Kazuchika Okada is back in a familiar spot as New Japan Pro-Wrestling’s IWGP world heavyweight champion.
In a match that lasted a grueling 33 minutes, Okada defeated Jay White in one of the most memorable bouts of his career Jan. 4, closing out the first night of Wrestle Kingdom 17 by reclaiming the title.
Especially as it built to the latter stages, his encounter with White was spectacular. There was a particularly gripping sequence near the end when White countered Okada’s Rainmaker, which Okada then countered into a Blade Runner. When Okada finally hit the Rainmaker, the crowd at the Tokyo Dome erupted.