Hiromu Takahashi

[9.0] "His character work pops instantly and his matches have that wild spark that makes you lean. He is in the top tier in the world and it feels like folks still underrate him. Flashy, sharp, fearless and way too good to be treated like anything less than elite."

[10.0] "One of my favorite New Japan wrestlers ever. Great in ring, incredible charisma, very cool and unique look. All time great."

[10.0] "Hiromu might be one of the very best wrestlers New Japan has to offer. His charisma is like no other and he always knows how to have a good match and is overall an amazing talent."

[8.0] "Hiromu seems to have been stuck in the Junior Division for what feels like Ions. This is despite showing the ability to wrestle a more heavyweight style, slow down his offence and concentrate on dramatic matches. The guys has a great charisma and is so over in Japan. I get the feeling he would actually translate pretty well into the US scene if he ever fancied it."

[9.0] "One of the best Juniors of all time, an absolute dynamo in the ring, oozes charisma in a really fun and different way and always feels innovative."

[9.0] "Epic wrestler and the goofiest, wackiest character in NJPW right now. This guy easily has some of the most charisma and character in New Japan right now. I loved his match he recently had with Mustafa Ali, and really enjoyed his matches with Ospreay and Desperado. Overall great wrestler and entertainer and excited to see what they'll do with him."

[9.0] "Charisma would be off the charts if he wasn't so goofy Very good well rounded wrestler too with a good arsenal of moves and a devastating finisher. If he could speak better English he could have probably had a better run in ROH and won more matches. It's a shame it's so difficult to find many of his matches online, and I've seen him lose in the vast majority of matches I've watched of his."

[10.0] "Hiromu may be the goofiest of goobers to have ever stepped into a ring, he also just happens to be one of the best Juniors in the world right now. But like c'mon, he's one Goofy Goober."

[10.0] "I mean, c'mon...Hiromu is arguably the coolest goofball to ever step in a wrestling ring and run circles around his opponents every time. Dude is up there amongst my Mount Rushmore of my favorite wrestlers that also happen to be absolutely world class in the ring, and although he's changed his style a bit since the neck injury, and understandably so, he still is just a ball of energy ready to explode at a moment's notice."

[9.0] "Awesome Junior. Athletic, tells a great match story, intense, charismatic, innovative. What do you want more from a great wrestler? EDIT: He desperately needs some sort of change as he's sadly been stale for a pretty long time now :/"

[8.0] "Hiromu Takahashi is great, however this year he hasn't been as good as he normally is. In ring he's great, it's just he hasn't been as good as he normally is. Overall fun to watch and very enjoyable even if he isn't always my favourite Jr Heavyweight."

[10.0] "he is a magnifisent great wrestler He receives many techniques, shines his opponents and shines himself He is very personable and always cares about others His pro wrestling always has some stories and move the audience."

[7.0] "Hiromu is a crazy talented wrestler. Very new to him, but there was so many awesome close calls, and was just an all-around great time watching his match with Taiji Ishimori in the New Japan Road series."

[10.0] "Hiromu Takahashi is one of the best Jr. Heavyweight wrestlers in the history. Hiromu has unique charisma which makes him special for me. He is just amazing in the ring. Hiromu Takahashi is one of a kind wrestler for me. I hope he will make his dream true in the future."

[8.0] "Capable of some great matches. Incredibly daring (maybe too much so) but has a lovely style for a junior, especially these days in the world of mindless flips. Has a great impact offence and very smooth in the ring. Maybe needs to master psychology a bit more in order to really perfect the long epics that are sometimes required of him. A very strange unique charisma that gets him over well."

[10.0] "One of the best junior heavyweights of all time, crazy explosive, exciting, and a fun personality, he is perfect for LIJ."

[10.0] "Hiromu Takashi is crazy talented wrestler. He can do whatever he wants in the ring. He is absolutely great talent. I think he can wrestle in heavyweight division."

[10.0] "Maybe my favorite wrestler of all-time, Hiromu Takahashi is liable to be responsible for a whole new generation of high flying wrestler who cares less about getting a perfect 10 in a gymnastics competition and more about showing that he has absolutely no regard for his or his opponent's safety (while still being pretty damn safe). Takahashi's whole thing is "controlled chaos", a bizarre Yakuza-like figure (it would not surprise me if he drew inspiration from Kakihara in Ichi the Killer) who comes out with stuffed animals he's named. He's cool, dangerous, insane, and also kinda adorable and baby, flailing his body about like a windsock in such a manner that makes it feel like not only he'll break down, but reality itself might too. If you're an AEW fan, Takahashi is closest to Darby Allin, but weirder, crazier, hard-hitting and with more physical charisma and a better look. If he were larger, he might be the biggest star in NJPW, but even at his size, he's still compelling in a way no one else is."

[10.0] "Only Jushin Liger and Tiger Mask rank above Hiromu Takahashi in the history of New Japan's junior heavyweight division. He is insanely charismatic, a master at selling, and a brilliantly fast-paced, high-impact worker. Only his neck and shoulder injuries have held his career back, but he has come back from both a better worker than before."

[8.0] "Remains the undisputed star of New Japan's Junior Division. His 2021 was difficult though, as the division struggled to consistently garner interest. Even though he was out for a chunk of the year, he feels overexposed, winning his third BOSJs in four years. Fortunately his injuries haven't affected his in-ring ability, and he produced two of my fvourite matches of the year - vs Robbie Eagles at Wrestle Grand Slam, and the BOSJ final vs YOH. Still, he's reliant on his spot in New Japan, and when the company struggles to build the Jr Division, it ends up looking like a one-man division."

[10.0] "Hiromu is one of the most entertaining and interesting wrestlers I've ever seen. Sometimes he can be off his game and some sequences won't work very well, but every time he is in a huge match he delivers. He also oozes charisma in a way I've only seen from wrestlers like Randy Savage or Atsushi Onita, where as soon as he steps out from the curtains the crowd is in the palm of his hand. He has amazing stamina, going for a half-hour or more in multiple big matches without blowing up. Just fantastic, and I hope New Japan doesn't keep him in the Junior division, he is already a huge star, but he could be their next Ace if they pushed him in the Heavyweight division."

[10.0] "Hiromu absolutely gets it, but he's also out of his mind in the best way. I recall seeing him back when he was Kamaitachi on his excursion to the west; his matches in CMLL & ROH showed a lot of potential (I even had the pleasure of seeing him wrestle live in 2016, albeit in a comedy mixed tag at a Northeast Wrestling show), but the Dragon Lee series really shined as it had this really interesting story about these two young guys early into their career coming into their own against each other... by trying to fucking kill each other. Hiromu developed this sadomasochist character out of his matches with Lee and ran with it into becoming one of the most interesting character workers in Japan while also the best in-ring Jr. Heavyweight in the business. I love seeing Hiromu tell his stories and work his magic; he has promos and segments that blow your mind as much as his highspots if you pay attention. Dude got stuffed animals over and believably got across PTSD when confronted by fucking Taichi in a promo once. I hope his style doesn't end his career early, since he has the potential to be an all-time great; he's already probably the best Jr. Heavyweight since the GOAT Jushin Liger."

[10.0] "In all my years of watch wrestling I have never seen anyone like Hiromu Takahashi. His flamboyant wardrobe, unorthodox in ring style, and balls to the walls insane personality, he is one of a kind and the ace of the junior heavyweight division. I cannot stress enough how great his series of matches were against Taiji Ishimori, Will Ospreay, and eternal rival El Desperado. Seriously go watch any of those bouts for some death defying wrestling."

[10.0] "The G. O. A. T of the Juniors. The Man, The Myth, The Legend. The leader of the Junior Division which means MONEY and ENTERTAINMENT."

[9.0] "Hiromu Takahashi is probably my favorite junior heavyweight/cruiserweight on the planet right now. The dude has a great gimmick, his wrestling ability is first-rate, and he's one of the premier talents at New Japan. Nothing else to say, the dude's just great at what he does."

[9.0] "Hiromu just screams superstar. Crazy amounts of charisma and a killer gimmick that quickly got him over as NJPW's top junior heavyweight. Despite being in his early 30's he's built a great career of matches throughout the years and doesn't seem to have many actual bad matches or even average bouts, always getting more out of his opponent, always dragging them to the next level. His style is very high impact and a solid crowd pleaser, seemingly pulling out anything at any time with a combination of crazy bumps but a strong offence when he's the one throwing hands. I do fear that, with his neck and pec injuries that he might need to slow things down lest he go for a early retirement, simply because his style is not generous on the body. Regardless, he's one of NJPW's biggest stars of the new gen of talent, and I could see him going even higher if he can learn to pace himself in the ring."

[10.0] "The top junior in the whole world. He oozes charisma and is so good in ring. He is absolutely insane and will take any bump, even after he broke his neck."

[9.0] "The Ticking Timebomb nickname could not be more corrent when we talk about this guy. The absolute crazy madman when it comes both to his looks and personality. The stunts he does are always giving me goosebumps. I remember the first time I saw him. It was in ROH. He was doing some singles match and suddenly his rival went outside the ring. Hiromu climbed top turnbuckle, jumped as high as possible and landed a Senton on that poor dude. Jeez... What a daredevil! I love his style and I love his work. I love this crazy psycho!"

[10.0] "In my opinion. Hiromu Takahashi is the most charismatic wrestler in the world today. and he compliments that with an explosive, high impact style that belies his 5'7 frame. without a doubt one of New Japans big rising stars prior to his neck injury, Hiromu came back seemingly more over than he was when he left, and in ring. he never missed a step. While not the most technically gifted wrestler in the world. his raw charisma, and unique skillset off set any potential flaws in his game, regardless of whether one speaks japanese or not, Hiromu can draw you in and make you invested in all he does. Despite his lack of size he has come off as a believable threat in his excursions to the heavyweight divisions, and with the right build I think he could become a future heavyweight champion. The only real concern is that his style, which has remained unchanged despite a broken neck, may lead to a shorter prime, and a shorter career than we all may hope. Despite that, it's amazing that this is the same wrestler who was a floundering young lion not too long ago... Now Hiromu is the Ace of the Junior Heavyweight division, and thats a title that will remain his until he wants to give it up."

[10.0] "Hiromu is my favorite current active wrestler in the world. Along with Daniel Bryan, he may be the best no fans wrestler. Something about his matches are great, even without fans. He has BAGS of charisma, is really stinking over, and can wrestle for days. While I do not think he will ever not be a junior heavyweight, he will be heavyweight champion one day. He will challenge and win as a junior. If his career goes as expected, and with no major injuries he may go down as the greatest junior ever. Liger has huge shoes to fill, but if anyone can it is Hiromu. 10."

[10.0] "Absolutely incredible. He is loaded with charisma and even after his broken neck is still going out there and having absolutely brutal matches. Hiromu is still young and it looks like New Japan is positioning him as one of there top wrestlers and they are right to. Not only is he the guy to step in and take Jushin Thunder Ligers spot as top Junior, I think he'll also be IWGP World Heavyweight Champ one day."

[10.0] "Hiromu is an incredible wrestler, he is very good in the ring, very charismatic, and his promos are very good, and he has an incredible ability to connect with fans, he is one of my favorite Juniors today, and he has just 30 years old, and has everything to become one of the greatest Juniors of all time."

[10.0] "His promos, in-ring style, and look all suit his character perfectly and are nothing short of flawless. Having already shown himself to be one of the best junior heavyweights of all time, his injury and heroic unlikely return to the ring will be the last two ingredients needed that will cement him as a legendary all time great in 10-20 years time. Welcome back, Hiromu."

[7.0] "Huge charisma, good but sometimes weird moveset and an amazing ability to connect with fans. However his utter fearlessness and tendency to sell like a rag doll thrown around cost him very dearly. One of a kind, I hope he will be back in acceptable shape and not as a broken reminder of the price of pro-wrestling like Tomoaki Honma is."

[9.0] "A super charismatic wrestler with great athletic abilities and a special connection with the crowd. I love his brutal moveset, his submission game is a little underrated. He can play different roles but he is obviously at his best when he is the underdog babyface. Still very young and still so much potential. Hope he comes back soon."

[10.0] "The greatest Junior Heavyweight in the world right now! Hiromu Takahashi has it all to be the best: The charisma, the look, the mic-skill, the in-ring skill, he's excellent at telling a story in the ring and has a psychology and selling that no other Junior has it."

[9.0] "Mr. Personality. Hiromu is a pretty strange dude, but he transforms his weirdness into charisma to which the likes I've never seen. His matches with Dragon Lee, Will Ospreay, The 4 way at WK12, and Taiji Ishimori are some of the best I have ever seen. Also he deserves my 9 rating for introducing us to Mr. Trophy, Mr. Belt, Daryl, and Daryl Jr, but back to his wrestling, Takahashi is one of a kind and will accomplish a lot as he continues his career. Hopefully he can become NEVER Openweight Champion so he can have classics with some of the Heavyweights. Could you imagine a match against Ishii, Suzuki, or maybe even Naito?"

[10.0] "Hiromu, to me, is the complete package. He has a captivating character & look and other than Tetsuya Naito, may be the most charismatic active wrestler today. He is also an incredible in-ring talent, although his in-ring style may change after the injury he suffered last year."

[9.0] "Hiromu Takahashi is a fantastic wrestler who worked incredibly hard, but he took risks that he didn't need to. When Takahashi comes back, presuming he does come back, hopefully the near-miss will make him realize that he doesn't need to do some of the wilder spots in his arsenal. The incredible matches Takahashi were in would still be incredible without them."

[9.0] "Incredibly charismatic and an absolute beast in the ring, Takahashi is one of the best junior in the world right now, For some reason I can't go the 10/10 just yet but if he continues on this path and continues to add classic matches to his resume then I could go higher."

[10.0] "Probably the best junior/cruiserweight talent out there today, putting on absurdly fun and fast paced matches every night that he performs. Not only is he a great in ring talent, his wild antics in promos, in interviews, and at ringside make them a joy to watch. One of the most well rounded performers around today and a future megastar imo."

[9.0] "He has come such a long way from when I first saw him compete in Mexico. His feud in Mexico against Dragon Lee is what first brought him to my attention. Just like EVIL joining LIJ is doing him a world of good and I am so happy to see him on the main roster of New Japan having good matches. Just waiting for a Junior Heavyweight title reign now."

[9.0] "A fresh face of the jr division. Have insanity, intensity, great presence and charisma. He will be a key member of the jr division along with ospreay and kushida. 2017 is his breakthrough year. Put on so many great matches with kushida, lee, ricochet, ospreay, liger, scurll, lethal, etc. Also has a good tag run with bushi as well. A very bright future for him."

[10.0] "Hiromu is perhaps , or is, the best Jr. in the world right now. The guy is absolutely outstanding & is the definition of a superstar. He's definitely in NJPW's top 10 wrestlers right now. The guy is arguably a contender for "Wrestler of the year. " Some say even above or behind Okada. I really hope he gets Belto-San back very soon & gets yet another dominant reign just like his previous one."

[10.0] "The most captivating character in New Japan with the explosive move set to match. Everyone should go out of their way to watch him in action."

[9.0] "The breath of fresh air the Junior division and hell even all of NJPW needed. Hiromu has this mentality that if he isn't trying to kill himself in a match it won't be good. It's a style wrestling doesn't have enough of for obvious reasons but by god do I enjoy his. His run in CMLL, ROH, and his already legendary rivalry with Dragon lee makes me happy to be a fan of wrestling. 5 months into the year and he is easily my wrestler of the year so far. Just hope he doesn't retire by 32 with how hard he goes"

[9.0] "Man, the former Kamaitachi really found himself these last couple of months. His trip to Mexico was already a while back, but you can still see a clear evolution from now compared to half a year ago. Tremendously charismatic and a hell of a high flier. The sky truly is the limit for young Takahashi Hiromu."

[10.0] "The best Junior in the world in the moment. Takahashi has a such unique style in-ring, he got a lot of charisma and most important, he brought life to the Junior Heavyweight Division again. I love KUSHIDA, but Taka makes it feel fresh and brings a lot of importance to the title. I hope that his career go for years, but he is such a high-risk wrestler that is hard to think in that way. Aside from that, he is a truly Junior legend in the making."

[9.0] "One unique Jr. Heavyweight wrestler ever. His in ring ability is quite different from other jr. heavyweights, because he blends high-risk, strong style, and old school wrestling into his moveset. He can take hard bumps and dangerous spots seamlessly. In addition, he also develops a mad man character that oozes mysterious aura to his in ring presence, but quite charismatic, too, as people are invested in him once he steps in. In conclusion, Hiromu definitely has great potential and can easily fill in Kushida's shoes as the face of Jr. Heavyweight division."

[10.0] "One of the most talented young talents in the entire world right now, and it may be because he's been all over the world. One of NJPW's young lions, Kamaitachi has been on excursions in Europe, Mexico, and now the United States, meaning he's worked in promotions such as RevPro, DDT, wXw, CMLL, ROH, and PWG in several countries on 3 continents at the age of 26. His time in CMLL is really what made him stand out, as the quality of his matches went through the roof and he was putting on fantastic matches with fellow rising star Dragon Lee that got better each and every time, culminating at NJPW's CMLL crossover show Fantasticamania earlier this year. Now, working with New Japan's American affiliate ROH (and in various other USA indies), Kamaitachi seeks to show off how amazing he is to a whole new audience, which will no doubt be successful if he's given the platform."