[10.0] "I cannot believe that Nakajima simply leaves NOAH for joing GLEAT and being out of the spotlight for more than a year after doing this INSANE match against Kento. Dumb decision that almost fuck up with him, but well, this is a five stars match for me."
[9.0] "[4.5*] This match is literally beautiful. It represents everything about the beautiful art of puroresu. Drama, storytelling, hard hitting, stiff, strong style, and the frenetic ending stretch after the slow build at the start. This was one of the best matches of the year."
[9.0] "What a fantastic match and amazing moment, after more than 10 years, Nakajima and Miyahara finally faced each other again, a highly anticipated and dream encounter, considering the different paths they took, and a rare appearance by Kento Miyahara in Pro-Wrestling NOAH, in a situation where wrestlers are usually booed and do heel work for being the outsider, but Miyahara received and ovation and was cheered all the time, like the legend he is. These are two of the best wrestlers in the world, and you expect nothing but greatness, all the moves were perfectly executed and brutally stiff, the cinematography of the match was peak, all the camera shots and angles were incredible, it was a spectacle, a super match, but it had some tiny flaws, I wasn't a fan of their work outside of the ring, where they kept trading headbutts, and I was also pissed with the fact they used the fighting spirit moments too early, and in the ending sequences, where it should've been a unique and great moment, they did it again and it became repetitive, the no-sells and stuff like that, took out the realism and desire to fight from the match, to focus on cool spots and cinematic moments. But apart of that, the ending stretch was thrilling and beautiful, when they started trading forearms the match went to another level, the nearfalls were simply incredible, and this is a remarkable match, one of the best of the year, one that could easily go for the perfect rating, but some little details and wrestling preferences didn't allowed to - {****1/2}"
[9.0] "Exzellentes Match. Ich habe zuvor noch kein Match der beiden gesehen und bin dementsprechend ohne Wissen rein. Die Face-Heel Dynamik, das Storytelling, das selling, welches mir wirklich sehr gefällt, das pacing (auch wenn anfangs eher langsam), stiffe Moves, eine tolle Crowd...hier stimmt nahezu alles. Im Match selbst geht mir die Schlagabtausch Sequenz etwas zu lang, auch wenn sie auf ein grandioses Finish hinarbeitet. Ein nahezu perfektes Match und aus retrospektive eines der besten des Jahres. (****3/4)"
[10.0] "This match lived up to the expectations and then some. The start was a bit slow, but they built and built and built to a hell of a finish. And then the post-match comes and they're still fighting, clearly signaling that it wasn't quite over even with the bell ringing. There were a couple imperfections in selling, but they sold like death through 90% of the match, and Miyahara in particular looked nearly knocked out before a barrage of kicks brought him back to life. Nakajima is a superb heel, showing off during every attack, and Miyahara, despite his efforts, could not put him away. One of the best matches of 2023. *****"
[8.0] "This was my first time seeing both competitors, so admittedly I may have enjoyed the match more had I been familiar with the characters and storyline. Insanely hard-hitting match, Nakajima's kicks are brutal. Not a big fan of Kento's selling. I wasn't very interested early on but became a little more invested late in the match."
"Honestly a little disappointed in this after seeing the user rating and Meltzer rating. I'll admit though I heard the story build was good and I haven't seen anything between these two other than this match itself. I understand the structure of an epic main event like this having a slow start and building to a fast-paced ending with good nearfalls, but to me the beginning was just a bit too slow and boring. I wasn't really invested in this match until the 25 minute mark. On a more positive note however, the last 10 mins, especially the last 5 were pretty awesome. I like how Nakajima kicks, he clearly holds nothing back in them. Also really liked the ground and pound Nakajima gave Kento, was brutal. Liked the stretched choking in the ropes onto Kento in the corner, never seen it done like that and is a good opportunity for heel work, although 4 times was too many times. Kento seems to be very talented at selling in my opinion and I like his shining wizard, especially the one he delivered horizontally. Ref kind of annoyed me with the delay he would put between the 2 and 3 count. I also liked the post-match segment and Nakajima, as far as I can tell, has a magnetic presence to him. I won't call anyone wrong for thinking this is a MOTYC as I admit I am missing context, I just disagree is all. ****1/4"
[3.0] "In the first 20 minutes, nothing happens. You could watch the entire Samoa Joe World Championship title defense vs HOOK and have several minutes left over before anything of consequence or excitement happens. You could watch the entire CM Punk vs Eddie Kingston match from Full Gear before anything exciting happens. You could watch the entire Goldberg World Championship title defense vs DDP from Halloween Havoc 1998 before anything exciting happens. Actually, you could pick 2 of these and watch them back-to-back before anything exciting happens. That first thing was Miyohara spiking Nakajima with a piledriver on the ring apron around the 20-minute mark. If you are going to watch this match, and you have any other commitments or responsibilities in your life, you should watch it at an accelerated speed. After that piledriver, Nakajima fires up for an exciting sequence before Miyohara puts him down again for another long rest period. If you like selling MORE than you like seeing moves or seeing counters, then this might be the match for you. Things start to pick up around the 25-minute mark with a strike trade, but the strike trade doesn't offer anything particularly unique apart from what you've seen in NJPW or in AEW's Continental Crown division. At 29 minutes, things start to sizzle, but then it simmers low again until the 32-minute mark. This match was a bit too much of a collection of run-on sentences that could've used some more punctuation marks, particularly some exclamation points. At 35 minutes, Nakajima hits a Vertical Spike brainbuster, that looks a little bit too much like a vertical suplex to be the climactic final blow in a major match for my particular tastes."
[10.0] "Every once in a while as a Wrestling fan I go through periods where I just get disinterested and everything is stale to me. It happened to me around 2014-2015 and that's when I watched Wrestle Kingdom 9 and Tanahashi vs Okada pulled me back in. I've recently been going through a similar feeling and this was the match that pulled me out of it. Katsuhiko Nakajima has been around for a long time and it's amazing to see him get top guy treatment finally. Kento Miyahara is fantastic as well. This match is like a combination of strong style and king's road smashed into one. It's hard hitting, Nakajima is one of the best strikers in the world and Miyahara has some of the best knees in wrestling. If you know the story between these two charismatic stars; the animosity, what they represent for their promotions and teachers, the torches they carry, etc. There is a lot here. A stiff match that elevates to a high level once Miyahara piledrives Nakajima on the apron. Michael Cole says that's the hardest part of the ring. Nakajima has the best kicks in the business man. This match becomes a hard hitting sprint and never slows down. One of my favorite matches of the year and a great NOAH vs AJPW war. P.S. Nakajima slaps the s*** out of Miyahara."
[10.0] "The hot crowd pushed this to a 10 for me, theres definitely a case to mark it down due to the methodical pace that encapsulates a lot of big NOAH matches that is also present here. Also you can tell Miyaharas childhood hero was Hulk Hogan due to the almost comical Hogan-esque selling to some roundhouse kicks later in the match. Despite this its a great match to watch and a true battle between the top stars of their respective companies. Miyahara knows how to work a crowd masterfully and Nakajimas style grounds the match in reality. Ive yet to watch their rematch at the end of 2023 but if its anything like this itll be top tier stuff"
[2.0] "In 3 words: A Shameful Disgrace. In more than 3 words: This match is not completely awful. There are some nice stiff strikes, but these only last a few seconds before another minute long period of absolutely nothing takes over. If this match was made to generate a highlight reel, they did a good job. If someone were to edit out all the stalling and time wasting, they would have a nice 5 minutes or so of action. But I'm not rating a hypothetical highlight reel. I'm rating the match as a whole. Historically speaking, GHC Heavyweight and Triple Crown matches have been glorious testaments to the Kings Road. Slow, but meaningful build up, with a logical escalation of moves into an intense finish. This match starts slow, with both workers trying to feel each other out. This is fine. What is not fine, is that somehow by the time they start actually having at each other, they are both selling like they've run a marathon. What are they selling? Was a 30 second lock up enough to exhaust them? There is no strategy, they both just go for the head. By the end of the match they are both staggering around, totally exhausted, until they need to hit a move, then they're fine again, they hit their move, and back to exhausted. This is not fighting spirit. The final blows of Kenta Kobashi vs. Minoru Suzuki are fighting spirit. This is just bad selling, bad pacing, bad story telling, and it makes for a bad match."
[10.0] "There was so much hype and build on the forbidden reunion, and this match delivered perfectly. Korakuen Hall was reacting to every bit of action, and both men brought an extra bit of intensity. A slow-burning king's road-style match adds just a bit more fire to the match. The ending sequence is amazing and this feud will continue seemingly, hopefully they can sustain the amount of story elements on the next one. 10/10"
[9.0] "[4.75*] WHAT A MATCH. These two absolutely hate each other, the brutality and aggression they had in this match was spectacular with the last 10 minutes being pure art. I loved Kento Selling in Katsu Kicks. The exchanges they had at the end made this one of the best matches of the year."
[10.0] "What a historic fight. It's definitely in my top3 MOTY of 2023. The amount of stiffy is insane, the last 10 minutes were also breathtaking. I'd give this match 5.75*/6.00 and I can't wait for nakajima vs. miyahara II on 12/31, can you imagine the best fight of 2023 being precisely on the last day of the year? it would be crazy."
[6.0] "A mixed bag The beginning was very intense, like Katsuhiko was trying to not make any mistake, capitalize on Kento been cocky with hard kicks, an element that was sustantional from this moment on. Honestly, the next part was kinda boring, even disappointing, the kicks continued back and forth, Miyahara gets the upperhand for a little bit and Nakajima answers with aggression, all of that ends with the no selling after a damn piledriver on the apron, a big facepalm. But after, oh, it gets really good, they battle for minutes with strong strikes, powerfull stare offs and some dramatic kick outs. The minutes fly, the victory could be for anyone at this point, both refuse to quit, Katsuhiko really struggled to escape the Straight jacket Suplex, some brutal knees too I loved it, can't wait for the rematch"
[10.0] "From the little I've seen of Nakajima, I wasn't surprised with how this match was structured, but I was surprised at how much I liked it. The match really felt like a Kings Road match with a bit of a modern twist, and despite its long run time, it was really engaging. A total war with some stiff goodness. 5 Stars. (Edit: On a revisit, this rules even more. Might end up being a top 5 MOTY for me.)"
[10.0] "Ouch. Strong style classic here. The story heading in was amazing, and the match was incredibly brutal. I'm not sure it ever got into scale-breaker territory, but it was still fantastic and a MOTYC. Korakuen Hall was on fire in the later parts of this match. All things considered, I go FIVE STARS (*****)"
[8.0] "Katsuhiko Nakajima vs. Kento Miyahara was a great match it had hard strikes but then some stalling then back to striking the first 20 minutes of the match were not memorable after that it started to pick up but never felt memorable than a lot of other puro matches."
[9.0] "Awesome match, one of the best I watched the whole year. Miyahara is a strong contender for Wrestler Of The Year to me, it seems like the man can't have a bad match. If Kento is wrestling, then I'm watching. Nakajima is also fantastic, I haven't watched much of them so far, but in every match he looked impressive. Fantastic action today. ****3/4."
[9.0] "I must say that this was far more impressive than I had initially thought. I have grown to be a quite big admirer of Katsuhiko Nakajima and Kento Miyahara, and it still is quite shocking to me how much their chemistry goes back. It does certainly feel more of a King's Road to type of match than anything; but it is still quite a sight to see with two of the best stars in Japan going at it to signify their dominance leading up to the new era. If it was to be expected to we would have seen far more influences from the days of old with wrestlers of the era of Kensuke Sasaki, Yuji & Katsuhiko Nagata, Hiroshi Hase and many more; this is exactly that. The one particular main issue that I do have about this matches that of a criticism that I have to deem quite rude and expected of me, and that is of the abundance of moves that are quite unique to the certain wrestler and those that have not been seen in matches and in particular moments of these people's careers that initially had not been brought up as much; necessarily they are not doing as much to impress a newcomer other than to impress a old timer and/or a hardcore fan. They still put on an absolutely fantastic showing I'll be at with certain moments that made me question the legitimacy of both of the performers."
[8.0] "Really good match. Loved the atmosphere and the hard hitting strikes. Nakajima was a joy to watch with his facials expressions and Miyahara drunken sell, while inconsistent at times, was different and refreshing. Wish the ending, after the Nakajima slap, was a bit faster (not rushing, but paced better). There's some nitpicks here and there, but I don't think are worth mentioning. Just some small details. This match is worth seeking out."
[8.0] "Some of the striking and move sequences looked like they were on 1.5 speed. Also, anytime you put Nakajima up against a meatman like Kento, you're going to see satisfying strikes. I feel like the super high ratings came from people watching at the time who got caught up with the crowd, who, in fairness, were having the time of their lives. There just wasn't enough consistent action in a 34-minute match to warrant a 9 or 10."
[10.0] "Nakajima vs. Kento nimmt ca. 1/3 der Show ein und ist absolut großartig. Die 34 Minuten vergingen wie im Flug und die Intensität ist von der ersten Sekunde an vorhanden. Kento auch bei NOAH ein absoluter Star, der viel Zuspruch erhält. Es gibt Slaps, Kicks, einen Piledriver auf den Apron und allgemein tollen fighting spirit, der das Match zu einem der besten des Jahres macht. Könnte mir vorstellen, dass es das Match irgendwann nochmal gibt und Kento dann seinen Sieg bekommt."
[8.0] "Miyahara's patchy selling held this one back a bit for me. One minute he's superman, the next he's necked an entire bottle of tequila. That said, everything they did looked & sounded brutal and I enjoyed the early theme of each guy's ego getting the better of them (and zero lessons being learned) ****1/4"
[10.0] "Going into this I knew very little about the history of these men and I have not seen too much of Nakajima's work compared to Miyahara's. This absolutely brought it when it counted and stood on its own as a heated pride fight that didn't need more than a couple "big" moves to keep the excitement up. All the flowers to the English commentary for filling in all the blanks you'd need to get what the deal is. I found the opening minutes of feeling out process took a little too long and Miyahara had one or two too many "I'm selling like I'm knocked out for half a minute but jump to my feet and yell really loud before doing a move" spots, but those are nitpicks in a really excellent physical match. Nakajima egging on his junior to minimize all the accomplishments that the younger, larger Kento has managed in another stored promotion and bounding back from each only to have some of the biggest knockout shots of the match (which Kento still managed to survive) was simple and brilliant. THAT elbow and THAT slap had more impact than Kento's apron piledriver, and they exchanged some of the loudest kicks I've ever heard. A total war that had the ideal finish for keeping this going; Nakajima still has the edge no matter what Miyahara has pulled off away from NOAH. It could be years before they cross paths again but this rivalry is going to be white hot until one of them retires, based on how this match went. ****3/4"
[9.0] "Wrestling kann so real sein. Alles sitzt, jeder Strike, jeder Forearm und jeder Suplex tun schon beim Zuschauen weh. Ich fand die Anfangsphase etwas zäh, aber mit interessanten Character-Momenten gespickt. Ich mochte beide Wrestler hier sehr gerne. Nakajima, den ich das letzte Mal wahrscheinlich 2008 gesehen, als Assassin der systematisch seinen größeren Gegner mit harten Kicks zerlegt. Miyahara, der sich immer wieder zurückkämpft. Das ganze endet dann in einem furiosen stiffen Finale. Man darf auf das Rematch gespannt sein!"
[10.0] "If you know anything about these guys you have a pretty good idea of how the match was gonna go. A slow burn peaking at an epic finish. They perfectly built it, with some great strikes throughout. The typically hot Korakuen crowd didn't disappoint and was on fire throughout and especially for those last 5-6 minutes which were out of this world. This didn't seem like a one and done and I sure hope it isn't, already can't wait for a rematch. One of the 5 best matches of the year. *****"
[8.0] "If you're a puro fan it's a great match, the Korakuen crowd is always hot, the action was hard hitting...but it's 2023, so if you're a puro fan you've also already seen a lot of main events like this. Obviously Kento and Nakajima are fantastic wrestlers, they worked an efficient formula but I thought it suffered from a flaw that we tend to see more often in modern wrestling: going long just for the sake of it. It had some great moments but this match was like 15 minutes too long. It's still a very good match but I clearly didn't enjoy it as much as other people did and I don't think I will remember much from it."
[9.0] "Eine brutale, 34-minütige Schlacht. Miyahara und Nakajima liefern sich ein hartes back-and-forth Match und das von der ersten Sekunde an. Miyahra liefert etwas mehr Show ab, posiert für die Crowd und Nakajima bleibt mehr konzentriert. Das Pacing hat mir gut gefallen, es gab keine wirklichen Momente, wo mich das Match gelangweilt hat. Das Ende war auch wirklich stark und spannend aufgebaut. War jetzt kein MOTYC-Kandidat, in meinen Augen zumindest, aber sicherlich ein verdammt gutes Pro-Wrestling Match(****1/4)."
[7.0] "Gutes, hart geführtes Match zwischen zwei talentierten Akteuren, das gegen Ende auch spannend wird und die Crowd vor Ort mitreißt. Mitgerissen hat es mich allerdings nicht. Schade, dass sie den Apron Piledriver Spot so weggeschmissen haben, anstatt gezielt darauf aufzubauen."
[9.0] "Excellent but not quite hitting the whole 5* for me. The crowd were absolutely electric in this, kudos to them, reminiscent of the crowds of old, though perhaps they elevated the match to be greater than it actually was? The story here also elevated things. The wrestling was great but it didn't quite have that classic closing stretch of breathtaking spots that usual 5* classics have, the apron piledriver perhaps being the only one. Definite MOTY contender. While Nakajima was very good I just think Miyahara is the quintessential pro wrestler, the man is a true star. ****3/4"
[5.0] "This match is currently ranked in the top 50 matches of all time on cagematch, and it's... fine? Like, it's obviously not bad, but to me it's really no different than what feels like four dozen other puro style main events I've seen in 2023 alone. They did the usual puro thing: they did some stiff strikes (cool but nothing insane), they didn't sell a lot of the time (fighting spirit I guess! ), and they did it for a really long time (34 minute match). These are the ingredients to getting loved by fans, I suppose, but to me it's just unmemorable. Nakajima was good as usual but I just don't get into Kento very much. He was once compared to John Cena and it's hard to unsee it, he takes his beating and makes him comebacks in a very specific way that feels like if you've seen it once, you don't really need to see it again. That's how it feels to me, anyway. Fine match but drastically overrated, in my humble opinion."
[10.0] "I watched this due to its high rating here on CM, with no background knowledge on Miyahara, Nakajima, or NOAH and AJPW over the last 15 years. I was blown away! I wouldnt say its match of the year, but it deserves a 10/10. Kaitos selling, resiliency, and persistence made for some epic moments in the match; and Nakajima having an answer to everything that Kaito threw at him was *chefs kiss* I will say, the ending felt a little anticlimactic but thats only because I was unaware of Nakajimas finisher being a brainbuster. With more background knowledge I can see this match being one for the ages."
[10.0] "One of the best matchs in the history of Korakuen Hall, an instant classic harkening back to the glory days of the past. History, emotion and absolute passion of the public. I bet Kensuke Sasaki is proud, as Baba and Misawa would be too."
[8.0] "First, the crowd was very hot for this, which always adds enjoyment. Very intense energy between these men in how they stare at each other at times during the selling of the match. A ponderous pacing, particularly until around the ten minute mark where the headbutting intensifies. These dudes sell their butts off, but IMO the match never reaches a climax that validates the run time."
[7.0] "Surprisingly, I am not as high on this match as other people. Even though Nakajima is my favorite wrestler on the planet right now, and this is his most fascinating pairing, the match never hit the levels of excitement I was looking for. Still, a nice match worth watching."
[10.0] "Phenomenal. Slots into the top three matches of the year thus far, likely slotted somewhere between Omega/Ospreay 1 and 2. Kento Miyahara is a god amongst men in Korakuen Hall, and when adding in the pair's history, the crowd were unbelievably invested in this. The work itself, as you'd expect with these two, was stellar, but the scary thing is I think they were holding back. Incredibly intense and violent all the way, this absolutely a match you have to watch regardless of how much you know about Kento and Nakajima."
[10.0] "Epic! If I was given the opportunity to bring a non-wrestling fan to see one match that could make a convert of them, this might be the one. I had the great fortune to be at ringside at Korakuen. Beneath the ferocious physicality and violence (which in and of itself was spectacular), there lurked a latent psychology and complex, at times conflicting, emotional energy so genuine that the wrestlers could not help but to be infused by it. It electrified their work. The match was not necessarily driven by one fighters desire to destroy the other. However, destruction was a means to a more exalted end. The goal was to emerge victorious with a definitive win that would prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that the victor was greater than their opponent. A very simple and yet powerful intention - to prove that one is better than the other. However, Nakajima and Miyaharas incredible talents, drive, experience, pain thresholds, and perseverance made it inevitable that the violence rise to a hellacious level and that destruction be adopted in order to achieve that simple goal. A battery of sickening strikes, unrelenting suplexes, a downright nasty piledriver on the apron, and multiple stiff jumping knees to the head are examples of the weapons they used to advance their cause. As we watched the ebbs and flows of these spasms of violence, Korakuen went on a wild ride. The line between the observers and the observed seemed to melt away leaving the arena with one synergist stew of sympathy and outrage. When the bell rang at the end of the match, it was as if we all awoke stunned from a lunatic fever dream. And yet, as dreamlike as it may have been, and although the parameters may have been predetermined as is the custom of this art, there could be no doubt that the spectacle we witnessed was all very real. On a side note, I worried that this match was in danger of being criminally overlooked. It was tucked away on a NOAH show that typically would not receive global coverage. While asking for feedback on Twitter on the NJPW G1, IMPACT, and AAA events that took place that same weekend, WON didnt even mention One Night Dream (the card that this match headlined). I am relieved that fans on this site are helping ensure that the match is awarded the recognition that it deserves. Thank you CAGEMATCH.NET for providing a platform that enables fans to speak, be heard, and play a role in defining the collective memory of pro-wrestling history."
[9.0] "Intense, violent and aggressive match with an awesome atmosphere. Split crowd, and they played to it wonderfully. Worked in a way that was both satisfying, but left you wanting more especially with the postmatch."
[10.0] "A Match featured between two wrestlers that once started in the promotion of their Mentor: Kensuke Sasaki, One that already got everything served to him on a single plate while the other had to build his empire, a tale of two that built their Empires in different ways. this match told the story of the two wrestlers in such a godlike way"
[10.0] "Although I give a ten and five stars, I think the overall rating is a bit overrated. The kicks were so brutal. The last 10 minutes were a joy. A really awesome battle and match of the year from NOAHs side. *****"
[10.0] "This was fantastically paced, hard-hitting, and filled with terrific storytelling and callbacks. The one thing that I think kept this from being a strong candidate for match of the year was the finish. While the closing stretch was great overall, I am not always a fan of Nakajima's slow-burn finishing moves where his opponent is not fighting back, as it sometimes feels a touch anticlimatic. Pretty much everything else was either as good or even better than anyone anticipating this encounter could have imagined. At least ****3/4, maybe *****"
[9.0] "Went into this match blind. Started off slow but then they went full strong style and quite latterly beat the crap outta one another for a good 15 minutes before going into a Kings Road style finish. One of the stiffest matches I've seen in years. Very Entertaining, but I think it's one of those matches that hits harder if you knew the back story between the participants."
[4.0] "Hard to see the hype for this one. This is one of Kento's most artless matches to date. A slow king's road slug fest that wavers sloppily between new and old puro styles. About 90% of this is just strong style gunk. King's road shows up toward the ending with undefined selling and no selling logic. Nakajima's kicks are impressive. I have no idea how good he is between the ropes as his style is somewhere between doing as little actual wrestling as possible and aping the aesthetic of NJPW old guard heels circa 2012."
[10.0] "Incredible contest. The disdain they both had for each other lead to a brutal match. Korakuen Hall was packed for this and was super loud, great atmosphere."
[9.0] "A low pace match with two wrestlers hitting as hard as they can, if you are a fan of shooting style wrestling, watch this match, Nakajima is one of the guys I like to watch matches in this style, some moments the selling leaves something to be desired and in others they are impressive, the moment that Nakajima practically erases Miyahara with strong blows in the face is incredible and the end with Kento dragging himself with the last of his strength and then taking the final blow from Nakajima, simply incredible match (****3/4)"
[10.0] "Matches like this transcend everything that is great about wrestling. The emotion, the story, the rivalry, the insane hard-hitting action, the pacing, making the psychology... and the hard hitting action is worth repeating. Nakajima is one of my favorite wrestlers. Here he once again showed why. This match isn't just for the NOAH crowd. Everyone should see this."
[10.0] "2023 - a classic. So unpredictable, so firey and intense. No doubt in my mind about going 5 stars here. This is a fight, a rivalry that you can't just create or decide to book. It's special, unique and real(sort of) *****"
[10.0] "Nakajima and Miyahara turned their supposedly tumultuous real life relationship into a MOTY contender, creating picture perfect wrestling match if ever there was one. From the moment these two stood in the ring together, there was a palpable feeling of tension. Every move, every spot, every interaction felt like it had an underlying rage to it; these guys really were in top from for the entire 35 minutes of the match. There was nothing flash here, unlike some of the other MOTY contenders this year. Just the beautiful simplicity of two men hitting each other hard as fuck until one simply cannot kick out anymore. They absolutely have to run this back, and preferably sooner rather than later."
[10.0] "Anything below 5 stars is wrong. This was a decade in the making, a sold out PACKED Korakuen for this one match, and it entirely wholly, absolutely delivered. It was violent, painful, and beautiful all wrapped together. Kento Miyahara and Katsuhiko Nakajima are 2 of the very best, coming from the Kensuke Office, and we all need another match. *****"
[10.0] "Oh my god. That's all I can say after watching this match - just perfection. Bell to bell absolute slug fest I loved every minute of this match top 2 MOTY."
[10.0] "I thoroughly enjoyed this match. Top 3 MOTYC. This was magnificent and should be watched. The emotion and story telling between the two had me at the edge of my seat. Just pure pro wrestling as it should be."
[10.0] "Unbelievable match between Nakajima and Miyahara right here, which definitely surpassed any expectations we might have had, even though they were already so high and consequent, but that's the law of great wrestlers who still manage to innovate when we think we've already seen everything from them. Especially with two elite performers like them, I always knew that if they ever faced each other it would be a classic, it was obvious and I was obviously not wrong. I don't even know what to say about this match other than what's already been said, both of them made magic together and that magic was already there as soon as the bell rang, I really felt an atsmosphere I hadn't seen for so long in puroresu. Everything about it was freakin' perfect."
[10.0] "Raw emotion, a deliberate pace that let every blow and strike sink in and be meaningful. This was an incredible match and yet you still got the feeling that they were holding back and had more to deliver at a later date. Kento doesn't overly sell his leg but the damage is seen in how little impact his blk out knees have on Nakajima, they do damage but not enough to score him the win. Nakajima in the end pays back the big heem that Kento hit him with in the press conference with one of his own, then nails the punt and follows with the vertical spike to beat Kento."
[10.0] "Whoever rates this match lower than 5* has serious problems: this Is the apex of japanese wrestling outside NJPW. They not only hurt to each others but they did it in the most personal deep and epic way possible; It's like watching a piece of history. In my personal top 10 of the year so far, trust me when I say that this dream Is something of especial. *****1/4 (5, 25*/10, 5 out of ten)"
[10.0] "MY DREAM MATCH FINALLY HAPPENED! A thing of beauty, a masterpiece, God's finest creation, the 8th and only wonder that actually matters and has a meaning to mankind's whole fucking history. Katsuhiko Nakajima and Kento Miyahara just delivered the absolute best match of the year and one battle that will go down in history as one of the best ever! I'm gonna say it: NOTHING will top this bout this year. NOTHING! They did absolutely everything perfectly and got the crowd insanely hot even before the bell rang, this just shows how OVER and amazing these two really are. These two are absolutely soulmates when it comes to wrestling and no one knows how to work better with one another than themselves. This is perfect in every aspect and will always live rent free in my mind. The years and years waiting for this were truly worth it and I gotta thank any divine force for letting me live long enough to witness this phenomenon and life-changing event. Magical. *****"
[10.0] "If you're a megafan of either of these guys and know the history, this was an incredibly emotional, absolute war with brilliant callbacks to Diamond Ring, Kensuke Office, and Masa Saito. This match somehow lived up to the years of hype of the alleged bad blood between these two and the idea that this match would and could never happen. Kento was the underdog almost the entire time, and his performance was phenomenal, with him firing up for some hope spots but ultimately, his former senpai from when they were coming up kept one upping him in every way despite Kento giving it his all. Nakajima's kicks and strikes were absolutely brutal as always. Just an exceptional display of physicality, stamina, and in-ring storytelling from both men."
[10.0] "It starts off slow and steady, but as you would expect, it escalates into a full-scale war between two of Kensuke's most gifted students with a boiling-hot Korakuen Hall fully behind them. Nakajima demonstrates why he is one the most dangerous wrestlers in the world in terms of striking and counters, and Miyahara brings all of his brilliant energy to try and match his opponent. A true bonafide classic for 2023 and a MOTY contender. *****"
[10.0] "It's rare that a story and match ten years in the making can live up to the hype, but this did, and more importantly, it set things up to keep this going for a long time. I'll admit, this started slow, but I liked that in this case as you had to let the disdain each had for the other soak in. I know Kento has a formula, but it worked perfectly here, and his comeback had me thinking he would win. He did not though, and after throwing everything in the book at him, Nakajima was able to keep his junior down. The closing promo tied everything together; Nakajima acknowledged that Kento was the best (and he is; he's been more successful than Nakajima), but that he would never pass Nakajima (which he hasn't in four singles encounters). They had such palpable dislike for each other but such natural chemistry despite a decade apart that this has to happen again, and Kento can keep losing until he finally climbs the Katsuhiko mountain. He's the most charismatic guy in Japan, he'd still be over. Anyway, watch this immediately. Both a MOTY candidate yet it still fells like they left some stuff in the tank for further matches in the future."
[10.0] "Very strong contender for MOTY from me, I have a feeling it will be my MOTY when it's all said and done. Fantastic match, truly fantastic. Felt way less than the 34 minute runtime, was intense from start to finish and had some truly fantastic nearfalls. I hope they run it back next year because these two have unreal chemistry and their history together just adds to it. Felt like it they were both back in 2018 which was their best years imo, unbelievable match though. *****"
[10.0] "Pure professional wrestling excellence on full display. CyberFight's presentation for NOAH shines in the pre-match video promo and the superb production during the match. A packed Korakuen Hall that was frothing even before the entrances, and going into a frenzy for both men at the opening bell. And ultimately, it's all about the two competitors that had been waiting for each other, and finally getting the chance to unleash their all. Nakajima and Miyahara made the most of all these conditions coming together, and gave us a spectacle of hard-hitting brutality and unflinching fighting spirit until Nakajima finally kept Kento down with the vertical spike. Easily one of the very best matches of the year."
[10.0] "One of the best matches so far this year, it completely delivered and even surpassed expectations. Full of action and intensity, and the stakes felt incredibly high, especially with that amazing video package. This match felt special from the get go, and it didn't feel like they wasted a single moment, the crowd was really intrigued and boosted this match. Kento's cockiness and flair mixed really well with the crowd's momentum. The wrestling itself was amazing, really intense and felt as though both were going at full strength. These two absolutely killed each other with their strikes, all around amazing match from beginning to end. Also loved the aftermath of the match, with them still beating the crap out of each other."
[10.0] "It was really hard to describe how exciting I was while watching this match. This match carried the 20-year story of Kensuke Office, of Nakajima and Miyahara, this is a match 10 years in the making. Fans like me have been dreaming of this match happening for many years, so it was perfect for the main event of "One Night Dream", and both competitors compete for this "dream" with 100% of them. This is what a "dream match" should look like: each wrestler fully showed their characteristics and there was an amazing chemistry between them. I think this is the second best match of this year so far, only next to that US title match at Wrestle Kingdom. Really looking forward for their rematch. Dave Meltzer, if you are reading, please give this match a 5 star, it deserve this, both Wrestler deserve this."
[10.0] "Very rare to see matches with decade long build and it being personal. It's also very refreshing to see Kento be the underdog for once after God knows how long. This match was the Kento formula but Nakajima was the antithesis of it with his kicks. 4.75/5"
[10.0] "Outrageously good. Hateful, dangerous, full of cockiness and intensity. The Korakuen crowd were red hot, and I mean SCORCHING. Such a lively and divided response at times. Kento and Nakajima let out a decade plus of frustration out on one another, to the point where I was convinced it would end in a knockout. Miyaharas comeback from the absolute depths of hell was so incredible, he resisted and resisted until Nakajimas assault was just too much. However he absolutely showed his former Kensuke Office partner that hes very much his equal. Much more to come given that they still went at it after the bell rang."
[10.0] "this match is the 3rd best match of the year, it beat MJF vs Danielson from Revolution in my opinion and if you give them 10 minutes more time they would be fighting for the best fight but still top of the year. *****"
[10.0] "The cozy confines of Korakuen Hall were the perfect backdrop for one of the most anticipated dream matches of the year. Video package beforehand set the stage perfectly. Entrances were on point. Felt like a very pro-Miyahara crowd early, but that changed as the match progressed. They took care of all of the out of the ring stuff at the beginning, which I was happy for. Once they settled into the ring, it built brilliantly. Nakajima's forearms and elbows had an extra zip on them. Miyahara's kicks and well-time knee strikes were precise and unforgiving. The closing moments built to a beautiful crescendo. Nakajima was the right guy for now going over, but it sure feels like we will be privileged to see them fight again sometime in the near future. Can't wait."
[10.0] "A perfect example of what a match like this should look like and how it should be structured. Korakue is not the best arena for a mega epic match and these guys understood that better than anyone. The match built up perfectly, they only showed half of what they can do. Both gave their best, the charisma of both felt great, those smiles, the spirit, everything was as it should be. The crowd's reaction was delightful. Sure, Korakuen often has die-hard fans, but Miyahara's fans are something even louder. The entire bout kept the crowd in suspense, as it wasn't clear until the end who would emerge victorious. Leg kicks, elbows, everything was tough, but in addition to the in ring psychology that you don't get from other fights. I think it was a great match and I believe that we will see another match."
[10.0] "One of the best matches of the year for sure! I mean, it was everything it needed to be and even more. Wonderful video package before the match itself made it look massive. Kento came into this match as THE GUY, everything around him felt fucking amazing. Katsu also had big superstar feel. From the very moment the bell rang I knew it was going to be emotional rollercoaster, crowd obviously was incredible and they were cheering all the time. Start to the match was classical Kento's built-up. It was slow in a good way, Kensuke boys wanted every move to breathe, to had the stoppage so they could sell moves. Nakajima was the one to work around his opponent's leg, wich is logical cause Miyahara's finisher revolves around strike with his knee. After some time Kensuke Boys spended for limb-work, this became epic slugfest combined with some of the best strikes you can see all year. As much as I love Kento Miyahara, I belive the right man won. Can't wait to see the rematch between sons of Kensuke Sasaki"
[9.0] "This felt massive. A match dripped in history and hatred. Finally, Kento Miyahara, and Katsuhiko Nakajima fought once more. The crowd was hot for this, and helped make it more special than it already was. The match started our a bit slow, but it helped build the match up - although ideally they would have left that section earlier. Eventually, the match became a hard fought fight. They both wanted to show their power and prowace in beating the other. The strikinf was excellent. Of course Nakajima was the better of the two in that department, but Kento helped created an amazing atmosphere. The tension he brought to tbe match made it all the better.The last act of the match was so dramatic, the kick outs got me well, and I had gotten very invested in the match, it kept ramping up, until Nakajima finally tool the win. **** 3/4."
[8.0] "A match years in the making and it actually delivered on all fronts. With a roaring crowd behind both, Kento Miyahara and Katsuhiko Nakajima wrestled one of the very best matches of the year. It felt personal, the strikes and an extra oomph to it and the big spots were paced properly. It was still pretty shocking to see Miyahara being put down by one vertical strike. There is no way they aren't running this back unless everyone involved just hates money. One of my nitpicks here though was how long it took for the match to actually start heating up. I know everyone puro match these days needs a feeling out process for some reason but they could've easily trimmed 5 minutes or done something else in them. Another thing is Miyahara just conveniently forgetting that he has to sell his leg. Great work by Nakajima as all his gorgeous kicks were targeting Kento's leg. Such a bummer that both just forgot about ever going back to work on the leg as they did take a portion of the match to build upon it. Overall, while a contender for MOTY and might straight up be the MOTY for many, I think a few things held it back from being a certified classic. Still great though."
