[1/4]NJPW Presents: Wrestle Kingdom 11

[ExodusNirvana]

Just saw the main event.........
What a match!
Those welts on Okada's back!
Omega going through that table!
Dragon suplex of the top ropes!
Those last ten minutes and the finish!

This is what pro wrestling was and is supposed to be.
to NJPW for a classic show.

Came in just to say all of this

WOW. Just WOW. Just finished watching this AM.

WOW

I can't tell you the last time I been satisfied with a WWE PPV like this

 

[Mr. Negative]

Certainly not 6 stars or anything ridiculous like that (though people need to understand that Meltzer's given "more than 5 stars" to other matches in the past), but a classic match that outlined Okada's role as the proper ace quite well (he's the one that's targeted by a fresher, more innovative opponent, and has to use his wits, skills and ingenuity rather than his athleticism to get around this crazy fukker).

you say it that way, it puts Okada's Mini-Feud with Marufuji during/after last year's G1 Climax in a whole new light for me. It may as well be a continuation of that story from a Okada point of view. Marufuji decimated dude. He had to think his way around him, because Marufuji clearly had his number.

• Outwrestle "The Ace" (Tanahashi)
  
• Outwrestle his "Polar Opposite Junior Ace" (Naito)
  
• Outwrestle "The Other Ace" (Marufuji)
• Outwrestle "The Upstart Ace" (Omega)

It feels like a character arc in a story.

It's a lot more refreshing than the "beating the odds" or whatever they typically build in the states, where wrestler A is getting bullied by mean old monster heel wrestler B.

I know that a lot of us who have been watching NJPW since Gedo started booking can get bored with it, but they almost always bring the heat in-ring. That happened here in spades, yes, but I also like that there are threads to explore in the future for matches down the road as well. Great stuff overall.

That's part of the magic of it, for me.

" he booked this obvious shyt AGAIN!?"

*watches them wrestle eleven 4.5-5/5 star matches over the course of a month, or 5 in a row on one night*

""

 

[Jmare007]

you say it that way, it puts Okada's Mini-Feud with Marufuji during/after last year's G1 Climax in a whole new light for me. It may as well be a continuation of that story from a Okada point of view. Marufuji decimated dude. He had to think his way around him, because Marufuji clearly had his number.

• Outwrestle "The Ace" (Tanahashi)
  
• Outwrestle his "Polar Opposite Junior Ace" (Naito)
  
• Outwrestle "The Other Ace" (Marufuji)
• Outwrestle "The Upstart Ace" (Omega)

It feels like a character arc in a story.

It's a lot more refreshing than the "beating the odds" or whatever they typically build in the states, where wrestler A is getting bullied by mean old monster heel wrestler B.



That's part of the magic of it, for me.

" he booked this obvious shyt AGAIN!?"

*watches them wrestle eleven 4.5-5/5 star matches over the course of a month, or 5 in a row on one night*

""

That's how puro Aces are always booked though. It's their natural arc to cement themselves as THE top guy of the promotion. The Marufuji feud was the closest thing to a "invading Ace" New Japan could get at that point. I guess Akiyama would've been a more established star but Maru made more sense considering the relationship with NOAH. Now he has MiSu as another invading legend. The good thing is that Okada's second Ace run has been completed so now he can lose the belt against any credible opponent and it wouldn't feel weird.

I really don't see how Gedo's lazy booking is hard to understand as a turn off. Even All Japan in the 90's stopped being that dope after 97' because of the style and delayed stories. Kawada took too long to beat Misawa. They took too long to give Akiyama the green light (to the point he was never able to reach the 4 Pilars status in Japan) and the most interesting stuff involved Vader.

Of course I understand people liking New Japan's product. But I fail to realize how it is so hard to get the opposite side.

 

[Jmare007]

I can understand the argument for there being a lot of chaff in the first two-thirds of the match, but it felt to me like everything they did in that first section advanced the story they were telling. It wasn't a perfect match by any means (some spotty selling, among other things), but I'm willing to be forgiving of flaws if they contribute to the story that the wrestlers are telling and engage me in the match. Calling it the greatest match ever is clearly nonsense and hyperbole, but it was an excellent, excellent match that told a very interesting story that had me hooked for the entire 45 minutes. And trust me, it's incredibly hard for a match to do that these days.

Don't really agree with the first arc adding to the story. To me it felt like it could've been cut to 5 minutes instead of 20-25 and it would've meant the same. But anyway, we are not going to see eye to eye on that one so it's whatever

What I find interesting though, is the reaction Okada has gotten after the match. He's clearly the Ace, but I've read a lot of people being about his stoicism and selling. When I was watching the Omega match I couldn't stop thinking about Misawa. Like, I was watching Okada trying to do a similar act as the resiliant Ace that barely reacts and takes a HUGE beating before mounting a comeback. Thing was, he mostly failed at it to me, he didn't feel as this indestructible human being that was going to overcome everything to keep his belt.

Now, I'm not sure if I felt that way because Okada just hasn't learned yet to do the little things Misawa did to feel like a real "final boss" (specially his patented, slow burning comebacks), or I'll never give anyone a chance to "reach" that level because I'm biased towards Misawa (my favorite wrestler ever that also has nostalgia going for him).

Am I just talking nonsese here? @Honga Ciganesta @Don Ibiza Ibrahimovic @trick @The Rainmaker @Hoss @Beautiful Bobby Eatin

 

[Beautiful Bobby Eatin]

Don't really agree with the first arc adding to the story. To me it felt like it could've been cut to 5 minutes instead of 20-25 and it would've meant the same. But anyway, we are not going to see eye to eye on that one so it's whatever

What I find interesting though, is the reaction Okada has gotten after the match. He's clearly the Ace, but I've read a lot of people being about his stoicism and selling. When I was watching the Omega match I couldn't stop thinking about Misawa. Like, I was watching Okada trying to do a similar act as the resiliant Ace that barely reacts and takes a HUGE beating before mounting a comeback. Thing was, he mostly failed at it to me, he didn't feel as this indestructible human being that was going to overcome everything to keep his belt.

Now, I'm not sure if I felt that way because Okada just hasn't learned yet to do the little things Misawa did to feel like a real "final boss" (specially his patented, slow burning comebacks), or I'll never give anyone a chance to "reach" that level because I'm biased towards Misawa (my favorite wrestler ever that also has nostalgia going for him).

Am I just talking nonsese here? @Honga Ciganesta @Don Ibiza Ibrahimovic @trick @The Rainmaker @Hoss @Beautiful Bobby Eatin

Ill have to watch it again to see exactly what you mean but i think i get it. Misawa is in a class of his own though when it comes to match drama so this may be a tad unfair.

 

[Scottie Drippin]

Don't really agree with the first arc adding to the story. To me it felt like it could've been cut to 5 minutes instead of 20-25 and it would've meant the same. But anyway, we are not going to see eye to eye on that one so it's whatever

What I find interesting though, is the reaction Okada has gotten after the match. He's clearly the Ace, but I've read a lot of people being about his stoicism and selling. When I was watching the Omega match I couldn't stop thinking about Misawa. Like, I was watching Okada trying to do a similar act as the resiliant Ace that barely reacts and takes a HUGE beating before mounting a comeback. Thing was, he mostly failed at it to me, he didn't feel as this indestructible human being that was going to overcome everything to keep his belt.

Now, I'm not sure if I felt that way because Okada just hasn't learned yet to do the little things Misawa did to feel like a real "final boss" (specially his patented, slow burning comebacks), or I'll never give anyone a chance to "reach" that level because I'm biased towards Misawa (my favorite wrestler ever that also has nostalgia going for him).

Am I just talking nonsese here? @Honga Ciganesta @Don Ibiza Ibrahimovic @trick @The Rainmaker @Hoss @Beautiful Bobby Eatin

I don't feel like Okada's working under deal is Misawa, I feel like be has his own. He's less stoic than he is supremely confident. And his comebacks aren't slow, they're sudden and final (up to a point). The story of Okada's matches is his confidence in the Rainmaker. His matches are all based around it. Unlike Misawa who really never wavered, Okada falls into despair and panic whenever the Rainmaker doesn't work. So I guess he is stoic, but he breaks down and loses focus and his composure and scrambles to put something together. He's a much more flawed ace than Misawa or Tanahashi. Because until an exemplary opponent does something exemplary, he's still largely that cocky young kid with the biggest gun on the block.

For me, Misawa never had anything like Okada's big match clutching of the wrist, literally refusing to let go of hope. He goes from overconfident to hopeful underdog in the course of a match. His comebacks are much more into the realm of storybook than Misawa's.

 

[Jmare007]

I don't feel like Okada's working under deal is Misawa, I feel like be has his own. He's less stoic than he is supremely confident. And his comebacks aren't slow, they're sudden and final (up to a point). The story of Okada's matches is his confidence in the Rainmaker. His matches are all based around it. Unlike Misawa who really never wavered, Okada falls into despair and panic whenever the Rainmaker doesn't work. So I guess he is stoic, but he breaks down and loses focus and his composure and scrambles to put something together. He's a much more flawed ace than Misawa or Tanahashi. Because until an exemplary opponent does something exemplary, he's still largely that cocky young kid with the biggest gun on the block.

For me, Misawa never had anything like Okada's big match clutching of the wrist, literally refusing to let go of hope. He goes from overconfident to hopeful underdog in the course of a match. His comebacks are much more into the realm of storybook than Misawa's.

Really good points. I guess I saw Okada acting stoic and taking so much damage that I inmediately associated him with Sacho and didn't even tried to come up with a middle ground

 

[TrueEpic08]

Don't really agree with the first arc adding to the story. To me it felt like it could've been cut to 5 minutes instead of 20-25 and it would've meant the same. But anyway, we are not going to see eye to eye on that one so it's whatever

What I find interesting though, is the reaction Okada has gotten after the match. He's clearly the Ace, but I've read a lot of people being about his stoicism and selling. When I was watching the Omega match I couldn't stop thinking about Misawa. Like, I was watching Okada trying to do a similar act as the resiliant Ace that barely reacts and takes a HUGE beating before mounting a comeback. Thing was, he mostly failed at it to me, he didn't feel as this indestructible human being that was going to overcome everything to keep his belt.

Now, I'm not sure if I felt that way because Okada just hasn't learned yet to do the little things Misawa did to feel like a real "final boss" (specially his patented, slow burning comebacks), or I'll never give anyone a chance to "reach" that level because I'm biased towards Misawa (my favorite wrestler ever that also has nostalgia going for him).

Am I just talking nonsese here? @Honga Ciganesta @Don Ibiza Ibrahimovic @trick @The Rainmaker @Hoss @Beautiful Bobby Eatin

I don't feel like Okada's working under deal is Misawa, I feel like be has his own. He's less stoic than he is supremely confident. And his comebacks aren't slow, they're sudden and final (up to a point). The story of Okada's matches is his confidence in the Rainmaker. His matches are all based around it. Unlike Misawa who really never wavered, Okada falls into despair and panic whenever the Rainmaker doesn't work. So I guess he is stoic, but he breaks down and loses focus and his composure and scrambles to put something together. He's a much more flawed ace than Misawa or Tanahashi. Because until an exemplary opponent does something exemplary, he's still largely that cocky young kid with the biggest gun on the block.

For me, Misawa never had anything like Okada's big match clutching of the wrist, literally refusing to let go of hope. He goes from overconfident to hopeful underdog in the course of a match. His comebacks are much more into the realm of storybook than Misawa's.

Thing is, @Jmare007, Okada isn't the guy that Misawa was at all. I think @Don Ibiza Ibrahimovic is onto something with his analysis. Look at the moment when Omega kicks out after the first Rainmaker. His facials and body language progress from a "Huh? What?" blankness to him holding his head in his hands in the corner like "What the fukk?" He's so used to that shot working for him that he still isn't immediately sure what to do when it doesn't put someone down immediately. Eventually, he just keeps going back to it, because it just has to work: it's worked for him up to this point. And really, his entire career has been, in some sense, built around the Rainmaker working or not working for him, with the ultimate "not working" moment being Tanahashi completely negating it and crushing him at WK 9.

Okada's just not the type of stoic and enduring type of ace that Misawa is. He just isn't. He relies on athleticism, superior skill, counters and the Rainmaker to get him through matches, and while he CAN endure quite a bit of punishment (as all aces must), it isn't the defining element of his character or anything (just look at how he took control throughout the match. He almost never came baack through sheer toughness). It's a bit unfair to compare him to Misawa, because Okada just isn't that guy.

 

[Jmare007]

Thing is, @Jmare007, Okada isn't the guy that Misawa was at all. I think @Don Ibiza Ibrahimovic is onto something with his analysis. Look at the moment when Omega kicks out after the first Rainmaker. His facials and body language progress from a "Huh? What?" blankness to him holding his head in his hands in the corner like "What the fukk?" He's so used to that shot working for him that he still isn't immediately sure what to do when it doesn't put someone down immediately. Eventually, he just keeps going back to it, because it just has to work: it's worked for him up to this point. And really, his entire career has been, in some sense, built around the Rainmaker working or not working for him, with the ultimate "not working" moment being Tanahashi completely negating it and crushing him at WK 9.

Okada's just not the type of stoic and enduring type of ace that Misawa is. He just isn't. He relies on athleticism, superior skill, counters and the Rainmaker to get him through matches, and while he CAN endure quite a bit of punishment (as all aces must), it isn't the defining element of his character or anything (just look at how he took control throughout the match. He almost never came baack through sheer toughness). It's a bit unfair to compare him to Misawa, because Okada just isn't that guy.

I stand corrected

 

[THE 101]

Everything Cody does looks unnatural and forced. His try hard heel shtick is garbage

 

[We Ready]

@3Rivers or anyone else. Where can I watch this. I have kodi and all that.

 

[3Rivers]

@3Rivers or anyone else. Where can I watch this. I have kodi and all that.

Spoiler

Watch NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 11 2017 iPPV 1/4/16 - 4th January 2017 Live

 

[We Ready]

Spoiler

Watch NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 11 2017 iPPV 1/4/16 - 4th January 2017 Live

Thanks

 

[3Rivers]

Thanks

no problem

 

[Saysumthinfunnymike]

I thought Okada/Marafuji was a classic match and I didn't think it would be topped at WK11 despite the card looking like on paper but the show was incredible and capped by most certainly one of the best big main event matches I've ever seen.

People so badly want to say it's overrated or take the position that it was just "spots" but that couldn't be further from the truth. The big spots were all a part of the larger story and there was more selling and harder hitting in this contest than probably the entire PWG BOLA from this past year (which I did like to an extent).

Just an amazing match well worth the praise