[5.0] "Despite my bias towards NJPW, this is one of the rare instances that I criticize a New Japan wrestler. EVIL might possibly be one of the worst guys in NJPW roster. He was a solid performer during his time at Los Ingobernables de Japon, had good to great matches there. He had an amazing chemistry with SANADA as a tag team that made them won multiple tag team titles. But ever since he went to Bullet Club and then House of Torture, he became a mediocre wrestler. His reign as the IWGP Heavyweight Champion in 2020 may considered be the worst title reign in NJPW history, simple because I think EVIL doesn't deserve it at the time. It felt rushed and he's obviously not ready to be a main eventer. What's worse is after he lost the title, he never recovered and fell into obscurity. His matches nowadays are mostly interferences from his stablemates and his cheating tactics have been repetitive. Sad to see the state of EVIL these days. A very promising talent that turned to be one of the most unbearable guys in the company. I hope there would be a chance to improve on EVIL. Focus more on working on a match and with less shenanigans, he could thrive and make a match better even as a villain. Just try it, NJPW."
[0.0] "There is no other wrestler in any promotion that I watch that ruins the experience of watching a show more than EVIL. If it were a pure work-rate grade, he'd get a 4.0, since he is bland but competent at performing moves. Wrestling is more than that though. It's about creating entertainment, and telling stories through the medium of a fight. The only story EVIL can tell is "Wrestling is stupid, none of this matters, and you are stupid for investing in it." HoT is in the process of ruining NJPW pro-wrestling by rendering huge chunks of matches meaningless, as nothing before the mass run-in matters. EVIL is the worst member of the faction. He is both pushed as the leader of the faction, and the least interesting and charismatic member of the group. I can't think of a single match I would ever want to see him in, and I can't think of any card that improves from him being booked."
[6.0] "I really liked EVIL when he was in LIJ and still think there is a decent wrestler in there but since joining Bullet Club and forming H.O.T he has been absolutely painful to watch and that is putting it lightly. Nearly every single match is a carbon copy of the last and unfortunately that last one was pretty bad, I do feel he is much better than the booking he has been given the past few years but still not world champion material."
[6.0] "EVIL in Los Ingobernables was passable and he served his role just fine. But then he joined Bullet Club and things started to go bad for the King of Darkness. He flopped as the leader of the Bullet Club and is now the leader of the most hated faction in New Japan: House of Torture. Even though it is starting to get better, EVIL isn't. And if he doesn't improve or maybe even break free from HoT and Bullet Club, then I don't see a successful future for EVIL... (EDIT: Bumping this up by 2 because EVIL has prospered since last year. He's fully set himself as an evil S.O.B who will ruin any moment, and take any belt he pleases even if he didn't win it. His matches can stilll be tiresome, but his character work and expressions have improved tenfold and I am looking forward to what he does next.)"
[6.0] "[6.0] The only reason EVIL gets a 6 is that I think his work before House of Torture was pretty good, but the sample size gets larger and larger each match of him needing help, needing Dick Togo or whoever to bail him. Truly in the running for worst modern IWGP Heavyweight Reign. Every match feels the same and at no point has he felt like he belongs in the main event. Every time he's challenged for the top belt since I worry because I'm afraid of New Japan actually giving him another go round at the top when he's literally as one note as can be now. I'd really like for the old EVIL to come back at this point but it's not happening."
[7.0] "overhated. he sure is a great wrestler in LIJ but under Naito, Shingo, and even Sanada, he was never gonna be that guy. His current role produces absolute comedy of matches and people that wholeheartedly believe Puroseu is somehow serious and sacred. EVIL is providing the variety on the show with all the HoT shenanigans and still giving at least some credibility to the group. Of course, anyone could be in this role, and the matches could be better, but it is a neccesary EVIL i suppose. Great heat magnet that can elevate non-main eventers over in a believable way, and step it up if needed, good hand overall."
[4.0] "EVIL is being really hard to watch recently. He's definitely not bad, but he's been bad, specially because of the way he's been booked. Not the most skilled guy on planet neither the most charismatic, but he can do more. His recent matches are painful to watch, usually the worst part of every show, the matches and the angles. EVIL is not the answer."
[5.0] "The most aggressively find wrestler working today. His run on top was a busted flush but that was more a case of booking than his work. Even outside of his booking, EVIL is not someone I have ever been excited to watch in a single match. Although it is a fools errand talking about Japanese fan bases taste and enjoyment, from crowd reactions alone you get the impression they don't dislike him like they should as heel, they just do not care."
[4.0] "Looks like a star, carries himself like a star, is a great promo and even can pull it off in the ring. What's the problem then? Well his booking during his entire heel run. Stale moveset, boring and slow matches, always the same finishes etc. EDIT: He's now a 4 because he hasn't changed AT ALL. It even got worse."
[10.0] "EVIL is so incredibly cool and entertaining. Right now he provides the variety by being a Japanese style dirty heel. He gives it his all in every performance, and that's one of the things that makes him one of the best. This is something that made him stand out during his young lion days and his excursion to Ring of Honor, and something that put him on the map in 2015 when he joined Naito and formed Los Ingobernables de Japon (because when he first debuted with the King of Darkness gimmick, people considered it's too cheesy for a supposedly straight-laced company like NJPW, and yet he made it work and managed to become one of the top merch sellers). He still does his best now that he's put into a prominent position with his own faction. The guy looks like a million bucks, as he's rather big and bulky and stands out among his peers; he's incredible on the mic, got unmatched charisma and acting skills and an ability to rile up the fans like no one else can, and he's got great in-ring work. All his power moves look really crisp and make it believable that they are actually hurting, and he made his rather simple STO finisher into one of the most memorable and well-protected moves in New Japan. He can also take punishment just as well as he can dish it out, as he's low-key one of the best sellers right now. All in all, EVIL is an incredible talent that proves time and time again that he well deserves his spot in this business, and I can't wait to see more from him in the prime of his career."
[2.0] "Just wanna change my rating and rant about EVIL real quick. Pre-House of Torture EVIL is a super solid 8, tons of fun smash-mouth brawling-type hoss matches. Post-House of Torture EVIL is unquestionably a 0, anyone defending his booking and work quality since 2020 is legitimately insane. EVIL was a great wrestler, but now he's a parody of himself, with or without the bullshit shenanigans. I'm actually quite sad about his downward spiraling career, cause I found him pretty uninteresting until Wrestling Dontaku 2019, when he had that amazing match with Ishii, I finally felt him, I was like, wait, EVIL is great now! Extremely rare that I find a wrestler having the ''It Factor'' mid-career, but it happened on EVIL, then he went on to have a fantastic showing in G1 2019, solidifying him as a great wrestler to me. But then, you know, the nonsensical super mega double champ-champ push turned him into this House of Torture retard we see now. The thing is, people love to bash the booking side of EVIL, blaming it all on Gedo, while it's true that the tone deaf booking of him and House of Torture is seriously alarming, but we should equally bash his deteriorating wrestling skills and match quality. He has done nothing worthwhile since 2020. Any matchup you would classify as a must-watch? Anything worth checking out? No. 98% of EVIL matches are atrocious. Pre-HOT EVIL actually knows how to wrestle, these days he mostly gets out-performed by his opponents, like there's no polite way to say this, but he's genuinely terrible in the ring now, his steep decline has been staggering to watch. Before I wrap my rant up, lets circle back to his booking for my last point. I routinely travel to Japan, attended a decent amount of NJPW shows, Ive seen EVIL wrestle and observed the reactions in person, honestly, people just don't care. They will certainly pop when his opponent wins, but when he wins, usually due to cheap shots or outside interferences, the crowd just dies. Maybe not zero crowd reaction, but nearly zero. Someone like a Jay White gets booed, a negative reaction sure, but at least a reaction. People just don't seem to bother with EVIL, and that's the worst part of it all. A lot of fans think EVIL has go-away heat, but I think people just don't give a shit. No one give a single shit about EVIL and House of Torture, on top of that, nobody buys him as a main event level player, like literally nobody. I have no idea why bookers and management are ignoring all the indications that he isn't suitable as a top star, still tirelessly trying to shove him down our throats, as he just advanced to the semi-finals of G1 and about to challenge SANADA's world title in a few months. The most annoying and frustrating part of EVIL to me, is how easy it is to solve him. You want to make EVIL a top heel that fans will care about and get behind? Make him a monster heel! One who runs through everybody with brute force, not a chicken shit heel who needs his stablemate's assistance to win. That's how you do it. Its so easy! Just do that! Let him wrestle, like the old LIJ days, we literally saw it from 2015-2020, he was great, and we know he can still be great. Just let the man wrestle cleanly for the sake of everyone. But before that happens, all I can say is Rest in Peace Pre-HOT EVIL, 2015-2020. You will be missed."
[8.0] "EVIL is a very good wrestler, mostly a brawler. Was good in Los Ingobernables De Japon but I think he finally found his schtick with House Of Torture. Since the crowd have been able to cheer again, and despite what very delusional people seem to think, his act is over with the crowd and will generally get good reactions. He has a great ability to make the crowd cheer even more for his opponent with his dirty tactics. He's still able to remind fans that he can go and can be a threat sometimes, even without the constant cheating. Right now he brings something different in the New Japan roster and is an effective heel. People saying he has "go away heat" are just coping because they may not like his style or role now, but it clearly works with most japanese crowds."
"An absolute waste of talent. EVIL is now universally hated by puroresu fans, and has been for the past three years, but people forget how good he was before his big heel turn. His matches against Okada and Ibushi in particular were truly great. The turn he did on Naito in 2020 was excellent, but for whatever reason the booking turned on him very quickly and his reign as World Champion ended way too quickly, and he never reached the top of the card, was always playing second fiddle within the Bullet Club, and never felt like he could be a credible main eventer again, especially in the eyes of the fans. Worst thing is, I don't even think his current in-ring style was mandatory to turn him into a heat magnet."
[8.0] "EVIL is indeed one of the most improved worker since last year's G1. Can't really say why, but I always loved him, he was great in the LIJ tags, great against Shibata and Tanahashi, had a good showing in last year's G1 and this year's was a hell of a coming out party for him. His match with Okada is one of my favorite of the tournament and it showed me exactly why I root for him. The future is ironically bright for EVIL"
[3.0] "Pre-House of Torture, he was a great singles and tag wrestler in his own right but for the past 3 years, this work has been so irredeemable that it actually makes you forget he was a very capable wrestler. This gimmick screams go away heat and its nuclear, just bottom of the barrel slew. HoT needs dismantling and I don't think EVIL can be taken seriously ever again. His big title reign made him look so weak as he couldn't beat anyone without a load of help and its even worse now as he is nowhere near the top and needing help via all kinds of buffoonery. END THIS GIMMICK NOW!"
[8.0] "Ja, das Booking um Evil ist momentan wirklich schlecht. Ich finde aber trotzdem nicht, dass man einen Wrestler nur für das momentane Booking so schlecht bewerten sollte. Ich schätze alle seine großartigen Matches die er geleistet hat und hoffe, dass er bald wieder mehr zeigen kann was für ein guter Wrestler er eigentlich ist. Edit: Eine kleine Abwertung auf 8 da er jetzt schon eine lange Zeit nicht mehr die besten Matches workt was auch sehr am Gimmick liegt."
[3.0] "So he's leading a sub-faction that called the house of torture and it's true considering how painful it is to watch them in action at any time........ Definitely unbearable."
[2.0] "I hate Evil. Hate he's in ring work, hate his gimmick hate his stable. Putting main title on him was a big mistake from NJPW side. Everytime i watch Evil i want to lewer his rating even more. Most boring wrestler in NJPW"
[5.0] "As a member of LIJ I thought EVIL was a pretty solid midcarder. I enjoyed his tag team with SANADA and his feud with Ishii over the NEVER belt. But then he joined Bullet Club and his career has been in the dumps ever since. EVIL still has the odd decent match but overall his work just isn't that good."
[6.0] "At his best he was like a 7 I'd say given how good some of his LIJ G1 stuff was. However, his HoT run has been abysmal which drags his rating down a bit sadly. I have hope that one day we'll see the return of the EVIL we once knew."
[3.0] "The worst part of any New Japan Pro Wrestling event is the inevitable appearance from EVIL. He can't wrestle for shit and he's so boring as a personality."
"This site needs to lock any further ratings on Evil. He's already won cagematch.net at 6.66, which, incidentally, is probably the right score for him. Evil's so good that he probably wrestles the way he does for this very reason."
[10.0] "EVIL deserves the 6.66 rating! How dare we as a wrestling community not acknowledge the King of Darkness? He knows who he is and the crowds love to hate him. RATING IS EVIL. CAGEMATCH IS EVIL. EVERYTHING IS EVIL."
[10.0] "Please get the rating back up to 6.66. Who dared to destroy this perfect synergy? I ask you good people to rise against this evil, or unevil monstrosity. I only gave this man 10 because of that reason. He's only like a 5 in reality but I don't care."
[4.0] "The booking of this man should be considered a war crime. Go back a few years and watch some of his matches when he was in LIJ. Good matches with all the top guys. Fun tag teams. He had a great look, a great presentation, decent ring work, he was treated like a serious contender. Now look at him. House of Torture bullshit every match. He'll never recover from the clown show he's been booked into being for years now."
[3.0] "An absolute pain in my side. When he wants to be good he can go but god every single match is interference after interference. House of Torture is amazingly terrible. He brought Sho down to his level. Always my least look forward to match on the card."
[9.0] "EVIL Is REAL. And He is really entertaining he is not a perfect wrestler but i still like EVIL. He is Great in acting he is literally not better than naito but he is still great HoT 4 life."
[4.0] "EVIL is going to probably go down as one of the worst failed top guy runs in NJPW history. The guy had a lot of good to give in his LIJ days but all of that upside was thrown away for endless interferences and cheating spot bullshit. Don't get me wrong, there's good to be had with a wrestler who cheats in the world of honor and skill that is NJPW, but when it's the only thing you do all day every day, you drag down every match you're in and people don't want to watch any of your matches. The guy is go-away heat incarnate and with SANADA seemingly having the top guy run that EVIL should've had, one can only see him as a botched beta version of what SANADA has accomplished. What a waste of talent"
[5.0] "If 2020 were a wrestler, he'd be EVIL. I've never liked him in important matches, and this year he couldn't prove me wrong. It was a bad decision for him to win the New Japan Cup and the HW&IC titles. Since then, all of his bouts have been excruciatingly dull."
[8.0] "A good wrestler with a good look. He was great at tag teaming with SANADA and is the better of the two in singles, however the House of Torture gimmick is bringing him down and has ruined him for many. If they removed the garbage and interference from the gimmick he would be great, however, as is it is horrible."
[3.0] "Evil has got to be one of the worst ever members of Bullet club. I loved bullet club, but when this guy joined, I started losing interest in the Bullet Club."
[0.0] "I hate to see him when i watch New Japan shows, there is so Lucha much wrestlers better than him and the House of Torture thing is awful. He has to reborn from his character car for me right now is the worst thing that I can see in japan. I hope he never challenge again even worse win a World title, it will be a shame."
[5.0] "EVIL just gets worse and worse as the years go by. Once a serviceable heavyweight bruiser in LIJ, now a mid-card heel w/ go away heat who flirted w/ the main event spot at the start of the Covid era in NJPW because of thin roster. Hope he can right the ship soon."
[6.0] "EVIL is serviceable but not much more. He's a decent worker with a decent look and size but his workrate is questionable. He was protected well in LIJ and then was the fortunate recipient of circumstances in his initial BULLET CLUB and IWGP Champion time. That kind of fell flat and seems to have knocked the stuffing out of him. Seems happy to just get by although he'll occasionally have a great match with the right opponent."
[2.0] "I can't believe I used to kind of be into EVIL when he was in LIJ. This House of Torture stuff is the worst, and it's painful to watch so often. I think he is put into the role of guy who can roll with the top players, and it could still happen, but House of Torture is just hard to take seriously..."
"EVIL is an interesting one. His run pre Bullet Club was quite solid; winning two Tag Leagues back to back (2017 & 2018) with Sanada was a great team. They had some great chemistry and were easily a high point of the company for me."
[7.0] "EVIL is a heavily underrated professional wrestler. This was especially true in his match with Tetsuya Naito in this year's G1. He brings a wild amount of power and intensity with him in his matches. Clean and impressive grappling skills. I hope he gets out of House of Torture soon, because he really deserves so much better."
[6.0] "Was an 8, gonna drop him to a 6, post IWGP title reign and House of Torture. His character has lost all steam, and whatever in-ring skill he had before seems to have dropped off a lot. Still a solid worker overall, but a shell of his former self, The one that delivered a banger of a match with Okada in the G1."
[4.0] "Dear God how could they have done this to you. They took a good wrestler and somehow made him the worst thing ever. He's a 4 and not a 0 because of what he used to be."
[8.0] "What can be said about EVIL' He is evol. He Really lives up to his name. Put Ministry of Darkness Undertaker and Sephiroth in a pot of Japanese Gumbo, and you get the King of Darkness. FRom his start as a promising rookie (especially in ROH) to some breakout performances in Los Ingobernables De Japan, and now to his current run, which I like to refer to as "The Fouler Era" I know, I know, his current run may not be the most popular among fans of the Shin Nihon, but, I find it to be very entertaining and intoxicating, even if its not the most workrate out there. Yes, he may not be on my "Wrestler of the Year" ballot, but sitting down and watching a House of Torture tour de fource is always atleast 10 to 11 minutes of entertainment. Whether you love him or hate him, you have to admit, no one is putting up numbers like EVIL; he has 11.8 Fouls Per Minute in his matches (I counted). He has a great looking body for a professional wrestler and he carries his muscles well, especially in his thighs. This helps his Darkness Style, his lifestyle he abides by. It also must be said, he is somewhat of a Tag Team Specialist. From people such as the #1 Morrissey fan Seiya Sanada to YUJIRO, who I like to refer to as "Dick Fouler". If there's one improvement I could suggest upon EVIL, its that he starts using The Ballin'' Elbow!"
[3.0] "Has the look of a great, ruthless heel, but none of the attributes. Twice as slow as early 90s Undertaker when working on top, and none of the intimidation factor that Taker had. If that's his way of getting under the audience's skin it's not a good way, it's just boring as sin. His side man Dick Togo essentially makes him a poor man's Jay White, who is actually damn good at playing this role in comparison. Hell even Kenta is better at it (I'd go on a limb and say Kentas heel work is fantastic, even if his matches aren't what they used to be). Back in 2017 I might've given Evil a 6, but as of where I stand with him now, he's half the wrestler he once was, and this score reflects that."
[6.0] "Evil is overall a decent wrestler when he doesn't rely on outside interference and constant cheating especially during his LIJ days. When he was in LIJ from 2015 until his heel turn, he was good bruiser in both singles and tag team competition. But since his heel turn and title run in 2020, 99% of his matches now days consists of outside interference from House of Torture and cheating in his matches to the point they are frustrating to watch."
[5.0] "EVIL was quite a brawler during his time in LIJ. While never as outstanding as his stablemates, he would regularly put on good to great perfomances against the likes of Okada, Ibushi, Ospreay, etc. One of his most outstanding matches was against Okada in G1 27 when he pinned the reigning Champion Okada who was in the middle of the greatest Title Reign in History. Since he shifted allegiance, we haven't seen that side of EVIL. The EVIL who is a member of House of Torture is a joke and with Dick Togo by his side, his matches are constantly bad and full of shenanigans."
[1.0] "Während seiner LIJ Zeit hätte ich ihm noch 7 Punkte gegeben solider Brawler der mit den richtigen Gegnern wirklich gute Matches auf die Beine stellen konnte. Seit seinem Turn zum Bullet Club ist er aber leider eine absolute Katastrophe geworden! Seine Matches sind voller Eingriffe und einfach nur noch ungenießbar... Das Niveau des bookings erreicht schon locker WCW 2000er Ebenen.... Sein turn war für mich die Einleitung zum "Niedergang" des Quantitätsverlustes von New Japan. Bei Evil kann man einfach nur noch abschalten. Insgesamt komme ich dann noch auf 1 Punkt."
"I don't even know how to rate EVIL. He is the most botched wrestler in terms of booking I have ever seen outside of WWE. It boggles the mind that he was so good in the ring and so over with the crowd as recently as early 2020. He had a great gimmick and came off like a star. He seemed destined for a push as a strong upper mid-carder who would have good runs with the secondary title and make credible challenges for the IWGP title. So I was happy when word got out that he would get a big push in 2020. I even predicted that he would win the New Japan Cup. Be careful what you wish for, I guess. Not only did they turn their beloved act heel, they had him join Bullet Club, constantly cheat to win, and claim the world title via Dick fucking Togo. Now nobody cares about him. I don't watch his matches anymore. Those who still do are just waiting for Dick Togo to show up and grind the pace to a halt with by far the worst cheating segment in wrestling. EVIL could have been great. Instead, the very act of putting him in a main event is equivalent to burning money."
"[7.0] If I were to rate EVIL's current state of booking I'd give him a 3 at best. The house of torture saga is really tiring at this point. The reason I'm giving him a 7 however is that I believe he truly is a good pro-wrestler and can put some great matches if he's in the ring with the right person. It is sad how NJPW has opted to use EVIL for the last 2 years, and I hope that New Japan will rise again one day."
[3.0] "An alright wrestler but bad booking has been making him look so much worse. I just wish NJPW would just end the House of Torture because it's making everyone and everything associated with it look bad."
[6.0] "He used to be solid but every since he left LIJ and became champ he's fallen off massively. Mostly not his fault, though. Maybe one day he'll get back on track."
[3.0] "It's really sad to see how far EVIL has fallen. At one time he was a very good brawler who seemed to have top guy potential. Yet since turning heel and getting pushed as a top guy he's just not done it. I think a big issue is LIJ EVIL was already a rule breaker but now as a Bullet Club member he's got to take it to this "higher" level. Instead he's just turned his matches into wait for whatever BS heel stuff he will do. I think most fans now just dread an EVIL match on any NJPW show."
[4.0] "This dude reeks man, I'm sorry. His flaws were protected with LIJ, but immediately leaving exposed him as by far the worst worker and character of the group. Why on Earth would they choose him to push to the moon is beyond me, he was one of the reasons why NJPW is on the decline."
[4.0] "Back when he was a member of LIJ, I would've probably given Evil a 7 or even an 8. But ever since he linked with the Bullet Club and Dick Togo, his stock has taken a nosedive. His move to the BC also kind of symbolizes the whole of New Japan, as the once bastion of unbelievable wrestling hasn't been the same since he won double gold off Naito last year. And his schtick continues to be one of the worst things about NJPW."
[3.0] "One of the most frustrating career trajectories in recent memory, EVIL has become an unfunny joke in what's meant to be a hugely prestegious wrestling company. His best 2021 match was against Okada in the G1, but even then the predictable antics could have ruined it."
[2.0] "EVIL's booking since his heel turn has rivaled WWE in terms of just totally failing a wrestler who has the potential to be great. I loved LIJ EVIL, he had a very unique look and style for the company. He was never going to be a world champion but he did not need to be, I was always excited for his singles matches. Now he's just Jay White, which fails horribly because he's not actually Jay White. I give him props for trying but my God, I have no idea what the fuck they are thinking here. Heel EVIL is truly terrible and it all lies on the shoulders of Gedo and Togo. To respond to what Wright15 said about burning money; during EVIL's match with Okada during G131 Chris and Kevin literally said that if EVIL won the G1 and the world title NJPW would probably lose money. How are you even letting commentators say this about your own talent'"
[3.0] "EVIL is the biggest victim of the current New Japan booking. Everyone knows that before the heel-turn, he was a good reliable performer who was definitely not a main-event tier, but gave out good matches with the right opponents and showed himself well in the tag-team division. However, since last year EVIL has been destroyed and turned into absolutely worst performer in the roster. Instead of short 15-minute matches, EVIL is forced to hold long epic main-events, which he has never been good at. Now EVIL is a very pathetic person who can't do anything, but for some reason everyone around him considers him a big threat. And EVIL can't do anything without the constant help from Dick Togo or someone else. The culmination of EVIL's current position was winning the NEVER trio titles, although a year ago he called them garbage. EVIL urgently needs to change, but this is clearly not going to happen in the near future, because Gedo still sees potential in him and I am sure that the situation will only get worse."
[6.0] "Takaaki Watanabe was a promising heavyweight young lion that had a few good showings in ROH. EVIL in LIJ was a true breakout star, having a supremely underrated 2016 and 2017, especially in the G1, where he had a great mix of brawling, counter wrestling, and storytelling (perfect for NJPW's modern style). The heel turn on Naito was the last great thing in his career, as EVIL in Bullet Club is the biggest waste of the past several years. Flashes of what he used to be capable of drowned in interference and chickenshit heel tactics that make him look like a fool. I don't know if it's just booking or if he rested on his laurels, but his career stagnated hard even when he was a double champion. 4-5 years ago he was arguably my favorite wrestler in New Japan outside of Hiromu and now I don't care about him. That's so sad. 6 because he's had more middling or poor years than good at this point but I think the talent is still in there."
[3.0] "How did EVIL become NJPW's worst wrestler? Once upon a time, EVIL was a wrestler with good potential. But now he's not showing any possibilities. If Gedo's greatest success was Kazuchika Okada, EVIL is Gedo's worst failure."
[1.0] "EVIL is TRASH. He was over because of his association to Los Ingobernables De Japon (LIJ), the company that he kept contributed to his popularity. But even then, I never understood why he was so popular, Naito, Hiromu, Shingo, & even SANADA all topped him in some way: Naito with charisma, charm, & amazing matches. Hiromu with charisma, charm, & amazing matches. SANADA with in-ring talent, when he decided to step up. Even BUSHI has more in-ring talent than EVIL, but BUSHI is the jobber of the faction. Then they decided to turn EVIL Heel and put him with BULLET CLUB, and he has truly been exposed for being the TRASH that he is. Did not deserve to hold 2 championship belts simultaneously, is overexposed, should not be in the main events, is not a good in-ring performer, does not have work ethic, no charisma, no aura, no "IT" Factor. It just goes on & on. One of the most overpushed & overrated wrestlers in the world today... EVERYTHING IS TRASH. He is straight up "Go Away Heat" worthy."
[4.0] "It's sad to see where Evel's career is taking. Before the heelturn, he was average. There is a strange idea that all wrestlers can be main event. No, it? s not like that. EVIL is an example of where this idea can lead. You see, he does not pull this level and in order to dispel this myth, to show that a new generation is growing in New Japan, they decided to heal him. As a result, things got really bad. EVIL is arguably the worst healer I've ever seen and given such a lot of power. Now he is an absolute script wrestler, he is tied to a script and all his actions can be predicted in 20 minutes. At the same time, he himself does not demonstrate anything new and I get the feeling that he is not motivated. It's really painful to watch EVIL, this is a very poor "development" of a wrestler."
[7.0] "EVIL was once seen as a potential main eventer, but once the main event push actually happened, it turned out to be one of the biggest flops in recent NJPW history. EVIL does not seem to be suited for the long, high quality main events that New Japan is known for. A good midcard wrestler who used to have a unique gimmick and look, but if he was judged based solely on his main event run, this rating would be even lower."
[6.0] "As a member of LIJ, EVIL was definitely fighting an uphill battle in terms of presentation and individual skill, and with Shingo Takagi joining LIJ, was in perpetual risk of being overshadowed even in the NEVER Openweight style that he always brought to the group and even as a tag team it always felt like he was overshadowed by his partner SANADA. He was never gonna be a top notch brawler like Ishii or Takagi but he got the job done and unlike the aforementioned wrestlers wasn't above using underhanded tactics to win, but being a part of a mostly face faction when you work better as a heel is always gonna cause problems. Defecting from LIJ to join Bullet Club with Dick Togo and a new theme/look was the change that EVIL needed in order to make him a star and technically it did result in a IWGP Heavyweight/IC title double reign, but everything thats happened since then has been an absolute train-wreck of boring 40 minute "epics" that spotlight EVIL's weaknesses as a performer for the world to see and truly questionable amounts of ref bumps and interferences in his matches. I had nothing but nice things to say about the idea of EVIL joining Bullet Club and I truly think that was what needed to happen to take EVIL to the next level, but I don't appreciate that those changes resulted in him forgetting how to wrestle, it definitely says something when the majority of fans in attendance let out an audible sigh when EVIL challenged Shingo for the Heavyweight title. But I hate to end this review on a bad note if I'm still gonna give EVIL a 6, so I'll close by saying that of all the true heels that NJPW has nobody really gets their comeuppance like EVIL does, he bumps well for a guy his size and he's good at audibly conveying pain. EVIL isn't completely unsalvageable but much like his time in LIJ, he definitely faces an uphill battle when it comes to regaining his credibility as a wrestler."
[1.0] "To be honest, this guy is just bad. I have watched a lot of his matches and none was good. This guy has weak and boring matches with guys that can take a classic out of a broom (Shingo, Okada, Naito, ... ). I hope he stops coming for the main event so we can try to forget his stint as the worst IWGP Heavyweight Champion of the past 15 years."
[3.0] "When he was part of LIJ as their hoss, he worked well. The longer matches such as those with Okada did him no favors as he is much better suited to matches under 20 minutes. But then Gedo completely took his legs out from under him by making him heel in a long past its expiration date faction in Bullet Club. Not only did his overall match time increase, now every match has the same dull interference spots with Dick Togo. Booking is all about working with a wrestler's strengths and Gedo has currently exposed him badly."
[10.0] "He was part of the best NJPW tag team of the 2010s with SANADA, had consistently amazing G1 runs as a hoss babyface, had a devastating heel turn and brilliant feud with Tetsuya Naito and he is one of the most entertaining and effective characters in modern wrestling. EVIL deserves more respect!"
[7.0] "I rated EVIL a 10, one year ago, but what difference a year makes ? Everything. The Bullet Club version of EVIL is bad-ass, and his work as a LIJ member shouldn't be forgotten, but this EVIL putted a lot of average matches last year, while being a Main-Eventer. Minus 3 from my initial rating, but if he continues to do those types of matches, he will dropped more & more points in my book."
[4.0] "Schon als Teil von LIJ war ich mit EVIL immer etwas "überfordert" und konnte nicht viel mit ihm anfangen. Als Teil des Stables funktionierte er, im Team mit SANADA war das oft solide, aber so im Kern wusste ich nicht, was ich von ihm halten sollte. Dieser Eindruck hat sich mit seinem Heel-Turn verstärkt. Es gab da nun ein paar gute Momente, aber insgesamt konnte er von seinem Turn nur bedingt profitieren. Der Eindruck, dass er mit seinem plumpen Heel-Work eher langweilt, verfestigt sich sehr und für mich strahlt er insgesamt wenig aus. Die Rolle als inoffizieller BC-Leader war eine Nummer zu groß und darunter leidet er meines Erachtens immer noch. Für mich ist das nicht viel zu holen."
[7.0] "EVIL könnte ein glaubwürdiger Wrestler in höheren Regionen der Card sein (vielleicht nicht unbedingt im Main Event). Aber seit letztem Jahr ist er mehr oder weniger ein Non Wrestler. Seine Matches bestehen nur noch aus Eingriffen, Low Blows und Ref Bumps, und das Ganze wiederholt sich in jedem Match. Das ist wirklich schade, er kann deutlich mehr."
[6.0] "I think a lot of the more recent criticisms are very justified. It felt weird having him turn on Los Ingobernables de Japon. He is a unique wrestler and he fit the perfect niche that Los Ingobernables de Japon was missing and was a great anti-hero. Now he's in Bullet Club which has just turned him into a weird Jobber heel. Not a fan. 6 points is a fair rating."
[6.0] "EVIL is complete meh to me. I think when they turned EVIL heel they shouldn't of had him be a weasely heel, but rather a more beastly, dominant one. His team with Yujiro sucks, considering it is EVIL and Yujiro Takahashi. His matches suck to me because of Dick Togo getting involved everytime. While this is more Gedo's fault than EVIL's, I just find him to be boring. He's just a generic old brawler who does nothing exciting and on top of that he is involved with Bullet Club shenanigans."
[7.0] "I first saw him in ROH back in 2015 and I really liked him as a Watanabe. He was unique, because he was different nationality and it was exciting watching him fight in a bit different style than most guys on roster. When he became EVIL, he really gained charisma and even more unique look. He was a great member of Los Ingobernables de Japon. While being with a group of phenomenal guys like Naito, Sanada etc. his didn't have to be very skilled to do his job right. And he should have stayed there, because since he split, it turned out he is not a great wrestler at all. He became a champ but soon he lost the belt and his momentum stopped..."
[5.0] "EVIL was better pre heel turn for a number of reasons: for one, he had the charm of being Ingobernables de facto heavy hitter and had a pretty solid tag team with SANADA, which brought some well needed versatility to NJPW's struggling tag division. His role as a mid card guy who could be easily brought up for a run with top guys was effective in getting him over, but not overexposing his weaknesses. Those weaknesses being that, well, he's just not a very interesting wrestler. Outside of the goofy gimmick, EVIL is a fairly standard smashmouth brawler type that doesn't really excite in the ring compared to the explosiveness of Okada, Tanahashi, Naito (on his better days) etc. This was hidden by his lack of singles runs, but his emergency heel turn has basically turned him into a pretty boring and generic BC antics wrestler: play up to the crowd, cheap shot, Togo distraction, Togo distraction, cheap shot, etc etc. It's VERY tired out, even with Jay White's best attempts to keep it fresh. Needless to say, EVIL is not Jay White by any small step of the imagination. This isn't to say he's a bad wrestler, far from it, his brawler style isn't for everyone but it has worked in the past for main event talent and he's had some great G1 performances. The main problem is him being overbooked with BC nonsense, and the fact that he lacks a real hook to his character. EVIL needs more than a new theme and manager to actually justify his heel turn, and I'm hoping that'll be expanded upon when the current state of things becomes far better."
[6.0] "EVIL is getting a mega push right now and I am interested. EVIL, like his partner SANADA is known for choking on the big stage and not living up to expectations. I personally disagree. I thought he has had some fantastic main event matches. It is just the gimmick. It is a bad gimmick. But he just turned semi heel, so I am interested in what he will do. EDIT: Well a lot has changed from the original comment. EVIL is full heel and is the champ champ. I am bumping up the rating from an 7 to a 8, because I think he has real potential as a main eventer. EDIT: My stance on EVIL has completely changed. I am no longer interested in EVIL. It is frustrating, because I know EVIL is good. He was a great brawler, but they pushed him into a main event spot and made him wrestle a faux Jay White Style, but leaving out everything that makes Jay special. I just want old LIJ EVIL back, or if he has to be BC, let him wrestle his old style."
[4.0] "An example of how to make a worthless wretchedness out of a normal wrestler, which, without someone's help, can absolutely nothing. Before the hiltern, EVIL was an average wrestler and there were no questions for him. Now he is presented as an ace, which only causes krinzh. Until he fights honestly, I will not take 4 points away."
[3.0] "No matter how hard I've tried to get involved in EVIL, I can't do it, it doesn't deserve its current spot because it doesn't have the shoulders required to be a hardened main eventer. I admit that he is charismatic and has a badass look but the problem is that these are his only qualities. Once he gets in the ring, you know you're going to watch a boring contest, especially in his 25/30+ minute matches, what a horror. He's a killer, but a terrible wrestler."
[6.0] "He's not a bad wrestler or anything, and when he came to the ring with the scythe and robe he made me laugh because he was goofy in a good harmless way. But... I can understand why people are turning on him this year. Yes, it was an emergency booking decision to spice things up and push more things to watch NJPW but it was also a highly questionable decision, even when we take into account NJPW has burned all bridges in Japan and could not bring in a big name from elsewhere. EVIL as a double champion was simply abysmal because once the shock value of his turn on Naito was over there wasn't a whole lot left bar endless interference. Kinda like with Jay White it's a good way for Gedo and Jado and their pal Dick Togo to shoehorn themselves into main events but it got tired very quickly. Now it remains to be seen what will happen to EVIL: the belts are back where they belong and the G1 Climax is over with him out of the picture. Perhaps there will be something new and exciting for him or perhaps we'll get endless midcard matches with even more endless interference."
[3.0] "If 2020 was a wrestler, it would be EVIL. I never liked him on big matches and yet he couldn't prove me wrong this year. Him winning New Japan Cup and HW&IC Titles was a terrible decision. And all his matches are boring as hell since then."
[6.0] "If you asked me at the start of the year to rate EVIL, I would've likely given him an 8, or even a 9. His in-ring skills were there, he had the potential to be something great in a few years time, even with the grim reaper shtick. Now though, I'm not sure I can be so kind. A rejuvenated look and a shock defection after the lockdown was extremely promising, but the push to the top of the mountain was done far too quickly. The man hadn't been involved in an IWGP Heavyweight Championship match since KOPW 2017, if I remember correctly. Yet here he was, New Japan Cup winner and double champion after a string of lackluster performances aided in no way by Bullet Club interference - a faction I don't feel he should've been a part of to begin with. I still think he could be great. Don't get me wrong. But he NEEDS to rely less on Togo and revert back to the brawler style that worked so well for him at the beginning of the year - his current presentation from an in-ring perspective doesn't scream out 'IWGP double champion' to me at all. I hope he changes things up soon."
[7.0] "He finally dropped the hokey scythe and makeup stuff, got a badass theme song, and now he actually seems like a star. Unfortunately, his in-ring work still isn't on par with most any of NJPW's current top stars, making EVIL seem somewhat out of place still."
[8.0] "After his time as a Young Lion and a brief excursion in ROH, the former Takaaki Watanabe introduced the world to the EVIL gimmick which has to be one of the most wackiest gimmicks in NJPW. But it at least made sense as EVIL was the first person to join Tetsuya Naito in the Japanese branch of Los Ingnorables. Originally meant to be a heel stable on the back of the widley popular Naito, LIJ turned face while still having a dude named EVIL in the group. EVIL spent most of his time in LIJ tag teaming with SANADA and achieved some success. However EVIL constantly being overshadowed by his own teammates ate away at him and it all came to ahead very recently as after winning the 2020 New Japan Cup, EVIL turned on Naito and joined Bullet Club. This was then followed up by EVIL winning the IWGP Heavyweight and IC title belts from Naito. And even though since then EVIL lost both belts back to Naito, I got the feeling the best is yet to come from EVIL."
[4.0] "The character is dumb and as worker he's unimpressive, nowhere near world champ level and making him champ is one of the rare and biggest mistakes that NJPW has done with the belt in a while"
[4.0] "Evil has always been my least favorite member of LIJ, I found him boring in ring and thought his gimmick was dumb. I was interested to see what would happen when he became IWGP Champion but he was still boring, hes not world title material at all"
[9.0] "Interessante Entwicklung von ihm. Aktuell sieht er wie eine Undertaker Kopie aus inklusive riesen Sense nur den Laserpoint sollte weglassen das passt nicht so richtig zum Gimmick. Bei ROH war er ein solider Mann wo man seine Matches sich ansehen konnte. Nun mit neuen Namen und Gimmick kann er sich noch steigern. Edit 24. 07. 2020 hat sich als EVIL in vielen Tag Team und Singles Match gesteigert."
[7.0] "EVIL is a very good wrestler held back by a terrible gimmick and having to deal with simply not being as good as all the world-class other talents in his company. He was incredibly plain from what I saw of him when he wrestled under his real name, but I disagree that the way to 'give him character' in response was to give him such a mega cheesy grim reaper gimmick. The multi-coloured hair, the heavy makeup, the cloak and scythe... it's just too much; it feels like it belongs in WWE instead of a more strait-laced company like NJPW. In spite of this awful gimmick, EVIL has proven himself a very good and even great wrestler. He is rather obviously typecast as a NEVER Openweight Title wrestler due to his aggressive strike-and-brawl style, but he's managed to work that style very well against your usual crop of strikers in NJPW, and he's even had great matches against guys in the company who work far differently. His energy and intense offence can make it easy to look past his ridiculous gimmick and appreciate him as a truly impressive wrestler. He's been stuck in midcard hell since he returned to NJPW from excursion, since he's always been a large number of steps away from being one of the top guys in the company, and I don't know if I've seen anything from his performances or from NJPW's booking of him to make me think that he'll ever be a top guy in the company. I hope he eventually gets a more serious push than just 'guy who holds tag titles in a terrible tag division and loses almost all his big matches', since then we can actually see how he would work without being held down. He's got quite a following in Japan merely by his association with Naito, but I think he needs to drop the dopey gimmick and ridiculous theatricals before he can become a proper star."
[10.0] "Love this guy. Great worker, super charismatic, even makes his admittedly kinda goofy gimmick work because of how much he commits to it. Arguably one of the most underrated wrestlers in the world right now."
[6.0] "EVIL has a lot of bells & whistles but when it comes time to get down to business, he drops the ball. In the ring I'm constantly underwhelmed. He reminds me of a house during Christmas that is covered from top to bottom with as many gaudy decorations that Walmart will sell you. Just because you CAN fit one more plastic Santa on there, doesn't mean you SHOULD."
[7.0] "EVIL is not a bad worker, but he's a simple Up-Carder that can make some good matches with guys better than him. The problem is: EVIL always fuck up in Big Matches, he always need someone to carry him. Not only that, his look is not that good and his in-ring skills can be poor sometimes. His mic-skills are good and he have charisma, but like I said, he always fuck up."
[8.0] "EVIL has good charisma and he's a solid bruiser. I hope his fat goth look and goofy gimmick don't hold him back in the future, because he's pretty talented. It takes someone special to make his gimmick work in this day and age. It seems like something out of the era that first gave us the Undertaker. In the ring EVIL reminds me of Ishii or Goto in the way he fights. Nice brawler and power moves. Overall he's pretty solid and only gets better with time. His best matches as of 2019 would be his G1 27 match against Okada, and his Dontaku 2019 bout against Ishii."
[7.0] "Not as talented as other NJPW wrestlers, but he's a homegrown talent and he's still very young, so I have no doubt that he will improve and this rating will rise up. He already competed in several high profile matches and in the last 2 years he scored respectively 12 and 10 points in the G1, they see a lot in him, personally I'd give him a title run with the NEVER or IC belt."
[10.0] "EVIL is one if NJPW? s brightest stars & this year in G1 should be an amazing time for him once again since he was one of the MVPs last year. He? s a future IWGP HW Champ without a doubt & he & SANADA kick ass as a team."
[8.0] "Wasn't bad when he started his tour with ROH but upon his return to Japan he has shocked me and became one of my favourite acts in New Japan. Really looking forward to seeing him progress further and further."
[10.0] "Has had an excellent 2017 and run in this gimmick in general. Has gone from a henchman for Naito to someone who you look forward to in their own right due to some terrific work. His character is one of the most intriguing in the company and the entrance is spectacular."
[8.0] "One of the most improved wrestlers in 2017 for sure. He is a really good brawler. He can handle in the ring with various opponents. His performances at g1 27 really impressed me. Hopefully, he keeps delivering in the future and becomes a single champ in the future."
[8.0] "There is no doubt that Evil is very talented, and his colorful gimmick makes him immediately recognizable. Despite not being as gifted as someone like his stablemate Sanada, Evil has shown interesting qualities in the ring, and it's also very charismatic. But, at the same time, I don't see him as main event material."
[8.0] "Der G1 hat meine Wertung über EVIL um 2 Punkte nach oben katapultiert (hatte ihn davor bei 6) und vor allem in seinen Matches gegen Okada, Omega & SANADA konnte er richtig Überzeugen. Früher sah ich ihn immer als den geschminkten Clown mit gefärbten Haaren, aber jetzt kommt mir das soviel Monströser vor. Der Ring Style ist hart, dazu ist er ziemlich schnell, sehr gute Bedingungen (vor allem physisch) für den NEVER Titel, könnte mir bei ihm in nächsten Jahren vielleicht sogar den IC Belt vorstellen. Als King Of Darkness bei den LIJ dazu unglaublich charismatisch und komplettiert mein Lieblings-Stable perfekt. Von mir kriegt er vorübergehend 8, Everything is EVIL!"
[8.0] "Hat sich super weiterentwickelt. Da ist auch noch Luft nach oben. Hat sich beim diesjährigen G1 super präsentiert und sich mit seinen 12 Punkten mal eben fürs nächste G1 als mitfavorit (falls er teilnimmt, wovon ich aber mal stark ausgehe) empfohlen."
[8.0] "One of the most improved wrestlers in NJPW in 2017. Between some excellent tag work as part of L. I. J, two awesome singles matches with Tanahashi, and a very strong showing in the G1 where he was the first person to beat Okada in almost a year, the future of NJPW is looking very EVIL."
[10.0] "One of the best wrestlers on the roster right now. He has been absolutely outstanding & my M. V. P in G1. He has consitently had the best or 2nd best match of the night & the fact he's only 30 & is able to produce that much is unbelievable. I see nothing but greatness coming his way & he is for sure a future IWGP Heavyweight Champion. Why? Because EVERYTHING IS EVIL..."
[9.0] "This is EVIL! EVERYTHING IS EVIL! EVIL ist mein liebling bei New Japan, er ist cool, wirklich toll im Ring und hat aus einem Lächerlichen Gimmick mehr als das Maximum rausgeholt! 9 Punkte!"
[7.0] "Ich war sehr skeptisch als er mit seinem neuen Namen EVIL und dem dazugehörigen Gimmick zurückkehrte, da es auf den ersten Blick irgendwie billig aussah. Jedoch hat er sich gut und schnell in diese Rolle reingefunden und sich seitdem auch beachtlich entwickelt. In meinen Augen ist er definitiv bereit für seine derzeitige Position, fand es auch sehr gut, dass er direkt im G1 stand, um weiter dazuzulernen und sich auch beweisen zu können. Kommt zwar meistens über einen "hard-hitting-style", beherrscht das allerdings ganz gut. Ich bin gespannt, wohin sein Weg noch führen wird."
[6.0] "EVIL ist nicht besser als solide. Charisma hält sich in grenzen, in Ring Work ist Solide und das einzige was ihn wirklich interessant ist ist das mitwirken im LIJ Stable. Einer der schwächeren Performer bei NJPW."
[8.0] "EVIL is a charasmatic brawler who has found his niche in the NJPW mid card as a good long term prospect who has made the most of his gimmick while having good, but not great matches."
[10.0] "As Takaaki Watanabe, he was a decent young lion and a solid wrestler during his stay in Ring of Honor. It seems that during that time he was really figuring himself as a talent out, because as soon as he returned to New Japan as EVIL, he improved dramatically overnight. EVIL is a stand-out gimmick in the usually straight-laced landscape of NJPW, and he gets it across really well with his methodical bullying in-ring style and heavy-hitting moveset. His performances in Los Ingobernables tag matches are always enjoyable, and his singles matches just keep getting better and better. To be this good this early into your career after going on excursion for a couple years is pretty damn impressive, and in that respect EVIL reminds me of fellow young lion Kamaitachi, except in the heavyweight division. Right now, I'd say EVIL is the best heavyweight under 30 years of age in NJPW, and one of the best wrestlers the company has, period."
[7.0] "Lariat Clash! Watanabe hat seine Rolle bei den LOS gefunden, ist als Midcarder bei New Japan bestens aufgehoben. Sein Gimmick mag cheesy sein, er bringt es aber mit der notwendigen Ernsthaftigkeit und Selbsverständlichkeit rüber, dass mir das nichts ausmacht. Im Ring macht er vor allem gegen Hard Hitter wie Ishii oder Goto verdammt viel Spaß, seine Lariats und Forearms sind super, und seine Bumps fantastisch. Den Nachweis, ob er in längeren Matches auch konstant auf gutem Niveau worken kann, konnte er noch nicht unter Beweis stellen, ich hoffe inständig, dass er im G1 ist, und dort sich weiter beweisen darf. Insgesamt ist der King of Darkness ein aufstrebendes Talent, was definitiv das Potenzial für die Uppercard hat, und in Zukunft eine noch wichtigere Rolle einnehmen kann."
[8.0] "Just watched his match against Ishii on New Japan Cup 2016 Day 1 and I would say he showed the potential of a good midcard wrestler. He has the intensity and vast moveset. I am sure he could be a credible contender for, at least, NEVER Openweight Championship in the future. The only problem is his character as I am not sold on his King of Darkness gimmick. It is so lame and there is no any kinds of development to his character."
[7.0] "Aus Watanabe wird noch was ganz großes, er ist erst seit ein paar Jahren dabei und noch sehr jung, doch dafür hat er schon ein wenig können erwiesen. Ich sehe eine große Zukunft!"
"Spielt seine "Rolle" momentan hervorragend, Ringseile herunterhalten, Minoru Suzuki tritt ihn mit Schmackes vom Apron und wenn er Glück hat, fängt er sich nach dem Match auch noch eine, ich kann es nicht erwarten ihn das erste Mal im Ring gegen Suzuki zu sehen."
