[2000-07-22-Osaka Pro] Takehiro Murahama vs Black Buffalo

[soup23]

Murahama is really starting to make a serious claim for me of the best rookie year in wrestling history that I have seen. Every match of his is intriguing, carries a breakneck pace and demands that the viewer becomes invested in if he can overcome the odds of the heel faction. Buffalo has been a great heel for Osaka Pro this year and he is excellent here. Once he gains the advantage, he muddles the match up with some brawling, chairs and cheapshots. It is a US heel style on top that doesn’t drift too far into interference ridiculousness to check me out of the match. Even when I think Murahama might botch a spot like off an armdrag it is just him reversing the Buffalo attempt into a leg lock which is really impressive. Murahama gets overzealous when he mounts a mini comeback and he ends up kicking the post with his leg. Buffalo capitalizes on that and ends up piledriving Murahama on the ramp. After a figure four sequence there is a lot of dramatic nearfalls with the crowd shrieking at every kickout that Murahama musters up. Buffalo also gets a close two count off of a snap German and back suplex. Tiger Driver also gets a nearfall. Once again this toes the line of being too many kickouts but the investment from the crowd and the fact that Buffalo conveys his mounting frustration keeps things within reason for me. The finish is the worst part of the match and the only slight botch as Murahama fires off a quick flurry culminating in a clothesline and the ref counts three even with Buffalo kicking out. I am unsure if he forgot the finish or what. Afterwards, Murahama gets misted and we get another wild brawl to end the segment between the two big factions in Osaka Pro. Great match. **** (8.1)

[Jetlag]

SHIT THAT NOBODY REMEMBERS OR CARES TO KNOW: Black Buffalo started wrestling in 1993 as a shootstylist but then lost his way and ended up touring scummy japanese indies like IWA Japan, before he eventually ended up becoming the evil baseball mascot in O-Pro.

 

This fact is the explanation why Buffalo is totally able to rock Murahama's world with some really fast judo takedowns early on. This is basically the most IWA:MS match ever in Osaka as the garbage brawler who's secretly a legit badass steps up push a young kickpadded punks shit in. The opening quasi-BattlARTS matwork, culminating in Murahama channeling his lucharesu surroundings to do a lucha transition into an armbar was really sweet and could've gone longer. They get into a huge potatoefest as Buffalo is slapping the sense out of Murahma and hitting him in the chin with chairs etc. while Murahama is totally game and kicks like a devil. Buffalo looked Villano-ish, dropping huge legdrops and pasting the kid with lariats. I thought the run of big near finishes was extremely well done as Buffalo always seemed to have the upper hand, until Murahama was able to kick him in the eye and put him away. Buffalo looked like a total badass and Murahama like a dangerous tough kid. Absolutely loved this match.

[AstroBoy]

I did not care for this at the same level as those above did. The first half of the match was excellent and did a good job establishing Buffalo as the bruising bully that was going to grapple with Murahama and push him around a bit. This was great and Buffalo was solid with Murahama throwing in some dazzling submission chains and transitions here and there. After Murahama's kick to the post it leads to a great dramatic near submit off the figure four but then Murahama just pops up and the match becomes a different match to me. It retains some of the jauntiness and does build off some of what they had laid down but it becomes much more about nearfalls and moves without any regard to the leg or the pacing from before. It didn't ruin the match or anything I just wish it hadn't gone down that breakneck pace at that point for so long. Still liked it.

 

***1/4

[ohtani's jacket]

Murahama continues to be one of the stories of the year. This was a really good match that had a bit of everything -- matwork, brawling, persistent rudo tactics from Black Buffalo and lots of good big man/little man work. Murahama let his selling slip at times and there were a few instances where he as out of position or his timing was off but he brought a tremendous amount of energy to the bout and was fantastic in his role as the little dog with plenty of fight in him. The finish was screwy but I enjoyed this a lot and Osaka Pro continues to be a must-watch promotion in the year 2000.

[Edwin]

This was good. Buffalo working as the bigger bruiser was awesome. He really stiffed up Murahama with lariats, chops, etc. Buffalo going after Murahama's knee after he kicked the ring post was great despite of Murahama's Koji Kanemoto-esque selling -- or lack thereof sometimes. I thought the finish was a botched count by the ref. too. Either way that was good.

 

***1/2

[superkix]

A terrific three-quarters of a match, with some minor issues during the home stretch.Aagainst Buffalo, you have a neat dynamic of the babyfaced shooter against the gruff brawler trying to take it to the mat. First and foremost, Murahama’s tights are incredible – peak 90’s aesthetic circa 2000. Buffalo’s takedowns aren’t pretty but they’re effective as he takes more of a smothering approach on the canvas. Murahama’s still able to sneak out a leglock through Buffalo’s aggression and when he’s back on his feet, he pops Buffalo with a kick to the hamstring, to which Buffalo smartly rolls away from Murahama. Murahama’s spunky on the mat, running through a number of holds almost as a routine before settling on an armbar. I loved his leglock counter to the hip toss. Buffalo doesn’t hold back with the open hands and short-arm lariats, and of course, he brings the chair into play. At one point, he’s standing on Murahama’s head while he’s on the ropes and then drops a leg across the back of his neck onto the ropes. Nasty. Just as Murahama starts heating back up, he kicks the ring post, which leads to Buffalo targeting the leg with a chair and figure-four leglocks. Good in-the-moment selling from Murahama but once he pops back up to his feet and starts flinging kicks at Buffalo, he blows off the legwork and then it’s business as usual as they run through their offense to what seemed like a botched finish. A bit of a jarring transition but still, a really good match.

[Laney]

Black Buffalo was great here in the heel role here.  After Murahama kicks the ring post we get a very good stretch where Buffalo works over Murahama's leg.  Unfortunately this match falls apart for me when Murahama makes his comeback and makes all the past leg work relevant for the remainder of the matches as they hit a bunch of moves and then finish.

***1/2