Csonka’s NJPW on AXS TV Review 1.13.17

Csonka’s NJPW on AXS TV Review 1.13.17

IWGP Heavyweight Title Match: Champion Kazuchika Okada vs. Kenny Omega [*****]: Omega does the Terminator entrance, playing off the rise of the Terminator spot he does in matches. No bullshit broom, Omega has a shotgun. The Bucks are at ringside. Gedo is with Okada. Slow beginning, Omega worked the arm and grounded Okada. Omega kept going for the hair early on, having no issue looking to use short cuts. Okada cut him off with elbows, but Omega grounds Okada once again. They are working some really nice and smooth back and forth to begin. Okada looked to pick up the pace, but Omega was able to counter away, they both teased their finish and Omega took a powder. Okada chased him to the floor, back in and Okada took control hitting a basement dropkick. Back to the floor they go, Omega tossed into the barricade and Okada plants Omega with the hangman’s DDT. Okada then grabbed a table, looking for revenge from the road to shows. Omega cut that off, but Okada tossed him over the barricade and hit the running cross body.

Crossbody over the guardrail from Okada!! #NJPW #njwk11 pic.twitter.com/Wcn5UaMDkW

— LARIATOOOO!!! (@MrLARIATO) January 4, 2017

Back in the ring, Okada hit the slingshot senton and then worked the stranglehold. The neck breaker followed, but Omega picked up the pace and hit the kotaro crusher. Omega started to beat down Okada with clubbing blows, working the lower back. Okada fires back with forearm strikes, but Omega hits a RANA, Okada rolls to the floor and Omega hits the rise of the terminator dive. Omega then slams Okada off the apron as he keeps working the lower back. Back in and Omega about decapitates Okada with a missile dropkick. Omega works the modified camel clutch, Okada escapes and they did a double down. Okada attacks the legs, but Omega fights out. Okada hits the neck breaker and heads up top, but the splash eats knees. Okada to the floor after an omega back breaker, and Omega says fuck it and goes for broke…

HOLY SHIT, @KennyOmegamanX!! #NJPW #njwk11 pic.twitter.com/XmwCUQPIIe

— LARIATOOOO!!! (@MrLARIATO) January 4, 2017

FUUUUUUUUCK, WHY?!?!? #NJPW #njwk11 @KennyOmegamanX pic.twitter.com/Vl7JLP2Wk5

— LARIATOOOO!!! (@MrLARIATO) January 4, 2017

SWEET JESUS MAN! Keep teasing that Kota Ibushi feud Kenny. But Omega’s not done yet, he and Okada back in, powerbomb by Omega for 2. Dead lift sitout powerbomb by Omega gets the near fall. And then, after some back and forth, this happened…

OH MY GOD… HE KILLED KENNY!

FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK #NJPW #njwk11 pic.twitter.com/BmLkTkvjJK

— LARIATOOOO!!! (@MrLARIATO) January 4, 2017

The Bucks checked on Omega, Okada then hits the missile dropkick and turns Omega inside out. Okada then hits the top rope elbow drop, rainmaker pose… Okada pulls Omega to his feet, but Omega gets to the ropes. Omega rushes Okada to the corner to counter the rainmaker. They battle up top…

and…

OH SHIT OKADA’S DEAD! Omega drapes an arm on Okada, and gets the near fall as Okada somehow survives.

SNAP DRAGON SUPERPLEX!!! #NJPW #njwk11 @KennyOmegamanX pic.twitter.com/tcqgXM5kK8

— LARIATOOOO!!! (@MrLARIATO) January 4, 2017

Omega follows with the neck breaker, trying to set Okada up for the one winged angel. Okada avoids the knee strike, GERMAN to Omega. Rainmaker avoided, knee strike by Omega but Okada hits the big dropkick to counter. They trade, reverse RANA by Omega. Another knee strike by Omega; Okada counters the one winged angel, TOMBSTONE TO OMEGA! RAINMAKER… BUT OMEGA KICKS OUT. Omega rakes the eyes, but Okada hits the shotgun dropkick. Omega escapes the tombstone and hits a modified one of his own for the near fall. they trade strikes from their knees, and then to their feet as the crowd goes nuts. Omega hit the knee strike, One winged angel try, but Okada slips out, hits the rainmaker! Omega fires back with kicks, more knee strikes, RAINMAKER! Omega fires back with the dropkick, SICK knee strike by Omega, one winged angel countered, JUMPING TOMBSTONE an the rainmaker finally put Omega away. Champion Kazuchika Okada defeated Kenny Omega @ 48:25 via pin

There was a lot to love about this, the resilience of Omega as he looked to prove himself. At times, Omega easily came off as the superior performer, and then momentum would swing. I felt that they did a great job in creating drama, and more importantly doubt in who would win. One thing I loved is that Omega generated near falls and never hit the one winged angel. The real issue here (for me) is that this felt like a match that went really long, just to go long and to try and make an epic instead of just allowing it to happen. The second half of the match was rather amazing, if you could have trimmed some off of the beginning (you can say that about a lot of Okada matches, he does a lot of busy work that comes off as filler), but I feel that the second half more than made up for my minor issues with the first half. In some ways, I loved Naito and Tanahashi more (and feel it’s totally getting over shadowed), as the match, the work, the layout and pacing all came off better to me..

* On The Six-Stars Thing: With all due respect to Dave, as a reviewer, I don’t give a shit what others rate matches. If I become consumed with that then all I will do is second-guess myself. I do respect any and all opinions; 2 stars, 4 stars, 6 stars, eleventy billion stars. But with that being said, I just don’t give a shit, if you loved it that is all that matters at the end of the day. I still think this is a great match, certainly worthy of the WK main event spot and a performance that cemented Omega as a player for years to come and added to Okada’s hall of fame resume.

* The rewatch, why no ***** rating originally?: Due to the fact that it was so late/early when the show ended, and due to the fact that so many people I respect gave this insane praise when I had diiscussion with them, when live reviewing I can miss things, so the rewatches started so that I could docus on the match and no typing . I gave this a rewatch (New Japan World w/Corino and Kelly), I usually do with the big shows that go long (and that I watch on little sleep) and then again here w/Ross and Barnett. I still feel that the Japanese commentary adds a level of excitement that I love and I feel adds to the big matches. This was one of those matches that improved on each replay for me, it’s rare that a match can get better with each viewing with me, I watched it four times in total since January 4th and I felt myself falling more in love with it each and every time. The bitch of watching a near six-hour show that starts at 2AM ET. It’s also the bitch of watching something, and moments later having to compile a few sentences of thoughts to try and get across what I feel so quickly. So between the replays on New Japan World and the AXS TV presentation, I was so glad to take the time for multiple rewatches. Normally, a ***** is something I feel right away and don’t have to think about too much. This one needed repeat viewings and some hindsight for me to fully appreciate it. I’m not ashamed to say that in any way.

* On the commentary: 1) Japanese is the way to go for me, there is a spectacular Raw emotion there that I love. 2) Ross & Barnett were excellent, with Barnett in particular coming across with some of his best work. While Ross gets a lot of shit for his perceived “old man yells at clouds” routine, the man still adds level of legitimacy to big time matches. 3) Kelly & Corino did well, but I preferred them the least.

* On Omega’s performance – It’s not that you lose, it’s how you lose: Omega put in a hell of a performance, one he needed since he was losing. I feel that was a mistake after the last year of booking, but the match was so great, even if a bit too long; the thing is that most guys would have been DOA after the build and loss like this. Despite the fact that he lost, Kenny Omega is more over now than he was before the match. He put in an all time elite one-man performance, that does not mean carry job, that means that his individual work was on another level, it’s his performance you leave talking about.

* And the booking: Even more importantly than the performance of Omega, was the booking of the match. Omega never got to hit “his big move, the one winged angel.” That means that Okada never got to survive Omega’s best, kick out of them and show that he was truly better. Omega took Okada’s best, he survived his best and became one of the few men to kick out of the rainmaker; Omega took the best of the champion but we can’t say the same for Okada. When they meet again in a one on one setting, people will lose their shit when Omega hits the one winged angel.

* Greatest of All Time?: I’ve seen the label “Greatest of All Time” thrown around for this match, and once again if you loved this match that much I think that’s awesome, because it should make you happy when you see great wrestling. In my opinion I think it is a bit too soon to cal it that. “Best you’ve ever seen” I can easily buy, but to anoint it the GOAT feels like jumping the gun a bit, just like the people that want to shit on everything, claiming it the worst ever. I may look back on this in December, next year, five-years from now and it may resonate with me in an entirely different way; it’s excellent for sure, and obviously delivered.

* Don’t forget about that Okada fella: At the age of 29, Kazuchika Okada has been slowly but surely building what will be a hall of fame career, and depending on how much longer he can go (hopefully another 10 years or so), he may go down as the best big match performer ever. He does a on of little things (in particular his tremendous facial expressions) as well as things that call back to the builds of matches, and while a knock on him is slow and largely pointless opening portions of his matches, Okada puts together some of the best closing stretches I have ever seen.

* Do you know what I love about this match?: What I loved about this match has nothing to do with the outcome, the layout, the moves or necessarily the competitors. What I loved about this match is that it brought out some of the best and most passionate conversation I have seen in a long time, fans defending what they loved about it or hated, sharing genuine feelings of joy at times. As I always say, when the wrestling is great, there’s almost nothing better. I love that so many new fans found NJPW and tried to expand their wrestling palette. I love that so many fans exited their comfort zone and enjoyed an amazing show. I love that this match is making people consider what the greatest match they ever saw was. It’s shows and matches like this, that at the end of the day, make me love what I do for a living. Jim Ross closed out his commentary, doing what JR does, putting things into perspective without yelling or using insane hyperbole, simply noting…

“You may never see a better wrestling match than we just witnessed…”

10.0

The final score: review Virtually Perfect

The 411

This is a must see show; required viewing.