[2001-03-02-ZERO-ONE-Truth Century Creation] Shinjiro Ohtani vs Kazunari Murakami

[Jetlag]

 

You have to wonder whether the ZERO1 debut was the best debut card of all time. Just loaded with exciting fights. This is a Murakami match with Ohtani stepping up to the challenge, just a hurricane of wild strikes and a feel of danger. Ohtani sweeping and punting a crazy MMA fighter is way cooler than Ohtani working fighting spirit epics. Not much depth, but you know what youre getting.

[ohtani's jacket]

This was a fun fight. Ohtani, to me, was still one of the best workers in Japan in 2000. This was a bit like watching him work an ill-advised PRIDE fight. You knew he was going to job but it was fun watching him get his flurries in. If Ohtani had followed Sano's career path into shoot style, I imagine it would look something like this.