I'm not sure why or how but RVD was exponentially better at stringing offense together in All Japan than in ECW. It can't just be his opponents, because when you're on offense typically you call the spots, especially with RVD being experienced at this point. Anyway, they tell a story as RVD frustrates the champ with his unusual-but-effective style, and the finishing run is good. Not on par with Kroffat vs RVD from the year before but waaaaaaaaay better than anything RVD did in ECW through '99 or so.

 

Yeah, apropos of the "carrying" discussion in the main section...some might want to say that applied here, but I dunno. I suppose Kikuchi could get credit for "holding this together" but RVD seems like the more dynamic worker and he's the more over guy in the match, at least by the closing stretch. He hits most of what he does with a minimum of RVD sloppiness and meandering, and what sloppiness is there is covered for nicely. This had a slow start punctuated by RVD's unique moves, with a pretty hot finishing stretch where Kikuchi steps his game up some even though he's clearly far from what he once was in terms of energy and speed. I find it amazing and more than a bit scary that he was a full-timer in NOAH for another 14 years after this.