New Japan on AXS TV Episode 9
March 13, 2015
Commentators: Mauro Ranallo, Josh Barnett
Recap by: Jason Namako of Wrestleview.com
Kazuchika Okada welcomes us to the show.
Okada: “My name is Kazuchika Okada, this is January 4, 2014 at Tokyo Dome, World Pro Wrestling returns.”
This week, we will see the Okada vs. Naito IWGP Title match from Wrestlekingdom 8 at the Tokyo Dome on January 4, 2014.
We go to comments from Okada in the TV Studios on the build to the match with Naito.
Okada: “Even though Naito won the G-1 Championship, I didn’t feel like he had momentum going face-to-face with him. I thought, did he really win the G-1? I had lots more momentum when I got my right to challenge the champion. But then, I’m on a different level. I guess he had gone through a lot to get to this point. It seemed like he was forced the right in which he wasn’t worthy of having. (We see video of Naito retaining the NEVER Title over Masato Tanaka in November 2013.) The fans voted for the Nakamura vs. Tanahashi match to be the main event. I had thought that our match would be the main one. What should I say…..it turned out to be a bitter match. Now that I think about it, its not a big deal. But when the voting took place, I thought to myself, was I really that bad? I had been the champion for a little less than a year. Am I not worthy of…..I thought, ‘Am I just another Intercontinental Champion?’ Until then, it didn’t matter who the challenger was, IWGP Championship was supposed to be the main event. I didn’t blame Naito for it, it was my own fault, I wasn’t qualified as a champion. As a result, it made me tighten up. I felt I needed to take it up a notch.”
Main Event from Wrestlekingdom 8 for the IWGP Title: 2013 G-1 Climax Champion & NEVER Champion “The Stardust Genius” Tetsuya Naito vs. “The Rainmaker” Kazuchika Okada (c)
Crowd chants for Okada as the bell sounds. Chain wrestling early, stalemate. Okada backs Naito into the ropes, feigns a shot and pats him on the chest. Series of evasions, then Naito with an armdrag and a dropkick. Snapmare, chinlock applied by Naito. Elbow to the top of the head, Naito switches to a headscissors, then spins over to put more torque on the hold. Naito gets a 1 count, then goes back to the chinlock. Another snapmare, followed by a running senton that gets Naito 2. Naito with a scoop into a reverse DDT across the knee, then locks Okada in a Lotus Lock. Okada gets to the ropes. Naito with a stomp and a forearm, then hits a running dropkick. Okada catches Naito off the slingshot dropkick, puts him back on the apron, then springs off the middle rope and dropkicks Naito to the outside. Okada goes out after Naito and hits an elbow to the back of the head. They go onto the rampway, where Okada locks in that STO-style neck vise. Okada breaks the hold, then gets a running start on the ramp and hits Naito with a running sliding basement dropkick. Okada gets back in as the referee begins his 20 count on Naito. Naito gets back in at the count of 14 as we go to commercial.
Commercial
Back from commercial as Okada with a neckbreaker on Naito for 1. Okada stomps away at Naito in the corner, but Naito fights back with overhand chops. Okada then with a knee to the ribs, a front slam and a slingshot senton bomb. Okada puts his foot on Naito’s chest and poses for the crowd. Okada with a snapmare into a Japanese Stranglehold. Okada then switches into a cross-armed cravate. Naito gets to the ropes. Okada drives Naito into the corner and hits a series of back elbows. Naito avoids a corner charge, but then runs into a back elbow. Naito comes back with another running dropkick in the corner, then this time hits the slingshot dropkick to a seated Okada. Naito with a flying forearm, a back elbow, a hiptoss and a running sliding basement dropkick. Running dropkick sends Okada into the corner, followed by a series of right hands, forearms, neck clubs and stomps. Naito chokes Okada with his boot as the crowd boos him. Okada rolls outside, Naito goes out after him. Naito runs into a back elbow by Okada, who tries to Tombstone him, but Naito slips out, then uses the apron as a springboard to hit Okada with a Tornado DDT on the floor! Back in, Naito heads up top and hits a missile dropkick to the back of Okada’s head. Naito takes down Okada and goes for Pluma Blanca, but Okada blocks it. Naito is able to lock it in, but Okada quickly gets to the ropes. Naito with more forearms, but Okada gets in his face, yelling at him to bring it with each shot. Naito then unloads with a series of headbutts to Okada in the corner. Okada places Naito on the turnbuckles and hits him with the Too Awesome Dropkick, but Naito’s leg gets caught in the turnbuckles on the way down to the outside. Naito clutches his leg on the outside as we go to commercial.
Commercial
Back from commercial as Okada goes out after Naito on the outside and nails him with a big boot. Okada drapes Naito across the apron and SPIKES HIM WITH A DRAPING DDT ON THE FLOOR!! Okada gets back in as the referee begins his 20 count on Naito. Okada yells at Naito to get back in as Naito finally does at the count of 18. Okada with a slam, then heads up top. Okada hits Naito with the Top Rope Elbow Drop, then calls for the Rainmaker. Okada goes for the Rainmaker, but Naito fights out with back elbows. Naito with a front kick, then counters Heavy Rain with a DDT! Okada charges in, but Naito catches him with a Koppo Kick. Naito goes for the Dragon, but Okada blocks it. Okada also blocks a German from Naito, but Naito avoids the Too Awesome Dropkick, takes down Okada and locks him back in Pluma Blanca. Okada thinks about tapping, but then gets to the ropes before he fades from the hold. Naito with an enziguri, followed by a German for a close 2. Naito with a slam, then heads up top, but Okada stops him by grabbing Naito’s leg. Naito fights Okada off, then goes for a flying forearm, but Okada catches him with a one-man flapjack. Okada spikes Naito with a DDT, then goes for Red Ink, but Naito blocks the chinlock to complete it. Okada finally locks Naito in Red Ink, but then releases the chinlock as he is favoring his shoulder. Okada re-applies the chinlock to complete Red Ink, but Naito is somehow able to reach the ropes as we go to commercial.
Commercial
Back from commercial as Okada goes for the Tombstone on Naito, but Naito blocks it. Naito with a series of forearms and another headbutt. Okada catches a kick and hits a big boot, but Naito comes back with the flying forearm. Naito places Okada up top, then goes up with him and hits a Super Rana. Naito this time hits the Dragon on Okada for a close 2. Naito fires up, then hits Okada with Gloria for another close 2. Naito quickly heads up top and goes for the Stardust Press, but Okada moves out of the way! Naito runs into a boot by Okada, then Okada catches him off another corner charge and hits the Emerald Frosion across the knee for 2. Okada this time hits Heavy Rain for a close 2. Okada goes for the Rainmaker again, but Naito counters it with a wheelbarrow victory roll for another close 2. Naito then hits Okada with a spinning Urnangi. Strike exchange from their knees, then when they get to their feet, with both yelling at the other to bring it with each shot. Naito with another headbutt to gain advantage, but then Okada with a series of uppercuts that knock down Naito. Naito goes for another flying forearm, but Okada catches him. Okada goes again for the Rainmaker, but Naito slips out and hits a big slap. Naito off the ropes, TOO AWESOME DROPKICK BY OKADA!! Okada goes for the Rainmaker again, but Naito counters it with a roll-up for another close 2. Okada blocks another wheelbarrow victory roll attempt, TOO AWESOME DROPKICK TO THE BACK OF NAITO’s HEAD as we go to commercial.
Commercial
Back from commercial as Okada this time hits Naito with the Tombstone, then fires up. Okada goes again for the Rainmaker, then when Naito tries to take Okada down to lock in Pluma Blanca again, Okada blocks it, lifts up Naito and hits another Tombstone!
RAINMAKERRRRRRRRRRRR!!!! 1-2-3!
Winner and STILL IWGP Champion: “The Rainmaker” Kazuchika Okada by pinfall (The Rainmaker)
Okada celebrates his title retention afterward.
We go to post-match press conference comments from Okada.
Okada: “As I said last year, something special is happening this year. What you just saw was an IWGP Heavyweight Championship Match. What you just saw was the true ability of an IWGP Heavyweight Champion. Don’t underestimate the IWGP Heavyweight Champion. That’s all. I have defended my title in 7 matches up until now. They were all somewhat tough opponents. Is that all a G-1 Champion has to show? The challengers in Tokyo Dome, is that all you’ve got?”
We then go to post-match press conference comments from Naito.
Naito: “I couldn’t win, I couldn’t make my dream come true. What’s wrong with being jealous? What’s wrong with having a dream? If I can’t get it the first time, I’ll just try again and again. For me, becoming the IWGP Champion is my dream. Today was not my day, but I promise to return to this stage and I will have the IWGP Championship belt on me. I won’t make my dream be a dream forever, I will make it come true. I couldn’t do it today, but next year as a main event in Tokyo Dome, I will personally pump up the crowd as champion, there’s no turning back now, I don’t care what anybody else says, the face of New Japan Pro Wrestling is me!”
We go back to the TV Studios with Okada looking back at the match with Naito.
Okada: “For me, I think that Tetsuya Naito, before he came back, was tougher. I saw that he hesitated at times. He was tough, but not that tough. Its not like I was competing for who had a more entertaining match, I was only thinking about my IWGP Heavyweight Championship match, I didn’t care about their result. I didn’t watch it, nor was I interested. It made me want to fight in IWGP again as the main event. I’d like to win it and speak through the mic.”