[5.0] "Why do David Finlay's matches have the most fucked up pacing ever? I mean that in a bad way. He starts off this match with some heel work, then starts focusing on YOSHI's back a little, then he has a sequence where his shoulder is targeted by YOSHI-HASHI, then they just do back-and-forth moves and strikes until the end of the match. Why? There's a bit of cool stuff that YOSHI does in this match so it gets a halfway rating but christ."
[4.0] "Not a bad match but I can't say I got any kind of really good vibe off it or anything. David Finlay reminds me of Jay White in that I feel like there is a lot of overthinking going on and what he actually does leaves me cold. Nice to see YOSHI get some positive attention even in a loss I suppose but I'm not like super behind him either. Felt like pretty much what you would picture this match to be on paper, at least to me, and that's just not a super exciting prospect. I'm missing something I guess, no worries."
[8.0] "Wild to see this the most liked and highest rated match on ANY card. Yoshi Hashi has found himself after 15 years of wondering around and being the biggest journeyman in new japa history. It is very serviceable and I appreciate the work both guys put in, people seem to finally be realizing what I've figured for about a year now that David Finaly is great and spoiling the feel-good stories of his opponents. It makes sense that it took a guy no one thought could ever win even if it would have been cool to see in Yoshi Hashi, but finally, David Finaly might now be crowned the biggest bad guy in current new Japan."
[8.0] "Fantastic match between two underrated members of the New Japan roster. I've been critical David Finaly's role as Bullet Club's leader, and I still think he's miscast somewhat, but I can't deny that his heel work is phenomenal and helped me get way more invested in YOSHI-HASHI as the underdog face here than I would have otherwise."
[9.0] "Another prime example of how much of a dangerous heel David Finlay has become and how great a singles competitor YOSHI-HASHI has become. The crowd was engaged with them all the way through."
[8.0] "This slapped. YOSHI-HASHI really is such a reliable singles wrestler now and can step up in the big spots, which blows my mind to say given a few years ago he was almost unbearably boring to watch. I'm no Finlay fan but he really stepped up too here. He's distanced himself from the wild War Dogs style and is more of a Jay White style work rate heel now which is working better for him. This wasn't anything mind blowing but they really put together a solid match that had enough drama and impactful work to keep you engaged throughout. ****1/4"
[8.0] "This was a really solid wrestling match all around, they went through all their usual tropes but still they kept it interesting throughout and both worked well as charachters. Perhaps this one didn't feature breathtaking drama but that doesn't match that it weren't stone cold solid. ****"
[8.0] "This was a really solid brawl and highlighted YOSHI-HASHI as a competent worker who can go if needed. While the first stretch of outside brawling was good, the last 10 minutes in the ring were really excellent and made for a very exciting and tense matchup. YH is not the guy, and never will be, but he did a good job of being an underdog you wanted to root for and Finlay did a great job as his foil. There were some great near-falls and I truly believed YH could do it at points before Finlay did the inevitable by hitting the Overkill and getting the three count. A really good matchup which I would recommend seeking out."
[9.0] "This was my match of the night. Loved seeing Yoshi Hashi get the opportunity. Missed him in the G1 this year, as he's such a great under dog fighter that can cause upsets. Finlay has really grown into the main event and is doing great as Global champ. Loved this fight, plenty of history in it too"
[6.0] "I'm guessing there's slim pickings in NJ just now if this is getting so much love. First half saw plenty of high impact moments involving the ramp, apron, barriers & post - all of which went nowhere and generated zero heat (if you're getting polite applause as a heel, you ain't doing your job). Back inside, they relied heavily on overcomplicated counters and no-sell turn taking. Crowd came alive for the final few minutes and there were some decent finish teases, but whatever ***1/4"
[8.0] "[3.75*] This is the first NJPW match I am watching since the end of the G1. I chose this one because Finlay has been one of their most consistent guys this year and Yoshi-Hashi did a phenomenal match against Ishii that I loved, so I expected good things out of this match. It was not beautiful all the times, there were some sloppy moments and the executions were not perfect all the time, but this match had a lot of creativity and the progression until the ending stretch was just great. Their chemistry was awesome and the sequence ending with the Stunner looked amazing. We had a lot of great nearfalls that set the crowd on fire until Finlay finally won. I did not even have to watch the Main Event to know that this one was miles better lmao."
[6.0] "NJPW matches are almost always in the finale for me and these guys delivered a pretty good climax that could've used some tightening up but overall was very engaging. The opening tale of the match was what was distracting me. Obviously a big plot point here in YOSH-HASHI eating shit into the rings supporting beam and David Finlay as the good heel he is using that as mind games. Great in concept but rough as guts in execution. Not only was it super early in the match but it didn't end up looking great either. The big running dropkick looked held back and Finlay's comedy roll down the ramp was an eye roller. This being the build up to the support beam spot which also didn't look impactful either took me out of the match. I understand these spots are tough to sell but there were guard rail and ring post spots that followed which looked infinitely better. This match to me could've significantly improved by stripping the match of its goofy first half. Maybe Titius O'Neil can be next up for the IWGP Global Heavyweight championship"
[4.0] "Okay...what am I not seeing here? This was mostly wasting time as in most David Finlay matches, an absolutely not deserve "Wounded warriors" Forearm exchange and just random moves with no rhyme or reason in the final minutes. The only thing noteworthy in this match was the very smooth counter into the Stunner, that looked really great. But besides that just very boring."
[9.0] "Please everyone..watch this! And give a round of applause to YOSHI. He is a really good wrestler. After this match no one should doubt him anymore. Give me Shingo vs. YOSHI for the NEVER title. So exciting..I didnt felt that in a long time. David also such an amazing wrestler. But YOSHI was the star here. He was so so close. The Karma attempt multiple times got me so hooked. Awesome match. ****1/2"
[9.0] "What a match. I see people doubting Finlay and Yoshi as singles stars, but they know how to tear the house down when they want to. Both get underestimated a lot, yet they prove time and time again that they're great workers. The call back's to Yoshi taking the trip 8 years prior was a fun call back with Yoshi turning the intensity up a notch. They made me believe that Yoshi could win it on multiple occasions, especially with the submission spot. The closing stretch was great and finish was simple yet effective. Great match."
[8.0] "Didn't think YH was the right choice for a challenger given he wasn't in the G1, but he proved me wrong. The closing stretch was the classic NJPW finish-for-finish. YH did good moves, a good submission, and a good dive. Still, I'm more excited for Finlay vs Goto."
[7.0] "Thought this was pretty good, simple heel babyface dynamic, and nothing too crazy that would've ruined it. Start was a bit slow though, and ending could've slowed a bit too. Loved finaly, he was a great stooge. 3.5 or so Stars."
[9.0] "Easily the best match on the card which was another pleasant surprise. Finlay has improved heavily over the course of this year and I'm glad to see it. MOTN easily."
[10.0] "I really loved this. Started off slow but built up perfectly. The crowd got firmly behind YOSHI-HASHI by the end of it and the near falls for him had me on the edge of my seat. I really thought the Headhunter was going to take it at various points. Both guys get a lot of flack but deserve so much more. They are putting on the best in-ring work of their careers right now. Hoping that YH gets a shot at holding the NEVER title at some point."
[9.0] "Great match and another good one for David Finlay, who has been on one hell of a run for the past few months now. YH is consistent and showed it here. He deserved this opportunity a long time ago and finally got it. Good stuff"
[8.0] "This was great, especially the closing stretch. Both guys were pulling out everything they could from their arsenal to try to end it and I really wasn't sure how things were going to go. Finlay has a lot of critics that I don't really understand, but I hope this performance quiets them down. Really awesome match."
[8.0] "I like Finlay and Yoshi and think they are solid wrestlers, not really understanding the disdain. This was a very good match that got the crowd. Hard hitting, good transitions, cool spots and good back and forth drama. ."
[8.0] "This match was genuinely good. I was heading into this match thinking it was gonna be bad - I expected YOSHI-HASHI to be kinda bad in these sorts of singles matches. He doesn't necessarily seem like he'd be a good fit for title matches. And David Finlay.... well, he's David Finlay. Not setting the world on fire or anything like that. However, this was probably my MOTN. It was surprisingly good - Finlay has some strange chemistry with people. Can't get good matches out of top guys but can get a great match out of YOSHI-HASHI of all people. I think my favourite spot of the match was the Karma counter into the stunner. For a decent stretch of this match I thought they were actually going to give the belt to YH. However, I still hope that Goto kills Finlay for the Global belt and actually does something with it."
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