Following their final encounter at Wrestle Kingdom 20, John Pollock and Wai Ting revisit the era-defining rivalry between Hiroshi Tanahashi and Kazuchika Okada through a selection of key matches from their 2012-2016 saga.
They discuss Okada’s early years, from his mishandled TNA excursion as Okato to his 2012 NJPW homecoming that produced the “Rainmaker Shock”, when booker Gedo made the controversial call to have the then-unproven Okada upset long-reigning champion Tanahashi for the IWGP Heavyweight Title.
John & Wai contextualize their subsequent series of critically acclaimed matches, tracing Okada’s epic journey as he attempts, fails, and ultimately succeeds in being recognized by the audience and Tanahashi as the true “Ace” of the promotion.
Matches covered (NJPW World account required):
- The New Beginning (2/12/12)
- Wrestle Kingdom 7 (1/4/13)
- Invasion Attack (4/7/13)
- Wrestle Kingdom 9 (1/4/15)
- Wrestle Kingdom 10 (1/4/16)
This episode was brought to you by Espresso Executive Producer, Robbie Ellinor
YouTube Members: video.postwrestling.com
Next time on Rewind-A-Wai: Shinya Hashimoto Retrospective
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