[8.0] "A fantastic match, and a typical "big main event pro" style match between two of DDT's best. Every move, strike and sell was flawless looking, and there was some memorable stuff throughout, particularly the top rope poison-rana. Despite my praise of flawlessness, and not to say it was bad in any categories, but I didn't feel the same about this one as I do so many other epics of Japanese spoil. 4.25 Stars."
[9.0] "A genuinely impressive match, given that it's a Japanese epic involving Konosuke Takeshita and it's one of the best matches of 2019. Some of that has to do with things like a relatively shorter runtime, an all-time great HARASHIMA babyface performance, and a story that one can easily sink their teeth into but quite a bit of this match's greatness relies on Takeshita's performance. And this might as well be the best work of his entire career. I'm not a Soup denier though. I think he's a decent worker whose gifts as a crazy good offensive wrestler (few people throw better elbows and lariats these days) are reserved for tag settings and concise micro bangers. He's absolutely not made for The Great Match though (see the Judgement 2022 DUD with Endo) which makes this such a God damn shocker. It's 26 minutes long with a sizeable chunk of that length being dedicated to a Soup back work segment and despite the brisk pace, it's somehow not monotonous and actually rules. Firstly, that's because it sets up HARASHIMA's Kryptonite, the Walls of Takeshita (very original), so it's an actual narrative thread that ends up mattering when they get to the last act of the thing. And secondly, the work itself is really fucking good because it's mostly just Takeshita being Takeshita. That means a lot of cool-looking shit like the backdrop on the apron or the straight jacket backbreaker he busts out later on in the match. What I love about this performance though, is that he's not just great while dishing out punishment, he's also great while taking it, and some of the bumps he takes (2nd rope reverse Rana, Irish whip into the steel post, etc.) in this are absolutely horrific. There's not really much to say when it comes to HARASHIMA's contributions though. He's simply one of the best to ever do it, and this is probably my favorite performance from him. The selling of the back work is magnificent but it's how he grows in this match (adapting to the changing times) that makes this such a tour de force. He teases a couple of things during the opening stages (arm work, gut work, leg work) but Takeshita's ready for everything this time. He's able to thwart the matwork early on and is able to counter HARASHIMA's signature offense too, and so HARASHIMA's only plan of action is to outlast his opponent. He gets lucky the first time the Boston Crab is applied, as Takeshita drops it to go fuck with Disaster Box, and so when he survives the second attempt all on his own, it makes it that much more gratifying. HARASHIMA stays in the fight even after Takeshita exhausts all of his big stuff, eventually landing a pair of Somato's for the victory. On the whole, this is just about everything I could ask for from a wrestling match."
[8.0] "Very good match but did not live up to the high rating for me. It felt to me like a pretty standard puro big match without much to make it stand out from the pack. Still quite good."
[8.0] "This was a really good match, but was not a match of the year contender like the overall rating would suggest. 8/10 is more fitting imo. Then again, I'm only rating it based on the in-ring, unaware of the overall story."
[8.0] "Auch eines der besseren DDT Matches im Jahr 2019, aber für mich nicht ganz auf einem Niveau eines MOTYC. Das Match war zwar sehr intensiv in der ersten Hälfte und eine starke Matchstruktur, doch haben mir die beiden das Tempo etwas zu spät aufgenommen. Die Finish Phase war zwar dann dafür auch großartig, aber insgesamt dann doch etwas zu wenig, um dieses Match als eines der besten in Japan benennen zu können. Trotzdem MOTN und ein würdiger Main Event. Harashima mit seinem 10. Titelgewinn. ****"
[9.0] "After watching, I had mixed impressions. From this match, as well as from Endo-Takeshita, I expected a lot, but in the end my expectations were not met. This match undoubtedly deserves the status of the main match on such a big show as Ultimate Party, but something was missing for me. I had emotions while watching and I felt deja vu, as if I were watching an Okada-Tanahashi match. I would give the match 4. 25 stars. But given a couple of emotional moments from which I got an orgasm, you can reach 4. 5 stars (****1/2)."
[10.0] "This is one of the first matches in DDT that I watched, and after a while I can say that I agree with all the commentators who will call it a masterpiece of storytelling, because it is absolutely true. I initially loved this match because they shocked me with their attitude to apron bamp. Instead of some suicidal bullshit, after which the wrestlers will recover in two minutes, Harashima just makes SOMATO and this move causes more problems for Takeshita than anything else, while preserving Harashima's health and giving him time to catch his breath while Takeshita spends the rest of his stamina, returning to the ring. Another thing that made me remember the match when I first viewed it is the moves that are made without breaking the submission move. I fell in love with this feature when I first watched the match between Danielson and Kenta, and here it was very useful, considering that, for all its practicality, almost no one uses it. The finish surprised me, it wasn't long, it didn't come out of wild sequences, Harashima just brought his tactics to the end and shot Takeshita in the face with the wildest SOMATO, winning the match and lifting his tenth championship over his head. But this is only a technical component, which is very important, but which, by no means, is not the primary thing in this match. I delved deeper into this story and my attitude towards Takeshita began to change for the worse, since I am not a fan of his early work and I believe that he did not take seriously enough the selling and distribution of roles in his matches. But this, to my surprise, helped me find the match again, because Takeshita made his strongest breakthrough here. He grew up here as a character, he grew up here as a person, he grew up here as a wrestler. Konosuke's entire 2019 has been an ongoing progression, and his match with Endo says it for me. But if he and Endo showed a rich action, albeit filled with history, but with a lot of dangerous techniques, the match with Harashima turned out to be more adult and correct. This is where Takeshita really became an Ace, and nothing will convince me otherwise. But the story of Harashima's transformation comes first for me. First, he returns to the top, DESTROYING Kuroshio and Endo, and then, in tag team matches, meeting Takeshita, gives up the slack. First, he shockingly gives up in one match, and the second is asked to stop by his friends in the stable. Harashima is obviously weaker than his opponent here and now, and everything leads to him releasing an inner demon in the title match, but this does not happen. And this is the best decision that made this match so great. Harashima grew up, let go of his past and accepted the present, proving that he was behind all his past achievements, and no amount of aggression would have helped him achieve success if not for his willpower. A match honed by both men's past. I love this match with all my heart (*****+++)."
[10.0] "Everything from the build with Takeshita constantly beating HARASHIMA with the wall of Takeshita whether it was via towel or submission to the match was excellent. It all seemed to point to point victory but the doubt of Takeshita was always there. And it climaxed so perfectly. KUDO returning to ringside, DISASTER BOX being at ringside, it being the biggest show DDT has had in years. Takeshita was excellent in the match. Loved his work on the back, everything looked very impactful, and built to the Wall of Takeshita. Even him turning a bit heelish when egging on DISASTER BOX was great. But the match was built around HARASHIMA's excellent selling and underdog performance. His comebacks were fantastically timed. His facial expressions were great. Him persevering and overcoming Takeshita, the one who shot over him as the ace of DDT back in 2017, was enthralling to watch. The post match promo was heart-warming as well. ****3/4"
[10.0] "An awesome match a bit of a slow start but once they got going they had some great athletic moves and powerful striking with a hot crowd that loved this."
[10.0] "Reiht sich nahtlos in Takeshita Match vs Endo bei Peter Pan aus diesem Jahr ein Ähnliche Story zwar aber diesmal sogar noch etwas konsequenter erzählt mit der Rücken Bearbeitung von HARASHIMA die immer wieder aufgegriffen wurde. Dachte wirklich kurzzeitig an einem Count Out Seitens Takeshita Ich muss einfach den Reverse Top Rope Frankensteiner von HARASHIMA hervorheben wie Takeshita den sellt einmalig! Fand auch die Involvierung von Desaster Box Klasse die ihren Stable Boss anfeuern ohne das sie einmal aktiv ins Match einzugreifen Das Finish war dann der Höhepunkt wo ich den Nearfall von Takeshita gefressen hab und HARASHIMA nochmal auskicken kann und dann sein Finisher durchbringt grandioses Match und klar ein MOTYC! (****3/4)"
[9.0] "Excellent match. I didn't watch much DDT but this got high praise and worth the hype. Takeshita worked on top and Harishima fought back. He sold the back work from Takeshita pretty well although the back work should be more consistent but overall still good. Both guy perform well with lots of great spots and move exchanging with some nice drama around it. The finish could be built better and felt really sudden. However, match overall was enjoyable."
[8.0] "Fantastically worked, great underdog performance from HARASHIMA and great limbwork from Takeshita, they worked at a slow pace yet I was invested throughout the whole match, great stuff ****1/4."
[8.0] "Takeshita once again proves how absolutely, ridiculously talented he is despite his young age. He must be the most unsung wrestler in all of Japan. This was far away from Takeshita's match with Endo but it was still awesome. We luckily only got a brief opening grappling phase before both guys then started bringing out some serious spots. Takeshita's offence was beastly and nicely varied as always, as he blasted Harashima around and methodically targeted his back. Harashima's offence wasn't as impactful as Takeshita's but it was just as varied and flashy, and he executed everything with very strong technique. He was also very sympathetic as the veteran who was past his prime but desperate to prove he could still be the top guy by defeating the new young ace, which made for a very compelling story. All their big counters and exchanges were very smooth and quite creative. Harashima would continue to show fantastic fire and make himself come across incredibly sympathetically as he suffered through all of Takeshita's incredible dominance, and Takeshita himself looked awesome as the young yet all-powerful ace. Harashima definitely could have sold his back more consistently at times, but I still thought his performance overall was great. Both guys would eventually end up destroying each other with some absolutely beautiful big bombs, making great use of power, agility, speed, and perfect timing in the process. I was left gobsmacked to see Harashima end up getting the win. I was a little disappointed to see the match end what I thought was rather abruptly, since I was sure both guys still had another 5-10 minutes of incredible exchanges to give us, but I at least appreciate how this was an 'epic' that was relatively short at 25 minutes instead of being like 35+ minutes like other puro promotions like to do. It was also just heartwarming to see the old ace once again climb to the top of the promotion. ****"
[10.0] "What a majestic match! It was just perfect! Takeshita focusing on HARASHIMA's back brought a lot of AMAZING spots to the match, (like Takeshita reversing the Somato with a Wall of Takeshita) the psychology/storytelling were right on point. DDT did it again! They already have 2 MOTYC this year! *****"
[6.0] "Nice match, but too long for me. Doesn't compare to the Endo/Takeshita match from earlier in the year. The final stretch of the match was hot, but a lot of HARASHIMA being put in the Boston Crab. I guess it just wasn't my cup of tea. I also have no backstory going into this match either."
[10.0] "A masterclass of long-term storytelling and in-ring work. Takeshita already has had a MOTYC with Tetsuya Endo at Peter Pan, and a plethora of other good matches under his belt from this year. But here he goes again, having yet another classic. The story goes back to 2017 when Takeshita unseated HARASHIMA as the ace of DDT. So now we got an new ace versus old ace match. The build included Takeshita beating HARASHIMA multiple times with the Walls of Takeshita. Either by towel or submission. The emotion and atmosphere was outstanding. At ringside was DISASTER BOX and other colleagues of HARASHIMA to add an extra layer of drama. The match structure was wonderful. They worked a slower pace compared to Takeshita/Endo but it was never plodding. They kept a brisk pace for 26 minutes. Takeshita worked the back of HARASHIMA for his submission, and whenever Takeshita's works your back you know it's going to be painful. His use of power moves and strikes were fantastic. He has such a beautiful technique. Every move is delivered so clean. HARASHIMA's selling of the back was great, as was his underdog performance. All his comebacks were perfectly timed with quick and clean offense. By the second half the moves got more devastating. The avalanche Poisonrana was one of the best i have seen. Takeshita sold it like a madman. The closing stretch was on fire with Takeshita making one final rush for the win before HARASHIMA got up and shut it down with kicks and knees. But this match wasn't about big moves. It was about HARASHIMA proving he could overcome the man who once surpassed him. *****"
[10.0] "Ich tue mich damit immer nicht leicht aber ich muss ganz ehrlich vorweg sagen: Dieses Match verdient 10 Punkte, weil ich nicht wüsste was ich da meckern soll. Es hat zunächst einmal eine unglaublich gute und durchdachte Struktur mit dem Beginn, an dem Takeshita den Rücken von Harashima erst einmal bearbeitet, um dann die Moves genau darauf auszurichten aber Harashima kämpft sich durch all diese Attacken hindurch, während besonders bei Takeshita interessantes Characterdevelopment stattfindet und Harashima klasse sellt und das Ganze unglaublich glaubwürdig erscheinen lässt. Das langsame Grundtempo ist sehr gut gewählt weil dadurch besonders im Comeback Stretch von Harashima die High Impact Moves besonders gut zur Geltung kommen, die aber auch immer vor dem Hintergrund der Rückenbearbeitung geschehen. Ein wunderbar erzähltes und ausgeführtes Match, welches für mich ein MOTYC ist."
[10.0] "El problema con el combate es que fueron MUY directos. Es un combate directo, sin rodeos, sin casi ni tomarse su tiempo y va con las ideas claras. Me gusta el tema de el Fighting Spirit gracias a tus amigos, y no llega a ese tono caricaturezco. Es genial. Un HARASHIMA veterano ante el Ace Takeshita en un combate donde se dieron muy fuerte. Vende muy bien la espalda, e incluso, no lo hace ver melodramático ni vende tanto dolor de una vez, así que se siente creíble. Me gustó mucho y realmente la historia y lo que contaron del ring fue asombroso y acorde a las expectativas. Sinceramente, esperaba algo más épico y un desarrollo del Limbwork más enfocado y no tan directo. Excelente performance de ambos y probablemente una de las luchas más importantes en Japón del año. Me gusta mucho ese tipo de combates sin exageraciones, sin rodeos y sin over-selling. **** 1/2"
[10.0] "The build the HARASHIMA vs Takeshita was built around Takeshita going for HARASHIMAs back and he managed to take two straight wins from him with his Wall of Takeshita. Now this match was the old veteran HARASHIMA trying to survive against the younger Takeshite. But HARASHIMA supported by his friends and old colleagues, managed to survive and finally put Takeshita down. HARASHIMAs perfect expressions, selling and being the clear favourite of the match made it feel so good as he made his comeback and managed to win. This was one of the most emotional matches I have seen this year. Match of the year candidate clearly, go watch this if you haven't yet."
