Kenny Omega vs. Kota Ibushi

[9.0] "Amazing overall, with a consistently high level of physicality, drama, athleticism, creativity, and natural chemistry between the two. There are numerous dramatic spots and exchanges--particularly the moonsault from the balcony, the frankensteiner to the outside, Kenny's dive, and several very compelling near falls. That said, the first ten minutes feel somewhat directionless. The technical work that anchors that stretch, while creative and compelling in principle, lacks realism--the package/armbar sequence in particular. Kenny's selling also borders on ridiculous at times, which ultimately detracts from the bite and integrity of what is otherwise a gritty, somewhat challenging and profound match in its complexity and scope."

[10.0] "[*****+] WOW, what an absolute war. From the off it's hard not to admire the speed and athleticism of the Golden Lovers. The way they move around the ring with such pace and purpose to everything they do really made it impossible to take your eyes off this from the opening bell. I loved Kenny's armbar where he overpowered Ibushi trying to turn it into a pin. There was some beautiful exchanges and the striking was so crisp. Ibushi might be the best striker I have ever seen, some of the shots he threw it looked like he wanted to kill Kenny. I was terrified when they were one-upping each other on the top rope and that 'rana to the outside genuinely made me jump up off my seat, genuinely jaw-breaking stuff. The closing stretch was so frenetic and the electricity in the building was palpable, seeing the OWA being kicked out from was genuinely legendary and I couldn't think of a match more worthy of that honour. Both these guys took some insane bumps, Ibushi on the German suplex from the top rope and Omega from the Phoenixplex were insane. My feed didn't have the craziness of the scaffold cut out which was a shame as I would love to see the mythical spot that got Kota banned from the building but even without it, this was one of my favourite matches I have ever seen."

[8.0] "You just have to sit back and admire the speed, athleticism and stiffness of this match. Even with Omega's tongue constantly popping out throughout the contest it was still a relatively rare thing for a longer match in that I could not take my eyes of it. On Wrestle Universe whatever that scaffolding spot was was cut out, so I didn't get to factor that in to my thoughts, but from other comments it sounds like it was a bit daft. Good match."

[9.0] "Kota looks like the absolute protagonist. Omega egging Ibushi on into one of the most beautiful sequences. Attacking Ibushis arm and emphasizing Omega as a Powerhouse. The moves escalate more and more, to a point where they are throwing crazy bombs. That top-rope Rana to the outside will be with me for a long time. What a beautiful OWA! Kota being the first to tend to Kenny. Wonderful, absolutely brilliant. This is the gatekeeper for a 10/10 this is my highest 9.5 possible. A long, grueling, epic classic."

[10.0] "A long, grueling, epic classic for sure. This is the birth of Kenny Omega as we know him and the cementing of Ibushi as the more favorite rising star at the time. The following year basically defines their paths (not their careers) for the next 5 or 6 years and it pretty much starts with this pivotal crux for the Golden Lovers and probably the most important match they have had or every will have (sadly) due to where they are in their careers now in 2025."

[10.0] "Definitely DDT's most controversial match up to the date. This was a fantastic choice to have the main event. Kenny challenging the man who thought him how to fight and bought him to Japan after his training in WWE went awful that he nearly quit Wrestling. Kota was maintaining his status as the ace of DDT and also trying to strengthen his holding in New Japan. Now both are fighting for pride and prestige and this match doesn't disappoint. Probably the best match in the feud(because they faced only twice in singles and thrice overall) and the balcony spot(which was controversial) maybe stupid but was still great. This match is important for those who wanted to explore omega-ibushi relationship storyline"

[10.0] "Two athletic freaks putting on masterclass of wrestling. Iconic match, Kenny and Ibushi are wrestling soulmates in every sense of the word."

[9.0] "An absolute classic. A masterclass in storytelling, athleticism, and brutal high spots, from balcony moonsaults to Ibushi kicking out of the One Winged Angel. The chemistry is flawless, the drama intense, and the pacing keeps you hooked for 37+ minutes. Not perfect, put damn near it. A must-watch match showcasing two future all-time greats right before they were about to hit their prime."

[10.0] "The match that introduced me to these 2 legends many years ago and i can say it was worth seeing this and watching a masterpiece of a match, something that I've never seen before with 2 guys literally having 150% chemistry"

[5.0] "First half was fine, once they left the ring it turned stupid, over the top and self-indulgent. Kenny standing and waiting until Kota jumps off balcony was dumb. Several spots that were no sold annoyed me and especially Kenny's cartoony mannerisms and facial expressions."

[9.0] "This is obviously an iconic match, DDT Peter Pan, Omega's green trunks and Ibushi's white ones. Some insane spots happened, some other great moments happened aswell. However, I felt like this match was actually a bit overrated. It's iconic but not as great as expected. First of all the DDT style was a bit much at times for me (literally too much for many other people). Second of all, I feel that while giving many great things in terms of physical, technical and emotional aspects, I still think they didn't went as far as they should have in all those aspects. I don't that think that was perfect, and what happened during 37 minutes doesn't left me speechless or shocked, I just think it was great but not more than that."

[10.0] "Saw this after seeing an Clairo edit to it and knew nothing about the Golden Lover yet this was incredible. Can only imagine gets better by watching the older GL stuff (emotion of ending/OWA kickout). 10/10"

[10.0] "(4.75*) Although DDT is known for its comedic side, this is the best DDT match they have produced. This match was nothing funny, this was a very serious match and two best friends putting their bodies on the line destroying each other, the hurricanrana to the outside, the avalanche phoenix plex, one of the most violent and most brutal matches I have ever witnessed."

[8.0] "The level of athleticism and insane moves in this one is ridiculous. An all-out leave nothing in the tank performance from both and it is rightfully lauded as a classic. For me though while I admire it greatly it gets a little overwhelming. 4.25 stars."

[10.0] "The best match DDT Pro Wrestling, when the two best friends face off to see who is the best of them all."

[9.0] "[4.5*] First of all, I am not very much into this comedy wrestling stuff DDT does, but goddamn this match is just undeniably insane. Of couse there are some little things that I find annoying like the Hadouken, but the match is so good and the spots are so insane that I gave it a pass. These guys took some of the nastiest bumps I have ever seen and the Steenalizer Ibushi gave to Kenny at the ending made my jaw drop. This match is also historical because it marks the only time in history a wrestler has kicked out of the One Winged Angel applied by Kenny Omega."

[10.0] "A pure masterpiece both men with absolutely masterclass in ring action and spots both in the ring and around the arena, their psychology is off the charts and this was perfection between both Golden Lovers."

[10.0] "One of the most outstanding match I've ever seen and a damn solid all timer. Of course this match can be seen as a overlong spotfest but for me this was more than that, this was a storytelling masterclass and a really emotional match between two best friends who had to go further as the match progresses, and at one point you are telling yourself "they are supposed to be best friends! " and that's how good the storytelling was. Omega started by working on Ibushi's both arms, no amazing selling or what and at this point i thought Omega was confusing both arms but I understood that it was actually a strategy and an opening to finish the match so it's smart. So many reversals that showed how both know each other perfectly well, they do everything together and they know each other's secrets perfectly well so the reversals were perfectly done and made perfectly sense but all the friendship started to less matter after Ibushi's iconic Moonsault off the balcony because minutes after, Omega become agressive and pulled out some brutal moves such as the Alley Oop on the turnbuckle, the buckle bomb and that damn brutal Croyt's Wrath off the top rope, it became clear that Omega was ready to risk Ibushi's career for his rise to the top, so was Ibushi who answered it with a deadly Frankensteiner off the top rope to the outside, it became personal. A lot of spots happened but they sold and it actually mattered to the story of the match which made everything better, another example of that is the Phoenix Plex off the top rope that was well by Omega who executed a weak kick out. The punch exchange was incredible, showing how deep they went to surpass each other and that nearfall from Ibushi on the One Winged Angel was tremendous, his selling and facial expressions were top notch. All time classic and 37 minutes that seemed like 15 minutes - *****"

[10.0] "Awesome match from Kenny Omega and Kota Ibushi. There was some amazing sequences and some great spots in this match. Kenny controlled the early portion of the match. Ibushi moonsault from the balcony, Ibushi frankensteiner on Kenny to the outside. Croyt's wrath from the top rope, kicking out of the One-winged angel. These guys brought the best out of each other. It was excellent."

[9.0] "The reason I subscribed to Wrestle Universe was to watch this match. This match has only grown in historical importance because of the legacy Omega and Ibushi have carved for themselves since this match. Kenny Omega's desperate battle to hold onto his best friend as Ibushi wants to reach his full potential is heart breaking. Ibushi won the match but it cost him something he wouldn't get back for another 6 years."

[9.0] "I'll just say it right now so there's no confusion, I'm not a big fan of DDT and neither of this style of match, but in this one I'm gonna have to take my hat off, because of the importance, the significant moments and the fact that this was in 2012, in a company known for comedy moments. Of course this one had some goofy and DDT-style moments, but overall it was a hell of a wrestling match, with impressive athletic moves and what it really stands out in this, the spots, this had the craziest spots you can ever see in a battle, awesome. That's one of the best examples of incredible matches between tags, just two friends beating the hell out of each other, amazing to watch. The fact that this was the only time a Kenny opponent kicked out the one-winged angel is historic, and explains itself why this should be considered a near perfect experience - {****1/2}"

[7.0] "It's a match with incredible emotional weights and there are some highs in here as well. I did love this the first time, but on a rewatch I can't get over how long it takes for this match to get into the next gear. I don't even think the arm work at the start is that spectacular as well."

[8.0] "I definitely prefer their G1 match and their very first match over this one. The G1 was crisper, better paced, and better told. Their first match was raw and shocking and felt very real. This one has a long build up with limb work, etc that never pays off later as Ibushi rarely bothers to sell consistently, if at all. His bizarre jump up out of the 1WA was also very off-putting. But there were some really gnarly bumps in this that can't be ignored, the second half of the match gets bonkers, and they do of course have tremendous chemistry."

[6.0] "Man, this match was hard to watch. This match is far from either man's best match and is so overrated based on the "hidden gem" nature of it. Just watch their G1 match instead because that one is leagues ahead of this dragged out chore of a match. I will give it a 6 instead of anything lower simply due to "impressive athleticism" or something."

[9.0] "Great spectacular moments, especially outside the ring. Very good chemistry between these two wrestlers. (4*1/2)"

[10.0] "[5.0*] Golden Lovers are amazing friends (lovers) and partners but they make even better adversaries. Ibushi and Omega were at their physical peak at that time, unlike what I thought the match didn't start frantically, the entire first half was dominated by Omega doing limb work and punishing Ibushi with different submissions. The second half of the match was insane, with spectacular spots (like Ibushi applying a hurricanrana on the top rope throwing Omega out of the ring) and both arriving completely exhausted for a dramatic end to the match. It was impressive to see Ibushi and Omega down punching each other in the face and completely tired and hurt. Perhaps the most impressive moment of the entire match was when Kota Ibushi did a rare kickout on One Winged Angel (Omega's finisher) that made me get up off my chair and it was extremely emotional. Ibushi hugging Omega immediately after beating him with a beautiful Phoenix Splash and after fighting so aggressively for 30 minutes reminded me why I love these guys."

[9.0] "Such a great match. The arm work from Kenny, the stiff strikes, and the nasty bumps are all fantastic. It's fluid, and a little goofy at times, but it falls a bit short of the 5 for me. I don't think the match itself is better/worse than their G1 bout years later, but it lacked the drama and production of that match. Will certainly go back and watch this one at some point though. 4.75 Stars."

[10.0] "Absurd banger from these two, there are so many mind-boggling and scary moments in this match that practically leaves you speechless with every move, but what was certainly the icing on the cake for this match to definitely go down in history was the One Winged Angel kickout by Kota. The coolest thing is that six years later these two had an even better match in the G1. 2012 MOTY (*****)"

[10.0] "One of the most back and forth matches youll ever see. Some nasty bumps thatll make you wince. From the moonsault off the balcony, the rana off the top rope down to the floor, and multiple spots with them getting dropped LITERALLY on their heads, I dont know how they got through this match without serious injury. The 37-something minute run time flies by as well. My only complaint is I wish Ibushi couldve sold the arm work -that Omega did early- later on the match, i.e. acting like hes in serious pain when delivering forearm strikes. Other than that though, one of the best matches youll ever see. A lot better than some of the 5+ star matches that Meltzer hands out. 10/10."

[10.0] "Omega. Ibushi. The most "democratic" scenario possible. Essentially, they were in conditions to do an all-timer and they did. Fantastic maneuvers and spots from start to finish and yes, Ibushi kicked out the OWA. One of the best "normal" matches in DDT if not the best. *****"

[10.0] "This match went for almost 40 minutes, and I wasn't bored once. These two were on some other sh*t when they did this match, because this was straight up unbelievable. The chemistry between these two was perfect, and they didn't sacrifice the storytelling or psychology at all. The spots were crazy though. There was stuff here I've never seen, and I truly believe that these two just raised the overall ceiling of wrestling here. I don't know what else to say here without just heaping praise after praise on top of this match (which it definitely deserves). How these two didn't get seriously injured during this match... I don't know. They destroyed each other. This is a masterpiece and classic. AWESOME to say the least."

[10.0] "This match has some of the best falls ever ibushi kick out of everything Kenny kicked out of everything******"

"This match was so fun to watch, my first wrestling match i've actually watched while paying attention and it got me into wrestling."

[9.0] "This match was the antithesis of pretty much everything DDT became (in)famous for. It wasn't a joke, it wasn't over-the-top, and it wasn't a mockery of pro-wrestling or an attempt at exposing the craft. This was as close to serious and competitive wrestling as it gets with these two daredevil mavericks. What's more, it was astonishingly great; these guys actually wrestled and took this match seriously. The match actually had a sense of competition, tension, and linear build towards an exciting finish. Even though it had some ridiculous dives (because, Ibushi) and some cartoonish moments (because, Omega), those things were barely noticeable in the grand scheme of things. This is one of the better matches involving Omega and Ibushi in the same ring. It's disappointing that, years later when their work would reach a much larger audience, they'd fail to live up to the standard they set for themselves here."

[10.0] "I think this is my favorite Omega match that doesn? t involve Okada, absolutely fantastic. Top 3 matches in Japan outside de big 3 companies."

[10.0] "Lol this match is dumb. But it's also amazing! The moonsault from the balcony, the kickout of the one winged angel the wrestling it's all so good. The hurricanrana from the top turnbuckle to the outside is one of the biggest ouchie moments I've ever seen. Preceding the silly bump we get this incredible 2 minutes stretch work Kenny is on top of the turnbuckle and we're just waiting for the bump but they keep delaying it and delaying it using with amazing storytelling five stars, it is so good. (But also dumb)"

[6.0] "There was good and bad to this, but a lot of what Omega was doing really was a rough watch in terms of insanely over the top facial expressions that in most other matches it would utterly kill it and make me not want to watch. In DDT the tone is purposely wacky so I was able to accept it at least, even though I still didn't like it and it dragged the match down. Moving on from that negative it had a lot of great and high impact stuff, with even more heart and effort behind it to where I ended up actually kind of liked it, and they definitely made an effort to make it feel like a major match. Ibushi put 110% into not just offensive moves but also selling for Omega and making him look better, and obviously in terms of execution of moves Omega was sublime. A good match, but I don't agree with the high rating overall here."

[10.0] "I had heard a lot about this match before watching it and it absolutely lived up to its legendary status and then some. The first 25 minutes really flew by and the spots they did were so insane they made me physically cringe in a mix of fear and marking out. I mean it's Kenny and Ibushi, when they step in the ring together magic happens. *****"

[8.0] "I'm not the biggest Omega guy so I was unsure what I would think of this. The result is I actually thought it was excellent overall, albeit somewhat overrated in my opinion. The athletic display is tremendous, and spots like Ibushi moonsaulting off the balcony are highly memorable, though the setup was rather awkward with Omega simply standing there waiting. I did think the length was excessive, and Omega at times looked absolutely goofy with some of his reactions and over-selling, but even so this one was fun."

[10.0] "This is the first fight I've watched outside of the US and UK and I got a very big kick out of it. I don't really know what to say, it's just perfect. The audience is totally into it and it helps to enjoy the fight. The number of crazy spots, nearfalls and moments where I was completely shocked. In short, it's a classic."

[10.0] "Unique piece of wrestling between Kenny Omega and Kota Ibushi here which is an epic clash that ten years later is still the best match in DDT history and the best match of the 2012 year, an absolutely insane experience to live every time I watch this match. I launch this match on my computer and don't think about anything else for almost forty minutes to really get into the mood for this legendary match, which deserves all the love and praise it's been getting for years now because the action is absolutely insane. It's perfectly worked in the ring, you go through all the emotions in front of it as so much things happen and they perfectly knew how to mix between the more crafty moments of the match and the great spots, it's to wonder how Kota could come out of this match alive so much he took dangerous bumps on the neck. I can't even mention what I liked best because everything was magical and fantastic, it's really a once in a lifetime match and one of the best of the careers of both. Kota & Kenny always promise an amazing combination, but here they were just on another planet."

[8.0] "This match really showed the potential Kenny Omega already had in 2012. He would eventually become a more complete worker. This was a very good match overall. The craziest spot of the match was Kota Ibushi's springboard super frankensteiner to the floor."

[10.0] "There will never be another Kenny Omega and there will never be another Kota Ibushi. My words cannot do this match justice. A pro-wrestling masterpiece. *****"

[8.0] "Omega was great working on top. There were some awesome moments and that one really crazy spot. ****"

[10.0] "One of the most memorable and greatest matches of all time. Budokan Hall was packed with 10, 000 people for this event for a small independent promotion."

[9.0] "10 years later, I still find myself asking if these two are OK. Some of the craziest spots in professional wrestling history. A compelling story of the progressive withering of the respect between them. Kenny Omega looking to outwrestle Kota Ibushi on the mat and take away his arms, only for The Golden Star to show the fighting spirit that made him the Ace of the company. Omega going deeper and deeper into the depths of depravity as he risks the career of his friend turned rival in pursuit of gold and superiority. Ibushi proving he can go even further beyond the point of no return than Omega. I remember watching this in 2012 and wondering how in the world these two would be able to wrestle another match, yet here we are. Perhaps the most shocking kickout of the post HBK and HHH versus Undertaker era. Without question some of the nastiest landings I have ever seen. The type of match that leaves you numb and grateful that the bout is over, even though you never wanted it to end. I can see why people question the point of the arm work or why Omega was standing and waiting for Ibushi to dive onto him for the infamous balcony spot, but this was a sum of its parts kind of match and it bordered on perfection. An all-time classic. 4.75 stars, 9.5 out of 10. An incredible experience that I can absolutely understand the five-star ratings for."

[10.0] "honestly, one of the greatest matches i have ever seen. beautifully poetic, technically astounding, batshit insane highspots. the fact that ibushi and kenny omega are the only two men to ever kick out of katayoku no tenshi is a good note to make. all-in-all, a wonderful match between two golden lovers :)"

[4.0] "I really wasn't a fan of this. The high spots are obviously incredible, but I found this match to be insanely self-indulgent. Omega's mannerisms are so god-damn goofy here that it's hard to take him seriously. The moonsault from the balcony was a ballsy spot, but it's robbed of its full impact as we have to watch Omega just stand there as Ibushi takes his sweet time getting himself into position. We also have to sit through some very obviously cooperative fighting on the top rope as they get themselves ready for the next big move. I won't be completely negative about this, as there are a few things that I actually enjoyed about this. Ibushi is great at selling shock and he brought some great glossy-eyed facials to the table whenever he would kick out of a big spot. Omega did some decent arm work during the opening minutes and I was pleased that it actually played into the final act of the match. Outside of that, this was a long 37 minutes and I don't think I'll revisit this one anytime soon."

[10.0] "Fantastic match between the two, I really enjoyed watching Ibushi and Omega, they beat the hell out of each other. I couldn't recommend it higher. *****1/2"

[10.0] "My personal favorite match of all time. A beautiful train wreck of two rivals-turned-friends-turned-rivals constantly one upping each other."