Latest Comments

[6.0] "This was a good little undercard match. Mossman's still a bit green, but there's nevertheless a nice styles clash going on here against the shoot-style Ikeda. He endures Ikeda's offense, including a close legbar, to win the match. ***1/4"

[7.0] "Great Match. I really appreciated the work on maverick's arm... maverick's performance was fantastic, and I also liked the end of the match.. rating: * * * 1/2"

[9.0] "An excellent tag team spotfest that was an early indication of the tremendous impact the Bucks would have on wrestling in the coming years. The first third of the match is the Warriors working over the Bucks in very fun ways getting the crowd involved but once Nick gets the hot tag it's non-stop action that you would expect from both teams. The chemistry was excellent with tons of beautifully executed double team moves, convincing nearfalls, and an amazing finishing sequence. Great stuff. ****1/2"

[6.0] "I mean, the action was fine enough even though nothing really special. There was no ending, inexplicably the four men were battling outside the ring when Stone Cold theme starts playing and the episode just finishes."

[6.0] "This is possibly the most unconventional, experimental, and risky match i have ever seen and i'm shocked NOAH had the nerve to do it. This is one of those matches that you could argue is an all time classic or a complete DUD. Some love and some hate it and i felt a little bit of both while watching this. This match has 3 parts. It starts with a 30 minute staredown, turns into a brawl around Korakeun hall, and has a strong style finish that you'd expect from NOAH. The staredown is what got everyone talking and it's quite the spectacle. Big credit goes to Go and Fujita for staring at each other without breaking eye contact for so long but unfortunately i didn't feel anything from this section of the match. I understand this was telling a very interesting story of Go throwing Fujita's mindgames right back at him and beating him at his own game but the execution of this just isn't for me. I'm not sure how anyone could watch 30 minutes of nothing and call it amazing despite the story they were telling. They began a grappling exchange which also told a story but 5-10 minutes of only two holds isn't interesting either. It was at this point that i realized no matter how good the story was the match just wasn't compelling to me. They began brawling outside the ring which led to some awesome spots like Fujita spitting hand sanitizer in Go's face and Go just straight up no selling a PK to the head. These great moments were few and far between as they did a walk-and-brawl all over Korakeun which felt a bit aimless. I also have no idea how this fit into the story they were telling. Fujita not being able to open the elevator was the obvious highlight. The final 10 or so minutes are excellent and it's a real shame i couldn't get into the last 45 minutes. I loved the nearfalls as it felt like any lariat or big move could've ended the match. This was a mixed bag for me and i'm still unsure of my rating but one thing is for sure, this was a once in a lifetime match. ***1/2"

[10.0] "An excellent match to finish Kiyomiya's fairly great first title reign, and who better to take the belt off him other then Shiozaki? I loved how they didn't do the usual Kaito match formula of him being dominated the whole time. Instead it felt like a 50/50 affair with both men busting out their best offense with great selling. The in-ring story was basic but good with Kaito working over Go's arm in compelling fashion to try and hinder the chops and set up for the Tiger Suplex. Go's selling was really good, great at times as he always indicated his arm was in pain despite delivering his offense perfectly. Despite going over 30 minutes they utilized the time very well, with little to no downtime which is impressive for a NOAH main event. The closing stretch had all the big bomb and nearfall trading you would expect from a puro main event, and Go and Kaito delivered terrific performances. I loved how the finishers were used as it didn't feel overkill, it felt like the finishers mattered and both men had to work for them. I loved Go hammering Kaito with several killer lariats over and over, the crowd was super into it. One of the best matches of the year thus far. ****3/4"

[9.0] "Great mix of wrestling and comedy. This was my first time seeing either wrestle and it was a great introduction. ASUKA is very charismatic and Mei did that awesome hurricarana spot. Great stuff. Worth checking out."

[9.0] "A great return for PAC, showing he's not the same guy who competed in DG before. Attacking during the playing of the national anthems is a nice touch and PAC is able to work methodically while having the dynamic DG pace. Yoshino's performance as ever is fantastic. 4. 25"

[8.0] "Yeah of course this match was good but it was also sloppy at times. The opening took too long before it the action got going and although both guys gave it their all I missed the real chemistry (which Omega did have with Okada for example). Nonetheless great conclusion with swift and hard hitting action."

[7.0] "This match was far from great but I think it was probably the second best women's match in AEW so far, behind Nyla Rose vs Riho (Dynamite #19). Both of these women seem very green and unconvincing to me but the gimmick helped make up for that to some degree. At the very least the final kendo stick strike looked great. I'm glad that Hana Kimura was honoured but I feel like putting that just before the match put a little bit of a downer on things which occupied my attention and affected my enjoyment of the match, and I didn't buy JR trying to sell the match result as something to honour Hana. She's been on my mind since I heard the news. Sometimes it's nice to forget for a few minutes. I don't doubt the sincerity of Excalibur's message but the placement of the memorial and the post match comments made me feel like Hana's death was being used to prop up an angle, even though I'm not sure if Shida and Kimura had any real relation."

[9.0] "This was chaotic, very easy, and fun to watch given current circumstances. There were a lot of hilarious moments I couldn't tell enough here. Everything just clicked well and created a damn joy to watch. Also, the finish was pretty nut tbh. Prop to Sammy who took that OWA after being hit like millions of northern-light suplexes before. Easily my favorite thing on the show overall."

[7.0] "Wow, this was really a pleasant watch. After watching several supposed timeless classics held in the 80s, I continuously found myself underwhelmed, as almost all of them either had notable flaws or came out as a carbon copy of a great match by today's standards. This wasn't the case though. I certainly don't see a 5-star bout here (or even a ****/****½ or so), but it was a low-key great match nonetheless. The first half was rather basic, with both wrestlers trading holds displaying nice intensity doing do. After that, the pace picked up significantly as they started trading some brutal yet beautiful-looking power moves and performing one impressive spot after another in a short amount of time and with clean execution too. It was a shame that this meant that all the work before was essentially meaningless and thus the second part felt so disjointed from the first, but they performed so many amazing and creative spots that I couldn't help partially overlooking it and rubbing my eyes to their stunts. I think that if they simply had gone full-throttle from the very beginning it would have been even better, but it still is an impressive match on its own, especially when you realise this took place in 1985. [***1/2]"

[8.0] "Excellent and creative Hell in a Cell match. It got the crowd popping right from the start with a series of dives into the cell, and then the teams got creative. New Day trapped one of the Usos in the corner of the cell by sticking kendo sticks through the holes in the cell. However, that only lasted temporarily. Another great spot is Xavier handcuffed around the ring post and taking a series of kendo shots yet still managed to break up a near-fall. The emotion and intensity was there from the start and never relented. This was the perfect way to kick off a show. ****1/4"

[8.0] "Definitely way better than given credit for, it did start off pretty slow but during those slow moments there were some really good things happening on the outside, Spivey suprisingly was the best at the beggining for me here. Really terrific last couple mins built in with such drama, it is **** for me."

[10.0] "One of my absolute favorite matches of all time. Not only is it filled with great action, not only is the story on point and layered 16 different ways, but the raw emotion of this match can't be beat. So many stories and characters with years of weight behind them colliding in one place. Sweeney's return is the icing on the cake, thinking of him back to back with his old friend/enemy Kingston fending off the BDK in the middle of the ring gives me chills to think about even now."

[8.0] "After rewatching it, it was mych better but nowhere near the classic matches between Adam Cole Vs Johnny Gargano. Cole as always was great and so was Ciampa. The beginning was really good and the middle was also quite good despite a few no selling by both men. The beginning of the end was amazing and I thought that we were about to see one of the best NXT finishes until near the stupid interference by UE and Johnny Gargano. I could see Johnny turning since he lost his match but they did it in such a cheap way. The interference felt completely unnecessary as this was becoming an instant classic and WWE completely ruined it. ****1/4"

[4.0] "A bad match that you can watch for the big move, no more. Bucky Cody is starting to get bored. The same formula that worked only with Jericho. Well, Tyson? s reaction is sometimes funny. Mostly too boring."

[10.0] "If you go into this match expecting high work rate you would be in the wrong place. But if you go into this match letting yourself get wrapped up in how magical pro wrestling can be then I have no idea how you can not love it. Hogan/Andre sold the tickets, Savage/Steamboat stole the show but if you want 7 minutes of fun this one is for you. I will never not be amazed at how Piper can get a reaction from a crowd. If it had a negative it would be Brutus Beefcake? s inclusion but oh well."

[10.0] "The first fall is great & sets the tone for the match perfectly; the work on the mat is competitive & tight, looks & comes off as really great. Some very fun mind games that make the match get meaner eventually with London calling Danielson a BITCH, which causes him to get his ass kicked -- BUT it did eventually pay off for London, as he countered Dragon's signature back bodydrop from the top attempt into a pinfall to make it 1-0. Great first fall. They continue right where they left off in the 2nd fall with Bryan accepting London's handshake, but then starting to blast him right away with strikes. London gets some comebacks here n' there, but it's mostly Bryan on top, and it's oh so fantastic. The major moment of the 2nd fall was when London was going for that SSP, but Bryan recovers quickly enough to dropkick his knee to stop that from happening; from then on, Bryan's target is on that knee, and the attack on it is obviously fantastically vicious, focused & compelling. That fall ending half crab, which looked kind of like a Liontamer was such a brutal looking hold. Terrific 2nd fall. The 3rd & final fall is also absolutely amazing with Bryan continuing that attack on the knee -- Bryan continues to be an awesome aggressor, London's selling is superb & it creates for some superb drama w/ the half crab. That finish is all kinds of awesome as well with London's truly great selling. It's a really fantastic way to finish this classic; it's always been one of my favorite matches, and that ain't changing. It keeps you, or at least me, hooked for the entire 40-minute duration of it. Pure brilliance. It really probably is the best match ROH had up to that point, even though Danielson/Styles & especially Danielson/Ki give it some extremely tough competition."

[8.0] "Amazing technical exchanges between two students of the game who know each other perfectly. Quackenbush is an absolute treasure."

[7.0] "I say this as someone who is unfamiliar with KAI's work, so I can't offer any insight related to that, but I was a bit less impressed with this than previous inmates. It's still a good match, and I like the apparent attempt tor a story involving an injury of sorts that KAI seems to have on his chest, but I thought that the premise of the match was hurt by Akiyama just tanking KAI's offense. I'm honestly baffled that this was the Carnival final; this played more like a good tournament match than a final, but I realize that might be more indicative of the state of All Japan at the time than a failure in booking. Still, my impression of this match was positive, for what it's worth, and I have a feeling that I should revisit this one when I have more exposure to KAI under my belt down the line. ***3/4"

[10.0] "This match was easily the best All Elite Wrestling match to date. Everyone played their roles in awesome fashion. There was comedy, action, storytelling, you name it this match had it. I could not ask for a better main event. Definitely the best match in wrestling since the quarantine. I can't give this match a proper star rating, however it is my match of the year, or at least #2 fighting Okada vs. Naito at Wrestle Kingdom 14. N/A."

[9.0] "There's only ever been 2 Reseda street fights in PWG history, this was one of them, and both featured Chuck Taylor. This was a great brawl with an excellent dramatic finish."

[9.0] "Gran combate, me sorprendió gratamente, MJF y Jungle Boy dieron una gran demostración de un wrestling más clásico con muy buenas ejecuciones! ****"

[7.0] "This was broadcast as a JIP of the last eight minutes, and while what we've got isn't grounds for me to give it a ****1/4, what we do have is eight minutes of good, hard-hitting junior action with a good crowd. Otani gets the pin on Kanemoto with a sick German. ***1/2"

[7.0] "This junior championship match doesn't fit the mold of the high-flying spectacles that NOAH would later become (some would say, in)famous for, but it provides a good interpromotional heel-vs-young face (I know Sugi's 33 here, but you get what I mean) matchup, with very good heel work from Gedo and his gang, and a tried-but true finish (Sugi outwits Gedo and gets him to eat a Jado chain punch intended for him). Its meat-and-potatoes approach made it the perfect choice for a semi-main to lead into Kobashi's unconventional and somewhat underrated GHC Heavyweight defense against Yoshinari Ogawa. ***1/2"

[9.0] "An all out war between two factions with zero respect for each other. Yes it's a spotfest, but if you aren't too far up your own ass about this style then this match is nuts."

[7.0] "The length is excessive, but I've still got a positive impression of the match because its components are so good. Nishimura's matwork is particularly masterful, young Tana brings energy, Big Match Tenzan delivers a good performance, and Yoshie's good too. Tenzan gets the win on Yoshie. ***1/2, but if it were more compact it would be higher; even a 30-minute version of this instead of 38 would easily get a ****."

[0.0] "Just because WWE did a lesser version of this, does not mean that this version is good. It is not a wrestling match. I do not understand why so many people think this is hilarious and fun and I also do not understand why those two things make it good. If WWE did this it would be panned but AEW did it so it gets praise. I hated every second, aside from Hangman Page, which seems to be a common thing in overrated AEW matches."

[9.0] "Now this lived up to being a great "hoss-off". It was short, so it didn't over-indulge itself, and it kept it's heat all the way to the explosive finish."

[7.0] "The crowd was for sure going nuts for a whole lot of nothing. There was a few cool spots, and it did seem like they had great chemistry together, but it never felt like the match got going in my opinion."

[10.0] "Beautifully done match, follows up on their match from the previous july spectacularly. Mercedes is a fantastic heel, great work overall. I was there live and they had us in the palm of their hands for the full 75 minutes. An incredible feat of storytelling and endurance and easily the best marathon match I? ve ever seen. *****"

[9.0] "Tremendous match, executed flawlessly. Crowd was into it. The draw was a good finish, too, as the whole match made you want to come back for more."

[7.0] "Solid interpromotional tag, though in my opinion it wasn't quite at the level previous ratings would suggest. Highlight by a mile is the KENTA/Nagata pairing, including but not limited to the hardway juice Nagata gets out of KENTA early on. I don't think Akiyama/Nagata ever produced the singles classic that they should have, but it's still a good heavyweight pairing with some history. Alas, the Funky Weapon is where this match stumbles for me. I've got nothing against Taguchi; although my only exposure to him as of writing is through his WK14 appearances, I'm aware that he's a well-regarded junior who's put out some good stuff over the years. But I don't think he delivered on the level that the time in this match devoted to him would make you expect. And Akiyama using the Wrist Clutch Exploder to put him away was "Misawa needing the Tiger Driver '91 to beat Johnny Ace in the Feb. 1998 Triple Crown defense" levels of ludicrous superfinisher booking. No, scratch that, this was even more ridiculous. (At least Johnny Ace, whatever we can say about his in-ring work, had been prominently booked for years beforehand in tag situations. ) Anyway, this isn't a classic, but the KENTA/Nagata pairing makes this worth watching. ***1/2"

[9.0] "One of the best NXT TV Match. Pretty underrated match who was better than their match at NXT TakeOver Phoenix. Great moment for Ciampa too. ****1/2"

[10.0] "This was ridiculous. 30 minutes of hilarity and entertainment. It's probably not a MOTYC, given its genre, but I see this match been talked about and remembered for years to come. Having said that, I have never laughed and enjoyed any "wrestling" match as much as I did here."

[7.0] "Great technique with awesome submissions by TAKA. High speed and a few breathtaking moves made this match a true hidden gem for fans of junior heavyweight devision. Retro TAKA is amazing For me it`s ***3/4."

[8.0] "For an empty-arena match, this was pretty good. It would have been a 9 with a crowd, or may even be a 10 with a hot crowd. Given the circumstances, I'd say they did a pretty good job. The end-stretch of the match was particularly well done."

[5.0] "As you might expect, this is a case where the gimmick keeps this from being satisfying as any sort of dream matchup. I'm about as big a Misawa fan as there is, and I'll be the first to tell you that he was probably the worst fit out of anyone who ever played Tiger Mask; moreover, this is the beginning of his heavyweight era, where he isn't doing the aerial stuff as often but he's not in a position which comfortably allows him to grow into the wrestler he actually is/will be. So if this doesn't really work as a dream match, even one that didn't happen at the ideal time (as is the case for most dream matches that actually happen), what does this work as? Nothing terrible, but neither is it remarkable. Some okay matwork between the two, though Choshu is on autopilot as he grapples toward the sasorigatame. After some nearfalls, he gets it, but Misawa doesn't tap, so Choshu lariats him for the pinfall. It's not bad, but it's just kind of there as a match. Workmanlike, you could say. **3/4"

[7.0] "The previous singles match between these two in the matchguide was a respectable, but unremarkable match hurt by an exhausted crowd. In my opinion, this was an improvement; even if I don't think it's a classic, it gets an approving ***1/2 from me. Very good selling from Akiyama after a big elbow, and it services a good story; the bombs he throws can't get him out of the trenches. Sasaki wins with a Northern Lights Bomb."

[8.0] "Really good. Okabayashi is always reliable and more often than not fantastic, and he brought it here in a real meaty slugfest. This was the first time I've seen Nagai and I dug him a lot too."

[4.0] "I really wanted to get invested in the story they were telling in this match. Sadly, though it had its good moments, this was a compendium of all the issues I usually have with AJW big matches (i. e. average chemistry between the wrestlers involved, poor or even non-existing selling, chaotic brawls outside the ring and so on). What baffled me the most was seeing Kong destroying Hokuto with FIVE piledrivers in a row right after two/three minutes the match started, breaking immediately into the overkill territory by doing so. This became a major aggravation since the effects of those big bombs were barely sold throughout the match, which detracted me from the cool story of Kandori and Hokuto teaming up and slowly setting aside their grudge for each other in order to beat the monster heels in Kong and Nakano. Of course all the 4 wrestlers had the opportunity of showcasing their skills and performing some nice spots every now and then, but the execution of many of their moves looked average or even bad at times. It was cool watching Kandori and Hokuto firing up and ultimately getting the better of their opponents but the in-ring work I saw through these 35 minutes wasn't endearing. [**]"

[5.0] "The match where Hansen won the japanese audience over. A fun brawl but nothing particuarly noteworthy except for the "big" moments like Hansen hitting Andre with a Scoop Slam and one of his first legendary Lariats in japanese soul. Andre did a good job putting Hansen over with his good selling but he was still way too slow to get me interested enough. [**1/2]"

[5.0] "This was a good match but I honestly expected a lot more given the wrestlers involved. Marufuji's control segment was dull, but after that the match got more interesting as both him and Kenou (whose selling of Maru's neck work was good but too short) started trading their stiff signature strikes in typical NOAH fashion. The sequence where they dodged each other's kicks and collapsed simultaneously was particularly cool. Unfortunately, while the strikes were always on point, the big moves (such as the dragon suplex off the top rope) didn't look as clean as they should had. Good match, but there were plenty of matches from this Global League which are this good or even better than this one. [**1/2]"

[3.0] "The extremely hot MSG crowd that literally erupted after Backlund's victory was the only good thing about this. The in-ring work was embarassingly average and sloppy, both men's selling was overdramatic and Backlund kicking out at one EVERY pin attempt from Patera totally killed the drama. Just a bad wrestling display made slightly more bearable by the crowd heat. [*1/2]"

[3.0] "Another supposedly good Baba match that I found boring as hell. It had nothing to offer other than competent chain wrestling and some convincing babyface work when he was put in the sleeper hold by Gagne, who wasn't much more interesting. Both are past their prime and it showed clearly here. Not good. [*1/2]"

[6.0] "High flying may be the primary quality that First Tiger Mask would be remembered for, but this match showed that he was an amazing grappler as well. It was slower than any of his matches against Dynamite Kid or other high flying wrestlers he dealt with, but the work on the mat was extremely entertaining from start to finish. One of the great things about this match is that Steve Wright essentially worked on top for the entire first half, where he often outsmarted Tiger Mask and displayed great athleticism and intensity whenever he was performing a counter or locking the opponent in a submission. This led to a compelling narrative where Tiger Mask would play the underdog against a wrestler who showed he can go toe to toe with him in every area. The finish was weak as Tiger Mask manages to pin Wright after a simple power move out of nowhere. By the way, this was an excellent showing from both Tiger Mask and Steve Wright. [***]"

[8.0] "Some of the leg work, or at times lack thereof was questionable, and for long stretches the match trudged along with an apathetic crowd, but then Omega hit a suplex off the apron and a trio of dragon suplexes and things took off. The avalanche one-winged angel made for a fitting exclamation point. ****1/4"

[6.0] "This was an All Japan main event with the Triple Crown Title on the line, so of course the length of the match and its structure were predictable. Yet, even with a challenger that is kayfabe booked weaker than the likes of Zeus or Ishikawa, it always works. I'll tell you more: this is on par with some of the most praised matches All Japan had last year and had the potential to even surpass them, if not for some evident flaws. I enjoyed the first portion of the match where after the routine stare downs and grappling they went for a brawl on the outside. This is usually the part of these big matches where I get bored often, but this wasn't the case as both were brilliant at building their characters; Kento in particular came off as a swollen-headed psycho after he smashed the symphatetic KAI on the barricade. Unfortunately, during the middle section KAI started working Kento's leg but the latter selling was pretty bad. I'm not that kind of viewer that focuses too much on the selling and I usually overlook it if it's inconsistent especially when the performer still amazes me with his pacing or storytelling or other equally important aspects of a wrestling match (as I did in other Kento matches) but here he was particularly bad at it. I'm not saying that he would have screamed in pain or put his hand on his knee for the entire match, but given the amount of damage KAI did to his limb he should have spent more time before relentlessly getting back up and hitting Blackouts or whatever move he delivered that required the use of his supposedly damaged leg. The finishing stretch was quite tense by the way, even though I didn't really have the feel that KAI would eventually win the title, but the hot crowd seemed to buy it towards the end. Despite my criticisms and the predictable outcome, this still managed to reach the "very good" territory thanks to the right amount of action and drama. Nothing mindblowing, but a good start for AJPW's 2019. [***]"

[5.0] "I am always entertained those very few times I watch Reika Saiki performances. Her "muscle idol" character may look cheesy at a first glance, but once she steps in the ring she always shows how passionate and actually skilled she is, even though she still has to improve in every aspect; also, when put against the likes of Satomura, she can portray a loveable underdog figure, which I'm a sucker for. During the match it was clear to me that Meiko was using the 50% of her power when she hit her strikes, probably in order to make Saiki's offense look better than actually is. Meiko's limb work was compelling as usual, but Saiki selling was in and off: she displayed great suffering for a while but she stopped selling it all of a sudden. I would have liked a lot if she sold her arm better and made it the main focus of the match because she had some very exciting comebacks in the second half. If I exclude some hope spots towards the end, there wasn't any single moment where I could think that Reika would have taken an upset win, so my attention was costantly deflated and they didn't seem to have great chemistry, as there were many moments where it were obvious that one of them was waiting for the other to do the spot. I don't follow TJPW so I can't give an opinion about the outcome, but as an outsider I assume it makes sense for Saiki to eat the pin from a living legend like Satomura. To me, it was the best way to put Reika over. [**1/2]"

[5.0] "Solid title defense for Dunne. I still think that he's extremely better when he portrays the bruiser heel but his babyface performance here was good anyway (even though some firing up moments looked kind or cheesy). Gibson didn't impressed me much but he's definitely a good technician. You got the typical kickout after the finishing move which often upsets me, but at least after that there were some nice sequences, amongst which the superllex counter stands off. [**1/2]"

[6.0] "I originally thought this match was simply alright, but after a rewatch I must say it was pretty good and definitely worth a watch. For some reason the crowd is dead, probably due to the fact that it was clear prior to the match that Mayu was going to win, or maybe because they were turned down by Utami's rocket push. This resulted in an oddly cold atmosphere where the only heated moments were when Mayu delivered her kicks and signature moves. Speaking of the match, don't expect a strikefest or full-throttle exchanges: both wrestlers kept it really basic. Aside from a few Mayu moments, there is no world class wrestling here, but I really appreciate how they focused more on aspects that are so frequently neglected in joshi like selling and psychology. This was the first time I saw "Big Rookie" Utami in action and I thought her performance here was more than decent. She's clearly green but she's already good at selling and has good facial expressions that can display a wide range of emotions. Mayu had to turn her pace drastically down but she's always a joy to watch and gave a really good performance anyway: she took her usual crazy bumps and was very compelling whether she was working on the top or portraying the underdog. [***]"

[5.0] "The strikes were undeniably stiff and both have good technique but they went too overkill during the finishing stretch. The continous screams were also a bit annoying and some sequences weren't fluid, in the sense that it looked clear that one of them was just waiting for the other deilvering the strike. I enjoyed it though. [**1/2]"

[6.0] "I simply can't watch these two perform together without making comparisons with their 2015 masterpiece which was better on every level. However, this one is still heavily recommended. Sometimes it felt like both were playing their "greatest hits" and there wasn't much story going on, but their exchanges were top class as usual. [***]"

[6.0] "Felt too slow in some parts, especially when Tana was locked in the last submissions of the match, but the story of the broken Ace trying his best not to surrender to Minoru was what made this match so compelling. As usual, the submission drama was great (Unno always plays a huge part) and while it's obvious that both are now far from their prime, they managed to add another noteworthy bout to their careers. [***]"

[4.0] "This was really dull, but I wouldn't call it disappointing since Nakamura has always been a shadow of his Njpw self and Rollins, although being athletically gifted, has always been a really bland babyface to my eyes. The first half was really forgettable: competent but dull in-ring work. The pace eventually picked up in the second half as both started delivering some more impactful maneuvres but Rollins kicking out the Kinshasa was really annoying. Good technique overall, but as a match this was rather forgettable. [**]"

[6.0] "Weird but cool to see Shingo playing the underdog here. I think he gave another very good performance here unleashing his explosivity to have the best of the powerhouse. It definitely crossed the overkill territory limit but it still ended up being a very good match. [***]"

[4.0] "The in-ring action was solid but given the stipulation this was underwhelming. I certainly didn't expect to see a 30-minute match, but the whole match felt too rushed and ended up being way too short. There were some good spots and the story, despite being very basic, was told well as usual, but the referee distractions were beyond absurd and the last fall was a bit anticlimatic. HHH please, just let them have a regular match. [**]"

[5.0] "There were lots of great spots and the crowd was really invested into it, but there were some awkward moments like Jericho breaking the Walls of Jericho after Omega grabbed the ropes when the ropebreaks weren't allowed. I also felt that the match dragged on too long. Good match, but I don't see anything extraordinary about this. [**1/2]"

[6.0] "Very fun tag team match. Two of the most promising talents in BJW facing the GHC Tag Team Champions. Kitamiya was solid and Kamitani showed great passion. However the main attraction was of course the stiff back and forth between Nakajima and Nomura. These two just kicked the hell out of each other 'til the KO finish, which was really surprising. I would have liked to see some more various offense as theirs was basically 90% kicks and something more from Kitamiya and Kamitani but for being a match of a freelance show they told a very compelling story and produced a very good match. [***]"

[6.0] "Ok, this ended up to be a very good match, though it mostly is to the credit of Naito. His work on top was really compelling and he did an amazing job firing up the hostile Osaka crowd with his trademark attitude. Ibushi in my opinion was hit and miss here, the crowd was completely behind him but, as I said, it was more due to his opponent than Ibushi himself. He sold his limb for barely 5 minutes as usual before going full throttle like nothing happened. The final part was amazing though, as both unleashed their big moves while taking some scary bumps and every pin tease seemed to end the match (even if Ibushi kicking out the Destino made me wince). Another recommended 2018 match, with an awesome performance from Naito. [***]"

[6.0] "A very good match here. This was essentially a stiff strikefest that went over 30 minutes and although it had a slightly dull start I enjoyed it a lot, as both wrestlers delivered and sold every strike in a very convincing way. This is the very first time I saw Zeus and his in-ring presence, his facial expressions and most importantly his skills really impressed me. Miyahara was great as well. I felt like they relied too much on their trademark strikes (Kento's Blackouts and Zeus' elbows) but as I said before they all looked good so it didn't bother me that much. Zeus kicking out right at 2. 99 the Shutdown Suplex was the best moment of the match for me. Even though this is not a masterpiece, this is still a very good match and got me totally invested in modern day All Japan. [***]"

[6.0] "The story was simple, yet very exciting. Misawa tries his best to weaken Hansen's left arm to eliminate the threat of the Lariat. This work would have been pretty boring in every other match, but instead it was very compelling because 1) Stan Hansen's Lariat was perhaps the most over and protected finisher at the time and 2) Hansen selling was amazing: he didn't start screaming in pain or refuse using his arm on the early stages of the work, he did it gradually as the match went on, resulting on a dramatic crescendo. Due to the huge amount of work, I was expecting Misawa to kick out the Lariat at the end to get a massive pop from the crowd. That would have been an awesome moment. [***]"

[4.0] "Fine way to end the Mae Young Classic. The grappling phase at the start of the match was pointless but luckily both abandoned it to focus on the sprint. Io gave a good performance, even though it looked like she was playing her "greatest hits", but what she did here wasn't matched by anything that Toni offered. She has undeniably good athleticism, even impressive considering her age but her character work and facial expressions were honestly cringy. Booking this match only 10 minutes long certainly affected its quality. [**]"

[6.0] "Really good match, though it could have been extraordinary. Taue sold his injured leg really well, with Misawa and Kawada playing the subtle heels here. Loved the last 5 minutes where everyone was super intense. [***]"

[6.0] "Another very good match between these two. It doesn't have the historic weight of their previous encounter but perphaps, on a pure wrestling point of view, it was even better. The pace was a bit slow as usual but after a while both men became more vicious with their strikes. Their chemistry wasn't excellent here, but I liked how this felt like a proper fight, so in the end I definitely enjoyed this. [***]"

[6.0] "Ajpw multiman tag matches ALWAYS delivered. This one was borderline great. I hadn't seen anything of Kikuchi before but, damn, he's a fantastic underdog! Misawa and Kawada were awesome as well. Tsuruta-gun members were particularly vicious with their strikes. Surprised that this match doesn't seem to have the exposure it deserves. [***]"

[5.0] "Solid match here. All the youngsters had the time to display some of their ability, while Tsuruta didn't do antyhing noticeable, and Kabuki and Inoue were basically just Team Misawa's punching ball. The finish was cool, with Inoue taking Kobashi by surprise and pinning him with a small package. [**1/2]"

[4.0] "Average match. I've never been a fan of the typical AJPW gaijin brawling style so it was hard to find this match enjoyable. The main charm of the match was definitely Hansen playing an unexpected babyface role, and he was surprisingly good at this: his selling, facial expressions were always on point. Williams on the other hand didn't do antyhing noteworthy. Alright match. [**]"

[5.0] "After that long starting sequence where both spent a damn lot of time trading holds and grapples I thought that it would have led to a match that would have hit at least the 25 minute mark. Both Miyu's kicks and Yuu's chops were impressive, as they often perfectly connected with the targeted part of the body; this is always a plus to me. Unfortunately, right when I was expecting the match to reach the greatness level I was hoping for, it ended in a relatively underwhelming way, as Miyu Yamashita simply put Yuu away after her Fireman's Carry Takeover without there being the tension intended, leaving me with a puzzled feeling. That being said, good match, and both girls have enormous potential. [**1/2]"

[5.0] "After the rave reviews I read left and right about this match I had high expectations and sadly I ended up being so disappointed once I finished it. Of course, this is not a bad or even a mediocre match: both women (especially Hokuto) showed impressive pain tolerance, the tombstone on the announcer table was awesome and the typical AJW bombfest towards the end, although being overkill, was exciting, but if you take off all the shocking visual of both women's bloodworn faces there's not much substance in this match. Kandori working Hokuto's left arm at the beginning could have led to a nice sub-story, but they immediately abandoned it. The hate-filled brawl structure ensured that there was a minimal display of pure wrestling skills, as both relied mostly on strikes and faux-mma grappling without noticeable chemistry or creativity. The ending was fitting and logic but definitely underwhelming as after countless big moves I expected a proper payoff for this 35-minute brawl. Undoubtedly iconic, but far from being a great match. [**1/2]"

[7.0] "This was the most anticipated match of the G1 Climax for obvious reasons and it turned out to be amazing, though there are things that hold me back from considering it an all-time classic. One of the issues I have with Omega (his goofy side of his character) occurred here again. I don't mean that it wasn't good selling, simply his facials and gestures were overly dramatic: it can often be annoying since I'm supposed to watch a competitive bout, not to mention the fact you're not performing in a small company. This match also lacks of a proper structure, as both men tried to kill each other from the very beginning, which led to an unavoidable overkill finish. Apart from what I said, I enjoyed the hell out of this. This really felt like a war between two people close to each other, and as another user said there, I'm happy that they didn't add the "I don't want to hurt you" stereotype. Hopefully we're going to get a rematch one day. [***1/2]"

[7.0] "An impressive display of psychology and wrestling. Too much melodrama in some parts, some minor botches and there were bits of the match where the simultaneous action was chaotic but overall this was great. [***1/2]"

[7.0] "This is another proof of Ospreay's amazing improvement since his NJPW debut. I think this is on par with his title defense against Scurll a month before. Kushida was extremely aggressive all over the match, continously targeting Ospreay's previously injured neck and shoulder and Ospreay, just like against Scurll, sold his pain flawlessly (at least, until the final 5 minutes). Lots of great spots too, like that absolutely sick DDT on the outside and obviously the Storm Breaker was fantastic but I thought that Kushida went a bit overkill with his damage to Ospreay's neck and the latter suddenly went into power-up mode and took the win seemingly out of nowhere, which is the same issue I had with his match at Sakura Genesis. Despite those flaws, this was an amazing match. [***1/2]"

[9.0] "I was a bit confused when Omega came out: I was expecting a Cleaner return, instead we got a weird babyface look and a new theme. This was a misleading though, as he went on killer mode with his strikes from the very beginning of the match. His work on Tanahashi's back was as vicious as his work on Ishii's neck in the G1. Tana manages to fight back and in response he starts his work on Omega's right leg with some equally vicious Dragon Screws. This work wasn't enough to prevent Omega's power moves, but would play an important role as far as the match goes on as Omega couldn't continue the match with his neckbreaking pace. There were some amazing spots like the High Fly Flow on the table, where I was genuinely worried for Tanahashi's health since I wasn't used to see him taking such risky bumps. The 10 amazing final minutes, with all those counters, Tana kicking out at 1 Omega's High Fly Flow, and the passion and heart in every single facial expression of Tanahashi and Omega (but especially Tanahashi, to be fair) cemented the idea in my mind that I've seen an extraordinary match: the best one in an otherwise slightly disappointing Wrestle Kingdom. [****1/2]"

[8.0] "Nothing much to add to everything the other users have said about this match. Great wrestling, amazing background story, outstanding storytelling. Still one of the best matches in the history of WWE. [****]"

[8.0] "An outstanding story of endurance and a masterpiece of strong-style. The structure recalls the classic Kobashi vs Misawa bout from 2003 as the story was built up by having on one side Shiozaki's stiff chops and on the other Sugiura with his deadly elbows. This by the way was a lot more strike-centered, especially in the amazing second half. The passion that these two amazing wrestlers showed here was just incredible. Just check this out if you haven't before. [****]"

[5.0] "I started watching it with more or less zero exceptations, since I've never felt invested into the storyline and I was really skeptical about Ronda. Luckily, this was not bad. A quite chaotic yet (at times) entertaining tag team match. It was quite boring for the first five minutes, until Angle gave one of the hottest tags ever to Ronda. Sure, she's still green, and everything has been crafted in order to give her the spotlight, but here she proved to be already really good on herself. She showed a really strong and badass presence, some convincing stiff strikes and even a fine selling during the bits where Stephanie was in control (which was way too unbelievable). [**1/2]"

[4.0] "Much like other AJPW Junior matches I saw, this one wasn't anything special. Pirata Morgan didn't particularly stand out, except for some character work and some bumps. Tiger Mask II/Misawa was simply himself, showcasing his arsenal of flashy moves. [**]"

[5.0] "Good match, elevated by Kawada's underdog performance. His hope spots and his displaying of fighting spirit were the highlight of the match. The climax was obviously Williams hitting that vicious backdrop driver that made Kawada appearently land right on his head and watching him kicking out the following pin attempt was an amazing moment. [**1/2]"

[4.0] "Better than the average WWE multiwoman tag matches. Riott Squad team play was cool. Sasha was smooth as always despite a few botches. Bayley was meh. Natalya did pretty much nothing. [**]"

[4.0] "Fine brawl but ultimately a product of its era. Once again, Lawler gave a good performance portraying the babyface in peril and sold his eye injury quite well, constantly wobbling and throwing punches to the hair for the first half. Dundee did a good job provoking Lawler and generally playing the slimy coward heel and gained lots of heat from the crowd. Speaking of wrestling, though, there's nothing much to say. Both men's offence is heavily punch-based and they weren't as convincing as they were in, for example, Lawler vs Funk. This match is saved only by the character performance of both men. [**]"

[5.0] "I always found Gargano to be an incredibly bland character but I was looking forward him because of his recent turn, hoping for at least a small change in his attitude, but I was soon disappointed after few minutes as he showed once again his usual overly dramatic side. It's a pity because I'm sure he would be capable of putting on good performances but drama-centered style always manages to make me roll my eyes. Black has always been enjoyable because even if he's not a really interested character he has a tremendous general offense and a great presence, making him look like a big threat even in minor matches. Speaking of the match, I originally labelled it as "an PWG-style spotfest + cheesy drama & vanilla dialogues", but I decided to rewatch it and while I still don't think there's something special about it, at least I got more focused on the in-ring work and, while I still have issues with the lack of psychology, at least I could appreciate how creative and smooth were the moves and the transitions. In the end, this was the usual Takeover big match you can expect. Recommended especially if you're a fan of this kind of narrative. [**1/2]"

[4.0] "In the first minutes Almas was going after Black's left arm but this story has immediately been abandoned. Vega's various interactions with Black looked way too forced, as you can clearly see that Black gave a lot of effort to make her headscissor and frankensteiner look credible, and that's not a minor flaw because these the entire match was actually built around Vega's interferences. Apart for the usual cool-looking spots and cool-looking strikes (even though lots of them looked weak), this match didn't do anything for me. And that's a pity given how much talent there was in the ring. [**]"

[4.0] "By far the weakest of their matches, but still a nice one. You got he usual impressive exchanges between these two, but the finish was odd. Dynamite Kid manages to hit the tombstone and then succesfully goes for the diving headbutt. Then he decides not to pin Tiger Mask and instead he goes for another tombstone+diving headbutt combo, but Tiger Mask avoides the diving headbutt. This is exactly where the match should have switched into next gear, but for some reason Dynamite restarted the limb work and that was really underwhelming. I also didn't like how Tiger Mask stopped selling his leg all of a sudden, but it was cool to see him win with a cheap roll-up. [**]"

[3.0] "Ok, there is a lot of blood spilling out of Sgt. Slaughter's forehead and a nice display of hatred between each other, but as a wrestling match this didn't do much for me. It doesn't help the fact that these two guys look way more like caricatures than real athletes and their offense is limited to punches and weak-looking weapon shots. The crowd was on fire at least. [*1/2]"

[4.0] "I could have appreciated the story of Owen and Bret repeatedly trying to escape from the cage as the title meant a lot for both of them, but this story was executed rather poorly. The actual time spent in proper wrestling exchanges was 5 or maybe 10 minutes, the rest of the match was just filled with slow sequences of escaping attempts, which overstayed their welcome after a while. Their in-ring work was solid and I liked the effort they put to make these moments appear as dramatic as possible, but this didn't ended up being the good match I expected between such great wrestlers. [**]"

[6.0] "I really do like Jay White. His heel work may limit his wrestling skills but in spite of that he's capable of producing good or even great matches anyways, especially when paired with NJPW top stars. My main problem with him (and with his performance in this match) is that it's just irritating (and not in a good way) seeing him indulging in his tactics when he's taking part in the most important NJPW matches of the most important NJPW, let alone the semi-main event of a WK show. The start with Naito showing off some "you ain't cheating me" attitude towards Gedo and Jay was very cool but after few minutes Jay gained the upper hand and started working Naito's leg and the match dragged slowly until the last third. I actually bought some of the tap-out teases simply because Naito's selling was really great, and it was a bit of relief seeing him putting away Jay with the Destino. The finishing stretch and the story of Naito overcoming the odds ensured that this was a very good match in the end, but a heavily disappointing one considering the wrestlers involved, the venue and the stakes. [***]"

[9.0] "The hype was real. The outcome was unpredictable. Who will prevail? Kazuchika Okada, the man that has wrestled in 42 of the last 58 IWGP Heavyweight title matches and possibly the greatest wrestler alive? Or Ibushi is going to pull a big upset just like Okada did two years ago against Naito? Both possibilities were technically feasible and made this watch an emotional thriller. I agree with pretty much everyone who says that the early stages were rather slow and not many strikes or moves were performed, as per usual in Okada big matches. However, the "oh god nothing happened in the first 1/2 what a boring borefest, yawn" rants are just silly at this point because you must have watched these 20 minutes with a blindfold on if you couldn't see how these two were building up the atmosphere through their trademark basic but equally captivating exchanges (and the teases of the real big bombs they eventually will trade in the last third). Once Okada did the Rainmaker pose the pace never stopped to pick up. There were so many memorable moves, counters, expressions and moments in general that will require way more than 2000 characters to list all of them, but what happened from Ibushi kicking out the first Rainmaker on is maybe the best finishing sequence I've ever seen in a match. Seeing Ibushi hitting the V-Trigger, Okada responding with a Fire Thunder Driver and hitting the match-winning Rainmaker is something I will remember forever. Extraordinary match. [****1/2]"

[10.0] "This match was magnificent, a jewel. Great fast-paced action, I didn't get bored for a single second, great commentary by Jim Ross. Steamboat is an amazing babyface, Flair is an amazing heel and the crowd was very hot. I seriously have nothing but good things to say about this match, it shows the level of the 80's-90's wrestlers and that they weren't there to joke. Go in the ring, have the match of the night, leave. Period."

[6.0] "This match was OK, but not better than 50% of wwe todays womens matches. hikaru shidas perfomance is good"

[9.0] "Lol yeah this was great. Both these guys are like 5ft 2 400lbs- fucking beef baby, thats what I like in my wrestling two hunks just chopping the life out of each other, loved it ****1/2"

[9.0] "Damn this is a great match. It may not be their G1 26 classic a year later, but it shows that there a classic brewing between them ****1/4"

[9.0] "Cool match, drama, powerful punches, throws, chop. Every detail of the match fits perfectly into the overall picture of the action. Deserved 4, 5 stars."

[6.0] "This has to be among the most ridiculous matches I have ever seen. But it was so much fun. There were so many different side-shows and gimmicky spots... I don't even know how to describe it. Not a wrestling classic but well worth the while. ***"

[8.0] "This match was much better than I expected it to be. It was a brawl right up Moxley's alley and Brodie Lee kept up in his best effort by far thus far in AEW. It had some great spots and a surprising finish when Lee proved to be a monster of sorts that kept rising despite continually being hit with the paradigm shift. I thought it was thus far the best match of the night. ****"

[7.0] "I was worried about this being a No DQ match, and while Shida seemed a little out of her element at times, for the most part, this was an entertaining brawl that had a nice level of intensity throughout. It had some good spots, and I thought it was the right call to have Shida go over, especially being the sentimental favorite in light of recent events. ***3/4"

[8.0] "MOTN. This was in my opinion the best match of the night. MJF truly is a great talent. Not taking anything away from Jungle Boy who held his own in a wonderful match but MJF was really great. I can see great things happening in the future. Also loved the counter pin ending. ****1/4"

[8.0] "Not as good as Ishii Vs Mox or Suzuki Vs Mox but ghis may have been the best Moxley pov match in Aew till now. Brodie Lee is a monster and a damn good wrestler and I hope that they aren't done with this storyline."

[7.0] "It was chaotic and I liked how they tried using official nfl rules. Hangman Page and Kenny Omega Vs Jack Hager segment was the best segment in my opinion. All ten Wrestlers came off looking like stars and worked a wonderful and entertaining match. ***3/4"