Posted April 27, 20223 yr comment_5980225 A byproduct of Stardom joining the Bushiroad banner is its matches becoming increasingly New-Japan-like. Whether that be increased match length, dancey counter sequences, strike exchanges, or prolonged mat work that is ultimately meaningless. There was more than a little of that here. Saya didn't sell long-term effects of the early neck work, which lasted a good 5+ minutes. The strike exchanges were ineffectual at best and downright ugly at worst. For many, the wrist-control spot is a prime example of the eyeroll-inducing, hollow "storytelling" that plagues NJPW's matches. Whereas in Okada/Tanahashi that moment was meaningful, one of defiance and a refusal to give up, here it felt like Tam and Saya pulled out that spot because they were going through a Big Match Checklist. The match was also surprisingly one-sided, with Saya being swallowed up by Tam at times. As someone who's not a very dynamic seller, that worked against her. There was an attempt to infuse emotion into this match, but it didn't resonate with me for the aforementioned reasons.
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