Kazuhika Okada
Aug 20, 2019 19:55:54 GMT -5
Post by bossrock on Aug 20, 2019 19:55:54 GMT -5
Very much like Kenny Omega, it can be a bit tough to find a well-measured opinion on Okada. He's either one of the best in the world if not one of the greatest ever or another overrated Meltzer darling. Admittedly, Okada is my favorite current wrestler and probably the most responsible for me becoming a huge NJPW fan. I decided to dive into the promotion by watching Tanahashi matches and stumbled across their match from WK 10. Despite coming for Tanahashi, it was Okada who most caught my attention with his flashy offense and presentation.
Let me get the negatives out of the way first because even as a huge fan, I can't deny that Okada has his flaws. His mat and submission game is bad. His transitions are slow and his submissions are weak. If I can call out Cena for having the worst STF ever, I have to call out Okada for having ineffective-looking submissions. That being said, he's mostly phased out that part of his game. His strikes also tend to be on the soft side. It's interesting, because during his initial push from 2012 to 2013, his strikes actually looked pretty solid. Although his striking game has declined over the years, it's almost a meta character aspect. Since his gimmick is that of being the flashy, hotshot ace who relies on his athleticism and gas tank, he doesn't need to be a great striker. But when challenged by a physically more powerful opponent, he tends to put a bit more "oomph" in his strikes. His leg selling is also historically spotty (although he's hardly the only offender). And when it comes to 30 minute plus matches, his urgency can be left wanting. He always delivers in the second half and finishing stretches of a match, but the first 10 minutes or so are always slow and padded. I get that his character is supposed to be confident and collected and his kayfabe strategy is to dictate the pace. But sometimes I wish he would just step on the gas pedal.
Now that I've covered the holes in his game, it's time to mention the positives which I think he really has a lot of. As a big match worker, he's one of the most consistent in the world over the last few years. He was a bit inconsistent at times from 2012-2016 (although I think he has a ton more volume in the way of sprints that most give him credit for), 2017-onwards he's had a pretty comfortable claim of at least top 10 in the world while being the arguable best in 2017. He has an uncanny way of adding drama to his matches and making the ending seem in doubt when his win is already a foregone conclusion. I'll never forget seeing a match with him and SANADA during the 2017 G1 already knowing that he won but still on the edge of my seat when he was locked in the skull end. He's perhaps better than anyone at selling peril and that he's in danger of losing. He especially thrives against physically larger and more powerful opponents as he sells their biggest shots like he's been ko'd on his feet. And even against opponents who aren't that big, his match formula allows them to show off their best offense even if they're limited in other regards. His 2018 G1 run is probably the best example of this as he gave nearly everyone their best match (and it was a rather pitiful field).
As a character-worker, I think he's an underrated babyface as evidenced by his wars with Suzuki as well as some of the Tanahashi matches. However, it's obvious he thrives more as the cocky ace or disrespectful youngster to the beloved veterans. His matches against Kojima, Nagata, and Makabe are probably the best example of these, especially the miraculously fantastic Dominion 2013 match against Makabe. It's another formula that works for him because he gets to sell their best and flashiest shots like death.
Well, this was certainly more words than I originally intended haha. But that's what happens when I talk about my favorites.
Let me get the negatives out of the way first because even as a huge fan, I can't deny that Okada has his flaws. His mat and submission game is bad. His transitions are slow and his submissions are weak. If I can call out Cena for having the worst STF ever, I have to call out Okada for having ineffective-looking submissions. That being said, he's mostly phased out that part of his game. His strikes also tend to be on the soft side. It's interesting, because during his initial push from 2012 to 2013, his strikes actually looked pretty solid. Although his striking game has declined over the years, it's almost a meta character aspect. Since his gimmick is that of being the flashy, hotshot ace who relies on his athleticism and gas tank, he doesn't need to be a great striker. But when challenged by a physically more powerful opponent, he tends to put a bit more "oomph" in his strikes. His leg selling is also historically spotty (although he's hardly the only offender). And when it comes to 30 minute plus matches, his urgency can be left wanting. He always delivers in the second half and finishing stretches of a match, but the first 10 minutes or so are always slow and padded. I get that his character is supposed to be confident and collected and his kayfabe strategy is to dictate the pace. But sometimes I wish he would just step on the gas pedal.
Now that I've covered the holes in his game, it's time to mention the positives which I think he really has a lot of. As a big match worker, he's one of the most consistent in the world over the last few years. He was a bit inconsistent at times from 2012-2016 (although I think he has a ton more volume in the way of sprints that most give him credit for), 2017-onwards he's had a pretty comfortable claim of at least top 10 in the world while being the arguable best in 2017. He has an uncanny way of adding drama to his matches and making the ending seem in doubt when his win is already a foregone conclusion. I'll never forget seeing a match with him and SANADA during the 2017 G1 already knowing that he won but still on the edge of my seat when he was locked in the skull end. He's perhaps better than anyone at selling peril and that he's in danger of losing. He especially thrives against physically larger and more powerful opponents as he sells their biggest shots like he's been ko'd on his feet. And even against opponents who aren't that big, his match formula allows them to show off their best offense even if they're limited in other regards. His 2018 G1 run is probably the best example of this as he gave nearly everyone their best match (and it was a rather pitiful field).
As a character-worker, I think he's an underrated babyface as evidenced by his wars with Suzuki as well as some of the Tanahashi matches. However, it's obvious he thrives more as the cocky ace or disrespectful youngster to the beloved veterans. His matches against Kojima, Nagata, and Makabe are probably the best example of these, especially the miraculously fantastic Dominion 2013 match against Makabe. It's another formula that works for him because he gets to sell their best and flashiest shots like death.
Well, this was certainly more words than I originally intended haha. But that's what happens when I talk about my favorites.
