The main event was marketed as the last match between longtime rivals Toshiaki Kawada and Mitsuharu Misawa, who, once both signed to All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW), had since gone separate ways, with Kawada remaining in All Japan and Misawa leaving to form Noah.

Throughout the 1990s Toshiaki Kawada and Mitsuharu Misawa had been regarded as the two top stars of the popular All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW) promotion, with both men regularly headlining shows with and against each other, and feuding over the Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship throughout the decade.

After owner and promoter Giant Baba died in 1999, Misawa inherited the position of AJPW president, however, after numerous disagreements with Baba's widow Motoko, he was removed from his position by a board of executives the following year and subsequently left All Japan Pro Wrestling in May 2000.

Kawada was one of only four wrestlers to remain with All Japan, leaving him, Masanobu Fuchi, Stan Hansen and Maunakea Mossman as the sole roster of the promotion.

[1][2][3] After ending Kenta Kobashi's 735 day-long GHC Heavyweight Championship reign on March 5, 2005, Takeshi Rikio successfully defended the title against Akitoshi Saito before New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW)'s then-current IWGP U-30 Openweight Champion Hiroshi Tanahashi was named as his next challenger.