[7.0] "The quality of matches continues to go upwards with this one (For reference, I'd give this a 7.5/10 or a 3.75/5 as opposed to the 7/10 or 3.5/5 for the previous match). These two made good use of the time they were given, in my opinion. Super cool to see them competing in a Singles Match at Wrestle Kingdom after facing each other in Young Lion Showcases."
[7.0] "Fun meeting with Tsuji and Uemura, but not a lot of time to show what they can do here although they had a great match. Both men excelled in their careers here and is the best match they've had in their series of matches IMO."
[6.0] "[3.0*] I think this was a very good match and I loved the result. Yuya needed the win and most importantly a good showing and I think he provided that. The crowd was kinda confused and did not know for who to root but it was very good nonetheless."
[6.0] "Not particularly a match for my taste, but it definitely had some great moves. The crowd was kind of dead here, maybe they didn't knew who to cheer for... and the ending was a little abrupt, very surprising for me, wasn't expecting Yuya to win at all - {**3/4}"
[6.0] "This was a solid, fun match between two young prospects. Tsuji looks just about ready to be a world champion already. He's got the swagger and confidence of a world champ and he showed that here once again. This was my first impression of Uemura since his return to New Japan and he's definitely good. He brings something a bit different to the table. His fundamentals are good and he makes the crowd pop for basic moves. His charisma isn't quite there yet but I'm impressed so far. ***1/4"
[7.0] "I was mostly impressed with Yuya Uemura's performance in this match, but this was still a very good showing from both men. Their hair vs. hair match later on in the year wouldn't be as interesting, but I thought this bout here worked well."
[6.0] "Nothing amazing, or terrible. Simply, just a solid wrestling match. It kinda gets lost in the shuffle of other great matches on the card. I only watched it last week and I can't remember anything about it. ***"
[7.0] "Really good match from two of the future young stars of NJPW. They have wrestled each other countless times as Young Lions; therefore, they know each other well. Very competitive match with a bit of a surprising outcome."
[7.0] "I've seen lots of Yuya's handiwork during his American excursion, and I was impressed by his frenetic, youthful aggression. The same applies to Tsuji, who has 'main event prospect' written all over him. From the presentation to the training regime's results, NJPW aced it with both lions, which makes me happy to conclude that the future is in good hands. Even though Tsuji is holding a losing streak as of late, it's for the betterment, and I rooted for Yuya to bag the win after proving so much. 3.5 out of 5 stars!"
[6.0] "The future of New Japan Pro Wrestling is in good hands. Yota Tsuji is clearly the most ready wrestler, as well as already a genuine star, of the new generation of wrestlers. Yuya Uemura has a lot to like, as well, and seems like the exact wrestler the new president will choose to be in the position he will be in. I think Tsuji was the standout in this one, but Uemura has always impressed me and I am excited to see where it all goes. 3.25 stars, 6.5 out of 10."
[7.0] "These two did a great job of giving a sample of what to expect from future WK main events. Both looked great and while I understand some are bothered by Tsuji losing, he still looks like the hottest prospect of the bunch so far despite all the losses. ***3/4"
[7.0] "As a major showcase for two future stars this did its job perfectly. Established the cockiness of Tsuji who's further ahead in his rising stardom, only for them to have some great back and forth in the second half and a shock clean win for Uemura which is perfect for him since Tsuji is established but not so much that he isn't ruined by a clean loss. The first half was a bit dull but the second half was just awesome stuff. ***1/2"
[7.0] "I am very high on both of these guys. I think they did a good job of showing what they can offer in the future. Im excited at the idea of maybe this match main eventing a WrestleKingdom someday"
[8.0] "Good match. Very solid wrestling and stays consistently exciting throughout. Its fast paced from two young stars with a solid underdog story from yota tsuji."
[7.0] "This was a nice little match for the time it lasted. Lots of big moves and both guys showed a ton of energy when performing these moves, and this didnt overstay its welcome. A good match in the mid card on the big show.***1/2"
[6.0] "It was alright but also weird. Tsuji looked great as usual while Uemura isn't as hot for now because he came back from excursion later and is just a less exciting wrestler right now. He feels like he still needs time to take the next step. Tsuji beat him up for most of the match and it made sense storywise but then Uemura does a few moves and just wins. It's a surprising choice but it also doesn't feel earned. Another big loss for Tsuji, which is dumb because of how they try to present him. I think they'll have better matches in the future."
[7.0] "These two have a big future ahead of them, but there's also the fact they are the present too. This was a good spot for them and they delivered a solid match. Nothing special, but it was entertaining all the same. I think they're going to be rivals for many years to come and this was only a glimpse at that"
[7.0] "Good match, with a very nice pace. They knew this a great oportunity to show they evolution in the biggest stage, and they didn't disappoint. (***1/2)."
[6.0] "Nice little match that sets the score for this rivalry that will be sure to have many more for years to come. Going into this Tsuji and Uemura have great heat and intensity in tag matches leading to this match, but here they looked a lot more stoic and reserved which felt a bit off. Instead of bitter rivals trying to use each other to move up the card, this felt like a good undercard G1 match with no build or reason for the wrestlers to hate each other. We have seen so much better from Tsuji in the past and all of his loses will eventually pay off when he gets his chance to be in the upper echelon of the company, I just hope they don't wait too long like they did with Great-O-Khan who feels like permanent midcard now. Uemura did well here, his sequence at the end was pretty solid, he can use some more dynamic moves during the build though, similar to SANADA his control periods feel like something is missing. ***1/4"
[9.0] "Nothing more exhilarating than two young guns proving they BOTH are going to be the future. This match was perfect for that. Tsuji and Uemura in one single 10 minute match did everything they had to do. Hopefully, they both only improve from here and show just how much of the future of New Japan they both will be."
[6.0] "6.5 - They were clearly trying to showcase these two as future main eventers, and in terms of crowd connection they're definitely on their way. The action will take some getting used to though. For instance, Tsuji's pin reversal after the arm drag was really good but people didn't get it."
[7.0] "Pondered between 7 and 8, this really is a .5 situation. This match up will 100% main event the dome at some point in the future. Yuya's arm drags look absolutely incredible, Tsuji just has "it" and he has "it" in abundance. Really enjoyed this"
[7.0] "An interesting match between two of NJPW's future stars here, and it's pretty clear that Yota is way more developed overall than Uemura is honestly. His entire moveset has his own specific but great flair to it already, and he carries himself with a ton of confidence. Uemura here felt like a good young lion performance, I think he does need more time to develop more style, and I suppose the win was given to him to help keep him on a level similar to Yota. ***1/2"
[5.0] "absolute snooze fest. It has a weird pace and never picked up. very weak finish. This didn't need to be here, the crowd is dead, it took away from the other matches, it is just here so that they are tell a story years later, that you would remember the one of the three musketeers lost his first WK match to a lesser young lion."
[6.0] "Was so excited for this having been watching them since their very first matches. Great ebb and flow to this, the crowd were behind them massively and they delivered a match that was perfect for the spot with great action, clean execution and nice story inflections. This will no doubt open up a new chapter for these two, big matches in big spots on big shows await them and I for one can't wait!"
[7.0] "First time experiencing these two wrestlers in the ring. The announcing team really sold their story to me and I was left very much impressed. Given that they received a dedicated match at the biggest event of the year, I expect them to rise quite quickly. Tsuji looked like a star and has a great moveset, and Uemura just shines Tanahashi-level babyface energy."
[6.0] "An important stage for both guys, with Tsuji looking supremely confident & at home in his big pond comfort zone, and Uemura deliberately not straying too far from his young lion roots. It was a tidy little match with a slightly unconvincing conclusion ***"
[7.0] "[3.75*] This match was actually very good, Tsuji is being built as a star by New Japan and his performance here was incredible, his moves and technique were spectacular, Yuya (finally) managed to respond to Yota's attacks with incredible suplexes and winning the match in a surprising way."
[8.0] "10 minutes which seven and especially the last three were pure in - ring explosiveness that didn't give the watcher any time to breath. Perhaps it's strange not having 30+ minutes match and then use some of them for a little feud which no one cared about. Anyway I have to say that they delivered for what it was. ***3/4"
[7.0] "Both guys looked great, got some of their offense in, and got out. A bit of a surprise win for Yuya, but the future continued to look bright on the big stage. I'm not sure these guys could've done much better with the time and build they were given. 3.75 Stars."
[7.0] "A big win for Yuya Uemura. Uemura needs to prove himself more of in ring skill and charisma, especially as he is positioned above Yota Tsuji now, who is better at both those things. These two knew how to work each other to a necessary level. ***1/2"
[7.0] "Now this was an awesome mid-card Tokyo Dome banger! Two young hungry guys going there & showing what they got with 10 minutes or so. Yota showed great personality in everything he did - all of his big moves hit with this great sense of swagger to 'em. Yuya's fieriness shone through as well, making this a really good showing for both."
[7.0] "Good match as expected here. Tsuji is the guy and the more I watch him wrestle, The more he makes me sure of that. And Uemura is really good as well. Would have liked to see Tsuji win because let's be honest, he hasn't won a lot since returning to NJPW. And the finish came out of nowhere which was a little disappointing for me. But for a Wrestle Kingdom debut match, They both did great. And congrats to Yuya for winning his first singles match back in NJPW. They clearly see big things in him and I can't disagree. ***1/2.7/10"
[8.0] "Another well-worked bout that went too short. Both of these guys need big wins in 2024, but this went, surprisingly perhaps, went to Yuya Uemura. Uemura's charisma isn't all the way there yet, but his work is absurdly crisp, and his arm drags remind me of Ricky Steamboat. As for Tsuji, what more can be said? The dude is so explosive and so charismatic. New Japan has failed to capitalize on the solid gold in their hands thus far, and that needs to change soon. Tsuji has to win a big tournament like the G1 this year. ***3/4"
[7.0] "I have absolutely no idea why Yota Tsuji, who really should have been crowned world champion in his first match back from excursion, has since kind of been repeatedly jobbed out. It was one thing in the G1 when he was in with more experienced guys, but here? Good for Yuya, and this was a good match, but I am amazed that Uemura not only gets a singles match at the Dome before Umino, who he seems to be trying to fill exactly the same role as, but wins it against the guy who is clearly their hottest prospect at a time when they need to build their prospects desperately. You could argue that he needs the win more for that very reason, but damn... Still, it was very well wrestled, but ignoring the crazy decision for the finish is asking too much. I get that it is just chapter 1, but this is not 5 years ago. They need stars now. And Yota Tsuji has all the tools to be one immediately."
[8.0] "Great little match between two of New Japan's likely future stars. I expect these two to battle many times over the years. They might be the two most talented of the four that are often spoken of in the same breath (alongside Narita and Umino). Tsuji began the match as very much the one higher up the hierarchy and he dominates Uemura in the early going, but "Heat Storm" came fighting back with some great moves. Nods to New Japan greats like Fujinami (dragon suplex) before finishing Tsuji off with the lethal deadbolt."
[9.0] "Going into this fight I had absolutely no expectations because I didn't follow Uemura that much, but I'm a big fan of Yota. This fight totally exceeded my expectations, in such a short time they had incredible pace, counterattacks, everything was there. The result totally surprised me, because I was sure that Yota would now be pushed as much as possible and would win his first fight at WK, but it didn't happen and Uemura wins. It's a pity that Tsuji loses every major fight, but I still believe that this year will belong to him and he will at least win the Never or Global title."
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