Jay White vs. Kota Ibushi

[8.0] "This was a good match. I liked how White targeted Ibushi's left leg. There were other good moments too."

[10.0] "Let's be clear from the start: Jay White is not a workrate technician in the vein of his Bullet Club predecessors, AJ Styles or Kenny Omega. His style is more akin to a supercharged Cody Rhodes--methodical, sometimes plodding in the early and middle stages, relying on a repetitive sequence of moves and textbook heel work to control the tempo. Jay's brilliance is almost exclusively reserved for the final 5-10 minutes. It's there that he unleashes his full arsenal--the Kiwi Crusher, spinning uranage, sleeper suplex, and his inescapable finisher, the Blade Runner--engaging in a masterful game of chess where every counter matters. This makes him a "live event" wrestler; his matches often feel less thrilling on replay, as his artistry lies in the slow, real-time grind. He needs a solid 30-minute war to truly showcase his peak form. This is precisely why opponents like Kota Ibushi (and Kazuchika Okada) are perfect for him. Ibushi, in particular, is his ultimate dance partner. The man's monstrous stamina and frenetic, violent pace are the perfect antidote to Jay's potential for monotony. Sections that would otherwise drag become compelling under the barrage of Ibushi's terrifying strikes. Looking at Ibushi's classic rivalries: Kenny Omega and Tetsuya Naito are geniuses who can soar with him, creating epic, high-flying spectacles. Shinsuke Nakamura and Tomohiro Ishii are masters who can harness his fury with impeccable pacing. Jay White, however, operates more like Hiroshi Tanahashi. They don't need to match Ibushi's style. As fellow masters of controlled tempo, they provide a stable foundation. Ibushi is free to unleash his full, unbridled genius, while Jay coolly retaliates in his unique way, acting like a cooling system for a hyper-powered engine. Furthermore, Ibushi's freakish athleticism allows him to pull off impossible counters deep into the match, which fits seamlessly into Jay's preferred climax structure. So, while Jay White might not be Kota Ibushi's greatest opponent, there is no doubt that Kota Ibushi is the best possible opponent for Jay White."

[10.0] "It's been 6 years since the last time I watched this fight and oh boy I missed it. Prior to this final, I wasn't convinced about Jay White as the future of pro wrestling. Sure he was good but I didn't thought he was THAT good. In this beautiful summer of 2019, I changed my mind. It was the first time I surprised myself being more hyped about Jay White than his opponent (and it's F'n Kota Ibushi). This is the performance of a lifetime for Switchblade. After this, critics about his workrate were just bad faith or ignorance. Against him, the Golden Star Kota Ibushi, cheered by every one in the Tokyo Dome that night. Of course putting a good match against Ibushi isn't a miracle but when you're better than him, it tells a lot about your skills. White knew that his only way to shine was to play the card of counter-attack and give Ibushi huge shots when he did drop his guard. Then, it is 30 minutes of greatness. I had distinct memories of this fight and I'm glad that I finally watched it again. I'm not sure I would give it a 5* rating BUT it is at least a 4 3/4*."

[10.0] "[4.75*] This Jay White performance is Top 5 Individual performances I have ever seen in my life. He was literally perfect there, in every single attribute. The heat starts before even the beginning of the match when all the Bullet Club except for Gedo are ordered to leave the ringside, which caused a huge pop. Then when the bell rang, Gedo pulled Ibushis legs and was expelled too. At this point the match already had a big fight feel, with the crowd electric for Kota and Jay by his own. The first half of the match had excellent limb-work, with Jay targeting Ibushis most important weapon: his leg. Ibushi was selling it pretty well and went for the moonsault with just the other leg, for example. At the middle, a very well executed ref bump let Gedo go back to the ring and White applied his TTO, but Ibushi was able to reach the ropes (the crowd erupted). At the ending Ibushi went full Murder mode, as said by the commentators, and he literally forgot to sell his leg. However, my interpretation of this Murder Ibushi thing was like a Hulking Up stuff, so it would me more fine to stop selling his leg like a super hero, something that clearly worked with the crowd. The last 6 minutes after the 25-min mark were GOD TIER, with perfectly executed sequences and reversals + absurd nearfalls. 9.40 is actually underrated for it using the 2024 scale, where Ospreay vs Takeshita has more than that, for example. The only possible problem here is the selling from Ibushi, which is interpretable, but Jay was just completely perfect. OBS: The Bomaye/Kinshasa from Ibushi popped me so fucking much, incredible homage to Shinsuke Nakamura. EDIT: I just rewatched it in the middle of an Ibushi watch party with my friends and I'm not going to delete my previous comment but now that I know more about his style and the Murder Ibushi character change, I take away my criticism of his selling. To be honest, this was his best selling job until now, even better than the Tana G1 Finals imo. He wrestled very smartly alongside Jay White and NEVER forgot to sell until he reached his inner peak persona and went completely badass mode. This might turn into a 5-Star soon, just an unbelievably fucking fantastic bout."

[10.0] "Everyone who likes pro wrestling or at least knows a bit about it understands that Kota Ibushi is a fucking monster, alright? He can execute things like no one can, and he does all of this like, perfectly. He almost don't make mistakes, and this is really incredible, He can do a lot of things in ring, and normally his execution is outstanding. However, there's one little problem about it, especially in that match. The guy he's facing, Jay White, is also wonderful at the ring, however, he NEED to control the match. He's the heel, a tradicional one, like he shows over and over here. Two guys, and both of them need to carry the match...how can we solve that? Simple, do exactly what NJPW did. First, you need to get the crowd engaged to the match, and how can you do that? Simple, you need to put some effort into the storytelling work...Jay White focusing in Kota Ibushi's leg...the entire Bullet Club going out of the ring, except Gedo (That comes up later lol)...the referee ending up knocked in the ring, making Gedo return and cheat for Jay White, almost finishing the match with that...A FUCKING SHINSUKE NAKAMURA REFERENCE MADE BY KOTA IBUSHI, ONE OF HIS GREAT RIVALS EVER! Second, you need to make both wrestlers execute everything perfectly. The selling needs to be perfect by Ibushi. The timing needs to be perfect by White. The bumps need to be perfect for both. And the last one, you need to make everything unpredictable. And...it was! This is a five stars match for me, and these guys are fucking awesome."

[9.0] "A few awkward spots with the run ins, like it feels silly to watch at sometimes truly, and also the finish isn't that great purely because it feels like Ibushi hits like 8 finishers and Jay kinda just doesn't get anything else but every else is peaches."

[9.0] "Very good match, maybe the best singles performance from Jay White ever, he was great here, I loved the limb work he did on Ibushi, great expressions too... I believe the last 5 minutes are probably one of the best and most thrilling I've ever watched, that was unreal, the atmosphere was wild. Unfortunately I can't give it a perfect rating because of some inconsistencies, specially on Ibushi's selling, and also the ref bump and interferences by Gedo, that didn't came close to ruin the match but it's always an uncomfortable moment. But that's tiny details, the match was spectacular, a true big match. Switchblade waking up assassin mode on Ibushi and Ibushi's references to Nakamura were all all-timer moments - {****1/2}"

[8.0] "Ibushi's inconsistent selling of his leg doesn't really undermine that match all that much, as this match's stakes help keep you hooked even through the slower moments of the match. White is a complete chickenshit throughout the match, which is both hilarious and captivating the whole time, while Ibsuhi is the perfect foil. It's a fitting end to a tournament overshadowed by the previous 2-3 G1s. 4.25 Stars."

[9.0] "A really great match that while doesnt match up to some of ibushi best work its still a damn good match and one that showcases Jay white at his best. His heel work here is good and targeting of ibushi ankle/leg is good although it doesnt really play into the finish and ibushi doesnt do a good job at selling it through the match so it does end up feeling pretty pointless. Nonetheless a real good match with lots of drama and great nearfalls. 4.25/5"

[8.0] "A very good match throughout, but especially in the final minutes. Jay White does such great heel work and it was a perfect match for babyface Ibushi, and the in-ring work by both men was of course great; probably the best White has been in the matches I've watched from him so far. Loved how Red Shoes laid down the law and booted Bullet Club at the very start of the mathc, which did a good job of building some heat and advancing the face v. heel storyline..."

[10.0] "An outstanding match: White's methodical work on Ibushi's leg is absolutely awesome to watch. I especially loved the fact that whenever he was danger he attacked the leg again. The ref bump and chair spot were abslutely brillant. His selling and heel work were also top notch. Ibushi's selling was inconsistent but his comebacks were really good and his offense looked awesome. The crowd was red-hot throughout the entire match and the action was stunning and thrilling. The counter game was mind-blowing and the smoothness of the excecution of certain exchanges and sequences is super impressive. The closing stretch will go down in the history of this sport, even years later and knowing the outcome everytime it still gets me on the edge of my seat. A masterpiece that (for me) doesn't get talked about enough. 10/10 - 5*/5*"

[10.0] "This match is a gem. Big solid storytelling with lots of drama throughout. A well-used ref bump. Great moves with Ibushi paying homage to Shinsuke Nakamura. The last 5 minutes, and even before, are crazy. Beautiful finish with lots of emotion. It's the big heel facing the big babyface. (5*)"

[10.0] "The first half of this match was great, but the second half was even better. Both men played their parts to perfection here, White being the cowardly heel, and Ibushi being the courageous, unwavering babyface. White absolutely destroyed Ibushi's ankle in this match, and I'd be lying if it didn't make for a damn compelling watch, White was also an incredibly entertaining heel here, providing the perfect foil to Ibushi's opposite personality. And while Ibushi's selling of his injured ankle was inconsistent at times and broke my immersion ever so slightly, and this match could've benefitted from a bit less of Gedo's antics, the action was fantastic, the big spots, despite them being few and far between were still terrific, and I'd be lying if I said that the action didn't keep me entertained all the way from beginning to end. All criticisms aside, I freaking loved this match. *****1/4"

[10.0] "Amazing match. Going into this match, I knew it would be good but I didn't think that it would be this amazing. White and Ibushi gave a stellar perfor. I was amazed by how much Jay has improved since his return. I loved how he wrestled, it was so old school and fluid. His counter wrestling was very good and I liked how everytime he was in a bad spot, he went after the leg. Ibushi sold beautifully for White and details on the leg was amazing. Midway White began his Bullet Club shenanigans which I thought would ruined the match if White tapped out Ibushi there and then with the TTO but luckily it wasn't over and that interference by Gedo just added drama to the match. Ibushi won and I am happy to be wrong as this was so mich more than I expected. I knew Jay was good but he proved here he could be an all time great in the future. One of the best G1 Climax Finals. *****"

[9.0] "There's a clear difference between both men that you can see when they made their entrances, with Jay arriving with the BC, and Ibushi who arrived on his own. Very early on in this, Jay White made his goal of this match obvious, by going after Ibushi's leg. Jay White's leg work over the course of this match was fantastic, as he methodically would constantly go back to working over Ibushi's leg in order to limit how effective his offense could be. His selling during the last two minutes or so is non-existent, I'm pretty low on Ibushi's selling overall but overall he was pretty damn good at making his bad leg limit his offense. A good example of Jay White's work affecting Ibushi's offense would be when Ibushi goes for a Frankensteiner in this and when he hits it he doesn't really get all of it. Ibushi would fight tooth and nail all match to overcome his bad leg injury. Everything Jay White did here was fantastic, his offense, his trash talking, selling, and facial expressions were on point all match long. Gedo's interference worked greatly here, and you could really feel the tension pick up whenever he got involved. The final third of this was fantastic, with my favorite moment being when Ibushi and White get into a slap contest and Ibushi knocks White cold with one slap. After some more amazing counters, Ibushi hit 2 Kamigoyes to win. This is a proper final with excellent in-ring action and enough drama to bout.****3/4"

[10.0] "This two men pulled up a fantastic match but unfortunately Ibushi didn't sell his leg again. White was the hell gaijin ready to do anything to get the win and the Golden Star was your normal japanese babyface. The action was very good as you can axpect and this match would have been perfect if Kota had showed a bit of pain for his leg. ****3/4"

[10.0] "About as perfect of a match as you can get. Tremendous story, great in-ring action two of the best in the business giving it all. It deserves all the praise and accolades it has received."

[9.0] "An incredible match that deserves every ounce of the praise it has received. Kota Ibushi gives the best selling performance of his career as Jay White mercilessly works over the ankle that was already injured going into the tournament, let alone the match. White was tremendous with his mannerisms and counters, per usual, with a performance that helped elevate him even further than he had already climbed in his short NJPW tenure. Ibushi, meanwhile, showed why he is what Kevin Kelly described him as, which is a unique athlete. The ability to internalize pain has been the constant throughout the career of Ibushi, and this performance was a peak example of that. Not only in the moments in which he pushed the pain beneath the surface, but when he had to adjust. Hitting the one-legged Middle-Rope Moonsault. Protecting his leg on a Snap Suplex, a Vertical Suplex, and a Superplex. Throwing a weak Kamigoye and V-Trigger that acted as glancing blows due to the inability to generate enough strength in his plant foot. Even the sell when he finally connected with the Kamigoye the way he wanted to was great. And the Murderbushi spot ranks among the best he has ever pulled out. From start to finish, this was fun and fantastic blend of Strong Style and WWF shenanigans that enabled one of the hottest crowds in G1 history to help elevate this match and story even higher. 4.75 stars, 9.5 out of 10. An all-time G1 final!"

[9.0] "Maybe tied as my favourite Jay White match along with their WK15 match, pretty much everything about the story heading into this was done perfectly with White feeling like the most despised wrestler in the world, but these two also genuinely have inexplicably good chemistry together in the ring, this was amazing on a rewatch."

[9.0] "An absolutely fantastic G1 Finals. Just magnificent work from Jay White who gave Kota Ibushi so, so much, making himself look like a complete bastard but also a sucka... I'm specifically talking about the slap spot. You know. The Bullet Club shenanigans were kept to a minimum, and of course Ibushi winning was incredible. ****3/4"

[9.0] "Yet another in the line of fantastic Ibushi G1 finals. Jay did a great job working over Ibushi's leg and Ibushi did an okay job selling that leg for the majority of the match. Though he kinda gave up selling the leg in the last five minutes. I didn't mind the Bullet Club interference as much as I usually do."

[10.0] "One of the best G1 Finals of all time and Jay White's best ever match. Him and Ibushi have awesome chemistry. *****+"

[7.0] "This certainly had good elements to it but I didn't think it was great. Clearly the crowd was hugely engaged so you can't fault it too much, but I do think there are seeds here of why NJPW is currently not very acclaimed. The match feels longer than it needs to be, the Bullet Club interference and cheating feels tired (to me), all the considerable leg work on Ibushi is blown off, and I just don't get Jay White, like, to counter a Bomaye he just falls face down on the mat, and Ibushi looks at him like this is a brilliant counter' Just kick him in the head, dude, it's not magic. Certainly some very impressive sequences, but for me this did not live up to the hype."

[9.0] "What a match! One of my personal favorite matches of 2019, Jay is such a fantastic heel, this is undoubtedly the best match in his career, and Ibushi's work is great as always. I really liked the dynamic these two had, Jay White plays into his cocky, cheat-to-win character magically, he's a great heel. This was the perfect build for their WK15 match, which also delivered, though I'd say this is the better of the two, mainly because of the crowd. The one takeaway is the reliance on Gedo, but I think this is a better usage of him."

[8.0] "Gripping, thrilling, dramatic - Those are the best words I can use to describe this. This is an energising contest. So many moves I could just watch multiple times. The whole match, bell to bell, is really exciting. 8/10, right next to a 9."

[10.0] "My favorite match of all time. Partly because I had just started watching NJPW around this time and this was so unlike anything I had ever seen before. It had such a big-time feel to it straight from the outset with Ibushi heading to the ring facing the entire Bullet Club as a lone man. Immediately gave the match the feeling of "I want this guy to win so bad but I have no idea how he'll pull it off. " These two have such great chemistry in the ring and are one of my favorite match-up's in the entire promotion. Jay is such a satisfying wrestler to see get his ass kicked and Ibushi is so satisfying to watch kick ass. Defining match for both of these guys."

[10.0] "This is definitely the best Jay White match I've seen. It was a nice touch getting the Bullet Club out of the way right away, closely followed by Gedo, making you think this would be just 1-on-1. White does his usual heel tactics and works on Ibushi's injured ankle right away, which tells most of the early story. However, eventually White's tactics turn to Ibushi's head and neck as he hits a number of sleeper suplexes. And just when you thought you wouldn't see Gedo again, there's a ref bump and here comes that little creep. They focus a chair on Ibushi's injured leg, but eventually Ibushi kicks Gedo's head off only for White to hit another sleeper suplex right as Red Shoes is coming to. However, that couldn't put away Ibushi, nor could a Bladerunner. Business has really picked up by this point, and Ibushi adds to the drama by hitting his rarely successful German suplex from the ropes. White is reeling and does everything he can to avoid being put away as they trade near finishers before Ibushi hits a couple of Kamigoyes and still White kicked out! However, one more Komigoye and Ibushi gets the 3-count to win his first G1. A fitting final match to a sensational tournament. It was the perfect setup with the top heel taking on the Golden Boy and seeming heir apparent to Okada whom he will now face on NJPW's biggest stage. *****"

[10.0] "Pure magic. Ibushi is a just incredible and the way he moves in a ring is really enigmatic. Jay White levels this match with his cocky demeanour, brash manoeuvres and obviosly having Gedo on the side lines helps. I just love absolutely everything about this match and that deadlift avalanche German Ibushi does always strikes me. Just a really well thought and well executed match. The leg work from White was incredibly creative and got under the skin of the crowd. If wrestling is about reactions this match is one of the true greats. Nothing negative, everything positive. This is my 9th favourite match of all time. Just a great watch that got better as it endured. Watch it, watch it, watch it. *****3/4"

[8.0] "Not the prototypical NJPW main event, but it really struck a chord with the audience from an emotional standpoint... the Bullet Club interference isn't really to my taste, but it got the crowd ridiculously behind Ibushi. Not a classic, but a spectacle that felt big and important to match the setting. (****1/4)"

[7.0] "Have you seen a New Japan Epic Style Main Event? If yes, then you have seen it and you know exactly how it goes. No storyline, but good in-ring storytelling, big moves, a bit of no-selling and forced drama. Yeah, it's still good, obviously, I'm still giving it a good rating, but that's more to do with Jay White being a great heel, mocking Kota and enjoying inflicting pain to him more than anything. ***1/2."

[10.0] "Apart from a couple of Ibushi's unconvincing selling moments, it was perfect. Anyway, I cannot rate it in another way."

[10.0] "Of all these matches that have been given a rating of better than the best 5+stars, this match is among the best. It really is better than the best. Through everything in the match, it truly felt like a battle. A fight that I was invested in from start to finish. Both men went the distance and beat each other down until there was nothing left to give. This is the best Jay White has ever looked and It makes the match more special to consider it his absolute best match. This was also one of the best showings I've seen from Ibushi in a while and I saw real passion in this. Through and through this was a classic that should be looked back on as an all time great in pro wrestling. that is all."

"Jay White's journey to becoming one of the best in the world truly starts with this match. He ruled before this, but it felt like there was one or two things missing, and he just needed to put them together and the rest would come. It not only happens here, but this rat bastard decides he wants the crown here and now, and no one can fucking stop him. He's SO good in this role, and with Kota on the other side its a perfect storm a match. Truly one for the ages, and one I'll always come back to *****"

[9.0] "Very good final match of this year's G1. Maybe Jay White isn't the best choice to enter the final but he didn't hold back the match. And the conventional hell style was good. (*****)"

[10.0] "If this doesn't prove to people why Jay White deserves his spot in New Japan then I don't know what will. The leadup to this only adds to the clash here: This is Ibushi's shot at redemption after falling to the Ace last year. Ibushi's the clean-cut babyface and White is the perfect opposite to him - a crafty heel who'll do whatever is needed to win, now with Gedo and The Bullet Club by his side. Red Shoes kicks out The Bullet Club from ringside and Ibushi makes the first move with devastating kicks to set the tone. The crowd was extra hot for this clash and they made that fact well-known. White is like a surgeon in his offense, targeting Ibushi's leg constantly in an effort to immobilise a key part of his arsenal. Is there anyone better at what he does today? Ibushi sells hard for the man, making White's subtle brute offense have that much more impact. The ref bump and Gedo's run-in is some textbook work that adds even more to the story being told here. Ibushi's determination shines through with more terrific kicks and knees. Their slap contest was awesome, acting as a conscious response to Ibushi/Tanahashi the year prior as Ibushi swats Switchblade down before he has time to breathe. When White hits the Blade Runner, you can feel people's hearts drop. White tries to capitalize with another, but in a blistering sequence of counters and stiff moves Ibushi nails him with 2 Kamigoye's to finally win his first G1 Climax. *****"

[10.0] "Dang did Ibushi carry this match. I enjoyed the hell outta his performance but Whites not so much. However, White is a great wrestler and one hell of a heel, his wrestling just doesn? t have that special touch to it like other NJPW stars. But Ibushi selling his leg and overcoming it was perfect storytelling. He can have a great match with anyone. Plus him overcoming Gedos interference was awesome too. NJPW tells the best stories in wrestling and that? s why they? re the best! I was so glad to see Ibushi finally win the G1 which was long overdue! ****"

[10.0] "The G1 Climax 29 final delivered in spades. I'm not sure what i expected when i saw White/Ibushi as the final, but i didn't expect an all time classic. Everything about this match is incredible. The storytelling and booking is sublime. This was one year after Ibushi's devastating loss to Tanahashi in the G1 Climax 28 final, and he finally gets another opportunity to achieve his dream. Ibushi is the perfect babyface. It's impossible to not want to see him win. White is the perfect slimy heel who's been on a roll in the G1 with the help of his boss Gedo. The entrances were a sight to behold. White came out with the entire gang. The whole Bullet Club by his side. While Ibushi came out by himself, looking into the ring with the odds stacked against him. It's a classic heel/face dynamic which is a rarity in G1 finals. The tension was off the charts with Red Shoes kicking out the BC early on. Once the action started it didn't stop. There's no dull moments or any wasted movements. They were always building to something. The psychology was terrific with White attacking Ibushi's injured leg in amazing fashion. Ibushi's selling wasn't perfect, but really good. White's work on top can't be praised enough. The trash talk, facial expressions, mannerisms, all of it was brilliantly done. The Gedo run-in was done tremendously as well. Gedo interfered all tournament long it felt special here because it added one extra layer to the story. Another outstanding spot was when White triggered Ibushi into his kill zone. No one does it like Ibushi. The finishing stretch is stellar. Maybe the best of the year next to Tana/Omega. White busted out some nasty suplexes and power moves, and Ibushi had this one spot where he no sold a suplex and delivered two awesome Bomaye's. Ibushi using two Kamigoye's to win felt right on this occasion. Everything clicked. The atmosphere, the story, the crowd, the action. It's an NJPW classic. (*****+)"

[8.0] "8. 6/10 - Best of G129 : Another solid great bout. Unlike last year, the finals was not an all-time classic this time, but that's kind of been the entirety of 2019 NJPW vs 2018 NJPW so far. Still, let's not fuck this match over by unfair comparisons. When evaluated on its own, it was a damn great match. Big match feel, clearly-defined well-executed story, crisp wrestling and a few OMG spots for good measure. Kota vs Jay was a banger."

[10.0] "Not on par with the previous G1 finals, but still gets a 10 because this match was actually phenomenal. The start to the match was pretty creative with the whole Bullet Club thing. Jay working on Ibushi's leg was obvious here, and I loved his heel work. The only flaw in the match was Ibushi's selling for the reverse figure four submission, it should have been better 'cause he had an injured ankle. But other than that the match was all perfect. Jay gave the performance of his life, and I should probably stop doubting him. ****3/4"

[10.0] "Amazing match. Jay White has improved as both a wrestler and heel character by leaps in bounds in such a short time. The Budokan crowd was really behind Ibushi all night. A fitting match and end to a great G1 Climax."

[8.0] "This was really a good match, but not THAT good to me. It's a pity they feel obliged to use smoke and mirrors in every White's match, because he is more than able to conduct a proper match when needed, as he showed in a compelling way in the first half of this match. His offensive was focused and smooth, I really enjoyed it. Then every interference heavily disconnected me from the match and every time it has been harder to re-focus on it. Still, the action was great and the final stretch stand out as one of the best of the tournament. Not an all time classic, but still a worthy final. ****"

[8.0] "Good match. Classic heel vs face match. Ibushi always delivers and White has become the perfect heel."

[9.0] "That was phenomenal. With all the cheating and underhanded tactics of Jay White this final felt different from the previous ones, it felt unique. Great touch with Kenta coming out with the rest of the Bullet Club, they really looked like a cool badass heel faction for the first time since God knows when. Near the end of the match, I started having flashbacks of Kenny winning it as the heel gaijin in 2016. I think this match proves that Jay White is the right choice for the leader of BC. Let's not forget about amazing babyface performance by Kota Ibushi. He finally wins the big one and he fully deserves it."

[10.0] "I actually watched this two times in a row, just because of how in awe I was of the whole thing after the 1st viewing. There's so much that I loved about it, or actually, I could just say that I loved EVERYTHING about it, tbh. Even the entrances are amazing with White & the entire Bullet Club being together, and then Ibushi walking down all alone to the ring to see that corner of pure evil. White has been a tremendous piece of shit all tournament long, and it all showed again here w/ a fantastic performance -- his trashtalk was awesome & I can't praise his facial expressions enough. The moment where he triggers Ibushi into that classic Ibushi murder-mode w/ that slap was so epic, and a major part in why was the tremendous character work by White with those facial expressions. The Gedo run-in is done masterfully too, with it adding lots of more heat to the already super-heated battle, and then his whole tournament long shtick paying off with Ibushi kicking his head off & Rocky carrying him out of the ring. AMAZING STUFF. Really felt like a proper climax to the tournament that G1 29 had been. Ahh, so good! There's so much more I could say about it, but let's just sum this up by saying it's the NJPW MOTY & a bonafide G1 (& NJPW) classic."

[9.0] "I don't think there has been a final in this mould since Goto vs Makabe. Not in terms of what happens, just the pure face vs the pure scummy, cheating heel dynamic. And it works perfectly. White more than proves his worth in this spot with his excellent performance. Not only his work on the leg but his selling for Ibushi. Him dropping like a sack of potatoes from Ibushi's slap was so fulfilling. Ibushi selling is the the usual flaw but he makes up for it by just being that pure source of energy that's hard to root against. ****1/4"

[9.0] "For the G1 final standard, this was a let down. I do appreciate Jay's heel work at times but this was not the case to repeat the same old booking from his previous matches. Very unnecessary for the G1 final. Kota Ibushi was brilliant as always. He was phenomenal as a babyface as usual as the crowd was 100% behind him. The pure heel/face dynamic was here already. But this still not lived up to the expectation. As I mentioned above, the Gedo stuff was not good for the match and it took me out of the match. And the legwork on Ibuhsi? Pointless as always when you know he barely sold it in the match. Match has ups and downs but the good still outweighed the bad. The damn loud crowd definitely carried this match for the last 7-8 minutes and more importantly Ibushi winning was satisfying. Still very good ****1/4."

[10.0] "Reminded me why I love pro wrestling. A babyface you unequivocally believe in-Kota Ibushi. A heel you cannot stand but have to respect-Jay White. In a tournament whose finals have been a staple in wrestling lore, these two fit right in to that mold while also crafting their own story. There was the flavor of good vs evil and the threat of danger due to Ibushi's injured ankle. In the end, it was a feel good moment that did not come off as corny or forced. It was Ibushi's year-has been since he signed in February-but Jay was close behind him on star points. This one was definitive that it will be White's time soon, but not yet. And I cannot wait for Ibushi and Okada to go at it again in the main event of Wrestle Kingdom. Thanks to Kevin Kelly, Chris Charlton and Rocky Romero as well for their hard work in making this match seem all the more crucial. *****"

[8.0] "This match was great, but I wasn't as into it as almost everyone else has been, in part because the Jay White Match had become stale beyond belief long before this night and I never want to see a JWM ever again."

[9.0] "Awesome final, ok it's not like Tana vs Ibushi and Omega vs Naito but still it was so damn great. White got 6 consecutive wins thru shady tricks, including a pinfall over the idol Naito, and a disrespectful post match attack on Ibushi, in a few words, a ton of heat, the layout of the match was thrilling because Ibushi had to fight so many obstacles and so many times it looked like White was gonna add Ibushi to the list of big names that fell to him, it made sense due to the fact that he's 1-1 against Okada, but when it came to the actual in ring the Kiwi can go pretty damn well and Ibushi is spectacular as always. The Bladerunner had me. Great final."

[10.0] "Great match. Candidate for the best match of this G1. In my opinion this is the best match of Jay White in this tournament and in his career. *****"