Naoya Ogawa vs. Shinya Hashimoto

[8.0] "This match is all about anticipation, every single step of the way and it's beyond fascinating how that anticipation only kept growing. Inoki's (and really of everyone around the ring) facial expressions were something else, I wish there would be more matches these days where someone's gaze (like Inoki's here) would be sending shivers down audience's spines. It made everything that happened count and mean something, though personally I thought it backfired because the finish was the way it was - lack of Ogawa's experience clearly showed there, the way he blatantly fed for Hashimoto's DDT didn't help to put it nicely. Still, overall, a fascinating piece of Puro history."

[9.0] "A godly presentation before hand followed by a fight between two alphas that felt slightly sloppy and a struggle but in the best way possible. Hashimoto and Ogawa delivered in this one. A start to a tremendous rivalry, I can't wait to see where this goes. ****1/4"

[9.0] "Famously put together at the last minute because Ken Shamrock backed out of the match. Income silver medalist to save the day and establish a rivalry that will affect the company for a while. The presentation of New Japan shows are usually low-key but that just makes these matches feel otherworldly. Ogawa is hugh and accomplished in Judo, so hes a dangerous threat to Hashimoto. Ogawa is new to wrestling but as he proves, he is easily capable of taking Hashimoto to the ground. Hashimotos kicks and chops stagger Ogawa but Ogawa keeps coming with his throw attempts. He picks up Hashimoto like hes nothing and slams him down into the mat with a brutal thud. Awesome! Ogawas novice tendencies remain clear when hes standing over Hashimoto. He doesnt always look sure of what to do but when he does something, its effective. Hashimoto knows exactly what to do with him as well. He backs him up in the corner and is able to score a throw on the Olympian to a big pop and Ogawa has to bail to the floor to regroup. Hes getting it now. Ogawa attempts a knee bar but cant submit Hashimoto. They jockey for control and Ogawa is able to snag the arm for a double wrist lock. Ogawa is the crowd favourite which is rare for a Hashimoto match but that doesnt affect the game plan. Hashimoto keeps plugging away with those awesome brain chops and throws Ogawa again! Ogawa quickly gets up and suddenly he hits the STO and then a choke for the surprise win! The crowd is stunned. Choshu is stunned. The commentator is stunned. Ogawa celebrates with great earnesty while Hashimoto is furious in the corner with a bloody nose. In his debut match, Ogawa beats the IWGP Heavyweight champion. What does this mean? Damn. If this is New Japans take on a shoot style match, its a bloody strong one. It retained enough pro wrestling beats for this crowd while having the raw energy of Ogawas shoot mindset to match the exact feeling they were aiming for. Not the crash, bang finsih that will get the 5 star ratings but its wonderfully effective for the shock win. Great match. Hashimoto was incredible and Ogawa looked good in his debut. ****1/4"

[7.0] "I'm honestly a newcomer to this rivalry. When I first heard about it I was kind of confused, but after seeing some clips of this, I new I had to dive in as I've been getting more and more into the shoot-style type of wrestling. Gotta say I love the build-up for this one it made Ogawa look like a credible opponent, even in a NJPW ring. I enjoyed the pacing of this bout, and it seemed to be the perfect way to introduce a star and build the legitimacy (not that he needed it) of Hashimoto. 7/10, as I know that with more practice, these two are gonna have clashes. Also, there's all love in the ring at the moment, which I know will be changing during their other encounters."

[7.0] "So, this is where it all began. Ogawa is an olympic silver medallist in Judo, Hashimoto is one of the biggest stars in NJPW. There's a great video package before the match that shows Ogawa training with Inoki and Sayama in the dojo, as well as Hashimoto doing some Judo training in an outside ring. Even before the bell rang, there's no question that this is a big, big fight. It's really interesting seeing Ogawa in full Judoka mode here, as he would soon switch to more of a hybrid MMA style and drop the Gi. Not here though, he has on his Subaru Gi and I don't think he threw one strike in the entire match. He has the form of a judoka, not a striker and definitely not a pro wrestler. I actually love how realistic his selling is here, which is to say that he basically didn't sell apart from what was probably legitimate pain at the hands of Hashimoto's vicious kesagiri chops and kicks. He doesn't bump or have any other prowres tendencies that often make these types of matches feel phoney. As far as different style fights go, this felt really believable. Ogawa had no stand-up to speak of and there were many moments in this match where he just got completely pummelled, but he would pull out some insane throw or counter to keep himself alive. It was a pleasure to watch him throw Hash around like he weighed nothing but there was only glimpse of that really. The finish rules and the crowd lose their minds, what a beautiful STO by Ogawa leading up to it. Overall it was an incredibly engaging, and very important feeling matchup. I'm not very fond of different style fights usually, but this is one done right. Great start to a legendary feud. (3.5*)"