Lengthy World Title reigns are often synonymous with greatness in the world of professional wrestling. Bruno Sammartino and Bob Backlund both share the distinction of being WWF Champion for over 2,000+ days, Hulk Hogan’s inaugural World Title run for the WWF lasted for 1,474 days, Kenta Kobashi had one of the greatest title run in modern day Puroresu with his 735 day reign as GHC Heavyweight Champion, and as recent as a couple of years ago CM Punk was WWE Champion for 434 days. Nowadays though having long title reigns is somewhat of a rare occurrence in wrestling especially at the bigger promotions. Usually they ought to go for someone fresh so the product does not get stale. But with the right booking and personnel, it can be done correctly and the perfect example of this was with Kazuchika Okada’s run with the IWGP Heavyweight Championship for 720 days.
Shinya Hashimoto used to have the distinction for having the longest individual reign of the IWGP Title at 489 days. It was a record that stood for decades until on June 19, 2016, began a reign that would become historic and already cemented the legacy of Kazuchika Okada as among the best wrestlers of all time to ever step foot in a New Japan Pro Wrestling ring. Certainly elevated the title even further, it is already one of the most prestigious World Championships there is, but with this it got taken to another level, and completely validates that it is arguably the most well booked championship out of any premier title in the world right now in my opinion.
For this article we’re going to be taking a look back at all of Okada’s title defenses throughout those 720 days, how well those matches fare these years later, and share some of my initial thoughts on them and the narrative going in to those matches for hopefully some added context. Obviously I was far from born during Bruno’s run and I only got to watch Kobashi’s GHC Title reign several years after it happened, so getting to witness Okada’s 720 days is a treat in of itself and I’m glad to have been a part of history in some way, so without further ado, let’s get straight into the action, and reminisce of The Rainmaker’s greatest achievement thus far!
1.) Naomichi Marufuji
Date: October 10, 2016
Event: King of Pro-Wrestling 2016
Time: 28:00
The Story:
Naomichi Marufuji is the face of Pro Wrestling NOAH. He was personally trained by the late great Mitsuharu Misawa himself and is entirely influential throughout his ongoing career. NJPW and NOAH have their fair share of history both as rival and partner companies. At the 26th annual G1 Climax, Marufuji along with fellow NOAH wrestler Katsuhiko Nakajima participated in the tournament. He was on the same block as the reigning IWGP Heavyweight Champion Kazuchika Okada and scored a pin fall victory on him, earning a shot for the title. Marufuji already has a decorated career himself, having held all the belts in NOAH most especially the GHC Heavyweight Championship. This would lead to their match at KOPW 2016 and the first defense of Okada in his fourth reign with the belt.
The Match:
I’d definitely rank this match near the very top as in comparison to everything else on this list. Okada and Marufuji told a perfect storyline between the clash of two top superstars from different companies. Their G1 match was already pretty good but they raise the bar even higher with this performance. While Marufuji is still a great wrestler, I think this is one of the last performances where he really went all out in terms of in-ring action. I like the additional detail of the other NOAH wrestlers being in his corner as well, supporting their leader which made the highlight of this match more special. If you’ve seen it and aware of the historical implication then you know what exact moment I’m talking about. Okada hitting Marufuji with the Emerald Flowsion, the signature move of Misawa. In Japan, signature moves are seen at a higher degree, if it isn’t especially bestowed upon you by its originator or someone that made the move popular, then using it can be seen as a sign of disrespect, that is exactly what Okada did when he executed that move. The reaction of the NOAH wrestlers on the outside made it seem like they were not informed of it beforehand, that’s one of the great things about Okada too is that he can just toe the line between babyface and heel when wrestling and for doing that move alone got him tons of heat. In the end he was still victorious, the result was obvious but the match that led to it was certainly a delight. If you haven’t seen this one, then I highly recommend it, showcases the talents of both wrestlers tremendously.
2.) Kenny Omega I
Date: January 4, 2017
Event: Wrestle Kingdom 11
Time: 46:45
The Story:
The AJ Styles era of the Bullet Club was arguably the faction at its peak. They all held the championships available in the company and their level of popularity were close to reaching nWo-levels. However all good things must come to an end, AJ would depart to go to the WWE along with Gallows and Anderson. It was up to “The Cleaner” Kenny Omega to lead BC to their next chapter and it wouldn’t take long before he could prove to be an even better wrestler as a heavyweight when he won the G1 Climax 26, making him the first non-Japanese wrestler to win the tournament and it was also in his debut participation as well, beating Hirooki Goto in the finals. Naturally being the G1 winner, Omega earned a shot for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship that awaits him in the main event of Wrestle Kingdom, little did we know we were about to witness what some considered, the greatest wrestling match of all time.
The Match:
While I have watched NJPW since Wrestle Kingdom 9, I have to admit I began watching it religiously thanks to this match. Out of many years of watching the WWE, I have yet to see a match that could compare to the performance Okada and Omega brought to the ring at that night. It was a masterful work of art for the modern day pro wrestling. Plus with how some old matches of the past, not living up to the expectations of today, I think this match will always be good no matter the era. Usually in high stakes performances like these, the champion will always have a dominant edge a lot of times, but I remember watching it back then and looking up some highlights recently to refresh my memory for this article, Okada and Omega competed like they were equals. Both men gave each other a hard time, every spot, strike, and all other moves felt like they mattered in the overall grand performance. While he had tons of high quality matches before, I do believe this is the match that made Kenny Omega as a world class performer. In my opinion and I think it’s fair to say, this is still the greatest Wrestle Kingdom main event ever. Okada came out of it as an even better champion than before and the loss to Omega added to his character as someone who will give it his all just to earn that prestigious belt, but this wasn’t the night despite his efforts. Also they have kind of turned into a meme at this point, but Dave Meltzer gave this match six-stars which goes to show you how great it was, went as far as to breaking the five-star rating system!
3.) Minoru Suzuki
Date: February 5, 2017
Event: New Beginning in Sapporo 2017
Time: 40:46
The Story:
While Okada has become the new top face of the promotion, one thing remains the same and that is Minoru Suzuki is still the most notorious villain in all of Puroresu. Suzuki is a veteran of the wrestling scene and a pioneer for the sport of mixed martial arts in Japan, everyone feared and respected him for the path he has carved out in his career. At New Year’s Dash 2017, after his victorious and hard fought match against Omega the previous night in the Dome, Suzuki-Gun made their surprise return to NJPW in the main event and attacked everyone in sight. It is one of the most memorable moments in New Year’s Dash. The leader, Minoru Suzuki particularly targeted Okada and setting his sights set on the title that has alluded him his entire career, the IWGP Heavyweight Championship.
The Match:
This was your typical Suzuki match which can be good or bad depending on the viewer. I personally thought it was nice, a great contrast of personalities. Okada being the top guy going against a sadistic evil bastard in Suzuki. As usual, Suzuki dominated a lot in the match, much slower pace than your usual Okada matches against younger opponents, it was a great story of The Rainmaker eventually overcoming the toughest opponent he has faced yet in terms of submission and technical ability and veteran experience. A lot of strikes and choke holds throughout the match which then builds up for the Tombstone + Rainmaker combination securing Okada’s victory. A solid match from start to end, I won’t put it on like the Top 5 in comparison to the rest of this list personally but like I said it was good and both men came out looking strong afterwards, especially Okada being able to beat an opponent in the caliber of Minoru Suzuki. Looking back on it though, this was realistically Suzuki’s last chance at ever holding the belt, while they would face again down the line later on, with his age, I don’t think we’ll ever see him complete the “Big Three World Titles” and join the club with Takayama and Sasaki.
4.) Katsuyori Shibata
Date: April 9, 2017
Event: Sakura Genesis 2017
Time: 38:09
The Story:
Katsuyori Shibata was on the same dojo class as Hiroshi Tanahashi and Shinsuke Nakamura. Together they were dubbed as the “New Three Musketeers” being compared to the originals in Hashimoto, Chono, and Mutoh. Their trio was seen with high potential and would be the ones leading NJPW into the 2000’s. It would later on ring true for Tanahashi and Nakamura, but the ride to that destination wasn’t easy as it was in the dark years of Inokism. Shibata would leave the promotion and become a freelancer for other companies in the country, feeling like his talents won’t be used properly with the influx of MMA fighters and pseudo martial artists being much more prioritized. However this was seen as a betrayal by the loyalists and upon Shibata’s return to the company several years later, he had to proved himself again to everyone. He would eventually do so and the biggest point of his career would come, winning the 2017 New Japan Cup and earning himself a title shot for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship, a chance for The Wrestler to reach the same level as his aforementioned peers.
The Match:
Sadly for the most part, this match now lives in infamy due to the aftermath but to its credit, one can argue that this was the best match of both men’s careers. That’s how good it was and would likely be remembered as such if it wasn’t for Shibata’s health status that affected him soon after the bout. If you’re still not sure what “Strong Style” is, then this match was the perfect example of that. To me strong style is not just pointless strike exchanges and no-selling stiff moves, it is about the tough competition between two fighters who give it their all in the match and do everything in their capabilities to win and take down their opponent, it doesn’t matter if they bleed in the head after numerous headbutts, as long as they take the victory, all the sacrifices are worth it. From that narrative stand point, that is the short summary of what strong style is, a contest of bravery and endurance. This match is on the same caliber as the 90’s classics with the Four Heavenly Pillars of AJPW, Okada and Shibata brought out the best out of one another and delivered a high quality match that had everything. The interesting thing about it is that majority of the action took place inside the ring, it was like they laid it all out for that match and if Shibata does indeed never wrestle in his life again, then having the best match of his career as his final one, that is pretty much legacy defining right there even if he ended up losing it in the end. Okada has beaten Nakamura, Tanahashi, and then Shibata, fully taking over the era of the past and charging the lead for the future.
5.) Bad Luck Fale
Date: May 3, 2017
Event: Wrestling Dontaku 2017
Time: 21:47
The Story:
One of the founding members of the Bullet Club, Bad Luck Fale became NJPW’s resident gaijin big man on the roster. While never truly on “main event status” he was never discounted in terms of booking as he is one of the most dominant wrestlers in the company. At the 2017 NJC, he reached the finals but lost to the eventual winner, the aforementioned Katsuyori Shibata. After Okada’s match at Sakura Genesis, Fale attacked the champion and challenged him for the belt. This was Fale’s first shot at the IWGP Heavyweight Championship, winning gold isn’t a new experience for him though as prior to this he was already a former IWGP Intercontinental Champion but winning the most prestigious title in the company would do wonders for his career.
The Match:
Fale isn’t exactly well renowned for having stellar matches, he is often criticized for being lazy and does not put up a lot of effort in the ring, especially as his weight grew larger. But if there is one man that can get a solid match out of Fale, it was Okada. I thought this was their last good match together, it wasn’t mind blowing by any means but I think it’s more of a sentiment to the work of Okada being able to showcase a presentable match out of the big man. Kind of a similar booking philosophy with Suzuki, Fale was dominant for most of the match to invoke the feeling of underdog for Okada, a classic David vs. Goliath tale. I think everyone then knew that this was only a filler defense, this was my second least favorite match out of the bunch which says a lot because it turned out to still be a nice match, probably the last time a Fale match looked this good.
6.) Kenny Omega II
Date: June 11, 2017
Event: Dominion 6.11 2017
Time: 60:00 (Draw)
The Story:
Six months since their encounter in the Tokyo Dome, Kazuchika Okada has named Kenny Omega as his next challenger post Fale match. Earlier in the year, a lot of speculation was actually thrown around Kenny Omega thinking that he would be leaving NJPW and possibly going to the WWE. Those rumors would later be squashed and he stayed, then participated in the New Japan Cup but got immediately eliminated in the first round by Tomohiro Ishii. At Wrestling Dontaku, Omega avenged his loss over Ishii and with Okada’s successful defense, it was only a matter of time before the two cross paths again and it was set for Dominion at Osaka-Jo Hall. While the roles are still the same, Okada the defending champion and Omega the feisty challenger, this time around, both men are more familiar with one another and what each of them can bring to the table. The question to everyone’s mind, will they be able to top their instant classic at Wrestle Kingdom?
The Match:
Were they able to top their performance at WK? You damn sure they did. In my opinion, this was the best IWGP Title match Okada ever had in his entire career thus far, including all four other reigns. Usually I’m not really that big of a fan of long drawn out matches, but both men were able to capture my attention throughout that I did not even notice the time limit even if the announcer was constantly updating us. I watched this live on the stream and got so enamored with the sequence of action, every move that they did is what modern day NJPW really was all about. It had everything from striking to highflying, submissions, and best of all the drama of the story being told between two familiar war heroes. It wasn’t just mindless storytelling, what Okada and Omega showed were a lot of callbacks from their previous match, learning from each other and improving on their skills further to one up their opponent, take the victory and the prestigious belt. This is what happens when you combine elements of pro wrestling and shonen anime together, pure greatness of masterpiece of competitive art. Even by the end, when they were barely gasping for air, the momentum was still strong, watching back some highlights, Kenny was more intense than ever in this match too, very evident with his facial expressions, this match really meant a lot for his character and probably himself as a person too. The best spot of them all was escaping the Rainmaker by falling flat in the ring out of fatigue. By that point, both men have pretty much given each other a lot of punishment and in the end, no one was a clear winner and ended up being a time limit draw, the best possible conclusion to a finish like that. This was a great example of perfect booking being executed well by two fantastic workers, so much so that it gained another six stars and tons of praises from wrestling fans that watched it. If you have some free time and haven’t seen this yet, then please do, it is one of, if not the best New Japan match of the year.