[9.0] "There was once a time where Ibushi was genuinely one of the best wrestlers on the planet, and while that's no longer the case, it's ridiculous that people here are only judging him for what he is now. Sure, his work in AEW has been terrible, but watch his NJPW matches and you'll see how unebelievably athletic and talented Ibushi was."
[9.0] "Ibushi's gonna wrestle until he dies, which will probably affect peoples' perception of him if they never saw his earlier work. But make no mistake, for a stretch of a decade plus, he was one of the best cruiserweights in the world, known for his freakish athleticism. Even if he continues to wrestle after his body can no longer keep up with him, it won't change the fact that he's put on so many classics, most wrestlers with an equally long career won't be able to do even half as many."
[8.0] "It is somewhat insane to read peoples comments here basing their reviews on the few WWE/AEW matches he has had including one purely from the Blood and Guts match. Has Ibushi fallen off a cliff the past few years? Absolutely. This is not the first time a great wrestler has completely dropped off like that. In his day in both DDT and NJPW, he was one of the most cutting edge performers around. His style is not always to my taste hence an 8 but you can't deny he was very good."
[0.0] "I think now that his body is falling apart it's far easier to see how much his work lacked substance. He was a kick guy in the 2000s when that's all it took to get over. Now would be the time for him to focus on storytelling and building to bigger spots, instead he's trying to have the same matches at a fraction of the speed and none of the effort."
[3.0] "I only watch WWE and AEW and I'm sure he has done great work in NJPW but from what I've seen of him in AEW he properly has one of the weakest chops ever. It's like he didn't even try to make it look like it connect it was so bad my family and I started laughing. I hope I'm proven wrong and all the hype is true but from what I saw he's mid at best."
[6.0] "Kota Ibushi is a man who has been brought up as one of the greatest wrestlers of all time. But his current AEW run has squandered his potential significantly. I've seen some of his best stuff in the cruiserweight classic, New Japan of course, but I really feel like he's at the end of his rope. I believe his retirement is almost imminent and with all the hard hitting matches he's had all those years ago are taking a toll on his body. I'm giving him a six for now. I hope he can improve and actually give a shit about being in AEW."
[8.0] "It feels painful to not give Ibushi a 9 or even a 10 but I feel like the performances of the past year or two which have mostly been pretty bad counteract the decade of 9 and 10-worthy performances. Still, I'll be generous and keep him at an 8 for now... as long as he either retires or FINALLY gets the surgery that probably could've prevented such embarassing displays as his match with Marufuji that kicked off and probably ended 2024 for him at the same time."
[9.0] "Freakish in ring athlete, was half of my favorite storyline ever. But when he isn't paired with someone more bombastic than himself he struggles to sell a narrative. Waiting on his return from his shoulder injury and hope he recovers completely. Edit 2024 - Ibushi's refusal to get surgical correction and proper rehab has destroyed his body and hopes of returning as anything but a morbid shadow of the man he used to be. I have never seen a more startling decline."
[10.0] "A god of pro-wrestling in his prime and nothing less. Sadly, people do not remain in their prime forever, and Ibushi is a shadow of the wrestler he once was. If you have only seen Kota Ibushi's post-NJPW work, you have not seen Kota Ibushi. But I refuse to give this man anything less than a ten, even as I've rated his most recent match with Marufuji (02.01.24) a zero."
[10.0] "Kota Ibushi is one special wrestler. His style is unique for me.his strikes are perfect and look legit scary. He maybe have the best firely baby face comebacks in recent years. I just love ibushi and his epic style of wrestling"
[7.0] "Amazing performer when put against the right opponent. Rather dull when not. His offense is visually incredible at times and his execution often flawless. His selling is non-existent which brings my rating down a notch. He has a weird charisma - and this is meant in a good way - but nowhere near the level of the Naitos, Tanahashis and Okadas of this world. Overall, a performer capable of having ***** matches in the right circumstance, but I dont believe he's an all time great, especially considering how stacked the NJPW generation he grew up in was. Sad to see him broken down from injuries, at his peak he could have shined in AEW"
[10.0] "Incredible wrestler, very complete as both Junior Heavyweight and Heavyweight, and one of the most impressive and unique ring workers of all time. Kota Ibushi have an amazing style and technique, and apply every strike with almost perfection. Very gifted athlete."
[10.0] "Kota Ibushi is one of the all time best in ring performers of all time, it could make any performer jealous that they will never be as good as Kota in the ring. Kota Ibushi's athelticism is hard to wrap your head around, he makes every move look simple to do and not difficult in the slightest, no matter what move he does. Incredible high flyer, can do realistic looking MMA style wrestling as well, very good technician, also a fun "spot fest" wrestler when he wrestles those type of wrestlers, Kota is very versatile and can do any style of match you give him the task to do. His best work, in my opinion, is easily the Golden Lovers tag team, one of the all time best tag teams in the wrestling business no matter what era, natural chemistry with nice double team moves, have told incredible stories in the ring together, their match with The Young Bucks in 2018 is easily a top 10 tag team match of all time, 2018 was their best year, added bonus for the best LGBT+ representation, nice to see it in an industry that's, unfortunately, dominated by toxic masculinity. Overall, Kota Ibushi is easily among the best in ring performers of all time, The Golden Lovers are among the best tag teams ever, Kota is the man, despite he's kinda slowing down these days, but his work still speaks for itself."
[6.0] "I'm disappointed in him now. It's body is so heavy that I can't bear to look at it. It's so sad seeing it in its heyday. He seems to be isolated because he can't keep up with the level of AEW matches. It's probably not because he's getting older, but because of mental anxiety. I wonder what a great match we could have watched if we could have used a time machine to bring him back in the past."
[10.0] "From 2007 to 2021, Kota Ibushi was an unbelievable high flyer & striker. Absolutely unbelievable. He had some of the best reversals and sequences I have ever seen in professional wrestling. He was easily 1 of the best wrestlers in DDT, and has gone on to craft an incredible legacy within puroresu. To go along with his in-ring abilities, he was also very strong for his size, became a great storyteller as he got older, has some very good technical wrestling skills, and as far as "the look" is concerned, he looks like a J-Rock star. As of 2023, the future is uncertain. At 41, some could argue that he's past his prime, & that the shoulder injury in the G1 2021 finals was literally the end of his main event career. He has had some excellent multi-man matches, but he was far from the most memorable part in them. Hopefully he just needs some time to fully heal & breakthrough the obstacles - but if it doesn't work out, he still left his mark."
[8.0] "He's looked pretty cooked since returning to the ring following his unfortunate injury, but that shouldnt diminish how good he was back in the day. He started as a crazy spot monkey but gradually added things to his game, also becoming one of the deadliest strikers in Wrestling history. He adjusted his style to the njpw heavyweight matches and thrived there. There were always holes in his game though, he's a very poor long term seller and he usually needs someone like Tanahashi or Omega to tell a complete story in the ring. Its kind of interesting how he was seen as the more talented one out of the Golden Lovers, but when its all set and done, Kenny will have ended up with the more complete and impactful career. Of course he cant go like he used to, but I hope he sees this and transitions into a pure striker, I'm sure he can continue having great matches like that."
[10.0] "It's hard to describe how much of an amazing all round talent Ibushi is. He literally can do it all, and he will do it all. He's an amazing high flyer, the height and speed he attains is breathtaking. He's a great Striker (maybe not recently) but he would just beat the shit outta people with kicks & punches. He's also a neck bump master, and as a connoisseur of neck bumps, I love that he's crazy enough to take that shit. That time he took a Burning Hammer in WWE in one of the craziest moments in the company."
"No clue why someone rated Kota during the Blood and Guts match like that's the first time they've ever seen him. And if it is the first time they've seen Kota Ibushi, should prob just go watch WWE lmao. But yeah, all time legend. AJ coming to Japan really but all these now legends over and give them a global name. Kota ibushi was one of if not best worker in that match yesterday, atleast 1 of the top 2."
[4.0] "Im watching him here in the AEW blood and guts match, and this guy absolutely sucks, he litterally just kicks and ocassionally punches, walks up to someone in a submission, waits a solid 3 seconds kicks them and they sell it like it did something, his punches are lackluster, man is just slow and clunky, where the one good thing he did in that whole match was just a single moonsault onto Mox on the bed of nails. He is lucky that moonsault looked ok, or he woudlve gotten like a 2"
[10.0] "Kota Ibushi is one of my favourite wrestlers ever. There is this spark to him that not a lot of people in the business have, there is a certain uniqueness to him and his ability to seamlessly mix Shooto and stiff striking with some of the most graceful high-flying maneuvers everand that Phoenix Splash is irresistible. While most were introduced to Kota through Kenny, it was the opposite for me. I have personally considered him better than Kenny, for the simple fact that he can do some things Omega just cannot. Their match at Budokan Peter Pan is a highlight of that, and my first exposure to Kota. Other personal favourites include vs. HARASHIMA at the first Peter Pan in 2009, The three-way KO-D Tag Title match, Ibushi & Marufuji vs. KENTA & Ishimori, Tiger Mask W vs. Okada at NJPW 45th Anniversary, vs. Hangman Page on ROH television in 2018, and vs. Yoshihiko at a DDT event in 2015(a.k.a the match where Kota wrestles a blow-up doll). Update: I will be there for Blood and Guts, it will be Golden."
[10.0] "Welcome back Kota alias one of the most gifted athlete of this generation. His style is exciting and he is even able to get a 5* match from a blow-up a doll. I'm really excited to see what he 'll do in AEW. *****1/2 (11/10)"
[8.0] "Sports Entertainment - AEW Version Wichige Storylines mit Chris Jericho / Don Callis, MJF / Adam Cole und Elite gegen BCC im Focus. Alle haben genug Zeit bekommen, die ersteren öfter in der Show, Elite mit dem Bang zum Schluss. Wrestlerisch hatten wir Chris Jericho der gut durch das Match gezogen wurde und Blind Eliminator Tag Team Tournament Semi Final Match 1 das bei der Crowd nicht gezogen hat als Lowlights. Das Owen Hart Foundation 2023 Women's Tournament Semi Final Match war ok für die Zeit die sie bekommen haben. Blind Eliminator Tag Team Tournament Semi Final Match 2 war ganz großes Sports Entertainment. Swerve Strickland gegen Nick Wayne war mein Highlight, aber auf dem falschen Spot der Card. Und Harley Cameron - das Video. So Over the Top das man kaum mitbekommt, wie gut das wirklich ist."
[9.0] "My second favorite NJPW wrestler OAT. Ibushi is just that guy. Glad he is back but hopefully he goes to AEW because I absolutely DESPISE GCW. Top notch matches in every company he has worked in. HE DOESN'T MISS. 10/10 / Recommendations: vs Omega [G1 Climax 28, DDT], vs Devitt [WK 10], vs Ospreay [G1 Climax 29], vs Styles [Invasion Attack 2015]"
[10.0] "He is pretty much the complete package between the ropes. Fast, agile, strong for someone his size, technically gifted, can strike with the best of them, can be funny, he can practically do it all. Hes also been a part of amazing stories in the past to, more than just playing his part."
[10.0] "Kota Ibushi is incredibly gifted a great body, great high flyer, fast, powerful, good techniker, can shoot, can do comedy etc the low point his selling can be 50/50. He's member of one of the best team of the last 20 years with Kenny Omega as Golden Lovers, a 3x KOD Tag Team champion, 3x KOD champion, 3x IWGPJunior champion, 1x IWGP Jr Tag Team champion, 1x Tag Team Champion, 1x Never Openweight champion, 2x IWGP Intercontinental champion, 1x IWGP Havyweight champion, 1 IWGP World Heavyweight champion, King Of DDT 2009 winner, Best Of The Super Junior 2011 winner, New Japan Cup 2015 winner, 2x G1 Climax winner 2019, 2020 and 2 other finals 2018 and 2021. I really hope his return soon is the start of something huge for Kota."
[10.0] "He might not be the best wrestler in the world, but I don't think there is any wrestler who is as excellent at every aspect of in-ring wrestling as the Golden Star. He can work any type of style and is believable as any type of wrestler. Truly a genius of the ring who you will marvel at."
[8.0] "Incredibly gifted wrestler. Tremendously athletic, smooth in the ring, great moveset and charismatic. He's a lifelong babyface, his fire is great so you always want to get behind him. I feel he lacks with psychology sometimes but that is often glossed over due to being involved with many great workers who often have enough to make up for it. His selling is also sketchy as he has the annoying habit that is quite evident in modern wrestling to completely disregard the injuries in order to get some spectacular moves in."
[10.0] "The most outstanding wrestler ever, his way of life and wrestling just boggles the mind, you never know what you are gonna get out of Kota Ibushi."
[7.0] "Good atlete, good wreslter but what I just can't with him when he no sells the entire match... And I know that my ratings is influenced by the fact that Ibushi GETS 3 G1 FINAL IN A ROW ? At the time, this pissed me of a lot and when you look that every one of his push to the World title was a fail, I can't rate this wreslter 8 or 9."
[10.0] "Tied with Naito for my favorite Japanese wrestler of all time. His intensity is amazing and he makes the sit out last ride look like a million bucks. Hopefully he heals up soon and reforms Golden Lovers in AEW or goes to WWE for a short run."
[9.0] "Kota Ibushi might be one of the most athletic wrestlers of the 21st century. The dude is insane both physically and perhaps mentally with the bumps that he decides to take. Truly the whole package as a wrestler, he can essentially work any style."
[7.0] "Kota Ibushi's wrestling skill set is very impressive. This is especially true with his G1 Climax match against Hiroshi Tanahashi. It often feels like he goes that extra mile to make a wrestling match all the more entertaining. It's such a shame what happened at last years G1 Climax! I wish him a fast recovery so that we can see many more matches involving him on New Japan."
[10.0] "One of the best in the ring in his generation. I simply can't go below 10 as he does things in the ring that just make you shake your head because you can't believe what you just saw. He's not the most charismatic guy which hurts a little. However, when things connect in the ring, it's magic and some of the greatest performances one will ever see. Say what you will about him personally, and there is stuff we will likely never know the truth to, and sometimes it can be difficult to be a fan, but all the problems disappear when he gets in the ring because it will be magic."
[8.0] "Kota is a physical marvel. His athleticism and intensity are rivaled by virtually no one, even at this 'twilight' in his ability after years of head bumps. His personality as the absent-minded, eccentric savant is also pretty entertaining and I'd be remiss to mention that he was a crucial part of one of the great stories of the 2010s as part of the Golden Lovers. Unfortunately, Ibushi often lacks the ability to commit to a narrative, the most obvious example being his inability to ever sell his leg consistently enough (with the G1 final against Jay being an exception to this rule). When he doesn't forgo psychology in favor of spots, he's capable of producing all-time matches, as he often did during his incredible run in 2019. but the inconsistency that lingers within his match history means he peaks at around an 8-9/10 as a wrestler."
[8.0] "Ibushi ist schwer zu bewerten, wobei für mich das Positive überwiegt. Das einzig wirklich Negative ist sein Selling, auch wenn es weiterhin nicht gut ist, war es vor ca. 10 Jahren wirklich grauenhaft. Am besten ist er in 20- minütigen Sprints, wo er mit seiner Schnelligkeit und Intensität glänzen kann. Leider steht er wie kein Zweiter für den Absturz von NJPW. Mir fällt in der nahen Vergangenheit kein Wrestler ein, der vom schlechten Booking einer Promotion derart ruiniert wurde."
[9.0] "Most would say Ibushi walks to the best of his own drum. No the guy has his own band. He does the wrestling that makes him happy. He can do teh hard strikes of a kickboxer but also flies with ease. Managed to change things up very well as he got older and bigger and thus was no longer a JR."
[9.0] "What a ride for Ibushi. He (somewhat surprisingly) finally broke through, winning and defending the IWGP Double Belt at Wrestle Kingdom. Then things got weird. His reign was marred by New Japan trying to introduce a new belt. Then he lost it immediately, picked up nagging injuries, and a very unfortunate illness. Finally he had a horrible injury in the G1 Final vs Okada. Throughout it all though, Ibushi put on stellar performances, especially against Naito (WK and Castle Attack) and Shingo (G1). He still has the ability, but being a fan of Ibushi has never been easy."
[4.0] "I understand why many people love Ibushi, but for me Ibushi is the opposite of what I love in pro-wrestling. He is a great athlete who can do unimaginable things in the ring, but he has an absolutely flat character without a hint of charisma. He is a terrible storyteller who always acts as the second number, who relies on the abilities of more talented storytellers like Tanahashi, Naito, Jay White and many others. This year he finally reached the main events and demonstrated that he was completely unsuitable for the role of a top guy. The history of pro-wrestling shows that it's never too late to change, so I wish Ibushi to recover from injury and reinvent himself, but now we have what we have."
[6.0] "Ibushi is a tremendous athlete. One of the best ever in wrestling even but he lacks any personality. Ibushi is an awful seller. Every single match he has like 2 bumps where I feel "well, I guess I just witnessed a man die today" and yet he's still alive. If Ibushi wants to sell better, he should consider at least pretending to be paralyzed or something. There is not really much that's interesting about him, just a guy who wrestles well."
[10.0] "One of the best wrestler of all time. If you are building a professional wrestler with a perfectly balanced speed, agility and power , you are gonna get something similar to Kota Ibushi. His body is in perfect shape. He has had an amazing career and has put on many great matches throughout the years."
[9.0] "Ein herausragender Athlet, ein Wahnsinnstyp. Das In-Ringwork, das Charisma, das Selling, alles was der Typ im Ring macht ist schon spitzenklasse. Ich würde ihn noch gerne länger an der Spitze von NJPW sehen, da er sich das einfach verdient hat."
[7.0] "A hyper-gifted athlete who understands the nearfall-crescendo game just as much as he doesn't understand anything about selling. NOBODY IN THE HISTORY OF WRESTLING HAS IGNORED MORE LEG WORK THAN KOTA IBUSHI. Not to mention neck work, Christ. And yet he's still a positive asset to pro-wrestling as a whole. Go figure."
[9.0] "(9. 9/10) If he doesnt try to break his neck every goddamn second i would give him 1000/10. but NOOOO he gotta do a neck bump to sell a clothesline. In ring wise, He surpasses omega 9 times out 10, Charisma wise he can easily surpass Okada 9 times out of 10. Likeability wise he can surpass Naito 9 time out of 10. But my god if he keeps doing a neck bump one day he gonna be either in a wheel chair or in a damn cremation room. But in all honesty, if you took out all of his neck bump. He is the best full package white meat baby face to ever walk the earth and no one can is close besides tanahashi himself."
[9.0] "Kota Ibushi is a genuine genius in the ring. He's a remarkable performer and can seemingly do just about anything physical. Only thing that makes him not a 10 is that he can sometimes be underwhelming as a character."
[9.0] "Kota Ibushi started out in DDT and became the top star there while also wrestling for New Japan part-time and being the Ace of the junior division after Prince Devitt left and was rising up the card until he was burned out due to his busy schedule. He came back as a part-time freelancer and won the G-1 while having great matches teaming with Kenny Omega. Once Omega left he committed full-time to New Japan and eventually had a run on top with some have different opinions about. In-ring I believe he knows what to do to make almost any match a four-star match with his charisma and abilities however he is socially awkward and I am not a fan of his selling."
[5.0] "I don't see in Ibushi something extraordinary. Kota is a wrestler with good fighting skills, but, in other hand, with a huge lack of personality, poor psychology and frequent no-selling. I understand, why fans love him, but I'm not the one of them."
[10.0] "Assets: Was, perhaps, the wrestler who forced weight-based promotions to be less rigid. Made his mark as a standout junior heavyweight thanks to an exciting aerial style. Has successfully made his transition as a major league main eventer. - - - Flaws: His path to the main event took far longer than his contemporaries. His home promotion was forced to push him under the threat of losing him for a second time. Is overshadowed by his contemporaries despite his rather prolific list of accomplishments. - - - Career Potential: Elite major league main eventer and well-decorated junior heavyweight wrestler."
[5.0] "Held back by his poor in ring psychology, and the fact that he's surrounded by far more capable and seasoned stars. That's what holds him from being one of the best in the entire promotion of New Japan."
[7.0] "Ibushi was one of the best junior heavyweights I ever saw. Some of the moves he did in-ring were jaw-dropping and his matches with Kenny in DDT and Devitt in NJPW made me a huge fan. His work since he turned heavyweight however has left a lot to be desired. He's not particularly interesting anymore, and there are guys in the heavyweight division like Okada, Naito, and Tanahashi that shine so much more than him. While the Phoenix Splash is amongst the best finishers I've seen for a junior wrestler, his current kamigoye doesn't really have the same affect."
[5.0] "You watch one Ibushi match and you wonder if you've just stumbled onto the greatest pro wrestler in history. He looks like he's chiseled out of stone, he moves just about as well as any wrestler in history, he shits out 5 star matches. And then you watch New Japan and other promotions for a few years, see 100+ similarly good matches, and you ask yourself. Hang on, why do I feel nothing? The answer, unfortunately, is that there's actually nothing all that interesting about Ibushi. He's just really, really good at doing the moves. A previous commenter nailed it when he said Ibushi as a pro wrestler feels completely soulless. The wrestling landscape has become completely oversaturated with meaningless 30+ minute matches with surface level storytelling, and Ibushi is one of the main performers guilty of this."
[8.0] "He's definitely fallen off the high horse that I had put him on, as is the case with guys like Okada and Ospreay. Ibushi's inability to make anyone look good other than himself is perhaps the thing that has soured me the most on him. He's terrible at selling and has also developed the big Japan epic match tendency. Kota's still not a bad wrestler by any means. Far from it; at his best, he can produce some of the most compelling matches matches of the modern era of wrestling, with his hybrid style of high flying and striking."
[10.0] "An absolutely immense competitor. The leading part of one of the greatest tag teams of the last two decades, The Golden Lovers, Kota Ibushi's singles success is legendary in itself. The GOAT of DDT, and incredible IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion, Kota has gone on to achieve historic double gold in New Japan, after classic bouts with Naito Tetsuya, Hiroshi Tanahashi, Shinsuke Nakamura, Minoru Suzuki, Kenny Omega, and more. Incredible striking and athleticism put Kota Ibushi on top of the wrestling mountain. One of the all time greats, and all round performers in pro wrestling history."
[10.0] "The best athlete in the Pro Wrestling World today and the most devoted one. I cried like a baby watching him become IWGP Heavyweight Champion 2 weeks ago in the Tokyo Dome. The build up to his victory has been fantastic as he always has been the one that came up short, the "so good, but not great yet" and after the failure of WK 14 that I watched live in the Tokyo Dome this was the time. If Ibushi hadn't won in this case, it was an all or nothing situation, he probably would have retire or leave NJPW. So happy for him, right now he might be my favorite Wrestler in the entire world, along side with Jon Moxley Kenny Omega and Adam Cole or Tommaso Ciampa, even if this last two are a bit descended in the hierarchies of NXT. Good Job Kota, a beacon in the dark for this tumultuous times to be alive. Kenny Omega leaving NJPW and Kota staying there has been the best thing ever happened to the Golden Star as in this 2 years (1 year and half because of Covid that stopped NJPW for half 2020) he made the big jump to become simply himself and not being the "jailer" of Omega, the one with the same or even more Wrestling talent of the Cleaner but with less "impact" as a main stream level Superstar. He is a better Pro Wrestler than a "Sport Entertainer" for sure, but this in Japan is not so relevant..."
[10.0] "There's no single quality which makes him the best, he has everything that comes together to make one of the most unique athletes in the sport."
[10.0] "From all his crazy DDT matches and his relationship with Kenny Omega, to his slow burn ascendancy in New Japan... even stopping off to nearly blow himself up in an East London alleyway. Kota Ibushi has achieved more than most can comprehend, and he did it by unconventional means, which I appreciate tremendously."
[5.0] "Absolutely ordinary wrestler who is loved only for being good in the ring. No matter how much I look at Ibushi, he does not arouse interest at all. He has no charisma, no gimmick, no mix skill. There is no soul in his matches. It only shows history in matches with those who are good storytellers. And I have not yet mentioned this about his noselling. Why does he use noselling when he can't even use it correctly? I don't want to say that Ibushi is bad. he's just ordinary. it will never make a Main Event. Only ring skill will not become you the main star"
[6.0] "Guter Wrestler, der mich allerdings nicht mitreist. Seine Matches sind oft gut, allerdings baut er zwischenzeitlich dumme Aktionen ein. Sein Selling lässt auch zu wünschen übrig. Als IC Champ ok, den großen Titel sollte er allerdings nicht gewinnen."
[8.0] "Ibushi for sure has the physical talent to be a top performer (even if he's noticeably slowed in recent years from the flying spot monkey he used to be) and he's had some great matches with the right opponents, but he does lack some critical elements to his work, namely selling: it's not very consistent and can fly from not being dire enough to not even acknowledging it at all in his ring work and merely working as per usual, no tension there. This might be because Ibushi spent most of his career in bizarre conditions that were barely even wrestling in the first place, but regardless, being a babyface that no sells offence a lot doesn't help a bit at getting them organically over. That being said, when Ibushi is selling even decently, he really shines as a strong upper card babyface with incredible energy, even if his character outside of the ring is rather flat and doesn't really bring anything new or exciting to the table. For me, he's on the same level as guys like Naito: not the main event guy and certainly not someone who can carry a lesser talent to their level, but still solid enough that they can hold the belt a few times and get some feel good matches out of it. However, I can't see him as someone who's going to reach the very top level of NJPW: he lacks the critical elements that a top babyface needs to make themselves and is usually the one being directed in his matches in terms of storytelling, not the other way around."
[10.0] "When it comes to technique and in-ring skills he is one of the best wrestlers in the world. He can do almost everything. He's a highflyer, grappler, striker and a great tag partner. He has the greatest physique in this business. His body looks better than greek gods statues. Ibushi almost always has great matches no matter who is his opponent. He even wrestled a DOLL and it was a 5-star match (everybody should check his match against Yoshihiko)."
[9.0] "It's amazing to me to watch Ibushi in his matches since his style from what I've seen from Ibushi seems to be very show-oriented with fast-paced style along with Ibushi as his character being booked specifically due to his God-given natural ability in the ring, and I'm thinking that this somewhat valid criticism for Ibushi being very focused on himself in the ring and presenting himself somewhat over his opponents is also something that's necessary in some ways to get Ibushi over! I'm thinking that Ibushi's character right now after winning the G1 Climax 30 trophy is something like with Ibushi's backstage promos mentioning wanting to become a God, and I'm thinking this is both a callback to his Kamigoye finisher allegedly translating into "surpassing God, " along with his partner relationship with Tanahashi as The Golden Aces being very focused on Ibushi's constant adoration for Tanahashi and Nakamura and Okada; but it's the reason that my review for Ibushi isn't perfect score since I think Ibushi needs some more character work and some more personality to show through, but it's always something that I'm somewhat split about since it's a mostly contentious point even for myself viewing Ibushi as bland and unexciting from looking at his character standpoint since his promo game is usually very generic babyface, but in many ways (and this is something that I haven't seen discussed in the top rated comments), I think Ibushi plays the role for silent protagonist like this is a video game where the fanbase is supposed to project their own subjective viewpoints for personality onto Ibushi, and this is likely something that strengthens his relationship with the fans, which is evidenced in being with New Japan Pro Wrestling due to Japanese video games often depicting that type of storytelling, and it's my personal opinion that Ibushi is perfect for that role despite it being somewhat bland and unexciting from his personality showing through! It's something that I'm hoping to see develop over time despite Ibushi being somewhat older than many other counterparts (namely Jay White being almost exactly ten years younger, but Ibushi being older has also given him more experience) that I'm hoping to see Ibushi win the IWGP Heavyweight Championship someday, since that seems to be a likely result for Wrestle Kingdom 15, and it's seeming like the same trajectory for the storyline with Okada/Tanahashi where it took several attempts to win the top Championship at Wrestle Kingdom, and I'm hoping that this can finally be the year where Ibushi can win the Championship after making history as the first three-consecutive G1 Climax finalist and third two-time G1 Climax winner, so I'm willing to admit that I'm curious to see where they take his next stage in his storyline! <3"
[10.0] "Amazing workhorse with an unbelievable wrestling ability. He's one of the very few to win the G1 Climax back-to-back, and he's held countless IWGP championships throughout his illustrious career. He's got an amazing look and an amazing move set to back that up. He's had countless 5 star matches and hasn't stopped. The man had a match with a blow-up doll and made it entertaining, not many wrestlers can do that. He was even chosen to be Tiger Mask W for some time! Nothing but respect for him."
[10.0] "Kota Ibushi ist für mich derzeit einer der absolut besten Wrestler weltweit. Er hat den absolute Main Eventer Look, ist im Ring unangefochten und schafft es immer wieder einen zu überraschen, auch wenn er dabei teilweise zu krasse Bumps mitnimmt und es einem beim zuschauen wehtut, aber auch das gehört zur Faszination um Kota Ibushi und die Over the Topness zeigt auch seinen Background bei DDT. Aber er bleibt nicht in der DDT Nische, sondern konnte sich auch absolut im NJPW Main Event etablieren und liefert auch im Tokyo Dome Main Event absolut ab, ohne dabei jemals komplett auf seinen Stil verzichtet zu haben. Er kann im Ring gefüllt alles und kann mit sämtlichen Stilen mitgehen, ob bei den Juniors mit Highflying Action oder selbst bei den härtesten und reduziertesten Strong Style Matches mit Nakamura, Ishii oder Suzuki, was ihn zu einem ultimativen Allrounder macht. Das einzige was ihm fehlt ist endlich der große Gewinn des IWGP Heavyweight Titels, aber ich hoffe wir werden das in den nächsten Jahren, solange er noch auf Top Niveau ist, sehen."
[10.0] "Demuestra un espectacular nivel de lucha aérea. También demuestra que a pesar de los 38 años que lleva, se mantiene como un luchador que controla y perfecciona el estilo técnico de forma que el combate que de con alguien no sea "aburrido"."
[5.0] "It pains me to do this, but the more I watch ibushi, the clearer the picture becomes that He is one of the most overrated wrestlers of our time. Of course, Kota is an incredible employee, an almost irreplaceable mid-carder for every promotion, his athletic skills are phenomenal, and his ability to take absolutely every move is respected. But behind all this is a few fat cons that make all its advantages meaningless. He can't sell. Ibushi is able to show any move with a murder, a weapon of mass destruction that will not leave a trace of you, but all this does not matter when a few minutes later he is standing on his feet, fighting in full force, and the consequences of the experienced damage do not concern him in any way. Each of his matches, regardless of how big it is, looks like the biggest matches of Kobashi and Misawa. But when this is not followed by any overpowering, when there are no bets in the match, and when Ibushi cannot be killed, it looks implausible. I thought this kind of thing happened to him already during the promotion in New Japan, but the more I watch DDT, the more convinced I am that Kota has always been such a player. But this was not so obvious when he was in the secondary positions and he literally did not have time to show much of his list. Now he has this opportunity and I am disappointed. He is the most inconsistent, most illogical, and most frustrating wrestler of the past few years. And if you watch it constantly, rather than selectively flipping through the lists of "best" matches, it will be harder to love it. And this is all supplemented by the fact that Ibushi does not have a character, even the smallest. He just fights and he just doesn't care. I can't get my hand up to give him a completely negative rating, because, again, as a workhorse, he is very good. But I have no love left for him. And the further it goes, the worse it gets."
[8.0] "Matches sind immer zufriedenstellend, jedoch reißt mich Ibushi nicht ganz mit. Dennoch für mich ein sehr starker Wrestler von dem man gerne mehr sieht."
[10.0] "There's no match Kota has had that isn't great/good in the last decade. The man had a match against Yoshihiko the Doll and still managed to make it an entertaining spectacle. If that alone doesn't sell you, I don't know what will. Without a doubt he is above all one of the greatest wrestlers to date."
[9.0] "His love of gimmicked gobshite and time in DDT keeps him from my considering him upper rung, but fuck this guy is good. One of the most impressive, diverse and charismatic working today. His push in 2019 is deserved and long overdue and I'm excited to see where he takes his considerable talents from here."
[9.0] "There are not many negatives about Kota Ibushi, the guy is super good and entertaining in the ring. He's a great striker, a great technician and a great high-flyer. He is on the same level as Okada, Tanahashi, Omega, Kenta... But his major flaw is, obviously, the selling, I think that his lack of selling spoils his matches a bit but that's no big deal. Overall, he's surely one of the best in the world actually and NJPW should seriously consider giving him the heavyweight title given the talent he has and the loyalty he has shown by signing this contract for life."
[9.0] "One of the best in ring workers in the world today. I think he surpasses other favorites such as Okada & KENTA. Ibushi masters many styles. A great striker, flier, and technician. His character work just keeps me from giving him a 10, but ever so slightly."
[9.0] "Ibushi combines innate talent with intense training to end up being one of the most gifted in-ring performers of this generation. Combine that with just being inherently likable as a person and you've got yourself a great babyface."
[9.0] "An intriguing personality, athletically gifted wrestler with a great babyface aura who can also show a more dark and agressive side when he is really pushed in that area. Has all the potential to be one of the greatest and now that he signed a full time contract maybe he will enter even more in New Japan's history. He's crazy at times but I can totally feel the pure love and passion he has for his craft. The only thing he could get better at is his selling."
[9.0] "Possibly the best wrestler in NJPW. So why not a 10 rating? Because Ibushi is incredibly reckless and it is incredible that he has not suffered a major injury. His matches are some of the most exciting displays of athleticism I have ever seen, but I'm genuinely fearful that I'm about to witness a brutal injury."
[10.0] "I can give one word to describe Kota Ibushi: Perfection. I'd like to comment just that, but cagematch system doesn't allow me. Like Tanahashi and Okada, Ibushi has everything to be the Ace, he's simply perfect."
[10.0] "An enigma of sorts. Had all the potential in the world to become an all timer, and chose to be his own man instead. Commendable in it's own way. Even if he passed on fame, he has still made a career for himself by being one of the most unique wrestlers ever. He's all spots, but can play anyone's game if he wants. His talent is so immense, he can have 4 star matches with inanimate objects. His personality clashes perfectly with his Golden counterpart, but as a singles guy he's still a wild experience."
[10.0] "I truly believe Kota Ibushi is the best in the world today. His high flying move set makes my jaw drop in amazement and not to mention his incredible matches against: Kenny Omega, Hiroshi Tanahashi, Will Osprey, AJ Styles, Tetsuya Naito, TJP, Cedric Alexander, Zack Sabre Jr, and Prince Devitt. Mark my words he will be IWGP Heavyweight champion one day."
[8.0] "He is a very good wrestler in the ring, but he doesn't sell moves quite at the Omega / Ricochet / Okada level and he has no ability to soak on a microphone. It's weird that this guy is such an elite pro wrestler yet so shy also. Still, his in ring work kind of makes up for his lack of charisma."
[10.0] "Hands down, my absolute favorite in NJPW. I love him and Kenny together so much and they're just really cute together. He can work and he has amazing endurance. He can literally have a **** star match with a blow up doll. He knows how to work a fantastic match and honestly would've been a better fit to win the WWE Cruiserweight Classic rather than the guy who never got used and got released after 2 years."
[10.0] "GOLDEN STAR! Perhaps the most naturally gifted wrestler of this decade, Kota Ibushi truly is a man who has everything needed to be the top star in any promotion. Skill, looks, charisma, name it and Ibushi has it in spades but what's perhaps so charming and frustrating about Ibushi is that he doesn't care too much about being the biggest star, he cares about having fun and promoting what he believes wrestling should be. Whether it be comedy wrestling or wrestling where you drop your opponent on their head 19 times a match, Kota Ibushi is capable of anything and I love him."
[8.0] "When Hiroshi Tanahashi was asked about Kota Ibushi in an interview a few years back he said "He has everything to become one of the greatest of all times except one thing: determination". It's really hard to argue with that. At 36 Ibushi is still a spot-wrestler: basically the same wrestler he was a decade ago. But as crowd pleasing spot wrestlers may be, they aren't the ones major promotions want as their main draws: they need to make a step to become main draws. Kenny Omega made that step. Taiji Ishimori made that step. But Ibushi has always lacked the determination to make that step which for somebody as ridiculously talented and skilled as he is, would be natural. I've read that recently he signed for NJPW full time so maybe he's finally ready to make that step to true greatness that he has so far put into the future."
[9.0] "Kota is by far one of the best wrestlers in Japan today. That's why he deserves a 9. But, Ibushi needs to develop his own identity. His run with the "Golden Elite" in my opinion was not very good and the Golden Lovers tag team seemed to be overshadowed by the rest of the Elite. With Kenny Omega gone from New Japan, its Ibushi's time to shine. He needs to create his own identity and hopefully one day he will win the IWGP Heavyweight Title."
[10.0] "I have been a fan of Ibushi since his days in DDT. Sure, there were some weird moments but he always showed quality in the ring and now with more experience he is one of the most spectacular wrestlers on the planet. His offense is great, sometimes he forgets to sell but in general his matches are very exciting."
[9.0] "Kota Ibushi makes made me question my etherosexuality for the first time when I was like 15, the guy is an amazing wrestler, he's spectacular, he can be graceful and violent at the same time, his talent is just incredible, I don't give him a 10 cause for some reasons such as injuries and desire to experiment stuff more than becoming a top guy unallowed him to be a full time main eventer, and I think it's a shame cause this guy should be an IWGP Heavyweight Champion."
[8.0] "If only he could sell. Remains the one flaw in his game. So inconsistent with it. Other than that the guy is one of the best talents we've probably ever had"
[10.0] "Kota Ibushi may be the most physically talented wrestler in the business today, and he can also work a variety of styles. Ibushii can have creative highspot-orientated matches with Kenny Omega, he can have hard hitting battles with Tomohiro Ishii, and he can keep up with technical masters like Zack Sabre Jr.."
[9.0] "I love Ibushi's mix of hard hitting striking and high flying, he is an incredible athlete that really knows how to get a crowd into a match. I feel that a 9 is warranted due to the sheer amount of excellent matches he has partaken in this year and I look forward to seeing what comes next for him."
[10.0] "One of the best wrestlers in the world right now. Kota Ibushi is pretty awesome wrestler, he is a solid technician, amazing high-flyer and way too many people sleep on his brawling skills. Now if only we would sign a damn contract so a wrestling company can actually push the fuck out of him."
[10.0] "Ein unglaublicher Wrestler. Sein In Ring Style ist einfach nur der Hammer. Ein spektakuläres Move Set welches er bei jedem Gegner anwenden kann. Sein selling ist der Wahnsinn. Ich finde er ist einer der besten und seine strikes sehen schmerzhaft aus. Alles in allem ein perfekter Wrestler."
[6.0] "While he's able to deliver a lot of absolutely great matches that will be remembered for a long time, he's one of the worst sellers ever. His selling ruined a lot of potentially good matches for me and I just can't get over that. He's great on the offense, but overally, he's slightly overrated, just like a lot of his matches."
[10.0] "One of the best in the world currently and will probably go down as one of the all time greats. Striking, storytelling, athleticism, smoothness, he has it all. Also respect him hugely for doing his own thing and not feeling pressured into joining New Japan and WWE."
[10.0] "On pure in-ring ability alone Ibushi is one of the best ever. I really hope he has the chance to win the IWGP belt in NJPW and have a lengthy run before he retires, one of the best of all time on his best day."
[9.0] "On pure in-ring ability Ibushi is one of the best ever. While his long-term selling is a bit poor at times and his real-time selling can occasionally come off as melodramatic he is otherwise an absolute perfect all-rounder. He has crazy acrobatic high-flying skills, extremely stiff strikes, can take some of the sickest bumps imaginable, and he has a great use of facial expressions to communicate his emotions. He is extremely easy to connect with and one of my first favourite wrestlers. Sadly, what holds Ibushi back from being considered an all-time great is his lack of wrestling accolades. This isn't to say that he would be a 10/10 if he simply won the G1 or the IWGP Heavyweight title a few times, but it relates to how his inability to commit to a promotion long term has meant that he hasn't been able to produce any fantastic long-term wrestling storylines or title reigns. He's a freelancer who gets up to all sorts of weird wrestling all around the world, alongside more serious wrestling such as in NJPW. This lack of commitment to a single promotion means bookers won't trust him with major titles and major pushes though, so he has never had a big string of great matches or any super interesting storylines either. This is what really solidifies the character being the wrestler, and with Ibushi lacking that I can only give him a 9/10. Hopefully he commits to NJPW long term soon and can prove he deserves that 10/10."
[10.0] "Ich mag Ibushi, sehr sympathischer Kerl, unglaublich sauber mit seinen Aktionen und im Tag Team mit Kenny Omega sehr unterhaltsam gewesen. Natürlich muss man, um ihn zu mögen, etwas für Highflying und Spot Wrestling übrig haben, aber wenn das der Fall ist, ist man bei Kota Ibushi bestens aufgehoben. UPDATE: Hat sich in den letzten Jahren zu einem der komplettesten und besten Wrestler der Welt entwickelt."
[9.0] "Ibushi is one of the best wrestlers in the world. Great offenses and strikes. An amazing high flyer as well. The match with nakamura at wk9 introduces him to me. However, I only give him 9 because his poor selling. He seems to forget to sell the limb work. Otherwise, he is a joy to watch."
[10.0] "Kota Ibushi is one of the best wrestlers in the world, period. The guy excels in every aspect of wrestling. Great Striking, amazing flying moves, grappling technique, and great facial expressions. One of the most complete wrestlers on the planet, who should get more mainstream attention."
[9.0] "Kota Ibushi hat sich selbst und seinen individuellen Style fast schon in der kompletten Welt manifestiert. Er bringt mit der perfekten Mischung aus spektakulärer Athletik und ungeheurer Härte so gut wie jeden seiner Gegner auf ein neues Level. und sorgt somit immer für Abwechslung. Er zeigt das dann natürlich auch immer in fantastischen Matches in NJ, als auch 2016 in der WWE. Das einzige kleine Manko bleibt sein kontinuierliches Selling, denn da vergisst er oft über ein Match seine Offensive zu reduzieren. Warte den diesjährigen G1 (Stand Juli/17) ab und dann gucke ich ob ich auf Volle Punkte gehe. Vorerst "nur" 9."
[6.0] "Ach Kota, du bist ein guter Wrestler, aber deine Schwächen sind manchmal einfach so leicht zu umgehen, z. B. Sollte man kein Match mit Kota Ibushi um Selling aufbauen denn, Kota Ibushi kann nicht sellen, egal wie sehr sein Bein zerstört wird er springt wie ein junger gott. Dies war besonders schlimm in seinen Jr. Heavyweight Run, als Heavyweight hat er dies nicht anährend so stark, nichts desto trotz, bleibt es ein Kritikpunkt! Als Junior bekommt er 4, als Heavyweight 8 also treffen wir uns in der Mitte und geben im 6 Punkte"
[10.0] "Ein Weltklasse Wrestler und in meiner persönlichen Top 3 meine Lieblinge. Kann einfach jeden Stil sei es Puro, Strong Style oder High Flying, hat keine Schwächen und auch eine super In Ring Psychologie. Wenn man in der WWE in 15 Minuten in einer 2. Runde eines Turniers fast ein 5 Sterne Match workt, muss man es einfach drauf haben. Hat sein Können sowohl auf der großen Bühne wie WK gezeigt aber auch als Backyard Wrestler mit Raketen in der Hand. Ein unfassbarer Typ, den man nur lieben kann! Ich hoffe, dass er mittlerweile vollständig genesen ist und zeitig seine Maske ablegen kann, um ein weiterer Main Eventer für NJ zu sein, denn nichts anderes ist er. Hat verdient sowohl den IC als auch den Heavyweight Title in seinem Leben tragen zu dürfen, obwohl er eigentlich ein Junior ist! 10 Punkte für Ibushi und ich würde ihm auch 20 geben ;)"
[10.0] "Im Ring ist Kota Ibushi ja fast schon unerreichbar. Seine Mischung aus Strong-Style und High-Flying machen ihn zum absoluten Total Package. Wie gesagt, Finisher ist super, Charisma ist super und meiner Meinung nach hat er Topstar Potentzial"
[10.0] "I'm pretty sure Kota Ibushi never stops thinking about wrestling, which has created this kind of reputation of a savant, which I think fits him perfectly. Whether he's working as Tiger Mask W in random NJPW matches or wrestling in god knows what stipulation matches in DDT, he always puts on a performance. He can fly with the best of them, he can strike with the best of them, he can sell with the best of them, it's just a matter where he is at any given moment. He always has marched to the beat of his own drum, for better or for worse, and that makes me love him even more. Could arguably be the ace of any promotion in the world, but has decided to work for the "Ibushi Pro Wrestling Research Institute, " something he could only get away with."
[9.0] "An amazing talent that hasn't quite cracked that glass ceiling but with how often he rams into it its really only a matter of time. Kota doesn't seem capable of having a bad match anymore and has gotten so much better from his past. Hes only barely below Ricochet to me and in all honesty that's probably not going to last much longer. Whether hes working in a one shot WWE tournament or under a Tiger Mask hes been the highlight of the night."
[9.0] "Ibushi is a great highflyer. Really knows when to hit his spots and control a matchpace. His work in the CWC, putting on great matches with each competitor he faced, really proved to me that he's on a level of his own. Ibushi is great"
[9.0] "Kota Ibushi is a guy who elevates almost everyone he is in the ring with - incredible athleticism, great stiff strikes - he just brings it. His weak point is definitely selling though, as seen in his matches vs. AJ Styles & Hiroshi Tanahashi - some real bad leg selling in those. Other than that, he's definitely one of the best wrestlers in the world."
[9.0] "Kota Ibushi is a 14 year old veteran worked in DDT/NJPW. Dont even underestimate the guy by seeing his physique, because this guy can fly and hit you very hard. Best strikler apart from Nakamura and Shibata. Ibushi has the ability to connect with the audienmces very easily. This guy deserves to hold major titles of NJPW"
[9.0] "I really enjoy Ibushi's in ring style, however, I think he needs to improve his psychology in order to earn a 10 point rating. He's fun to watch and incredibly talented, but I always feel that there's something missing. He's one of the best wrestlers in the world right now for sure, his psychology is just good - and to be great, your in-ring psychology should be great."
[10.0] "Ibushi is one of today's best wrestlers in my opinion. He can pull off some outstanding high-flying moves as well as showcase his kickboxing skills. Like Bryan Danielson said in CWC, "Ibushi is one of best wrestlers in the world regardless of the weight class. ""
[10.0] "This Man is one of the greatest most Under Appreciated Wrestlers of all time, He Should be a Future WWE/IWGP Champion, any company would strive if Ibushi was their world champion, Kota Ibushi is one of the Best, You'll ever see."
[9.0] "Kota Ibushi is a strange guy. He could have been the next New Japan Ace, given the chance, but he didn't want that. He could have been IWGP Hvt. Champion by now, but he had other plans: he wrestled full time with two promotion for almost seven years, which is unbelievable, knowing what he does in the ring. As of now, Kota is one of the most complete wrestler in the world in the ring, having a freaking good striking (and look), a great high-flying ability (and the best Phoenix Splash in the business right now), a scary moveset and the ability to adjust to every style - CWC, CHIKARA, DDT, NJPW and so on. He's also a great tag team wrestler, with Golden Lovers being one of my favourite tag team ever. So why this guy isn't on the top of the wrestling world, at least in Japan? He just want to wrestle and discover new styles and experimenting - from Kaiju Big Battel and recently being Tiger Mask W to wrestling dolls, fighting with fireworks and the anywhere matches. I think that he doesn't really care about titles and such, but instead he looks to improve himself, breaking boundaries and build a legacy. The real question is what's next for Kota Ibushi? Hopefully more matches like the ones with Nakamura and Omega."
[10.0] "Dieses kleine Energiebündel vereint Strong Style mit High-Flying, geht's eigentlich noch besser? Kota war für mich immer ein (Golden) Star bei NJPW, beim CWC hat er erneut seine Klasse bewiesen. Sein 5-Star-Match gegen Nakamura bei WK9 spricht Bände, diesen Mann kann man zu den Besten der Welt zählen! Im Ring ein Gott, Charisma auch sehr gut und seine Ausstrahlung als Mr. , , Ich flieg durch die Luft und stiff dich tot! '' ist 1A. Ein Star? Na klar!"
[10.0] "Der goldene Stern ist in meinen Augen absolute Spitze. Großartig im Ring, die Kicks sind echt heftig und das highflying machen ihm nur wenige nach. Er ist höchst charismatisch und hat im Cwc unglaublich gut gezeigt, dass er trotz zeitlichen Limits kein Qualitätslimit hat. Das Halbfinale war match des Turniers und er war auch der beste Teilnehmer also auch Mann des Turniers. Sei Stil ist einzigartig und es wird noch besser werden da er noch sehr jung ist er ist in meinen Augen das größte Wrestlingtalent der Welt."
[10.0] "Was muss ich zu dem Jungen noch groß sagen? Schaut euch seine Matches an, hört euch seine Kicks an! Jetzt schon ein spitzenklasse Wrestler, bei NXT wird er sich noch weiter verbessern, ich erwarte ganz großes vom "Golden Star". Edit: Hat doch keinen NXT-Vertrag, sehr sehr schade"
[9.0] "Kota is great in the ring. He really is the full package, he's athletic he's a good ring technician he is quick and has impressive strength for his size. I really hope he gets signed to NXT then on to WWE."
[10.0] "Fantastic wrestler. I usually hate the "Strong Style" fighting style but Kota Ibushi does it so well. He is also a very good high flyer and technical wrestler. Almost all of his matches are enjoyable like Vs AJ Styles, Vs Prince Devitt, Vs Low Ki for example. Overall this is one of the best wrestlers of all time."
[10.0] "A golden star with many amazing matches to his name. He had a 5 star classic with a sex doll! His athleticism is nearly unmatched being able to work strong style, comedy, high flying or technical. His character arc feels pure and easy to root for. Really waiting for him to become the ace of ddt again, or wwe, nxt or njpw."
[10.0] "Einer der besten in Japan, einer der besten der Welt. Ich habe nie ein schlechtes Match gesehen. Selbst die under/midcard Tagteam Matches sind wegen ihm gut anzusehen."
[10.0] "Perhaps the greatest living high-flyer, and one of the most entertaining wrestlers I've ever seen. His aerial offense is unparalleled, his striking is great, and while Ric Flair may or may not have been able to have a compelling match with a broom, Kota Ibushi HAS had a wildly impressive match with a blowup doll. He can pull off a pitch perfect comedy match, and a proper 5 star match (see: Wrestle Kingdom 9) all the same. A true talent."
[10.0] "Golden star! I've loved Ibushi for many years, and now that he is getting his chance in the upper levels of NJPW it's the perfect time for everyone to get on board. One of the best flyers working today, and a great worker when grounded as well. Sky's the limit for this guy, maybe literally!"
[9.0] "An incredible talent. Has more than the ideal strength, agility, and speed for his size, and his moveset wows me again and again. Consistently delivers incredible matches and he's only on the way up from here."
[10.0] "Kota Ibushi is the type of guy that can make the worst wrestler on their worst day look like a million bucks. Every time he enters the ring he looks like he is fighting for his life."
[10.0] "Puuh, was sagt man nach den ganzen Kommentaren zu Ibushi noch? Er ist einfach einer der komplettesten Wrestler derzeit und kann jeden Stil mitgehen, großartiger High-Flyer, Techniker, Striker, ... Ibushi ist ein Garant für hochklassige Matches, was er auch gerade im aktuellen G1 Climax wieder verdeutlicht. 10 Punkte sind mehr als verdient, ich hoffe, er schafft es bald an die Spitze und wird mit dem IWGP Heavyweight Title belohnt."
[8.0] "Der Mann ist die Zukunft, für mich der zweitbeste Highflyer nach Neville, liefert besonders dieses Jahr extrem viele gute Matches ab, entwickelt sich zum immer besseren Worker, sein einziges Problem ist das selling, das bekommt der einfach nicht in den Griff, aber darüber hinweggesehen ist er ein klasse Wrestler der mehr kann als nur Spots."
[10.0] "Ein Grandioser Wrestler. Er kann alles von den akrobatischsten High Flying spots zu Stiffen schlägen zu starkem Mat Wrestling! Ein Problem habe ich trotzdem mit ihm. Er sellt die gegen ihn gezeigten aktionen nicht so gut. Beispielsweise im Match gegen Styles welches wirklich gut war, aber Styles bearbeitet Ibushis Bein und trotzdem zeigt Ibushi seine Spots als wäre nichts gewesen. Trotzdem ein starker Worker der immer für ein gutes Match zu gebrauchen ist. EDIT: Sein Sellingproblem ist immernoch vorhanden was man im G1 gegen Tanahashi gesehen hat. Trotzdem kriegt er von mir das Update von 9 auf 10. Er hat nämlich noch mehr als vorher bewiesen was er für ein großartiger Wrestler ist. Im G1 bisher bockstarke Matches gegen Styles, Shibata und Tanahashi gehabt. Selbst sein Match gegen Gallows war für Gallows verhältnisse gut."
[10.0] "Hat den Körperbau und den Wrestling-IQ, um sich dem Stil jeder Liga der Welt anpassen zu können - das hat er seit seinem Wechsel zu NJPW eindrucksvoll bewiesen. Vom Gokku-Wrestler und DDT-Ace zum ambitionierten IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion und schließlich Heavyweight-Title-Aspiranten, mit ausgewogener Offensive, cleverem Selling, ausgeprägtem Sinn für Matchaufbau und dem perfekten Gespür für Gelegenheiten, in denen das Publikum heiß gemacht und zum Staunen gebracht werden muss, hat Ibushi in den vergangenen Jahren eine einzige Erfolgsgeschichte geschrieben, die garantiert im Gewinn des zuletzt genannten Gürtels münden wird. Aktuell einer der angesagtesten Wrestler der Welt und meines Erachtens auf dem Weg an den Gipfel seines Schaffens."
[10.0] "Rein von der Variabilität und vom Moveset für mich der beste Japaner aller Zeiten. Liefert jedes Mal eine Leistung auf dem Niveau der absoluten Extraklasse ab. Gerade sein Match gegen Nakamura (WK9) wird in die Geschichtsbücher eingehen. Immer zuverlässig und eine Garantie für großartige Matches. Kann auch ein hervorragender Heel sein."
[8.0] "Man muss neidlos anerkennen das Ibushi nicht nur bei DDT ein Star ist, sondern in der gesamten Junior Heavyweight Szene. Und ja einige Spots und der Overkill dieser bereiten vielen Kopfschmerzen auch mir, besonders wenn er nicht bei NJPW ist. Aber das Publikum findet es toll und auch wenn mir die Nonsen Moves nicht gefallen, sauber und spektakulär sind sie. Das der Junge auch mehr kann das sieht und weiß man eigentlich. Ein Wrestler für eine ganz bestimmte Sparte an Zuschauern, das kann man gut oder schlecht finden. Edit: Ein absolut verdiente Aufwertung für den NJPW Heavyweight Ibushi, der nun dauerhaft zeigt das eben doch anders kann, keine Nonsens Move oder Overkill, gute und sinnvolle Einbettung seiner schönen Highflying Aktionen und wenn es passt Giftigkeit in seinen Strikes. Wenn er das dauerhaft halten kann und nur ab und zu in seine alten Muster fällt, könnte er noch einige Showstealer fabrizieren. Damit würde ihm eigentlich bei NJPW alles offen, was sich seine Fans so wünschen."
[10.0] "Definitely one of the best wrestler in the world (top 20 in my opinion). Kota ibushi is very agile (he is the best at doing the Phoenix Splash) and a good stricker too. This man is my pick to win the New Japan Cup 2015. I want to see a rematch of the last Wrestle Kingdom ! Shinsuke Nakamura (c) vs. Kota Ibushi was sooooo good !"
[7.0] "Junior Wrestling bzw. die meisten Junior Wrestler ist/sind in meinen Augen eher schlecht. Man kann es/sie sich vielleicht kurzzeitig anschauen, aufgund des oftmals spektakulären Wrestling Stils, aber auf längere Zeit ist das leider nichts. Popcorn Wrestling par excellence, spektakulär, wird aber auch rasch langweilig. Ausnahmen gibt es eher wenige. Ibushi ist eine halbe Ausnahme. Zwar bringt er oftmals ebenfalls Aktionen nur um der spektakulären Action willen. Da er meistens in wichtigen Matches und nicht wie andere Juniors in Openern steht, ist das meist unpassend. Auf der anderen Seite jedoch sind seine Aktionen nochmals eine Spur spektakulärer als die anderer Juniors, wodurch er sich wiederum von der Masse abhebt. Von daher kann ich die unnötigen Aktionen bei ihm eher verschmerzen und gebe ein durchschnittlich. Edit: Nach Ansicht einiger seiner letzten Matches, wo er die etwas härtere Gangart gewählt hat, vergebe ich eine 2-."
[10.0] "Currently rising the ranks of New Japan, Ibushi is a stalwart for the DDT promotiom in Japan. A 3x IWGP Jr. Heavyweight champion and one of the most exciting wrestlers going today."
[8.0] "Nach Ricochet und vielleicht Kalisto einer der besten Highflyer der Welt, der jetzt aber Richtung Heaviweight Division geht, was mit gut gefällt. Gegen Nakamura hat er gezeigt, wie gut das funktioniert, sowohl im Ring als auch von das Storytelling als arroganter Heel während einem Match. Bleibt hoffentlich in Japan und kann dann gerne das nächste mal Nakamura besiegen. Seinen Look sehe ich nicht wirklich als Problem an, da er ja zeigt das er nicht so ist wow er aussieht."
[8.0] "Awesome high flyer. Provides thrilling highlight reel spots in every match. Good looking and good physique. Probably the best junior heavyweight in New Japan and trying his hand at the heavyweights now. With his matinee idol looks and chiseled physique, he certainly looks like a main eventer. Has shown wicked intensity in recent months. Refuses to be helped to the back after he loses. Also a great striker and even has good power moves for his size. The downside? He needs to improve his promos. Also at age 32, one has to wonder how much longer he can continue to rely on being a spot monkey. He needs to be more well rounded and develop his ring psychology. He's also a bit injury prone and should tone down his style. His relatively small size might keep him away from main event status but hopefully not. His high quality performances and great look might be enough to break the glass ceiling."
[10.0] "Recently started watching puroresu... and man oh man, I have never been so impressed. Especially with this performer, Kota Ibushi, the "Golden Star". His match with Ishii at the Back to the Yokohama Arena event was astounding. Not only is he a fantastic aerialist, but he can dish out a lot of strength and toughness with heavyweights like Ishii."
[9.0] "Guter Wrestler mit Everybodys-Darling-Look. Sieht so nett aus, dass man fast vergisst wie hart er einstecken und austeilen kann, dabei aber auch noch die Highflyer-Palette ordentlich abdeckt. Sehr gutes Allround-Paket."
[10.0] "I've started to get into watching New Japan Pro Wrestling for a month now and within that short span of time of watching their product, Kota Ibushi has really caught my attention in such an amazing way! I love his moniker being known as the Golden Star! That nickname fits him so well! After watching his incredible match he had with Okada earlier this month, that match confirmed to me that Ibushi is not only one of THE best talents New Japan has on their roster right now, but he's one of the best Japanese wrestlers I've ever seen period! From his Phoenix Splash to his great high flying abilities to his technical wrestling skills to his unbelievable innovative offense that leaves you marking out if you've never seen anything like what he can do before, everything this guy does in the ring is tremendous and looks perfect as hell!"
[10.0] "The hardest working man in wrestling today is also the greatest high flyer, Kota Ibushi! I don't like Prince Devitt but even he could have a great match with Ibushi, along with the five star match Ibushi had last year with the great Minoru Suzuki."
[10.0] "Great all-around wrestler. He can fly, strike, he can be technical and even has a good arsenal of power moves. Very fun to watch and is one of the best Jr. Heavyweights in the world."
[10.0] "Einer der besten Highflyer, die es gibt. Zeigt super Moonsaults, Spingboard-Aktionen und vieler individueller Akrobatik, die sich in Worten nicht beschreiben lässt. Zusätzlich ist Ibushi neben Masato Yoshino einer der schnellsten Wrestler die es gibt... vor allem Ibushis Mixed Martional Arts Kick- und Schlagkombinationen zeigen das sehr deutlich."
[4.0] "Kota Ibushi ist schlichtweg nicht mehr gut. Es gibt einfach so viel mehr gute Juniors in Japan, sodass man Ibushi einfach nicht mehr braucht. Außerdem ist sein Selling nicht ausreichend."
[7.0] "Lebt wie sein Rivale Devitt von seinem Milchbubie-Pretty Boy-Image. Doch mehr noch als dieser neigt er zu einem Spot Overkill. Was daran besonders nervt, ist dass diese Spots oft dieselben und derart spezifisch sind, dass sie mit der Zeit einfach extrem unglaubwürdig wirken und man sich sehr schnell daran satt gesehen hat. Insbesondere wenn sich diese Spots immer wieder mit wehenden Fahnen ankündigen. Wenn er in dieser Hinsicht langsamer treten würde - denn weniger ist in der Tat oft mehr - dann würde ich ihn vermutlich besser bewerten. So finde ich ihn schon ziemlich overrated. Mir fallen auf Anhieb etliche Juniors vergangener und gegenwärtiger Tage ein, die ich weit besser finde als ihn: Taguchi, CIMA, Lyger, Kanemoto, Marufuji, KENTA und ja - auch Devitt ist, denke ich, der bessere von beiden. Er übertreibt es einfach nicht so."
[9.0] "Äußerst begabter Junior Heavyweight, der sich in den letzten Jahren auch die Anerkennung von New Japan Pro Wrestling erarbeiten konnte. Sein Titelgewinn dort hat mich sehr gefreut. Ich hoffe, er bekommt einen erneuten Shot, wenn er wieder fitt ist."
[9.0] "Klasse Highflyer der mich irgendwie immer aufs neue zu begeistern weiß. Wird mir im Gegensatz zu anderen nicht langweilig und gefällt mir eigentlich in jedem Match. Verdienter Sieger vom BOSJ Tunier und zeigt dort v. a. im Finale auch dass er durchaus in der Lage ist ein klasse Match zu worken und nicht nur ein reiner Spotwrestler ist."
[7.0] "Kota Ibushi ist ein meistens hervorragender Spot-Wrestler, der es allerdings manchmal übertreiben will und deshalb auch oft seine Spots vergeigt. Aufbau hat er in so gut wie keinem Kampf, was Submissions betrifft, aber immerhin kann er richtig übel kicken. Insgesamt pendelt er sich mit seinen stiffen Kicks, den coolen Spots und seinen High Impact Moves, die schön aussehen bei 7 Punkten ein."
[10.0] "Ibushi ist für mich der Best Flying Wrestler 2010. Er haut mich mit seinen Aktionen immer wieder aus dem Stuhl und begeistert mich immer wieder aufs neue."
[10.0] "Bester Wrestler momentan bei DDT. Starker High-Flyer, der seinen eigenen Stil hat und deshalb einzigartig ist. Neben dem High-Flying auch noch sehr stiff. Sollte mal nach Deutschland zur wXw kommen;)."
[9.0] "Jaja, Kota Ibushi ist schon was tolles. Ich muss sagen, wer es schafft mit einer GUMMIPUPPE ein ansehnliches Match zu zeigen, kann nur gut sein. Ibushi ist äußert Unterhaltsam, das hat man vorallem beim Match gegen YOSHIHIKO gesehen und ich finde das er bei DDT sehr gut aufgehoben ist. Er ist ein starker High Flyer, der aber auch was von Hard Hitting und Innovation versteht. Trotzdem, für eine Höchstpunktzahl reicht es nicht, da, wie es hier schon häufiger gesagt wird, es so aussieht als ob Kota seine Spots einfach "abspulen" würde."
[9.0] "Das was ich bisher von ihm gesehen habe hat mich absolut umgehauen. Die Tag Matches mit Marufuji und Nakajima gegen die Briscoes haben mich vom Hocker gerissen."
[9.0] "Unglaublich was dieser Mann alles drauf hat. Z. B. einen 450 Splash vom Apron oder ein immer wieder perfekter Phoenix Splash. 9 Punkte für DAS Puroresu Junior Heavyweight Talent"
[10.0] "In meinen Augen noch vor KUDO & HARASHIMA der coolste Typ bei DDT! Wird durch ROH wahrscheinlich noch einiges mehr ins Internationale Spot-Light rücken!"
