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Kazuchika Okada (12) vs. SANADA (4)
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Speaking of Okada, it was his turn to face LIJ's SANADA. If he lost to SANADA, it would be a major upset to the A-Block. While SANADA's mask was elaborate and intimidating, The Rainmaker walked to the ring in a strong sweep of gold and purple. Red Shoes Unno refereed.
Okada and SANADA grappled on the mat and locked each other in rest hold to wear each other down early. SANADA fought his way out of a side headlock and Okada slammed into him once he was free.
The men met each other with nearly equal strength, locking up to grapple on their feet this time. Okada did as Unno said and broke his hold on SANADA, and a few holds later he was fighting his way to dominance.
Okada slammed SANADA into the mat and was cocky enough to blow a tiny kiss to the camera. And yet, he wasn't able to make his stomp connect. SANADA rolled out of the ring. Okada threw him into the blue barricade and dropped him on his tender neck.
Okada got back into the ring, and Unno began the 20-count. SANADA got under the bottom rope at 15 and Okada didn't give the now-weakened SANADA any quarter. Still, the moment SANADA dragged himself to his feet, he was able to meet Okada blow for blow.
SANADA's acrobatics meant a dropkick to Okada's chest and even more brutality outside of the ring. He rolled Okada back into the ring, and Okada rallied enough strength to trade holds with SANADA. SANADA locked Okada into a Paradise Lock rest hold, breaking it with a sliding kick.
Okada kicked out of the subsequent pinfall at two and took SANADA right out of the sky. Their flips, dropkicks, and suplexes showed off their passion and endurance. Okada's neck breaker on SANADA had him rolling in pain on the mat.
The Rainmaker slammed SANADA into the mat and put him in place for an elbow drop that connected. The camera went wide, and Okada drew SANADA up. His Rainmaker finisher didn't connect, but a tombstone did.
SANADA's draping twisting neck breaker stopped both men, and they had to rest before they could continue. Once they'd found their knees, Unno watched over them like a spectre as they both fought back against exhaustion and each other.
Okada and SANADA traded blows once they'd stood fully, and Okada began yelling. "One more!" preceded a beating from SANADA that made it very clean Okada could lose. The crowd yelled equally for both of the fighters before Okada made sure two dropkicks found SANADA's body.
SANADA's suplexes returned in short order, and he completed his TKO finisher to take Okada as close to the three-count as either of them had come. Okada rolled away from the drop zone of SANADA's aerial attack, and SANADA locked Okada into the Skull End, but Okada reversed the hold into a short-armed Rainmaker.
Okada slammed SANADA down and SANADA refused to take a second Rainmaker. Instead, he locked in the Skull End and took Okada for a ride. SANADA's hold in the middle of the ring had Okada grimacing, and yet every attempt at keeping Okada in and hold for more than a moment didn't take many fights out of the Rainmaker.
SANADA kept the holds coming and Okada couldn't get his head out the third time. Unno yelled "Get Up!" and Okada used that passion to not only break out but also to get his knees up and foil SANADA's moonsault.
The clock was running out. With only a minute remaining, Okada ate a TKO and pair a moonsaults. SANADA pinned him with only 12 seconds remaining, keeping the field open for others to take the top spot.
Results: SANADA (6) def. Okada (12) via pinfall
