There have been less than a handful of rivalries in the history of not just New Japan Pro Wrestling, but professional wrestling in general, that have reached the magnitude, atmosphere and sheer quality of Kazuchika Okada vs Kenny Omega. Their four singles matches in NJPW throughout 2017 to mid-2018 were varying degrees of all-time classics, as the two men captured magic each time they set foot in the ring together.
Whether it was battling for the coveted IWGP Heavyweight Championship, or looking to advance to the annual G1 Climax Tournament Final, here are their four respective wars ranked from worst to best.
4 Kazuchika Okada Vs. Kenny Omega, G1 Climax 2017 Semi-Final - Day 18
This G1 Semi-Final for the B Block was the third meeting between Okada and Omega in 2017, and the first not to have Okada's IWGP Heavyweight Championship on the line. The stakes were still incredibly high, however, to determine who would advance to the G1 Final. The G1 winner goes on to challenge the IWGP Heavyweight Champion at Wrestle Kingdom, NJPW's equivalent of WrestleMania. This would also determine whether Omega could finally defeat Okada in his third attempt. After their two 46-minute and 60-minute epics at Wrestle Kingdom 11 and Dominion 6.11, this third matchup was bound to differ, especially considering the 30-minute time limit in G1 semi-finals.
As expected, they wrestled another instant classic and yet a completely different bout from the previous two meetings. Okada and Omega approached this with a frenetic pace and a sense of urgency, as the atmosphere from the live crowd was electric. As the match progressed, there was excellent back and forth, and brilliant storytelling regarding Okada's injured neck with anticipation growing as the clock winded down. But the final few minutes and closing stretch, as always with these two, is what truly set this match above and beyond. Unbelievable counters, exceptional maneuvers, breathtaking near falls, the drama and physicality, everything was off the charts here. It all culminated in Omega finally pinning Okada after the One-Winged Angel to advance to the final in a fantastic moment.
3 Kazuchika Okada Vs. Kenny Omega, IWGP Heavyweight Championship, Dominion 6.11
Okada and Omega's second meeting with the IWGP Heavyweight Championship on the line once again was at 2017's Dominion 6.11, it was the ultimate dream re-match after their Wrestle Kingdom classic and the expectations were insurmountably high.
With the crowd in attendance at Osaka roaring in anticipation, the match slowly built and was very well-paced with some early technical work. Both men dominated for periods with some excellent back and forth and high-octane moves. There were also some clever callbacks with the top rope dragon suplex and the integration of a table.The pacing was splendid throughout and as time winded down, the intensity and drama grew with the Osaka live crowd electric. Cody Rhodes threatening to throw in the towel was a well-executed moment with his jealousy within Bullet Club and led to an unbelievable near-fall, with Okada getting his foot onto the rope after a One-Winged Angel with the live crowd roaring. The closing stretch was once again off the charts with the story of exhaustion, desperation, and last-ditch efforts to win with extreme maneuvers creating so much suspense and excitement. Omega dropping to his knees and passing out to avoid the Rainmaker was a thing of beauty, as was Okada crawling to pin Omega as the bell rang to signal the 60-minute time-limit draw. This was again, an instantaneous classic and an all-time great. An absolute war for Okada vs Omega II.
2 Kazuchika Okada Vs. Kenny Omega, IWGP Heavyweight Championship, Wrestle Kingdom 11
While their Dominion war was magical, it still falls ever-so-slightly short to their first meeting in January 2017. With Okada's IWGP Heavyweight Championship on the line after Omega's 2016 G1 victory, this was expected to be a fantastic main event for January 4th's Wrestle Kingdom 11. What audiences got was so much more than that. A classic for the ages that Dave Meltzer of the 'Wrestling Observer Newsletter' rated a record-breaking six stars and called "one of the greatest matches in the history of professional wrestling", this was an indescribably epic war that left audiences stunned at what they had just witnessed. NJPW was already well-known for their classic matches, but this set the wrestling alight and introduced fans to New Japan like no other match had.
A slow start to this one, but it's the pace they needed to set the tone for what they pulled off here. An early feeling-out process, some grappling, back and forth, work on the outside to introduce the table as the match progressed. Even in the slower build that NJPW employ you could sense the chemistry between the two, and it was a great dynamic from the get-go. As the drama built, some unbelievable moments unfolded. Omega's springboard moonsault to the outside and stomp onto Okada under the table, Okada's insane back body drop to Omega on the outside. After this, and a top rope dragon suplex, is where the match kicked into a whole new gear. The drama, physicality and intensity was off the charts with the Tokyo Dome crowd on fire. Incredible maneuvers, counters, sequences, near falls, everything about this was utterly spectacular. A wrestling clinic, with the closing stretch simply something other-worldly as the pure emotion left even the commentators silent. Okada retained triumphantly with a Rainmaker, but in loss even this was Omega's star-making performance. An unforgettable classic for the ages, yet one more somehow topped it.
1 Kazuchika Okada Vs. Kenny Omega, Two Out Of Three Falls, IWGP Heavyweight Championship, Dominion 6.9
The fourth and greatest legendary meeting between Kazuchika Okada and Kenny Omega took place in 2018 at Dominion 6.9, with Okada still reigning as the IWGP Heavyweight Champion in a record 720-day run. The stakes were incredibly high as a new-and-improved Omega with Kota Ibushi by his side challenged one more time to determine if he could finally conquer Okada on the big stage. In a brilliant move, the two out of three falls stipulation was added and only enhanced the drama, urgency, and the sense that a war was taking place. To try and recap the in-ring work throughout each fall would be impossible considering the sheer variety and quality of maneuvers, counters, sequences, and so on. The first fall consisted of such excellence and could have been a fantastic match on its own, with Okada sneakily pinning Omega after countering a sunset flip. However, the second fall is where the storytelling, emotion, drama, callbacks, and in-ring psychology was simply off the charts, with both men giving their all as the desperation for Omega to secure a pinfall came to fruition in a stupendous moment. Then, the third fall told the story of a war like no wrestling fan had ever seen. Pure exhaustion, emotion, drama, desperation. Both men throw everything and more at each other with Omega even busting out a Styles Clash and a Phoenix Splash, but nothing would put Okada away as the story had been for so many months now.
The closing stretch was masterful with Rainmakers, V-Triggers, dropkicks, but it's the emotion that resonated so deeply with the Osaka crowd electric. A number of moments here left viewers' jaws dropped; Okada collapsing upon delivering a Rainmaker, Omega hitting V-Trigger after V-Trigger but countered by dropkick after dropkick by Okada, both men simply draped together on the bottom rope in pure depletion. But it's right after this moment, when Omega hit that final vicious V-Trigger, then hit a second One-Winged Angel to finally end the reign of the Rainmaker, that will resonate in fans' minds forever. One of the greatest stories and rivalries NJPW has ever told that culminated in truly epic fashion here. This match is truly indescribable, and it received a whopping 7 stars from Dave Meltzer and the 'Wrestling Observer Newsletter'. This almost 65-minute, all-time classic war just barely ranks as the best Kazuchika Okada vs Kenny Omega match in their legendary four-match series in NJPW.