Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Tetsuya Naito - NJPW The New Beginning 2012 12/02/2012
There was some nice creativity early on where Nakamura took Naito to the stage and was going to leave him only for Naito to pop up and hit a lovely dropkick where he looked like he was flying (seriously, go watch the match for the spot). Nakamura is pretty ruthless with his kicks and knees to the body in the match but he really wasn’t bringing a ton to the match. His work on top felt a bit lifeless to me. He didn’t even try and carry it with his mannerisms. Naito was fairly unspectacular apart from the aforementioned flying. I found his nearfalls to be undramatic and he lacked any babyface fire. Flat Nakamura performance, Naito was Naito. **
IWGP Heavyweight Title Match: Hiroshi Tanahashi (c) vs. Kazuchika Okada - NJPW The New Beginning 2012 12/02/2012
The match that saved Okada’s main event career after flopping so badly that anyone other than Gedo would’ve been turned off. The first real match of one of the greatest in-ring rivalries ever, in my opinion. My favourite actually. Some great storytelling to start off, stemming from the Dome interaction. Tanahashi catching Okada out several times, using his experience to keep the advantage. Which then began to turn into Tanahashi being more arrogant, playing to the crowd more and not taking Okada seriously, allowing Okada to get some ground in the match. And considering that this is one of Okada’s first matches where he is in control, without having the chance to develop that overseas, he does a pretty good job of doing it either. He is awkward at first, but gets his groove eventually, and then pulls out some nice experimental offence on Tanahashi (llave style~!). Tanahashi really had his working boots on, selling and putting over Okada big time while adding some leg work on the leg, giving the match some great drama. There were some great transitions with Okada catching Tanahashi with the tilt-a-whirl into the tombstone and then Okada moving out of the way of a rolling senton by Tana on the outside, following up with brutal tombstone on the outside. Both great ways to put over the tombstone as a big move as well. The selling near the latter stages was nice with Okada being unable to follow up after he counters the High Fly Flow with his knees. Loved the finishing stretch, as I usually do with these two. Simple and impactful. And yet, every time I see it, I get goosebumps every time Red Shoes counts the three. Nagata's, Fale's, Rad Shoes, Gedo's and especially Okada's facial expressions after that pin were all gold. Shock, surprise, amazement, the look of "OMG I did it". And…..Rainmaker Shock Indeed. ****1/4
IWGP Heavyweight Title Match: Kazuchika Okada (c) vs Tetsuya Naito - NJPW 40th Anniversary Show 04/03/2012
Naito after beating Nakamura at New Beginnings decided to challenge the guy that upstaged his win by winning the IWGP Heavyweight title, Kazuchuka Okada. Two of the future stars of the company, Okada arguably was by this point just being champion. Naito is getting the chant but he doesn’t feel like it yet. Okada embodied coolness against Naito’s eagerness to impress. Okada trying to do some of his llave submissions only for Naito to school him with more traditional hold was awesome. Okada responding by upping aggression was good. Him working over Naito’s neck was an effective tool for the match to establish Okada as a dominant force against Naito, forcing Naito to fight from beneath with the crowd behind him. Okada when he was selling for Natio’s work on the leg was excellent. He really put over the damage Naito would do to it with his high impact stuns. Naito’s performance was much better than I’ve seen from him in this period. Very energetic when on offence, isn’t a total robot as an underneath face, he brings it with his bumping and great transitions into going back to the leg. Okada had some great moments in the match, like when he hit a nasty DDT and tied Naito up in a real nail biting submission hold in the middle of the ring. I liked the finishing stretch but Naito really highlighted his lack of big match offence other than his stardust press and it hurt some of the nearfalls for me. The crowd responded big time to it though, mind you. The set up for the Rainmaker ruled! Great match. ****1/2
There was some nice creativity early on where Nakamura took Naito to the stage and was going to leave him only for Naito to pop up and hit a lovely dropkick where he looked like he was flying (seriously, go watch the match for the spot). Nakamura is pretty ruthless with his kicks and knees to the body in the match but he really wasn’t bringing a ton to the match. His work on top felt a bit lifeless to me. He didn’t even try and carry it with his mannerisms. Naito was fairly unspectacular apart from the aforementioned flying. I found his nearfalls to be undramatic and he lacked any babyface fire. Flat Nakamura performance, Naito was Naito. **
IWGP Heavyweight Title Match: Hiroshi Tanahashi (c) vs. Kazuchika Okada - NJPW The New Beginning 2012 12/02/2012
The match that saved Okada’s main event career after flopping so badly that anyone other than Gedo would’ve been turned off. The first real match of one of the greatest in-ring rivalries ever, in my opinion. My favourite actually. Some great storytelling to start off, stemming from the Dome interaction. Tanahashi catching Okada out several times, using his experience to keep the advantage. Which then began to turn into Tanahashi being more arrogant, playing to the crowd more and not taking Okada seriously, allowing Okada to get some ground in the match. And considering that this is one of Okada’s first matches where he is in control, without having the chance to develop that overseas, he does a pretty good job of doing it either. He is awkward at first, but gets his groove eventually, and then pulls out some nice experimental offence on Tanahashi (llave style~!). Tanahashi really had his working boots on, selling and putting over Okada big time while adding some leg work on the leg, giving the match some great drama. There were some great transitions with Okada catching Tanahashi with the tilt-a-whirl into the tombstone and then Okada moving out of the way of a rolling senton by Tana on the outside, following up with brutal tombstone on the outside. Both great ways to put over the tombstone as a big move as well. The selling near the latter stages was nice with Okada being unable to follow up after he counters the High Fly Flow with his knees. Loved the finishing stretch, as I usually do with these two. Simple and impactful. And yet, every time I see it, I get goosebumps every time Red Shoes counts the three. Nagata's, Fale's, Rad Shoes, Gedo's and especially Okada's facial expressions after that pin were all gold. Shock, surprise, amazement, the look of "OMG I did it". And…..Rainmaker Shock Indeed. ****1/4
IWGP Heavyweight Title Match: Kazuchika Okada (c) vs Tetsuya Naito - NJPW 40th Anniversary Show 04/03/2012
Naito after beating Nakamura at New Beginnings decided to challenge the guy that upstaged his win by winning the IWGP Heavyweight title, Kazuchuka Okada. Two of the future stars of the company, Okada arguably was by this point just being champion. Naito is getting the chant but he doesn’t feel like it yet. Okada embodied coolness against Naito’s eagerness to impress. Okada trying to do some of his llave submissions only for Naito to school him with more traditional hold was awesome. Okada responding by upping aggression was good. Him working over Naito’s neck was an effective tool for the match to establish Okada as a dominant force against Naito, forcing Naito to fight from beneath with the crowd behind him. Okada when he was selling for Natio’s work on the leg was excellent. He really put over the damage Naito would do to it with his high impact stuns. Naito’s performance was much better than I’ve seen from him in this period. Very energetic when on offence, isn’t a total robot as an underneath face, he brings it with his bumping and great transitions into going back to the leg. Okada had some great moments in the match, like when he hit a nasty DDT and tied Naito up in a real nail biting submission hold in the middle of the ring. I liked the finishing stretch but Naito really highlighted his lack of big match offence other than his stardust press and it hurt some of the nearfalls for me. The crowd responded big time to it though, mind you. The set up for the Rainmaker ruled! Great match. ****1/2
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