8 Ups & 1 Down From AEW X NJPW Forbidden Door 2023 (Review)

Ups...

8. What A Hiroshi Tanahashi Match Should Look Like In 2023

MJF Hiroshi Tanahashi
AEW

Hiroshi Tanahashi is physically wrecked. His knees are shot, and the rest of his body is showing the effects of a seminal and ludicrously consistent library.

Happily, MJF knew exactly how to wrestle this version of the man in what was a very good and intelligent opener.

MJF treated Tanahashi from the "indie fed" with disdain, drawing immense heat, but he obscured how much he feared him just as much as he flattered him in a deft, sublime individual performance. He took a powder. He grabbed the ropes to assist an abdominal stretch. He used Bryce Remsburg as a shield. MJF effectively told the story that Tana needed just one signature move to pose a threat to his title, and this elegant, timeless structure paid off when Tana capitalised on an unforced error to twist MJF's bum knee with a dragon screw.

This version of Tanahashi knows how broken he is. He can't get the crowd on their feet. He can't even make them believe anymore. What he can do - and he did it here in the emotional crescendo of the match - is make them want to see the Tana of old. In a great last stand moment, Tana roared in defiance after one dirty MJF trick too many. By design, it was almost pitiable, but Tana conjured the emotion required to drive the home stretch. The 2023 Tanahashi stood no real chance, but if you spit on him, he might harness the very last burst of energy he has left. That story beat was enough to get the visual pin spot over before the diamond ring shot finish.

The consensus is that this was match was the best possible version of itself, and that take is echoed here.

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Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!