AJ Styles is out first, he is accompanied by his
buddies in the Bullet Club, The Young Bucks (Nick & Matt Jackson) & Karl Anderson. The thing that sucked with AJ leaving TNA was that he lost
his first theme, I miss that theme. Kazuchika Okada and his hype man
Gedo enter, AJ's getting a world title shot against the new “NJPW
Guy” in his debut, not a bad gig. This was during AJ's moody
leather jacket phase, a complete contrast to Okada's “Rainmaker”
in fancy gold threads. Bullet Club “Too Sweet” in the corner and
Red Shoes has a word with them as the fans chant for Okada.
KAZUCHIKA
OKADA VS. AJ STYLES
NJPW
Wrestling Dontaku 2014 (3rd May 2014)
They lock up and AJ Styles
counters Kazuchika Okada's waistlock
into a wristlock, but Okada counters into one of his own that drops
Styles to his knees. Styles snaps Okada's arm off his shoulder and
moves into a hammerlock but is taken down with a drop toehold, Okada
has a waistlock on the mat until AJ crawls to the ropes. AJ Styles
takes a breather on the outside, having a chat with Gedo before
getting back in the ring. They lock up and AJ is backed into the
ropes, Kazuchika breaks clean but gets cocky, riling AJ up with the
Rainmaker pose. AJ Styles runs into a boot and Okada's been studying
Randy Orton tapes, getting a headlock. AJ
tries to send Okada off the ropes, but it doesn't break the headlock.
We're talking 90 seconds here. AJ gets in a couple of elbow shots but
still can't send Okada off the ropes, Okada takes the headlock to the
mat. AJ Styles fights to his feet, pulling at Okada's face for
leverage and sending him off the ropes. Okada backs Styles into the
ropes with a shoulder block but runs into a chop. AJ Styles charges
into a backdrop and Okada poses again.
Kazuchika Okada stomps at AJ in the corner and hits an
elbow into the back of Styles' head. AJ Styles knocks Okada into the
corner, but his irish whip is reversed. They each miss a charge and
Okada sits AJ on the top rope, AJ kicks Okada away and puts his feet
back on the mat before hitting a suplex into the corner.AJ and the
Bullet Club Too Sweet Social-distancing style, before it was cool.
Then AJ hits a backbreaker, which is always cool. He covers Okada
disrespectfully, with his arm in Okada's face, only getting a
nearfall. He goes to the chinlock but the fans get Okada to his feet.
He gets a running start but AJ leapfrogs him, then drops prone and
finally hits a dropkick, sending him out to the floor. AJ talks to
Red Shoes, the referee, bringing him away from The Bullet Club
ambushing Okada, all still wearing their belts (IWGP heavyweight tag
for Anderson and Bucks' IWGP Junior tag titles) The Young Bucks send
Okada back into the ring and Red Shoes refuses to count AJ's pin.
AJ slams Okada and hits the running knee drop, then a
suplex. Styles is stalling a lot in this match early. AJ whips Okada
into the corner and crosses the ring with a jumping clothesline for a
nearfall. Kazuchika Okada fires back with forearms but is cut off
with a knee to the gut and dumped through the ropes for more Bullet
Club stomping. This time Red Shoes catches them as Anderson throws
Okada back into the ring. He points back up the entrance way but
Bullet Club gather at ringside. Okada hits the ropes and flies over
the top rope with a somersault senton. We see a replay before Okada
brings it back into the ring, he stomps AJ who is begging off and
hits a neckbreaker and covers, but AJ kicks out at 1. A standing
senton by Okada gets the same result. Kazuchika Okada brings AJ to
his feet but is blinded with an eye rake, giving AJ Styles an
opening. AJ chops Okada in the corner and sends him across the ring.
Okada gets his boot up but Styles blocks it and kicks Kazuchika Okada
in the hamstring.
AJ Styles starts
targetting the leg now with kicks to the back of the leg. Okada is
dragged to the middle of the ring. AJ Styles with an elbow drop and
he twists at Okada's knee and ankle. Okada crawls towards the ropes
but AJ brings him back out of reach and hitting a knee drop on
Okada's leg. AJ Styles hits a falling elbow drop to the knee as Gedo
hammers the mat to fire Okada up. AJ brings Okada to his feet
momentarily and hits a superkick for 2, followed by a Muta lock.
Okada breaks the facelock so AJ synches the Indian deathlock before
releasing. He struggles dragging Okada to the middle of the ring,
going back to the chinlock. Kazuchika Okada gets to his feet, trying
to break the hold. A few forearm shots release Okada from grasp, he
sends AJ into the ropes but ducks early. Okada avoids AJ's elbow and
drops AJ with one of his own. Okada hits a running dropkick, he sends
AJ Styles off the ropes into a flapjack. Kazuchika Okada hits a
running elbow in the corner and a DDT for a nearfall.
Okada sends Styles into the corner but AJ gets the
boots up, going over to the apron and hitting the springboard
forearm. Okada tries to fight the suplex into a neckbreaker but AJ
Styles hits it for a nearfall. AJ Styles climbs to the top rope but
Okada crotches him and hits a dropkick sending AJ down to the floor,
Kazuchika Okada kips up and the fans are eating up everything he's
doing. Okada sends AJ into the guardrail, he sends him into the crowd
with a big boot and back over with a draping DDT before the referee
begins to count them out. Kazuchika Okada brings it back into the
ring at 8 and slams AJ. Okada hits the elbow drop, another Rainmaker
pose follows but the move is countered as AJ rolls through into a
Calf Killer. The champion struggles but manages to get to the ropes
and AJ breaks the hold. AJ Styles runs into a dropkick, but Okada
can't follow-up due to the leg. We see a replay as Gedo tries to will
the champion on.
They get to their feet and exchange forearm strikes.
Kazuchika Okada asks for more so AJ hits a combination of forearms
before switching for other strikes and kicks, Okada ducks a
clothesline and has AJ in a waistlock, AJ Styles ducks the Rainmaker
and hits the Pele kick. AJ lifts Okada like a back suplex but drops
him on his face and covers him for a nearfall. AJ Styles goes for the
Styles Clash but Okada lifts him up and drops him in a neckbreaker on
Okada's knee! They show the IWGP Heavyweight championship belt as
they get to their feet, New Japan are really killing the dead time
well here. AJ runs into a tombstone attempt but kicks his way back to
his feet, Okada elbows his way out of a fireman's carry but runs into
a back elbow in the corner. AJ springboards from the middle rope in
the corner with the moonsault DDT, but it looks rough, he drags Okada
into position for the Spiral Tap but Okada rolls out of the way.
Kazuchika Okada hits a dropkick to the back of AJ and
a Tombstone connects, but Karl Anderson distracts Red Shoes whilst
The Bucks climb on the apron across the ring. Okada takes them both
out but a hoodes man slides in the ring and knocks Okada down. It's
Yujiro Takahashi! He hits a powerbomb into a facebuster, AJ hits the
brainbuster and a Styles Clash for the win.
WINNER: AJ STYLES (NEW IWGP WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT
CHAMPION)
This was a really good match to introduce yourself to
New Japan Pro Wrestling. The version I watched had Japanese
commentary so I knew nothing of the match's story, but I was hooked.
The leg work seemed to matter less as time went on and the slight
differences in rules enhance the match for me (not starting the count
out straight away or counting pinfalls after offense outside) with
this win AJ Styles becomes the 6th gaijin (non-Japanese)
wrestler to win the IWGP world heavyweight champion and the next
entry on my 250 for 2020 list.– [****] match but personally 8/10
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