Hiromu Takahashi vs. Kazuki Hirata

[10.0] "I cried with laughter watching this match, it was incredible. I have been discovering DDT for some time now, and this company knows how to entertain. When they go into comedy, they're untouchable."

[10.0] "This is exactly why I watch DDT. You don't get this type of match in many places. Hiromu would really be great in Televised wrestling shows with skits/sketches. He is so funny and understand comedic timing so well it's almost being wasted. Look at this match. He did everything perfectly to entertain the crowd. He's not afraid to put himself out there and to look foolish but pulls it off in such a believable way. He knows when to play straight and when not to. I'm not that familiar with Hirata but this match wouldn't be a 10 without his participation. He knew how to set up Hirmou for the spots. Some people don't realize how important that part is to the humour. That's why there are famous duo's. You need a straight man. In this match they both flipped the "persona" giving each other time to shine. More please."

[10.0] "Probably Hiratas magnum opus aside from his match with Machida. Absolutely incredible stipulations, a refreshing new atmosphere for a wrestler like Hiromu, and excellent commitment to all the matches complete absurdity. That shot of Hirata maniacally laughing over Hiromus shoulder is one of my absolute favorites."

[9.0] "Near perfect comedy work. Hiromu's comedy selling is so so good. He spends so much of this looking completely dumbstruck in a way that made me laugh every time."

[9.0] "This was my 2023 match of the year. Incredible meeting of styles. Hilarious till you cry. Hirata is the absolute heart and soul of DDT, and I love that Hiromu really embraced the spirit of DDT in this match. The stipulations were a quick run through of a lot of classic DDT tropes. I've watched this multiple times over now and laughed just as much as the first time."

[9.0] "Wasn't sure what I would think of this but really it was very amusing, and the wrestling itself (such as it was) was pretty good as well. It won't be everyone's cup of tea but if you're open minded to this kind of thing you will likely find many moments to laugh at."

[9.0] "This is brilliant, it's the first time I've seen a match for the Ironman belt and the rating and Hiromu's involvement, I was curious and went to see it, and I'm glad I saw it, how much I laughed at this match was indescribable, from the parts dancing, Hiromu fighting with a doll and even the facial expressions are priceless, one of the best if not the best comedy match I've ever seen (****1/2)"

[10.0] "This is probably one of the best goofy DDT comedy matches i've seen, I think that Hiromu's run with the belt will be remembered like the light tube deathmatch and become part of classic DDT lore. Great storytelling and command of the crowd from both guys. Hiromu did a great job pretending like he wasnt into any of the sillyness only to get the biggest and best reactions when he finally came around. Cameo from yoshihiko was legendary. Everyone who knows Hirata knows exactly what they were getting here. Everything about this was perfect."

[10.0] "Sometimes a match comes along that transcend the artform. Hirata remains the best comedy wrestler on Earth and Hiromu adapted really well to the DDT insanity being presented to him. Perfect, no notes"

[10.0] "No one mentioned this, but I want to add some thing. First of all, everything about this match was so fun to watch, it was a story of Hiromu who didn't understand DDT traditional stuff and Hirata who did everything to show his world to the old friend. And their acting was EXCELLENT, it was one of the main factors to enjoy this even more than I thought. What is more amazing, they showed also sincere emotions. Hirata was happy when Takahashi made his enrance, Hiromu had fun doing creative and strange comedy things. And finally, another important moment that made it all even better - Hiromu ended the match with the move he used in their first singles match many years ago when they were rookies. This match will make you smile even in the darkest times. The second best match on the show."

[1.0] "Im sorry but this was awful! Normally I can at least understand the cagematch ratings, but in this case it is so far above what it should be, its embarrassing. I can enjoy comedy as much as the next guy but this just went on forever and wasnt very entertaining to begin with. Ill give it 1 point for some creativity that you dont see elsewhere and Ill admit to not being a frequent DDT viewer, so this just wasnt my cup of tea. There was some great stuff on this show, but this was a major miss. Something like this just makes wrestling look bad, and while I appreciate the range of Hiromu for being a good sport, this was a terrible use of his great talent on another promotions big show."

[7.0] "Relatively fun DDT comedy, though it did drag a bit by the end. Hiromu was pretty solid as the party pooper who had to be dragged through every ridiculous moment; somewhat ironic given his more madcap antics from a few years ago. Not the smoothest Yoshihiko work I've ever seen."

[7.0] "I did find this pretty funny for the most part and will always have time for Hirata antics, but it was also like 20 minutes and lost steam at points so it became a bit of a drag this deep into a really long show. That said, Hirata and Matsui staring utterly blankly at Hiromu after he went through all that bullshit to retain just for Hirata to end up with the belt again anyway was perfect. (***3/4)"

[10.0] "This was wrestling entertainment done right. I loved absolutely everything about this sequence, but the cherry on top was all of Hiromu's facial expressions. Both guys just killed it in every aspect of this. Everything was just the right amount of wacky, slapstick, surreal, insanity. My hats off to all involved and to DDT for being the sort of promotion that makes stuff like this work."

[9.0] "This whole segment (video, intros, the complex match, and all the fallout) is pure DDT at its best. While Hiromu sold being confused and above it all, he fits beautifully in this setting, and I'm glad he got to do it at least once in his career. Hirata, meanwhile, is the soul of this company's comedic side, and I love that he got such a high-profile match to show off to the world."

[8.0] "Hiromu Takahashi pinned Kazuki Hirata with a Fisherman's Suplex in the fifth round (a Dancing Death Match round). This was a lot of fun. The idea of a current New Japan wrestler being involved in something like this sort of mind blowing. Hirata is, I think, the most gifted comedy wrestler at the moment and being able to put something like this together with Hiromu is amazing. One criticism I do have has nothing to do with the wrestlers but with the English commentary. I'm not sure of names but they really don't elevate the match at all. It's great that they enjoy the product but I could do without the constant giggling and comments like "this is hilarious" or "that's dangerous". They do more to detract from the show, than to elevate it."

[10.0] "Match of the night was Hiromu versus Hirata; from dancing to blindfolds to bras, this match had it all, and it's the funnest Hiromu has had in a while. Hirata continues to be the spirit of DDT, and as always, when DDT leans into what it does best, it's characters, both the in-ring and the emotional stakes make great great wrestling matches and moments."

[10.0] "One of the most fun and entertaining matches I have seen. They gave us a unique show! Hirata is always great at comedy wrestling and Hiromu ended up having to dance to win. A masterpiece"

[10.0] "Best single Comedy match of ten entire year so far. A weird showcase of different stipulations and most important they have gone all in with the surrealism giving us a big match formula in Hirata's style. At the end Takahashi finally became a fun person and so he finshed Kazuki. *****"