Here we go, this should be excellent, and both men have their supporters in the crowd. The announcers remind us that Bryan Danielson (still sporting the patch over his left eye) has promised to break the arm of Kazuchika Okada to prevent him from using the Rainmaker, so we’ll see if that plays out.
Danielson takes some shots while they have a test of strength, then a forearm off the ropes. A hip attack and a kick to the gut lead to a DDT, and Okada covers for a two count.
Okada’s sliding dropkick is right on Danielson’s injured eye and he slides out to the floor. Okada hits a DDT out there, but his running start is greeted by a jumping knee shot. Danielson wraps his opponent’s right arm in the barricade and smashes the gate into it before playing to the crowd.
Back into the ring they go, with Danielson working over the arm and mixing in strikes. A Northern Lights suplex is next on the menu, good for a two count. Danielson yells that he’s going to break Okada’s arm, and he drives knees into it on his quest to do just that.
Danielson piles on the agony by working on the arm and even fingers, then dismissively kicks his opponent in the gut. A running dropkick to the arm connects, then another.
Okada finally connects on a big boot to stop the onslaught. Danielson fires a kick to the arm but takes an air raid crash in return.
Okada’s attempt to go to the top rope is met with uppercuts. Danielson climbs and gets double underhooks in for a butterfly superplex. He floats into a LeBell Lock attempt, but Okada gets his boot on the ropes.
Out on the apron, Danielson kicks the arm and slaps the face. The Rainmaker manages to summon the strength for a Tombstone on the apron, and both men are slow to rise.
Okada finally has some momentum and uses it to grind his boot in Danielson’s face before hitting his signature dropkick. A body slam is next, and while he drops the top rope elbow, his arm is in misery.
Okada signals for the Rainmaker anyway, but it’s countered by a crucifix pin attempt. A kick catches Okada’s arm again, and Danielson fires himself up to get back to his feet. He drops hammer and anvil elbows on Okada, but all that does is seem to make him angry.
A Busaiku Knee connects, and Danielson gets close to ending it. He applies the LeBell Lock, though it doesn’t look super tight and Okada is inching toward the ropes. Danielson rolls his shoulders onto the mat and gets Okada’s arms trapped behind him. How can Okada escape this predicament?
Red Shoes seems to think Okada is fading, but instead he reaches the bottom rope with a boot. All that gets him is his arms trapped while boots rain down on his face. He finally has enough and drops the American Dragon with a Rainmaker, ailing arm be damned.
Both men seem content to exchange kicks. A forearm from Okada finally drops Danielson, but he makes a mistake leaning down and has to battle back with more forearms and a German suplex.
Danielson uses more kicks and a forearm to set up another Busaiku Knee. He’s up first, doing the “Yes” chant but missing another knee. A series of counters leads to a dropkick and slam by Okada, as well as another Rainmaker. Even while in agony, he makes the cover and hears the count reach three.
After the bell, both men bow to each other in the ultimate sign of respect, then shake hands with their left hands.
[lawrence-related id=43472]