HENARE

[8.0] "He has gone above & beyond in AEW, proving match after match to be a unique, ground-&-pound force of nature whose ability to throw wrestlers into trainwreck situations within the blink of an eye is beyond reproach. He's so good that he makes me want to get NJPW's app."

[8.0] "This year's G1 has been an absolute run of redemption for Henare. Henare has improved radically in a short amount of time and is so far incredibly successful in the G1 being the first one to reach 8 points. I love Henare's mix of power and agility; he is one of the most exciting big men in Japan in my opinion. He is also completely unique and unlike any other wrestler right now, and it's not often you can say that."

[9.0] "I may be a little biased as a fellow kiwi, but I truly feel HENARE has got everything it takes to be a bona fide world champion: his striking is crisp, his grappling is pure, and his aura is mana incarnate. Add to all that HENARE is only just entering the prime of his career while simultaneously being a two decade veteran, I feel his ceiling is still so far from being reached."

[8.0] "I'm a big fan of Henare. He's got a unique look and takes his role as wrestling's Maori ambassador very seriously. He's the kind of warrior that wrestling misses sometimes but can also wrestle very well."

[7.0] "I wish HENARE wasn't so injury prone because he's grown into one of my favorite performers in NJPW in the last few years. Just a straight up hardman brawler with a face tattoo who screams and stomps around. Pro-wrestling can be so simple sometimes. Unfortunately the style he works has lead to inconsistent pushes since the poor dude has already had one career threatening injury that put him on the shelf for a whole year and NJPW seems to have reservations about putting any steam behind him."

[7.0] "When he debuted his new gimmick in United Empire in 2022 I thought he was good. Same in 2023. I thought he was awesome in his G1 33 run with the new look and popped when he won the Never title but his run in G1 34 was too Ishii-like. He should be his own man, not an ishii rip off."

[7.0] "Henare has become steadily a fav of my in United Empire. Seeing his performance in G1 Climax 34 made a good impression on me. From his move-set being quite unique giving his background and leaning into his tribal character has benefited her from standing out in his stable. Hopefully when he returns from injury, he can found that momentum leading into 2025."

[7.0] "Some people seem to hate HENARE, and that's honestly a bit far. HENARE firstly has an amazing look especially to what he was before the G1 climax last year, and I love what he brings to the roster. When it comes to his push however, I don't think he's good enough to ever break into the main event, as besides two really good matches against Shingo, he seems to be just under the position of NEVER Openweight championship pillar, and I don't really want to see him in the same position for a small while. Nonetheless, he's still very capable when matched with the right opponent, namely Gabe Kidd, so when it comes to comparing him with NJPW's stacked roster of the past, there's definitely worse that you can do."

[3.0] "I'm not a fan, HENARE is the personification of the bad things that modern wrestling can present, his style is based on lame fighting spirit shticks, that I hate most of time, and outside of the formula he doesn't seem very capable to do great things. Of course the guy hits hard and had a couple of good matches, he's kinda viewed as the successor of Tomohiro Ishii, but what he represents is very bad in my opinion."

[9.0] "Henare is by far the most underrated NJPW wrestler. He wrestlers exactly the way I love and all the matches he had in 2024 have been amazing. Highlight of his career for me is his match against Gabe Kidd, truly a match of the year contender. Love him."

"HENARE is just OK, and I feel like I always want him to be more. It's like he's someone doing an impression of a great worker; he's technically doing the things they do, but not quite as crisp, not quite as fast, not quite as charismatic. For me, he's lacking that bit of real precision and fire to get him over the line. For now, he's just alright. 5/10."

[9.0] "(Original rate: 8.0 on March 16, 2022): As Toa, he was a big 4.0, because no matter how tough, savage or primal he tried to represent the Maoris, that didn't mattered at all if he was teaming with bigger names and that's why he never got off the ground. As Aaron, the evolving of Maori warrior to Maori royal gangster made him tremendously serviceable. He got his own badass theme, own finisher and own gimmick, not to mention his addition of MMA arsenal mixing with some wrestling turned him into a tremendous brawler. I hope we can get more out of Aaron, because I always had faith in him since his young lion days. EDIT: Now he got a 9, because he did not disappoint. Became a freaking beast after tattooing his face and banging to Kai Tangata during his entrances, not to mention, his matches looked like straight up homicide attempt towards Shingo, Gabe Kidd, Ishii and Eddie Kingston. Now a NEVER Openweight Champion, this man is an all out machine ready to kick ass!"

[5.0] "HENARE is a totally fine worker, but really nothing special. He is fortunate in that he has been able to work with some of the best workers in the world during his time with New Japan, but I never feel as if he is elevating a matchup with his presence. His gimmick has already worn thin with me and I do not really buy him as a worker worthy of his billing. He gets a bang average rating as he is capable of having a good bout, but he has had poor bouts with excellent workers who would do better with almost anyone else on the New Japan roster."

[8.0] "Him Joining the United Empire in 2021 was the boost in his career he needed. Some People hated it and some liked it but when you think about it, him in the UE makes sense and now he's the NEVER champion and I'm interested to see what he'll bring to the table as the champion"

[9.0] "It took years, but Aaron (formerly Toa) Henare has figured out the kind of wrestler he is meant to be. He's really found himself as the no nonsense fighter of the United Empire.And now even further after a series of matches with Shingo takagi, HENARE has moved up again from solid to truly an elite level in ring worker."

[9.0] "Aaron Henare went from another guy in the roster to a irresistable force of the roster, it sucks that he got an injury from the insane Cage match and I really feel his absence since. He is everything to expect of a tough guy and a great underdog. Ever since he had his mataora (I think it is call like that) tattoo, HENARE gain an insane charisma and gave us something to care about other than 'I am a tough guy that got nothing else to propose'. His G1 run was cool but he wasn't put on the ideal disposition as he had a lot of 'mid' wrestlers to wrestle with and a disappointing match against Eddie Kingston, his match against Takagi and Kidd were some of the best I've seen in recent years and his last match to date was in the Cage Match. I hope he come back healthy and gets involved in the NEVER Openweight title picture because he would be a perfect fit."

[9.0] "HENARE used to be just that boring old tough guy, but ever since he came out with the Maori tattoo, he has been something else, by embracing his heritage he has become one of the best parts of United Empire, and really should be Ospraey's replacement as the leader."

[8.0] "Henare is decent. He is able to put on a good match in the undercard but that is about it. I don't necessarily think he should win any of the big belts or anything however he, when he is with the right opponent, he is great. He has improved a lot over the years and with the right opponent he is a (9.0) generally though he is a (7.5)"

[6.0] "Bland tough guy gimmick with your typical angry guy promos. In ring is average though can be pulled up to good matches by the top guys."

[7.0] "I am bumping HENARE up to a 7 from my original rating of 5. He has definitely found his footing within the last year and a half and is now capable of putting on engaging, hard-hitting matches that are often the highlight of the undercard of any show."

[8.0] "Henare is the guy who has done the most on the NJPW roster to exceed my expectations this year. Similar to the way that a series of matches against Ishii in 2019 bumped Taichi into a different tier and provided a foundation to build on, I am hoping for the same consistent progress and growth for Henare following an absolutely stellar series of matches with Shingo in 2023. The key difference is that I think Henare has an even higher ceiling. His moveset makes sense with his look and character, his athleticism is off the charts in terms of strength AND endurance, his strikes and throws all look great (and safe! except id like him to get comfortable using exclusively worked headbutts) and his selling his very strong as well. I think he's operating at a sneaky high level right now and im looking forward to editing this in a couple of years and taking the rating even higher."

[8.0] "With his 5.25 Star banger earlier this year and his first few performances in the G1, I think Henare has firmly established his place amongst New Japan's hardest hitters. Combine that with a completely unique new look and I think this or next year might be the year of HENARE."

[7.0] "Henare has really found his footing recently. A bunch of great matches so far, looking forward to seeing how he continues to improve"

[7.0] "After years of being bland and inconsistent it finally feels like he's improving and is trying to bring something to New Japan. His biggest contribution surely is the ultimate triad match against Shingo Takagi."

[8.0] "Im not a fan of his outside of the ring but putting that aside, Henare has improved a ton. Hes come a long way since his Im just a step above a Young Lion days. His latest finishers are good and his matches with Shingo Takagi have been great with the Ultimate Triad match at Road to Wrestling Dontaku being a standout during WrestleMania weekend. I prefer the tag of GOK/Henare over GOK/Cobb (Jeff Cobb is fantastic but shines as a singles star). Wouldnt be surprised to see Henare win the Provisional KOPW Championship or NEVER Openweight Championship at some point."

[7.0] "I think Henare has really turned himself into a solid enforcer for the UE. He has shown great character with his ferocious MMA and explosive strong style moveset put together. His match with Shingo has been the best match for NJPW so far this year. management is now fully behind him as well"

[8.0] "Henare is my favorite wrestler I always forget. He's very solid in the ring and knowledgeable about his craft. He might not be very charismatic, but that's why United Empire is there for."

[7.0] "Very puzzled by the very low ratings. He's had some solid matches as of late, his matches with Shingo especially."

[8.0] "Henare is very underrated. Perhaps in terms of character, he is not as good as it should be for the Empire, but in the ring he pays for everything. I don't understand why he has such an average rating but I like him"

[4.0] "Mediocre. Weakest member of the UE that eats the pins and usually has the least dynamic/sloppiest performance. There's nothing about his character work either that is engaging. He is well spoken on commentary however."

[6.0] "Maybe he is not very good wrestler, but he fits for the UE gimmick. Nice tag wrestler that doesn't spoil matches with good opponents like Goto, KENTA or SANADA. Nice player for this game"

[3.0] "Is the worst of the united empire. A generic wrestler that done generic bad wrestling. Much forgettable. *1/2"

[1.0] "Thought Henare would improve after his Young Lion stint and injury as well as his long undercard job guy run, but he really hasn't improved himself outside of his look in the United Empire. Also turns out he believes in some really shitty things and is incredibly stupid about owning up to it when confronted about it."

"Henare's a 6 in my book. Since joining the United Empire, his stock went up a bit. He's still the fall guy, but every now and then, he gets a pinfall or submission over someone. The plus side to that is that he can take multiple losses without it harming him too much. He hasn't really had any remarkable matches or accomplishments yet in NJPW, but I hope that changes in 2023. I'd love to see him enter the NEVER Openweight title scene, as his style represents the gritty brawler style that put that title on the map in NJPW. Overall, he's a 6, intense and fiery in the ring, comfortable enough as the "Ultimate Weapon" of the United Empire, but just needs to enter a title scene to fully unlock his potential."

[5.0] "I had hopes that Henare would have broken out by now. He's got good size and showed promise early in his career but he's not kicked on. Has some good impactful moves but is yet to show he has learned any psychology. His character is now a bit more interesting but I think he has yet to grow into it properly."

[0.0] "Very dull, can only do a few strikes well, unfortunately he is a piece of shit who supports the human trafficer Andrew Tate. He has failed to do much besides be a pin eater and I don't even want him as that."

[5.0] "I'm impressed with the power and intensity Aaron Henare brings to his opponents in the ring. His match with Fujita on New Japan Road was brutal. I hope that NJPW can include him in more storylines so that we can see more of Aaron Henare."

[0.0] "Treated within New Zealand as a golden child due to having "made it" to New Japan. Everyone ignores the fact the only reason he made it there is by being friends with Fale. Now he's part of the United Empire where he's far and away the least important member of the stable. This rating was a 1 and is now a 0 because if whoever wrote that glowing review with a 10 isn't the man himself, I'll be surprised."

[6.0] "Henare has been elevated a bit since joining the United Empire, but he's still the pin guy and can be a super "just alright" kind of wrestler. He could be a big player in other companies, but he's just a lower-upper midcarder here."

[5.0] "Even as a member of the Empire, Henare hasn? t done much to stand out, I honestly forget he? s in the group most of the time. He? s still young, so he has time to improve, but I don? t really see it happening. I honestly think he would be better off in another promotion."

[10.0] "The best wrestler in New Japan today and the indirect leader of the best faction in New Japan, United Empire! Henare is the bright future of NJPW and the future ace. He should have won against Jay White instead of Finlay damn it but it's okay, he is going to win G1 and prove why he is the best!"

[4.0] "Before joining the United Empire, Henare was as anonymous and invisible as any New Japan wrestler I've ever seen. Sure he's a fine talent, but I've never felt like he's belonged in the biggest company in Japan. I'll wait and see how he does with guys like Cobb and Ospreay in his corner, but I'm not overly optimistic that this is the move that'll send him to more meaningful matches. I think a sabbatical to AJPW or NOAH could do this guy a world of good, but I don't see that ever happening."

[8.0] "I don't quite understand why Henare's rating is so low here. While he hasn't had his big breakthrough victory yet, Henare is one of the most exciting performers in New Japan in my opinion. His incredibly stiff and fast strikes are a joy to watch. The guy is basically a shoe-in for the NEVER division, which I think he'll really excel in once he finally gets that victory over Ishii."

[4.0] "What I have seen so far of him hasn't impressed me. He's very underwhelming all around and his only selling point is he's a powerful Maori. Cool look but that doesn't make a wrestler. I strongly suspect he could work much better in a promotion like BJW where he could throw people through tables and/or engage in power move contests to his heart content instead of sticking to an extremely limited repertoire like he's doing right now in NJPW."

[6.0] "Henare is blurring the line between being an underwhelming low card wrestler and a young lion. Maybe in a few years after an excursion or more training he'll be good but for now he's really nothing special."

[7.0] "He is an exciting performer and can have a good match if give him opportunity. Right now, he is still young lion even though he have his own ring attire. His exchange with Ishii is tell me that he has plenty that he can show to the fan of new japan wrestling. I think new japan should send him to US for excursion and let him develop to reach his true potential."