[2000-04-07-NJPW-Dome Impact] Masa Chono vs Great Muta

[soup23]

The title of the match is Restricted Zone which is awesome. Molly Holly escorts Muta out and Chono has his entire posse out there including the N W O 2000 members that just defected. A conflicting match. Everything was going along nicely and I thought these two had somehow pulled off two miracle matches in the dome in 2000. Then the rest holds got a little long and the violence and wandering around the ringside area felt really mundane. The kicker though is the complete bullshit finish that happens and that Muta is able to escape relatively free with 10 people backing Chono up. **1/ 2

[Loss]

I thought this was solidly worked for the most part, but it was pretty slow-paced and honestly boring for big chunks. Lousy finish after serviceable but really bland action doesn't do it any favors, either. Cool seeing Miss Madness do her missile dropkick in heels to a big pop in the post-match.

[Moonsault Marvin]

Chono's weird breathing noises drive me nuts! It's all I hear when I watch his matches. This was slow paced, but Muta threw in enough action to keep it from being boring. It was fun to see young Molly Holly. Solid match.

[Superstar Sleeze]

Masahiro Chono vs The Great Muta - NJPW 4/7/00

The last stand of WCW against NWO takes place in the Tokyo Dome on April 2000! Chono has completely absorbed NWO Japan into Team 2000 but effectively this is the last remnant of the NWO as the vibe and aesthetic is still very much the same. Now why do I say this is WCW's last stand well, you see Mutoh after losing in the Tokyo Dome three months prior to Chono and also losing his group conjures up the Great Muta for this battle and his facepaint is emblazoned with WCW and the announcers say WCW a half million times. One last stand for WCW against the NWO! Now as I said Great Muta is up against like 10-ish men it looks like so he calls upon reinforcements from WCW and who does he get well who else, BUT Mighty Molly at this time going but Miss Madness. Random as fuck. 

It speak volumes that New Japan could run the Dome in January and then again in April and still draw 40,000. Hashimoto vs Ogawa is a big main event, but this match definitely plays a significant role. The Great Muta like Keiji Mutoh is very hit and miss, but credit to Mutoh in a totally different way. The selling can get really wonky with Great Muta gimmick as we can see with Kappou Kick sell and there is sometimes a lot of time spent under the ring...thankfully that was not a problem in this match. Overall, I would say this was a clear step down from the great January 4th match, but still good. 

Customary New Japan chain wrestling doesnt really go anywhere. Muta throws in a mule kick, Chono hits that Kappou kick, but not much. One tendency I have noticed from Muta is that at the 5 minute mark he loves to hit the Powerdriver Elbow and usually the Back Handspring Elbow. They take turns sort of stealing the others trademarks so for Chono we get Figure-4s and Dragon Leg Screws and for Muta we get the STF. Muta goes outside and scared some people and steals a chair. He doesnt do much with the chair. Chono gets the chair really cracks him with it. Unfortunately my co-workers had a lot of questions for me after my walk so this is done a slight time delay and the memory is getting a little fuzzy. I dont think this match was good enough to go back and get every detail right. Chono decides to work the neck randomly so Muta is able to convert into an STF. Then it is Muta in the Dome so they do some random ramp work that doesnt really hit where they trade moves. Back Handspring Elbow and Top Rope Frankensteiner is in there somewhere. Muta Dragon Leg Screws Chono and the REF LEAPS INTO CHONO TO TAKE A REF BUMP! LOL

Muta introduces a table into the ring. He eats the table on a Back Handspring Elbow gone awry. Chono powerbombs Muta through the table (Muta seemed to bail on the piledriver last second, he was like nope). Chono puts him in that Butterfly Lock/Iron Cross thing that looks like shit. Muta either sprayed mist into Ref's eyes or something because triggers the DQ win for Chono. Team 2000 puts a beating on WCW's last warrior. MUTA SPRAYS CHONO WITH MIST AND MISS MADNESS HITS A MISSILE DROPKICK ON TENZAN AS WCW'S WARRIORS RETREAT!

I was at 3 stars the chair/table and highspots were pretty good, but Miss Madness missile dropkicking Tenzan bumps this to *** 1/4