[2000-08-06-Osaka Pro] Takehiro Murahama vs Dick Togo

[soup23]

This was the most humbled Murahama has been this year. The match only lasts six minutes but it is high octane with weapons, stiff strikes and the signature Togo highspots. Togo gets to look like a beast stunting every big attack from Murhama and responding with either a stiff weapon shot or a way to regain the advantage. Togo puts him away with a big senton. This match felt necessary in the development of Murahama within the promotion as a stumbling block that happens to all athletes on the rise. ***1/2 (6.8)

[AstroBoy]

I liked this structurally as a way of caging Murahama's energy into something a little more quick and heated. In some of his performances I've really liked him but been a bit wary of a tendency to maybe come back too fast and too hard from punishment and blow off selling a little too much. This fixed that because it's a straight up fight and Togo changes the landscape by putting him through a table and using chairs. It's more sensible pacing as they fight back and forth and Murahama comes across much more fired up but outgunned in the end as Togo proves too much on this night. Definitely a good stumbling block along Murahama's path and a good Togo performance.

 

***1/4

[Edwin]

This is the match I've been wanting to happen the most since Murahama's hot streak in the previous 2 months or so. And to be honest it was somewhat of a disappointment because it was mostly a one-sided beatdown from Togo, but in context it makes sense as Togo is arguably the top heel in the company at the moment and the #2 guy behind Delfin and Murahama was still working his way up the ranks at this point. I'm not saying it was disappointment because it wasn't good, I'm saying it was a disappointment because I think this would have benefited had they given Murahama a little more than what he did get here.

[ohtani's jacket]

This was great while it lasted and for my money didn't need to be longer to make an impact. Even though this was part of Murahama's trial series it felt like it was less about him and more about Togo. And what a badass Dick was throughout. He bullied his way to victory here and the part where he walked through the chair shot and delivered a powerbomb was a cool moment as was the flex afterward.

[superkix]

I enjoyed this. It gave Murahama some time to shine early on, hitting another big dive to the outside and a pretty leg lariat, before Togo rudos him on the outside with the piledriver through the table. Him basically saying "fuck you" to Murahama's chairshots was awesome before he finishes him off.

[Tim Evans]

Murahama hits a nice dive and no sells Togo's first pedigree. After that, it's all Togo.That Piledriver through the Japanese table was brutal. Murahama gets over by losing and Togo looks great as always.