Hiroyoshi Tenzan vs. Kensuke Sasaki

[8.0] "Another short match, and only 8min for a G1 Climax Final is pretty surprising, knowing that the current standard is 20/30 minutes in our era. But Hiroyoshi Tenzan and Kensuke Sasaki worked so hard on this match, it was very nice. Kensuke Sasaki is one of my favorite wrestlers ever, and i'm glad i have the opportunity to discover more and more matches from him, especially in his 90s era in New Japan Pro Wrestling. Hiroyoshi Tenzan as a NWO Japan member is very good, not his prime like the 2000s when he won 3 G1 Climax, but still a good final participant."

[7.0] "Tenzan is still feeling the effects of the Hashimoto match earlier in the night. In fact, he's still bleeding as he's walking out. Sasaki looks like a million bucks here, far better than he did in his previous final. Big fight feel, hot crowd, and two large men exchanging heavy strikes and big slams. A whole lotta fun. One has to wonder what this match could've been if Tenzan wasn't so beat up from the semi-final. These two pack a lot into 8 minutes, but if they were fresher and could've gone closer to 15, this could've been really special. 3.5 stars."

[7.0] "Really frenetic G1 final, this is pretty cool! Tenzan started the match with a lot of energy, just like at the semifinal, but this time Sasaki was able to keep it steady and put together a very good performance to win the trophy, with the help of Tenzan's incredible look by bleeding from his mouth, this is intense and feels like the match can be over at any point. The bout suffer from the same problems that any short but important match does, but considering the message they were trying to deliver, it definitely ruled, the fighting spirit was all over the place - {***1/2}"

[8.0] "A very enjoyable final with a fast pace and plenty of hard-hitting action. Kensuke Sasaki and Hiroyoshi Tenzan built the match around powerful offense and a stiff style that made every exchange feel impactful. One of the most memorable visual elements was Tenzan wrestling with his mouth completely busted open, which added to the intensity of the match. The involvement of the nWo also gave the bout an extra layer of tension without taking too much attention away from the action in the ring."

[8.0] "Fast paced throughout, proper sprint without sacrifice or compromise, in and out 8 mins, super enjoyable. 4*."

[8.0] "Like last year, this G1 final is quite short and very intense. The style is more brutal, the duration even shorter, and once again, every move counts in a great final. In-ring quality: 2.5/4. Stakes: 1.75/2. Justification: 1/1. Place on the card: 1/1. Suspense: 1/1. Bonuses/penalties: none. Total: 8.25/10. Match seen on NJPW World."

[10.0] "This is one of the most intense, disgustingly violent, exciting sub 10 minute matches ever, and easily a top 3 G1 Climax Finals in history. Sasaki throwing a barrage of ugly strikes early on and clubbing Tenzan around, and Tenzan returning the favor with a myriad of headbutts and Mongolian chops. Tenzan already got busted in the mouth from his brutal match with Hashimoto earlier in the night, so he's more prone to bleeding, but Sasaki, being the sociopathic meathead ace, manages to blast him hard enough to cause Tenzan's ear to bleed, before putting on an STF right in front of Chono. How messed up do you gotta be to make 1997 nWo Japan look sympathetic? I guess that's the kind of role Tenzan is best suited to playing, set in a match concise and compact enough to emphasize both of their brawling strengths. The on-your-knees headbutts during the closing stretch has been attempted many times since, often with more rhythm and synchronicity, yet never captures the same visceral nature of this particular match. Total rush."

[9.0] "After the grueling semi finals that took place earlier in the night, Tenzan and Sasaki go straight to the finish in this match and it's 8 minutes of glorious violence that skips over all the unnecessary stuff you see in NJPW main events today. Highly Recommended"

[6.0] "Rushed G1 Final: at this point, after Hashimoto's bout, Tenzan is worn-out, but still manage to struggle and no-sell some of Sasaki's heavy offenses. Fair one. ***"