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Special Singles Match: Kazuchika Okada vs. Will Ospreay (NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 15 Day 1)
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The semi-main event at Wrestle Kingdom 15 Day 1 featured Kazuchika Okada against Will Ospreay. Ospreay defeated and then turned on Okada on G1 Climax 30 Day 17 by aligning with his girlfriend, Bea Priestley, and Great-O-Khan to create The Empire. The former friends have been feuding ever since.
Ospreay and Priestley came out with the Rev Pro British Heavyweight and World of STARDOM Championships. There was a strong lockup to start this Wrestle Kingdom 15 Day 1 matchup. Okada hit a DDT that sent Will to the floor and the two men fought on the outside. Back in the ring, Ospreay hit a big boot, but Okada came back with a big boot of his own. He followed with a tope con hilo to the outside.
After a distraction from Priestley, Ospreay hit a dropkick sending Okada back to the floor. Will then exposed the concrete. Ospreay hit elbows on Okada laying on the apron and ended with a knee drop on his neck. Will followed with a backbreaker in the ring and then grounded Okada.
Ospreay ran at Okada, but he reversed with a high back drop in this Wrestle Kingdom 15 Day 1 match. Okada then hit a big boot and air raid neckbreaker for two. Okada applied the Money Clip, but Will immediately fought out. Ospreay hit Pip Pip Cheerio for a two count. Okada then blocked a springboard and hit Heavy Rain on Ospreay. The two men traded forearms, chops and uppercuts that concluded with Okada hitting the dropkick to Will when he sat on the top rope.
On the floor, Okada threw Will into the guardrail and hit a shotgun dropkick to the applause of the Tokyo Dome crowd at Wrestle Kingdom 15 Day 1. Back in the ring, he followed with a top-rope shotgun dropkick. Ospreay blocked the Tombstone and hit Cheeky Nando in the corner. He followed with a reverse Bloody Sunday for a two count. Will then hit two thrust kicks and went for Storm Breaker. However, Okada rolled out and went for the dropkick, but Ospreay avoided it.
A fast-paced exchange in this Wrestle Kingdom 15 Day 1 semi-main event ended with Ospreay reversing the dropkick into a powerbomb for a near-fall. On the floor, Ospreay reversed out of the Tombstone and stood on the Wrestle Kingdom announce table. He suplexed Okada over the guardrail and through the announce table. Back in the ring, Ospreay hit a top-rope Hidden Blade for a near-fall. He then followed with a violent powerbomb for another two-count.
Okada blocked a Storm Breaker and reversed an Oscutter into the Tombstone on the apron. Ospreay made it back to the ring before he could be counted out of this key Wrestle Kingdom match. Okada then pulled him in by the wrist and hit the short-arm lariat. Ospreay tried fighting out, but Okada hit a dropkick. He followed with the Money Clip, but Will fought out again. Okada then hit the Tombstone and put back on the Money Clip. Bea Priestley got on the apron, but Okada ran Ospreay into her. He then re-applied the Money Clip, but Will made it to the ropes.
Okada landed heavy elbow strikes and stomps to the head, the intensity picking up in this Wrestle Kingdom 15 Day 1 battle. Ospreay hit slaps that Okada laughed off and landed a slam. After a running boot, Will hit a Spanish Fly off the top for a close two. Okada reversed Oscutter into the Money Clip, but Ospreay rolled out. He then hit a roaring elbow, followed by the Oscutter for a near-fall.
Will rained down slaps and stomps on Okada's face. Ospreay hit an elbow to the back of Okada's head. Okada reversed Hidden Blade into a dropkick. Okada then met the Oscutter into another dropkick. He followed with a spinning Rainmaker and then the Money Clip in an attempt to finish this Wrestle Kingdom 15 Day 1 encounter.
Ospreay rolled out and hit a Tombstone. He then did the Rainmaker pose. Ospreay hit the Rainmaker for another near-fall. Okada reversed the Storm Breaker into a sit-out Tombstone. He then followed with a Rainmaker for the first time in a year for the win at Wrestle Kingdom 15 Day 1 in just over 35 minutes. That was a tremendous match that escalated in aggression as it went on.
Results: Kazuchika Okada defeats Will Ospreay via pinfall
Star Rating: ****3/4
