A feud like this is pretty much always going to have a shelf life, a point where returns on such rabid heat start to diminish, but it's hard all the same to imagine a world with about 32 Ohtani/Murakami matches not ruling. This was awesome for many of the same reasons as their first match while adding a couple new wrinkles to go with it. Ohtani came out swinging wildly again, throwing all sorts of ugly punches and flailing arms like a man who maybe KNOWS how to fight but was never TAUGHT how to fight. In the first match that got him nowhere and I think he knew this one would end there too, so he pretty quickly changed tack and dropkicked Murakami in the knee. For all of Ohtani's aggression in the first match he never really tried to turn it into a wrestling match, but this time he did and after the dropkick he immediately went to a half crab. Ohtani is a really fun shithouse, riling Murakami as he rolls to the floor scowling and clutching at his leg. When he throws his gumshield at Ohtani you know he's about to go off on one and sure enough he gets in the ring and totally fucking wastes Ohtani with a left hook. This was honest to god one of the wildest bastard punches you'll see and then it was Ohtani's turn to roll around on the floor. When Ohtani spots his opening - Murakami jostling with the referee about who knows what - he comes back in and dropkicks Murakami in the head, quickly going on the offensive with suplexes. He hit at least one suplex in their first match and it clearly wasn't enough, so he goes to the well a few more times here. Murakami takes a German suplex as ugly and awkwardly as anyone and then Ohtani grabs him for a dragon suplex and you're legitimately worried when you consider the idea that if Murakami never learned how to work a punch then he almost certainly wasn't arsed about learning how to land on his neck. And then Ohtani spikes him on his neck. Ohtani takes his time after this to let the moment sink in and you wonder if he STILL hasn't learned from all those hard lessons against Liger and Samurai and Ultimo Dragon in his impertinent youth. When you have the advantage, press it. But he didn't and he just gave Murakami his chance to recover. By that point Murakami must've decided he no longer cared about the winning and losing of a contest. When he ripped his own gloves off and stood up like a snarling menace you had a good idea where it was going, and yet even that didn't prepare you for the bare knuckle fist he threw at Ohtani's face. Murakami walks away unperturbed about being disqualified, while Ohtani comes to with all the confused irritability and desire to pick fights with anyone in sight of a man deeply concussed. This really is the perfect 10-minute pairing.
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