J P W ▁full ▁time , ▁and ▁in ▁the ▁summer , ▁Mur ak ami ▁joined ▁the ▁he el ▁stable ▁Mak ai ▁Club , ▁where ▁he ▁was ▁considered ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁highest ▁ranking ▁members ▁behind ▁only ▁T ada o ▁Y as uda . ▁On ▁December ▁ 1 0 , ▁ 2 0 0 2 , ▁Mur ak ami ▁challeng ed ▁Yu ji ▁Nag ata ▁for ▁the ▁I W GP ▁He avy weight ▁Championship . ▁Despite ▁making ▁Nag ata ▁ble ed ▁and ▁tra pping ▁him ▁in ▁his ▁own ▁finishing ▁move , ▁the ▁Nag ata ▁Lock ▁II , ▁Mur ak ami ▁was ▁defeated ▁by ▁Nag ata . ▁ ▁At ▁Wrestling ▁World ▁ 2 0 0 3 , ▁Mur ak ami ▁and ▁Y as uda ▁lost ▁to ▁Mich iy oshi ▁Oh ara ▁and ▁Sh ins u ke ▁Nak am ura . ▁The ▁following ▁month , ▁Mur ak ami ▁te amed ▁with ▁Y as uda ▁in ▁a ▁# 1 ▁Cont enders ▁Tournament ▁for ▁the ▁I W GP ▁Tag ▁Team ▁Championship , ▁making ▁it ▁to ▁the ▁final s ▁before ▁losing ▁to ▁Mike ▁Bart on ▁and ▁Jim ▁Ste ele . ▁However , ▁an ▁injury ▁to ▁Ste ele ▁would ▁give ▁the ▁title ▁shot ▁to ▁Mur ak ami ▁and ▁Y as uda ▁who ▁un success fully ▁challeng ed ▁Cho - T en ▁on ▁February ▁ 1 6 . ▁Through out ▁much ▁of ▁ 2 0 0 3 , ▁Mur ak ami ▁and ▁the ▁rest ▁of ▁the ▁Mak ai ▁Club ▁fe ud ed ▁with ▁Mich iy oshi ▁Oh ara ' s ▁Cra zy