(Almost) 5-Star Match Reviews: A Collection of HIROOKI GOTO Matches

When it comes to wrestlers that are overlooked, underrated, or underappreciated, few embody those words more than Hirooki Goto. He’s a NJPW mainstay but for many years had a negative, almost comic reputation as the company’s perennial nearlyman. He was the poster child of the expression “always the bridesmaid, never the bride”: despite winning tons of tournaments, getting constant look and presentation changes, and boasting one of the coolest arsenal of techniques, for years he just couldn’t win the big one. For years he was considered NJPW’s version of Kofi Kingston, a perpetual midcarder who got the odd world title shot but always choked in the biggest matches. But that comparison became moot in 2019 whereas Goto finally broke his curse in 2025! But winning the big one isn’t everything; like Kane, Goto managed to achieve stable employment in a generally unstable industry while putting on some solid performances in the process.

Hirooki Goto vs. Konosuke Takeshita – NJPW G1 Climax 2024

The Story: As the oldest participant in that year’s G1, Goto found himself in familiar territory as the stalwart defender of NJPW’s honor against outside invaders. Takeshita was one such an invader, coming from DDT by way of AEW. Behind the scenes this was also a big personal deal for Takeshita as Goto was one of the few wrestlers he grew up watching whom he could still wrestle one-on-one.

The Match: They start with a clean break and some immovable object shoulderblocks. Takeshita hits a flying clothesline and attempts a suplex on the entrance ramp. When Goto resists Takeshita lands a DDT instead. Takeshita follows with a DDT on the apron but Goto makes it back into the ring before twenty. Takeshita stomps him mockingly and they trade strikes until Takeshita blasts him with an elbow. Goto hits back with a misdirection clothesline and his corner wheel kick/Backdrop combo for two. Takeshita lands a sudden headiscissor followed by a suicide dive. Takeshita hits a corner forearm but Goto surprises him with a corner clothesline. Takeshita hits another big forearm but before he can capitalize Goto catches him in the ushigoroshi. Another standing strike exchange ends with another huge Takeshita elbow and a Blue Thunder Bomb that gets two. A corner struggle ends with Goto’s trademark diving sunset bomb for a near-fall. Goto attempts the GTR but Takeshita counters into a wheelbarrow piledriver/wheelbarrow suplex combo. Goto gets up quickly and hits first with a lariat. After a double-down Goto fires up and lands a roundhouse kick into the GTW for two. Takeshita counters another GTR with a Brainbuster. Takeshita attempts another but Goto counters with Shouten Kai for a close near-fall. More reversals lead to a head-butt collision and Goto hitting the GTR for the pin and the win.

Winner after 14:20: Hirooki Goto

Review: That was a solid no-filler encounter closer to the spirit of the AEW/DDT tradition than a pure New Japan match. Takeshita forewent any strategy or methodical approach and went straight for bombs and high risks, much like his inspiration Kenny Omega. Goto, meanwhile, played the stalwart and stayed in his comfort zone yet remains a solid threat as the seasoned veteran. While Takeshita had the advantage for the first half by blindsiding Goto, he falsely presumed Goto would be unfamiliar with this outsider style. However, Goto took plenty of hard hits and caught Takeshita off-guard when it mattered most and managed to break through Takeshita’s more patterned and formulaic style and blast him with high-impact finishers. While not a classic, this a solid performance that you could slot on any televised show and it would give the audience something to enjoy.

Final Rating: ***3/4

Hirooki Goto vs. Yota Tsuji – NJPW G1 Climax 2026

The Story: This was a clash of generations with older Goto taking on one of the centerpieces of the Reiwa Era’s stars. Tsuji is one of the Reiwa Three Musketeers, the other two being Ren Narita and Shota “Shooter” Umino. His particular gimmick is…a bit hard to really get into: he calls himself “The Gene Blast” and is supposedly meant to be a metaphor for mutated DNA being blasted over the roster to bring NJPW into a new era. Take that visual for what you will. Adding to this…odd…visual is Tsuji’s omnipresent Cheshire Cat grin and blinding white teeth that give Roman Reigns a run for his money. Now that I think of it, on the surface Tsuji appears to be NJPW’s version of Reigns: a chiseled, long-haired, handsome babyface with a Spear for a finisher and an undeniable smile. Beyond these visuals, Tsuji entered the 2026 G1 as the defending IWGP Heavyweight Champion and vowed to beat each and every person in his block. That was easier said than done given that his block included previous winner Konosuke Takeshita, eventual winner Ryohei Oiwa, and Goto, who was looking to regain his glory following his crowning moment the year prior.

The Match: Goto gets a clean break but then Tsuji gets one as well and hits a stiff slap. Tsuji lands a shoulderblock and attempts a counter hiptoss but Goto powers him down. Tsuji blocks a corner charge but catches Goto with his feet and stomps his head down. Tsuji follows with a dropkick and a suicide dive for a one-count. Tsuji knees Goto’s gut for some two-counts. Goto escapes a Boston Crab so Tsuji twists his neck. Tsuji lands some strikes until Goto counters with s misdirection clothesline. Goto follows with his wheel kick/Backdrop combo for two. Tsuji blocks an ushigorishi and answers a charge with a reverse STO and a deadlift German. Tsuji hits a corner splash and then both wrestlers crash into each other. That leads to a combination exchange and a double-down. Tsuji applies a Boston Crab for quite some time but Goto gets a ropebreak. Goto sells the damage to his back for quite some time which leads to a Strong Style exchange. That ends with another stiff overhand chop from Tsuji that leaves part of Goto’s chest the same shade of dark red as Tsuji’s tights. Goto drops like dead weight as Tsuji tries picking him up so Tsuji curb stomps him for a two-count.

Tsuji attempts a spear but Goto counters with an ushigoroshi. He tries capitalizing but Tsuji counters with a Falcon Arrow for two. Tsuji hits a big corner knee but Goto stops him from capitalizing, which leads to a top-rope forearm exchange. Goto counters into a diving sunset bomb for two and drills Tsuji with a lariat. That’s followed by a fireman’s carry elbow drop for two. Tsuji counters the GTR with a backslide into a knee but Goto catches his leg. Tsuji breaks free and spams strikes to the head and hits a spinning side slam for two. Tsuji attempts the spear. Goto catches him in a front headlock and hits Shouten Kai. Tsuji resists the GTR so Goto spams head-butts. Goto chops him down and charges for a lariat but Tsuji hits the spear for a near-fall. He tries one more but Goto hits a wheel kick followed by a one-two GTR combo for the pin and the win.

Winner after 22:35: Hirooki Goto

Review: While Tsuji might look like Roman Reigns his wrestling style is more like Kenny Omega’s: flashy, strike-and-bomb-heavy, and at times lacking in selling or believability. These similarities are striking, which might make Tsuji a bit hard to get into if you’re not a fan of the more artistic and circus-like style popping up all over the place these days. That said, these two worked very well together by telling a great story of old-versus-young with Goto fighting against age and time as much as his opponent. Rather than make Goto into a prototypical FIP they centered his struggle on competitive spirit, teasing doctors’ intervention, and the match ending via referee’s decision due to Goto’s challenge surviving Tsuji’s powerful onslaught. But Goto fought back, hit hard, and got a surprise win over the defending champion.

Final Rating: ****

NEVER Openweight Championship Match: Katsuyori Shibata [c] vs. Hirooki Goto – NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 11

The Story: Goto and Shibata were close high school friends with a shared dream of one day wrestling in New Japan. They both eventually made it, but when Shibata left NJPW in 2005 Goto felt twice the sting as his peers since he lost both a colleague and friend. When Shibata returned years later he crossed paths with his old pal many times, which led to some truly intense, exciting, and hard-hitting fights like their must-see battle at Dominion 2013. Going into this bout they have a 2-2-2 record against each other. But one of those 2s isn’t draws, but double knock-outs. In other words, on at least two occasions these two guys beats each other so badly neither man could get up. And these two are FRIENDS!

The Match: They open with a basic exchange which ends with a stiff slap from Shibata. Goto applies a deep headlock but Shibata escapes with a cool handstand. Shibata follows with some aggressive armwork and applies a sleeper against the ropes followed by a running soccer kick to the back. Shibata attempts a short-arm scissor but Goto floats over into a cover for a one-count. Shibata transitions into a Cross Armbrealer but Goto gets a ropebreak. Shibata channels his inner Kawada with stepkicks and mocking kicks to the face. He lands an uppercut but Goto catches him off-guard with a misdirection clothesline. Shibata blocks a corner charge and lands stiff elbows. But before he can follow through Goto hits a sudden wheel kick – which Shibata no-sells and drops a stiff knee on the back of Shibata’s head. Shibata reapplies a headlock but Goto counters with a Saito Suplex. A top-rope elbow gets two so Goto kicks Shibata’s chest. Big mistake as this leads to Shibata sitting cross-legged and asking for more hits. Goto indulges him but Shibata tanks those hits and smashes Goto with an elbow. Shibats hits a corner dropkick and a single-underhook suplex. Goto reaches the ropes to escape a cobra twist so Shibata lands a Backdrop. Goto bounces up and goes for a lariat but Shibata barely moves. That leads to a strike exchange and a suplex exchange which ends when Goto drops Shibata’s head on his knee. Goto lands a suplex into a facecrusher and lands some kicks but then Goto switches to a leg-trap German Suplex. Goto hits back with a lariat but Shibata counters back with an STO. More stiff strikes from both guys. Shibata applies a rear naked choke. Goto gets the ropes. Shibata reapplies the choke lightning-fast and blocks Goto from reaching out to the ropes again. Shibata grapevines Goto’s body but Goto gets a ropebreak with his foot. Stiff head-butts and kicks leads to a double-down. Goto counters a Penalty Kick with an ushigoroshi. They trade suplex attempts until Goto lands his Shouten Kai for two. Both men fire up again leading to another strike battle. Goto wins the exchange with head-butts and then hits a forward and inverted GTR to get the pin and the win!

Winner and NEW NEVER Openweight Champion after 16:17: Hirooki Goto

Review: If you like hard-hitting action that borders on real and reckless then this is the match for you. Goto and Shibata pummeled each other and threw what looked and sounded like live rounds at times. It was simple but enjoyable with two close friends beating the crap out of each other, not unlike WWE’s Sheamus and Drew McIntyre. Despite being a bit disjointed at times – Shibata’s armwork ended up being completely inconsequential – these guys compensated by giving a physical encounter only two close friends that knew and trusted each other enough to cross a line could execute. This was NJPW’s modern Strong Style personified; had it not taken on this particular show it could’ve headlined a NJPW PPV.

Final Rating: ****

IWGP World Heavyweight Championship Match: Zack Sabre, Jr. [c] vs. Hirooki Goto – NJPW The New Beginning in Osaka 2025

The Story: This one hit close to home for many. About a year earlier Goto’s father passed away which, naturally, hit the man hard. Goto channeled this grief into determination which translated into more emotional matches. Goto wanted to win for his father and show his children that hard work can make anyone overcome any adversity. In other words, it was a NJPW-coded version of Kofi Kingston’s WWE Title ascent in 2019 – in more ways than one as standing in Goto’s way was a smaller, technically-adept grappler who vowed to out-wrestle him at every possible turn.

The Match: They open with chain wrestling and armwork as the crowd is overwhelmingly pro-Goto. A lightning-fast counter and dodge exchange ends with a Goto shoulderblock. He lands a clothesline and goes for a follow-up hiptoss but ZSJ counters with a quick takedown and lands a neck twist. Goto escapes a headlock and goes for the typical drop-down but ZSJ has him scouted and twists the neck again. He knocks Goto down and twists the neck again, this time on the apron. They fight ringside for a bit and upon returning to the ring ZSJ confidently wrestles into a neck-and-ankle stretch of sorts. He switches to a Figure-Four neck lock and rolls away from the ropes whenever Goto reaches out to them. Goto manages a break so ZSJ applies a cravate hold. That’s followed by a deep, extensive counter sequence ending with an ushigoroshi. Goto hits a wheel kick/Backdrop combo for two but ZSJ counters with a rope-assisted armbar. ZSJ shows some joint manipulation and reattacks the arm as Goto resists being thrown or slammed. Goto counters a corner charge with a Russian leg sweep into a clutch for a near-fall. ZSJ lands his own clutch for a near-fall and charges but Goto dodges and catches him in a rope-assisted GTR using the bad arm.

After some downtime ZSJ attacks first with uppercuts which leads to a Strong Style exchange. Goto hits a lariat with the bad arm defiantly. ZSJ tanks it. Goto counters a charge with an inverted GTR and charges, only to run into a roundhouse kick to that arm and a Michinoku Driver that gets two. ZSJ quickly applies a Cross Armbreaker and then a triangle choke. Goto tries powering out. ZSJ switches to a Fujiwara Armbar and then into one of trademark vicious double-arm holds. Goto almost gets the ropes with his foot but ZSJ traps him. But somehow, somehow, Goto breaks free and gets the ropes. ZSJ taunts Goto with Penalty Kicks to the chest until Goto catches his foot. Goto strikes back but ZSJ applies a sleeper. Goto sinks down so ZSJ hits another PK – which fires Goto up and allows him to land a lariat. Goto follows with a kick of his own and a fireman’s carry elbow drop for two. ZSJ resists the GTR so Goto head-butts him. ZSJ fights free with slaps but then eats more head-butts. Goto lands a bad-arm lariat and the Shouten Kai but it’s not enough. He goes for the GTR. ZSJ counters with a European Clutch for two. ZSJ attempts more arm-targeting attacks but Goto hits another lariat. ZSJ counters another GTR with a backslide attempt. Goto counters that with a successful GTR followed by a second. One, two, three! Goto wins the world title for the first time!

Winner and NEW IWGP World Heavyweight Champion after 20:07: Hirooki Goto

Review: That was basically an improved version of Daniel Bryan vs. Kofi Kingston from WrestleMania 35. It had the same general premise of technique versus emotion, a complex tale of the challenger carrying the weight of history in his plight, and a cathartic ending that saw the hero overcome the odds and win that which eluded him for so long. While it didn’t take place in front of as big of a crowd, this match had better overall bell-to-bell action. ZSJ was great as the overconfident heel who tried destroying Goto’s arm only for the challenger to gain the psychological advantage and rally back. Goto played the stoic hero to a T and created an emotional situation without having to be overly expressive or use crocodile tears. Although they didn’t go as deep or detailed with the story as they could have, as a standalone bout this was excellent. Had they gone maybe five more minutes and added more roadblocks for Goto to overcome this would be up there as a genuine MOTYC. But that’s just personal taste and doesn’t take away from how satisfying it was to finally see a hardworking, loyal fighter finally achieve top-level recognition.

Final Rating: ****1/2

IWGP Heavyweight Championship Match: Hiroshi Tanahashi [c] vs. Hirooki Goto – NJPW Destruction 2007

The Story: This took place during NJPW’s tumultuous post-Inoki dark era. Following Brock Lesnar’s departure Tanahashi was chosen as New Japan’s chosen headliner. The problem was that Tanahashi was a highly unconventional wrestler by NJPW standards, a significant departure from the company’s realistic, martial arts-influenced origins. At the time NJPW was hemorrhaging fans, which may explain the decision to elevate someone who didn’t fit the usual mould. However, dedicated hardcore fans rejected him as he was simply too different from what they were accustomed to. Meanwhile, Goto had recently returned from an excursion to Mexico, sporting more bulk, longer hair, and a more heavyweight-inspired arsenal. After beating Hiroyoshi Tenzan to earn a shot at the title, many fans dissatisfied with Tanahashi hoped to find their guy in Goto, who both resembled a more traditional wrestler and carried NJPW’s stylistic foundations more closely.

The Match: They lock-up and Tanahashi gets a dirty break on the ropes to set the tone. YES, we’re being treated to heel Tanahashi. They lock-up again and Tana outgrapples Goto and lands another stiff slap. That leads to a vicious and extended corner exchange. Some chain grappling and scientific matwork follow. Tanahashi wrestles into a leglock and doesn’t answer the ropebreak right away. Goto wins a test of strength on a knuckle lock but Tanahashi counters with a double-wrist suplex and lands some Danielson-esque stomps. Goto tanks a shoulderblock and a dropkick. Goto hits huge clotheslines, one over the rope and one over the barricade. Goto attempts to suplex Tana back into the ring but Tana blocks and smashes Goto’s legs into the ringpost. He follows with an extensive legwork segment, attacking the knee every time Goto attempts a comeback.

Goto gets a ropebreak to escape a Figure-Four Leglock so Tana mocks him with forearms. Goto counters a corner whip and hits a clothesline followed by several running attacks. Tana attempts a sleeper only to be caught in one. Goto switches to a Dragon Sleeper, which is one of Tana’s signature moves, only for Tana to flip over into his own and hit a standing splash combo for a one-count. A second-rope Senton gets Tana two. Goto blocks an apron German Suplex and clothesline Tana back into the ring, which allows Tana to hit a through-the-ropes Dragon Screw leg whip. Tana follows with an apron senton to the floor and tries smashing Goto into the turnbuckle but Goto counters. Goto teases a dive from the ring to the floor but the ref gets in his way. Since when is THAT a thing in New Japan? Undeterred, Goto pulls a Jericho and lands a triangle senton to the floor. Back in the ring Goto hits a diving elbow for two. Goto lands a lariat to the back of Tana’s head but Tana hits back with a Slingblade. Standard Fighting Spirit strike exchange that goes on longer than expected. Then they trade German Suplexes and slaps to the jaw. That exchange leaves Goto with a busted lip so he punches Tana much to the ref’s admonishment. Goto fires off more punches until the ref interferes, at which point Goto shoves him aside. That distraction allows Tana to land a low blow. Wow, when was the last time that happened in a NJPW world title match?

Tana follows with two Slingblades for a near-fall. Goto blocks a Dragon Suplex so Tana counters with an arm-trap German for two. Goto resists a Texas Cloverleaf so Tana lands another Dragon Screw, followed by an inverted one. Tana applies the Cloverleaf but Goto makes it to the ropes. Tana lands a vicious leg snap followed by a Frog Splash but Goto gets his knees up. Goto capitalizes with a Backdrop Suplex and a Shouten for two. Goto attempts his finisher again. Tana counters with a small package for two. A backslide likewise gets two. They trade waistlocks until Goto counters a victory roll attempt with a Wheelbarrow Piledriver. The referee forces Goto to back off as doctors check on Tana. Goto ignores them and lands the ushigoroshi. Goto follows with elbow drops to Tana’s weakened neck, all for two. Then Goto applies a Dragon Sleeper lifted into an Emerald Flowsion for two. That was sick! Tana cuts Goto off on the top rope which leads to a struggle and a diving Sunset Bomb from Goto. Another two-count. Goto attempts the Shouten again. Tana counters with a Slingblade. Bridging German Suplex. One-count. Lariat by Goto. Two-count. Bridging Dragon Suplex from Tana. Two-count. Tana follows with his Twelve-Six leg-hook Falcon Arrow. Another two-count. High Fly Flow to the legs. Tana applies another Texas Cloverleaf hold. Goto taps! Tanahashi retains!

Winner and STILL IWGP Heavyweight Champion after 31:32: Hiroshi Tanahashi

You can watch all of these matches on New Japan World but if you don’t have that, this match can also be found on this Chinese site.

Review: That was, without question, the greatest match of NJPW’s dark age and a legitimate sleeper hit. It featured tremendous wrestling that combined NJPW’s noted Strong Style with a more traditional Flair/Steamboat-inspired dynamic. For people accustomed to Tanahashi’s post-2012 style, the sight of him wrestling heel and cutting corners was a sight to behold. Goto, meanwhile, more than held up his end of the bargain as the hard-hitting fiery babyface who refused to back down. If you like scientific matwork or technical exchange, this match had that in droves. If you like wild bomb-fests with impressive techniques rarely seen in North America, they showcased that too. If you like stiff strikes, they showcased some of that as well. There were even a few instances of rarely-seen techniques like Tana’s leg breaker. But most importantly this was an example of Tanahashi excelling at being a heel, which channeled elements of peak Ric Flair or 1990s Shawn Michaels, two wrestlers Tanahashi wrote in his autobiography as his inspiration and favorite wrestler, respectively. Since so much of the noise around NJPW has focused on the company’s post-2012 recovery, this match has been largely overlooked. That’s why I wanted to bring it up: it’s a legitimate classic, MOTY contender, and one of the best matches you’ll ever see.

Final Rating: ****3/4

As always, thanks for reading.