8 Live Observations From ROH/NJPW Global Wars PPV
4. Tanahashi And Michael Elgin Vs. Okada And Moose
If there are criticisms to be leveled against the PPV, one of them should surely be the lack of NJPW stars going after each other. This match, however, did not disappoint in that regard. The fans chanted “holy poop” when Tanahashi and Okada started the match, followed by a brief “New Japan” chant.
Those moments are the ones that I came to this show for. Fans marking out for guys they would never get to see live, because, well, they don’t live in Japan. It was a very cool moment, and the rest of the match followed in those footsteps.
Moose is a huge guy. I cannot understate this. He also has a tremendous amount of athletic ability. He used a drop kick several times to send guys tumbling outside, and he looked great doing so. It wouldn’t surprise me to see him get a shot at the WWE.
Okada hit Elgin with his finisher called the Rainmaker, which is basically a clothesline where you yank the guy into it. Still, fun. Okada and Moose probably won’t tag again for a long time—if ever—but man was this fun. The crowd was chanting both their names, and they did not disappoint. Not to be left out, Tanahashi was incredible as well. This match was a joy to watch.
(4 stars out of 5)