[10.0] "Virtually flawless. Bryan's best match post-comeback. Insane physicality without any of the CTE selling or other certain AEW Bryan tendencies I like. I wish the some of crowd didn't think they were obligated to do American crowd ism but awesome other than that"
[10.0] "I went into this thinking there was no way they could top their match from Wrestledream but god was I wrong. This was the best technical style match I've ever seen. No other wrestlers could make me audibly pop for a submission counter louder than most wrestlers finishers. This was smooth as butter throughout but also had some brutal looking strikes and holds. I'm sad that we'll probably never get to see a 3rd definitive match between these two but the fact they're tied 1:1 makes these matches even more special."
[6.0] "Am I the asshole? No, it's the sickos that are wrong. But it all seriousness this is yet another match between the two that just doesn't click for me. And this time I can actually pinpoint my problem. There feels to be a complete lack of energy from both the wrestlers and the crowd. It feels like everything was done at half the speed it should of been. i like the character work from both of them and some of the sequences were nice but the limb work felt unimportant towards the final third. Nothing bad obviously but just not what I would expect from these two."
[10.0] "For the "what happens between the ropes is most important" crowd, you'll hate this match For the rest of us it's a treat to watch! It has the feel of a 90's Japanese match combined with 80's NWA. Such a great match that's not build on cheesy bullshit."
[10.0] "Just awesome. A complete masterpiece of wrestling and a true work of art in technical wrestling. These two are artists of pain, flowing through sequences like a river. Everything is so smooth, so precise, and so effortless that it almost feels unreal."
[9.0] "This was a technical wrestling masterpiece. These guys went back and forth with great submisson and submission attempts. Both Sabre Jr and Danielson are two of the best techinal wrestlers of all time. This also went at a fast and medium pace. Some moments they went very fast and some moments they went at a steady pace. Some submissions attempts, counters and submissions done were either creatively new and well known. As much as I loved this match, that's what they mostly in this match submission holds and attempts, it was getting to a point where I wanted to see more than submission attempts. They finally did get to that and the match started to really pick up finally. The strikes they were delivering to one another were brutal. They got in the middle of the ring and both just decided to slap the shit outta each other and deliver brutal boots, I mean sweet Jesus Christ, they didn't hold back at all, they just laid those strikes in. Then both got into a brutal uppercut exchange, the sound off of those were just something else. {wrote on 27.04.2026}"
[9.0] ""Okay, lets get the best american technical wrestler against the best british technical wrestler, surely they wont disappoint, right? " Bah Gawd, they didn't"
[10.0] "Another technical masterpiece. There are some things different from their WrestleDream match, this one has more storytelling, there is a lot more character work here, and Bryan is the more agressive of the two compared to the Wrestledream match. The story also shifts focus from the question of who the best technical wrestler is, to a battle for ego and pride and I absolutely loved it. Bryan dominates most of the match, his methodical pacing and control is sublime, I also love the mind games he plays with Zack. Zack is more reckless and impetuous than before, the loss at WrestleDream getting to him more than he wants to admit, he makes errors, he gets caught up in Bryan's pace and gets trap in one submission after another, gets slapped or his head kicked in. It isn't until Zack catches Bryan with a Zack Driver for a nearfall at the 20-25 min mark that the match becomes a more even contest. Like their previous match, this match also ended on a pinfall but it was a little different, it was a technical pinfall which led to victory and not a knockout move like the Busaiku knee or Zack Driver which I thought was a genius ending. It wasn't just the finish, there were also a few tweaks in their submission exchanges as well their striking sequences which adds a lot of depth and made this so fun to watch. I do prefer their WrestleDream match but this is also an amazing match and among the best matches of 2024. *****"
[9.0] "Expectedly great. Listen I actually like the chain grappling style wrestling that others seem to hate about these two but good god they dragged it out in the first bit of this match. Which isn't entirely a bad thing imo because just as I was starting to get bored, that kick exchange happened while they both had each other in a submission hold and I was reminded why Danielson is always so dangerous in the ring. Zack continues to prove to be an extremely underrated seller, putting on a hell of a show of his leg and Danielson targetted it perfectly."
[7.0] "A rare match, full of technical ability and creativity, with exceptional exchanges, solid action, and intensity throughout--particularly in the first five minutes, the strike exchange during the double leg lock, and the pin exchange leading to the finish. However, the pace occasionally felt uneven and some sequences became convoluted, especially when attempting to introduce dramatic elements, such as ZSJ's initial selling of the leg and the occasional verbal back-and-forth. The referee was also incredibly distracting, repeatedly intervening at moments that killed tension. While the match contains several sequences that are genuinely exceptional, it ultimately feels flawed and somewhat unsatisfying, suffering from being either too much of one thing or not enough of another--a common pitfall of Inokism. This is a shame, because with both men's authenticity and their foundation in the British-style, the match could have been a true masterpiece and the pinnacle of the concept Antonio Inoki had long tried to define."
[10.0] "The art in it's purest form. The perfect technical masterpiece. No crazy story; no title, no stipulation, just absolute proper graps from the best technical wrestlers of all time. I loved their match at Wrestledream but they hit a different level this time. Every transition, every escape, every counter within a counter met with a counter. Every detail, every crowd reaction appreciating pro wrestling on a scientific level and these two gradually becoming more brutal and disrespectful to one another as the match goes on. Danielson being the clear heel here added an element that wasn't in the ingredients of their Wrestledream match. Perhaps even better chemistry than before; the counters were endless and the closing stretch had me believing Danielson was going to go 2-0 against Zack Sabre Jr. Beautiful."
[8.0] "I think i prefer their Wrestledream match to this one but this is still undeniably great. As is the case with that match, the submission work and counters here are super fluid while also still looking brutal in the process. The leg work by Bryan here is also fantastically vicious and Zack's selling of it is very good for the most part. This match does have a few flaws, the length being the biggest one for me. This goes almost 10 minutes longer than their Wrestledream match and i do think there is a bit of filler here. The first 10 minutes is almost entirely made up of grappling which looked good but does go on a bit too long given how little of an impact it has on the rest of the match. I also just generally find it hard to root for Zack as a face, not because he's bad but i think he's so much better at working heel. While this match does have its flaws, there's definitely still a lot to enjoy here and overall, id still say this is still pretty amazing even despite those issues. ****"
[10.0] "This event had the perfect showcase for the duality of wrestling. It's great when its big, bombastic, violent, dramatic, and full of adrenaline pumping insanity like the dog pound cage match. But it is also great when it's methodical, technical, intricate, personal, tactical and patient. Like this match. Zack and Bryan put on a technical display unlike any other. It was like chess. Every hold and every counter was so consequential. Every time Bryan thought he had Zack figured out, Zack was a move ahead. Even when Bryan Tried more violent strike based moves, Zack was more prepared for it than he was at AEW Wrestle Dream, and he returned it in kind. This wasn't an ROH Pure Match, but they avoided the ropes purely out of pride and i loved that. Zack Totally earned a win over the dragon, and this was my second favorite match that year."
[10.0] "I can't get enough of this match. I saw moves that I've never seen in any other match before. This was a little better than WrestleDream. Danielson and ZSJ are a few of the only wrestlers in the world that can get a crowd this pumped for a scientific bout like this. The Japanese crowd was actually chanting "This is awesome! " In English. Some people brought up the flat finish, but I think that's makes it feel more sudden and realistic. Wish we could have had a third match between these two, but that's seems rather unlikely with Danielson's retirement. This is likely the greatest technical match I've ever seen."
[9.0] "exactly what one would expect from the two and then add some. Wasn't the biggest fan of the finish. We need these two in a Submission match for Part 3. Some pacing feels a little off."
[10.0] "(10) One of the best matches OAT, easily topped their Wrestledream bout which in and of itself was an all-timer. Felt slightly less technichal than their previous bout but noticably more physical. The slaps at the mid point in particular were superb. Hopefully we get a third match to top off the modern trilogy."
[9.0] "[4.5*] I do not know how they did it, but it actually surpassed their WrestleDream match in a beautiful fashion. While their first encounter was structured in a north-american wrestling way, this one was more of a New Japan match, and it ended up being perfect. Both were obviously technical wrestling matches, with the focus being the submissions, reversals, technical exchanges, limb-work and this kind of stuff, but this had more elements of a classic NJPW Epic match, with a more emotional ending stretch - something people complained after the first match is that it lacked a emotional finish - with a very well executed nearfall and the reversal by Zack after the first Busaiku Knee, the move that ended the first bout. The story of Bryan injuring Zacks knee without any single remorse was insane, he destroyed the mans leg and did not let him catch a break, so this way, his special roll-ups would end up being less affective, in theory. However, at the end of the match, after a very smooth sequence of roll-ups and reversals, Zack was able to connect his special and win the match. I found it brilliant that he won by pinfall, just like Bryan on 1st match, because his argument while asking for a rematch was literally that a pinfall victory did not mean anything on the Who Is The Best Technical Wrestler discourse. Now, tied 1-1, it is time for an Iron Man Submission Match."
[10.0] "Beautifully fluid pro wrestling. While the AEW outing felt more like a traditional pro wrestling match with some nice technical exchanges mixed in between, this was a full on riff session on the mat. Having ZSJ be the one to sell sympathetically was an interesting choice as he's usually much better suited to be a heel, but it makes sense considering who he's up against. It's not often that Zack tangos with someone who can countere everything he does and even get the better of half of the technical exchanges, but that's Bryan for you. Dragon plays a great bully here, he's mean and dirty without going overboard, kind of like his bald heel ROH days. Having Zack win by cradle is smart too, since while he did it with a wrestling move, it's not the submission finish we all expected and leaves the door open for a rubber match down the line. The Japanese crowd's able to appreciate Shakespeare it seems, because they were super into everything they did and the atmosphere elevated the match too."
[9.0] "Another excellent match for this rematch. I found it a little better than the previous one. The crowd was superb. I really had a great time watching it. (4*3/4)"
[10.0] "Throat-gripping intensity bell to bell. The fact that a match in this style happened in 2024 is astounding to me. Barely any slams, pretty much no high flying aside from Danielson hitting Sabre Jr. with a Knee on the outside, just insanely good looking technical exchanges that also looked NATURAL and not meticulously pre-meditated. Danielson's heel work here was phenomenal: spitting, barking at the ref, "I HAVE UNTIL 5! ", he did it all to make us hate his ass, but how could you? He's just that damn good. This was my first Sabre Jr. match ever and this guy is the real fucking deal. Being able to keep up with Danielson in a match like this is ungodly, and I'm glad he got the win. He also sold his left leg nearly to perfection, another sign that this guy has a true mind of professional wrestling. 5 stars, no less."
[10.0] "Absolutely electrifying, just incredible stuff. I'm a huge fan of both these guys but this exceeded my high expectations. Perfect match, really shows how versatile and dynamic these two are."
[10.0] "This was an awesome match. Bryan Danielson wrestled Zack Sabre Jr early on in his career, but the last time they met was at WrestleDream the year before, with many people considering it an instant classic. This was a great follow up to their previous match, but this was a technical masterpiece. That being said, Danielson wasn't afraid of kicking Sabre hard and Zack wasn't afraid of taking the punishment. Now part of the story was that in their last match Danielson beat Sabre Jr with the running knee, and Zack felt that as a technical wrestler, he should have used a submission instead. The ironic thing is that with all the great wrestling we saw there, Zack won with a crucifix pin. This was a fantastic match and it's arguable which match was better, which tells you how great these matches were. *****"
[9.0] "8, 5 - they lost me a bit by the end so the finishing stretch left me cold. There are some spots (Danielson jumping straight into a submission) that annoyed me and I wasn't feeling some of the strike exchanges and fighting spirit spots. It's really great when Danielson is in control and actually acts like a bastard."
[8.0] "A technical masterclass and the peak of that genre in so many different ways. The two best in the world at it showing exactly what has been missing from this style for years. Something I will look back on for years to come. ***** EDIT: I have come back after watching this match again and I have decided to edit this post. I think the match is still something to marvel at in terms of how they execute technical wrestling but the way the match is built slightly throws off the matches momentum. It's still awesome, and the experience I had watching it live for the first time was special, but this is how I am currently feeling about it. **** 1/2"
[10.0] "Way better then there Wrestledream match in 2023 I think. This was a top 5 match of last year. Seeing the grapple master of this generation face off with the grappling master of the older generation of wrestlers behind Zsj was peak"
[7.0] "To be perfectly honest I'm not a grapplefuck guy, so this definitely didn't do a whole lot for me. Make no mistake about it this was a very well worked match. Good pacing and some good exchanges. I personally liked their match at wrestle dream way more because it had more variety and a better overall structure. I liked it though."
[10.0] "Greatest match in professional wrestling history. No belt on the line. No special stipulation. Two men who wrestle on the mat. Grappling/technical specialists who know how to strike. An absolute masterpiece."
[10.0] "This is my match of the year. Enjoyed this way more than I did their first match. The steady buildup from pure grappling to the strikes was immensely entertaining to watch and the in-ring storytelling was phenomenal. Rewatching matches like this make we miss full time Bryan Danielson, he is easily my wrestler of this decade so far. Zack being upset that Bryan beat him with a Busaiku knee adds lots to this match for me personally. Tremendous match that captured the Japanese crowd in a way that most grapplers can't. *****"
[10.0] "A technical marvel, every submission or reversal flowed so effortlessly, and yet also it told a story of a match breaking down from a simple game of oneupsmanship to mind games, a brutal flurry of blows and targeted attacks by Danielson on the leg of ZSJ, only to come around full circle at the end where ZSJ gets the victory with one last trick up his sleeve, not to knock Danielson out or to make him submit, but to use his ground game to outwrestle Danielson for the three seconds he needed to prove he could be victorious."
[10.0] "The best technical match I've ever seen. Danielson had one hell of a year this year and ZSJ is arguably the best technical wrestlers now that Bryan is retired. I absolutely loved this match because they had a response to every move they gave to their opponent and is one of the most deserving of 10/10 rating. Fantastic in-ring match."
[10.0] "[5.75 Stars] This match is one of the best of all time, the level of Danielson and Sabre is just magnificent, I sincerely think it's the most beautiful match in history in terms of execution of moves, holds, moves etc... At the same time it's logical because Danielson and Sabre are the best technicians , nobody as these two wrestlers master their art. It's just PERFECT! (*****.75)"
[10.0] "[5.0*] What a fantastic match, bordering on perfection, lots of exchanges of blows, submissions and provocations. Surprisingly, this one managed to be better than the first, but not only the previous ZSJ vs Bryan, but also every match from the last 5 years. I'm a big fan of technical wrestling and this fight made me cry with happiness because of it, there were a lot of emotions, a lot of false finishes even though the first pin was only after 25 minutes of fighting which was fantastic. A perfect limb work by Bryan on Sabre Jr's leg was incredible but the selling was out of this world, at every moment he was in agony with pain, with each blow he already had his hand on his leg showing that it was hurting, at times I even believed it that he had actually been injured. For the first fifteen minutes of the match it was an absurd dominance from BD but after that time Zack started to take over, he did a great job on Bryan's chest and neck and this helped him a lot in the fight, after some sequences of kicks and roll-ups Zack won, it was very good to give us a chance to have a third fight since two of the most "deadly" guys in the submission weren't able to make the other give up, at least not yet... Certainly the legacy that Kurt Angle and Chris Benoit helped to build is in good hands and they should both be proud, one here on earth and the other in hell"
[8.0] "Technically good to be sure, but yet another Danielson match that for me has been wildly overrated. These two put on more a less a complete match of MMA style grappling which almost never works for me as it comes off as MMA-lite. I respect what they did as few are technically proficient to pull it off, but I didn't feel it was particularly dramatic and the flash finish was underwhelming. Good, very good even, but nowhere near MOTY level let alone one of the best matches of all time! ****"
[10.0] "This was a truly beautiful match, an incredible technical encounter between two of the best to ever do it, with plenty of hate and viciousness which their last matchup lacked. There were huge spots, brutal submissions and almost no dead time, every second felt purposeful. ZSJ getting the win with the rollup was the icing on the cake, a perfect finish to a perfect bout."
[10.0] "One of the best professional wrestling matches of all time, again, they did it again. Bryan and ZSJ have two big matches and the two of them went as high as my rating goes, they were perfect, these guys bring the sport to another level, it's beautiful to watch them wrestle, it's pure wrestling, with technicality, logic, sense, intelligence and now, with emotion. Their first match, in AEW, was more AEW style, fast-paced and revolutionary, this one here in New Japan, had all of that, but the dramatic and epic style that New Japan knows how to present like no other company in the world. It's a 32-minute match and every move made sense, had importance, felt real, that's insane. I think New Japan is a perfect place to have this kind of matches, because everything really fits and the crowd knows how to react, they had a sequence, they applause, another sequence, they applause... the crowd just knows how to cheer for this kind of matches, I think AEW crowd is more used to a frenetic pace and huge spots, but this one really knew how to appreciate the insane level of wrestling we all witnessed. The amazing crowd even started to chant "this is awesome" and "fight forever", that's insane, it's 100% a NJPW show, with japanese fans, and I don't think I've ever saw a japanese crowd singing in english like this. Without mentioning the YES chant of Bryan, that they are now more than used to. This match was amazing, Bryan targeted a lot Zack's left foot, a lot of different strikes there, a lot of counters, even nearfalls. Young guys shouldn't try to do matches like this, it's really hard to sustain this level of wrestling in a long match and creating drama and anticipation at the same time, only the masters can pull this off, I could watch these guys grappling and transitioning all day, but it's really not easy, they had a really low amount of strikes for a good part of the match, and at the end, with all the counters and reversals decided to stop trying to be 100% technical and doing submission to do some strikes and pinfalls attempts. ZSJ said a lot of times that he would submit Bryan, but he didn't, so I expect they will have a third match, hopefully in a huge stage, because they deserve it, maybe a 2 out of 3 falls or an Iron Man, but they absolutely need to have that third one - {*****}"
"Simply a piece of art. Incredible in every single way. The ending shocked me but after a quick thinking i find it simply brilliant, and leaves a room for a possible third round that would be unforgettable, just as this match. The best technical wrestling match of the year and probably the match of the year in general, I don't think we're getting something better than this. The two greatest technical wrestlers in the world have not disappointed, the shake of hand in the end was perfect. Perfect storytelling during and after the match. This is how it's done. *****"
[10.0] "Definitely the best match of the year, technically speaking. These two delivered a masterclass in pro wrestling, and that's amazing. I don't think we'll witness something like this again anytime soon. Filled with kicks, strikes, submission holds, the psychology, the exchanged looks, and the finisheverything was perfectly executed. A true 5 Star Match."
[10.0] "It might be recency bias given this match happened only a few months ago but this just might be my single favourite match of all time(not greatest but my personal favourite.) Two men doing what only the two of them do best putting on a masterclass in technical wrestling, this match absolutely ruled it had everything an avid fan of technical wrestling such as myself could ever ask for. This match had counters galore, stiff strikes, unique submission holds and loads of smooth transitions everything seemed so seamless some may say perfect even. Due to the nature of professional wrestling being a staged performance sometimes while deeply immersed into the action you oftenly get harsh reminders that what you are witnessing is indeed a staged spectacle but this is one of those few rare matches that do not feel like that at all this match looked like a struggle two man fighting for the title of best technical wrestler in the world and as a result of that what we got was one of the best matches of all time. I am a big fan of their wrestledream match from last year but this one is without a doubt the better one of the two because these men did not have to tone things down and embrace the American showman style but were let loose to just wrestle a pure wrestling with the G.O.A.T Bryan danielson retiring atleast as a full timer this is the rematch that I am looking forward to the most in a list comprised omega, okada and Ospreays of the world. give it all the STARS! (***** without a shadow of a doubt.)."
[10.0] "This was an amazing showcase for both men. The two did a good job at getting the crowd invested, and the technique and chain wrestling was on full display here. The finish was a roll up so ZSJ won clean and Bryan wasnt completely buried. The two should definitely have a rematch that ends in a submission, possibly in Wembley."
[10.0] "The eternal back-and-forth of Danielson's character. Honor-bound, honest competitor, and evil shitheel that wants nothing more than to hurt you. That dynamic, with another brash and braggadocios man who also believe he is in fact, the best in the world, leads to a very interesting match. There is so much anger and jealousy and desperation to prove one is better than the other. From what I remember, this match is much better than their match at Wrestledream, but that one might require a rewatch. Danielson's offense starts at slow and technical, and bound to the promise of the match before succumbing to his anger and hitting Zach Sabre Jr. with everything he has. It is simply not enough though, and he gets caught up in a pin he's already escaped from before, but he slipped up. Really beautiful stuff. One of the first times I've seriously taken note of the "dialogue" in a match and how that effects how I feel about it. The nasty back-and-forths, Danielson snapping at the ref, stuff like that is so good and just goes to show how insanely good at this these two men are. Basically perfection, so so good, and absolutely flies by."
[10.0] "One of the best matches I've ever seen. Glorious selling from Zack, a focus on the wrestling and psychology of both men... truly a beautiful game of chess in wrestling form. 10/10, no notes!"
[10.0] "To put it simply: one of the best matches Ive ever seen. No hyperbole, Sabre vs Danielson could go down as the greatest trilogy in the history of the business from a work standpoint. If I was trying to become a wrestler I would watch this match over and over and over."
[10.0] "I think this was better than the first. I have a bias towards the first because I was there live but this was one felt like it had 10x more intensity. The drive from ZSJ to beat Danielson and the drive from Danielson to prove that he can win off graps instead of strikes. The finish was beautiful with Zack getting his cheeky win and setting up what should be a big rubber match to end in one of them tapping out."
[10.0] "And just like that, these men topped their previous clash at WrestleDream with ease. ZSJ was a bit nervous in my eyes while wrestling Bryan in the US, but this is his turf and technically, Bryan had a chance to feel overwhelmed. But, being in the shoes of Bryan Danielson is not a cakewalk, and he didn't show any sight of nervousness or anything similar and stood equally dominant to the frontrunner of TMDK. This is a salivation of how incredible wrestling is and fits the description of the best technical combat. For 30+ minutes, they tutored a masterclass to everyone who tuned in to see, whether they liked/disliked both lads or wrestling in general. I didn't feel the longevity unlike certain NJPW "epic" matches in the past, and the credit goes to these amazing minds thinking alike and delivering a supreme collision. ZSJ winning made absolute sense after being thwarted in the States, opening up a door already for Round Three in a neutral location. Fingers crossed! 5 out of 5 stars!"
[8.0] "Once again another pretty good match between these two that was a bit better than their match at WrestleDream that I saw live. But again, I can't really say that this was an absolute all timer. It's very grapply, but it's not like a Battlarts or Fu-Ten or RINGS match where the grapples are insane looking, there's like one World of Sport spot that looked silly cause.. World of Sport doesn't age well in the realism department, so it's a bit hard to take seriously in a serious context. The scissoring kick battle didn't bother me that much, I still think it's weird looking. I think the first time I saw it was Giulia vs. Tam Nakano in the 5Star GP finals in 2022, and even then I wrote that it was pretty weird. The finish not being a submission victory is still so damn dumb, if there was any time to make it count, it's this match. Apparently they're not even going to do a trilogy so what's the point in both of these matches going to pinfall when we're talking about the best submission specialist in the world. Still I do like this match, I just feel like I had to point out the negative aspects of this match. This does still have hard hitting strikes and great grapple reversals. Maybe it's a bit too grounded for it's own good, but it's still great stuff. ****"
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