[10.0] "Here's something to think about. The vast majority of wrestlers never have a match this good. This might be the fourth best match just between these two guys. That's how good they are. Shibata and Ishii have incredible chemistry with one another. They probably crammed about 25 minutes of wrestling into the 17 minutes they got, yet it never seemed like spamming moves. Outstanding performance by both men."
[7.0] "Entertaining but absurd match with stiff strikes, kicks and lots of no selling. It's a car crash of a match that you can't look away from no matter how dumb it gets and headbutts were one of those dumb moments. There's no need to give yourself CTE in fake fighting."
[10.0] "i love you Ishii , but man , shibata you always will be my goat god thank you for these man you did good this time and, thank you to both of you"
[10.0] "Easily one of my favourite matches i've watched from a big NJPW PPV, without a doubt. This was 17 minutes of pure brutality and the textbook definition of 'Strong Style Wrestling', It was just Shibata and Ishii absolutely raw-dogging it and fighting like gladiators, just punch after punch, chop after chop, kick after kick.. Shibata no-selling Ishii's moves was cool, not even flinching when Ishiii delivered a kick to his back. It was just a superb match that i would recommend to anyone and everyone that wants to start watching NJPW."
[9.0] "A bit worse from their previous meetings, but nothing that you can look and say "yeah this is bad". Shibata vs Ishii is one of the most famous classics in pro wrestling, and they deserve to be highly regarded as they are currently. I can literaly write a love letter to Katsuyori Shibata and how he inspirate me to become a better person everyday facing any obstacle everyday, but nobody will read this shit, not even him lol."
[9.0] "This match was an amazing match that gets overlooked heavily by the later matches. The slap and kick fighting throughout the first half was incredible, and then the grappling right after was also really fun. Both these guys should've won the Heavyweight title but they're both still two of the greatest of all time. Amazing match-up."
[9.0] "This match is mostly an extension to their G1 match and I think that match was perfect. Ishii and Shibata are some of my favorites from this era and it is a delight to see them wrestle against each other. The strikes have so much behind them and look haunting. The simplicity of them just clobbering each other makes this so amazing and special to me. (****.75)"
[9.0] "Definitely trying to be the sequel to their classic G1 Climax match, pretty much the same thing but with a more dramatic big fight feel. The Tokyo Dome is a great place to let Shibata kick the shit out of someone because some of them were so loud they could probably be heard by the people sitting in the furthest back rows of the stadium."
[10.0] "Another match between these two that I just absolutely loved. I think overall I preferred the shorter bout these two had at G1 Climax 23 thanks to the breakneck pace both men were doing, but this had some more to it in terms of wrestling storytelling that made me like it a lot as well. Though the headbutts were hard for me to watch (especially given what would happen to Shibata later on.)"
"This is the match that got me hooked on New Japan Pro Wrestling and, to a larger extent, Pro Wrestling as a whole. Stuff as all hell, believable, full of passion. Still a favourite."
[7.0] "I really wanted to score this more than 7, I honestly did. However, there was simply too much of the Ishii match traits that I have come to dislike. Massive amounts of no selling, numerous exchanges where the wrestlers take it in turns to strike each other and the same for our fine stiff striking moves over and over again. Credit to Shibsta who tried to bring a different match out of him nd the match certainly was a good watch and full of drama but from me Im afraid a 7 is my limit."
[9.0] "[4.5*] An amazing showcase of hard hitting style, both trading blows since the start, everything looked very real thanks to both wrestlers incredible selling"
[10.0] "[*****] Not as good as their 2013 G1 match but still utterly fantastic stuff. Still as fuck love some classic puro. Those headbutts were fucking sickening"
[7.0] "Good match length, first NJPW event I've noted. Good exchanges, a good technical level, but for me it lacked that something to put more than 7. It lacked good spots, that grain of madness that I think I'll find in the 2 matches to follow. There's nothing more to say about this match."
[7.0] "Extremely stiff. Those headbutts were ridiculous, you could literally hear the thud of each one. More of a brawl than a match. It's solid. It's not boring. Huge issues with the lack of of selling. It was a little bit frustruating to watch. The shots each took were hard hitting making it an slightly above average viewing experience."
[7.0] "I'm almost annoyed at myself for not liking this as much as I wanted to. I love stiff strikes, I love intensity, but I also love wrestling moves, and you could literally count all of the wrestling moves that occurred throughout the match on only one hand. I guess this style just isn't for me, or maybe I'm just tired, who the hell knows, honestly."
[6.0] "Not as good as their 2013 match to be honest. Its really missing that chaotic heart stopping feel that the match has. Feels like more focused on taking the pace slow and building it up, but to be honest I prefer their 2013 match more. Is more of a decent match that personally is not for me."
[10.0] "This is my favorite match ever I know there are more acclaimed matches between the two of them and they're good but this one is still my favorite it's the match I've probably rewatched the most I just love it how gruesome and stiff they both are I love it"
[9.0] "Much better than the other match I saw these two compete in. Their 2013 highly acclaimed match. This one went a bit longer and had a bit more selling and overall drama compared to the 2013 match. 4.25/5"
[10.0] "Most people would say that it's not the best match of the event, but it's my personal favorite. Just two men beating the snot out of each other with stiff hits and crazy exchanges. A true "who's tougher? " type of match that is hype all the way through."
[8.0] "[4.25*] I loved this match from the first minute, it was a hard-hitting and stiff duel between two spectacular wrestlers. The way they challenged each other at the beginning of the match to see who had the hardest kick was incredible. Shibata's brutality was incredible, his kicks and punches and Ishii's great selling job turned this into a real battle. The ending was exciting and dramatic with each one trying to finish the match and escape the other's finisher, the only thing I didn't like about the match was the excess of No-selling, it's an interesting way to build a match but the excess here devalued the blow from each other."
[10.0] "The match was frantic from the start, with very brutal moments from both sides. Shibata has a fantastic moveset, making him one of the most versatile fighters out there. Ishii is also amazing, and both have sensational selling skills."
[9.0] "Hat damals meine Liebe für die hard-hitting Japaner Matches entfalmmt. Ishii ist ein Meister dieses Stils und Shibata passt da mit seinem No-Nonsense Charakter perfekt dazu. Unfassbar hard-hitting, ein paar Spots aus den alten Matches, wie der schnelle Start zu Beginn. Von vorne bis hinten einfach richtig stark und ein geniales Match(****1/4)."
[7.0] "Match opens with a silly-looking frantic slap exchange, but settles down into a more traditional forearm exchange that then turns into an exchange of kicking each other in the back. This goes on for awhile, with the guys gradually selling the effects as more strikes are exchanged. If you like this type of one-ups-manship match, this has some hard hitting content, but there are certainly better of this ilk."
"This match was a beautiful display of what two men can two when they let loose and beat the living hell out of each other. They started by going blow for blow and eventually transitioned into an awesome kick-to-the-back sequence that had the crowd screaming. They slowed down but kept the brutality as it continued, near the conclusion the two trade headbutts and then headbutt at the same time making sickening thuds that made me wince each time. This is strong style damn near it's best."
[9.0] "Like all of their matches this has a fast start with both men trading blows immediately once the bell gets rang. I usually hate that you hit me, and then I hit you, but those two kicking each other in the back as hard as they possibly could back-and-forth was pretty cool. I loved both men trying to constantly one up each other in this match, which led to "no selling" from both men, but you could see after they both had hit each other with German's, then quickly hit a strike. However they would both quickly fall down to the mat after trying to one up each other. The ending to this match is great, but Jesus Christ those headbutts are hard to watch knowing what we know about CTE, and concussions. ****3/4"
[8.0] "Another awesome match between these two, what else is new. While I felt they could have mixed things up a bit more, as they were taking some sequences from the other matches without any changes (we could have done without the sit-down spot this time around), those last 5 minutes are extraordinary. I have never seen such a sickening exchange of headbutts, ever. Not everything comes off perfectly, and I still wouldn't put this on the level of their first two encounters, but an excellent match all the same. (4.25*)"
[7.0] "Their G1 23 match is way better. I haven't even got anything bad to say about this match, I just felt that it didn't really go anywhere. I like the fighting spirit sequences, still not a fan of shoot headbutts though"
[7.0] "Stiff ohne Ende. Man hat das Gefühl die beiden wollen sich töten. Aber irgendwann hatte ich das Gefühl es ist immer das selbe und es wurde schnell eintönig und fast schon unangenehm zum anschauen. Pace war okay. Und ich verstehe den Hype. Aber 5 Minuten mehr mit etwas mehr Abwechslung und anderen Moves hätte ich gebraucht. Trotzdem starkes Match!"
[9.0] "Sometimes I can deal with headbutts and others, when the noise is so viscerally loud like here, I just can't. This match is amazing, absolutely, but damn it those headbutts. ****1/4"
[9.0] "As stiff as stiff can get. Just pure war between two of the most hardest hitting men you'll ever see. Seeing a match like this, it's not hard to see why Shibata had to retire so quickly before the right time. The strikes, the headbutts, it's scary how he didn't even care about receiving those shots unprotected. [****1/2]"
[9.0] "I am not sure that two wrestlers have ever put each other through hell quite like Katsuyori Shibata and Tomohiro Ishii. Their first encounter was a clash for the ages, but it was only the beginning of the brutality. And that made Wrestle Kingdom the only event that could possibly host their most important encounter yet. This was nothing more than a game of one-upmanship, which is exactly what we all expected it to be at this stage of their legendary rivalry. And yet, it exceeds all expectations. This was a fight in its ugliest and most uncomfortable form, in that it felt as though it should not be condoned. The two most proud fighters in professional wrestling sought not only to beat their opponent to a bloody pulp, but to embarrass them in the process. This created genuinely iconic moments and a ferocious exchange of strike after strike after strike. And neither man could stand by the halfway point. That all led to the headbutts that I only wish I could forget. Absolute chaos and carnage in a wrestling ring. A legendary encounter. A lesson in realism. 4. 75 stars, 9. 5 out of 10."
[9.0] "From the moment the gong sounded they jumped on each other with forearm kicks. Shibata and Ishii tested their endurance with kicks and chops, and then competed in Suplexes. By far my favorite moment of the match was the series of headbutts, where you could hear the heads of the two collide. Shibata won after executing his finisher, the Penalty Kick and thus adding his first NJPW title to his record."
[9.0] "A lot of the brawling beef type wrestling can get old with all the overdone strike exchanges and no selling, but Ishii and Shibata always knew how to do this type of mach perfectly, without any of it wearing thin, love watching these two wrestle ****1/2."
[9.0] "Take the horrific stiff shoot headbutts out of the match and it is near perfect. Lots of fun seeing them take each other's hardest shots and going back for more."
[9.0] "The match for the Baddest Motherfucker title in New Japan. Oh God, when I understood that at WK 10 there was this match in program I thought that I would see a match hard hitting like none other and in fact it was. We have two of the hardest and stiffest workers in the world at that time, facing one against the other inside the Dome. This match was brutal and Physical like none other you might see, and matches like this in the full "Strong Style" enviroment and style inspired the rise of a new phylosophy and way to protract a Wrestling Match. In fact British Wrestling like Progress Wrestling in its "Strong Style" Fashion or NXT or NXT UK has been influenced by this style of Wrestling that Shibata, Ishi or others displayed in the course of their years for the Never Openweight Championship. This match have a series of blows and Strong Sequences like few others you will see inside a wrestling ring. The two delivered to eachother vicious penality kicks in the beginning, challenging eachother to which one was the most resiliant of the two, then we have amazing lariats that gave to one another only a one count in pure Fighting Spirit or insane headbutts that I don't know how they can take it, and then the big finish when Shibata delivered and incredible Penality Kick on Ishi's chest to win the match. What was good about this match was the stiffness and physicality about it, what was "bad" was that in some points it was a little repetitive and that in the final moments, after delivering a vicious Drop Kick, Shibata seemed to forgot about pinning Ishi for the one count to create the exchange "one count, one count" and that took something away from the "fluidity" of the sequence. Anyway, congratulations to one another for what they delivered inside of that ring and for what they putted their body thought for execute such a display of "Strong Style" that the Lion Mark is famous for. Rating:9-"
[9.0] "I loved this match at the time, and I still love it today, except now it's jumped up to being my favourite Ishii-vs-Shibata match. It probably helps that this was the first match of theirs I ever saw, so absolutely everything felt fresh. I'd later learn that they had copied quite a few things here from their previous matches, but that doesn't matter, because everything they copied was copied perfectly, and there were enough unique moments to ensure that this match could stand as its own match. I loved the story of both men being so prideful of their skills and fighting spirit that they willingly engaged in a trading battle of stiff strikes. They did a fantastic job both trying to arrogantly pretend that the other's offence was pathetic, and then it was awesome seeing them both slowly succumb to the damage of the strikes, which also made it clear that this match wasn't simply based around 'no-selling'. They just continued to have amazing sequences one after the other, with the power of their strikes never disappointing. There were a few slow parts of the match, but they were always engaging, mostly because this was when both guys would take time to emphasise their fantastic selling, which would remind us just what a hellish battle they were in. Make no mistake -- this was an absolute battle. ****1/2"
[9.0] "Ein wahres Slugfest vom feinsten! In 17 Minuten zeigen Shibata & Ishii einfach das was sie ausmacht: Hard Hitting Wrestling mit an Lariata und Chopsfestivals die seines gleichen suchen. Die No Selling und Mimiken der beiden waren göttlich und bei Den headbutts zuckte man einfach zusammen bei der rohen Gewalt. Dazu kommt dann noch ein perfektes Finish was mit Shibata's PK endete, und der Auschlagspunkt für meine 9 Punkte Wertung ist (****1/2) Erstes Highlight von WK10"
[10.0] "I will never get tired of seeing these two guys beating the hell out of each other. Absolutely zero nonsense in the match, just stiff offence and heavy strikes without any sympathy. I love when Shibata loses his mind and tries to kill his opponent. The head colliding moment was so freaking brutal. Absolutely amazing. ****3/4."
[10.0] "First of three amazing matches tonight. This match was fast action from the start with the two sprinting at each other before nailing hard strikes. There are lots of strike exchanges between the two. Shibata shows little respect to Ishii when he just shoves his foot in his face. There was that excellent sequence when each man sat on the mat to willingly take hard kicks to the back. Shibata nailed one super hard kick that left Ishii face down. Shibata willingly took hard chops to the chest over and over and it was great. I love that neither hold back with hits especially Shibata. Shibata did some great boot scrapes to Ishii's face. Ishii took some hits and did the same thing in return by scraping Shibata's face with his boot. Shibata tried a few submissions like the octopus stretch, armbar, and Kimura Lock. I loved how both hit a flurry of attacks but it was all too much and they both fell to the mat. I liked how Ishii hit a top rope dropkick. I loved when the two headbutted each other. The ending was nice when Shibata ended it with a PK."
[9.0] "This match has a special place in my heart for me due to this match being the one which introduced the "New Japan" style to me. Before I knew that people said they hit hard but I never really understood what that meant since I had only really watched WWE up to that point. Dear God these two killed each other though, they were practically made for each other. Only real downside for me were the headbutts, they didn't bring the match down or up but, in hindsight, they're hard to watch is all. Other than that, fantastic NEVER Title match for the Dome, and iirc they topped it a month later, incredible. (****1/2)"
[9.0] "Shibata vs. Ishii ist eine Paarung, die bei mir immer 2 sehr starke Gefühle auslöst im Vorfeld. Zum einen natürlich die pure Vorfreude wissentlich, dass es ein geiles Match wird, aber zum anderen auch wirklich die pure Angst, dass einer der beiden sich wirklich schwer verletzen könnte, denn wenn die 2 aufeinandertreffen, geht es immer brachial zu. Das war auch hier nicht anders und nach dem Match war ich nicht nur ziemlich erleichtert, dass es vorbei war, sondern ziemlich froh so ein geiles Match gesehen zu haben. Das Match erinnerte mich sehr an Kobashi vs. Sasaki, wo es auch eher darum ging dem anderen zu beweisen, dass man der Härtere der beiden ist und nicht unbedingt das primäre Ziel hatte das Match zu gewinnen, so lächerlich das auch klingt. Die 2 sind wie immer so stiff, dass man ab und zu nicht weiß, ob hier noch gewrestlet wird oder ob es langsam aber sicher Zeit wäre die Polizei zu rufen. Das Match war der absolute Hammer, aber 1 mal in 2 Jahren reicht mir das auch um ehrlich zu sein. Das Match vom Climax 2013 fand ich noch einen Tick stärker, aber das war ebenfalls ein großes Match und einer der 3 großen Matches an diesem Abend. **** 1/4 (10)"
[9.0] "Egal wie oft man die Beiden gegeneinander stellt, sie schaffen es immer wieder einfach grandioses Kino abzuliefern. Dieses Match mag vielleicht nicht das Beste Ishii/Shibata Match sein, das macht es aber definitiv nicht schlecht. Mittel- und Anfangsphase sind sehr gut gestaltet, aber was wirklich extrem besonders ist, ist die Pure Göttlichkeit der Schlussphase. Unendlich viele Near-Falls ohne Over-Kill, grandiose No-Sell Sequenzen und im Großen und Ganzen einfach perfekt benutzter Strong Style (****1/4)."
[10.0] "Jesus Christ this was a slowburn war of pain. The Dome crowd was easily split for both men as everyone knew these guys were about to murder eachother, and holy shit did they. As soon as the bell hits these guys go at it in similar fashion to their G1 23 match, and Shibata quickly took control. The rest of the match was just a barrage of stiff strikes, chops, punches, kicks, reversals and anything else that can leave a mark. At one point Shibata seems to start to go for Ishii's arm but that idea is quickly dropped. This match was like a more lengthy version of the G1 23 match, but without the explosiveness and more about the battle between the two. I just hope to god this match didn't take off many years from each guys life, ****3/4."
[7.0] "War halt das typische Ishii vs. Shibata-Match. Gerade ersterer kann leider mehr, muss sich aber wie gewohnt Shibatas Style anpassen und so bekommt man das, was man von dieser Paarung gewohnt ist. Das Match kann man sich geben, wenn man ein Fan von mindestens einem der Beiden ist, spreche ich sogar eine klare Empfehlung aus. Wenn man jedoch dieses Aufeinandertreffen schon mehrfach gesehen hat, so sei gesagt, dass hier nichts Neues passiert. Fazit: Absehbare, aber gute Unterhaltung."
[9.0] "If you like the stiffest Strong Style this is what you have to watch! Intense, a no-stop fight with emphasis and passion. It reminds me some of my favorite matches in USA territory. Great to see, not perfect but surely entertaining enough to give excitement to viewers. ****1/4"
[10.0] "One of the best matches of the evening. I really like a booking of the match, like the aggressive style and the way it's been filed. Everything was very realistic, this game deserves its evaluation and more. With pleasure watching a match a year ago, and reviewing with the same pleasure. Masterpiece (****3/4)"
[8.0] "Shibata vs. Ishii war ein richtig schöner Fight, schöne Stiffness, krasse Intensität und schönes Storytelling. Das Finish kam mir jedoch etwas früh und an der Stelle unpassend. Dennoch insgesamt ein gutes Match (***¾+)!"
[5.0] "Honestly, this match is a great and impressive display of both endurance and striking power. But aside from the nice triangle choke exchange, that's all it was."
[8.0] "Good match. It was a very hard-hitting encounter like I expected. The beginning and end of the match was amazing, but the middle really went a while. I think they also missed out on the corner dropkick. (I know they did it but it wasn't like normal)"
[9.0] "Ein wirklich grandioses Match! Das ist Wrestling at its finest, zumindest für mich! Einfach No-Nonsense mit Strong Style und Technik auf die Fresse, der Bessere bzw. Stärkere gewinnt am Ende! Keine große Storyline, kein kitschiges Entertainment, einfach der pure Kampfsport, einfach nur super! Shibata ist ja ohnehin einer besten Unterbewertetsten bei New Japan, der Typ ist was er darstellt: The Wrestler! Er ist der Prototyp, genau so muss ein Wrestler sein! Ishii macht seinem eigenem Moniker The Pitbull in diesem Match auch alle Ehre und es passt einfach perfekt! Für die Zukunft heißt es also weiterhin: Willst du krasse Auf-die-Fresse-Action sehen, musst du zu Shibata und Ishii gehen."
[9.0] "This match completely turned the wrestle kingdom 10 show around into a show of the year contender. This felt like a longer version of their legendary G1 23 match. ****1/2 stars."
[7.0] "Ein gutes Match auch wenn ich die Art zu kämpfen nicht sonderlich mag. Beide legen aber eine erstaunliche Intensität an den Tag, auch wenn sie mit den Headbutts gegen Ende ganz klar übers Ziel hinaus schiessen. Insgesamt kommt das Match von der Dramatik her aber nicht im Ansatz an die zweite Auseinandersetzung der Beiden heran. Daher auch die deutlich schlechtere Beurteilung."
[10.0] "Es ist eines der Matches das einen mit ungläubigem Blick und einem "Puh" enden lässt. Hatte wohl kaum einer als so gutes Match auf dem Schirm, die Brutalität und Härte war einfach nur atemberaubend. Riesenrespekt an die zwei Kerle!"
[6.0] "This truly does have a great tempo at the start and the opening section of this match really does wow me as one of the best exchanges I have ever see. So check it out for that if nothing else."
[10.0] "My favorite match of 2016 so far. This match was the latest battle (at the time) in the ongoing war between Ishii and Shibata. Over the past two years these two men have constantly tried to prove who is the toughest brawler in NJPW. These was a masterpiece of a match, taking place in the grandest venue for wrestling there is. In this match, both men were determined to show the other that he was the stronger man, refusing to rest in a pin and kicking out at 2, refusing to rest after being hit with a lariat, and daring the the other man to come at him with a set of strikes: all just to prove that he is tougher than the other. *****"
[9.0] "Screw every expectation of scientific pro wrestling for this match: had to be a consuming war and it was! Non-stop, long stiff, to the point and no-sell affair. ****"
[10.0] "Mal ein ganz anderes Wrestling Match. Statt tolle akrobatische Moves gab es ich stiffe Schläge und Tritte. Mir hat es gefallen ! Ich fande es sogar phänomena. Ich jede aktion habe ich abkefaut! Es sah einfach echt aus und es war schön anzusehen das die beiden hier alles raushauen! Tolle Match Story und ein tolles Finnish! Wenn jedes Wrestling match so wäre, wäre das natürlich traurig. Aber mal eine tolle alternative! Hat mich sehr mitgerissen! Respekt !"
[9.0] "Not as good as their legendary G-1 clash but this was awesome. Ishii did a really good job of putting Shibata over here by allowing him to win most of the strike battles and stuff like that. Even my head hurt during that head-butts spot. I really hope that Shibata becomes the new guy the NEVER Open weight title becomes about instead of the title just reverting back to Ishii like usual."
[7.0] "Von mir gibt es nur 7 Punkte, da mir diese Art von Match überhaupt nicht gefällt, zu seltsam war mir die ganze Anfangsphase und außer Kicks und Clotheslines gab es auch nicht so viel mehr. Das was die beiden machten, machten sie dennoch gut."
[9.0] "A sick, brutal, incredible fight. Full of stiff kicks and elbows. I'm usually not a fan of no selling (especially for no reason) but this is an example of when used right with the right wrestlers. Fantastic match, my rating ****3/4"
[9.0] "Habe das Match schon vor ein paar Tagen gesehen und vergessen zu bewerten. Bei beiden besteht ja die Gefahr, dass sie sich sinnlos den Kopf einhauen aber ich denke hier war das alles noch in Ordnung, bis auf die Headbutts und insgesamt hat mir das Macth gut gefallen. Shibata als Titelträger gefällt mir ebenfalls sehr."
[9.0] "-What a hell of a match. It was exactly what everybody thought it would be. They did an excellentj ob building drama along with delivering the brutality. Shibata winning was absolutely right, the Openweight division need some fresh blood and Shibata is perfect choice for this who can have great matches with everyone. This is the best thing on the card thus far."
[9.0] "Stiff as all hell this was a absolute slug fest i mean when they were hitting headbutts on each other hearing the impact it made gave me a headache lol but i gave this one ****1/4 great stuff"
[5.0] "Jesus christ. I'm so torn, because this is very impressive, but also extremely uncomfortable honestly. It's not even really a wrestling match, it's a contest to see who can stiff each other the most. With all we know about head trauma today, I should not be watching two guys headbutt each other full force multiple times. No strategy, no psychology, nothing but a degree of stiffness that looks incredibly unhealthy. I get why some love this, but I just can't fully get into it. It's impressive, but I feel it should not happen, it's more physically damaging than even deathmatch wrestling."
[9.0] "Stiff, stiffer, Shibata vs Ishii so und nicht anders hab ich das Titelmatch zwischen den beiden gesehen. Was die da wieder an brutalen Kicks zeigten ist echt nicht zu glauben. Finde es mal gut das Katsuyori jetzt den Titel gewonnen hat so kann sich Ishii mal von einigen Verletzungen erholen was er sicher nicht machen wird. Er will sicher ein Rematch und ich denke das wird er auch bekommen. Drittbestes Match bei diesem Wrestle Kingdom (****1/2)."
[10.0] "This match was just AMAZING! Both men went out there and just beat the crap out of each other and the crowd loved every second of it. The STIFF strikes were just bone-crushing and I could almost feel it while I was watching it especially Shibata's kicks. The ending though was great and this was a brutal and amazing Strong Style fight that I really enjoyed and I'd say this was easily a Classic. ****1/2"
[9.0] "Auf. Die. Fresse. Anders kann man dieses Match nicht beschreiben. Als jemand, der New Japan nur sehr sporadisch verfolgt, kannte ich bis dahin nicht allzu viele Ishii-Matches, weswegen ich hier immernoch beeindruckt war. Im Nachhinein kann man sich natürlich die Frage stellen, ob es eine derartige Härte und Stiffness wirklich braucht. Im Moment des Guckens habe ich daran aber nicht wirklich gedacht und einfach nur unglaublichen Spaß an diesem Hard Hitting-Kampf gehabt."
[6.0] "*** 1/4 stars out of 5. I get the appeal, these guys hit each other REALLY hard, but it wasn't much of a wrestling match. It was just a really good brawl."
[10.0] "This is the REAL STRONG STYLE , this is the real PURORESU. Two years ago they shook the world and made ***** classic . At Wreste Kingdom 10 , they made a bigger impact . This match is five times better than the their first five star match. I really enjoyed and greeted those competitors. Shibata and ishii are true kings of strong style. ***** Classic"
[10.0] "Es ist komisch dieses Match mit einer 10 zu bewerten da es dadurch prinzipiell auf einer Stufe mit Shinsuke vs AJ und Tanahashi vs Okada stehen würde, ABER ich sehe dies eben nicht so. Ich bewerte jedes Match anders wie es mir in der jeweiligen art gefallen hat. Shinsuke vs AJ war einfach Matchtechnisch und für den Dream Match Faktor eine 10. Tanahashi vs Okada war story und Matchtechnisch eine 10 mit dem großartigen Feel good moment. Und dieses Match ist eben eine 10 für Hard hitting Matches! Beide schenken sich absolut nichts und liefern sich brutale duelle. Egal ob es kicks sind, Forearms, Big Boots und Clotheslines. Alles in an diesem Match war intensiv und Brutal und es konnte als einziges Match bei WK 10 noch mit den 2 Main Events mithalten. Nicht das der rest schlecht war, aber die letzten 2 Matches waren nicht von dieser Welt. Rating von mir: 4 1/2*"
[9.0] "There is a point where just striking each other and only kinda-selling it gets old and bad. This match does not cross that line. It's not their 2013 classic, but it's an absolute war, and yet a dignified one with as much respect as there was violence, and there was a lot of violence. Fast or slow, high or low, these two just went at it with everything they had. Those headbutts near the end however, while incredible in regards to the tone of the match, were also way too hard and made some sickening thuds. The more I think about them after watching, the more I worry for Ishii and Shibata's well-being. Between some of the intensity not being QUITE there in comparison to their G1 Climax 23 match and those troubling headbutts, this match isn't perfect, but it's really, really damn good. ****1/2"
[10.0] "This was amazing. Shibata and Ishii sure beat the holy crap outta eachother. Those kicks, those headbutts those elbows. Can't believe the pain they were feeling after the match. ****¾"
[5.0] "Felt more like a parody, than a wrestling match at times. I'm clearly in the minority on this one, but I'm really tired of this type of no-selling, non-stop "fighting spirit" style of match."
[10.0] "This match was captivating from start to finish. The intensity, strength, hardness ... everything was there to have a great time wrestling. Ishii / Shibata is certainly one of the best posters NJPW can offer their fans. And again, the two men have shown that they were the most underrated of this business and certainly among the most talented of their generation. I am a huge fan of Ishii and his way of making his matches. Anyway, the brawling between Ishii and Shibata is absolutely fantastic. Elbow, punch, headbutt, kick ... all for an absolutely great result. ****1/2."
[10.0] "Very aggressive and stiff but very good. The selling was great and if they didn't sell it was because they were legit fighting through pain. Just as you'd expect from these 2. Great match ****1/4-1/2"
[10.0] "This was exactly what you would expect it to be. These 2 beat the holy hell out of each other, and the Dome crowd loved it. And so did I. Amazing match. ****1/2"
[10.0] "Oh my god, what a match. Ishii and Shibata beat the shit out of each other and it hurt. Another very sick and insane match by those two. I am just wondering, how are they still alive after matches like this? MOTYC right there. **** 3/4"
[9.0] "Shibata gegen Ishii, man ist sich ja immer im Klaren was da rauskommen wird, aber trotzdem war es wieder ein 1A Schlachtfest mit dem richtigen Sieger (****3/4)."
[9.0] "Another trademark stiff-as-hell NEVER Openweight Championship match. Ishii and Shibata challenged each other to deliver kicks to their spines, and at one point traded headbutts that I'm pretty sure I could hear all the way from London! The match would have benefited from an extra 5 minutes which might have given it the chance to distinguish itself from the other tough-as-nails NEVER matches that Ishii has competed in over the past 12 months."
