[2000-05-07-Osaka Pro] Super Delphin vs Takehiro Murahama

[soup23]

I was so pumped for this match. It starts out right away with both guys grappling on the ground. Delphin is able to hang right there with Murahama. Murahama keeps looking for an opening for strikes but is unable to find any. Delphin pops on a cross armbreaker requiring a quick rope break for Murahama. He got pretty outclassed in that round by the big guy in the yard in Delphin. Murahama gets more openings in the second round and Delphin takes him down immediately to regain control. Murahama opens up and Delphin is hanging onto the ropes to keep his feet. Murahama is getting cocky now and comes parading in allowing Delphin to just put his weight on him. Delphin slips out of a floatover and again just uses his weight advantage to keep Murahama grounded. Really close round to judge if done on the up and up. Murahama absolutely blasts Delphin starting the third round and you can see more desperation in Delphin now as he goes for a crab submission knowing that he needs to put this guy away soon. Murahama gets caught with a German and then Delphin spears him down looking for the arm. Murahama does his most heelish action of the match by going after the eye. Another flurry of punches and a great sell job by Delphin as he goes down to the mat. He just barely makes it up for the count but then gets caught with a leg kick and is in dire shape. He gets to his knees but that is it and Murahama secures a HUGE win. What a way to make a guy. Osaka Pro is very quickly becoming a top five worldwide promotion for me and this is one of the most engaging storylines happening throughout the wrestling landscape in 2000. ****1/4

[Laney]

Very good shoot style match with Delphin using his grappling skills to dominate on the ground while Murahama utilizes some great strikes. There was some very good stuff here, but I was left wishing it went a little longer. This goes three rounds with Murahama getting a dominant win as he destroys Delphin with strikes to knock him out. This does an excellent job of establishing Murahama as dominant force.

 

***3/4

[ohtani's jacket]

This was phenomenal while it lasted. How good were Delfin's takedowns? If it had gone a few more rounds it would have made my top 10 for the year.

[Edwin]

This was pretty great. Super Delfin's power double leg takedowns and ground were the story of the first round. Man is Delfin great on the ground. This is the match that imo puts him on another level for me. I had no idea he was this diverse. His dominant ground work was a total eye opener. The second round was Murahama defending Delfin's takedowns and blasting him with flurries whenever he got the chance to. Murahama getting reckless and swinging a flying spin kick after having the ref. complete a down count on Delfin was great. The final round was a mix of the previous two rounds with a dramatic finish as Delfin comes close of grasping Murahama in a kimura and Murahama cheating by eye raking Delfin to escape and then blitzing him.

 

This is the second best match of the year for me and they have both been Different Style Fights involving Murahama. At this pace, I could see Murahama being my #1 if he can continue to put on performances like this.

 

****3/4

[superkix]

So cool to see Delphin work this kind of a match, and his takedowns were explosive. He wasn't able to get much going on the mat, mostly due to positioning, and in the second round, Murahama starts lobbing more punches to try and slow him down. But the third round was awesome, with Delphin absorbing Murahama's blows to try and get the quick submission with the single leg. After the German, Delphin tries for the double wristlock or kimura but Murahama's such a baby, he has to rake Delphin's eyes to escape. Loved it. Then, like in most of these "Different Style" fights, Murahama pummels him with strikes and high kicks him in the head for the KO. Good stuff.

[drew wardlaw]

I loved how much fire and ferociousness Delphin shows going after Murahama with takedowns and not letting up or giving him an opening to strike. It really felt like a guy defending his spot and his company. I loved Murahamas cheap tactics as well with the eye rakes, really showing his true colors.

[Jetlag]

This was a fun striker vs. grappler match with Delfin dominating on the ground and with superior takedowns but eating shots standing. So, sort of like a UFC or PRIDE fight. Who would've fought Osaka Pro would reactivate the old FMW different style fight formula? Delfin had great takedown and throws here and Murahama couldn't do a thing on the ground to him. Pretty cool to see a character worker such as Delfin put the antics aside and show what a badass he is. Murahama, again, had great strike combos and I liked how he just gouged Delfin's eyes when he had enough of all that. Super simple match executed extremely well.

[Moonsault Marvin]

Murahama comes out with Ratt as his theme music. Super Delphin's beak looks smaller than usual. Delphin just goes for it in the beginning, overwhelming Murahama on the mat. He is able to counter everything Murahama does for the first two rounds by taking it to the mat. In the third round, after Murahama goes after the eyes, he starts connecting with his strikes and knocks out Delphin. Short, but intense match that contrasted the strengths and weaknesses of the two competitors well. One of the best Super Delphin performances I have seen.

 

****

[Mattsdmf]

This was the best I’ve seen Delphin so far. Murahama keeps impressing in Osaka Pro.  I think had this match gone on longer, it would be a stone cold classic. As it is, it’s still a tremendous match that I still highly recommend.  I love the different takedowns that Delphin goes for throughout and shows he is also very adept on the mat as well. Murahama is a wonderful asshole at the end of the match and postmatch garnering boos from the crowd. Great great match!

[Chess Knight]

Goddamn I thought this was fantastic. More of a classic grappler vs. striker story than Hoshikawa/Murahama but executed excellently. Murahama was getting rocked on the mat with Delfin knowing how to get the best of whatever Murahama tried putting out. I haven’t seen Delfin in forever but I didn’t know he had this in him. He always went into each confrontation with a game plan to get close and deliver just these amazing looking, and varied takedowns that I wasn’t ready for a Michinoku Pro guy to know how to do so well. Looked to me like he would have had the match won in a couple minutes on grappling had there been no rope breaks. Loved the peppering of grounded palm strikes he threw in too, and he made a German look as credible in this setting as you’d ever see it in any shoot style company. I thought the round breaks in this match felt like a better fit than they did in Hoshikawa/Murahama, especially because a frustrated Murahama came out of each one swinging just that little more frantically. He got so burned on the mat in the first round that he knew there was no other way to win than to try to go in with punches. There was one exchange where Delfin droops onto the top rope and Murahama just will not accept a break because he wants to maximise as much as he can from a free set of strikes. The finish was terrific, and the exasperated eye gouge close to the end especially set up a rematch. I know he was a pro fighter but I’m two matches in and Murahama has to be the most impressive rookie in wrestling history. Legitimately could be a top five sub-ten minute match ever.