[10.0] "Pure excellent. Yes they went really big, and they did some noselling... but who cares when we got this brillant 20 minutes of wrestling. Amazing chemistry between those two gave us some of the craziest spots of the year so far. That Oscutter counter was pure gold, brainbuster into turnbackle made my jump on my sofa. Crazy contest with brutal forearms and amazing ending with Ospreay droping take on his head and choping it off with a hidden blade"
[3.0] "This, and matches like this, don't age well. This is just one of many examples. I remember watching this the first time, and felt the law of diminishing returns. I say this about a lot of matches, in a lot of promotions. We've seen this formula so often; high spots, no selling, some (loosely) psychology but not really, and then after they have killed each other - the fighting spirit spot. I may have this out of order, but I don't know. I am not trying to compare this to any other match of this caliber. But you can interchange these two guys, and not much changes. Major respect for all the athleticism involved. Both are fantastic wrestlers, but this all felt strange and disingenuous to me."
[4.0] "What once felt impressive now feels painfully familiar, to the point where engagement becomes almost impossible. This follows the exact template of a modern "big" Will Ospreay match: a plodding, largely uneventful opening half designed purely to kill time, followed by a back-loaded sprint of big moves, dramatic exchanges, and empty theatrics. That structure has produced some genuinely great matches in the past; but this isn't one of them. The biggest issue is how transparently mechanical it all feels. Ospreay doesn't wrestle this match so much as he executes it. One by one, the expected beats arrive right on cue: the kickout at one, the defiant fighting-spirit response after a German suplex, the sudden burst of energy mid-forearm exchange. None of it feels earned in the moment because none of it is surprising. You're not reacting; you're ticking boxes alongside him. That predictability completely kills the drama. Wrestling thrives on uncertainty, but here, every major moment telegraphs itself seconds in advance. You know when the firing-up spot is coming. You know when the no-sell is coming. You know when the match will finally "start, " because it always does, and far too late too. There is one genuinely standout moment: the top-rope brainbuster looks fantastic and briefly snaps the match into focus. Unfortunately, it's surrounded by sequences that feel recycled to the point of self-parody. Everything else is something Ospreay has done countless times before, often better, and often with opponents who pushed him to adapt rather than simply run the routine. What's most telling is that this isn't even offensive or disastrous... it's just dull. That's arguably worse. It's not the worst high-profile Ospreay match by any stretch, but it's emblematic of why his formula has worn thin for some viewers. There was a time when this style felt exhilarating. Now, it feels like muscle memory masquerading as greatness. **"
[4.0] "On rewatch this does absolutely nothing for me. This follows the same formula as all big Will matches where the first half is mostly mundane and uneventful while the second half features all of the big moves and sequences that you actually want to see. It's a formula that has produced some matches that i have actually enjoyed but this isnt one of them. This feels like an extremely formulaic Will Ospreay match, like it genuinely felt like he was just going through all of his big match spots one by one. Kickout at one? Check. Fighting spirit spot after a german suplex? Check. Firing up in the middle of a forearm exchange? Check. It's all so predictable that it impossible for me to get invested in because i know what's coming. There's one genuinely cool thing here with the top rope brainbuster but everything else i just feel like ive seen Will do a million times before. There was a point in time where i did enjoy this match and i still somewhat see the appeal, but to me now this was honestly just kind of boring. **"
[9.0] "(4.75*) Im completely shocked by how good this was, this match was freaking incredible. Ospreay making his AEW debut and he showed out, alot of first impressions by many. Takeshita is my favorite wrestler as of right now and he had a good performance here. Although this match is fantastic, this isnt 5 stars mainly due to the build up. The booking in this was not thought out, why would the same people in the same faction go against each other? I dont know its weird, but this is great match."
[10.0] "A perfect showcase match for ospreays first match as an aew wrestler. Two of the best wrestlers going at it in an explosive display of fireworks. Matches like this is what makes aew what it is. *****"
[10.0] "Some of the best, most impactful and athletic move sequences. Best elbow move I've ever seen and one of the best sequences. One of the most terrifying spots with that brainbuster. Masterpiece of modern professional wrestling."
[10.0] "This is the greatest match ever in aew. Takehsita looked like an alpha male even in the defeat. Ospreay did his job. Awesome near falls. Awesome quick lockouts to show the fighting spirit."
[10.0] "Thought I'd drop in here to adorn possibly my all-time fave match with a 10/10. This will likely go down as my favourite ever in-ring pairing as things stand. The 2025 sequel was pretty damn close to this, but you can't quite beat the original."
[7.0] "***.75 / Great match not to get anything twisted but reviewing in 2025 after their burner from Dynamite, this match as good as it was just doesn't light the same fire for me. Fantastic wrestling bell to bell, "no sell" Ospreay doing his goated things. The buckle spot is cringeworthy but awesome."
[10.0] "***** (10/10) Ladies and Gentlemen of the jury: exhibit number one is what the shooters, the uncomformed, stiff, noble-limbed shooters, envied. Look at this wrangle of horns! The Aerial Assassin making the Alpha join him to a fight of all f****ng fights that you'll ever f****ng see in your f****ng life, bruv! I generally am not a fan of Don Callis. But I gained a newfound respect for the prick while watching an all-time war between two all-time talents, which, on commentary, he put over better than anyone on the commentary team did at Revolution 2024. Maybe it was "the" all-time war, because there were numerous instances throughout Ospreay/Takeshita that prompted me to say to myself, dammit, this is the greatest match I've ever seen. Exhibit number one(b): a fight with a story, even though it was not the most compelling story, it was still a story nonetheless, where both Ospreay and Takeshita allowed the story inside the ring to detail an epic they had in store for Will's AEW welcome. They would run it back at Spring BreakThru, and, to some it may have been better, but, to me, nothing, from AEW, or from any promotion in the world, may ever come close to what Ospreay and Takeshita were able to accomplish at Revolution '24."
[9.0] "Excellent official debut for Ospreay as part of an excellent Revolution. They've had some more matches since, but I'm not sure any topped this."
[10.0] "This was will's first impression for me and he damn well impressed me, ever since revolution 2024, he has been my favorite wrestler in the world. And props to takeshita too, he looked like a beast that won't stay down. Ospreay had to damn near kill takeshita to finally get the win. One of the best matches I've watched."
[10.0] "Damn this was something special, the turnbuckle spot Takeshita did to Ospreay was brilliant. I cannot wait to see these two in action again on Wednesday, hopefully it's as exciting as this was."
[10.0] "Rewatched ahead of their rematch this Wednesday on Dynamite and my god is it still so damn good. Hope they don't feel the pressure of trying to top this because I'm not sure it can be done."
[10.0] "This...........my god this was just a great match. I've been wanting to watch this for months now and I finally got to watch it and this was just simply a great battle. That turnbuckle spot Konosuke did to Ospreay was brutal."
[10.0] "Presentation fight is a term used to when you need to show one or more wrestler for the audience, prove who is the recent guy or the last woman signed, and what he or she is capable off. This match was EXACTLY that. For example, we don't have here a insane storyline, with reasons to this guy hate each other for the fucking guts and wanna face in the ring for 30 minutes or more with long sellings that tell everything about what they're feeling and NO! This is not Hangman vs Swerve! At this point, Takeshita and Ospreay both worked from the same manager, Don mothefucking Callis! The selling is not the point here, the storyline is not the point, they only need for this wrestler was to show who the fuck is Will Ospreay, MORE, who is Will Ospreay at AEW and how he's gonna behave here in a american company. But to be honest, I think AEW failed in this unique challenge, cause they also showed who is Konosuke Takeshita! People already know who is him, he had a insane year in 2023 and 2022, but this right here was different! It's the best match of him at AEW and probably the best of his career! And he only need to thanks Will Ospreay for being such a GOAT wrestler and a special material able to be used with ANYONE, ANYTIME AND ANYWHERE, and Tony Khan for underestimate how Takeshita can also put the lights for himself. This right here is a five stars match for me and PLEASE, FOR GOD SAKE, don't be that type of guy that goes into the social media rip off your fingers telling how much you HATE this, you HATE Ospreay and his style, you HATE Takeshita and his style, man...if you don't like, shut the fuck up and deal with that. People love this, if you don't like, it fine. Just don't be that type of dork that wants everything in pro wrestling to be at your own taste, sometimes wrestling will surprise us and not going just as we expect...and that's the wonderful thing about this strange sport."
[10.0] "perfect match to start ospreay's career as a signed aew talent. this match was exactly what it needed to be which was two of the best wrestlers in the world putting on a classic match and stealing the show."
[10.0] "Even if there's no true storyline reason for a match to be a good match, sometimes it just can be. And sometimes that match can just be Match of the Year. Will Ospreay proves every single time he steps in the ring that he's on another level with his storytelling, in-ring ability and his flawlessness when working with literally anyone, regardless of size, aura or skill. And Konosuke - how does one man continually evolve to be the best version of himself, despite the storyline circumstances that have hindered him recently. I don't know, but Takeshita always does. Every match of his has something special, an aura around it that it's going to be a sleeper hit, but when you pair that with the inescapable MOTY that comes free with every Ospreay singles match, you get pure gloriousness from the best of British and Japanese pro wrestling."
[9.0] "[4.25*] Wow, what an incredible match! These guys gave us the fantastic performance we all expected. Take is just a monster, and he has always been. The DDT Ace will be one of the greats. I think AEW made the absolutely right decision by making this a show-off match, like Kenny vs Vikingo, because this had the loudest reaction of the night. The AEW Fans not familiar with Ospreay saw exactly what they needed to see and they nailed it. The action was so stiff I was expecting the selling to be a little bit better. This was almost a 10/10 match in my opinion and the only issue was this one with the psychology. The sequences these guys made were one of the best I have ever seen. Literally perfect for what it was. For the proposition of an Exhibition Match, it was perfect, just not perfect enough in every single attribute. 2nd MOTN imo alongside FTR vs BCC, that won in the selling/psychology aspect, but lost on the movez and sequences."
[10.0] "Two modern GOATs going at it, easiest 10 I've ever given. Everything you want in a wrestling match is here. Beautiful striking, crazy ass big spots, insane counters, and just the story of purely fighting to see who is better. Takeshita is my favorite current male wrestler, he looks amazing in this and so does Ospreay."
[10.0] "Proof that the obvious works. They simply put the company's two best performers in the ring with one mission: STEAL THE SHOW and casually delivered the best match of the year so far. Edit: 2024 MOTY (*****)"
[10.0] "AEW lands the hottest free agent in Will Ospreay and immediately pairs him up against Konosuke Takeshita. One of the company's most exciting stars and although an explosive talent he hadn't reached the level we'd all been waiting for. Until now. Takeshita had a star making performance against Kenny Omega last year at this same ppv but AEW kind of let him cool off. This match doubles as another star making performance by Takeshita and Will Ospreay being as advertised. A high octane banger."
[10.0] "Such a great match. Ospreay first match since officially joining AEW. Both these guys killed it. Takeshita is such a good wrestler and both these guys hooped. Great crowd and Ospreay coming out party at AEW. Match had so many great sequences and need these beats to run it back one on one again."
[10.0] "What a sick match! These two are amazing, and they still have so many matches left to fight, my gosh. The failed brainbuster was rough, the two hidden blade sequences were crazy, and I loved Ospreay's slight shoulder kick-outs. I have just one complaint: the production. There were two moments where we lost what was happening in the ring because of some replays. These two were putting on a banger right there, I don't want to miss it. I think that's something that should never happen."
[9.0] "What a way to kick off Will Ospreay's AEW Career. Konosuke Takeshita once again proved that he can hang with top stars and put over Ospreay in one of the best matches I got to see live in person."
[8.0] "Real good stuff! While a few of the sequences were kinda predictable and choreographed, nothing here felt cooperative and it all looked like a fight despite all the acrobatics. So unbelievably over with the crowd, everyone was so hot for this match, and the big spots were genuinely impressive, especially from Takeshita who hit an over the ropes spot so cleanly I popped super hard. Ospreay did some great selling here too."
[10.0] "Two of the very best in the world putting it all out there. Incredible fighting spirit sequence into the end where Ospreay eventually realizes he has to damn-near kill Takeshita to finally secure the victory. Ospreay's work is boundlessly impressive and this helped put Takeshita on the map which it appears will catapult him into what could be an impressive 2025."
"Awesome match by two of the best performers Will is athletic freak and Konosuke is a rising star and not only he can move, I am impressed by his selling. The spots are out of this world and the crowd is on fire and I knew when this match was announced it's going be the match of the night and as the year is coming to a end this is a strong candidate for match of the year"
[8.0] "Honestly for me for the standard i have for Will Ospreay and Takeshita this match is kinda overrated if you ask me but that just shows you how good ospreay and takeshita are because this 8/10 match for them would easily be the majority of wrestlers best career match"
[9.0] "Everything from you could want from these guys, easily one of (if not) the most explosive matches of the year with these two freak athletes. Don on the call is a good addition, and the crowd is completely behind the show, giving a good air of tension to the match, while the performances of the wrestlers more than live up to the narrative. These guys put on a brutally impressive show with some fantastic and dynamic pacing balanced between ridiculous spots and brutal bumps and more deliberate, tough sequences (ft Takeshita's absurd elbows). Fantastic finish as well."
[9.0] "This was a clash definitely reminiscent of Ospreays back catalog of indie main events. Both he and Takeshita bring plenty of extra style from both mens time in Japan too though. But it was definitely more about awesome moves and counters than story and selling in places. It was pretty awesome though! Takeshita is simply amazing in my opinion. Everything he does has such an impact. He did so well, and is offence is so great: the Takeshita Line, the big knee, the sheer brainbuster, it's all so good. The Oscutter counter with the Blue Thunder Bomb was simply amazing too! As was the counter into the Package Tombstone/German combo! I do wish that one in particular wasn't the spot where Ospreay did a fighting spirit Hidden Blade, and I especially wish he didn't immediately have the strength to cover, but Takeshita got to kick out at one so Im mostly appeased there. Ospreay is obviously getting a lot of plaudits for this one, not undeservedly, but I just think that Takeshita deserves so much more. Hes maybe my favourite in-ring wrestler right now. His style, personality, and skill are just perfect for me. I want this faction to stop being about Don and start being about Takeshita. Hes incredible. Anyway, back to the match. It was definitely great, I think! I do wish Ospreay sold everything as he went a bit more though. Definitely moved a tad fast for my taste, I wish he had just given everything a smidge more breathing room. I know it was the type of match where it's all action, and I loved it for that, but I feel like you can do the same match in the same style just truly ticking over into an all-timer with a little bit more of it, as well as a proper story. Theres a story to the match forming, but it's definitely sparser than expected. This was pretty awesome though. Ospreay is able to hit the hidden blade for the win. I do wish Takeshita got put away with something more but Im just a big Takeshita fan, and this is just match one for Ospreay in AEW."
[9.0] "two of the best rope to rope wrestlers in the world, probably Takeshita's best match to date and still an incredible ospreay match. with 0 build to this match they really had to pull something crazy out the bag, and they did. the brainbuster on the ropes was crazy, as was the wheelbarrow suplex into the hidden blade, until he kicked out at one, didn't like that only because of sting doing the same spot later, i did pop for it though. *****1/2"
[10.0] "This match is absolutely ridiculous. So many insane moments and some of the best wrestling I have ever seen. The Os-Cutter into Blue Thunder Bomb alone is something that would be a moment of the year, but it is just a small part of this masterclass in insane wrestling that is quite dangerous and frightening. The top rope brainbuster is something I always struggle to look at due to the way Ospreay lands. But this match was the best showcase of strong style fighting spirit mixed with a fast paced western style. Just a fusion of styles coming together perfectly."
[8.0] "This was really great at times. About as good as a 4.25 star match could be without being transcendent, but there was the elephant in the room that remained. No matter how much force they put behind their elbow strikes, which were often brutal, or some of the incredible bombs they threw at each other, it was never going to prevent them from doing the typical Ospreay count/counter spot. And like clock work, Takeshits hits an all time nasty brainbuster that messes up Ospreay's back and what follows is the flip stunner into move, move hidden blade sequence. These are pros and could've changed gears and gotten a much better match as a result. But to focus on what DID happen, instead of what would've been more interesting, they had a really cool match where most of the offence looked good, a rarity in this era of awkward, sloppy athletic heavy style. It was a quality match, even if it all felt obvious and didn't stray away from the formula. They have a tremendous match in them but for a first time bout, this was cool. ***3/4"
[10.0] "Both of these men are on an absolute other level. This is an absurdly good match and one of the best matches of all time, but unfortunately not in that conversation because the promotion and Ospreay in particular is so polarizing. This match was fantastic. This breaks the scale of what a good match looks like and makes Misawa vs. Kobashi seem like it was 100 years ago. Perhaps its not as perfect a match as these two will likely have in the future, but holy crap this is amazing to watch."
[10.0] "Probably one of the best matches of the year. Although it didn't have much in terms of build-up or story, it's still a great match. In this one I felt like Ospreay fought more like a proper Heavyweight, which is great. All the "fighting spirit" spots were really good too, and Takeshita was the perfect opponent to be Ospreay's first match in AEW. A bit of no-selling at times and the ref was a bit annoying, but still a great watch."
[9.0] "The match had excellent athleticism exhibited by both wrestlers. In my opinion, Takeshita really took it to a new level he surpassed my expectations. Takeshita is a tremendous addition to AEW. There were so many cleanly executed moves by both of them, and it was satisfying to watch. It was similar to both of the Omega vs Osprey matches last year. However, there was enough no selling to notch it slightly below of what it could have been."
[10.0] "Incredible match especialy towards the end with the tombstone and wheelbarrow german suplex sequences. Amazing match, amazing spots, nothing else really to say both workers are incredible wrestlers."
[8.0] "For a match with no real story going into it, there was so much story telling in this one. Ospreay coming into AEW as a babyface, pulling away from the heel faction of the Don Callis family, while still being placed on a pedestal by Don Callis clearly frustrated Takeshita, who tried to prove why he should be Callis' favourite. Ospreay ultimately proved why he's on his pedestal but that frustration hasn't gone away. It's still brewing and I think it's laid the groundwork for an even better rematch with more personal stakes between the two."
[10.0] "My all time favorite AEW match, and the match I always recommend for first time watchers. These two struck lightning in a bottle and put on a classic performance with endless amounts of beautiful sequences across 22 minutes."
[9.0] "Rather than a psychological battle, it's a battle of guts. It's a battle about two young men's fighting and beating skill. It's a rare gem to see these best wrestlers crushing their own bodies."
[10.0] "Yes sir, this ruled. Definitely my MOTN for this show, as expected. These two tore the house down in what I thought was an incredible way to have Ospreay officially debut as a member of the roster. Ospreay's first match as a member of the roster being an absolute banger is just so on-brand for him. Super excited to see where his run in the company goes from here."
[9.0] "What a fantastic match, I knew they would blow the roof off. I think this was the perfect first match for Ospreay in AEW, it was something that AEW fans are very used to, a lot of focus on the moves, the beauty and the execution, they were flawless. The selling (lack of) bothered me sometimes? yes, specially at the beginning, but this whole experience was just too good to keep thinking about this tiny details, they were stiff, took high risks, hard-hitting moves, every move made a loud noise, Ospreay hurt his back, it was painful, even dangerous... reminded me a little of Omega vs Ospreay at Wrestle Kingdom in that sense, and also a bit of the Forbidden Door one but at the beginning. I've watched better Ospreay matches in New Japan, so it's not as impressive to me as it maybe was for some fans that only watch AEW and american wrestling, but this was definitely an amazing one. Not my match of the year but definitely will be on some lists at the end of the year - {****1/2}"
[10.0] "I believe this is the best match in the history of All Elite. 21 minutes of brawl and pure technique between two of the most promising wrestlers in the world. I recommend everyone to watch it."
[10.0] "Perhaps this is my match of the year. I cant remember if Will vs Kenny 1 or 2 was in 2024 but either way wonderful match by two of the very best at the top of their games"
[8.0] "This was a pretty good matches but a little bit overrated in my humble opinion. One thing I cannot stand is how Ospreay uses the Styles Clash as a transitional move, but other than that everything was good. Ospreay winning was quite predictable however."
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