[9.0] "There is something in this man which really makes me like him. While his promo/charisma work is rather mid, his body and in-ring skills are really eye catching. His style reminds me of Kenny Omega + more grapling, and while I don't think that he will ever reach top of any major company, most of his matches are really worth watching. Also considering his age, there is still some time and room for improvement."
[7.0] "If this guy could get a proper gimmick he'd be one of the best of his generation. Unreal worker in the ring. Boring as all hell otherwise. Anyone can do a flip, man. A star is a guy who makes me care about it."
[9.0] "Buddy Matthews is one of the most underrated wrestlers of his generation. With a chiseled physique, good look, crisp offense, and explosive intensity, he has consistently delivered top-tier performances across WWE, NJPW, and AEW. He effortlessly blends speed and power with a menacing aura. His matches are hard-hitting and technically sound, its a wonder why he hasn't been in more main event storylines. Whether he's throwing devastating knee strikes, trading stiff combos, or flying under the radar in multi-man chaos, Buddy delivers. He's the kind of wrestler that other wrestlers love to work with. Dependable, intense, and always pushing the pace. The only thing holding him back from superstardom is the spotlight itself. A technician with a brawler's edge and the versatility to shine anywhere. Give him the mic and the push, and he could break through in a big way."
[8.0] "He's put on some fantastic matches, and whilst he's never been a big star or got huge reactions, he has been part of some amazing teams too. I loved the House of Black, and his cruiserweight matches were stellar in WWE. Even his initial tag team was good (if not greatly helped by Alexa Bliss) with Blake & Murphy. To add that he looks the part and is incredibly athletic helps too!"
[8.0] "Even with random matches, without construction or stories; and against any opponent, Buddy Matthews can achieve truly exceptional matches. His physical and athletic prowess, energy, pace and stamina are as impressive as his physique. If the second-hand persona sticks to him, it would be nice to see him occasionally get opportunities for titles, even if he doesn't win them."
[8.0] "Buddy can fucking GO. he's not a dynamo with his charisma or his mic work or his character work... but if he was he'd probably be one of the top guys in the business. Without that he's still pretty incredible, has an awesome look, and just constantly impresses and basically always exceeds expectations"
[7.0] "Fun to watch and solid but he never really stops being the side guy of the faction. The guy has spectacular movement, agility and physique but on the microphone he is one more, that's why I guess we never see him talk much, as a face it is limited."
[8.0] "Not everyone needs to be a breakout main eventer, and I think people really need to keep that in mind when looking at someone like Buddy. He'll never be a top draw or even a great promo, but he's an outstanding and versatile wrestler who delivers no matter where he is on the card. Great in singles, tags and even trios matches, with absolutely top notch selling - I've seen him convince more than one crowd that he was genuinely injured. I think putting him in a faction like the House of Black is the perfect use for him, as he can just focus on being a great wrestler while his teammates carry the "entertainment" load. There's always room on the roster for a guy like Buddy Matthews."
[8.0] "I feel like Buddy would be better off away from The House of Black. His stuff with the Cruiserweight Championship was amazing, and I think if he got a chance to shine as a singles guy on the AEW roster people would see just how good the Best Kept Secret really is."
[6.0] "Buddy is a good wrestler, a solid guy, but I don't see much in him, never convinced me on the microphone, and despite having the ability to produce cool matches when he wants to, the industry is filled with guys that could do his job. I think he's the least remarkable member of the House of Black, considering Brody is the workhorse and Malakai the gimmick, Buddy looks really disposable."
[6.0] "I just don't see it, to be honest. I forgot what he called himself, something like WWE's best kept secret or something like that. He's far from that in my opinion, proof is in the pudding as he went to AEW and is basically in the same spot he was in WWE. Not saying he's an awful wrestler, I think he's actually very good and as somebody else commented, he's a solid hand. But he isn't anything special, he's missing that one thing to really elevate him. Is there time for him to reach that next level? Who knows, I highly doubt it but the likes of LA Knight were able to reach that next level. Needs to work on his actual character a lot more and his promos, being a good wrestler is lovely to watch and something we can all appreciate but it's not enough to actually be a star in a main promotion."
[8.0] "A super solid hand, rarely has a bad match, sometimes feels like a combination of Kenny Omega and Brian Cage, but both of those guys are excellent as well, so it's not really a bad thing. Don't think I've ever been bored by a match of his, but none have really blown my mind."
[4.0] "(Originaler Kommentar vom 15.11.2021: 6 Punkte) Guter Wrestler mit eher durchschnittlicher Ausstrahlung und daher wenig Appeal zum tatsächlichen Star. Ihm fehlt in jeglicher Hinsicht irgendetwas Besonderes, damit er aus der Masse an weiteren guten Wrestlern hervorsticht. Mehr als einen (unteren) Midcarder in großen und Main Eventer in kleinen Ligen sehe ich in ihm nicht.UPDATE: Abwertung auf vier Punkte. Hat bei AEW gezeigt, dass seine Vorschusslorbeeren mehr als unverdient waren. Langweilig war Matthews für mich immer, aber im Ring ist er auch nicht gerade der Bringer."
[8.0] "I think he is really talented with a great in ring skills and solid mic skills but he has never had the opportunity to truly shine whether WWE or AEW. His best run was on WWE 205 brand where he consistently put on ****+ matches and his run with the Cruiserweight Championship was imo the best Cruiserweight run. Unfortunately, he never got the spotlight, and despite his talent, he never got pushed and didn't even win a secondary Title. An unrealised potential."
[5.0] "Should've been kept a secret. When he was on 205 Live he was genuinely great just because he was so much better than other cruiserweights at the time but since he went on his own after splitting from Rollins and (well, with a group) in AEW, I lost all the hype I had for this guy. He's decent in the ring but he's a charisma black hole with non existent mic skills."
[6.0] "A really good look and evidently a decent worker, but despite being around for over 10 years now, he still doesn't have a huge body of work. The talent is there I'm sure but there's not been a breakout moment yet. Has shown he's capable of wrestling numerous styles and definitely someone you'd want on your roster."
[8.0] "An incredibly gifted talent. When he was nicknamed The Best Kept Secret I thought that was the best nickname at that moment because it was 100% true. I remember his match with Kota Ibushi in NXT as the match that unveiled that secret for me and I never understood why they didn't do anything with him in NXT after his Tag Team with Wesley Blake. Thankfully, he arrived to the Cruiserweight Division and he absolutely conquered it. He is nowhere near World Championship material since he barely has any promo or character skills, but he is more than fit for the Midcard and the Tag/Trios Division since he is a pure workhorse. Another low point of him is that his moveset is basically Kenny Omega + Kota Ibushi, but since these two are two of the best in the world, at least you know he can put bangers with that."
[9.0] "his promo work is not that good. I guess he fits in the Japanese style of wrestling. maybe if he signed with NJPW would be better. he got the look of a pro wrestler and the in-ring work of a pro wrestler. so he would fit there and become a big star maybe. because American wrestling needs things more than in-ring work"
[7.0] "Good in ring wrestler but lacks in other areas. Never could get behind his promo work and a lot of his characters and feuds have fell flat. His matches are usually great but he gets put into stories that don't allow him to show his strength and is often just put into a stable or tag team."
[5.0] "Imagine getting yourself ripped to shreds and then deciding to name yourself "Buddy Matthews." What a bizarre choice. Anyways, he's a solid and dependable worker but relies too heavily on others movesets and has never found a gimmick that's stuck."
[10.0] "This man deserve better than he gets, He's one of the best strikers and technicians i've seen these days, he can deliver, he is very agile, chemistry is on top, just watch his matches with Black and more, dude he's so underrated, I just wait for him to show more of a storylines and then he will be great again."
[10.0] "Mag und möchte ihn sehr. Das Team aus Blake und Murphy war ein gutes Team gewesen, und beide konnten zeigen, was sie drauf haben. Leider wurde das Team zu früh gesplitet, und beide sind in der Versenkung verschwunden. Murphy fand ind schon immer unterbewertet, er ist nicht schlecht im Ring, das Charisma ist auch da, halt nur nicht so gut am MIC. Edit 31. 03. 18 Er beweist sich gut in der Cruiserweight Division. Mit paar neuen Moves und einen sehr gut aussehenden Finisher. Edit 13.04.23 Echt stark was er in den letzten Monaten nach seinem Release bei der WWE bei AEW gerissen hat. Das hause of Black ist mit ohm echt ein starkes stable.Würde mich freuen wenn er in der Zukunft ein solo Titel bei AEW trägt. Wrestlerisch immer noch einer der besten , er hat auch ein sehr starkes konstantes Moveset mit echt starken Moves."
[7.0] "I'd probably be rating higher a couple of years ago. AEW should definitely use him more and he's still great in the ring, but his size right now is ridiculous. It's affecting his in-ring work. He's lost a bit of zip, explosiveness and manouverability. Just means he isn't as exciting as he was before."
[8.0] "Entertaining, talented, strong and agile, all at the same time. Buddy is great at everything he does yet somehow no one dares to pull the trigger on the wrestler he can actually be. He needs to be pushed to the top somewhere where they will use his talents for a greater purpose than just filling the card."
[7.0] "Proves that he was underutilised in NXT and had his potential held back by Wesley Blake, by regularly putting on high octane matches in 205 Live and becoming a highlight of the cruiserweight division. Update: his personality is really lacking and he has very limited potential as a singles star in either WWE or AEW although he can give great matches."
[10.0] "Buddy Matthews is one of the best cruiserweights of the 21s century. He? s a guy that you could build an entire company around because he check all the boxes of a great wrestler. Absolute future world champion."
[8.0] "The Best Kept Secret is great between the ropes. He can almost do anything. Fast, agile and intense, he is always a man to look after for match of the night performances."
[8.0] "Buddy Murphy is a great wrestler; up there with the best in the world. His character work, however, is a bit lacking. Ive never heard a great Buddy Matthews promo. But I cant dock too many points for that because in ring is where it counts. To me, it is undeniable that Matthews is great in the ring. Solid 8/10."
[7.0] "His character is severely lacking and he doesn't really fit in with the rest of the House of Black. He's pound for pound one of the best in-ring workers AEW has but that doesn't mean much if fans can't get invested in him since he's not showing the same heel work he had when he was the top guy in 205 Live or a rising heel on SmackDown. Without much of a character, he's lost in the shuffle, amazing of a worker that he is."
[8.0] "He is a good wrestler, he is consistent in terms of the level he gives in the ring and he is very fast and agile, as a singles wrestler he is acceptable but in tag team he is very good."
[7.0] "I really like Buddy Murphy, both as a character and as a performer. He's very solid in the ring and he just feels like someone you want to root for. His tag team with Wesley Blake in the early NXT days was one of the first impressive tag teams we saw come out of the developmental, and he managed to pivot into the main card well and settle right in to some major feuds. We maybe haven't seen enough of him to go too high on the rating, but he's a very good professional wrestler."
[9.0] "Ich habe ihn in seiner WWE NXT Zeit mit Blake einfach nicht gemocht ich fand ihn auch nicht gut. Hier meine Verteidigung ich hatte damals einfach noch ein anderes Bild auch bei Australier da ich fast keine Matches davon sah. Wie gut er dann wurde sah man als man ihn von Blake trennte und wie er dann so richtig durchstartet. Wie super er dann die Jahre wurde auch wenn man ihn falsch eingesetzt hat sah man auch. Jetzt ist er bei AEW und er ist Teil eines geiles Heel Stables und nebenbei darf er sicher in den Indies und NJPW weiter wrestlen."
[10.0] "After moving to the main roster, all of Murphy's confrontations were memorable in a good way. He did a great program with Architects, with Mysterio. From a hated cruel heel turned into a babyface who defeated Set Rollins. Murphy can also be considered one of the best Cruiserweight champions, if not the best. There was the potential to become world champion, but it felt like Vince was afraid to make him the face of the company. I don't know why he got cut. Maybe it was influenced by two terrible programs with Corbin and Cesaro, which cannot be called a program - a couple of matches. I forgot to add that Murphy is good at psychology and I was convinced of this in a series of matches with Aleister Black. All in all, ideal candidate to be the main face of the company for the next 5 years"
[9.0] "One of my favorites in years. On paper he has all to be a big star and I would have given 10 points but he wasnt really successfull in WWE. We will see what the future has for him 9 Points for now."
[7.0] "He's a good cruiserweight with great opponents but Murphy got given chance after chance to shine and just didn't. Guy isn't very charismatic and lacks real direction in who he is: what's his gimmick? What's his aim? None of these were really answered by him and he just seemed to meander through program after program. Ok in tags and he certainly can wrestle but he's just never really impressed or shown that he can wrestle beyond being carried by superior talent taking him to the next level. He just seems very unmotivated in most of his material, maybe that's WWE's fault, I'm not going to judge either way. He needs a character or, at the very least, something to work with. Hopefully he can get back on track on the indies or whatever else he does, he's a good asset regardless."
[8.0] "It boggles the mind that Murphy didn't become an actual long-term star in WWE because he seemingly had it all; charisma, in-ring ability, intensity, facial expressions, etc. Wherever he ends up, it won't last long for The Best Kept Secret to become an industry star."
[9.0] "Always been a huge murphy fan. One of my favorites in current day WWE and i really hope they keep pushing him. Amazing in ring, with great look and good mic skills."
[9.0] "Buddy Murphy is in my opinion the greatest cruiserweight champion in WWE history. He had classic matches with Cedric Alexander and Mustafa Ali and turned 205 Live into must see TV. While I prefer him in 205 Live rather than the main roster, I think it's great he's getting mainstream attention now."
[8.0] "Guter Body, guter Performer, der immer überezugt. Jetzt auch in der richtigen Storyline, um mal nen Midcardtitel zu erringen. Ich sehe eine rosige Zukunft für dieses Wrestling- Talent!"
[9.0] "Buddy Murphy is a great in ring performer as seen by his recent matches with Aleister Black, He has solid mic skills. I am curious to see what the future is after he joined Seth Rollin's heel faction, I would give him 10 when he becomes a big main event star."
[9.0] "He is so freaking great. His in-ring skills is just limitless, I think now he is biggest newcomer on RAW. It seems that this guy can do a good match with anyone, just give him a chance. And if WWE would give Murphy that chance, he might the biggest star in the future."
[9.0] "Very talented wrestler who succeed to put a very good match out of Roman Reigns. He is a very good heel, he's charismatic and, as he's been one of the best Cruiserweight champions, would be a excellent midcarder champion if WWE would be interested in him."
[9.0] "Had back to back classics on SmackDown Live with literally the two most popular superstars, losing effort sure but does that really matter within the WWE? The dude broke off from Wesley Blake (who also has a great run in NXT right now. ) and he really did prove he was "WWE's Best Kept Secret. " and what did he do? He proved it well that he was in fact the best kept secret."
[7.0] "Great in the ring & pretty sub par on the mic. I think he's in dire need of a manager & I think Alexa would work well for him. His finisher is awesome but his torn looking shorts look like he constantly gets into fights with wild raccoons."
[7.0] "The guy is on his way up the WWE ladder. Despite the limitations of 205 Live and his jobber status in NXT, Buddy Murphy has risen to the whatever challenge placed in front of him and with a new look and character, Murphy has been allowed to display what a great in-ring talent he is and always has been. Though with his current moveset it is pretty blatant that he is Kenny Omega-lite."
[9.0] "Sehr unterbewerteter Worker, der nach dem unnötigen Split mit Blake leider in den Untiefen von NXT verschwunden ist. Nettes Komplettpaket, dass im Jahre 2018 hoffentlich wieder etwas angreifen kann. --- [UPDATE: 29. 01. 2019]: Und wie er angegriffen hat. Seit seinem Wechsel zu 205 hat er sich kontinuierlich nach oben gearbeitet und sich fast schon zum MVP gemausert. Toller Wrestler, der nahezu jeden Stil mitgehen kann und zudem noch ein riesiges Maß an Charisma und tolles Mic-Work mitbringt. Verdientes Upgrade von sieben auf neun Punkte!"
[10.0] "Buddy Murphy was an average wrestler back in 2015/16, I thought not much of him to be honest, until he wrestled Mustafa Ali. At that point I was growing on to him, then he had that sqaush match where he destroyed that guy with so many powerbombs, and then he completely sold me on his match with Cedric Alexander back in May. He is truly 205 Lives Best Kept Secret, and has become one of the Top 5 best wrestlers in 2018."
[10.0] "This mans success story is incredible. First, he had a boring and forgettable NXT Tag Team Championship reign with a boring and forgettable tag team. Then, he disappeared for a long time and I think most people forgot he existed. He then shows up on 205 Live and starts putting on ****+ matches. His "Best Kept Secret" slogan is so so true, who would've thought that there was a diamond in the rough of that NXT tag team era? He's also married to Alexa Bliss so it's hard to trash the guy."
[10.0] "Murphy is really fun wrestler to watch He has had great matches with some of the 205 wrestlers like Mustafa Ali and I'm very glad He is the new cruiserweight champion."
[10.0] "An incredible wrestler that finally is starting to get some of the attention that he deserves. One of the guys that has helped make 205 live the best weekly main roster show produced by wwe. He has always been great, and now he can finally back up the statement that he is the best kept secret in the company. He's had multiple incredible matches with the likes of Ali, Kalisto and Cedric. My wwe wrestler of the year."
[10.0] "This is man is the man in 205 live. Cutting his weight and move to cruiser weight division is the best decision of his life. His moveset is smooth and he never have bad match after call out. And also this guy actually did many thing for Australia indie wrestling scene before. So, is a big plus point for his achievement."
[9.0] "Bei NXT flog er lange Zeit unterm Radar, aber seit seinem Wechsel zu 205 Live Anfang des Jahres hat sich Murphy zum klaren MVP der Show gemausert. Er hat seitdem in jedem seiner Matches delivered. Er vereint in seinem Stil den Speed und die Agilität eines Cruiserweights perfekt mit Powermoves, harten Strikes und stiffen Kneestrikes. Dazu kommt ein großartiges Selling, wodurch er die Aktionen seiner Gegner immer auf ein höheres Niveau heben kann. Dazu und zu seiner Statur passt auch sein badassartiges Heel Gimmick. Ein starkes Paket und ich würde Murphy in der Zukunft auch außerhalb von 205 Live noch einiges zutrauen. Er gehört ganz klar an die Spitze von 205."
[9.0] "Way too low of a rating for the actual king of the cruiserweights. Neville was amazing but the state of the division when he was champ was bad. Buddy Murphy with the combination of a more motivated 205 roster/new GM has been incredible. Should win the cruiserweight title and soon. What a year so far."
[8.0] "Zu Beginn des Jahre beschrieb ich ihn noch als soliden Wrestler, der mit dem passenden Gimmick mehr herausholen könnte, aber in der Star-Flut bei NXT zu versinken droht. Zu dieser Bewertung (6 Punkte) stehe ich auch heute noch, allerdings muss ich sie dennoch nach oben korrigieren, da er es geschafft hat in der Cruiserweight Division seine Chance zu nutzen und dort zu überzeugen. // 8 Punkte."
[10.0] "Probably the best wrestler on the wwe main roster. He has constantly delivered since coming to 205live after showing flashes of potential in nxt. Now he's kind of in the Shingo Takagi role of bullying the entire division. He's produced some of the best matches the brand has ever had and honestly deserves more opportunities to shine. How is the B team getting a spot on a ppv but not him"
[10.0] "Buddy Murphy is awesome, he really was the best kept secret and I do think that he is one of the best if not the best wrestler on the 205 Live roster right now"
[9.0] "Has improved greatly over the past two years into a legitimately great wrestler who stands out from the rest of the Cruiserweights. Great look, smooth in-ring. Not a good talker, but is certainly charismatic while he wrestles. Hopefully he can fully transcend what people remember him for years ago in NXT, because he's clearly improved and is the highlight of 205 Live."
[9.0] "Smooth as hell in the ring, impressive athlete, good look and decent charisma. Almost the total package, Murphy has incredible potential. Edit: He's now my tied favourite on 205 live. His finisher is excellent. He makes all the moves he does and take look really painful, he's an excellent professional wrestler, he also has a great angry face."
[10.0] "An diesen 10 Punkten gibt es nichts zu rütteln. Wo war dieser Murphy noch bei NXT? Er ist für mich der Rising Star of the Year 2018 bisher. Im Ring in den Top 20 aller Wrestler anzusiedeln, und vor allem am Character Work hat sich einiges bei ihm getan. Im Rahmen von 205Live ein Heel par excellence."
[7.0] "Murphy has become a huge prospect for 205 Live and the makings of a great midcard heel are showing. His transformation is pretty excellent and he has the look."
[8.0] "An average wrestler for me at the moment. He is charismatic and his moveset is good too. I believe he will make more beautiful matches over time. Also my opinion is only Neville could be the good name that could be put in front of him at the moment. I think it would be a very nice feud."
[9.0] "Murphy has saved the 205 Live division. He has gotten reactions from the 205 crowd like no other wrestler has done. He has a very nice physique and in ring ability is on point. He still needs just a little bit of mic work but besides that he is great."
[8.0] "Vom Teil eines soliden Tag Teams bei NXT zu einem der hottesten Prospects der WWE und des 205LIVE Brands! Murphy hat sich so unglaublich verbessert! Inzwischen hat er einen super Look, eine gute Ausstrahlung und wie er momentan zeigt auch eine mehr wie nur durchschnittliche Workrate."
[6.0] "Can someone please give Buddy Murphy a character? Murphy is very talented in the ring, he's very sound and a really good seller. I think there's a lot that can be done with him once he finds a character that sticks. I think he's too talented not to rise up the ranks in NXT."
[5.0] "Wurde lange Zeit durch Blake unten gehalten, sodass nach er nach dem aufgelösten Tag Team in der Versenkung verschwunden ist. Schade eigentlich, da Murphy im Ring schönes Feuer hatte. Mit einem anderen Partner kann das vielleicht nochmal was werden, aber am Horizont sehe ich eher die Entlassung als einen guten Spot bei NXT. Vielleicht gar nicht die schlechteste Lösung für ihn, da er noch recht jung ist, und sich im Indy Bereich möglicherweise einen Namen machen kann."
[6.0] "Great look, and has the ability to be a star. Once Murphy finds that one true gimmick he'll skyrocket. Perhaps some more mic time as well, really like the guy and i hope he does well."
[10.0] "Buddy Murphy is one of my favorite wrestlers right now because he has a great look, decent mic skills (we haven't heard much of him on the mic), and what i find to be a good mix of grounded and ariel attacks on his move-set, i can really see him going to Smackdown or Raw and being a pretty good upper Mid-Carder even though i would like him to be in the main event"
[9.0] "Buddy Murphy is one of the more underrated talents on the NXT roster. He has a great look, is very good in the ring, makes his opponents look like a million bucks with his selling, and has charisma. Hopefully they use him more in 2017."
[10.0] "Buddy Murphy is one of the more underrated wrestlers on the NXT, and he has all the potential to be future star. He's a great wrestler, seller, and decent on the mic. I fully expect him to rise up on the card as soon as he gets repackaged with a new gimmick."
[6.0] "I really am impressed with Murphy. He reminds me somewhat of Bret Hart in his mechanics and selling. I think he has a lot of potential but I have not seen all of it yet but I have a feeling that it is there. So far so good but the NXT waters are not as choppy as the main rosters. I think that Murphy along with tag team partner and fellow NXT tag champion Wesley Blake will not be called up any time soon. So they are safe for now(which is good)as guys like Finn Balor, Sami Zayne and Adrian Neville are ahead of the line of eventual call ups. So time is definitely on Murphy's side. Hopefully his personality will shine just as much as his wrestling ability has."
[10.0] "Buddy Murphy is the most underused talent currently in developmental. His work in Australia proves how good he is when used properly. Great Look! Great Ring Ability!"
[7.0] "Was ich bisher von ihm bei NXT gesehen habe, hat mich echt schon ziemlich überzeugt. Finde er hat auf jeden Fall einiges an Talent und auch sein Move-Set ist ziemlich ordentlich, aber besonders gut gefällt mir seine Ringkleidung. Und auch im Team mit Wesley Blake funktioniert er sehr gut, auch wenn sie nur Jobber sind. Und auch vom Aussehen her macht er schon einiges her, was ihn durchaus von den Anderen abhebt."
