Tomoaki Honma vs. Tomohiro Ishii

[9.0] "Coming into this I seriously doubt anyone thought Honma was going to win. I mean this is the Stone Cold Pit-bull versus a lovable jobber we're talking about here. But giving the greatest performance of his career Honma was able to make everyone in the crowd believe he could pull it off. This was pure awesomeness."

[9.0] "I'm not the biggest fan of Honma or headbutts (which makes me not a fan of the same) and therefore I can't give this match a perfect score. One of the best things about this match is how passionate the crowd is in their support for Honma, my favorite moment was the chop fest (worthy of Kobashi vs Sasaki), if it weren't for the heavy use of headbutts (which is something I abhor) this would be on my list of 2015 MOTYC [****1/2]."

[10.0] "Absolutely insane hoss fest. Honma's performance is so spirited and emotional and off the wall that I wanted him to win so desperately despite this being the first match of his I've seen. The crowd believed in him so fully that I became his biggest fan in the space of a few minutes. A rare example of the sheer brutality feeling matched by the emotion. I felt like I was going to cry in it's final stretches. Easily one of my favourite matches ever."

[9.0] "This match is so awesome. This takes place during the middle of Honma's HonmaMania run so he's incredibly over here and it's one of the major reasons why this match works as well as it does. Every time Honma is able to take control or even knock Ishii down even for a second, the crowd absolutely lose it and do the same whenever he signals for the Kokeshi or kicks out of one of Ishii's moves in the second half. I love the second half of this match with all of its big bombs but i think the first half of this is also pretty great. I loved the story they told with Honma repeatedly going for the Kokeshi but always missing as Ishii continually avoids it. Ishii works him over for a while until Honma is able to win a strike exchange which floors Ishii and allows him to hit the Kokeshi resulting in a huge pop. This match takes a turn at the midpoint with on of the most insane bumps ive ever seen. Ive seen it clipped numerous times but Honma's diving Kokeshi to the outside never fails to make me gasp. The way his body bounces on impact is fucking brutal and it really makes the way he moves now make a lot more sense. After this is the typical bombfest that you get at the end of every Ishii match with a ton of lariats and suplexes, only this is elevated by the crowd's investment in Honma. He eats a lot of punishment here but somehow always finds himself kicking out and returning the favour to Ishii. Despite his best efforts though, even after two brutal headbutts towards the very end, his efforts are in vain and he ultimately succumbs to an Ishii sliding lariat and a brainbuster. This is a big Ishii hoss fest so i wouldve liked this regardless but i think the crowd's investment in Honma and his performance here really pushed this match into being something special. A ridiculously good match overall. ****1/2"

[10.0] "WOW! Ishii is one of my favorite wrestlers of all time and this still exceeded all of the high expectations I had going in. My favorite style of match is a hard hitting slug fest with a fast pace and this was exactly that and more. This is the first Honma match I have ever watched and my god did he impress me. Everything is sold well, but not overly sold to the point where it really slows down and bogs a match down. I found myself constantly thinking and saying "hell yeah" to this match. These two crazy dudes beat the living hell out of each other. This match is something special that I'll never forget. I can't wait to show this to other friends of mine who watch wrestling. 11/10 - 6 stars. Whatever the hell you want to rate it. Phenomenal match and one I'll never forget. Honma is an absolute madman with those headbutts"

[10.0] "[5 Stars] They're not wrestlers, they're 2 drunk uncles beating the crap out of each other in a ring, cheered on by a rabid crowd. But I can't get over Honma's leap to the outside, he was completely unconscious. (*****)."

[10.0] "My friend below me is right. This match was a fucking OUTSTANDING from start to finish. The crowd was so behind Tomoaki Honma to the point it was making me get behind because wow, he's the coolest wrestler ever, KOKESHI. This match has probably ended up in my top 30 matches of all time. I never expected this match to be that amazing and so entertaining to the point I was almost losing my voice. Excellent match from these two men. KOKESHI FOREVER."

[10.0] "I expected this match to be pretty good since I watched the power struggle match before this one and I thought this one was great but holy shit this match OVERLY EXCEEDED MY EXPECTATIONS! This match had me and friends going absolutely crazy the entire length of the match. They beat the absolute hell out of each other and the crowd was going crazy. The spots at the end Ishii was landing right on his head and took the craziest brain buster I've seen ever. The will of Honma doing everything to over power Ishii and Ishii's undying will to surrender was such a perfect story. Genuinely might be a top 25 maybe top 15 match ever for me I'm not sure yet, but I have a new found respect for Honma. I used to think he was just a new Japan jobber but after diving into him he has some incredible bangers and is very fun to watch. If you come across this match and see my comment please take time out of your day to watch this match it's worth your time I promise."

[10.0] "one of the greatest matches ive ever seen, seriously it was that good! i expected this to be gritty, but i did not expect the emotion of honma's challenge and how much the crowd got behind him on this night!"

[9.0] "This wasn't the fastest-paced match ever, but it felt like every move meant something. Super high impact. Ishii was nuts as always, but Honma has impressed me a lot. His diving headbutt is nuts, and his one off the top rope to the outside was especially nasty. The crowd were super behind Honma as well, and they remained hot throughout the match. Fantastic."

[10.0] "The fact that Tomoaki Honma can walk after his series of matches with Ishii, is a testament that there is some divine force in the universe looking out. Jumping off the top rope, diving headbutt to Ishii on the outside floor, is the most fucked up spot ever, and he did that shit in TWO MATCHES. Unbelievable match *****"

[9.0] "This was a great, great match. Perhaps Honma's greatest if I am being real. These NEVER Openweight matches are absurd and insane and memorable. Honma dropping his noggin to the outside was a MOMENT I can't believe it. Perhaps they repeat moments a bit too much in this match but that's a slight quibble. ****1/2"

[9.0] "Stiff, brutal violence, exactly what you would expect from these two. Ishii and Honma beat the cr*p out of each other this match, and the crowd ate it up the entire time. Genuinly the best part of this match for me was the crowd roaring every time Honma got back up after taking a hit, and narrowly kicking out after a big move (he was a huge fan favourite in this one). The diving headbutt to the outside was easily the best spot in this match, as well as the two shoot headbutts towards the end, which were absolutely sickening. Strangely enough my biggest gripe about this match is I think it went too long. At some point the back-to-back-to-back near-falls gave diminishing returns, and I feel that if they shaved 3-4 minutes it would have been better. That and the fact that both men have had performances that I've enjoyed even more than this (Ishii vs Shibata & Ibushi, Honma vs Shibata) slightly lowers the score for me. Still a must watch if you're in to this style of wrestling (****1/2)"

[10.0] "This is one of those matches that exemplifies what the NEVER Openweight belt has grown to represent. A stiff, intense match. Honma is underrated, people forget how brutal and violent his BJW career was. Ishii and him seem built to destroy each other. Magnificent."

[9.0] "Excellent match. This was so much better than expected. Honma was really over with the crowd and gave the performance of a lifetime. Ishii is always great and even though this match was a far cry from his best matches, the chemistry between Honma and Ishii was insane and the match was really special and memorable. It was an insane slugfest of a match that was at times really brutal and at times a bit uncomfortable to watch especially the part where Honma dives off from the top rope to hit an insane diving headbutt on Ishii lying on the floor. The crowd was heavily invested in the match and they were solidly behind Honma who unfortunately couldn't win the match. Amazing match. Great pacing and layout. ****3/4"

[9.0] "I had to go back and rewatch this one. Dave Meltzer gave it five stars, Tomohiro Ishii is among the greatest wrestlers ever, and I only recently finally understood the appeal of Tomoaki Honma. I am genuinely relieved that I spent the time to try and understand where my rating and that by Meltzer may have differed. This was more of an experience than a wrestling match, with a story built around Honma and a crowd that ranks among the most electric I have ever seen or heard. These two produced a classic at G1 Climax 24, with Honma SPOILER ALERT securing his lone win of the tournament against The Stone Pitbull. In turn, Honma had seemingly earned an opportunity to win his first-ever title in New Japan Pro Wrestling. A title that had become the epitome of Strong Style: The NEVER Openweight Championship. And yet, this match would not have even happened if Togi Makabe had been healthy. Ever the underdog and fan favorite, Honma was getting the opportunity that perhaps no one saw coming. All he had to do was beat Ishii one more time. What unfolded was one of the most physical matches in wrestling history, with my curious self even rewinding to see if there were thigh slaps or if the contact and sound it made were genuine. Somehow, it was genuine. These two beat the tar out of one another, with some of the nastiest strikes I have ever witnessed. That alone would be reason for you to check this match out, but the crowd takes it to an entirely different level. This was a Danielson-Omega level experience from a crowd perspective, for those who are AEW fans, with a live gathering that simply refused to let there be even the slightest moment of silence. They ate up every single thing that Honma did and made this underdog story one of the most compelling of 2015, if not ever. Ishii bandaged heavily, with both his knee and shoulder ailing him, turning from the perpetual underdog into the resilient mountain of a man that he so brilliantly flips the switch to. It if one of the things that makes Ishii the living legend he is, as injuries, size disadvantages, or any other hurdles he may overcome only seem to enhance the immovable nature of this Stone Pitbull. Compounded by the fact that the ultimate underdog in New Japan Pro Wrestling was across the ring, the task at hand made Honma the epitome of a fan favorite in this one. With violent offense, unbelievable selling by both men, and an all-time crowd to tie it all together, I completely understand the Meltzer 5 and am even compelled to agree with it. Yes, Ishii and Honma have wrestled better matches, but a five-star is a combination of many factors and a legendary crowd can play a major part in that. Added bonuses: Young Lion Jay White in shock at what he was watching from ringside and Red Shoes breathing a sigh of relief that the match was finally over. For now, I will go with a rating of 4.75 stars, 9.5 out of 10. But I will certainly be revisiting this one at a later time."

[9.0] "Wow! This was probably Honma's best match ever and close to perfect. Ishii was great as usual but Honma is just so awesome as the underdog babyface ****3/4."

[9.0] "This was a good brutal match however this match seem to go a bit long for me. I believe they had an idea of hold high they could peak the crowd when their was at least 3 or 4 times where they could have gone to the finish and got the same reaction. ****3/4"

[8.0] "Good match, but not amazing. They were brutal and stiff, Ishii was arrogant and Honma a great hometown babyface, but nothing particularly made me jump out of my seat. Maybe I'm just not appreciating this match after ishii/shibata, ishii/ibushi, ishii/goto, shibata/honma, etc. There were a few cool spots, and Ishii's selling was amazing: very consistent, loses strikes battle when needed, a dangerous DDT sell and great facial expressions and shoulder pain throughout. I know Honma less, and he seemed like a fun babyface, with energy and facial expressions, but I never felt like he was in peril and never really rooted for him; the headbutt seemed over with the crowd but I found it a bit silly, especially with a diving headbutt on the outside of the ring, which was so out there it took me out of it. Good match but i wouldnt go out of my way to watch it again."

[10.0] "Great match! As usual, Tomoaki Honma portrayed an excellent underdog, and he did an awesome job with Tomohiro Ishii in the in-ring action and storytelling. This is just amazing. *****"

[9.0] "Nothing better than a good match like that, no concrete story, no drama, just two guys who are hitting each other very hard... And it's great."

[10.0] "Sometimes, the best matches are ones where there is nothing fancier than two guys simply hitting each very hard and refusing to back down. Honma is one of Ishii's best opponents, but I'd be remiss if I didn't point out that there were a couple of spots that I could have done without."

[10.0] "Went into this match unfamiliar with both wrestlers, and only a cursory familiarity with New Japan as a whole. Came out a fan of both guys, arguably the match that got me into New Japan. Just a couple of gutsy bruisers making the absolute best of their featured match."

[9.0] "Excellent example of the kind of modern strong style bout Ishii excels in but Honma was every part his equal here, holding his own in the strike exchanges and delivering big moves for super close near falls. The crowd were alive throughout this, the atmosphere was incredible as the underdog Honma pushed Ishii to the very limit."

[10.0] "Why the comment below has not yet been deleted? Leaving the nasty 0 for the reason that the guy don't like no-sell - is stupid. Ishii and Honma - a wonderful match and a vivid demonstration that even in our time the strong-style has a right to exist. And given that Ishii spent the match being injured - it is generally perceived as a separate art form. (*****)"

[9.0] "A very good NEVER Title match and probably the best work I've seen from Honma, Ishii really brought that out from him. As far as ***** goes, I wouldn't agree with it, however this was still a very good match and it honestly flew by for me. Their two styles meshed perfectly, really good match. (****1/2)"

[7.0] "A damn fine contest but I never could get 100% into it until 2/3rds the way in (from the point where Honma is practically dead after a superplex to the finish), I kind of chalk that up to some bit of sloppiness here and there (like the weak-sauce slam to Ishii on the mat outside that set up to a pretty impressive diving headbutt). Don't think I care for Honma's general selling either, though admittedly I do need to watch more of his matches. The chop battle early on was intense as hell and Honma looked absolutely miserable during it with that grimace (but coming out on top anyways, which played well into making the man look strong) and was one of the better moments of the match, especially since it allowed him to finally hit his running falling headbutt. Speaking of which the brief headbutt battle near the end was absolutely ugly in the best way possible. I don't see what most seem to but it sure was a heavy hitting battle! **** 1/4"

[9.0] "(**** 1/4) Not my favourite style of match but this one overcame the odds. It was pretty limited but the psychological moments and the storytelling inside the ring were great. They both looked very strong and tough. From this point of view was pure gold."

[9.0] "What a really fun NEVER match. The crowd was super hot for Honma in this as he was the underdog against the pitbull Ishii, who barely got any cheers in comparison. Early on both men traded shots for dominance with Ishii taking control till midway through the match. When the middle came around Honma took back the momentum with his offence while Ishii had some great psychology and sold an injured shoulder great. Everytime Ishii would put down Honma he would just come right back up, and every time Honma took it to Ishii, the pitbull stood his ground and put Honma in his place. Quite different from the standard NEVER match as it was paced slower but with more psychology in it than just a strikefest, ****1/2."

[8.0] "The physicality of this match was fantastic and it had a great narrative. Honma made it clear that he was going to be respectful but then Ishii started being arrogant, causing both men to go full throttle towards each other for the rest of the match. Both men were outstanding in their roles; Honma was the loveable underdog that would always smile or even almost cry whenever he executed a move properly or did something impressive, making him very endearing and easy to support, especially against the stoic and rather arrogant Ishii who was constantly treating Honma lightly and being extra aggressive towards him. The whole match was really about Honma proving that he was on Ishii's level (or at least closer that Ishii thought he was) and showing that he was a true warrior. The moves these two men enacted upon each other were insane. There were plenty of incredibly stiff strikes and extremely impactful power moves, and both men were/are masters of selling with their facial expressions, body posture, and gestures, and did a perfect job communicating their exhaustion, frustration, and passion. Honma's hope spots were all very convincing and exciting, and I desperately wanted this weird but extremely dedicated guy to win. The final 10 minutes ended up being overkill big move and kick-out territory, but it fit so well into the story of two hard-hitting fighting spirit guys unable to put each other down that it only added to the match more. Excellent match. ****1/4"

[10.0] "Holy shit what a war! These two just destroyed each other over the NEVER Title and it was just so much fun to watch. They had the crowd fully into this match and the crowd was wanting a Honma victory but Ishii made sure that would not happen and the headbutts delivered here were just absolutely vicious. Highly recommend seeking this out ASAP! (****3/4)"

[10.0] "An absolutely insane smackfest between two very hard hitters in Honma & Ishii. They absolutely brutalized each other. ****1/2"

[10.0] "WOW! Just a brutal war between two of the most intense and physical wrestlers on the planet today (*****)."

[10.0] "Definitely a top 5 match of 2015, with a great story. Honma was the last-minute replacement for his ill stablemate, Makabe. A fan favourite with no big singles win in recent memory, he pushed Ishii to the limit in a brutal match with great psychology and spots."

[10.0] "Strong, stiff, exciting match with some unbelievable moves and spots. Ishii and Honma have some incredible chemistry and it sure shows itself here."

[9.0] "My only issue is that I sometimes I am actually more worried about the health of the people involved than I am into enjoying the match. The damage these guys do to their heads and necks may haunt them badly in their later years. Besides that, hard to fault this match for anything, a great story that transcends language and some amazing moves and fighting spirit, which sometimes can be a little overdone but works well for the story here. Impressed with Honma, didn't quite get the hype before but he has proved he deserves his recent popularity. Ishii is Ishii, Stone Pitbull indeed."

[7.0] "Much of the same heavy shots between them. Assuredly it is as intense as G1's bout, but this has a lot more of dead time between the exhanges. ***1/2"

[10.0] "Just watched this match, incredible is the only thing that comes to mind. Just absolutely incredible. Honma is the most over guy in the entire business right now"

[9.0] "This match is the best from The New Beginnig in Osaka and Sendai. Three words who determine this matche - chop's, lariat's and stiff. Fight was long and some worse than Ishii vs. Goto from Power Struggle 2014 but, this is still very good match. When Togi Makabe is back to action, probably comes the next great matches for NEVER Openweight Title."

[10.0] "There is an awesome storytelling on this match between Tomohiro Ishii & Tomoaki Honma. I knew before watching the match ... he would be fantastic ! Yes, really. Because-as their previous matches were already ... there was no doubt. Ishii is oddly less appreciated than Honma on this match. Ishii is logically sold as invincible monster against which Honma must give a part of him if he wants to win. Ishii was already injured his shoulder before the match, and he is injured during his second shoulder. Honma take the opportunity and took the match in his hands. He goes not much of victory before seeing Ishii beat him until his body doesn't move. It was like a boxing match, and Honma dies a hero. I regret the approximate side of the last 5 minutes on this match, otherwise I would have put 5-Star. ****3/4"

[10.0] "That fight left me speechless. One of the most crazy thing i ever whitness in any sports/movie/cartoon/anything. Its like watching a car crash. Ishii vs Shibata looks like Peter Pan compare to this. Yes there is some sloppy move, but man the effort make you forget them."

[10.0] "Iv'e been waiting to a longer bout between these guys, and this, without any doubt, blows any other encounter under the fucking water. Just a masterpiece of selling, storytelling, nearfalls, shoulder work and psychology. Two man willing to die over a belt, pulling every desperation move in the wrestling book- chops to the chatter, spit to the eyes. The perfect defintaion to Die Hard. Alongside this fighting spirit lays mamorable spots, such as: Honma's DDT, the pieldriver, the headbutt to the outside, the head bumping, the sitting lariat. And off course the story behind it. If Honma didnt win the match with Shibata, Ibushi and now this, would he ever? ****3/4"

[10.0] "Man this match was fantastic. Ishii and Honma beat the crap out of each other. This match was better then any match at osaka and one of the best matches thiis year so far. ****3/4"

[10.0] "Togi Makabe had been out with the bird flu or something, so since he couldn’t make this title defense, they vacated the title and made Ishii vs. Honma. I love Honma to death, but I have no idea how you can give the guy a title shot when he never wins. Oh wait, I see what I did there. But seriously, this booking is something I am not a fan of anywhere. Now that I said that, holy shit this was amazing. Yeah I know, you bitched about the booking and are now going to praise the match. Yes, yes I am. Yes, not a fan of booking the match due to Honma never winning, but as far as a wrestling match goes this was simply amazing. Once it was over I had to go back and watch it again just to verify what I watched and how great it was. The crowd was unreal for this match, as I have discussed before they LOVE Honma no matter what and simply want him to win because he’s their guy. They engaged in a brutal affair, with all of the stiff chops, lariats and head butts you can stomach and maybe a few more than that. It’s not a style that everyone loves, but the layout was excellent and the work from both was amazing. The near falls were so good because the crowd was biting on everything, and Honma hitting the Kokeshi on the floor was insane. I was simply locked into this match, I was biting on all of the near falls and this was beautiful display of violence. Easily one of the top matches of the year so far, and should be when the year ends as well. This match gets the highest recommendation to seek out at all costs and to watch right now now, go ahead, I’ll wait."