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 Title History: None won.
Tournament History: None won.
Signature Moves:
- Cross armbreaker
Profile: Absorbed in judo since his high school days, Kazunari Murakami began vale tudo fighting in 1995, appearing in Extreme Fighting Championship tournaments in America. His breakthrough fight took place on PRIDE 1, when he defeated John Dixon in the opening bout of what would become a major fighting organization. That victory caught the eye of important people, and he was recruited into Antonio Inoki's UFO fighting army, where he formed a brother-like bond with the mighty Naoya Ogawa. His first New Japan match took place at the Tokyo Dome in January, 2000, when he and Ogawa fought Shinya Hashimoto & Takashi Iizuka in an memorable thriller. Murakami's vicious and hate-filled approach to fighting quickly won him popularity, and as Ogawa's second-in-command, he became a notable figure in both the vale tudo and professional wrestling communities. Early in 2002, he betrayed Ogawa, ending his association with UFO and embarking on a new route. In September, 2002, Murakami appeared as a member of the much hated Makai Club in New Japan, and became a regular for the army in it's effort to conquer New Japan. His first IWGP Heavyweight Title challenge in December, 2002, was an epic bloodbath against Yuji Nagata that won Murakami more respect from fans. In 2005, Murakami followed sworn friend Shibata out of New Japan, making Fumihiko Uei's BIG MOUTH his main base. Murakami is one of the most intense and hateful fighters in the world, a bloodthirsty animal who is famous for making terrorist attacks on enemies in any setting. Nicknamed "Terrorist of Heisei", Murakami has earned a cult following and is a serious threat to any opponent of any status in professional wrestling.
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