Hiroyuki Unno

[2.0] "I don't normally rate non-wrestlers, but I am making an exception here. Red Shoes Unno is the most overrated referee I have ever seen. From his wild gesticulations to his forced, exaggerated reactions and anything else he does that puts attention on him. The traditional view in pro wrestling is that a good referee should go unnoticed. If they are drawing attention to themselves, then they aren't fulfilling their duty. By that standard, Red Shoes completely fails. It's especially egregious because he is the head referee for the promotion that calls itself the "King of Sports." By comparison, an official in any legitimate sport will draw the ire of the fanbase if they are constantly grandstanding. I don't know how most Japanese fans feel about Red Shoes, but the fact that the Western fanbase love him precisely because he hams it up is ridiculous to me. No other referee has ever taken me out of more moments than this clown."

[10.0] "The goated referee. 6 and 7 star matches and a fair looking haircut. Always fair. Yes Red Shoes is an important part of puroresu history and he can go 1-100 real quick. Not many strict referee there but him. He also goes on audience participation."

[6.0] "He really blew a lot of calls during NJPW's big 2010's "peak". Couldn't bump, couldn't sell the schmozz, was frequently out of position for distraction bits and all that. I respect his tenure and his work, but most of the time I noticed him in a match I wish I didn't."

[10.0] "Greatest referee ever, hes not a nobody, he has an actual personality, and he is beloved by literally every fan there is."

[5.0] "Honestly Red Shoes is an occasional guilty pleasure of mine. While I enjoy it when he refuses to count the pin fall for the cheating heels that's pretty much the only great thing he does His over the top reactions can be hit or miss and the general officiating he and other njpw referees conduct annoys me a great deal especially when it comes to tag team matches. Anyway I like him but he is overrated by the current generation of fans"

[10.0] "(10/10) What can i say bout Red Shoes that havent been said already? he officiate ALL of the best matches i have ever watch. He is one of the few referee that can ENHANCED a match because of his signature move "False finishes roll" (dont believe me? see every false finishes is new japan, every time he stop the 3 counts suddenly. he always rolls over). And the best part he NEVER took anything away from a match. and also, one of the most respected person in NJPW"

[10.0] "Best Referee Ever. Red Shoes is a legend of this game. Nowadays, he has 33 years of active refereeing and that's a reference."

[10.0] "Red Shoes is the best referee that I've ever seen, he's really engaging, and is just a legend as a whole."

[10.0] "I know I'm preaching to the choir when I say this, but Red Shoes is the best referee I've ever seen in my life."

[10.0] "the best referee in all of wrestling. No other ref is so versatile and on point as Red shoes, the guys in such great shape he could probably be a wrestler himself. Behind every NJPW classic, is Unno."

[10.0] "Red Shoes is undoubtly the greatest referee ever, his facial expressions, how he waves his hands, his 3 exact seconds count... And I could go on and on saying all the things he does well, even if he does not enforce the rules sometimes; this man is the GOAT."

[7.0] "I'd love to rate Unno higher because he knows how to do his job, and do it well, but on the other side he often seems like he's had way too much caffeine before the match. He cannot stay still for a second and it makes me nervous to watch him gesticulate wildly and jump around the way he often does. I understand wanting to add some colour to the match but Hunno sometimes ends up being just irritating."

[10.0] "My favorite referee, a legend. He's always a good addition to the top matches, he can add drama sometimes. For example at New Beginning In Sapporo 2018, when Suzuki was torturing Tanahashi, mainly with some legwork. The Ace was so hurt that you could see Red Shoes almost begging Tanahashi to stop this and give up. It's just an example out of many things he's doing very well. I'll be sad when he'll retire."

[10.0] "His mannerisms and facial expressions are something else. He is, without a doubt, the best referee in the history of pro wrestling."

[6.0] "He's good at being a ref, but always seems to make the matches about himself. A lot of the focus goes to him because of HIM, which is an insult and slap in the face to the guys delivering in the ring."

[10.0] "My favorite ref besides lil Naitch, always adds to the match he's involved in instead of detracting from it. If you watch a lot of new NJPW classics, you're probably gonna see this guy as the ref. Red Shoes is a beloved figure in the IWC and it's kinda easy to see why."

[10.0] "LOL at the guy who gave 4. Just laughable to take seriously. Red shoes is an awesome referee. One of the most impressive and spectacular referee I have ever seen. I bet at least 80% NJPW classics in this modern era involve him. His emotion and facial expressions during the match are freaking great. He also adds a lot to the storytelling in the ring. A 10 for sure."

[10.0] "Incredibly underappreciated for his work which is easily unnoticed but actually extremely important to the matches he officiates. The referee can be the unsung hero of a great match, and that's absolutely the case with Red Shoes. The way he has to fly around the ring in order to make sure he makes pin-fall counts in time and the way he twists and turns when halting his hand from making the 3 count just as a wrestler manages to kick out of a pin attempt is amazing. It adds so much drama to see someone billed as an official who has been in the business for so long essentially reacting just like a normal excited fan, since it shows that even a professional can be astounded by the wrestlers in front of him. He also makes sure to never go over the top in his acting. He never draws attention to himself and instead only emphasises the importance of the match and of the moments produced by the wrestlers themselves. I am certain that in at least 50% or more of NJPW's great matches of the 2010s Red Shoes' officiating played a significant role in building up and paying off drama. Very few non-wrestlers deserve to be as highly regarded in wrestling as Red Shoes. He's a legend in his own right."

[10.0] "Red Shoes is one of the best refs ever. It's his mannerisms and facial express that can make a match. It seems crazy but he actually adds to the match so much. If he's reffing, than the match has the wrestlers and him putting in the work to make it great"

[7.0] "Red Shoes is an awesome referee. His facial expressions & general mannerisms are pretty great. Without a doubt the most recognizable referee in Japan."

[4.0] "The rating seems kind of ridiculous, but that's not the reason I'm putting him at a 4. Honestly, I kind of don't like the guy, he often seems to be wildly gesticulating even when nobody is doing anything even remotely illegal, and he sometimes draws attention to himself when he shouldn't. I don't hate him but I don't really consider him to be one of the better referees I've seen. The fact that he is seemingly omnipresent in New Japan seems to be the only reason he is notable, but simply standing near a good product is not a reason to love someone."