's not much in it that caters to my taste personally. No head drops, headbutts, hard hitting strikes that echo across the arena, crazy looking moves, crazy reversals, split second nearfalls, a defined heel doing heelish things to go above the rules, any callbacks from earlier in the match that is later used in the match's story that isn't limbwork but an actual story beat. You know, things that I like that would make see this an absolute 5 Star Classic All Timer bout for the ages, I could list more and go on and but my point is, this is an incredibly overrated match. It's an okay match that doesn't play to my personal taste, you may like it though, that's good on you, for me it's just alright but nothing spectacular. ***"
[10.0] "This was a godly-level match. Absolutely incredible and probably the best I've seen from either guy so far. At no point during this match was I bored. I remained invested throughout. The PSYCHOLOGY and SELLING was amazing. Okada with his arm, especially. If his previous matches weren't star-making to you, then this had to be the one. The reversals towards the end were unbelievable. Rainmakers into tombstones etc. I was losing my mind during the ending sequence. This was pretty much peak wrestling for me."
[9.0] "A great match brimmed full of psychology and storytelling, but it falls just a bit short of all-time classic status in my opinion. Tana's work on Okada's arm is damn good, and Okada sells being in dire straits due to a poor arm. The ending sequence with the tombstone into the rainmaker is electric, as is the first kick out of the rainmaker too. Submission spots are great as well, but it lacked some of the grit and excitement I really wanted. 4.75 Stars."
[10.0] "This was the first NJPW match I had ever watch and I am glad I watched it as it brought me to a completely different version of pro wrestling known as puroresu. The match started slow with a very intriguing psychology battle, Tana targeted the arm while Okada focused on the neck. Okada's arm gave him a lot of problems throughout the match and by targeting Okada's arm, Tana took away Okada's biggest weapon- The Rainmaker. Okada worked heavily on the neck with multiple DDTs and a variety of submissions. Although both men cerebrally worked on a single limb, it seemed that the veteran Tana had the advantage, Okada's compromised arm prevented him from efficiently using his moves and Tana was like a dog with a bone who took advantage of every little opportunity and targeted the arm whenever Okada seemed to gain any momentum. Okada fought through the pain and with great difficulty was able to hit his signature moves but Tana was able to escape defeat more than once because Okada couldn't capitalised on his offense. Watching Okada's selling, Tana's cerebral and at times slightly ruthless approach despite being the crowd favourite and the silent crowd that roared at the big moments opened my eyes to a new exciting form of wrestling in Japan. There was nothing too fancy here but it was an incredible match from a technical point of view, A clean, superb masterclass. Okada and Tanahashi brought out such intricate and delicate details of pro wrestling I had never thought about before. It completely changed my perception on pro wrestling as a whole. The first time I watched this, I considered it to be the best match I ever saw and it remains one of the best matches of all time and the best match in the epic rivalry of Tanahashi and Okada. Incredible match.*****"
[10.0] "This is match four of the feud. At this point in time Tanahashi is 2 up on Okada, so The Ace comes in fully confident. Okada on the other hand only has the one win on Tanahashi, the iconic "Rainmaker shock" in their first match, so Okada is desparate to prove it wasn't a fluke. Right from the start Tanahashi's overly cocky attittude shows, Tanahashi tries for a Rainmaker in the opening feeling out process and then mocks Okada's signiture pose. Tanahashi's first two wins are based around attacking the leg of Okada, but Okada shows he has learned from their prior encounters and avoids an early low dropkick and a dragon screw. However, Tanahashi is not if not adaptable and immediately switches gears targetting the right arm of Okada. Tanahashi is vicious in his attack on the arm of Okada, with some really neat stuff like doing dragon whips on Okada's right arm. However Okada is the one who really shines here as his selling is MASTERFUL. It's not that Okada just sells when Tanahashi is on offense but Okada also sells struggling to do his own moves. Like when Okada tries to fight back with a forearm, Okada actually crumples to the mat because of the pain. Okada stuggles to fully lock in Red Ink and can't even do the Rainmaker pose right doing the camera zoom out spot. Probably my favourite bit is when Okada goes for a top rope elbow, he switches his elbow pad on his left arm to his right arm so the move would hurt him less. The arm work pays off in an amazing spot when Okada hits a surprise Rainmaker, the crowd goes NUTS, Tanahashi looks knocked the fuck out but Okada is too hurt to cover! When Okada finally crawls over, it gets two. I love that the first kickout of the Rainmaker wasn't some shock kickout but instead a match where it logically didn't finish. The match isn't just fully dominated by Tanahashi, Okada gets an early DDT on the apron which messed with Tanahashi's neck, Okada's work on the neck is great as everything Okada does is soften his opponent up for his Rainmaker lariat, and Tanahashi's selling is solid as well. The finishing sequence kind of beautifully plays into all the themes of the match. Tanahashi gets his signiture sequences goes but since he abondoned his usual tactic of going for the legs they don't land quite as hard. Also in the prior matches when Okada blocked the high fly flow with his knees, the counter did just as much damage to Tanahashi as it did to Okada himself due to the leg work but here Okada gets the full advantage from it. Okada tries to finish off with a Tombstone but doesn't have the arm strength to lift up Tanahashi, Tanahashi escapes by wringing the arm. However Tanahashi overconfidence shows again as he mistakenly tries to go for Okada's tombstone which allows Okada to filp over into his own one. The Rainmaker follows and this time there is no kickout. Over 10 year later and this is still the best performance of Okada's amazing career. It's the best NJPW match of all time to me. And forms part of my top 5 matches of all time. *****"
[10.0] "Okada and Tanahashi may very well be the greatest in ring rivalry in pro wrestling history. They had more classics between the two of them than some promotions had in their entire existence. Okada right here proved that he was a one in a generation talent. Although I regard their dominion 2012 match as a 10/10 as well, this one is an upgrade because, while in 2012 tanahashi still feels like on another level, same for their wrestle kingdom main event of 2013, the april 7 2013 match is a clash of two giants. Okada has ascended to an all time great level and tanahashi is still at his best, which is arguably the best of all time. Also, this match is a breath of fresh air in comparaison to other tanahashi matches because he works on okadas arm instead of his legs, meaning he had to evolve his traditional leg heavy arsenal to neutralize his opponents rainmaker. And just as always with okada matches, the final stretch is on another level. Would recommand to watch it to anyone, especially as part of the okada vs tanahashi rivalry."
[10.0] "Match 4# dieser Serie. Ein Klassiker und zurecht eins der am besten bewerteten Matches in der Geschichte von New Japan. Zu diesem Zeitpunkt haben Okada und Tanahashi schon eine beeindruckende Rivalität entwickeln können. Hier nehmen Sie all die Zutaten aus ihren letzten Matches und gehen mit dieser Formel wirklich all in. Tana kommt mit der Beinbearbeitung nicht durch und switcht auf den Arm. Das geschieht so voller Klasse und mühelos, einfach genial. Okadas Selling im ganzen Match ist Wahnsinn, für mich perfekt. Am Ende bauen die beiden auf den vorherigen Matches auf und eskalieren so die Schlussphase bis zu einem großartigen Ende. Absolut verdienter Platz in jeder best of Liste der beiden."
[10.0] "Sensational work from both men to make this match of theirs something special. Even more special than their previous three, including the one at WK. Tana couldn't work the leg, Okada avoided that like the plague and rightfully so, but he immediately went to Okada's right arm for obvious Rainmaker reasons. It worked too, especially well. So much so Okada had to take his elbow pad from the left arm and put it to the right to help alleviate such pain. Of course it couldn't last too long because after deep into the match Okada got enough power into that arm to finish Tanahashi off. Brilliant match of psychology and work. *****"
[10.0] "The crowd was white hot for match this throughout and it's easy to see why. This match is a masterclass in in-ring psychology and storytelling. Tanahashi's limb work is brutal and relentless and Okada's selling is absolutely top notch. Yet another all-timer between two of the best professional wrestlers ever."
[10.0] "The way Okada and Tanahashi built up their story and rivalry through these matches is seriously impressive. They constantly acknowledge and reference prior matches (specifically the WK bout in this case). Tana changes his gameplan, to target Okada's dominant arm, which makes for a real great change of pace. The real story of this match is "if Okada is truly on the same level of Tanahashi, " after Tana wiped the floor with him at WrestleKingdom. Tanahashi works on top for the majority of this match, and unlike the matches prior where both men's overconfidence led to their downfalls, it's instead Okada really meeting the challenge to truly beat Tanahashi. It's a momentous babyface performance from Okada, and the fans recognize it and get behind him in the latter stages of the match. Okada is able to sell the arm much more effectively than his knee selling from the WK match. Tanahashi, perhaps out of desperation or overconfidence, goes for the third high fly flow of the match. This time, Okada has it scouted. And Tanahashi's time as champ goes on bought time. The ending sequence is seriously some of the best "NJPW counter spots" they've ever pulled off. Rather than it feeling fake or pre-planned (a la Ospreay), this feels real and earned. A testament to how talented both men are. Tanahashi's at his best, with Okada reaching that next level. I think this one rivals their second bout, I have the 2nd one ranked above this one, but this is another excellent bout in their rivalry."
[10.0] "Incredible match from start to finish. All the call backs and references to big and important spots from the last few matches but with extra spin and another level added. A realistic, logical and engaging flow. Absolutely rips through the running time, briliantly paced and exciting throughout with the ebbs and flows. Brilliant, pure brilliance."
[7.0] "An enjoyable enough match but, strictly on what I most love to see in wrestling, I can't say it's an all timer for me looking back 10 years later. It's well worked and fun to watch but there are so many more matches with more grit and excitement."
[10.0] "The relentless attack on Okada's arm was a joy to watch, with incredible selling from Okada. Interesting use of Okada's dropkicks, with Tanahashi later in the match able to avoid them to shift the momentum."
[9.0] "Man, this was incredible. So simple, yet so effective. Not overdone. A very slow pace, with Tanahashi destroying Okada's arm the entire match. Callbacks to the previous matches they had. Okada sold that arm so well. Such smooth transitions from stage to stage in this match. Amazing work by both. No crazy nearfalls, Okada got the first rainmaker after a beautiful battle for control but couldn't make it to Tanahashi, who tried to hit is finishing high fly flow but Okada got the knees up, got the tombstone and hit his rainmaker to become the king of NJPW. The way they established the builds to all the huge moves was insane. I don't see this as a 5-star classic like most, but still an excellent match and worthy of winning MOTY in 2013. ****1/2"
[10.0] "The opening of this match with Tanahashi mocking Okada by playing around with him, and attempting to hit rainmaker rules. Okada has Tanahashi's leg work scouted this time because he's much better prepared as opposed to the last two matches, so, therefore, Tanahashi has to switch over to working the arm of Okada to slow down Okada's offense, which he does beautifully, Okada's selling was even better. Okada switching his elbow pad to hit the elbow drop, only in turn not being able to hit the rainmaker was beautiful. Okada however still wrestled his kind of match by still targeting Tanahashi's neck throughout this and having the same game plan. The explosive stuff they did at the end had some nice callbacks from their previous matches, but never went too overboard, Okada finally gets his win back after winning a struggle for the tombstone, and then afterward hitting the rainmaker for the finishing touches.*****"
[10.0] "Just another example of these two being two of the best ever. Loved the Okada arm subplot, and both guys are just so smooth and have so much chemistry."
[9.0] "This is for sure a great match and worth the reputation it has, however I made a big mistake that I watched the WK10 match before this one and this turned out not to be what I expected, even because the WK10 match is so significant (****1/2)"
[9.0] "idk man it was really good but not my kind of thing, the wrestling was great but slower than what i like. I completely understand people rating this 10 but it just wasn't quite for me. 4.5 stars (i'm so sorry)"
[10.0] "This is not only one of the best matches of the last decade, but also one of the most important matches in the NJPW history. Their fourth singles match and the one that really elevated their rivalry to the Pantheon."
[10.0] "Yep, on rewatch this really is such a flawless match, Tana gives one of his best performances of all time with his focused and vicious limb work to Okada's arm, and Okada comes across as so sympathetic trying to through the pain and land the rainmaker. Hard to say if it's their best match since so many of them are at a 5 star level, but it's pretty damn incredible *****."
[9.0] "Kazuchika Okada is someone who, to me at least, has always been better as the cocky, overconfident punk than as the babyface selling a bad limb. It's the reason why something like the two genuinely great Tetsuya Naito matches (in 2012 and 2020, to be specific) are regarded as some of his finest performances ever. It's also the reason why this isn't the ideal Tanahashi Okada match in the way their Destruction in Kobe 2018 match is because here, Okada's the babyface selling a bad limb that the jealous and angry Ace Tanahashi brutalizes. It's not honest, and that's enough of an issue to hold this back from getting the perfect score from me. What this certainly is, though, is a God damn stunner of a match and one of my favorites of the 2010s primarily because of how well both men play their roles despite the incorrect heel face alignment. The lion's share of the praise OBVIOUSLY goes to Tanahashi, who puts in one of my favorite showings from him ever (really sit down and think about the ground that covers). The best wrestlers not only tell a story but also manage to communicate some sort of lesson through their matches, and this is absolutely that sort of match and that sort of performance. A complete tour de force from perhaps the best Japanese wrestler to ever live. From the start, it's quite apparent he's had enough of this up-and-comer taking the spotlight. He's pissed (and maybe even a little desperate too) and it's evident from the way he mocks Okada in the opening stages of the thing. When the leg work gets denied, he goes after the arm in what, at first, seems like a way to divert Okada's attention. Only it really isn't anything like that as Tanahashi (with all the pent up rage and frustration at not being able to put away this cocky punk) makes it the main focus of his attack and absolutely goes to town on it. Unfortunately, when they get to the finishing stretch, Tanahashi is totally lost. Having wrestled a completely different match, he now lacks the ability to execute his finishing run without the proper leg work that allows him to be relatively quicker on his feet. On the other hand, Okada not only learns from his past errors (avoiding the leg work at all costs) but wrestles His Match without ever once losing sight of things, for which he is rewarded in the end. In that regard, it's probably the best babyface performance of his entire career, on top of being his best-selling performance ever. An incredibly efficient half an hour of wrestling that tells one of my favorite stories. That of always staying true to yourself despite the circumstances."
[10.0] "The epitome of a match that makes everything mean something. The opening lockup resulting in both men refusing to be taunted in the way they had been over the course of their previous three classics. The headlock exchange that seemed simple enough without context, but speaks volumes to how Kazuchika Okada has learned as much about Hiroshi Tanahashi as The Ace has learned about The Rainmaker. Tanahashi attempting The Rainmaker and hitting a pose of his own to seemingly throw Okada off his game. And a slap and boot that again showed how much Okada had learned about controlling the pace in such a short period of time. Perfection. Tanahashi dissected the strong arm of Okada, which already goes against the unspoken code that wrestlers have between them. As he kept his submissions locked on beyond the rope breaks, the crowd began to shockingly turn against their hero. Okada may have been overwhelmed in some moments, but he had clearly changed Tanahashi as a competitor. And this match was the perfect example of how these two not only bring out the best in each other, but the worst, as well. The Apron DDT that changed the trajectory of this match was a shining example of this, and even still, we were mere minutes into this one. The selling was impeccable by both competitors, with Okada even altering the way he hit Neckbreakers and applied submissions to preserve his own well-being. Additionally, the work that Tanahashi did on the arm with the Dragon Screw and the combination of European Uppercuts and Downward Elbows marked one of my favorite sequences in wrestling history. Pure mastery in brutal form. Okada switching the elbow pad from the left arm to the right so that he could hit the Elbow Drop, only to be unable to even the hit the Rainmaker pose because of how much further damage he had inflicted upon himself by attempting it. Tanahashi grabbing the left hand to force Okada to use the injured arm to apply Red Ink. I repeat: Every single moment mattered. As this story gradually reache its climax, the questions begin to surface as to whether or not Tanahashi did the right thing by wrestling a defensive match. The cracks in the armor begin to show as both iterations of the long game come to fruition and this becomes a matter of whether or not those strategies were proper in their initial utilization. It was like watching the Super Bowl, as one team looks to hold onto a lead and the other remains aggressive in their pursuit of what could be described as a come-from-behind victory. A tactical error that hardly guarantees failure, but places all of the pressure on the defense to save the offense when the latter begins to falter. A magnificent display of realism in professional wrestling, as well as the epitome of making the minor details count. A match that changed the industry forever. 5 stars, 10 out of 10. A match that is squarely in the GOAT discussion."
"Another tanahashi and Okada belter. This was imo their third best match together with dontaku being #1 and kopw being #2 but this was just as good as the kopw match. Amazing. (****¼)"
[10.0] "Man, I have forgotten how smug and arrogant Okada was when he was a baby Rainmaker. His facials here are so damn smackable. Despite his arrogance, the NJPW fans are starting to get behind him and start to wear tiresome of Tanahashi's goody-two-shoes attitude. This means Tana goes into John Cena mode and does all his signature taunts with a touch more pizzazz to really get under his detractor's skin whilst still being a babyface. Okada mostly dominates the first exchanges and works Tanahashi over in a variety of Lucha submissions. Tanahashi lands a Fujiwara early and then spends the rest of the match working Okada's arm. Okada sells his injury well and I loved that he switched his elbow pad over so that he could hit his flying elbow without damaging his arm any further. Small touches like that go a long way. The exchanges we get during the final ten minutes are explosive and exciting, and never look cooperative or too cutesy. Throw in the molten-hot crowd and you got yourself an all-time classic."
[10.0] "This might be their best match together, this might be Tanahashi's best match ever, the psychology here was incredible, Tanahashi's arm work and Okada's selling was amazing, this was a war the cocky young Okada vs the Master Tanahashi, Tanahashi changing his usual game plan was very cool to see and made sense and almost worked for him, two of the best storytellers ever doing their thing here it's incredible"
[10.0] "Awesome match between two of the guys that have come to define the 2010s era of Japanese wrestling. Tanahashi tore Okadas arm apart and Okada has to find a way to overcome it. Every time I see these guys go there? s rarely ever a mistake made, and this one was no different. *****"
[10.0] "What can I say, not only was the psychology amazing, but it was so creative. I love matches with a lot of near falls, but they took a different approach here. Not only were the close near falls kept to a minimum, but they made each one of them count and they were all set up beautifully. Out of the matches I've seen between these two, this is the one that comes closest to the absolute classics Okada would put on with Kenny Omega 4 years later. (*****)"
[10.0] "Die beiden wieder mal und wieder ein (*****) Match. Ich habe es schon mal gesehen und jetzt einen Rewatch gemacht. Es ist episch und längst ein NJPW Klassiker. Es ist aber Schade das Hiroshi und Kazuchika es außerhalb Japans noch nicht schafften ähnliche Matches zu zeigen. Ein Meisterwerk von 2013."
[10.0] "Masterful match from beginning to end. When it comes to storytelling and psychology it doesn't get better then this match. It's almost unbelievable. Okada already lost 2 times straight to Tanahashi, and wanted to prove that his win in Sendai was no fluke and that he could get the job done again. Tanahashi wanted to prove he was the still the Ace of New Japan. From the very beginning of the match Tanahashi showed a new side of himself and displayed that he's had enough of Okada's cockiness. Tanahashi tried to hit Okada with his own finisher, mocked him, and made dirty breaks. Okada on the other hand had Tanahashi's usual leg work scouted, so Tanahashi came up with a new strategy. Tanahashi targeted the arm of Okada in downright vicious fashion. He dished out some nasty looking uppercuts and dragon-screws. This is some of the greatest limb work i have ever seen. Tanahashi didn't target the arm for his own offense, but instead targeted the arm to weaken Okada's offense. Okada sold the arm like an absolute master. He couldn't lock in Red Ink the first time, he took just as much damage as Tanahashi did when he delivered the elbow drop, and when he finally hit the Rainmaker he couldn't capitalize. The audience was hot throughout the match. The pace was excellent. For 32 minutes there was no wasted movements. The finishing stretch was of course incredible. Tanahashi tried to avoid the Tombstone and Rainmaker by going back to Okada's arm, but Okada outsmarted him and got the needed win. This was a masterpiece. Perhaps their greatest achievement together. (*****+)"
[10.0] "Okada and Tanahashi work a fantastic match filled with unbelievable storytelling, and some of the best limb work and limb selling I have ever seen. The structure of the match is flawless and is paced absolutely perfectly. An absolute masterclass. (*****+)"
[9.0] "Great match, a bit slow at first. Tana's arm work was great, as Okada's selling and the storytelling was very well mastered. The end was awesome too. ****3/4"
[10.0] "Although this match wasn't quite as good as their Dome outing earlier in the year, it didn't fall short by much, and it's not that bad when you consider both that their Dome match was incredible and that this much was still fantastic."
[8.0] "7. 9/10 : Maybe this was a 5 Star in 2013, but I don't know it doesn't even go in my top 10 so for it to be so highly rated (I mean top 5 matches of all time) is just monstrous to me... I have never been a fan of Tanahashi and I have yet to see a match of his that blows me away. Here is to hoping the rest of their saga blows me away."
[10.0] "This is the closest thing to a perfect match I've ever seen. Great psychology and selling. Great story and a lot of drama that had the crowd on their feet during the bout. The right person won and overall, this easily goes down as my favorite tanahashi vs okada match and it's also one of my favorite matches of all time. ******."
[10.0] "A few matches in this great rivalrly now. They know each other so wow, there flaws, their strengths, their weakness, the routines they go through. Amazing psychology by Tanahashi to turn the crowd against him in his subtle heelish work on Okada. The viciousness in his attacks on the arm of Okada, the un-sportsmen like approaches to the match. Amazing performance by Tanahashi but Okada put this over the top for me. Not only did he sell his arm like a boss, all match and in every move he did. He did a great job of also working over Tanahashi and making his comebacks. A masterclass of a match. Terrific performances from all involved. Everything just clicked. *****"
[10.0] "Sehr gutes Match mit großartiger Story. Hat mir von vorne bis hinten gut gefallen. Ich hätte mir den ein oder anderen späktakulereren Move noch erhofft. Trotzdem sehr gut **** 3/4."
[10.0] "Wow... This was a masterclass of storytelling, selling, and psychology by both Tanahashi and Okada. At the onset of this bout, Okada immediately showed he had learned from his previous failures by countering the Ace's signature leg-work; Tanahashi, of course, devised a new strategy by viciously targeting Okada's arm in an attempt to neutralize the Rainmaker. In the process, Tana showed a new side of himself he had not displayed prior by continuing to torture Okada's arm in favor of the clean break. Okada would counter this by working over Tanahashi's neck, which included some solid submissions and a couple of nasty DDT's, one on the ring-apron and one on the floor. Both men sold tremendously, but Okada's in particular was absolutely brilliant, as essentially any time he mounted his signature offense, he was clutching his arm and wincing in pain. Loved how he switched his elbow-pad to the injured arm to try and relieve the pressure before delivering his elbow drop, what a great little touch. The finishing stretch was spectacular as usual, with excellent counter-wrestling and a red hot Sumo-Hall reveling in the greatness. What made this stand out though was how the limb-work and selling played directly into the counters, with Tanahashi being able to avert the Tombstone and Rainmaker by going back to that ravaged arm. In the end, Okada managed to hit the decisive Rainmaker (which Tana bumped AMAZING FOR) for the pin. While this may not have been the most spectacular or dramatic match, it doesn't get any better from a storytelling or psychology perspective. An all-time classic. *****"
[10.0] "I might be late to the party, but having just watched this bout for the first time, it is up there with the best matches I've ever seen. The storytelling and psychology from both men was amazing. Firstly, Tanahashi's strategy of working on the arm is fantastic. Rarely in wrestling do you see the strategy of weakening a body part to weaken an opponents offence, working a body part is usually to set up offence of your own. What Tanahashi did here was weaken the effects of the Rainmaker, loosen the grip of Red Ink, make the signature diving elbow drop cause more harm to Okada than it did to himself. On the flip side, Okada's selling made the match. Little things like not being able to stretch fully to lock in Red Ink on the first attempt, being unable to stretch to do the Rainmaker pose and swapping his elbow pad from his left arm to the injured right arm before hitting the diving elbow drop really sold the performance. This match was a phenomenal back and forth thriller that had me hook, line and sinker. What a pleasure to watch!"
[10.0] "This is the coming out performance of one of the greatest wrestlers of our era. Okada was unreal here, his selling was perfect, his offense was devastating, and he even managed to sway some of the crowd who were firmly pro-Tanahashi at the start. Tanahashi did his job extremely well here too. Okada countered Tana's attempts to work on his leg like their previous 2 matches, but Tana adapted immediately and worked Okada's arm so badly that he was able to get sympathy from the crowd. It took two rainmakers to finally put down Tanahashi, and with this match Okada finally proved he was Tanahashi's equal. *****"
[10.0] "This may be the best match in okada/tanahashi series. Just amazing psychology and storytelling. Tana was really aggressive and he targeted okada's right arm to reduce the damage of the rainmaker. His work was great as usual. Okada's selling was also amazing. I love how he couldn't do the rainmaker pose immediately after hitting the elbow drop or he couldn't cover after hitting the rainmaker. Tana badly wanted to prove he was still the man, but okada beat his rival again to win the title. The last part of the match was really out of the world. Just freaking amazing match with very invested crowd."
"The 1st part of the match is pretty boring. The most positive thing about the match is the selling on Okada's right arm (maybe not all the time but most of it)."
[10.0] "At a rewatch, this match was literally perfect. Character work and story was excellent but this match really shines when focusing on its in-ring work. Obviously the story of Tanahashi not fully taking Okada seriously in this after having beaten him twice in a row was perfect here, definitely with the crowd alignment as well, as they were almost 50-50. As for the in-ring action there are so many little nuances which they executed perfectly, honestly they can only really be seen by actually watching the match which I wholly recommend. They (finally? ) got it spot on and at, pretty much, NJPW's second best arena of Sumo Hall (first being Tokyo Dome obviously). This is definitely one of my top matches, probably Top 5, definitely Top 10. Just so so so good. (*****)"
[10.0] "The evolution of Tanahashi vs Okada essentially hit its peak with this match. They would have two or three other matches that could be argued as perfect contests but this, for me anyways, was their best night against each other. At the very least its the best story they've told in the ring together. From beginning to end it was apparent Tanahashi had had enough of this brash, cocky kid. From trying to hit him with his own finisher early on to getting dirty by not breaking his hold when Okada reached the ropes and even using the ropes and post to hurt Okada it was clear as day Tana was not having it anymore. His arm work on Okada in general was rather vicious and made it a certainty that if Okada wanted to hit his Rainmaker, he was gonna have to hurt for it. That's quality story telling and makes the match super compelling. The match wasn't spot heavy, but it was so damn good it didn't need to be. I believe this was, however, the first time anyone's kicked out of the Rainmaker, which plays very well on the work Tanahashi had put on it earlier. The fight for the arm and tombstone at the end was as good an exclamation point as there could be. *****"
[10.0] "Einfach nur Wow! Was für ein unglaubliches Match. Tanahashis Armarbeit sah sehr gut aus und Okada sellt das perfekt. Das Storytelling in diesem Match war einfach nur genial und die Crowd war sehr heiß auf das Match. Viele tolle Sequenzen machen dieses Match durchgehend unterhaltsam. Die Endphase war spannend wie sonst was und am Ende holt sich Okada den Sieg. (*****)"
[10.0] "(*****) Amazing match along with their one at Wrestle Kingdom 10 , they know how to create tension and make the audience and those from home being connected at what they do. Both of them did a very good work."
[10.0] "Unfassbares Match und obwohl beide in Zukunft noch bessere auf die Beine stellen sollten bleibt es ein Klassiker. Tolles Arm-Work von Tanahashi um den Rainmaker zu entkommen und sonst immer eine wunderbare Matchstory mit Okada als Cocky-Youngster der's aber echt drauf hat. Unglaublich epische Transitions und Kontersequenzen am Ende und ein Finish was Okada als Champion zementiert. In der Okada/Tanahashi Rivalität finde ich nur das Match von KOPW '13 wegen den unglaublichen Sequenzen und das von WK 10 wegen dem Storytelling ein wenig besser. Sonst ist das Ein wahrer Klassiker (*****)."
[10.0] "Classic match, great armwork by Tanahashi great selling by Okada especially after he hit his finisher the first time, good work on the neck from Okada too, and a great finishing sequence, the best match between the two up to that point, slightly better than their Dominion match a year earlier. *****"
[9.0] "Great stuff! Excellent work on the arm by Tanahashi (who is the star here), and great selling by Okada. Awesome finish. Nothing to complain about here, although it is missing " something" for me, so I can't give it a full 10. World class, though."
[10.0] "A marvelous match here, and one of the many classic Okada and Tanahashi bad against eachother. Loved the beginning with them trading headlocks, then Tanahashi started working brutally over both of Okada's arms, to make sure Okada couldn't use the Rainmaker, and Okada sold it like a pro. Loved when he hit the first Rainmaker but couldn't pin Tanahashi just because he was in so much pain. Loved the final minutes with them countering eachother also. A fantastic match. Highly recommended. (*****)"
[10.0] "Legendary match. Terrific psychology with Tanahashi trying to take out Okada's Rainmaker arm - his work over Okada's arm was fantastic & Okada sold it like a boss; loved the bit where he couldn't cover Tanahashi after doing the Rainmaker because of how much his arm was in pain. Okada countered that great arm work of Tana's with some neat work over Tanahashi's neck to soft him up for the Rainmaker. Great graps. ****3/4"
[10.0] "My favorite match between the two. Tanahashi really underestimated Okada in this match and it bit him in the end. The crowd was virtually split between both men even though Okada was playing the heel, which he did spectacularly by the way, *****."
[10.0] "Those two already had two classics at Dominion and WK7, both very close to perfection. But this topped all their previous encounter. Great psychology and drama, and an incredible atmosphere in Sumo Hall helped a lot. Last few minutes were just ridiculously good, but really the whole match was just unbelievable. Those two followed it with 5 (FIVE) matches that were almost as good as this or better. Tanahashi vs Okada is easily the best wrestling rivalry of this era, and maybe when it will be all said and done, the best ever. *****."
[10.0] "Amazing amazing amazing match. Okada avoids many of Tana's signature moves, as he has learnt from his past failures. Tana plays heel: copying Okada’s poses and not stopping for rope breaks. Okada’s confidence in acting like he is already the champion is great. Tana works over Okada's arm very well and in creative ways, and Okada sells the pain extremely well; switching the arm-band to his injured arm, posing with only one arm, and struggling to lock in Red Ink. Okada countering Tana’s 2nd HFF was awesome, as 2 HFFs finished Okada at Dominion and WK7. I loved when Okada got the Rainmaker after an impressive back-and-forth sequence but damaged his arm too much to get a quick cover. The 2nd Red Ink submission sequence was brilliant and pretty convincing that Tana might submit. Okada struggling to get the Rainmaker at the end while Tana still works over his arm was great. The passion on Okada’s face while going for that final Rainmaker and the winning pin perfectly displayed every emotion he was going through. Even Okada’s post match actions show development: he is friendly towards those handing out his awards, he keeps all his awards close to him, and stands up to Suzuki's challenge, all of which were completely different to when he first won the title, showing Okada's newfound maturity. This was not only a fantastic match with some crazy sequences but a match that solidified Okada as a top player in NJPW and told a brilliant overall story of Okada’s development. ****3/4"
[10.0] "Was für ein unfassbares Match! Für micht steht es noch klar über der Schlacht von Wrestle Kingdom 7. Beide zeigen hier eine Weltklasse-Leistung. Besonders schön ist die Story um Okadas Arm, der immer wieder hart bearbeitet wird um den Rain Maker zu verhindern. Dies klappt auch gut, denn obwohl Okada den Rain Maker durchbringt, kann Tanahashi aufgrund der Schmerzen von Okada gerade noch so auskicken. Soweit ich weiß eine Premiere. Danach geht es aber erst richtig los und die beiden leifern uns eine Finish-Sequenz vom Allerfeinsten. Konter folgt auf Konter und am Ende schafft es Okada doch seine Nemesis zu besiegen. Ganz großer Sport und eine Gänsehaut- Stimmung in der Halle."
[10.0] "I could literately watch this match all day tbh. The brutal arm work by Tanahashi was just amazing and Okada sold it really well and that told the perfect story here. The crowd was electric and I was on the edge of my seat for the entire thing and it's a match I would HIGHLY recommend as it's one of the best ever. (*****)"
[10.0] "Also vor diesen 2 Wrestlern kann ich echt nur meinen Hut ziehen. Tanahashi und Okada haben so eine großartige Chemie miteinander, dass es einem fast schon Angst macht. Sie zeigen wieder einmal einen MOTYC und hätten sie es nicht noch selbst bei King of Pro-Wrestling überboten, wäre es auch ligenübergreifend das Match of the Year geworden. Auch hier wieder ein absoluter Wrestling-Klassiker von beiden. Tanahashi versucht gleich von Beginn an den Arm von Okada zu bearbeiten, um den Rainmaker zu verhindern. Okada sellt das auch ziemlich stark, wenn auch nicht so überragend, wie er es bei King of Pro-Wrestling gemacht hat. Das Ende hingegen ist großartig, einfach nur großartig und gehört für mich zu den besten Sequenzen, die es je gab. ***** (2)"
[10.0] "My favorite match of all time. This was incredible with Tanahashi working the right arm to weaken the rainmaker (which almost worked) and then Okada countering by working the neck. Okada's selling was brilliant here as he even switched his elbow pad from his left arm to his right because of the pain. Even though he was a former IWGP heavyweight champion before this it was this match that made him look like the next guy to replace Tanahashi as Ace of New Japan."
[10.0] "Eines der besten New Japan Matches die ich JE Gesehen habe! Okada ist ein junger, absolut Großartiger Worker und Tanahashi ist wohl mit einer der besten bei New Japan (wohl mit Okada, Nakamura und Styles die Spitze). Die beiden dann gegeneinander wurde dann einige mal wirklich stark. Dieses Match hier war mehr als stark. ES WURDE GROßARTIG!"
[10.0] "Folge #3 auf AXS. Tv: Von den drei Tanahashi vs. Okada Matches die ich gesehen habe (WK7, WK9 und dieses hier), hat es mir am besten gefallen. Starke Armbearbeitung von Tanahashi und eine durchdachte Matchstory machen dieses Match zu einem Klassiker."
[10.0] "What a match! This is the definitive Okada vs Tanahashi, this is professional wrestling at it's very finest. This was Okada's last chance to prove himself, if he lost it would mean that he lost three matches to Tanahashi back to back, he had to prove that his victory back in February of 2012 was not a fluke. And Tanahashi had to prove that it was. Both of them pulled out all the stops giving us one of the greatest displays of wrestling in history. Tanahashi spends most of the match going for Okada's Rainmaker arm, this is smart strategy as it disables his ability to both throw the deadly Rainmaker but also to stop him from using his new submission finisher, the Red Ink. Working on his arm eventually lead to Okada unable to get the cover in time after the Rainmaker because he was too busy recovering from the pain it dealt him to use the move. This match played off of all three of their past matches as various moves and combinations from either man were reversed throughout the match. With his victory Okada proved he was not a fluke, this evened out the score to 2-2 meaning that while he proved he was amond the elite in New Japan, Okada was not free of Tanahashi yet. *****"
[10.0] "This is so easily the best match I’ve seen from 2013. I don’t know what more you could possible want from professional wrestling. There was great drama, great heat, a great in-ring story, and two pro wrestlers that have truly become masters of their craft. These are two of the best in the world, and matches like this prove it. Tanahashi is the top star now, but Okada will be the man in puroresu for the next decade. This match was pretty much perfection. Beg. Borrow. Steal. Watch this match."
[10.0] "Sicherlich eines der besten, wenn nicht das beste Wrestlingmatch 2013! Sehr Intensiv geführets Match, 1A Storytelling, was soll man sagen ... Es war einfach Geil! ***** Paradebeispiel wie Wrestling in NJPW Stil auszusehen hat!"
[8.0] "Dramatic match with a major flaw, which is that it's build around Tanahashi working the arm and his arm offense isn't convincing at all, and while Okada sells well he's not brilliant enough to entirely compensate for this. If you can get past this then sure it's a MOTYC, but for me this is a big thing to get past."
[10.0] "Braucht man eigentlich nicht mehr viel zu sagen. Von Anfang bis Ende auf jeder erdenklichen Ebene einfach ganz großes Kino mit zwei der besten, wenn nicht momentan den beiden besten Pro-Wrestlern der Welt. Die 5 Sterne sind mehr als nur gerechtfertigt."
[10.0] "Würdevoller kann man einen Titelwechsel kaum gestalten. Hier stimmt bis ins kleinste Detail einfach alles, das einzige, was hier vielleicht nicht sitzt, sind die Frisuren von Okada und Tanahashi. Gerechtfertigte 5 Punkte, schon jetzt mit großer Sicherheit das Match des Jahres und bestimmt schon in wenigen Jahren ein Klassiker."
[10.0] "Mein erster Japan-Kampf, den ich in voller Länge gesehen habe. Und trotz der Tatsache, dass ich nichts von den Kommentatoren verstanden habe, hat mich dieses Match absolut in seinen Bann gezogen. Großartiges Storytelling und technisch einwandfreies Wrestling - eine klare 10."
[7.0] "This was a solid match but saying it's the best New Japan match of all time is just silly. Some bad looking offensive and dead patches drag it down."
[10.0] "This was definitely the best match of "WrestleMania Weekend. " The hot crowd, Okada's spelling, excellent ring work from Okada and Tanahashi. What's really shocking is two Rainmakers. Their matches just keeps getting better and better. Okada's quest finally pays off."
[10.0] "Weltklasse! Das Wort beschreibt das Match wohl am besten. Von vorne bis hinten einfach nur großartig, atemberaubend, wie auch immer man es nennen möchte. Das Match ist durchzogen mit Details und Spitzen beiderseits, die sich oftmals auf vorherige Matches beziehen und einfach perfekt passen. Da Tanahashi hier nicht an die Knie von Okada kommt, geht es hier gegen den Arm. Und wie, Uppercuts, Dragon Screws, alles wird getan, um den Arm aus dem Spiel zu nehmen. Das sah nicht nur gut aus und machte Sinn, sondern das lässt die Dramatik auch ins Unermessliche steigen. Wenn zwei Wretler es schaffen, mich tatsächlich durchgehend zu fesseln, sodass ich die Zeit völlig vergesse, dann ziehe ich meinen Hut davor. Zurücklehnen, genießen und abfeiern! *****"
[10.0] "Wie man es schaffen kann, ein solches Match so einfach aussehen zu lassen und diese ganze Psychologische Schiene des Pro Wrestlings so perfekt zu fahren, dass auch 2013 in Japan noch Menschen voller Freude und Emotionen auf und ab springen, der verdient hoffentlich richtig gut. Das Match steht für mich für alles, was eben doch noch richtig läuft im Wrestling (*****)"
[10.0] "Tanahashi und Okada zeigen hier weitaus mehr, als ich jemals erwartet hätte. Sie zeigen ein so stimmiges und in sich abgerundetes Match, das über selling, Aktionen sowie Mimik und Gestik einfach Perfekt wirkt. Okada ist spätestens jetzt ein absolutes muss im NJPW Main Event und kommt dort nicht so schnell wieder raus."
[10.0] "Tanahashi und Okada gehören zu den besten Wrestlern ihrer Generation und zementieren hier ihren Status als die absoluten Alpha-Tiere im Puroresu-Zirkus. Okada hat aus den vergangenen Matches gelernt und ist auf Tanahashis übliche Beinbearbeitung vorbereitet, doch auch dieser hat die letzten Matches analysiert und den Arm von Okada als dessen Waffe ausgemacht und bearbeitet ihn unbarmherzig. Wunderbares Selling, großartige Matchstory und ein enorm spannendes Finish mit dem perfekten Höhepunkt machen eines der besten Matches, die ich in meinem Leben gesehen habe, zu einem absoluten Must-See."
[10.0] "Die ersten 10 min geplänkel, dann geniales puroresu ab dem Bodysplash nach draußen von Hiroshi. Ein Bilderbuch-Storytelling mit der zerstörter Arm Story, der beide Protagonisten noch ein paar eigene, logische Akzente aufdrücken können! Am Ende kommen noch viele Impact-Moves dazu, wie es sich gehört! Auch die Sidecharaktere, sprich der Ringrichter und die Kommentatoren machen einen runden Job, sodass hier ein brilliantes Stück Wrestling heraus gekommen ist. Die anderen Matches der beiden muss ich mir jetzt wohl auch nocht geben!"
[10.0] "Wirklich ein weiterer sensationeller Kampf zwischen den beiden und ich würde sogar fast sagen der beste von den Vieren. Sellingtechnisch wieder ganz großes Kino, jede Aktion hatte einen Sinn und eine tolle Crowd mit emotionsgeladenen Kommentatoren. Wrestling in Japan macht einfach ungemein Spaß und dieser Klassiker unterstreicht noch einmal dieses derzeit grandiose Produkt von New Japan. Ob es jetzt 5 Stars waren weiß ich nicht aber ein MOTYC defintiv. Rainmaker back on top babyyyy."
[10.0] "I believe match of the year has already graced 2013, this match had me at the edge of my seat the entire time. I swear Tanahashi is a genius, it had great story telling and great moments and I believe this is their best match in their series and will be for a long time."
[10.0] "Wow, was soll man hier noch sagen, glasklarer MOTY-Kandidat, hier hat einfach alles gestimmt. Die ohnehin gut aufgelegte Crowd ging hier richtig ab und das Match ist einfach nur der Hammer. Alles macht von vorne bis hinten Sinn, die Schlussphase ist dramatisch udn spannend wie sonst was und trotz mehr als eine halben Stunde Matchzeit ist hier kein Move zuviel. Ganz großes Kino."
[9.0] "Ein weiterer Spitzenkampf zwischen den beiden, unglaublich. Okada und Tanahashi haben zusammen eine solch tolle Chemie im Ring, dass ich den beiden auch 60 Minuten oder länger zuschauen würde, großartig. Bei solchen Matches vermisse ich die "alten Klassiker" für keine Sekunde. Und nun soll es bitte sehr lange am Stück "regnen"."
[10.0] "In der Tat ihr bestes Match und absolut grandios! Tanahashi bearbeitet mit allerlei Moves Schlägen und Upercuts den Rain Maker Arm und Oakda vergiss zu keiner Zeit, auch während seiner Singnature Moves nicht zu sellen. Immer wieder gibt es an passenden Stellen, Wendung mit tollen Kontersequenzen. Was besonders für mich toll war wie sich auch durch das Match die drohende Gefahr und Impact des Belly to Belly Pildriver aufgebaut wurde, der dann am Ende mit zu Entscheidung führte. Hatte alles was man braucht Entertaiment, Dramatik, Selling, Aufbau und sehr gutes Wrestling. Wahrlich einer der größten Kämpfe im diesem Jahr."
[10.0] "Ein Wort: EPISCH! Besser geht`s nicht! Die beide sind das Nonplusultra im heutigen Wrestling, schenken sich absolut nix. Einfach großartig, was die immer wieder auf die Beine stellen!"
[10.0] "Absolut unglaubliches Match und in meinen Augen das beste Championship Match der letzten 2 Jahre. Excitement, Drama, Technique, Action, das Match hatte alles. Die Fans waren super dabei. Vor allem das Body-Part-Working hat mir hier gefallen. Der richtige Sieger, der viele neue Begegnungen bereit hält. NJPW macht momentan alles richtig."
[10.0] "Das hier war in meinen Augen das beste Match zwischen Tanahashi und Okada bisher und ein klarer Kandidat für das Match des Jahres. Es überzeugte mit unglaublicher Dramatik, mit grandiosem Bodypart Working und einem großartigen Finish. Wie Tanahashi in diesem Match den Arm von Okada mit allerlei Mittel - u. a. Elbows, Dragon Screws, Dropkicks und Upercuts - aus dem match zu nehmen versuchte, war einfach wunderschön mit anzusehen. Die Psychologie transportierte Okada wunderbar, sodass er auch bei der Rainmaker Pose nur einen Arm hochbekam und während des Matches sein Elbow Pad vom gesunden zum verletzten Arm wechselte. Der Rainmaker kommt zuerst nur bis 2, weil Okada zu schwer verletzt ist, letztlich kämpft er sich aber immer weiter ran und hat Antworten auf die großen Aktionen von Tanahashi, die im Tokyo Dome noch reichten, ihn zu bezwingen. Fan-tas-tisch."
