That'd be the best way to praise a match that wasn't always great, without criticising one that really, genuinely had gripping moments.
Were these moments thanks to Kazuchika Okada's typical wizardry? Perhaps. Jay White played his crucial part too - 'Switchblade' remains as divisive as ever, but Okada is still a magician in this context and the fans inside the Tokyo Dome came unglued every time he dropped into the Rainmaker/Switchblade reversal sequence now synonymous with the pair.
Maybe that's the problem - the two have wrestled a lot over the years and plenty of times in a similar context, and the specialness that once defined their rivalry has long gone. The result was part of a final touching tribute to Antonio Inoki, and had to be, but at seven reigns and no obvious gripping next chapter, could the peak of 'The Rainmaker' feel too more a part of NJPW's rich past than its bright future?
Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett
