Kazuchika Okada's 10 Best Wrestling Matches

9. Vs. Naomichi Marufuji - Kings Of Pro-Wrestling 2016

Kazuchika Okada Naomichi Marufuji New Japan
NJPW.co.jp

Much like the 2014 G1 Climax made AJ Styles a star in Japan, the 2016 version of Japan's premier tournament resurrected the flagging career of Naomichi Marufuji. NOAH's Genius practically squashed Okada in the main event of the first show of that tournament, guaranteeing himself a future title shot. He did so with kicks and chops that Okada simply had no answer for. The Rainmaker became the student once again.

One of the main criticisms some fans have about Okada matches is that they often lull in the middle. This match certainly slowed down during the meat of the bout, but to call it a 'lull' is to show levels of disrespect that have no place in professional wrestling. The pacing of this match was majestic.

Marufuji dominated, at one point hitting Okada with a piledriver on the apron (no typos there) that saw Okada only just make it back into the ring before the 20 count. Marufuji immediately followed up with a dropkick, giving fans one of the best visuals of New Japan's year.

This may well have been Marufuji's best performance. Everything he did was on point, but it was Okada who managed to survive and pull out the victory after hitting NOAH's finest with two Rainmakers. The beauty in this match was the fact that for large stretches of it, Naomichi Marufuji vs. Kenny Omega seemed like a plausible Wrestle Kingdom 11 main event.

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Born in the middle of Wales in the middle of the 1980's, John can't quite remember when he started watching wrestling but he has a terrible feeling that Dino Bravo was involved. Now living in Prague, John spends most of his time trying to work out how Tomohiro Ishii still stands upright. His favourite wrestler of all time is Dean Malenko, but really it is Repo Man. He is the author of 'An Illustrated History of Slavic Misery', the best book about the Slavic people that you haven't yet read. You can get that and others from www.poshlostbooks.com.