[7.0] "This actually wasn't that bad. It's a contrast in styles, but that's a good thing for these two, as there wa high flying from Dragon and technical stuff from Regal. A well-balanced match, even if it didn't break the Meltzer scale."
[8.0] "Regal definitely insisted on having his type of match and thank God, because it was one of better bouts from Dragon. It wasn't about as many moves as possible, the near falls were believable and the work was tremendous. Both guys were such fluid workers that it was a joy to just watch them chain wrestle for the first part of the match. Technically Regal was a heel, but ultimately the crowd was divided with the bigger part being behind Steven, so it made for a great atmosphere and both guys played to it fantastically. A really good pacing and stucture and a phenomenal way to open the show."
[8.0] "Great match! this shows why Regal is such a great worker, sure it's not a classic but the way Regal wrestles and the move he does are excellent, he stands out in meh matches like an elite (****)"
[7.0] "A pure match between two of the smartest and most brilliant wrestlers of the nineties. The end of the match represents the biggest problems on WCW! Let the wrestlers finish what they're doing without interference, it's boring and annoying... Rating:3.5"
[8.0] "Really fun match, and the styles clash works to enhance both guys, rather than weigh them down. Regal had a great run against the cruiserweight guys in mid-97, and this is just one more really fun part of it."
[4.0] "These guys certainly have talent but this clash of styles just didn't work for me at all. Very little chemistry, fluidity to the match and the finish with Sonny Onoo was super random and seemed botched."
[6.0] "This would pretty much be the end of Dragon's relationship with Ono, he would make a face turn shortly thereafter. Regal gets the stretch to win his 4th TV title. Good opener."
[9.0] "Das war wirklich hervorragend! Dieses Match hatte, bis auf Powermoves, eigentlich alles. Besonders die Technik und mattenphase war super klasse. Onoo war doch eine Nummer zu viel. Ansonsten war es wirklich spannend und toll um den Regal Stretch erzählt. Für mich eines der besten WCW Matches"
[8.0] "A lovely technical match here, as the delordificated Steven Regal built to a strong victory - Sonny Onoo turned on Dragon towwards the end, but the damage had already been done by that point."
[8.0] "A fantastic opening match for Slamboree '97. Ultimo Dragon is a great champion, he is fast and he has great moves. Steven Regal is a master of technical Wrestling, he delivers so much and the fans are on his side this time. There is a betrayal by Sonny Ono which is weird and probably useless, but it's an amazing bout until that happens. Great in-ring work from both wrestlers. ****"
[6.0] "Solid match, but too slow even for Regal. Lack of moves and chemistry between wrestlers did their job. Wrestlers as Regal and Dragon could show a much better wrestling. Also, the finish is terrible in the ways of booking and execution, it made a disappointed match even worse. Sadly, it was their last chance to have a great match and they failed it."
[8.0] "This was a great technical wrestling match, and it's a forgotten classic from the NWO-era of WCW, as it rarely seems to get the praise it deserves."
[9.0] "Awesome technical match. Reminds me a bit of a mid 90's NJPW match. This match is a reminder of how good Regal is and what a start Dragon could've been here in the states. Should be a 10 but the Sonny Onoo stuff hurts it. That dude sucks."
[7.0] "Regal vs. Dragon erschien auf den ersten Blick nicht eine Begegnung zu sein, von der man sich viel versprechen konnte, aber die 2 harmonierten hier hervorragend und zeigten bis zum Schluss ein tolles Match. Die Mischung aus dem technischen Stil von Regal und den High-Flying Aktionen von Ultimo Dragon waren grandios mitanzuschauen und Dragon war wahrscheinlich einer der besten Allrounder dieser Zeit. Das Finish war leider nicht sehr gut gemacht und wirkte schwach, weshalb es nicht ganz für eine höhere Bewertung reicht. Nichtsdestotrotz der einzige richtige Lichtblick an diesem Abend. *** 3/4 (17)"
[7.0] "Zuerst eher seltsam klingendes Aufeinandertreffen was doch dann ein mehr als ordentliches Match wurde. Regal schafft es aber die anwesenden Fans auf seine Seite zu ziehen und nimmt Dragon im Match auseinander, was aber nicht ein einseitiges Match vermuten lässt. Finish war jetzt nicht so prickelnd. (3 1/2*)"
[10.0] "Fantastic match, a perfect clash of styles in the best way. I love how much they fight for every move and every hold, that's the way it ought to be. They totally hook the crowd in as well and really get everything over well. Only nitpick is the Sonny Onoo stuff, but even that does not detract."
[7.0] "Ich mag das Match irgendwie. Es ist eine bemerkenswerte Leistung Regals, hier trotz Größen- und Gewichtunterschiedes den prominenten Japaner derartig zu sezieren. Man hat stellenweise das Gefühl, das der Champion regelrecht zurechtgeknotet wird, um dann nach kurzem Comeback tatsächlich den Gürtel abzugeben. Die Vorzeichen sind dafür irgendwie seltsam, weder Regal noch Onoo sind spürbare Sympathieträger, und trotzdem gelingt es dem Match, abschliessend auch die Fans hinter sich zu bringen. Solider Start in die Show."
[7.0] "Ungewohnter Styles Clash im Opener. Anstatt der gewohnten flippy Action gibt es diesmal sehr viele Haltegriffe und stiffe Kicks. Schlecht ist das Ganze nicht, aber ich fand es auch nicht so unterhaltsam wie die letzten Opener. Zudem fand ich das Finish ziemlich verkorkst, da der Tritt von Sony Ono gegen den Dragon nicht wirklich Sinn ergeben hat."
[9.0] "This was a great match. Both competitors had some really nice mat work but William Regal did great. Ultimo Dragons manager, Sonny Onoo played a part in this match when he attacked Regal and I thought that was cool. Dragon did some very nice ariel moves and Regal did some nice technical moves so the match was pretty even. Overall a great match with a good ending."
