[6.0] "Clearly going for the storytelling angle over insane workrate here there wasn't the spectacularity one might've expected from this much anticipated clash between the two Callis family members. They were having a perfectly good match, both getting in their usual offense and the crowd were waiting for the drama to build on the steady start they'd made but it was capped off with a finish plagued by timing issues. Hopefully a future encounter between these two can live up to the billing after all the time and effort that's been put into this as one of AEWs longest percolating feuds through 2025."
[8.0] "Great opener for the show but the ending left a sour taste in my mouth. Sure, I understand the "furthering of the storyline" argument, but if you're worried about making one gut look worse than the other, than numerous other roads could've been taken to prevent that outcome. In terms of the in-ring action it was quite good. I'm sure a best-on-best between them (perhaps in the Dome) is in the not so distant future. Almost looked like Takeshita establishing himself as Okada's successor, but Okada remains steadfast on staying at the top for as long as possible."
[6.0] "This was really disappointing, I know they probably saved their best for a much bigger match down the line, but they still could have gave us so much better. (3.25*)"
[8.0] "Great match and one I've been waiting for. We've been getting all these matches involving the two but never a singles against each other and most of the match lived up to the hype. Finish was something awful though. Looked like ref was out of position and clearly saw Okada with the screwdriver. Though the screwdriver spot was botched in this match, it set up another spot in the Fletcher v. Moxley match that I thought looked very good and continued the ongoing friction within the DCF. Overall, good match but bad finish. Can't wait for the rematch with hopefully less shenanigans."
[8.0] "This is a good fight, you can tell both guys have good chemistry. The final 5 minutes were really good and I've to say that the finish is a little underwhelming but there's no doubt they'll face again and it'll finish in a Takeshita's win."
[7.0] "Good match with a flat finish. Really unhappy with the ending. I wish Okada could wrestle with a bit more urgency, but Takeshita was awesome as usual."
[7.0] "The ending just pissed me off and this is why I didn't want Takeshita winning the G1. Gedo isn't gonna want neither to get pinned a week before wrestle kingdom so they had to do an annoying finish which hurt what was a very good match."
[8.0] "Okada and Takeshira's first ever meeting. This was hype from the start, all the build up that happened the last few months since Okada Joined Don Callis, I had hoped that we were gonna get an epic match that started slow and buiild towards an epic finish and at first that's what I thought we were gonna get until of course, they just had to overbooked it. Started slow, methodical, Okada controlled the pacing and flow of the match beautifully, Takeshita would mount some offense here and therefore the first half of the match. As we were approaching the ending stretch, the pacing picked up, the action got more intense, they went back and forth, trading blows, exchanging offense until Okada started his shenanigans, would have been better if they had a cleaner finish. ****"
[7.0] "I liked this match, but it left a lot on the table (justifiably). The finish was necessary to protect Takeshita before WrestleKingdom, but I do which we saw a bit more fast-paced action to make up for the fact this match could only be 17 minutes long. Excited to see what their second match where they can really let loose will bring."
[8.0] "AEW has been teasing this one for months, and it absolutely lived up to the hype. It felt like a true New Japan-style classic--a technical chess match that spent the first half building tension through deliberate "feeling out" before exploding into a high-drama, strong-style war. The pacing was excellent, featuring fluid sequences where they traded signature counters like the Emerald Flowsion and high-impact moves like the Suicide Senton. Both men sold the exhaustion beautifully, making every lariat feel earned. While the screwdriver finish was controversial, it fit Okada's heel persona perfectly and added a great layer of intrigue to the story. It was a hard-hitting masterpiece that really showed why these two are the best in the world."
[5.0] "Sinceramente muchos esperabamos mucho más de esta lucha ya que se cocino a fuego lento y llegando el gran día no nos dieron todo lo que podian dar y eso fue un poco decepcionante sin embargo la lucha es entretenida para pasar un momento."
[8.0] "This would headline a Wrestle Kingdom, Takeshita looked a step faster and sharper throughout while Okada still carried himself like a big deal. The pacing was controlled and smart, clearly holding something back and that worked until the finish. The shenanigans undercut what was building, yet it still delivered enough quality to leave me satisfied, just wishing they had pushed it a little further."
[7.0] "Genuinely somewhat disappointed considering the build they've given these two at points. Nonetheless, a strong match with quintessential, if not particularly stunning, performances from Okada and Takeshita. Decent pacing with a strong finish, not a bad start to the show all things considered."
[7.0] "This was still very solid but you can tell they were not only saving there bodies for there big WK matches but also they were saving things for the eventual rematch where they can go all out. The potential of what they can do was shown here & I'm still very excited for what's to come"
[9.0] "I thought this match was extremely good, and the ending is the only thing detracting from it being a 10 in my eyes. I was incensed at the ending, before the Moxley match occurred. It made Okada look like a huge dickhead which is always appreciated. Aside from that this match had some absolutely fantastic action with it slowly ramping up more and more before the ending. Some absolutely huge spots, but a poor ending. I think that these two obviously have a lot more in the gas tank for each other."
[7.0] "Very clearly the first of many matches those two are going to have, as there's still plenty left in the tank. They showed us a glimpse of what's to come in the final stretch, which was what we expected to see going into this. The finish was botchy, but it was the right one regardless."
[7.0] "There was a lot of anticipation for this match, and inevitably a bit of disappointment given the finish. The referee's poor positioning certainly didn't help, but I didn't see it on the live broadcast, so it didn't spoil things for me like it did for some. Everything suggests that other matches between them will follow and that they will better fulfill the promise shown by this slightly disappointing but still interesting match, a good way to kick off this PPV. In-ring quality: 2.5/4. Stakes: 1/2. Justification: 1/1. Placement on the card: 1/1. Suspense: 1/1. Bonus/penalty: poor referee positioning -0.25. Total: 7.25/10. Match watched on Triller TV."
[6.0] "Kind've anti climactic. Was a good match but didn't seem to meet expectations of what it was built to be. Even on PPV Okada just isn't doing anything that's worth remembering. Takeshita carried this match so hard he looked great. He was the only one getting the crowd to pop. Okada is just so boring to me honestly. Him winning will make for an interesting story and match in the future that hopefully will out do this one. Really want to see Takeshita win next time against Okada. Takeshita is the future face of Japanese wrestling"
[7.0] "Unfortunately a pretty standard match from these 2, but their standard is still handily above most others' standard. I liked what I got but it felt like the match got cut short. Like it was about to pick up into the next gear right before the finish. Hated the finish as well. Don't get me wrong, on paper, it's a good finish. Makes sense for the story, and gives an excuse for the inevitable rematch. But THE REF SAW THE SCREWDRIVER RIGHT IN FRONT OF HIM AND HE IGNORED IT? Seriously. That's what ruined the finish for me. It's been a bad year for referees in wrestling. Anyway, good match, but these 2 can do better and they're probably saving it for the rematch. (***.5)"
[6.0] "[2.75*] Can't understand the rating for this one, I thought it was the worst C2 match of the night with one of the worst finishes of the year, shit was literally embarrassing. They had good chemistry and nailed some great spots like the Rainmaker reversed into a Blue Thunder Bomb, but overall it just looked like they were holding themselves back and wrestling with less effort. It was still a good match to watch as both of them are phenomenal wrestlers, but that ridiculously awful ending almost made me give a 5 to the match."
[3.0] "It's a kind of match that makes me question just how good the Okada of old truly was. It's remarkable how tepid and lacking in tension or any oomph he has in this promotion, and in this match particular. And whether you want to argue its skill in his offence or just the choice to have two people feuding in their first match in the series wrestle in such a way where there was no tension. There was something inherently wrong in this match beneath it all. It was quite boring and it felt like a standard match between two guys who had little interaction beforehand, instead of the history they presume to be building. The ending was fine on paper and is the only thing that enhanced the story, because the rest of the match did very little to do that, but the issue there is practicality and execution. The ref saw the first attempt and had to turn in order to convince the audience that Okada hitting Takeshita with a screwdriver was going to fly. It's quite lazy and just summed up the match itself which was lazy and lackadaisical. It felt like a match done out of convenience which shouldn't be the case for any match, let alone between a match between two feuding rivals and in a semi final match. At best this was quite forgettable for all involved. At worst, it's a sign that no one involved truly gave much effort besides maybe a minute stretch at the end. *1/2"
[8.0] "Yeah, the problem is definitely the ending. As for the rest, I liked the match; of course, I expected something more, but I have to say Takeshita did very well, while Okada not so much but I think that's probably because he knew he had to wrestle a second match. Anyway, it was a good match, but the ending was really a disaster. Even the referee didn't do well; he almost seemed embarrassed in the ring. Maybe they could and should have thought of something different."
[8.0] "Earlier this year, I saw some stuff from the G1 Climax 2018 and them I understood how Okada always plays his tournament games, he builds a match in slow methodical pace, when it is a big guy he quite add some good eye looking moves and them the fire burns when it comes close to the match end. That was EXACTLY what happenned here. And I understand why, Takeshita will be facing Tsuji in a World Title match and Okada would not only go into the C2 finals, but he will also wrestler Tanahashi in his last match ever, so they both got a pretty extended agenda during the week. They need to hold themselves, and that G1 Climax pace was the goal for them. Pretty well done, with some good sequences that kept the crowd on fire. For sure, left a taste that they could do something more, but seeing that ending with a screwdriver, for sure they will had a rematch in 2026. Excited for it."
[6.0] "I felt this was a massive letdown. When it ended I was so disappointed and let out an audible "booo" in my living room. Yes, they did pay it off in the next match when Fletcher went looking for the screwdriver, and I felt way better about the whole thing then. But, it can't completely erase my disappointment at this match itself. This was the most anticipated match of the C2 as well as the whole World's End card. I was surprised this matchup was a semi and not the final, but I went with it. I also don't like Takeshita losing as I thought him winning the C2 was going to cap off his incredible and dominant 2025. He's the IWGP champ, so having him go down in the semis is a questionable choice in and of itself. Okada taking his heel role to full on villain is great - and we'll get a great rivalry between he and Fletcher in addition to the continuing one vs Takeshita. And, yes, we are going to get a couple of rematches of this match regardless of the outcome, but I still feel cheated a bit. For the match itself, I was really on board for awhile. They never went full tilt, but it was still riveting. There were times where I was thinking they should let them go a full 60 minutes. There's a great series of moves and alternating upper hands before the finish (I believe between 14 and 16:00). But, we got blue balls'd on the ending. I almost exclusively watch AEW and am a big fan, but this was the most disappointed in a booking decision I've been since Dynasty when they didn't have Swerve dethrone Mox (remember how sick we all were of him and the Death Riders then? ! )."
[6.0] "This was an average match from both and the finish felt sloppy. Given the fact this matchup has been teased for months now I'm not gonna lie... I'm a little disappointed. Hopefully next time they face each other we'll have something to write home about."
[8.0] "The storytelling both inside (in terms of tempo control) and outside (in terms of rivalry and tournament winners colliding) was excellent; this clash probably has the most big-match-feel of any singles match on the planet right now. Although I do feel this match should have been saved a little longer, the slow burn did serve to make this feel as huge as I had hoped and there's absolutely nothing to say that this can't be run back to an even higher standard soon. With this considered, yes, I absolutely do feel that this could have been done better, but being left wanting more isn't necessarily a bad thing in the longer term and the story is absolutely there for it. This was highly enjoyable, well executed, well told, and a logically flowing contest that deserves more credit despite its imperfections and relatively short run-time."
[6.0] "this is a typical problem in the Continental Classic tournament, which we always watch great matches at the group stage, but when it comes to the semi finals, some of them just don't deliver, or their levels are not as high as the expectations! match wasn't bad, but the finish was a ridiculous joke for such an important match like this between these two! the finish was not acceptable! (***)"
[6.0] "This started off quite slow but was shaping up to be quite good towards the end with a great second half. Unfortunately this match has an obscenely stupid finish which took away from the match quite a bit for me. Okada grabs the neon yellow screwdriver right in front of the ref who has to pretend like he cant see it so Okada can hit Takeshita with it, also right in front of him, and win the match. This match didnt need shenanigans anyway but the fact that it did and that they were so poorly executed really put a downer on this one for me. ***"
[8.0] "This match had the potential to be the final. We had Takeshita, who had the best group stage, against Okada, the champion and previous winner of the tournament. The two had been hyping up a rivalry for some time now; it was a highly anticipated match. The ending with the screwdriver will allow the rivalry to continue. Don Callis leaves with only Okada."
[4.0] "4.5 - Unfortunate, but no excuse. Takeshita and Okada are top-level performers, like lots of people in AEW. But that doesn't mean they can do anything. Case in point, they're less likely to be able to pull off a well-executed dusty finish than say, MJF or Moxley. It's just not their bag, but the booking decision needed something like that. What they created was confusing, underwhelming, and ruined all the good lead-up."
[9.0] "Okada is calm, cool, collected, and cocky. But, unlike the others in this tournament, Takeshita wasn't fazed by that, cause he's been in this spot too. They match each other so well, a great back and forth. Little anticlimactic finish."
[7.0] "Despite having few imo unneeded slower sections, it was a good match with some great moments. I feel like it maybe needed a bit more time to get to that next gear, cause it was getting there, and the ending came in a bit abruptly. It seems like they are saving the better match for some time later down the line, cause they definitely seem to have it in them, but this was a perfectly serviceable semifinal, even if it fell short of expectations."
[8.0] "It's good and honestly I feel weird writing what I'm about to write down just because this was a great match. But I think it's just the cause I expected this to be sensational. I haven't seen a story or just two people the fans just want to fight on AEW tv like this since hangman and omega. And we finally got it. And if we're being honest this being the semi finals is so dumb. The story of this years c2 at world end should have been callis being between his three biggest stars in his family and having to decide who he's gonna take to the top. But the match in ring was good the story of the screw driver being used and that later affecting Fletcher and weather that was an accident or not was also a great touch. There was a lot left on the bone in this match. (****1/4)"
[8.0] "I was kinda hoping for 10/10 match but at same time I totally get why it "could have" only been good match. I mean this rivarly here? It has potential to be a trilogy at least and with that, every another match must be better than previous. Also right call for Okada to win dirty. It shows Takeshita cant be taken down without dirty tactics and it creates opportunity for very satissying rematch."
[8.0] "A good match that's just hurt by a poor finish. Some great back and forth stuff full of counters. Either person winning is a good setup for the final and I am honestly fine with the finish to protect Takeshita."
[8.0] "I thought this match was good. The finish with the screwdriver was beyond flat untill I realized that it was part of the story. Hope to see fletcher bring out an amzing match with Kazuchika Okada, I feel like they coulda done alot more but it was what it was for a first round match. Also i forgot to mention the ref looked beyond clueless near the end aswell. Still a great match tho"
[7.0] "Despite the finish I think this match works. The match kicks off with a great back and forth, early finisher attempts, showing that they know each other well as they both live rent free in the others head. The matches pace slows down but I had a feeling this would turn into a New Japan structured match with a steady ramp up to an explosive finish. I was semi right. The final stretch was pretty great but it felt like the gears were just starting to get rolling. We get a controversial finish which at face value, I don't love for a C2 semi finals but it gives Takeshita a window to leave the Don Callis Family. The timing of this was incredibly unsatisfying and I think that's why it works. It leaves more in the tank for later on and while this isn't the MOTY candidate that we hoped it does set up for one in the future while also pushing Takeshita out of his tweener phase"
[5.0] "The ending completely ruins the match. Was it a classic up until this point? It wasn't. I didn't really like Okada introducing the screwdriver into the match but it's obvious that the referee could see it. It's wrestling, so I can suspend by disbelief for a lot of things. This is not one of those things."
[5.0] "I really hate the ending of this, match was fine but feel like they overbooked what should have been a simple conclusion. Takeshita coming up short is a tired storyline trope in AEW for years and it felt like this could have been a major turning point for him but instead we've returned to the status quo and with screwdriver nonsense of all things."
[8.0] "A good match let down by the finish. I actually like the story told with the finish, however the ref made it too obvious that he could see what Okada was wielding. A slow start with TV Okada coming through, but eventually Takeshita brings it out of him. A nice first match in an inevitable trilogy"
[7.0] "A very good match, as one would expect between Takeshita and Okada, though one can't help but feel that it's not as good as it COULD have been. It feels like they're definitely holding back for one more big match between the two, probably a final Continental/Unified/International/what the fuck ever Championship match where Takeshita will be put over clean. Still good though! Hard hitting, raw, and Takeshita continues to prove himself one of the best in the world, and Okada's bona fides go without saying."
[7.0] "Really nice, they didn't give everything because there might be more matches in this rivalry in 2026, which is a good thing. This was a good match with great moments and top counter-wrestling. However, the ending was really bad. It's disapointing that once again in AEW, there is a bad botch with a referee that pretends to not see something happening RIGHT IN FRONT of his eyes. Really stupid, the match is still good anyway."
[6.0] "**** It was a good match, but it was the biggest disappointment of the night. There was potential for a MOTY Contender, and it showed, but they delivered a poor finish and practically cut the match short at a point that felt rushed. They easily had another 10 minutes of wrestling left, given how they were building it. The chemistry was very good; these two have shown they could work well together in their previous multi-man matches, and their chemistry was evident here. They had some good sequences, although none of them were meant to bring the match to a close. The intensity was good, the pacing was good, and it was methodical in Okada's NJPW style, which was working, but they completely cut the match short. Okada's pacing is for 30-minute matches. The ending was meh, the worst part of the match, and it practically ruined everything else they were doing. Okada pulls a screwdriver out of the corner; the referee doesn't see it, but then turns around, and when he sees Okada about to attack Takeshita with the screwdriver, he turns back to look outside. A terrible execution of the finish. at the worst possible time"
[8.0] "Telling a nice story of younger, faster, stronger against a veteran trying to stay in control and failing. Took me a minute to get that that's what they are going for but now I love that. Told really well, commentary gives good background. Badly done finish.. sadly but it was so good."
[8.0] "a fantastic match that was on pace to be a five star, but right when its ramping up, the momentum is killed with a weird screwdriver finish. okada doesnt even bother to distract the ref he just uses it. lame finish to a great match that ends abruptly"
0x
63x
259x
131x
36x
5x
1x
1x
0x
0x
0x