Hotta's crew vs Ito's crew. This was supposed to be a frenetic, all-action match but it wasn't as exciting as you'd imagine. Ordinarily, they'd maximize the emotional conflict in a bout like this but this felt lazy. There was plenty of beef between the wrestlers but I wasn't feeling any of it. AJW is off to a bit of a rough start in '01. 

Full action here. A lot to really like and they conveyed a chaotic feel throughout the match. The only downside of everything was that it was almost too chaotic that it was impossible to follow at points and the Maekawa kick to win the match felt weak with everything that preceded it. The face team has a lot of potential but it is also clear that Takahashi, Nakanishi and Watanabe at points can blend in with each other and not show many distinguishing traits compared to their predecessors. LCO loves this smothering brawl but this worked for me in that I thought they gave an appropriate level of offense and hope to the other side. Hotta did as well so overall this was a success considering how selfish some people convey LCO and Hotta to be. Toyota watching on from the shadows felt ominous and I am excited to see what happens next in AJW in 2001. ***3/4 (7.5)