VICTORY 12
A BATTLE OF LEGACIES AND WILLS
By Jasmine Olan
At SAKURA GENESIS this year, New Japan Pro Wrestling began to revisit one of its most iconic feuds when the Ace Of The Universe, Hiroshi Tanahashi stepped through the curtain and made his way to the ring to challenge one of his biggest rivals, the Rainmaker, Kazuchika Okada for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship. In his eleventh title defense, Okadaʼs victory that night over Zack Sabre Jr meant that he was now one win away from breaking the record for most successful title defenses, a record previously set by Tanahashi. The Ace laid down the gauntlet that night to chants of “Go Ace!”, and the champ accepted. Okadaʼs cockiness and disrespect toward his senpai would not go unchecked by the living legend when theyʼd face each other later at WRESTLING DONTAKU.
In a rivalry spanning six years, both men arrived in Fukuoka ready to lay it all on the line. As the man who sacrificed everything to carry the banner for NJPW for the better part of a decade, Tanahashi was fighting to protect his record and legacy. That legacy which had been built over the course of nearly twenty years meant the world to him, and the Ace Of The Universe was not going down without the fight of his life. For Okada, it was all about further asserting his dominance and continuing his historic title reign. His time was now, and he was still the man who was going to lead New Japan Pro Wrestling into the future. With everything they were putting on the line, both men once again went to all out war to prove who the best really is a as they stepped into the ring.
It was another hard fought battle as both Tanahashi and Okada each gave it everything they had. Back and forth all the way through, neither man would give in that easily. When the most prestigious championship in professional wrestling is on the line, giving in is just not an option, and both wrestlers delivered incredible performances in this bout where they again matched each other attack for attack. With the crowd firmly in the corner of the legendary Ace, Tanahashi fought his hardest, but would ultimately fall to the Rainmaker. While making his post match comments, a heartbroken Tanahashi vowed that he would rebuild and come back stronger.
From Okada challenging Tanahashi for the first time at WRESTLE KINGDOM 6 to the unforgettable wrist control moment at WRESTLE KINGDOM 10 and numerous encounters, each match between these two have never been afraid to push each other to the absolute brink. One of the most interesting things about this feud aside from the quality of the matches has been the chance to witness the journey these men have been on all these years. Fans have witnessed Hiroshi Tanahashi continue to evolve into the legend he was always meant to be and witness the making of a future legend in Kazuchika Okada. The brash young kid who first challenged the Ace six years ago is all grown up now, and the Ace himself remains as beloved as heʼs ever been. Itʼs pretty safe to say that their signature catchphrases of “Kane no am ga furu zo (I will make it rain!) and Aishitemasu (I love you!) will be bringing wrestling fans to their feet for years to come.
