[5.0] "One of the more frustrating Ospreay matches I've ever seen, because I was really enjoying it up to a point--and then it just kept going. If they had ended it after Okada counters the cutter into a dropkick, this could have been genuinely great. There's a respectable effort from Ospreay to slow things down. His offensive flurries are shorter and more spaced out, and Okada counters much of his offense with relative ease. It's an effective way to show both their history and the idea that Ospreay's speed has been significantly diminished. Had Okada won after that aforementioned counter, this would have been a tight, sub-15-minute match that blended Ospreay's high-octane "Billy Goat" style with a more grounded premise. Of course, that's not what happens. Instead, Ospreay seems to forget everything that came before--the previous match, the bloodletting, the overly dramatic, wobbly walk during his entrance, and the punishment he absorbs here--and starts countering and kicking out of everything. Once again, the only story worth telling in a professional wrestling ring is one that reminds you that this is a performance and Will Ospreay is the best of all the performers. I think this is something even the most ardent Ospreay fans recognize deep down."
[10.0] "I don't know if I am able to talk about how much I fucking love about that match. Yeah, everyone can see that I gave a ten for it, but no one yet knows why I love it so much. And that is my problem, I don't know how to explain and I'm trying to learn which stuff I should say or not, I don't know. I can maybe say that was the best Ospreay individual performance for AEW, not even knowing if I truly believe on that, but I can also say that the best Okada individual performance at AEW alongside obviously with his match against his never ending rival Kenny Omega at All In, but that can become outdated in like, months. I don't know man. I watched that PPV live, had tons of fun with everything until the ending, and that was the moment of the show when I thought that Okada finally had the moment to make everyone know why AEW spend so much money on him. Not gonna lie, during that time, I even spend a good amount of time watching their other 10 matches (I guess it was 10, don't know right now and I will rewatch everything sooner) and it was a delightful moment to see that one here in special. About Ospreay individual performance, well, there is a sequence well know that Okada waits Ospreay goes into the ropes to give him a dropkick, Ospreay hold himself and see Okada landing on the floor, try and standing shooting star press that Okada counter with his knee, get up, pushes Ospreay into the ropes once again trying to hit and dropkick but is once again countered with a incredible powerbomb catched on mid air. Not gonna lie, that spot happens ALWAYS when they face, you for sure already saw that sequence once before. However, at this match, when Okada tries the second Dropkick, he hit, Ospreay wasn't able to counter it, and guess what? Because he is almost fucking dying man! He had a bloody brutal match with his former friend Kyle Fletcher at the beggining of the PPV, he bleed a bucket and it is still bleeding, so he is tired. Still the same Ospreay we all know, doing crazy flips and the shit he is widely know for, but selling how tough it is for him to stay standing, fighting. Usually when he start doing fighting Spirit stuff, it fucking stinks and you don't even to dislike him to understand but in this case, actually work, and make the match even more memorable in my head. Easily one of the best matches I ever saw live, I made my expectations quite high and they nailed it until the end. This is a five stars match without a single doubt, love those lates MOTYC when they come out of nowhere. And, until now, my favorite match from the entire history of the Continental Classic."
[10.0] "This is one of the favorites I have from 2024. Especially since they had already fought earlier, this was excellent show of guts by both wrestlers."
[8.0] "Excellent match here, these two always have great matches and do here again, match really picks up towards the end with some fast paced counters, Okada picks up the end to retain the CC Championship in a great one"
[9.0] "Another excellent match between these two. Okada hasn't really been the Okada that most people loved, he hasn't been the standard bearer, he has been having fun with his new gimmick and his association with the bucks but this Okada was reminiscent of the NJPW Okada, this was Okada from the past. Excellent storytelling, superb action, great pacing. Big Brother Okada dominated the fight after Ospreay had went to war against Kyle Fletcher in the opening match. Ospreay was banged up but in good ol never give up fashion that has been a characteristic of crowd favorites like Ospreay, he still continued the match with a huge disadvantage against probably the greatest tournament wrestler of all time. The narrative and storytelling are cliches, generic in the history of pro wrestling but the chemistry between Ospreay and Okada manages to elevate and with inspired performance, this was easily the best match of the night. ****3/4"
[9.0] "This is an Okada-Ospreay match. You know it's going to be at minimum good. This match was really helped with the story. Ospreay just went through a war with Kyle Fletcher and Okada looks like he barely broke a sweat. Ospreay has to fight, and Okada is dissecting him throughout the match. The final stretch is the big highlight. Ospreay kicks out of the Rainmaker, counters a couple more, and even hits one of his own. Okada is still too much of a final boss, as he kicks out of that and a Stormbreaker, and ducks a Hidden Blade, and the second Rainmaker gets the win. Great match enhanced by fantastic storytelling. If the opening stretch wasn't as slow, this would be a perfect 10 for me"
[7.0] "This one just didnt hit the gear i was hoping it would unfortunately. As much as i was looking forward to it and as much as i like both wrestlers it never quite reached the lengths i was anticipating it too."
[8.0] "Not the best match either of these two have ever had but it is still brilliant, good drama and story telling and the pacing worked perfectly. Fantastic stuff"
[10.0] "Phenomenal match that rivals some of their best, with very little excessiveness. The crowd was amazingly invested, and the final few minutes were electric. Great storytelling from earlier in the night, and put Ospreay over massively in defeat. [*****]"
[10.0] "[4.75*] This Feels Like 2019 Again After I Saw This Match. I Still Consider That Match MOTY Back Then But This Match Is The Best Based On The Fact We Got The Real Okada Since Dynasty, And Ospreay On The Other Hand, Fighting Against Fletcher Until He Busted Him Open Which Lead Him To His Loss To Okada, Which I Realized."
[9.0] "This honestly WAY overshadowed the main event. Ospreay and Okada just put on one of AEW's best matches of the whole year, and it was one of the only matches that wasn't super predictable. With both of their backgrounds in NJPW, of course this was gonna be a classic, but AEW's booking with these former New Japan guys is getting really good. (I'm realistically probably glazing both ospreay and okada but idc)"
[9.0] "I knew okada wasnt going to lose, but ospreay gave me enough hope at times (like hes done in the past against okada) to believe that he might actually pull it off. great match"
[10.0] "This is the match that woke Okada up, ever since this match he's been stepping up more & more in the ring & ospreay who is arguably the best in the world can make it work with anyone. Just great in ring storytelling they told in this"
"[10.0] This is one of the better paced matches of all time. The match is only 19 minutes but it feels longer in a good way.the ending sequence is unbelievable"
[9.0] "I love ospreays look in this match already being bloodied up from his match with fletcher from earlier in the night and then he even bleeds some more during this match. Wouldn't give this one the full five stars because i like some of their other matches a good bit more that i've given a five star to, and it also was just too predictable at times, not that their other ones weren't predictable but this felt more "oh okay now he's about to do this" "yep" "okay now he's gonna go for this and ospreays gonna reverse it" yep" "okay now okadas gonna kick out now" "yep", doesn't mean it didn't still do it for me though. The final sequence was absolutely incredible and definitely the highlight of the match. The crowd was going insane for this and rightfully so, and it added a lot to the match and the atmosphere. Loved this. ****3/4"
[9.0] "****.75 / I love the C2, I love Will Ospreay, I love Okada. Not much more I could ask for, both men having two matches in one night is perfect for the tournament and I hope Okada holds the belt forever."
[10.0] "God damn was this match truly something, any match between these two is always and instantly a classic but this was brilliant. The excitement i felt during this was on another level, there was not a moment near the end that kept me on my seat. Okada targeting the head of Ospreay throughout this was cool to see, Will's selling was on point. What a match."
[10.0] "Match of the night & this 1000000% should have been the main event of the PPV, the post match segment also justified it but more importantly no match was following Okada & Ospreay creating magic. The way ospreay entered this match showing the scars of his previous match & Okada giving him little brother energy was great stuff. The blood loss & Okada being the heel that he is taking advantage was great in ring storytelling, this was the Okada I was waiting on & I can't wait until his match with Kenny. Outstanding match"
[9.0] "This was a great match and this match really gave us the real Okada that we've been waiting to see, not the comedy okada. Okada and Ospreay put on one hell of a battle in this continental classic finals. I will say there were parts that felt slow and I hated it, but then there were moments were it was going at a very fast pace and I loved it."
[8.0] "Okada and Ospreay have wrestled many, many times, and I've seen pretty much all of their matches, so it's hard for this to feel as special as it was for an AEW fan more familiar with their history, but these two do always manage to have at least a very good match. AEW also add a fresh spin to this rivalry by having Ospreay fatigued from his earlier match against Kyle Fletcher, but I felt Ospreay's acting wasn't as convincing as it needed to be to sell the drama of the handicap."
[10.0] "This was the second time I have ever jumped out of my seat because of the excitement a match had brought me. It wasn't the best match either man has ever had, hell it probably isn't the best match they've ever had together, but this really felt special to me. I LOVED the feel of the C2, it's such a good format for a wrestling tournament and really reinforced the idea that this is a real sport. I only started watching wrestling at the beginning of 2024 so I hadn't seen the first C2 and haven't really dabbled in any other company besides the fed and AEW, so the proud nature of this tournament being that of a sporting event really, really enraptured me. The prior matches both men had at the beginning of the PPV were both fantastic and set the stakes for this match all the more higher, Will Ospreay being noticeably much more injured than Okada. It's funny that a lot of Will's haters online call him a hack for no selling constantly because this match was a testament to how good of a seller he actually is. Okada dominating by working Ospreay's head at the beginning lead to one of the best underdog comebacks I have ever seen. I can't do what I felt when Will started firing back justice, the emotion I felt rallying behind him was nothing less than explosive. I knew in my head that Okada should probably go over, but my heart was in flames, dead set on wanting Will to do the impossible, overcome the Rainmaker, become the NEW Continental Champion! But it wasn't meant to be lol. Okada to his credit gave the best performance he has ever given while signed with AEW, I can't be mad. I hear from others that he has been phoning it in ever since he got signed to this company (and maybe he deserves to a little bit after his illustrious career in NJPW), in my humble opinion he may just be choosing his battles to really lock in. Given the seemingly inevitable title unification match he's going to have with Kenny Omega at All In later this year, we'll see if he's just holding in his inner demon. Anyway if I ever bump into either men by chance in the future I will thank them for this match as I think it may be my personal favourite one, ever? It's definitely up there."
[8.0] "Very very good match. Okada picking apart a weakened, bruised, and battered Ospreay made for some amazing in-ring storytelling. The comeback spots by the latter was amazingly done, and made me think that somehow, some way, he'll win this."
[8.0] "Good storytelling, Ospreay came in with a bandage around his head from all the bleeding and still started to bleed again, but besides that this match underwhelmed me. This is a match between 2 of the best in the world but it didn't feel like it from a wrestling perspective."
[9.0] "While Ospreay/Danielson was his best match overall, I think this might be Ospreay's best ever match from a storytelling perspective. Coming into the ring, bandage around his head, still dazed, and having Okada use this to his advantage in the opening stretch makes it all the more exciting when the babyface comeback happens. Such great feeding off of the crowd, with the hot crowd actively motivating Ospreay to work through his injury and deliver the big moves they're all hoping to see. A story that works with the crowd so nicely, and a very late MOTY contender."
[7.0] "they did moves and the final two exchanges were nicely done. laughed out loud when okada sold with a big shocked face for like 10 seconds of camera time. ospreay and cody had the best 2024 out of everyone. okada is still lacking in AEW, but i liked both of his matches on this show. it put him over big time to a fan base that may have only seen 6-7 okada matches before."
[6.0] "Very good finishing stretch. If this is what Okada looks like when he's 'trying', I don't think I want this. Someone needs to make Ospreay sit down and watch his matches. He came in limping and struggling to stand up. This was an easy story to buy as it wasn't the first match he was in tonight and the promo after the bout with Fletcher nicely set up the story between these two. I didn't need Excalibur drilling unnecessary story bits throughout the match, however. He's been on national TV for over 6 years and still doesn't know when to put the microphone down and have the viewers just hear the electric atmosphere. This had the same formulaic Okada start but with a crowd that's receptive, you could do worse. I talked about my disdain for some of the mannerisms you see in Ospreay matches and the sudden knee selling might be the funniest. What was the point if you were going to shrug it away in less than a minute? Does Ospreay think the fans are stupid? I know what I get going into an Ospreay match and so do tons of other fans. There is no reason to commit to an idea you were never going to follow throughout on anyway. No one is expecting Will Ospreay to put on a selling masterclass so please Will, stop trying. Convincing work or not, the fans came here for the New Japan finishing sequences which this match featured plenty of. Even with the problems I had with the overall structure, one could only be in awe after watching the last 10 minutes."
[9.0] "I'm still very surprised Ospreay has grown into the type of wrestler that can tell a story in-ring as well as he does, it's been a long road from being a straight up generational talent when it comes to working moves but only that, into the wrestler he has become today and i'm even more surprised he was able to do it even better in the west than he did in NJPW, all though those last 2 years in Japan were a sign that he improved in almost every single department. Okada is still the same, maybe not the golden goose of Japanese wrestling, but even in a more comedic role, he can still put out rainmaker performances and when he gives a damn he's the best in the world, as he should. Wonderful match, wonderful segway from the semi-final matches and wonderfully worked, Okada looks strong, Ospreay looks strong, the right winner is picked and the crowd goes home hating the heel and loving the babyface. Selfishly wish it was longer, but it went as far as it should have. 4.5* MOTN"
[10.0] "(10) Ridiculous match. The fact that they can put this on after already fighting earlier in the night is insane. easily one of the best matches all year, could have been the best if given a bit more time."
[10.0] "Ospreay being severely hurt from the match against Kyle Fletcher, leading to severe blood loss, introduced an amazing piece for the storytelling of this match. Both men worked a match already, but Okada is practically as good as new in comparison to Ospreay, as Will could barely even walk straight down the map. Kazuchika focused a ton of strikes to his head, trying to reopen his wounds and to put him in a weaker state, yet it seemed like the moment the blood began flowing again, it reawakened Ospreay from his weakness. The match against Fletcher included moments that I didn't think were possible, at least in regards to reversals and counters, but this had even more. I've never seen such a counter to the rainmaker like that, and it was fucking nuts. Okada winning made complete sense, especially in regards to the hint of a Okada vs. Omega in the future, and it only made Ospreay look incredible in the face of defeat, handshake between the two men included. MOTY contender? Probably not, but damn it's close."
[10.0] "i kinda expected we were getting okada vs will since the tourney was announced, and i was excited at the possiblity of getting 2 of the top 5 wrestlers duking it out. and it did NOT dissapoint. even though will lost, i wasnt mad. i was grateful i got to see this. espcially in the last few 5 mins it was perfectly placed counter into perfectly placed counter and i could not look away one second or i would"ve missed something big. thank you Okada and Will and AEW/Tony"
[10.0] "10.0 - For me, Okada's best showing in AEW since signing on full-time. I do feel it was ill-advised to do the countout teases after it was such a big part of Stat/Mone but in the end they were just getting started and the crowd was in the palm of their hand for the final moments. Everything peaked perfectly with Okada able to finally land the big blow against Ospreay, who had clearly been worn down to the bone. The kind of match you want these two to have when you have them signed to your roster full-time. Marvelous"
[10.0] "I've got to admit, I've never actually seen these two guys wrestle before, but I was hyped after hearing about it plenty of times. And wow, this was incredible and up there for MOTY for me. The last 5 minutes particularly just flowed so well, in a way that I hadn't really seen too much from Okada in AEW prior to this. There's definitely room to do this again, with a bigger build too. Ospreay has had such a legendary run this year, its just silly at this point."
[8.0] "The final of the continental classic. An intense and contested match. Osprey sells well the injury he took to the head during his previous match."
[9.0] "This was so excellent, but I think they can do even better therefore it'll be a 9. Okada shows he still has what made him famous and respected, he just keeps it for HUGE cards. Ospreay is Ospreay as usual, one of the best on the planet right now. I highly recommend it !"
[9.0] "Okada and Ospreay have one of my favorite chemistries in wrestling history; every time they are in the ring together, you can expect something great. This match was really good, the last Match of the Year Contender of 2024 for me. (****3/4)."
[9.0] "Hell yea, wrestling is awesome. Of course AEW wasn't going to waste their first Will Ospreay vs Kazuchicka Okada match but they did give us something a little bit different. Ospreay coming into the match clearly unstable after his amazing bout with Kyle Fletcher was fantastic, being so knackered that he couldn't do his usual entrance poses and then pairing that with Okada walking to the ring as if he didn't break a sweat during his match against Ricochet. The opener told the same narrative that has been told since the start of the C2 but this time I believed it, Okada is a tournament fighter. I wouldn't call this match 50/50 at all besides Ospreay's babyface comebacks this match was Okada taking his time and dismantling a visibly battle damaged Ospreay. They saved the back forth to the final stretch of the match and even then Ospreay's offence that like it was purely out of adrenaline and desperation but he simply couldn't survive the calm and collected precision of the Rainmaker. Brilliant finale to the C2"
[10.0] "I'm so grateful I got to see this match. I dunno - I guess just watching this it really brought out a lot of lyrical thoughts in my mind. Thinking back not just to earlier in 2024 and Will and Okada sobbing as they left New Japan together and the journey that has been 2024 both personally and in the world of pro wrestling - but also just the last decade of both personal and pro wrestling experiences. What a 10 years it has been. Sincerely. I hope people don't take for granted just how good wrestling is right now. And how accessible it all is. I'm just so glad I got to see this match. When Will came out, he really reminded me of the old, "Tokyo Dome Will, " that I would see every year on January 4th. This match just brought back so many memories and also was just such a meditative and reflective experience. These stories aren't done. Will and Okada are not at the Kawada and Misawa in NOAH during the mid 2000's part of their saga, at least in my opinion. And no offense to those matches in NOAH. I love those matches, too. But Okada and Will are both relevant still. And they're both getting better. Which is an insane thing to say. I'm just so glad I got to saw this match. I'm so grateful. It's one of the best matches I've ever seen in my life."
[5.0] "I actually liked this match noticeably more than some of their previous encounters, but still this is a pairing that ultimately leaves me very cold. Obviously this is a personal preference thing, the majority of fans really loved this match, but King of Meltzer Style matches just don't do a lot for me. At least it wasn't egregiously long, that is always a big benefit. But it bothered to me to no end that Ospreay had this crazy blade job in the previous match and should have had his back up against a wall, and instead it just felt like he came in and did the same Ospreay trademarked 50/50 athletic style match that he has with every single opponent. I feel unfortunately sure he only lost because they are saving him up for a world title run soon which I am very unexcited about, but such is life I guess."
[9.0] "The fact that Ospreay was able to pull out a near 20 minute match after losing that amount of blood and performing that hard in the previous match is a testament to his dedication. Okada, after being described by many as "cashing it in" and not performing at his best in AEW, showed yet again why he is one of the greatest of this generation, and I truly hope to see more."
[10.0] "This match had me up out of my seat, wrapped up in every single near fall, convinced either men could win. The odds were so stacked against Will Ospreay, but he had determination on his side. And yet, it wasn't good enough to beat Okada, who looked incredible here."
[10.0] "Yeah this was special. For the first time we finally got to see THE REAL KAZUCHIKA OKADA in AEW. Was wondering when it was gonna happen and of course it was against Ospreay, no surprise. Ospreay continues to prove he's the best in the world, oozing out 5 star matches left and right at a rate we've never seen before. You name the event and i guarantee you the best match on the card is an Ospreay match. He's the top draw and for good reason. Now this one was extra special because of the history these 2 have from NJPW, and this match was every bit as good as their G1 29 match and Wrestle Kingdom 16 match. I only put it slightly behind their G1 32 classic. But either way its without question an all-timer and one of the best singles matches in AEW history no doubt. The final 5 minutes or so were 6+ star worthy. Legendary sequences. Some of the best end-of-the-match drama you'll ever see. As many have said before the story telling was great as you had the beaten and bloodied crowd favorite Ospreay going up against the much fresher and experienced(when it comes to tournaments) Okada playing the perfect heel. This is EASILY Okada's best match since joining AEW and it will be interesting to see how long that holds true with whats lookings like a dream(and ultimately inevitable) Okada vs Omega V on the horizon."
[10.0] "Another perfect match for me. As a guy who has spent his high school life watching Okada, Ospreay, and Omega. This match just brought back that giddy feeling, man. Every sequence they showed really brought excitement to me that I had to hold my breath. Ospreay went into the match all bloodied and beaten while Okada has perfectly paced himself in the Continental Classic, it just brought in the perfect context into the match. I already came in expecting Ospreay is going to give everything that he has and was surprised that Okada brought his best also. This match took my breath away and really made me relive my high school days with all of my excitement from watching them. Therefore, I give this a perfect rating."
[10.0] "Near 5 star match, there are matches that touch you deeply and make your soul shake and this was that one. Ospreay wrestled from down under already dealing with a head injury and Okada exploited that in the most grotesque way possible planting three DDT's head first. Ospreay's comeback was one for the ages almost leading him to victory. Ospreay dodges the rainmaker several times due to his agility and quickness and even connects with one of his own but eventually the rainmaker catches up to him and he falls prey to it . ****3/4"
[9.0] "Really great, but I'm not sure these two are capable of anything less. I maybe expected a little more, weirdly, and any match with JR on commentary in the big 2024 cannot get a 10. Kenny's return was great, but that isn't factored into the score here."
[10.0] "I didn't believe this match would be a good one. After this match, I refuse to understand Ospreay haters. Good booking (YEAH! ), now I see why Okada's first match on the show was the way it was. A great confrontation built on Ospreay's overpowering. Okada and Ospreay have great chemistry and feel for each other in the ring. This match shows why these two are considered the best in the world and it was so hyped to see Okada being a 5x Tournament winner. I now believe Okada vs Omega in AEW could turn out to be a great match, not a pale copy of their legendary fights."
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