[2001-04-01-NOAH] Jun Akiyama vs Takao Omori

[ohtani's jacket]

Slow and methodical, but a decent bout overall. I keep waiting for a superstar performance from Akiyama to justify some of the praise he gets at times. And, honestly speaking, I would have for him to snatch the mantle as the best worker in Japan and run with it because he has youth on his side. But I just don't see it. A guy I used to really love was Masakatsu Funaki. To me, he was poised to take over the mantle as the best shoot style worker in Japan and a major star in the business if he hadn't gotten into MMA, and in my mind, he still was a huge star. He had fire and charisma and the type of edge you need to be a big-time star. When I look at Akiyama, all of that seems missing. I keep telling myself that I'll turn the corner on Akiyama but it's hard to see where and when. But I'm keeping an open mind about it.