Tetsuya Naito vs. Kazuchika Okada (NJPW - 8/13/2023)

I thought this was a total masterpiece in regards to building tension using selling. The pace is real slow but you can feel the purpose and strategy that both men are working with. Dueling neck-work really milked to an extreme here and consistent selling of pain and exhaustion, particularly from Okada. Both guys sold the grind of the G1 as a tournament immensely which is really not a common trait in this setting all that often and very little came too easy in regards to offense. The continuity from prior matches was smartly executed and the lack of excess content in the layout allowed for a match where essentially everything in the match felt like it had purpose to its narrative. The way they pulled the strings with the momentum shifts I found to be rather compelling in the sense that it plays on the established dynamic between the two. Naito really controls a majority of the match and relentlessly wears down Okada but due to Okada's positioning as the unstoppable obstacle and ace, his cut-offs and resilience carry so much weight and make you feel like he could pull it out at any opportunity. Match has some frantic exchanges and more back/forth at the end per the norm in contemporary NJPW but due to the stakes, emotion and the risk/reward associated with their bigger offense, I was able to buy the adrenaline rush. Genuinely strong 2023 MOTYC.