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NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 17 In Tokyo Dome

Pay Per View

Name of the event:
NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 17 In Tokyo Dome
Location:
Attendance:
26.085
Broadcast type:
Live
Broadcast date:
04.01.2023
TV station/network:
TV Asahi

:::: Not eligible for the matchguide: dark matches cannot be recommended. ::::
Pre-Show Exhibition Match
Oleg Boltin vs. Ryohei Oiwa - Time Limit Draw (3:00)
Pre-Show Six Man Tag Team Match
KAIRI (c) defeats Tam Nakano (5:47)
Bishamon (Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI) defeat FTR (Cash Wheeler & Dax Harwood) (c) (10:10) - TITLE CHANGE !!!
NJPW World Television Title Tournament Final Match (vakant)
Zack Sabre Jr. defeats Ren Narita (10:32) - TITLE CHANGE !!!
Tama Tonga (w/Jado) defeats Karl Anderson (c) (9:36) - TITLE CHANGE !!!
Hiromu Takahashi defeats Taiji Ishimori (c) and El Desperado and Master Wato (16:43) - TITLE CHANGE !!!
Kenny Omega defeats Will Ospreay (c) (34:38) - TITLE CHANGE !!!
Kazuchika Okada defeats Jay White (c) (w/Gedo) (33:03) - TITLE CHANGE !!!

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All workers
8.46
Current Total Rating (?)
Valid votes: 290
Number of comments: 67
10.0 38x
9.0 110x
8.0 98x
7.0 38x
6.0 5x
5.0 1x
4.0 0x
3.0 0x
2.0 0x
1.0 0x
0.0 0x
Average rating: 8.47  [290]
Average rating in 2026: 8.00  [1]
Average rating in 2025: 8.60  [10]
Average rating in 2024: 8.18  [11]
Average rating in 2023: 8.47  [268]
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Willie 19200 wrote on 24.01.2025:
[8.0] "Not the best considering it's a Wrestle Kingdom, however it was still a good show filled with plenty of good matches. Ospreay vs Omega is an all time classic and one of my favorite matches of all time. Okada vs Switchblade was also amazing and really underappreciated. Not necessarily a bad match on the main card, one really boring one but nothing bad. Overall a very fun show, just not amazing like other Wrestle Kingdoms usually are."
cal9099 wrote on 17.12.2023:
[9.0] "Some matches didn't quite hit the highs hoped for (women's match mainly) but we also got one of the best matches of all time (Omega vs Ospreay), a pretty damn great main event and some very solid support in the HW tag, Jr 4 way and NJPW World title matches. 9/10"
danzitorock wrote on 01.12.2023:
[8.0] "This was a good WrestleKingdom... definitely far away from other ones, but I think it was a nice show to watch. The Pre-Show had some painful ones to watch, but the main card had very few bad matches. Kenny vs Ospreay is an all timer classic, I'm glad they could deliver this banger to sustain the high level a WK asks for. Main event had worth too."
Itsover9000man wrote on 26.07.2023:
[8.0] "Pretty good show not the best wrestle kingdom ever but still a good show. I also saw the show in person it was definitely a bit too long as the arena a seats are not very comfortable, I don't usually get any in person bias and I have tried to rate it as accurate as possible, Nothing bad on the show. The Tag title matches, were both okay but a bit short (A theme of the first 6 matches) the tv title match was also okay, the never title match was very meh (easily could have gone 5 minutes less and given those extra minutes to a more deserving match. more on that soon) the 6-man was also very meh, the junior heavyweight 4 way was good, I'm not usually in to 4 ways but this was decent. the main event was also good. now for the 2 main talking points of the show. Kairi Vs Tam Nakano: would it have killed them to give this match an extra 5 minutes, the show is already really long an extra 5 wouldn't have made any difference, I was really looking forward to this match, I did still find some enjoyment out it it though as I loved seeing tam's violet screwdriver in person. Also Mone's debut was not very good, including a bad promo and botching her new finishing move. luckily the stuff she's done with new Japan since has been very good (just wanted to point out I know her debut was why the match was so short but that's not really an excuse considering how long this show is) And now for the masterpiece: Kenny Omega vs Will Ospreay for the IWGP us championship, this was one of the best matches I have ever seen, the promo the day before at the press conference was amazing, and the promo from ospreay after the match was truly unbelievable. Undoubtedly 5 stars"
SadDoro wrote on 07.06.2023:
[6.0] "A weaker Wrestle Kingdom but it still had some amazing matches on there. Ospreay and Omega had the match of the night but both Jr. title matches and the main event are worth checking out."
Strab wrote on 15.04.2023:
[9.0] "Amazing PPV. Loved most of the things about it. I hated how Kairi only got 5 minutes but Mone's debut was great. Kinda botched the finishers but aight. The Last three matches were spectacular. Omega vs Ospreay was insane. It completely overshadowed Okada vs White for me. But that's not to say Okada vs White was bad. It was amazing too. A great PPV overall."
ifYanoyaknow wrote on 04.04.2023:
[7.0] "While the last 3 matches were outstanding, and there was plenty other good matches along the way, it really did take too long to get there. Even spreading out to mulitple nights they still pack the card and that's fine but there was no reason for the women's match to be that short but to give the middling Never Open wieght bout that much time. Just hte little choices like that take this from a soild 8 or a some what high 7, im sure it might look like the show was a mixed bag but ultimately it was never dull, just had some tough spots to enjoy but also manages to make up for it in the last hour."
Ser Tahu wrote on 17.02.2023:
[7.0] "There were moments where this felt like a true return to form for NJPW. The final three matches and ZSJ vs Narita were particular highlights. Other matches, on the other hand, didn't quite live up to the high expectations of the occasion, like both Tag Title matches and the Women's Title match. None of those matches were bad, but they definitely should have been better than they were. The limited time allotted to those matches definitely didn't help."
Prince Osborne wrote on 09.02.2023:
[8.0] "The pre-show didn't give the amp-up expected due to lukewarm matches. That brings to the opener from the Junior duos which felt like the right start. KAIRI & Tam battled for the women's title in a historic sprint despite its criminally short length. Mercedes Moné (formerly Sasha Banks) debuted in a great moment even though the execution was not that clean. FTR dropped their final piece of the triple lineage to Bishamon in a solid duel while Sabre expectedly became the first TV champion in a great feat of technicality. Anderson's bridge with NJPW is burnt thanks to Tama Tonga winning the NEVER gold whereas Muto had a nice send-off by elevating Umino. The juniors once again brought the fire through a blazing quadruple even though Hiromu winning isn't the best option. Omega almost murdered Ospreay in an instant classic where both men looked strong despite the result. The main event had a tough task to follow up but did its work excellently. The result is as same as Hiromu's, but the road to this reign looks interesting. While it wasn't the best WK, it's a strong comeback after a string of lukewarm editions."
Nem1x wrote on 07.02.2023:
[9.0] "It's feel kinda-nostalgic having back an "One Night Tokyo Dome" for Wrestle Kingdom and just hit it! having it's Highs and Lows, it has been a awesome show, and pretty sure is a Show of the Year candidate"
Draco wrote on 26.01.2023:
[7.0] "Overall good event but not worthy of its history and importance. In the 1st part , only match beyond sufficiency is the match for the jr heavyweight tag titles, the IWGP women's match deserved much more and not to be sacrificed for Mercedes. The title match NEVER should have been put in the pre show and not in the main card, really indecent. The 4 way to the Jr Heavyweight title created a nice atmosphere before the most important matches . Omega and Will have written a page of history and I hope there is more than just one rematch. Okada and White were also very good but their match was after a beautiful clash like that of Omega and Will and the atmosphere was less hot. I struggled to follow the first 10 minutes of the match with interest, but when they picked up the pace I also enjoyed the main event. Happy to see Shingo go up against Okada even though I'm afraid he won't win the world title"
CeroMiedo313 wrote on 25.01.2023:
[8.0] "First WK i was able to watch live and it was incredible. Opener was a really fun fast paced match and lio showed out in particular. (***3/4) Womens match was a fun sprint but i really can't believe it only went 5 minutes. Very disappointing. (**3/4) Mercedes debut fell flat but its good to see her back. Goto/Yoshi vs FTR was pretty solid, nothing too crazy but a good way to get the belts off dax and cash. (***1/2) ZSJ vs Narita was fantastic. Masterpiece in grappling and a perfect way for ZSJ to get his first title in njpw (****) Tonga vs Kar was slow and had a botched finish (**) The 6 man tag was a fun little send off for muta good to see shota get the pin (**3/4) The junior title match was fantastic, all 4 got their sine, my only complaint is that wato should have gone over. No reason for hiromu to be champ again, time to get some new blood. (****1/4) Omega Ospreay might be the greatest match I have ever seen live. From the incredible entrances to the big time fight feel, to kenny being fully unleashed. The story beats at the end. Perfect match (*****+) Okada White was solid for what it was, belt needed to be off jay. nothing spectacular but it's an okada match, not like its gonna be bad (***). Not the best wrestle kingdom ever, but definitely the best since pre covid."
WU20 wrote on 17.01.2023:
[10.0] "Perfect show. Everything was great, especially the last matches were super duper hit. Loved the show, matches were really cool and one of the were match of the year candidate. (*****)"
AnotherSpreadsheeter wrote on 16.01.2023:
[7.0] "Fun return to form for Wrestle Kingdom, with an early lock for MOTY to boot! Thank goodness. [Oiwa vs Oleg] - 2.5 stars. [Ranbo] - 2.75 stars. [Inoki Memorial Tag] - 2.25 stars. [Catch 22 vs CHAOS] - 4 stars. [KAIRI vs Tam Nakano] - 3.25 stars. [FTR vs Bishamon] - 3.75 stars. [ZSJ vs Narita] - 4 stars. [Anderson vs Tama] - 2.25 stars (Worst of the Night). [Tanahashi/Umino/Mutoh vs LiJ] - 3.25 stars. [Ishimori vs Despy vs Hiromu vs Wato] - 4.25 stars. [Omega vs Ospreay] - 5 stars (Match of the Night, MOTYC]. [Jay White vs Okada] - 3.75 stars. Average match rating: 3.42 of 5 stars (or 6.84 of 10). Rounded to 7 for Cagematch."
Oswuold wrote on 14.01.2023:
[8.0] "Good show. The major part of the undercard was skippable but the two five stars main eventi and in particulary Omega/Ospreay put this edition of the Kingdom over. We probably Will remember only the semi main event, but this Is normal. In general a good show. ****"
DanTalksRasslin wrote on 12.01.2023:
[9.0] "As is often the case for NJPW, this was backloaded with its best, ending with no less than three excellent matches in a row. Omega vs. Ospreay (the latter of whom I've come to enjoy in the ring much more since going heavyweight) will certainly be in the "best of 2023" conversation by year's end, but Okada-White was also very, very good in its own right, concluding the story of Okada finally being able to definitively best White. And the Jr. Heavyweight Title four-way was well-structured and exciting, with Master Wato stepping up to prove he belonged with the other three. There were also a number of highlights elsewhere, such as Mutoh's NJPW farewell in his six-man tag, a good ZSJ-Narita match to help establish the new TV Title, and a good Tag Title match beteween Bishamon and FTR, as well as Mercedes Mone's debut (unfortunately, featuring a blown finisher and following an overly-short Women's Title match) and Tama Tonga concluding his rivalry of former Bullet Clubbers against now-WWE-contracted Anderson. A show not without a few missteps, including the aforementioned blink-and-you-missed-it Women's Title match, but overall a great conclusion to NJPW's previous year as we begin the next."
Giancamion wrote on 11.01.2023:
"New Japan is back. Sort of. But we're on our way, solid undercard, a great main event and a masterpiece before it. I hope they never return to the two nights formula again"
Dcarter1153 wrote on 09.01.2023:
[8.0] "I felt the undercard was worse than the typical Wrestle Kingdom but maybe I was just over tired. Obvious match of the year Ospreay vs Omega, Jr Heavyweight four Way was 4.5 awesome stuff too"
ISimon1912 wrote on 09.01.2023:
[7.0] "The show was good and not tiring, the middle of the show was a little weak, but the strengths are a great highlight, Ospreay vs Omega is so good that it doesn't fit the show, it doesn't even become a one match show because there are other good matches, like F4W, Bishamon vs FTR and White vs Okada, but nothing that reaches a tenth of the grandeur of the best match on the show, another interesting point was the completely outta nowhere debut of Mercedes Moné AKA Sasha Banks, a shame they sacrificed what would be a great match between KAIRI and Nakano (7.5/10)"
BH62 wrote on 08.01.2023:
[9.0] "WK17 was a stellar show, definitely. Not the best of the best, but the card delivered a damn lot. The undercard showed that they can put some bangers in 10 minutes, even though KAIRI and Nakano weren't that lucky. The 4-Way for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight was great, Omega vs. Ospreay was an instant-classic and maybe of the best bouts ever while Okada vs. White, suffering from the last bout's shadow, put on quite a clinic for Inoki's memory. New Japan could build a fresh landscape, and that would be surely a good thing."
Jordan wrote on 08.01.2023:
[8.0] "Very enjoyable last 3 matches of the show. However the majority of the remaining card help the PPV back."
adaendra wrote on 08.01.2023:
"Globally the show was good. It has highs and lows. The lows were due to botches and a too short match for the IWGP women's championship. But the 3 last matches were top tier. An excellent match for the junior title which gives us a huge impress of Mister Wato. The US championship match was a huge and brutal story. And the IWGP world title match was an Okada classical with a very good Jay White."
Rossg17 wrote on 07.01.2023:
[7.0] "Exhibition Match was okay (*), New Japan Rambo was entertaining and good (***), Six Man Tag Team Match was quite good, fitting tribute to Antonio Inoki (**3/4), IWGP Junior Tag Title Match was a great way to start the main show (***1/2), IWGP Women's Title Match was decent but should have been longer timewise (**3/4), IWGP Tag Team Title Match was good, the result was a surprise with Bishamon winning (**3/4), NJPW World Television Title Match was quite a shock as Narita gave up a fight against someone like ZSJ (***3/4), NEVER Openweight Title Match was not good, it was just there for Anderson to lose the title (*3/4), Six Man Tag Team Match was a good interesting last match of Keiji Muto in NJPW (***), Junior Heavyweight Title Match was actually great it was better than I thought it would be (****1/4), Ospreay vs Omega should have been on last as it was easily MOTN, Omega DDTing Ospreay on the exposed turnbuckle was the turning point (******1/2), IWGP World Heavyweight Title Match was okay didn't really rate it to be honest (***1/2)"
TheRabbitInTheBush wrote on 07.01.2023:
[6.0] "This was not a good Wrestle Kingdom. The opener was actually really good. The IWGP women's match was a joke. The tag title match was dull. FTR looked lethargic. The tv title match was a little pick up. The openweight title was alright. Karl Anderson still knows how to work a Japanese crowd and Tama had a good showing. The six man tag should have been earlier in the card, Very through the motions match. The junior heavyweight match was alright but the English commentary team kept talking about backstage shenanigans. Master Wato also should have won. Hiromu winning again is dull. The US title match was very predictable with dumb blading. For the main event I hope NJPW leave Okada vs Jay White alone for awhile. Seems to have happened way too much over the past few years."
MonkeyDB wrote on 06.01.2023:
[9.0] "Excellent show from top to bottom, even Rambo was fun to watch. Kazuchika Okada and Jay White were spectacular, a great main event, and a great rivalry. Will Ospreay is a phenom, time to go to the next level. 2023 should be the year for Ospreay and United Empire, and TMDK as well."
joethom wrote on 05.01.2023:
[9.0] "The best Wrestle Kingdom since the pandemic hit. Ospreay-Omega, White-Okada, Jr Title four way, FTR-Bishamon, Sabre-Narita and the Jr Tag Title match are all must see. Ospreay-Omega may have delivered the MOTY already."
Anonymouse163WWE wrote on 05.01.2023:
[7.0] "Honestly better than I expected. Yeah the pre-show stuff was missable and the Openweight title match didnt impress but it was good other than that. I did bad on predictions though, 5-7. But most of the results I picked wrong, Im not too unhappy with so thats always a plus."
Derek Joists wrote on 05.01.2023:
[8.0] "The most memorable part of this show was Omega/Ospreay, which overshadows everything else due to being one of the greatest matches of all time. The main event was also great, as were a couple of the undercard matches, but too many of the matches were too short and felt rushed for this to be a truly exceptional show. I'm not counting the pre-show matches, they were mostly skipabble."
GulakBusick wrote on 05.01.2023:
[9.0] "Not a perfect show by any means but I had a blast watching it, which hasn't been the case with Wrestle Kingdom for a few years now. The crowd involvement was a welcome change, even if they're not as noisy as they were pre-pandemic. That will take some time I expect. One absolute classic in Ospreay/Omega - Ospreay's performance was incredible and really surprised me as I'm not always his biggest fan. A handful of other really good matches and a couple which were just okay. Sasha Banks/Mercedes Moné's big return/debut didn't quite land but I thought she looked incredible. The delivery was just a bit off. Not to worry - I think the match with KAIRI in the US will deliver regardless."
benmason wrote on 05.01.2023:
[9.0] "Great show overall and awesome for my very first Wrestle Kingdom. Unsurprisingly Ospreay and Omega stole the show but Okada v White and most of the undercard was also very good. Great to see Sasha back as well."
eeko wrote on 05.01.2023:
[7.0] "enjoyed this for what it was, last three matches were all great and i am still devastated by the fact it was supposed to be Wato time but we were robbed! Mercedes debut didn't interest me but didn't really take anything off the show for me, NEVER title match sucked but what can we expect from Tama Tonga & Karl Anderson! loved the new japan rambo for all the stupid shenanigans it had and both tag title matches were good but albeit a bit short (would've really loved if the Jr tag match was a little longer as i love Francesco Akira) Omega vs Ospreay was great considering 4-5 years ago i hated them both, i loved this. main event was good but it is kinda hard to top the match before it, but it was still a great match. Jr title match broke my heart with all the Wato nearfalls but i'm totally fine with Hiromu winning as he's still very cool. Muto tag match was good for what it was i liked that Umino got the pin but i definitely prefer Narita to him lol. that match was amazing though and probably the most underrated match ZSJ vs Narita man i loved that shit, the ending was good too with the quick submission win but man i wish we got to see Rens finisher again it's so cool. Overall i enjoyed this show, went by sort of fast and there was only match i disliked."
homunculus wrote on 05.01.2023:
[9.0] "I had a very hard time deciding on a rating for this show. On one hand, it had one of the greatest and most brutal matches I've ever seen with Ospreay vs Omega, and the very exciting debut of Mercedes. On the other hand, Karl Anderson stinks and they only gave Kairi and Tam Nakano 5 minutes. It only feels right to give this a 9."
QueenOfWrestling wrote on 05.01.2023:
[8.0] "Decent show with 3 good matches, and one all time classic with Ospreay vs Omega. Despite the inconsistent quality I believe this show is worth watching, but if you don't have time for the whole show. Watch Ospreay vs Omega and White vs Okada"
cmchamp wrote on 05.01.2023:
[5.0] "They booked every undercard match to be 10 minutes long LMFAO and nothing you haven't already seen 320490293402 times, a very wwe-esque one. The women's match was pretty disrespecting to stardom. 4way not as good as the one they did years ago and I think they better leave this stipulation to the american companies. Omega-Ospreay was a masterpiece until like 20-25 minutes, then it started the unnecessary part that brought the match down. Main event is the standard NJPW main event you can see in every ppv. The worst thing to me is, I don't know why, It didn't feel like WK. Uninspired."
MaveDeltzer wrote on 05.01.2023:
[7.0] "This reminded me a bit of Wrestle Kingdom 13 in that many of the matches felt rushed. On the plus side, that meant more time for the top two matches which I think both delivered. There was a pretty common pattern in the undercard singles matches. The wrestlers would hit big moves to justify the short duration of the matches but then not be able to sell those big moves because they were pressed for time. There were issues like that with the tag matches as well but at least you could have more action and get away with it while one or two guys sell. Kairi vs Tam Nakano was especially disappointing because the post match seemed to be added on to their allotted time. The rambo also completely sucked and some of the other matches which had greater potential (FTR vs Bishamon) felt rushed even if they were able to be decent matches. Even the four-way was a bit disappointing for me after their odd couple tag team match being one of my favourites from last year. Thank god for Jay vs Okada actually being quite good despite having a relatively weak build and Ospreay vs Omega being very good. I'm also interested in seeing Oleg Boltin develop."
eBento wrote on 05.01.2023:
[8.0] "This show was my first live WrestleKingdom event and it mostly didn't disappoint. I'm upset the womens match was comically short but the IWGP tag match, the NEVER Openweight match and ESPECIALLY that fucking INSANE IWGP US Match between Kenny Omega and Will Ospreay makes this show a very good one indeed."
MJC13 wrote on 04.01.2023:
[9.0] "Really great event. Most of the matches were good/great (but could've been ever better if given a bit more time - IWGP Jr Heavyweight tag title match, IWGP tag title match, Narita/Sabre Jr all could've used 2-3 more minutes). The four-way for the Jr Heavyweight title was also a really fun spot-fest with non-stop action. Ospreay/Omega was brilliant, one of the best matches I've seen and what really catapults this event to truly great. The main event was good for what it was, it was never going to outshine the previous match, and probably went on about 10 minutes too long (something a lot of Jay White's matches struggle with). Mercedes' debut and entrance was a great moment (sidenote: the presentation in the entrances, particularly for Omega/Ospreay were also great), even though some nerves may have played into the slight botch in her move and slight awkwardness in the promo. Only real downside to this event was KAIRI and Tam not getting nearly enough time, I was excited enough about the Mercedes debut afterwards but the match being so short did take away from the moment for me. Overall 8.5 (but round to 9)/10"
Roodolph wrote on 04.01.2023:
[6.0] "Interesting event but with only two really good matches. Before Ospreay vs Omega and White vs Okada there were nice or normal matches, nothing special. Bad minutes and unoriginal matches. Masterpiece match between Omega and Ospreay, cute main event, but please, no more Okada. Overall, positive show but I expected more"
JBWrestling wrote on 04.01.2023:
[8.0] "Wrestle Kingdom 17 was the biggest NJPW show in 3 years, and was carried by the last 3 matches. However, a problem with this show was the relegation of KENTA and Shingo to the pre show, as well as a lot of top stars being in the Keiji Muto final match. It was nice to see the crowd back in some capacity but the noise level was still lower than what I expected. The opening match was solid with a lot of high spots to try and wake up the crowd but it would have been nice if it were a few minutes longer. The IWGP Womens title match was too short for a Tokyo Dome singles match and was clearly built around Mercedes Mones debut, which was good. The IWGP Tag title match was decent and was good given the time they got. The NJPW World TV title was a solid singles match. I wish Narita won but still good and hard hitting. The NEVER Openweight title match was also a good match with a feel good moment provided by Tama's win. The Keiji Mutoh match was disappointing, both in the match quality as well as the fact that so many top stars were occupied in this match. It never felt like LIJ had a chance to win. The last three matches undoubtedly carried the show. The Jr. title match was a fun watch with a lot of great action and memorable moments. The finish did feel a little awkward to me for some reason. 4 very talented wrestlers, but the Jr. division is getting stale with Takahashi, Desperado, and Ishimori taking turns as champion for the last 3 years, save Robbie Eagle's run in 2021. Omega vs Ospreay was undoubtedly the match of the night and was simply a pro wrestling masterclass. My only complaint is that it didn't feel that back and forth towards the end, with each man taking turns being exclusively on offense for a few minutes each. Despite that, it was still an excellent 5 star match and MOTN. The main event was good but not at the standards we expect for the Tokyo Dome. There were a lot of great sequences throughout the match but in between them it was somewhat underwhelming. Okada winning was the right decision in this match but I'm ready for the IWGP title to move on from the constant Chaos vs. Bullet Club feuds. Shingo vs Okada will presumably be at Yokohama Arena or New Beginning and should be a good match. Overall, this show was carried by the last 3 matches and NJPW only partially delivered for its most important show since WK14. I also think NJPW should have continued the 2 night Wrestle Kingdom. NJPW packed way too many matches in, and despite that there were a lot of top stars missing from important matches. By spreading it out to two nights, theyre able to book all their top stars for Wrestle Kingdom and can give the matches the time they deserve. KENTA, Great-O-Khan, Naito, Jeff Cobb, Shingo, and Tanahashi are just a few names that should have been in bigger matches. I cant give this show higher than an 8 due to the weakness of the first 6 matches."
Kung wrote on 04.01.2023:
[10.0] "I'm still disappointed with what they did with the Women's Championship since it was KAIRI's first ever defense of the belt, but aside from that this show was a genuine delight to watch. I haven't loved a WK this much since 2020"
Wright15 wrote on 04.01.2023:
[9.0] "About half the matches on the main show could have been a few minutes longer (Nakano vs KAIRI should have been 10 minutes longer), but the opening tag was great, the four way was excellent, Omega vs Ospreay was an all-time classic, and Okada vs White was terrific. The biggest downside of the show, by far, was only giving the IWGP women's title match 5:47 in its first ever defense and then botching Mercedes's debut. But no show with two matches at the end like that has ever failed to be great."
KP wrote on 04.01.2023:
[8.0] "This will be remembered as the day Omega and Ospreay attempted to murder each other for the art of pro wrestling, for the future of NJPW. The show had an overall strong, celebratory feeling, being the Inoki tribute of course. Some regressive choices like the length of the women's match, which is disappointing. However this has a potential all time classic on the card. So it's going down in history no matter what. Recommended matches: Omega/Ospreay, ZSJ/Narita, FTR/Bishamon, Jr. 4 Way."
eltetechori wrote on 04.01.2023:
[9.0] "This event will always be remembered for Omega vs. Ospreay, but it was definitely a great PPV. The women's division is expanding now with Mercedes Mone and a lot of wrestling has been great."
damonjonescoat wrote on 04.01.2023:
[9.0] "Great show and a nice return to the feels that Wrestle Kingdom normally produces. Ospreay/Omega is an instant all-time classic"
BUIOOMEGA wrote on 04.01.2023:
[10.0] "Back to the old glorious feeling of WK in my opinion. Some killer matches here for sure, and some important things happened."
OMEGAOBSCURO wrote on 04.01.2023:
[9.0] "Really great event, even if it wasn't really that close to being "perfect", but the with great matches as those then I can't help but give "extra points"."
zombywoof88 wrote on 04.01.2023:
[9.0] "The best top to bottom Wrestle Kingdom in ages. Everything had a purpose, which you can't always say when it comes to big New Japan show, especially in the COVID years."
MainEventMaster wrote on 04.01.2023:
[10.0] "NEW JAPAN IS BACK, just about 6 hours of fun and worth while professional wrestling, hopefully this event got some people to open their eyes."
superdragon wrote on 04.01.2023:
[7.0] "Show was very mediocre. If it wasn't for Omega vs Ospreay this would be one of the bottom 5 Wrestle Kingdoms ever."
Logue38 wrote on 04.01.2023:
[7.0] "NJPW finally manages to put on a WK better than NOAH the New Year. The card is watchable from top to bottom, and that Omega match is incredible (but overrated). Love the Mutoh match."