RIPPA Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 KAZUCHIKA OKADA & Mephisto vs. Captain New Japan/Stuka Jr. http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2gwjoe_kazuchika-okada-mephisto-vs-besiegen-captain-new-japan-stuka-jr-njpw-and-cmll_sport vs. Karl Anderson http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x26ko8m_kazuchika-okada-vs-karl-anderson-njpw_sport ULTIMO GUERRERO vs. Volador Jr. And just for fun - Okada and UG teamed during the time period http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2eoypo_hiroshi-tanahashi-volador-jr-atlantis-vs-kazuchika-okada-gran-guerrero-ultimo-guerrero-njpw-and-cmll_sport Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt D Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 I actually watched an Okada match last night. vs Nakamura from the G-1 final. And it was okay. He absolutely dropped the arm selling, but whatever. There were three forearm exchanges (the first one was good because it played into Okada's no-nonsense gameplan). I'm not sure who I'd rather see Nakamura team with, Triple H so they could have some kind of double knee team offense or Cavernario. The problem with the Rainmaker is pretty simple. It's fine in and of itself but it follows some really ridiculous offense like the flowsion thing and the inverted suplex drop slam whatever, both of which are way harder to put on someone than Rainmaker. It's not innately an issue. It's only an issue relative to the rest of his offense. I'm still going with UG here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Man Known as Dan Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 I've watched some UG stuff, including the big match that was hyped, and he has been the Lucha guy I've kinda been most meh on. Okada isn't amazing or other worldy or anything, but I have him as a solid victor here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DylanWaco Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 I'm not nearly as high on Ultimo as some, and I think Okada was involved in some really good matches last year, but he also never does anything to stand out in a match to me UNLESS it's something that stands out in a way that is distracting, bad or annoying. He has a great dropkick, and can sell really well at times, but I hate the square dance routine counters that are associated with his finish far more than I hate any of the lucha exchanges that people often cite as looking contrived or silly. Plus Ultimo lost his mask in a show that drew the biggest gate in Mexican wrestling history, while Okada main evented the most disappointing show (from a business perspective) New Japan has run since their reemergence as a legitimately strong company Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J.T. Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 I will go with the grizzled veteran, but voting against the Rainmaker makes me sad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scraylo187 Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 I can never jive with arguments about wrestling moves that look contrived or silly, when pushing an opponent towards some ropes slingshots them so hard they are unable to stop running is the foundation of the genre. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DylanWaco Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 I understand what you are saying, but if you accept that argument you must also accept that someones finisher could be a telepathic assault on another persons brain waves. The Irish Whip is absurd, but it's an accepted part of the wrestling landscape for better or worse, so it doesn't bother me. Having said that, I find many of the counter sequences built around the "rainmaker" to be at least as overtly cooperative as the Irish Whip. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cristobal Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 I understand what you are saying, but if you accept that argument you must also accept that someones finisher could be a telepathic assault on another persons brain waves. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scraylo187 Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 I'd honestly be completely fine with Dean Ambrose having a Legion gimmick and just start pulling people's brains apart and hitting them with TK blasts. John Cena revving up with a promo that will end with 'i will fight' and the word 'jack' and then the announce table levitates via visible wires and hits him in the back from the sheer force of will of the Titty Master is my kind of wrestling. But we're getting off track. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt D Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 I'll admit I'm a little baffled by this one. Would Rush be winning by 3? Would Hechicero? Virus? Is it just that the UG/Atlantis was the #1 watched lucha match last year by everyone? UG knocking off Reigns and Okada would be fairly impressive on paper. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SirSmUgly Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 I'll admit I'm a little baffled by this one. Would Rush be winning by 3? Would Hechicero? Virus? Is it just that the UG/Atlantis was the #1 watched lucha match last year by everyone? New Japan popularity backlash? Not that I don't personally see the arguments against Okada or anything (even though, full disclosure, I voted for him), but when things get hype online, backlash soon follows. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RIPPA Posted March 9, 2015 Author Share Posted March 9, 2015 I have no why Matt is trying to dissuade folks from voting for UG. Don't be swayed. UG! TWENTY-FIFTEEN! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt D Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 It has nothing to do with my ballot, certainly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OSJ Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 This was a real tough call. What's interesting is to see who voted for whom, I may be wrong, but it sure looks like the Veteran Presence of the board went for UG, while the youngsters voted for Okada. That said, I like Okada just fine and make it a point to watch him, but UG has a load of history that he carries with him that is impossible to ignore. I know this poll is about one year's performance, not a career, but UG's career built to and reached its zenith last year and that's hard to overlook. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cristobal Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 I feel younger already. Although having OSJ call you young is like having Paige compliment you on your tan. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimLivingston Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 So people really like the Invasion Attack match that much, huh? UG had the seminal wrestling moment of 2014 in a lot of ways, and while I'm normally someone who weighs the entire year, the bits and pieces of Okada in 2014 didn't impress me at all. He hasn't really improved since his breakout and it shows. Giving it to UG here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lamp, broken circa 1988 Posted March 10, 2015 Share Posted March 10, 2015 same reason as last time- saw too many "I AM DYING" length boring trios matches with UG on CadenaTres. I'm glad the mask match was good, but it doesn't outweigh the dead hours. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JRV Posted March 10, 2015 Share Posted March 10, 2015 UG is one of the staples from the period where my life totally revolved around wrestling tapes and really one of the best all-round workers I've ever seen, but kazuchika okada in this past year has just completely convinced me about everything he does & I vote for him by default Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RIPPA Posted March 11, 2015 Author Share Posted March 11, 2015 Okada - 50 UG - 49 I blame this on Matt 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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