[5.0] "I mean, he's an ok wrestler who is obviously best suited in the comedy role. Nothing really special about him aside from the fact he can make you laugh, really enjoyed his work with Devitt as Apollo 55 though. Feel like that was probably the best of Taguchi, hasn't really done anything noteworthy since, which is a shame because that team ended well over a decade ago now."
[6.0] "His best years are behind him and he'll probably retire soon. His run in this years BOSJ was, in my opinion, pretty refreshing since he told a story and even worked a little bit. His comedy and ass-skits aren't really my cup of tea but as a normal wrestler, he isn't bad by any means."
[8.0] "Very underrated wrestler, might be because a lot of people are getting worked by the ass gimmick but besides being a good comedy wrestler, he is actually a great technician as well. He showed more of it in the latest BOSJ even if it was short and he is obviously at the end of his career but if he needs to step up he can still do it and the crowd absolutely loves him."
[7.0] "Taguchi has been an excellent worker for many years now. Spends a lot of time in undercard comedy matches but when called upon he can really put on a fantastic match. Technically sound and knows all the basics of wrestling which makes him a very reliable wrestler to have around. His character work is pretty basic but it's fine for his position on the card."
[8.0] "Reliable, fun, and a veteran. Taguchi doesn't get his flowers when he really should. He's had a lot of really good matches and a lot of good time as a staple of the Junior Heavyweight Title scene and now that he's in his 40s he's transitioned to an infectiously fun veteran who is constantly up to wacky bullshit. Taguchi will always have a place in my heart and will definitely have a place in NJPW history"
[8.0] "It might be easy to dismiss Ryusuke Taguchi because of his goofy personality and the fact that he's rarely been outside his New Japan Junior Heavyweight bubble. But make no mistake, the man can go at it with some of the very best, whether that is his former tag team partner Finn Balor, the Golden Star Kota Ibushi or even prime Kenny Omega. As a tag team competitor, he and Balor (or Prince Devitt as he was know back then) had some of the greatest tag team matches of the decade against the likes of the Golden Lovers and the Motor City Machine Guns."
[3.0] "I haven't seen Rysuke in tag matches yet, but in singles he just hasn't been appealing to me. This was especially true in this year's BoSJ's. He seriously needs a new or mix up of his current move set, because the multiple hip attacks he does in every match just don't look good or like they work as much as they did when I saw him for the first time."
[8.0] "The man's glorious gluts alone are worth the eight. Okay joke aside Taguchi really is a great talent. In recent years he's taken a backseat as many older talent in New Japan do. Heck he and Devitt alone are a classic tag team. And it's always fun he turns it on during BOSJ"
[7.0] "Good when he actually applies himself beyond "wrestler who uses his ass for a weapon" and having tedious singles matches. I know that his earlier stuff was a lot better in quality and that he changed things up due to well, not being the most durable, but his match quality consistently isn't very good. Blame the company for keep putting him in tag matches, I guess."
[9.0] "NJPW Legende die zwar heute mehr im Comedy Bereich unterwegs ist aber das wirkt nie lächerlich und er hat Spaß dabei ich finde das ist das wichtigste. Ansonst ist er immer noch ein Top Mann. Legendär natürlich das Tag Team Apollo 55 mit Devitt."
[7.0] "Taguchi is one of my personal favourite wrestlers. This isn't even appreciation out of irony either. Yes, he's mainly a comedy wrestler utilising his ass and some ridiculous facial expressions, but dammit, the guy gets over! He also isn't like Yano, who just repeats the same gags over and over again and is applauded because of his comedic presentation, as Taguchi actuallys adds new gags to his repertoire every few months or at least develops his existing gags in interesting and funny ways. He's a naturally goofy-looking guy who plays his goofy character well. I also love Taguchi as much as I do because of how rarely but successfully he can prove himself to be a legitimately good big-match wrestler. I first noticed he could actually sell pretty damn well and pace/structure a match at a high standard back during the 2016 BOSJ, especially during his great finals match against Ospreay. He's usually had at least a handful of very good matches every single year since then, and he will also get maybe one great match a year too. Taguchi is legitimately a very good wrestler, and part of his character involves using his genuinely funny comedy bits to pull you in, as you then think he's just a joke and nothing more, but then, when in a high-stakes situation, he proves that he does have talent and does take wrestling seriously, and it's thus super endearing to see him show such genuine desperation and heart. I just want the absolute best for this courageous clown. Heck, I wouldn't be mad if he got another IWGP Junior Title reign, since I"m sure he'd do very well in that position."
[6.0] "Ganz ehrlich. Meiner Meinung nach ist er hier zu hoch bewertet. In- Ring (7, 5/10), Charisma (6/10); Ausstrahlung (4/10) und Gesamteindruck (6/10). Wenn er öfter komplett ernst wrestlen würde, wäre meine Bewertung wahrscheinlich besser. Insgesamt 5, 88/10 ? 6 Punkte."
[8.0] "Ryusuke Taguchi is very good, y'all. I get why some people hate him, but it's not his fault, just watch his matches of any BOSJ or for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight or Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championships. Despite being a comedy guy, he can be a very serious wrestler if he wants to, and that's why he's one of the best Junior Heavyweights that NJPW ever had. I would give him an 7. 75/10, but I can't do that here, so here's an 8/10"
[8.0] "For someone who has been leaning into comedy for so long Taguchi is a surprisingly good wrestler. Very technically sound and incredibly reliable in NJPW's Jr division."
[8.0] "Ryusuke Taguchi used to be absolutely amazing as a Jr Heavyweight. Proof is he was at the same level if not slightly better than Prince Devitt as part of Apollo 55. His matches with the likes Kenny Omega, Kota Ibushi and Milano Collection AT are incredible to this day. But here's the extraordinary thing: while he had to tone things down a lot due to age and tear and wear on his body and reinvented himself as a merchandise-shilling comedy character he got if possible even better when he's needed. His 2015 match with Shinsuke Nakamura was incredible, not just because of the in-ring action but for the amount of sympathy Taguchi managed to get from a crowd that at the beginning of the match was firmly in Nakamura's camp. All the important singles matches he's had since have ranged from good to excellent: he may save himself up for the big occasions but when those come he never disappoints. Truly an outstanding wrestler."
[8.0] "Easily one of the most underappreciated wrestlers in the world. Sure, he can be an annoying or silly comedy guy at times. However, when the company needs him to deliver, he always does. He is good at filler challenger role or a transition champion. Really good in ring work, good selling, good psychology. He can work with various opponents. Of course he is not workhorse like kushida, but he always plays his role well."
[7.0] "Ai, ai, ai. Wenn Taguchi möchte, dann zeigt er doch wirklich so geniale und großartige Matches. Sein BOSJ Run jährlich macht unfassbar Spaß, dazu kann er eben mit Leuten wie KUSHIDA & Ospreay richtig starke Matches aufstellen. Trotzdem mutiert er halt immer nur zum Comedy Wrestler, weshalb seine guten Leistungen nicht konstant sind. Aber eben dort tut er auch seinen Job richtig gut und unterhält. In der Funky Future mit Ricochet kann das richtig groß werden. 7/10"
[9.0] "Super unterhaltsamer Charakter, mit den richtigen Partnern kann er auch super gute Matches abliefern. Für mich ein Highlight der Junior Division. Taguchi Japan finde ich auch genial"
[8.0] "OHYAI! Ich mag Taguchi mega gern, sicher er ist nicht der schnellste oder Flashy-iegste Junior bei NJ aber er ist einer der unterhaltsamsten. Seine Hip-Attack offensive finde ich cool, weil ich es mag wenn wrestler sich auf eine Sache spezialisieren, (z. B. T-Hawk mit chops, Naoki Tanizaki mit knees, Masaaki Mochizuki mit kicks) Und Technisch ist er wenn er die Chance bekommt mit einer der besten Wrestler in NJ"
[7.0] "Ryusuke Taguchi is a weird guy. Most of the times he's doing his comedy and a lot of people hate him for it. I, too, can't stand most of his singles matches because he's just using his damn ass. I don't like WWE's "Divas" for example doing it, why would I like a Japanese man almost as old as John Cena? But when you see Taguchi on a great match, such as in this year's Best of the Super Juniors against KUSHIDA, you notice he CAN put up a great match when need be. Maybe, his gimmick is just that. In an enviroment like NJPW, not being taken seriously when you're actually great is a good weapon kayfabe-wise, and a nice shocker out of it. Taguchi can put up good performances. For God's sake, he's the leader of a stable that has Hiroshi F'n Tanahashi as a member! Taguchi is, to sum it up, New Japan's Big match player. You can eventually grow to at least tolerate his ass, and watching him in a great match is weirdly satisfying. Still, he could tone the ass down a little."
[10.0] "He doesn't show it in every match, but Taguchi is hands down one of the best in NJPW. When he's not aiming for comedy, he's crisp and deadly, and can go toe to toe with anyone on the roster."
[8.0] "Gutes Junior Heavyweight. Leider nicht mehr ganz auf der Höhe wie zu seiner Zeit mit Devitt, kann aber immernoch spannende Matches zeigen, wie z. B. das Titel-Match gegen Takahashi kürzlich. Gute Technik, super Ausstrahlung, ist für jeden Spaß zu haben (z. B. als "Boy" von Dalton Castle) und seine Hip Attacks sind unglaublich over. Macht immer Spaß ihm zuzuschauen."
[10.0] "Taguchi's freaking amazing. It's easy to just write him off as a silly comedy wrestler, slim Yano of sorts. But he's so much more. With Yano what you see is what you get, but Taguchi, besides being entertaining novelty act on your regular njpw show, can just turn it on given big match opportunity. He's a master of a mood swing. It may seem that he's doing his regular comedy match but he knows how to make himself look like a real threat . His matches with Will, Kushida, Hiromu are a proof of that."
[10.0] "Taguchi is the most underrated wrestler in NJPW. He had showed his capacity in great bouts, he is the best worker of all JR (alongside JTL) his selling is good and the match against Will Ospreay proved that deserves more despite his age and gimmick."
[8.0] "Taguchi is underrated. His comical "funky weapon" gimmick hinders his true in ring ability. I was one of many people who doubted his abiliity, but once I saw his true potential in BOSJ 2016, I can say Taguchi is one of best Jr. Heavyweight in NJPW right now. His match with Matt Sydal and Will Ospreay at BOSJ were amazing and I know he can do a lot in the ring if given opportunity"
[3.0] "UPDATE: Ryusuke Taguchi gewinnt mir rein gar nichts ab. Sein Moveset besteht rein aus Hip Attacks, im Ring daher wenig zu gebrauchen, auch wenn er sein mögliches Können teilweise schon zeigt (2, 5/10), Taguchi strahlt leider wenig aus (2/10) und einzig die Hip Attack Trains machen ihn ein wenig charismatisch (4/10). Insgesamt sind das 2, 83 von 10 Punkten - "nicht ausreichend"."
[7.0] "Er hat es doch eigentlich drauf, aber durch sein übertriebenes Nutzen der Hip-Attack macht er das selbst kaputt. Wenn er das mal abstellen könnte und nicht 80% seiner Aktionen seinen Hintern als Waffe beinhalten, würden seine Matches auch wieder besser werden. Nichts desto trotz einguter Mann, der aber nachgelassen hat. Edit: Wow, heftig wie viel Hate sich hier gegen Taguchi angestaut hat. Sein Gimmick Work kann nervig sein, aber was viele hier zu vergessen scheinen ist, dass er trotzdem wenn er will ein richtig starker Junior Wrestler ist. Sein Run im Best of the Super Junior dieses Jahr war richtig klasse mit mehreren super Matches wie gegen Sydal oder heute in einem grandiosen Fight gegen Ospreay. Man kann ihn für sein Gimmick kritisieren, dem gebe ich ja auch zum Teil recht, aber ihn mit solchen Wertungen abzustrafen, empfinde ich seinen Fähigkeiten gegenüber doch recht unfair. Aufgrund der positiven Eindrücke der letzten Wochen, in denen mich Taguchi erinnert hat, was für ein toller Wrestler er sein kann, gehe ich von 6 auf 7 hoch, in der Hoffnung, dass in den kommenden Monaten nochmal ein Feuer in ihm auflodert, und er seine jetzige gute Form beibehalten kann."
[4.0] "Bewertung zwei Punkte herunter. Ist nach 13 Jahren im Geschäft an einem Punkt, wo schon viele vorher standen, nur dass sie da in der Regel nicht schon unter 40 angekommen waren, was aber nicht sein Verschulden sein muss. An dieser Stelle in seiner Karriere wird er sich (vielleicht) fragen: 1. Mache ich mich weiterhin im Ring kaputt und gebe auch außerhalb von diesem alles für meine Karriere als Wrestler (nennen wir einen Hiroshi Tanahashi als ein sehr gutes Beispiel hierfür) oder lasse ich es etwas ruhiger angehen und werde etwas mehr ein "Gimmick-Worker", kann damit aber vermutlich länger im Wrestling aktiv bleiben, weil mein Körper dann nicht so sehr leidet, nennen wir hier KENSO als Beispiel. Und für mich ist es deutlich, dass er sich für die zuletzt genannte Variante entschieden hat und wir vielleicht noch viele viele Hip-Attacks von ihm sehen werden."
[3.0] "Ich kann dem Taguchi nicht sehr viel abgewinnen. Charisma hat er keins und sein Moveset besteht gefühlt nur darauf seinem Popo in das Gesicht seines Gegner zu hämmern. Ne, das muss nun wirklich nicht sein."
[7.0] "While Taguchi portrays a bit more of a lighthearted character than most of the rest of the NJPW roster, it doesn't necessarily cost him any legitimacy in the ring. Even his signature hip attacks are done in such a way that they look like legitimate offense. He also has some good technical skill and a few aerial moves that are somewhat reminiscent of his hero Eddie Guerrero. He may be destined to remain a fixture of the midcard and tag team ranks, but the Funky Weapon seems poised to make the most of it."
[5.0] "Ich mochte Taguchi mal wirklich, aber seit dem er angefangen hat sein Moveset durch 90% Variationen von Stößen mit seinem Hinterteil auszutauschen, sind seine Matches für mich nur noch schwer zu ertragen."
[3.0] "Zeitweise wirkte er so, als ob er die schwächelnde NJP-Junior-Division tragen und vielleicht sogar zu neuem Glanz führen könnte. Mittlerweile ist er nur noch schlecht und die die Hip Attacks sind grauenhaft."
[5.0] "Kein Vergleich zu früher, wer ist dieser blutleere Schlaftabletten-Wrestler der auch noch gefühlte 10 Jahre älter aussieht und vor allem was hat er mit Ryusuke Taguchi gemacht? Das mag hart sein, übertrieben und nicht ganz fair, aber ich bin ehrlich schockiert wie schnell Taguchi die Erfolgsleiter herunter gerutscht ist, so schnell das im die Splitter der Leiter noch im Ar... stecken. Kein Hüftschwung, kaum noch Feuer und viel zu selten das was ihm mal ausgemacht hat, NOT FUNKY ANYMORE!"
[6.0] "Ich weiß nicht, was mit Taguchi passiert ist, aber die Funky Weapon war, owbohl sie 2012 das BOSJ Turnier gewann, in der Folge alles andere als Funky. Wirkt motivationslos und aufgedunsen und hat deshalb mehr und mehr an Standing verloren. Ich hoffe, er wacht schnell auf."
[9.0] "Taguchi ... ich habe erst zwei Matches von ihm gesehen und bin beeindruckt. Deswegen lasse ich mich auch gleich mal zu einer hohen Wertung hinreißen. Insbesondere die Tatsache, dass er für einen Junior doch recht bodenständig agiert und nicht auf einen Spot nach dem anderen setzt, macht ihn für mich zu einem guten Mann. Ich schätze es einfach an Lightweights/Juniorweights, wenn sie sich nicht allein darauf verlassen, als gefeierte Hüpfdohle lauter Ohs und Ahs zu ernten, sondern sich auch der anderen handwerklichen Qualitäten im Wrestling besinnen. Taguchi scheint - so mein Ersteindruck - ein solcher Worker zu sein."
[8.0] "Guter Junior Heavyweight, ob in Single-, Tag Team- oder Multimenmatches. Er bringt immer gute Leistung und ist damit ein wichtiger Akteur der NJPW Junior Heavyweight Division."
[8.0] "FUNKY WEAPON LOVE~! Taguchi rockt, er hat Charisma, ein tolles Theme und wird wohl die Zukunft der Juinor Division bei New Japan sein, eine rosige Zukunft, ich sehe sowohl bei ihm als auch bei Yujiro und vor allem Naito noch sehr viel Potenzial. Hoffen wir das seine Regenschaft glückt."
