RF Video's Best of Japan 2000

Jun Akiyama & Kenta Kobashi vs. Mitsuharu Misawa & Akira Taue (3-Falls)
Simply put this is NOAH's first main event. The prior matches on the card were lackluster and this one is a dream match of sorts. It didn't take long to realize the key to this was establishing the Akiyama-Kobashi feud and more importantly Aki as a top guy, whose ready for the top spot.
The entrances are interesting as they go back-and-fourth. Taue looks the same. Aki has slightly bleeched hair and is wearing all white, which looks strange at first, but pretty good. Kobashi has no facial hair anymore and black tribal designs on his classic orange tights. Misawa is so over its ridiculous and maintains his same old look.
The match starts with Misawa and Akiyama and has immediate run-ins. Then out-of-nowhere, Aki debuts his new finisher, the Guillotine Chokehold on Misawa for a shocking win. The veteran plays dead and is finally revived. The second fall begins and Aki is on Misawa immediately. Things go into "classic" All Japan from here on out. Everyone shares exchanges, everyone hits their trademarks, nearfalls, stiff strikes, cool moves, and so on. The finish sees Misawa take out Kobashi with Emerald Fusion, Aki takes him out with two Exploders, than hits Taue with on for the win. Afterwards, Aki unexpectedly turned on his partner as he did all the work or whatnot (unfortunately my version edited that out).
This was at a new arena, had a new look, new name, new this and new that. The crowd seemed pretty dead for a match of this caliber, except for the finish as it happened, but died as they realized they weren't getting a third fall. Akiyama got over big time, but never came across as a heel as he would've elsewhere. I personally think he looked unwhelming considering how big this match was in accordance to his future. Misawa looked good as always, Taue did his part, Kobashi limped around and continued to shock the world. Pretty average level tag match for these four, though it could've been better, but was understandably at the level it was.
Rating: ***1/2

CIMA vs. Ricky Marvin
Generally regarded as the best match of this J Cup (though its no Pegasus-Sasuke or Dragon-Otani). Marvin is a crazy flier from CMLL/CMLL Japan, who may also be recognized by his later stuff with Toryumon. That is is CIMA's company, he was their top star for quite sometime and this tournament was based around elevating him pretty much.
You can't find a more flawless Marvin match as he hit all his spots exceptional well. CIMA was the man here: doing his Crazy Max rudo thing, showing off his talents and covering up Marvin's "weaknesses." Both have had better matches since, but this did a lot to boost their marketability throughout Japan.
Rating: ***1/4

Minoru Tanaka & Koji Kanemoto vs. Shinjiri Otani & Tatsuhito Takaiwa
Maybe the best Junior Heavyweight Tag match-ups I've ever seen. I'm probably a little bias as Tanaka's my new favorite junior and Otani's my old favorite. These are four guys who can just do it in the ring and this match proves just that fact.
(JIP) Amazing lucha-like heat throughout, which really adds to the drama of any match. Kanemoto looked especially good here, which I was glad to see. Takaiwa wasn't in there a lot and did his best stuff when he was and you can't ask for much more. Tanaka didn't get to be the master technician we all love, but he never usually is in tag matches, so it's no biggy. Otani really made everything come together and for good reason - he's the f'n man. Because it was JIP'd this is just a short and sweet deal, but is so action-packed you can't help but sit back in awe.
Rating: ****

Kenta Kobashi vs. Takao Omori (Champions Carnival Final)
I have a weird clipped version that shows Akiyama and Takayama looking on every once and a while. Kobashi's knee takes a pounding as it always did and Omori even breaks out some new holds to wear it down with. The youngster seems so close to winning several times and the Budokan goes bananas with every nearfall. Finally Kobashi comes back kills Omori with a Burning Lariat for the win. Omori was definately elevated though and would've been a major player if he hadn't have left All Japan soon after. Excellent drama, tight work and Omori really stepped it up a notch or two.
Rating: ***3/4

CIMA, Curry Man, Super Boy vs. Minoru Tanaka, Shiryu II, Jodie Fleish
(JIP) This thing has an awesome pace and some real talent, so its better than much of the spotfests we see in the indies nowerdays. CIMA looks good as always, carrying the rudos as he's a killer heel. Curry Man (Christopher Danels) is so well-rounded and works his bizarre gimmick excellently. Super Boy is a stout guy, who can deceive all with his agility, like only a handful of luchadors can do. Minoru Tanaka was a top prospect here and showed why he would be sought out by many promotions in the next year. Shiryu II is a talented youngster who fufills the bizarre look criteria and the cool lil' flyer criteria as well. Fleish is one of those guys I want to see more of, he's very dynamic and very much a spot machine, but exciting nonetheless.
This was put together much like a lucha trios match (except for the 3-falls part). Everyone had dynamic highspots and frankily everyone looked awesome. CIMA and Fujita were able to bring some traditionalistic type stuff into this, while Fleish and Curry Man broughted a lot of the athleticism and so fourth. What makes this so amazing is the difficulty of many of these spots and the fact everything went smoothly. Thi match is one of those one in a hundred spotfest that doesn't go array at some point or have one or more bad botches. You must see it to believe it.
Rating: ****

Toshiaki Kawada vs. Kensuke Sasaki
I mark out for everything about this match: Kawada walking done the Dome ramp in New Japan, Sasaki stepping it up like I never thought he could, the fans bringing mega-heat to this, the stiffness, the simplicity, the promos, the sweat-flying with every shot, I love this match!
If anything this match is great credit to Kawada, who made the awesome-looking, but average- talented Sasaki look like no one else could. The early work is methodical with a few of the stiff shots thrown in. Finally it explodes into the war of attrition it needed to be.