Toru Yano

[6.0] "I can understand why many may hate Yanos comedy work but for me I find it to be a breathe of fresh in New Japan. In other companies like wwe where there is an abundance of comedy wrestler I could see how someone like Yano could be annoying but I think in a promotion like NJPW where it is more serious throwing in one comedy spot or moment with Yano isn't the worst thing in world and has led to some truly hilarious matches. Also unlike a lot of other comedy wrestlers he has proved that he is capable of being solid in the ring and putting on good matches especially during his early run as more of a heel."

[2.0] "toru yano is a comedy wrestler that just is not funny. if you're entire character is that of a comedy wrestler, you need to be funny. he is not. i don't even understand what his jokes are really. he has also told them so many times, making them worse because they were not good the first time. toru yano has been pushed and is featured on most new japan pro wrestling cards, which makes his repetitive jokes even more insufferable. i just do not understand the appeal."

[3.0] "I never got Toru Yano. There are way worse wrestlers out there but his act is something I never enjoyed. I just find his way of interacting with his opponents awkward, and not in a good comedic way. I will admit that he's one of the best-booked acts of his kind in recent memory and it never felt truly undeserved."

[7.0] "I think I'm higher on Toru Yano than most. Firstly, his longevity as a worker deserves great praise, and he's been a somewhat-consistent part of NJPW's roster for a very long time. Additionally, I believe that there's always room for a Yano-type wrestler in any company, as any match of his is always different than anything else on that card and most of his matches are entertaining in their own kind of way. I also think that his earlier heel work is very underappreciated, as simply put, Toru Yano could be a fantastic wanker- heel upper-midcarder. Expectedly however, I do kinda think that Yano can be grating at times, I personally hated his year long feud with Minoru Suzuki and Takashi Iizuka, and I would be lying if I said he was great all the time. But I mostly believe that life is too short to get upset that about how Yano's comedy is apparently 'a stain' on NJPW or wrestling as a whole, it really isn't that deep."

[3.0] "I really do not enjoy Yano as a worker. I think he had a point maybe 10 years ago where he seemed to be competent and able to have a match worthy of elevating a card, but now he largely drags cards down. While he has good comedic chops and can sometimes provide some laughs, his schtick wears thin quickly and him being given a title at this point is quite damaging to New Japan in my eyes. There are many talents in Japan I'd much rather see get the opportunities he gets on a card."

[5.0] "Good comedy wrestler, has that surprise G1 shock every so often but isn't an amazing wrestler. He is what he needs to be and I credit him for that, sometimes his antics can be repetitive but nonetheless can put a smile on your face."

[5.0] "During the peak years of western interest in New Japan, I used to enjoy Yano in a G1 because at least the match would be short. Outside of that he a busted flush and still doing the same increasingly tired act. Much less protected than he used to be as he now takes a fair few falls too."

[7.0] "Yano is hilarious. Definitely over hated for the position he is in and the unique role he fills in the booking. He's objectively not very good in the ring anymore, but out of pure curiosity I'll never tab away from his matches live"

[8.0] "As of this writing, it's been about four years and Jon Moxley has never yet beaten the true ace of New Japan Pro-Wrestling."

[5.0] "He can be a decent wrestler at times but his comedy misses a lot more then hits, and I don't understand why he regularly wins matches in big tournaments and title opportunities."

[4.0] "Ok, he Is a fun Wrestler and "HOLY SHIT: he defeated: Tanahashi/Okada/Ishii and every other main eventer/NJPW star you can think but he Is too stupid to me; he also han no personality. **1/4"

[5.0] "Actually a fairly decent worker in his pre-comedy days but it's since turning to the comedy gimmick that he's began to show some charisma and stand out from the pack. Comedy matches walk that tightrope of easily becoming too egregious and Yano himself sometimes falls victim to that. But when he hits the sweet spot it's entertaining, usually in the G1 where he's a very useful spoiler when the booking needs one."

"Yano is a charming scamp and a consistent delight. He? s got cold beers waiting and he? s not paid by the hour. He? s looking for the first opportunity to pulverize your sack, roll you up and head to the pay window. A world tour, a la Minoru Suzuki, would be great."

[4.0] "It's gotten under my skin how much I've begun to enjoy watching Toru Yano. While I haven't found a lot of Toru Yano's wrestling skills, or his comedy spots all that entertaining or funny, there's something special about him that makes you not want to look away from his matches. It sometimes feels like he isn't even trying."

[5.0] "It's been really interesting to see Toru Yano's career shift from brawling heel to the comedy act. In my opinion, I think he's a pretty harmless guy, but I really don't like his act too much.f"

[10.0] "Toru Yano is one of the most memorable characters from NJPW. His comedy stuff is a breath of fresh air in the middle of NJPW cards. I know comedy wrestling isn't for everyone but I like it and of course I love Yano! Also great brawler and amateur wrestler. 10!"

[8.0] "A breath of fresh air, especially recently, while NJPW has been stretching all their matches to pure boredom, Yano provides suffrage from those matches with his fun - 5 -11 minute matches, especially in the G1."

[5.0] "Yano is a comedy wrestler. He can be quite funny and brings a fresh change of pace in a show but it can get old when he does it way too much. Having him come out in the middle of long shows may sometimes liven up the place and it's also always funny to watch him beat heels like EVIL, Jay White, etc."

[3.0] "He is just a comedy wrestler for comedy spots. They were funny for a while until it got old. You cant keep on repeating the same joke and expect the same reaction. It is hard to take him seriously as a wrestler. He has some wrestling abilities but not enough to put on a good match. As a matter of fact i cannot remember a good match that he has had in NJPW. Not that i recall of. Overall I am not a huge fan of Yano and his tricks. EDIT : I realize now that comedy spots have their own place in wrestling and he does his job wonderfully . His comedy matches are fun to watch as they are creative from a comedy standpoint. From a pro - wrestling spotlight he is not a good wrestler . He has made his value known as far as comedy matches are concerned as he comes up with something fresh and new in every match and he deserves appreciation for that. 6 from me because of his very limited pro wrestling skills. 2nd EDIT: His comedy stuff is way too comical and very repetitive and monotonous. His matches have been very bland and dull lately. Over the course of the last year, his only good three matches are against Naito, Hiromu and ZSJ and only because much of the effort was put in by those opponents. Decreasing the rating to a 3."

[3.0] "Toru Yano is obsolete. In 2021 his character just doesn't work, and the character is all that Yano is holding on to. The problem is that Yano may be comical, but almost all of his jokes stopped being funny a few years ago and nothing has changed since then. Yano uses the same formula over and over and over and over and over and over. Yano's jokes no longer amuse, but only irritate and spoil most of his matches. Of course, even now some matches are successful, but almost always it is the merit of his opponents, who really show creativity. And this whole KOPW trophy thing doesn't make the situation any better, because an interesting concept was turned into the reason for Yano's appearance on the show. Yano has to change, beacuse now he's just boring."

[3.0] "I don't believe it's Toru Yano's fault, but his character his ruining all his matches. His performance in G1 Climax 2021 was the worst, he has some acceptable comedy skills but it's something unbearable right now and I always dislike his matches because of that. A veteran in Wrestling which had a terrible turn becoming a super funny guy that embarasses his adversaries. Not a good thing at all. I really hope they fix this problem or he will remember as a big issue in NJPW."

[8.0] "Consistant fresh air in the middle of the NJPW roster. His comedy is not always top level and it can definitely drag in longer matches, but he has earned a big place in NJPW history."

[0.0] "I hate his gimmick, every single match is the same is the worst thing I've watched in my first year in NJPW, I hate him beating better wrestlers, He does the same things every damn time, I don't understand why he is always prominent in the NJPW cards with long boring matches that doesn't help anyone, just STOP"

[1.0] "Toru Yano is a complete clown in 2021 and I really need to watch Yano's matches before 2021 and 2020. I didn't like clowns when I were a kid and I still don't like them now, He does the same things every time I see him and it grew in my mind the idea that he doesn't care at all what he is doing and I really hope that it's not the case"

[10.0] "His routine isn't for everyone, but Toru Yano is a NJPW Hall Of Fame level talent with one of the most memorable characters they've ever had. From Great Bash Heel Yano who is a great brawler and amateur wrestler to comedy Yano, he's got many hats he can wear and I for one enjoy just about all of them."

[10.0] "Comedy wrestling is just as valid as any other form of wrestling, and Toru Yano has made a career out of being New Japan's number 1 comedy wrestler. His ability to switch gears and get serious only make him better"

[6.0] "He is one of a kind. Japan has some of the best comedy wrestlers in the world and Toru Yano is somewhere in the top of that list. He's a great addition to New Japan. I love his shenanigans and will to win the match at all cost. I will always remember his signature plays: removing the corner padding, ROPE BREAKs, low blows and fake apologizing."

[7.0] "He's a great comedy wrestler but obviously has a past that shows he's more than that. Personally, I always enjoy him."

[4.0] "He was a hugely talented amateur wrestler, and you can still see it when the match calls him for going to the mat, he was pretty good in Most Violent Players/Great Bash Heel but his whole comedy gimmick has long overstayed its welcome. Basically Toru Yano is either the laziest comedy wrestler of all times or he knows NJPW fans understand nothing of comedy wrestling, so he gets away with using those same 4/5 spots we have seen hundreds of times before and a bit of trash talking in the ring. Compared to folks like Antonio Honda and Sakura Hirota it's obvious he's not even trying, but if he can get away with it, more power to him. However I have to detract one point because of his awful NOAH stint: yes, he was most likely just following orders, but his tag team with Marufuji was literally hard to watch and was somewhat even lazier than in NJPW, perhaps hoping NOAH crowds would consider him a breath of fresh air. Talk about pocketing an easy paycheque."

[7.0] "Yano's a strange one to rate, obviously he's had some amazing comedy work and was an overall pretty good heel before then. But in ring, he's nothing special, which is likely why he is a comedy wrestler (also so he can stand out). He gets a 7 for being one of the best comedy wrestlers of all time, but nothing more for his less than stellar ring work"

[8.0] "Really don't understand the hate towards Yano here. While not a 5 star machine like most New Japan workers are, he's made himself known as pretty solid comedy wrestler with a gimmick (DVD selling and Turnbuckle ripping) that still gets a laugh out of me no matter how many times he does it."

[3.0] "Is anyone still entertained by his DVD/turnbuckle schtick? It's the same thing over & over. Even if you're a fan of goofy comedy, you HAVE to be sick of this guy. He's like the NJPW version of bad Santino."

[4.0] "Decent comedian and average (or even below) wrestler. The answer to the question 'Why New Japan includes him into important tournaments? ' is a mystery, shrouded in the dark."

[5.0] "Not a fan of Yano the wrestler but the concept of Yano himself. A man who can take wins off top guys without without them losing anything in the process while not gaining anything as well, makes him a valuable booking tool in the G1 to Gedo and CO. As a wrestler a massive waste of time, repeats the same bag of tricks with slight variations in an attempt to keep things fresh. His on and off tag team with Tomohiro Ishii feels like a waste of Ishii's time and his run with KOPW excited exactly 0 people and did no favors changing opinions of the KOPW concept. Fine in 6 and 8 man tags but if its a singles match against someone who isn't Tetsuya Naito or Minoru Suzuki then its easy to recommend skipping those matches."

[2.0] "Maybe I don't get it cause it's Japanese humour or something, but he's really bad and unfunny and he drags much of the hype I have away whenever I watch NJPW. Him winning the kopr was one of the lowest points in modern NJPW"

[3.0] "I can? t call Yano a wrestler, he? s just a comedian who doesn? t make fun of him, he only causes shame. I don't understand why he is given victories in the same climax over wrestlers who are several goals higher than him in everything. Should it be funny? Well, if you loves toilet humor, then you will like this wrestler, but not me. I will not put zero, because this humorist does at least something. Rating: 3"

[7.0] "Good wrestler for sure, but sometimes I want to see another thing that is great Comedy wrestling. However, he's entertaining."

[7.0] "NJPW's resident funny man. It's funny to think that Yano was probably original signed by NJPW to be a tough guy type of character considering that Yano was signed during Inokism and had some MMA training. Even in his early years Yano was notorious for cheating, dude might have the record for most DQ losses in NJPW, the difference is that Yano was a way more serious brawler type back then, however he works much better now a comedic relief. Probably the peak of his career is going to be his near year long IWGP tag title reign with Togi Makabe in 2008. Shortly after that Yano lead the charge in turning the Great Hell Bash stable against Togi Makabe and forming CHAOS with Shinsuke Nakamura. The early days of CHAOS Yano was still serious and even had a full fledged feud with the Ace of NJPW, Hiroshi Tanahashi. Crazy to see the guy who he has evolved into now."

[9.0] "For some reason, comedy wrestling gets consistently overlooked and underrated by wrestling critics. But, like any other style of wrestling, it's equally possible to do it badly as it is to do it well. Toru Yano, however, makes good comedy look effortless: he's one of the absolute best in the world at it. He's consistently funny, his timing is perfect, and he's able to get a good comedy match out of pretty much anyone. His matches are a breath of fresh air in a company that often presents itself very seriously, and are perfect to cleanse the palette between gruelling 30 minute epics, especially when G1 season rolls around. His strongest asset is that his matches never outstay their welcome: even if you're not a fan of his style, you know that his match will be over in under 10 minutes. But he manages to pack more chaos (pun intended) into those 10 minutes than in the rest of the card put together. I'm not exaggerating when I say that I think he's just as important a member of the roster as an Ibushi or a Naito. Without him, NJPW would be a much drearier place."

[9.0] "He is a great comedy wrestler, but when it? s time to get serious against guys like Ishii or ZSJ, he gets the job done. I love Toru Yano."

[8.0] "Toru's one of those wrestlers that most people either really like or hate with a passion: it's really based on his comedy gimmick and how long he's been running with it. Granted, Toru earlier on in his career was established as a genuine threat, even to top stars like Tanahashi (even scoring a few wins over him) but he's been basically a joke character for the majority of his career at this point. Honestly, I think it's completely fine to have one comedy dude between a bunch of serious hard hitters, and Toru does his cheating gimmick pretty damn well for someone who's had it for literally decades. He's not a bad wrestler by any extent (hell, I'd argue that, like Colt Cabana, he's a lot better than you'd think) but his gimmick restricts how much he can do. I'd like to see him one day pull out his legitimate wrestling skills, but for now he's a nice change to the standard New Japan formula, and he's still quite over with the crowd, which is a credit to his own unique charisma."

[7.0] "I'll mostly rate him as a comedy wrestler because that's what he is known for and he plays his role very well, brings a breathe of fresh air with his style without breaking the legitimacy of his opponents and making them look like complete jokes, wich is pretty difficult so he deserves credit for that. Particularly useful in the G1 because he can lose a lot but steal 2 or 3 important wins by cheating (and he is also basically a night off for the wrestlers in his block). However he is not good at comedy only and people tend to forget that because he doesn't really try anymore but he has some background as a Greco-Roman wrestler. Without being an amazing wrestler he certainly is solid. He is also a tag team specialist. In a way it's a shame he doesn't try to wrestle seriously nowadays but he found something that works really well."

[9.0] "I'm not giving an 10 rating to Toru Yano, just because he's a mediocre wrestler, but he is an excellent Entertainer, he really knows how to do a great comedy, without getting the crowd tired or annoyed, his gimmick is simply awesome. Not only that, but he is the rest spot of G1 Climax, when you fight against Yano, you don't need to do an 20m+ match and get all exhausted, you just need to do an 10m and give a 80% of you."

[9.0] "Mr. Merchandise himself! Yano works good in the sneaky heel character. He can even put on a decent bout. But he doesn't stick out from the pack in singles competition. Nevertheless, a 9."

[7.0] "One of the best comedy wrestlers outside DDT. Very entertaining "sneaky" comedy heel with actual solid wrestling ability thanks to a background in amateur wrestling."

[5.0] "Can? t give a high rating because he doesn? t really have good matches but he? s great at his role and it? s good to have him for comedic relief in G1 and New Japan in general to complement the hard hitting serious matches"

[10.0] "The true ACE of NJPW! The best comedy wrestler to ever walked in the square circle right now! Every time I feel like I have depression I just simply watch he wrestles, never failed to impress me at his cheating tactics at all!"

[0.0] "The problem with Yano is that he's actually quite capable: sometimes, he shows decent techincal abilities, and has a surprising ability in pin clutches. However, the fact that he continues to be this terrible comedy act that it's not even remotely funny anymore, and that continues to obtain upsets that are useful only to ruin shows, makes him annoying and boring."

[8.0] "Always was over thanks to his funny schtick. In this year's G1 he reminded everyone that he can wrestle great matches when he gives it his all."

[7.0] "I firmly believe that wrestling is supposed to be fun, and Toru Yano makes it fun. Sure, he's not a 'great' wrestler in any sense of the word, but I never cease to be amused by his antics in and out of the ring. There's a lot of different characters in NJPW, and it always intrigues me as to how Yano's opponents will deal with his antics. I've seen that sometimes, they won't be able to - Yano has had several upset victories over some of the top talent, and not knowing the outcome with Yano matches makes them all the more interesting."