Great-O-Khan vs. Shota Umino

[5.0] "Not as good as their last match at The New Beginning, unfortunately, which wasn't even that great in the first place. What's worse is that this being over twenty minutes didn't help things. At least Umino got the win this time around, as I do prefer him over Great-O-Khan."

[3.0] "I'm not quite sure what happened here. This whole match was slow and boring without any of the tension needed to sell the match. Maybe it's on me for not being into Umino or O-Khan's current booking directions, but this was just not it at all and verged on becoming dreadful."

[8.0] "I'm a high man for both Umino vs. O-Khan matches. I find their chemistry working really nicely and the story of their rivalry is actually very interesting. New Shooter bringing lariats and Second Chapter is intriguing, his old nemesis Oka is a good first opponent for this new character. ****"

[8.0] "I thought this match was actually very good even though I am in a small minority here. I didn't think the rhythm was too slow and there were plenty of high intensity moments, perhaps Umino's new finisher is less fitting than the Double Underhook DDT but this has nothing to do with the bout. ***3/4"

[3.0] "There's too many fuckin' Yujiros in New Japan right now. Sho is a Yujiro, so is Yoh. Sanada is a Yujiro. Yujiro is a Yujiro. O Khan has increasingly become a Yujiro since that good G1 run he had a few years ago and now Shota Umino is dangerously close to becoming a Yujiro. They're the guys who just turn up. I know it's early days for his new persona but this was the revenge match and the first big singles match back for Shota. Everything about it was uninspired and boring. It's the Sanada vs Evil moment for me, where Sanada showed that he is all he'll ever be despite our expectations that any day now he was going to snap and show a little fire. It's Yoh almost finally putting it together as a major player in the junior division and then devolving into an awful comedy character. Maybe there's a good long-term plan for the story but I have no interest in seeing Shota continue on like this. I'll give him the benefit of the doubt for the moment and just assume this match was misjudged and over-long, but this might be the least interesting way to come back and demonstrate a change of character."

[6.0] "While it seems like Shota Umino is still working out what exactly his new character is, this was a good initial step. While the match didn't blow me away, it demonstrated hints of what could develop. SINGLES RECORD: Shota Umino 2-1"

[6.0] "A pretty good match but not a great one. But, ultimately, this match is more about the story than anything else and this is only the beginning. After pushing himself to the limit against ZSJ at the Tokyo Dome and finding himself at the bottom of the mountain, Shota finds himself in a pit of despair, one which O-Khan used to embarrass Shota, causing Shota to shave his head in shame. Starting again, Young Lion style, here he is more calculated and intense than ever. Things move slowly, showing a new style from Umino but one which he is unsure of. As things picked up it is clear that Shota's new outlook is one which works. I am sure the ever so slightly darker side to him will only get more intense up until the final, at which point it will become clear that it isn't enough. Then we will really see the dark side of Umino. Just be patient. It'll come."

[4.0] "At least he won. I still believe Shota to turn it up especially with this new character. Match, I could care less. Okhan is another guy just like Evil, this company needs to let go. They suck. I find it ironic for Callum to speack down on Shota (kayfabe) when too is a wanna be Ospreay."

[7.0] "Hard to rate...while the first 15 minutes were boring and slow, the last minutes were nice and cool. Shota's mimics are more cold and heelish now. New attire with the white as I think an innocent sign. His new finisher is also nice but needs to be better and harder executed. Shota advances, O-Khan is fucking boring. ***1/2"

[7.0] "Count me in on whatever the hell's going on with Shota. This had good, slugging heat, feeling like they were really battling in the New Japan Cup. Shota's lariat looked completely insane."

[2.0] "That was bad--it was slow, with no rhythm. I understand the drama and tension in the match, but despite that, I was completely disconnected. Visually, Shota has lost everything--charisma, aura, and in-ring talent. Honestly, I was bored from start to finish."

[6.0] "What exactly are we going for here with the new look Umino? Same music, same firey babyface approach, mostly same moveset (new finisher), but now bald? I'm not seeing it. This match felt like an hour long as we went through the motions. It ended up being fine and getting Umino's win back, but this wasn't main event worthy. ***"

[5.0] "As interesting as it is to see a new 'focus' (and potentially new character) out of Shota Umino, this was overlong, slow paced and lacking any real intensity. The crowd was almost silent throughout and to top it off, the result of Umino's character is seeing him show no emotion, removing another element that could have made this a little more engaging."

[7.0] "I might be the minority on this, but I cannot take bald Shota seriously. However with how intense and more focused he is, that's what's making me take him seriously. The match was alright, nothing special. It did end a bit abruptly, but at least he has is own finisher now."

[7.0] "Solid main event. Umino looks great bald, honestly. It works with his head shape. I thought GOK was gonna win this one."

[6.0] "Shota looks way better with a shaved head. This match is all about Shota, really, and how he comes back from his slump. The story is still ongoing, but he's showing more anger and fire than we've ever seen from him before, which is a hopeful sign. I have nothing to really criticise him for in this match other than some bad forearms, but they looked better than usual. He sold pretty well, but we'll have to see if he's improved at limb selling in future matches where they're targeted. As for O-Khan, he was good but unremarkable, match was decent overall."

[7.0] "I feel like this match will be overly hated for what it actually was, which was a solid if slightly sluggish main event match. Great-O-Khan continues his run of solid to good matches from 2024 and really sold the idea that he could do the double over Shota. In the end though, it is the "new" Shota that gets the win and advances. The clean shaven, almost blank canvas babyface look is definitely a new direction, and his moveset being a slower, more methodical version of his original one definitely helped sell that new direction. Whether or not it works in the future is up for debate, but so far, a solid enough start."