I am still rewatching stuff from so sorry if people have already moved on 2015.

New Japan fans: What's up with the lack of love for Tanahashi/Nakamura Invasion Attack? I thought that was blow-away, instant classic good. All I hear about is G1 Climax this and G1 Climax that, but this match crushes pretty much anything from the G1 Climax but Styles/Suzuki in my estimation. This is a matchup I was really cold on from watching all their 2005-2009 matches recently (mostly due to Nakamura looking bored as all hell). Tanahashi rocks in the heel role. Another thing I don't hear a lot. Tanahashi breaking the rules because he is overmatched is such a great aspect of who he is. I was a big fan of Tanahashi's leg work in the late 2000s and thought this match he just rocked it. Nakamura coming back as the desperate, but yet ferocious comeback. He wanted to win this match so bad, knee be damned, he was just going to hurl it at Tanahashi's head. You would thought he just won the IWGP title at the Tokyo Dome by his reaction. This is a Nakamura that I think effort could be called into question, but here he looked awesome. I have not seen everything and plan watching a lot more, but if the other stuff is as good as or better than this match. The NJPW fans are correct that NJPW is in a freaky awesome groove right now in my estimation. That remains to be seen...

Tanahashi vs Nakamura from Invasion Attack was my 2014 MOTY.

Tanahashi vs Nakamura from Invasion Attack was my 2014 MOTY.

You my boy, Pete. You can be on my team, anytime!

Is that the match where Nakamura refuses to deviate from his knee-based offense despite Tanahashi's constant focus on working the leg? That kinda killed the match for me.

Is that the match where Nakamura refuses to deviate from his knee-based offense despite Tanahashi's constant focus on working the leg? That kinda killed the match for me.

It is. Which is what made it so awesome was how amazing Nakamura sold the leg even after using it on offense.

I'm not much of a fan of that "I'm going to keep doing all my normal offense but clutch at my knee after everything I do" approach to body part selling. To me if you're going to have a match built around body part work it should affect the way the guy on the receiving end of it wrestles the match - otherwise, why bother? Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't recall them even doing the "guy hits his finish but the body part is too hurt to capitalize" deal.

They did couldn't capitalize spot. Nakamura's selling in this was off the charts. Between the physical pain, along with his facials it was amazing. It finished #23 in the VOW MOTY poll with two 1st place votes. One of the 1st place votes was mine. If you don't like that "type" of match that's cool. I'm a guy who puts a lot of value on limb work, selling, drama, and structure in his matches. This match checked those boxes for me.

The invasion attack match was in my top 10 and the only New Japan match I thought was better in 2014 was Styles vs. Suzuki. I think the G-1 final has more appeal just based on the Okada story arc and the atmosphere of the match itself but the work to me in Tana vs. Nakamura is much stronger.

The move that brought him to the dance is the Boma Ye Knee. I think when times are tough and you think it is worth it. You double down it. It is not like he was Kaz Hayashi flip, flop and flying and then selling the knee. He was selling before and after the knee strike. You got the sense he was fighting through the pain, he knew it was stupid, but damnit he is up against Tanahashi and he has something to prove. His body language really conveyed that sense of struggle. Also it was only in short bursts. Tanahashi controlled the majority of the match, beautifully I'll add, and always cutoff him off at the knee. It was the cross armbreaker that opened up the knee to head game. Without Tanahashi prone, Nakamura would never have the chance to unleash a barrage of knees to the head. When you are coming from underneath from such a severe beating, you need a quick out. Nakamura had the cross armbreaker and knees to head, a flash submission or a flash KO. Nakamura's late match strategy digging himself out of a ditch was totally logical and the fact he sold that he was fighting through the pain made it all the more perfect. The only thing that bothered me was that it was knee barrage->nearfall->Boma Ye Knee -> win. It was such a needless nearfall.

 

Oh, it finished #23 in VOW, for some reason, I thought it was #30-50 range. I must have recalled incorrectly. While I still think that is a bit low, I feel better now.

 

Chad, Styles/Suzuki and this are right now a toss-up for me for New Japan. I still have Okada/Suzuki and Okada/Nakamura and a shit ton of Ishii to watch.

Sounds like I probably need to rewatch that match. I don't think I watched it since it first aired. I will say I do think Nakamura is one of the absolute best at emoting pain, but that's only one aspect of selling. Not that I think he's a bad seller at all, but I'm not sure he's superlative.