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Post by elliott on Dec 11, 2017 21:52:14 GMT -5
Yuki Ishikawa vs Kazunari Murakami (BattlArts - 11/26/2000)
This is a strong contender for my favorite match ever. I absolutely adore this and could see myself slotting into one of my final spots. It is a great match for sure. Short, simple and extremely violent. Murakami is one of the most charismatic dudes on the planet during this era and his facial expressions and commitment to character are unparalleled. The opening moments of this is one of my favorite starts to a match ever and the visuals when they spill into the crowd and square off are incredible. Love this.
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Post by jetlag on Jan 27, 2018 7:14:20 GMT -5
2nd. BattlARTS goes PRIDE! I forgot how little actually happens in this contest. But it's really such a formative spectacle. Murakami performs to the height of his potential as a death glaring demon throwing wild haymakers and kicks, and Ishikawa does his very best outmatched pro wrestler vs. MMA fighter impression. It's such a bizarre play on what japanese audiences had seen happen in real and fixed fights and pro wrestling matches and pro wrestlers pulling off implausible moves in real fights but it totally works. There isn't even a single KO count, which only serves to add to the pace, and Ishikawa coming up with the bloody mouth is such an intense moment. Then you get what is about the greatest outside brawling/street fighting segment ever and the breathtaking flurry into the lightning quick finish. For all the talk about BattlARTS being a violence-fest this is incredibly smart pro wrestling as they have the crowd by the balls the whole time while playing their characters to a tee and doing great job paying off the tensions built with the ending. All in just 9 minutes to boot.
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Post by bossrock on Aug 24, 2018 22:19:17 GMT -5
Thirded.
What a great match. Imagine one of the more violent MMA fights you've seen, but imagine that fight spills outside of the ring and ends up in the crowd. That's pretty much what this match is. Young gun steps up to the battle-hardened vet, fucks him up, vet weathers the storm, pulls the win out of his ass. Short, sweet, violent, and to the point.
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Post by superstarsleeze on Feb 23, 2019 19:19:14 GMT -5
I hope I get a chance to rewatch this but even if I don't there's always next year (I love the idea of the annual update). When I first watched this I was already a Murakami fan but I didn't yet understand Ishikawa (I think that this was my first Ishikawa match). I think I liked it but I could love it now with more experience.
Yuki Ishikawa vs Kazunari Murakami - BattlArts 11/26/00
Stay Calm and Keep It On The Mat is Ishikawa's mantra as Murkami tried to unsettle him with his relentless fury of strikes. Murakami and his WHAM! Eyebrows look to knock Ishikawa out early with strikes, but Ishikawa keeps his head down and before you know it he has Murakami on his back. I loved how heated this was and how Ishikawa was able to counter Murakami's uptempo style by constantly picking for mistakes. Murakami gets a flurry of kicks in and Ishikawa powders. Then we get absolutely awesome crowd brawling with them wiping out a bunch of chairs. I would say the only disappointing element was that the finish was so quick. Murakami bringing Ishikawa back in hardway with a rear naked choke was fantastic, but just as he was looking in command is when Ishikawa caught his foot and punched him in the face. An enziguiri into a rear choke was enough to force the submission. The finish suited the match well enough, but this left me wanting more. ****
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Post by elliott on Jan 26, 2021 20:13:22 GMT -5
Watched this again and I like this more than all of the Ikeda vs Ishikawa matches.
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Post by mrjmml on Apr 28, 2023 17:12:10 GMT -5
Watched this again and I like this more than all of the Ikeda vs Ishikawa matches. I agree, the level of intensity is unmatched. |
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Post by lemming on Nov 17, 2023 6:42:09 GMT -5
Such a fun match. Who doesn't love them some Murakami and this is imo his finest hour. Ishikawa as the stoic veteran grappler is the perfect foil for his unhinged MMA lunatic act. This is heated, hard hitting and very satisfying.
I voted this #61 this year.
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