I was really excited to check this out again after seeing a lot of recent feedback on this match. This is definitely the best, hottest blend of shoot style and pro wrestling that I've seen. Arguably the best Tokyo Dome crowd ever makes it feel like you're watching a classic before there's any action. The atmosphere and energy really carry this further than the match on its own would, as you're almost watching in awe of what might happen and how this may break down into something spectacular and unfamiliar. There are very few matches where the anticipation literally continues from bell to bell but that was very much accomplished here.
It still boggles my mind that Ogawa didn't become the ultimate heel around whom the promotion was built with Murakami as the gatekeeper, as it really felt like they had something uniquely hot and broad in their pocket had they not gone so far down the MMA hole. Either way this is as compelling a watch as it gets. I can't really rate it any higher as a match, but this was very much more than that in how it was presented, and I'm not sure they could'e achieved as much had they attempted any more traditional pro wrestling.
****1/4