Hirooki Goto

[10.0] "original rating: "6 - Goto is the opposite of Yoshi Hashi almost who is average if not below average but works upward to get to where he is now. You are looking at someone that was great and didn't make it earlier on, and completely gave up and set for Bishamon. He is above average and has a great presentation, and it might be very different if he did win the IWGP title, but now he has phone it in and it is hard to not find him uninteresting. Every few months he bust out the Shouten Kai and reminds everyone of his former glory at a backdrop of the harsh reality. " /// you are the best, I shouldn't have doubted, not even a little bit"

[8.0] "Hirooki goto is a super solid wrestler, you could put him in any era and he'd shine. He's a total utility player who can legitimize a division, whether it is singles tag or trios/six man."

[10.0] "I love this samurai man who kicks ass and who loves udon more than ramen. For real though, my first interaction with Hirooki Goto wasn't really pleasant at first, I was with the crowd who said he was boring, and ever since I've really turned around on that. Because now I know what Stoicism is, and this man does that far better than some other wrestlers. And to be honest he's had a lot of matches I would consider all timer worthy, The IWGP Heavyweight Title Match with Tanahashi in 2011, The Intercontinental Title Match with Ishii in 2012, The absolute barn burner with Katsuyori Shibata in 2013 that may be one of the best matches of all time. And of course he finally won the big one against Zack Sabre Jr, If that match doesn't put a tear to your eye, then I don't know if you get the wrestling industry, what a beautiful moment of hard work and perseverance being triumphant over odds and statistics. One of the best ever, a true lion born, true strong style, and a true icon."

[10.0] "Those mad men finally did it! After years of worrying that New Japan saw him as nothing more than a bridesmaid, they've finally given him the opportunity to prove his worth worth to them after two decades of loyalty. I hope to see him in the summer still as world champion."

[9.0] "Goto has been one of the very best in New Japan, but was always second best to everyone else (not in 2025 however). Goto has always been reliable for New Japan for his entire tenure there, has given us great matches and is the epitome of what an underdog should be. Always will be a great wrestler."

[9.0] "An incredible in-ring wrestler who is still crazy over even 21 years in to his career. Was an insanely underutilized talent mainly used for either tag team work in his team Bishamon with YOSHI-HASHI, or as a mid card champion, he finally one the big one this year and cemented his legacy as one of the best in New Japan's long glorious history. He invented so many cool moves and put on so many underrated matches that I overall really enjoy. Fantastic wrestler overall."

[10.0] "The fierce samurai who innovated these moves, Jigoku Kuruma, Kaiten, Shouten, Shouten Kai, Shoryu Kekkai, Goto Shiki, Goto Ni Shiki, Ura Shouten, GTR - Goto Revolution, GTW - GotoWin! Aramusha fought for the IWGP Heavyweight title numerous times in his career, his battles with Hiroshi Tanahashi, Togi Makabe, Tetsuya Natio, Kazuchika Okada, Takashi Sugiura for GHC heavyweight title, his G1 victory against Togi Makabe in 2008 risen him into NJPWs very best and earlier on became IWGP intercontinental champion before losing to Shinsuke Nakamura in 2012, he had for 13 years waited to capture that singles glory paved the way into the hope of one day, picking up that big win to break the mould of "MidCard" or people refer to him as "nearly man" with a incredible NEVER Openweight Champion victories at WrestleKingdom over high school buddy Katsuyori Shibata and the following year over Minoru Suzuki in a hair vs hair match, but only midcard success. He became one third of the NEVER openweight six man tag team champions with Tomohiro Ishii and Yoshi Hashi, lasted 454 days and 9 title defenses! It turned into a massive influential hyper tag team from CHAOS, tagging with another man who never backs down in Yoshi-Hashi forming Bishamon. A team of armor clad gods of war beating many tag teams to secure the top of the IWGP heavyweight tag division for years. Then it began, Hirooki Goto walked into the Tokyo dome in the parliamentary battle royale for a shot at the IWGP world title which he had won and challenged ZSJ on The New Beginning In Osaka in EDION Arena. Finally archived the odds from losing to Okada, Omega, Naito, Taichi & Yota Tsuji, he defeated Zack Sabre Jr to become IWGP World champion for the first time in his career. 22 years and now the "nearly man" of professional wrestling is the man of New Japan Pro Wrestling. His name is Hirooki Goto & he represents the samurai spirit of long ago warriors. ?"

[8.0] "Goto is awesome, every company should have a guy like that, he's super reliable, a New Japan for life type of guy, he's been with the company since forever, and even without big accomplishments, he was always there putting great matches and doing his work incredibly well, I think he's a fantastic worker. He's the samurai of New Japan, and embodies that pretty well in the ring, a total warrior."

[9.0] "Goto gets a 9 because I've watched him for a quite a while and he's always flirting with the top spots because he's super fucking talented. He can put on a main event banger on any stadium in the world. NJPW doesn't always trust him, but he CAN go. He specialized INSIDE the ring and doesn't do as great when he goes outside. But he also has dangerous and badass moves like the Ushigoroshi or his wheel kick. His top trait is his fighting spirit when it comes to it in those final moments as Goto will fight until he can go no more. Not to mention really cool Japanese gimmick with good music and entrance too."

[7.0] "Very solid . Never bad, but never exceptional either. Able to adapt to all styles of wrestlers, and highlight them. He reminds me a lot of a Castagnoli, for his ability to put himself at the service of his opponent to finally get the best out of him. Great servant of New Japan and Puro.""

"A dependable hand in NJPW. His history with the company makes him a credible opponent for all. Solid in the ring with a good moveset, Goto matches are almost always good, but it takes a special opponent for him to reach greatness. In tag competition, however, Goto really shines. Pairing him with YOSHI-HASHI and forming Bishamon elevated Goto in this later stage of his career. His moves look even cooler when done as a tag move. Certainly past his prime, Goto is still someone whose matches shouldn't be skipped. Especially as he continues to put over NJPW's younger guys, Goto is a huge credit to the promotion he's spent his whole career with."

[6.0] "I guess 2023 just isn't the year for Hirooki Goto. He hasn't been good the whole first half of this year."

[8.0] "The Dolph Ziggler of NJPW. Hell of a wrestler, underrated AF, should've been World Champion and G1 winner, Wrestle Kingdom Main Eventer. He has a badass samurai warrior look and gimmick and one of the best theme songs ever, but never got to be on that level because of bigger fishes in the pond. At least he is now a mainstay in the Tag division with YOSHI-HASHI, another underrated guy, and they're doing well right there."

[7.0] "Always the bridesmaid, never the bride. Goto exists in the middle ground of being very talented, and having some really great matches, but never quite reaching the upper echelon."

[8.0] "Goto is the literal definition of an "Almost" guy. In literally any other era he would've been one of if not THE top guy in Japan. But he's always been held back by the fact that there were always guys who were just slightly better than him. No matter how hard he tried, he just couldn't overcome that final hurdle and become the IWGP champion. And that is an absolute shame, the guy has a heck of a lot of talent and his moves look like they could actually kill, but it seems he's destined to be the eternal upper-mid card gatekeeper."

[7.0] "Very mixed feelings about Goto. There are matches involving Goto that I have enjoyed, but it's mostly his opponents' work that I find interesting and not exactly him. His character feels forced, he tries to come off as this hard hitter, never give up type of guy but he overacts and oversells way too much. There are moments of greatness but when it matters, he chokes. I do like the Bishamon team he has with Yoshi Hashi"

[8.0] "Every roster in the world would benefit from having Goto. You can depend on him every night for years on end. Has decent size, is a good worker and has some of the best moves in NJPW. Never really got a break at the top but I can see why. He knows his role and plays it perfectly. A believable loss for any top star in the G1."

[6.0] "Goto is an okay wrestler, but I usually find him incredibly boring. He has maybe one or two matches a year worth checking out, and the rest are missable. I do enjoy his team with Yoshi-Hashi, but I am a fan of Yoshi-Hashi."

[10.0] "The most underrated wrestler ever, it is a damn shame that he could never held heavyweight gold, he should have gotten Manabu Nakanishis spot in 2009."

[7.0] "I've been impressed with Hirooki Goto's in-ring skills. I think he brings an effective amount of power behind his solid move set. When up against the right wrestler, it's been exciting to see Hirooki come alive."

[6.0] "Hirooki Goto is a very solid wrestler and at a point it seemed that he was going to be one of the top guys in NJPW. However, the golden generation era burst out and he was left behind. His ring work is pretty good and he can have a banger when faces one of the top wrestlers in the company in a big time match. Yet he slips through the radar most of the year and has a lot of boring matches. Getting older he's still a good worker but is lost in the mix of NJPW's stacked roster."

[9.0] "Hiroki Goto is a pro wrestler who never got the spot he worked hard for and deserved. Much like Arn Anderson, he could've easily been a top Chapmion in a top promotion, but for whatever reason, they just didn't see it [cough Gedo cough]. Well, like Jimi Hendrix said, I think I see it a little differently than you guys. His stiff strikes, his sense of psychology, his beautiful Samurai bodytype, and his Old School sensibilities [like The Undertaker! ] are all reasons why Hirohki Goto, is in fact, Arn Anderon's favorite modern PRo Wrestler, and well, I just find myself agreeing with The Enforcer. He is also AJ Style's favorite Pro Wrestler of the past 10 years, so much so, that he stole the Ushguroshi, so next time you're enjoying the Phenomonal One, keep Gotooh in your mindpiece, and you may Go To Heaven. Don't headbutt a Tenzan trainee!"

[9.0] "Hirooki Goto is a great wrestler, who tends to get underrated because he has spent his career surrounded by all-time greats. Memorable, hard-hitting matches and unique moves that a number of talented wrestlers have copied."

[9.0] "If New Japan wasn't filled to the brim with all-time great talent he would easily be a main eventer and world champion."

[8.0] "Superb and badass wrestler who for some reason has never won the big title in New Japan. He can deliver great matches but I feel like he's always being held back by the few men better than him (Okada, Takagi, etc. ). He's one of the best midcard guys in New Japan and he has proved it. Definitely one of the best to never win the big gold, a guy who has MANY great matches as well. Perfect addition to CHAOS."

[9.0] "Of the greatest wrestlers who haven't won the World Title, Hirooki Goto is near the top of the list. Not only because he's done pretty much everyone else, but because Goto is both great in the ring, compelling as a character, and influential in his move set. Countless wrestlers have adopted the moves that he's created or popularized. More than that, however, is the fact that Goto always delivers quality matches that are full of emotion. One of my personal favorite wrestler of the last 20 years, if not all-time. Goto is so damn good."

[10.0] "How can I give to this guy another rating than a 10 ? He is simply fantastic, one of the most underrated guys in the wrestling world today. He can deliver performances of another world. I really recommend his IWGP IC Title match against Shinsuke Nakamura at Destruction in Kobe, it's a classic to me. When people talk about Okada, White or Suzuki as bests talents in NJPW, I just say Goto."

[8.0] "One of those time where I feel inclined to point out that cagematch. net's scale of 8 (good) doesn't quite align with my own of 8 (very good). Goto fucking rocks man, he always has."

[8.0] "Hirooki Goto has been a super wrestler for a good while. Goto has a good list of quality matches that could even be considered one of the better matches of the 21st Century for New Japan (Tanahashi 2007). Hirooki Goto had a long list of high acheivements as well such as multiple New Japan Cup wins and a G1 Climax win too. Hirooki Goto has consistently beeing at least pushed in a minor way for large portions of his career, since he turned heavyweight. What Goto lacks, however, is two things: progression as a character - Goto has essentially had the same gimmick and motivations for a decade with no end - and poor timing. Or should I say great timing and poor booking. Goto at several times throughout of his career had the best chances to make that step up to the IWGP Heavyweight title, to make himself one of the top guys in the company but it just never happened. Now it's hard to blame Goto for that but it gives his career a poor taste in everyone's mouths. He is an accomplished star with an enviable career but he is recongnized as a choker and someone with squandered potential. Despite my enjoyment watching him over the years, there is a feeling of failure there. Always. So he gets an 8 instead of a 10."

[7.0] "Goto's more of a victim of booking more than anything else. Multiple chokes in big matches and being overshadowed by far superior talent has meant that he's been mid card for life, his title reigns not being very remarkable. The big problem is that he's not consistent in terms of match quality: some years he's really good for the most part, other years have been pretty poor most of the time. He's not reliable to carry a big belt and have multiple top card matches in a row. Granted, he can have some amazing matches with the right person filling in the role, but that doesn't always happen, and some of his matches are incredibly dull. At his age, it's unlikely he'll get a shot at the top, considering his legitimacy has been reduced due to not being able to pull off the big win when it matters. He's suitable as a gatekeeper, not as the face of a company."

[7.0] "Goto is a average wrestler. I'm not his fan at all but I like to see some of his matches against the top guys or people like Shingo, Ishii, etc. By 2020, I don't see him get the IWGP Heavyweight Title anymore but it's okay, not everyone is made for the world title but Goto really deserved a chance."

[10.0] "Goto is a wrestler that I like a lot, he has a really cool look, he has a lot of really good moves, he can also make incredible matches with several opponents that he is motivated, I hope he can win the IWGP Heavyweight Title one day because it deserves a lot."

[8.0] "While he has not since reached the heights of his amazing 2015, Goto is a great wrestler who excels in big matches. On his day he shows incredible intensity and fire, and can be a surprisingly amazing seller who can draw sympathy when working as an underdog. His biggest problem is consistency. Every year he'll crop up with a few amazing matches, particularly at Wrestle Kingdom, however when working in the undercard his performances can often lead to disappointments."

[7.0] "Goto is a serial disappointment. He's had flashes of greatness, even flashes of world-class talent over the past 5+ years, but that's never been accompanied by consistency. He'll have maybe 1-3 great matches a year, in a sea of otherwise mediocre or 'just good' matches, being far eclipsed by his colleagues. Even when put in position to have matches that should perfectly accentuate his skills, he will usually end up just looking good at best. I also think that a lot of his highly praised performances in the last few years (those that are 9. 00+ on cagematch) are severely overrated, even if ultimately still great. The western-fan following around Goto is weird too, which I'll briefly comment on. He was very impressive in 2015, but then he got more of a push in 2016 and was revealed to be relatively disappointing (despite a few truly amazing performances), and at this point western fans (including myself) became disenfranchised with him as a top talent. Then the winds changed, and suddenly some reactionaries came out of nowhere to praise Goto, proclaiming him this world-class, criminally underrated talent, despite him mostly having painfully generic performances that were 'very good' at best and usually laying an egg in his big matches against actual top guys. It was like these reactionaries saw that the 'Goto is fine' camp was becoming too mainstream and had to quickly jump to the counter. I've given Goto so many chances to properly win me over, and now I'm stuck thinking that he's a very good talent who could have been world class but sadly never progresses and, admittedly through no fault of his own, never receives any interesting direction from NJPW. I want to cheer for him, but he feels so devoid of passion most of the time that it feels exhausting to do so, and it doesn't help that he'll never get a proper push anyways, so why would I bother in that instance either."

[7.0] "I cannot really blast Goto because he's been a supremely consistent upper midcarder for years now, putting on entertaining match after entertaining match, but he hit his ceiling several years back when he was given a brief IWGP Intercontinental reign which completely failed to elevate him. Since then I believe he's been booked about right for what he is, albeit introducing him to CHAOS after Nakamura left the promotion highlighted Goto's almost supernatural lack of charisma. This year it seems the tough life of a pro-wrestler is finally catching up with him through accumulated injuries and tear and wear on his body and it's a pity because he'd be far more deserving of a final push than other shall we say far less satisfactory members of the NJPW roster."

[9.0] "Goto is a superb wrestler but unfortunately, due in large part to his lack of considerable charisma, he? ll always live in the shadow of his more interesting comrades. It? s a shame because his fighting style is easily one of the most gripping in New Japan. He will go down in the books as an under-appreciated legend."

[9.0] "Sort of underrated, he has slowed down these last few years but stays an excellent wrestler who can have some very intense fights. Good look, awesome theme, he is a great striker and power wrestler, can really sell a beating (like in his match against Suzuki at WK12). At some point he certainly was supposed to be a bigger name in the history of New Japan. Sadly he never reached the next level but he still has many great accolades. The fact that he never won the IWGP Heavyweight Championship is tragic but also a testament to the difficulty to win this title. Not everybody can and has to win the title, its what makes it that prestigious and you still can have a great and respectable career without it. Hirooki Goto is in this category. Right now he is the perfect gate keeper to elevate the younger generation but he can still be a credible threat at any moment."

[10.0] "One of the most underrated wrestlers in Puroresu. Hirooki Goto deserves to be an IWGP Heavyweight Champion, but instead, Gedo is making him become a 4 time NEVER Openweight Champion and NEVER got a chance for the IWGP Intercontinental Championship again."

[8.0] "There has been multiple times when it would've been believable that Goto should be IWGP heavyweight champion. Innovative moveset, great look, intensity, chemistry with almost anyone, etc.. That time has come and gone, but at least Goto can still go, only when it's a main event unfortunately. He still deserves a bit more than what he gives, but he's obviously satisfied with his position nowadays. Who can really blame him I guess."

[8.0] "Goto's existence is a bummer. Great look, ring skills, and entrance, yet still feels like an underachiever and constantly chokes in big matches. Gedo claimed in his book that Goto doesn't get pushed because he's too complacent. At the same time, I've seen Gedo praise the current New Japan roster for not having an ego like generations past. What a hack. Goto is also too much of a nice guy, having sworn loyalty and love to NJPW, so now they can book him however they want knowing he ain't jumping ship. Oh well. Goto is actually very good but got castrated in 2016 and hasn't recovered since. That's what happens when you undergo serious bushido training to defeat your enemy, only to lose then meekly join said enemy. Will Ospreay may be the Aerial Assassin, but when it comes to Goto's career, Gedo is the master of character assassination. The one thing Goto has going for him is that he's homegrown talent, so they might give Goto a Nakanishi style IWGP win in the end, which is more than someone like Ishii can say (a fellow underused talent)."

[9.0] "I'm going to say that even with an average rating of 8. 5 Goto is still one of the most underrated wrestlers in current NJPW. He's got an interesting mix of technical wrestling and power moves and a good look that fits his style. Also one of the best theme songs."

[8.0] "Very good at adapting to every opponent and style, maybe that caused him to be a sort of gatekeeper though, a perfect transition challenger or occasional holder of secondary championships, but not so charismatic and good to be the IWGP Champion, which is a shame considering that he won the G1 in 2008 but since then less talented guys won the belt instead of him, like Makabe and Kojima, because they have more charisma. 3 times IC Champ and 3 or 4 times NEVER Champ, he's like the king of the mid-uppercard in NJPW, even if he'd be a multi-time Heavyweight Champion in NOAH or AJPW."

[8.0] "Hirooki Goto is a great worker, but his career has suffered in that he never got the push his talent deserved because the guys ahead of him in the pecking order were so much better. In another time, Goto would very likely have gotten a short-term reign as IWGP champion, but we're no longer in the days of a guy getting the IWGP title merely as a reward for services rendered."

[9.0] "Goto is like NJPW's gatekeeper for the main event, if you can have a great match with Goto you'll probably get a title shot at some point. Goto is no slouch himself, he can go with the best of em without being carried. His match Ishii at the G1 this year was probably his best. Hopefully he can get one IWGP world title reign before he rides off into the sunset in a few years. (Sunset = tag matches with young lions and other vets usually at the start of big events)"

[10.0] "After his Shibata match in the dome I turned the corner on him. The Suzuki match in the dome solidified him as one of my favorites. The man is gonna go out there each night and give 100% and it shows. His match quality is unreal and every year in the g1 he is the most underrated worker by far. This current run he is on is absolutely fantastic and he is easily one of the 5 best workers in this company"

[10.0] "Possibly the most overlooked guy in New Japan. Goto is an incredible worker who has tons of chemistry with whoever he works with. Omega/Goto at the G1 finals in 2016 was MOTY in my books."

[7.0] "A very good talent for New Japan but honestly he has always struggled to determine he stand in the singles division. Almost at the point where he's above the mid-card titles but below the level of the World Title. Curious to see where Goto comes out in the coming years."

[8.0] "Goto is one of my favourite wrestlers ever, but I admit he's not the same in recent years. The samurai is not anymore the stiff wrestler we used to love. But he's work is indeed still decent, and his matches with Suzuki and Tanahashi proves it."

[9.0] "Goto is the ultimate bridesmaid and kind of strikes me as an exceptional wrestler who just can't seem to find that last piece of the puzzle to find his spot atop the mountain, but I'm unsure how much of that is on him and how much is simply on the exceptional talent he's competing with. Maybe in a different time or place, he could be an "ace", but the talent he's surrounded with is so steep, that he often finds himself overshadowed."

[8.0] "In my opinion, goto is really good wrestler, if not pretty damn great. He has some excellent to incredible matches with omega, ishii, tanahashi or shibata. I completely agree. The problem is he never breaks into the main event scene and can not become a main eventer. He lacks charisma compared to big 4 ( okada, tana, omega and naito ). He needs to be repackaged like naito did in 2015. His character is pretty uninteresting and boring at times. If not, he will still a upper mid carder at best for the rest of his career."