MAIN EVENT: IWGP World Heavyweight Championship Match: Kazuchika Okada (c) vs. Will Ospreay
A flurry of chain wrestling to start. Okada keeps Ospreay grounded with head and leg locks. Ospreay tries to charge Okada but eats a big boot. Ospreay tries again and gets tossed over Okada’s shoulder. Okada tenderizes Ospreay’s torso with some strikes. Okada hits a neckbreaker. Okada covers for 1.
Ospreay mounts a comeback and hits a springboard forearm. Okada rolls to the outside. Ospreay goes after Okada. He takes Okada over to the guardrail and shows him the two World Title belts. He slams Okada into the floor.
Back in the ring, and Ospreay is hacking away at a seated Okada with kicks to the back. Okada is absorbing them and taunting Ospreay. Ospreay knocks the wind out of Okada with a blow. Ospreay chops away at Okada. Okada bounces off the ropes. Ospreay hits a spinning backbreaker. Ospreay covers for 2.
Ospreay locks Okada in a cravate. Okada fights out and plants Ospreay with a Flapjack. The two go back and fourth. Okada dodges Oscutter. Okada hits an Air Raid Crash Neckbreaker. Okada covers for 2.
Ospreay counters Okada and the two battle to the apron. They trade elbows. Okada hits a Shotgun Dropkick, sending Ospreay crashing to the floor. Okada sends Ospreay into and over the barricade. Okada goes for a leaping crossbody but Ospreay counters with a thrust kick to the gut. Ospreay slams Okada into a lighting rig. Ospreay climbs the lighting rig. Ospreay hits a moonsault onto Okada.
Okada gets back in the ring. Ospreay climbs to the top rope and hits a Diving Forearm to the back of Okada’s head. Ospreay hits a Liger Bomb for a nearfall. They trade blows. Ospreay hits a huge enzuigiri. Okada rolls to the outside.
Ospreay dives but Okada catches him and drills him into the floor with a Tombstone Piledriver. Back in the ring and Okada continues to dominate. He gets a nearfall and then locks in Money Clip. Ospreay counters Rainmaker with a big kick o the head. Ospreay dodges a dropkick. Ospreay counters another dropkick with a Liger Bomb for a nearfall.
Ospreay hangs Okada on the top rope and kicks away at him. Ospreay hits a springboard Shooting Star Press on Okada. Ospreay climbs the top rope and hits a second Shooting Star Press for a nearfall.
Ospreay hits a big elbow to the back of Okada’s head. Okada dodges Hidden Blade. Ospreay counters a Tombstone Piledriver with his own Tombstone. Ospreay does the Rainmaker Pose. Okada dodges a Rainmaker. Okada hits Stormbreaker for a nearfall. Ospreay fights out of Rainmaker. Okada hits a dropkick to the back of the head. Okada sends Ospreay into the ropes and hits another dropkick. Ospreay counters Rainmaker with a Standing Spanish Fly. Both men are down.
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Ospreay hits a series of short-arm lariats. Ospreay hits Oscutter for a nearfall. Okada counters Stormbreaker with a Spinning Tomsbtone Piledriver. A fast exchange of counters and Okada hits a Rolling Lariat. Okada hits Rainmaker for a nearfall. Okada locks in Money Clip. Ospreay fights out and hits Rainmaker. Both men are down.
Both men trade blows. They fight to their feet. They trade elbows. Okada wins the battle staggering Ospreay and sending him to the canvas. Okada hits a series of lariats. Ospreay hits a big elbow. Ospreay hits Hidden Blade. Ospreay covers for two.
Okada fights out of Stormbreaker and rolls up Ospreay for two. Ospreay hits a hook kick. Okada counters Stormbreaker. They trade blows. Ospreay hits a vicious headbutt. Okada counters Hidden Blade with a dropkick. Okada hits a Michinoku Driver. Okada hits Rainmaker for the pinfall in 32:51.
WINNER AND STILL IWGP WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION: Kazuchika Okada
After the match, Tetsuya Naito came out, making clear his intention to be Okada’s next challenger. Okada thanked the crowd and also thanked Antonio Inoki, the founder of NJPW. He said he hopes Inoki’s health is well enough that Inoki can join Okada at the 50th anniversary celebration in March.
