Fun back & forth to start things off, but the match really picks up when YOSHI-HASHI is talking shit to Nagata, who was down, just getting up - Nagata has this look on his face that says "really son?" & then he starts kicking the crap out of YOSHI-HASHI. Awesome stuff. Great way to start this G1! ***1/2

A good tourney opener overall. I liked the mat base start and the ramping up to the bombs being thrown around. YH strikes are something that are a detriment to me so seeing Nagata demolish him and get some pop and crackle on his kicks was rewarding. YH even got some nice snap on his chops here which is a better weapon for him to utilize compared to the forearms. The dueling submissions were filled with nice tension and that set the stage for the tournament overall as it felt like either man could win this one. The sequence after the back suplex nearfall lost me as they seemed to run out of ideas and YH lost most pretenses of selling the arm work that was laid out. The wrist clutch driver that YH wins with is a nice move and that was a big win for him as I only peg him to have 4 or 6 points the entire tournament. ***1/4

I really wanted Yuji to win this one but no luck. I am still holding out hope he has a good tournament. YOSHI-HASHI has always been a guilty pleasure but I prefer it when he has the chance to come out of nowhere and get wild and bombastic with his offense. This match was not really that. It's hard not to be excited for the first match of G1 though!

Can't get into YOSHI-HASHI at all. His offense looks really weak and this went too long for a YH match but it was fun to see Nagata kick some ass. Too bad he couldn't pick up the win but whatever, he's been chilling at the beach.

I'm right at ***1/4 - was very close to 3.5. Didn't feel it went on too long, and Nagata's offense is so f'n great. I am an unabashed mark for how he works singles matches and was hoping he'd get the W here. YH wasn't bad, his signature comebacks were good. These guys worked well together for the most part.

From Ioan Morris review at Place to Be Nation:

 

 

 

Nagata got the better of some early exchanges, but ultimately they reset with a stand-off, and after some strikes Yoshi pulled Nagata outside and landed chops to take control. Back in, a rope-hung dropkick earned two, then, after a chinlock, Yoshi thought it would be a good idea to slap Nagata. It wasn’t. Nagata fired back with kicks and stomps before they engaged in a slap battle, and the veteran nailed a rope-hung neckbreaker and the Exploder for a two-count. After it looking like his comeback had been curtailed, Yoshi slipped out of a top-rope predicament to hit a pinning powerbomb for two, then followed with the Swanton! One, two, no! Yoshi cinched in the Butterfly Lock, the crowd implored Nagata to resist, and he did eventually earn a rope-break. Shiromu armbar from Nagata! He sat deep, but Yoshi stretched for the break. Justice knee and a backdrop – two-count only! Small package from Yoshi for a near-fall, followed by a left-handed lariat for the same. Nagata initially blocked Karma, but the lungblower connected, allowing Yoshi to nail it at the second time of asking. One, two, three. A very good match to open the tournament. There was some awkwardness in the beginning and it felt like they went a minute or two beyond the peak of the match, but they got me into it far more than anticipated. ***3/4