Koubousen Companion: News And Notes From Japan
Jordan Breen Sep 28, 2006
While you might not have New Year's Eve plans yet, K-1 and PRIDE
certainly do.
Tokyo Broadcasting System boss Hiroshi Inoue wants to spice up K-1 Dynamite!! this year and avoid another ratings bomb. However, K-1 may not be uncontested in the kakutougi department this year, as Dream Stage Entertainment has announced that Mike Tyson is getting an all expenses paid trip out of 'Bolivian', to 'The Monte Carlo Of The Orient' for New Year's Eve — and it may mean a TV deal for Sakakibara and Company.
Also, Mitsuhiro Ishida
(Pictures) is off to JB SPORTS GYM to
hit the mitts with Takeshi Yamada and Team Kurofune. Karam Ibrahim (Pictures) may be making another jump from
the mat to the ring in 2008. American youngster Carlos Condit (Pictures) may be soon spending a little
more time in the gym for a possible Pancrase title shot, and
another class of Shooto amateurs have graduated, tossed their
headgear, and are ready for pro Shooto.
Ishida aligns with Kurofune Clan
Joining his friend and T-BLOOD training partner Tatsuya Kawajiri (Pictures), Ishida has revealed he will begin refining his striking at JB SPORTS GYM under the instruction of Takeshi Yamada, a top trainer who has quickly become one of the hottest commodities in Japanese mixed martial arts.
While known in boxing circles for training former OPBF 122-pound champion Manabu Fukushima, Yamada has recently risen to prominence in MMA for bolstering the striking of a host of fighters as part of a loose-knit faction dubbed Team Kurofune.
Among Yamada's Team Kurofune trainees are the aforementioned Kawajiri, Yoshihiro Akiyama (Pictures), Kenji Osawa (Pictures), Hidetaka Monma (Pictures), Ryuta Noji (Pictures), Yoshihiro Koyama (Pictures), Sotaro Yamada (Pictures) and Mariko Fujimoto. Now, the "Endless Fighter" will look to step up his stand-up, as he looks to solidify himself as one of MMA's premiere lightweights, as well as a potential PRIDE 160-pound title challenger in the near future.
Egypt's Ibrahim may be a HERO yet
Seemingly not content to be one of K-1's one-and-dones, Olympic gold medalist Karam Ibrahim (Pictures) says he will return to mixed martial arts competition.
The 27-year-old Ibrahim competed last month at the 49th Pytlasinski in Warsaw, Poland. Ibrahim took the silver medal in the Greco-Roman 96-kilogram division, losing to Kazakhstan's Margulan Assembekov in the final. While in Poland, Ibrahim interviewed with journalist William May, who asked Ibrahim about his participation at K-1's Dynamite!! following his Olympic gold medal win in Athens in 2004.
Ibrahim told May that he liked K-1, and wished to compete under mixed martial arts rules for them again. Ibrahim said that his focus is now on the 2008 Beijing Olympics, where he will look to repeat as 96-kilogram Greco-Roman champion. But after Beijing he would like to resume fighting for K-1, presumably under the HERO'S banner.
Since his MMA debut and KO defeat at the hands of Kazuyuki Fujita (Pictures) at the 2004 edition of K-1 Dynamite!!, Ibrahim has won the Mediterranean Games in 2005, African Championship in 2005 and 2006. However, he is coming off of a disappointing 19th place finish at the World Championships, where he was defeated in the opening round by Turkey's Hamza Yerlikaya.
Crack at KOP around the corner for Condit?
When Carlos Condit (Pictures) made his Pancrase debut last October, he was quickly leg-locked and submitted in less than four minutes by Satoru Kitaoka (Pictures). The idea that a year later Condit would be vying to become welterweight King of Pancrase would've seemed incredibly far-fetched, yet that now appears to be the case, as the 22-year-old American may be one fight away from a title shot.
Pancrase has announced that Condit will return on October 25 for their BLOW TOUR card at Korakuen Hall, taking on Wajyutsu Keisyukai Hyogo's Tatsunori Tanaka. The bout will be Condit's third in Pancrase in the last three months. Taking on his third Pancrase-ranked opponent in a row after dispatching Koji Oishi (Pictures) on July 28 and dominating Takuya Wada (Pictures) on September 16, it would appear that a win here would line Condit up to be the first title defense for 165-pound champion Daizo Ishige (Pictures).
The choice of opponent is an interesting one. Tatsunori Tanaka boasts very little professional experience, however, he is the only fighter to defeat the aforementioned Ishige. The use of Tanaka rather than a higher ranked or more experienced Pancrase competitor suggests that Pancrase may be keen on building the young, dynamic, and well-rounded Condit into a young, foreign star — much as they did in the past with now-UFC title contender Nathan Marquardt (Pictures).
Amateur Aces become Kings at 13th Shooto All Japans
One hundred thirteen competitors gathered Sunday at the Odawara Subarena Gymnasium for the 13th All-Japan Amateur Shooto Championships, where the best Class C Shooto talent from all over Japan came together for a total of 102 bouts to decide the champions of 11 weight divisions, both male and female.
Two western Shooto gyms, Paraestra Hiroshima and PUREBRED Kyoto, made especially strong showings, both producing two divisional champions. Hiroshima also had two other fighters place in the top three in their respective weight classes.
One of Paraestra Hiroshima's champions, 154-pound winner Kazuya Satomoto, was considered by all accounts to be the day's most spectacular performer. Satomoto stopped all four of his opponents in a combined five minutes and 55 seconds, including finishing three opponents via armbar.
Perhaps the biggest surprise of the day was the performance of Tomohiko Yokoyama. Yokoyama was one of the more unheralded competitors in the 143-pound bracket, having only competed in one regional tournament this year, taking third place in the Northeast Japan 143-pound tournament, and having no regional tournament wins on his résumé.
The 26-year-old pupil of Jin Kazeta (Pictures), a former All Japan winner himself, went 4-0 on the day, unexpectedly submitting PUREBRED Omiya's Naohiro Mizuno in the finals with a heelhook in less than two minutes. The win gave Yokoyama not only the 143-pound All Japan crown, but also a measure of revenge, as Mizuno had choked him out earlier this year in the Northeast Japan tournament.
The 2006 All-Japan Amateur Shooto Champions are as follows:
Women's Divisions
Flyweight Division (114.4 pounds) – Yasuko Mogi (Tokyo, Strapple)
Bantamweight Division (123.2 pounds) – Kanako Takeshita (Tokyo, Wajyutsu Keisyukai Tokyo Headquarters)
Men's Divisions
Flyweight Division (114.4 pounds) – Hiroyuki Abe (Kanagawa, SHOOTO GYM K'z FACTORY)
Bantamweight Division (123.2 pounds) – Tatsuro Kamei (Hiroshima, Paraestra Hiroshima)
Featherweight Division (132.0 pounds) – Kousai Eda (Kyoto, PUREBRED Kyoto)
Lightweight Division (143.0 pounds) – Tomohiko Yokoyama (Niigata, Philoctetes Niigata)
Welterweight (154.0 pounds) – Kazuya Satomoto (Osaka, Paraestra Hiroshima)
Middleweight (167.2 pounds) – Yousuke Kume (Aichi, ALIVE)
Light Heavyweight (183.0 pounds) – Hiroki Sato (Saitama, Grapple Circle OZ)
Cruiserweight (200.2 pounds) – Makoto Maeda (Fukui, Shooto Sotokai Mimura)
Heavyweight (220.0 pounds) – Yusuke Sakashita (Kyoto, PUREBRED Kyoto)
Also in regard to the All Japan Amateur Shooto Championships, the Japanese Shooto Association has released a list of 33 competitors to the International Shooto Commission that have been approved for their Class B Shooto licenses. After the mere formality of submitting their professional license application, the following fighters will be promoted to professional Shooto:
Flyweight Division (114.4 pounds)
Hiroyuki Abe (Kanagawa, SHOOTO GYM K'z FACTORY)
Junji Ito (Kanagawa, Shooting Gym Yokohama)
Masashi Nishizaki (Hiroshima, Paraestra Hiroshima)
Katsuya Murofushi (Shizuoka, roots)
Bantamweight Division (123.2 Pounds)
Tatsuro Kamei (Hiroshima, Paraestra Hiroshima)
Kibo Otsuka (Kanagawa, Team Bullshit)
Teppei Masuda (Osaka, Cobra Kai MMA Dojo)
Yuichiro Takase (Ibaraki, Mach Dojo)
Tatsuya Yamamoto (Hokkaido, Gymnasion Sapporo)
Featherweight Division (132.0 pounds)
Kousai Eda (Kyoto, PUREBRED Kyoto)
Yoshihiko Oyama (Tokyo, Wajyutsu Keisyukai Tokyo Headquarters)
Yuuta Nezu (Tokyo, Wajyutsu Keisyukai Tokyo Headquarters)
Fumihiro Kitahara (Hokkaido, Paraestra Sapporo)
Yasuaki Nagamoto (Osaka, PUREBRED Kyoto)
Lightweight Division (143.0 pounds)
Tomohiko Yokoyama (Niigata, Philoctetes Niigata)
Naohiro Mizuno (Saitama, PUREBRED Omiya)
Kazuhiro Ito (Tokyo, TK Esperanza)
Takumi Ota (Tottori, SHOOTO JAM WATER)
Hidenori Nishino (Tokyo, GUTSMAN Shooto Dojo)
Welterweight (154.0 pounds)
Kazuya Satomoto (Osaka, Paraestra Hiroshima)
Guy Delmo (Tokushima, TEAM BLAZE Wakicho)
Middleweight (167.2 pounds)
Yousuke Kume (Aichi, ALIVE)
Daisuke Okimiya (Fukuoka, Paraestra Hakata)
Yasuaki Kishimoto (Osaka, Cobra Kai MMA Dojo)
Hideharu Ikeda (Ehime, Paraestra Ehime)
Noboru Ishinaka (Kyoto, PUREBRED Kyoto)
Light Heavyweight (183.0 pounds)
Hiroki Sato (Saitama, Grapple Circle OZ)
Taijiro Iseki (Tokyo, GUTSMAN Shooto Dojo)
Takaaki Ooban (Hiroshima, Paraestra Hiroshima)
Cruiserweight (200.2 pounds)
Makoto Maeda (Fukui, Shooto Sotokai Mimura)
Yuji Fujioka (Tokyo, Shinagawa CS)
Heavyweight (220.0 pounds)
Yusuke Sakashita (Kyoto, PUREBRED Kyoto)
The list of 33 includes two more than were promoted from last year's All Japans. Perhaps most interesting is that the Japanese Shooto Association recommended the promotions of two cruiserweights and a heavyweight — two weight divisions that are nearly never used in Shooto Japan.
By that same token, the 154-pound class for which Shooto has become famous, only has two competitors being promoted, the fewest of any weight division save for heavyweight. By contrast, in 2005 the International Shooto Commission promoted seven 154-pounders following the All Japans, the most of any weight class.
TBS looks to make this year's Dynamite!! more explosive
Jiji Tsushin, the rough equivalent to The Associated Press in Japan, has reported on Wednesday that Tokyo Broadcasting System president Hiroshi Inoue has big plans for K-1's Dynamite!! this New Year's Eve.
Inoue has stated that this New Year's Eve, Dynamite!! will be bigger than last year. Also of particular interest, Record Taisho, Japan's answer to the Grammy Awards, has been moved to December 30. Traditionally, Record Taisho is held on December 31, and has acted as the lead-in for K-1's Dynamite!! in recent years.
Inoue denied rumors concerning TBS broadcasting an event based around ratings wunderkinder Daiki and Koki Kameda on December 31. It has been speculated in the media that TBS may base their New Year's Eve programming around the young Japanese boxing stars due to their wild popularity and proven ratings success. The broadcast of Koki Kameda's August 2 title bout with Juan Jose Landaeta netted a jaw-dropping 42.4 rating.
The 2005 edition of K-1's Dynamite!! was a big letdown for both parent company Fight Entertainment Group and the Tokyo Broadcasting System. Poor promotion saw last year's Dynamite!! grab a disappointing 14.8 rating, and lose to the Fuji Television broadcast of PRIDE's Otoko Matsuri. The 2005 New Year's Eve offering from K-1 dropped over 26 percent in the ratings from the previous year when the 2004 edition of Dynamite!! drew a 20.1 rating.
While it is unknown how TBS plans on making Dynamite!! a success this year — be it more money for talent, heavier promotion, or anything else — the onus will be on FEG and K-1 to produce results on December 31, especially if Dream Stage Entertainment and PRIDE are somehow able to get back onto television for New Year's Eve.
"Iron Mike" in Macau may mean TV for PRIDE on NYE
And speaking of Dream Stage Entertainment's push to get back on television for New Year's Eve, DSE announced Wednesday that true to media speculation Mike Tyson will compete in a boxing match as part of PRIDE's card on December 31.
Insider reports over the last few weeks indicated that Dream Stage Entertainment wanted to secure the participation of the 40-year-old former heavyweight boxing champion for December 31 in an effort to grab a television deal in Japan. However, due to Tyson's criminal history and more specifically his felony rap sheet, he is unable to compete in Japan. As a result, DSE has opted to host Tyson's bout in the Macau Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China.
The Chinese-administrated Macau is one of the world's biggest gambling hotspots, with gambling accounting for roughly 40 percent of its gross domestic product. In this regard, it is not unlike DSE's venture in Las Vegas with their PRIDE card on October 21, in that DSE hopes to benefit from the time-tested marriage of fight sport and gambling. Furthermore, the status of Macau as a Chinese-controlled territory could open doors in regards to PRIDE’s visibility in mainland China, a market DSE wishes to target.
The Tyson bout will take place in Macau during PRIDE's December 31 Otoko Matsuri card at the Saitama Super Arena and it will be broadcast to the live audience in Saitama via video screens in the arena as its shown to those watching the international telecasts. No opponent has been named for Tyson, yet DSE has stated that it will be a PRIDE fighter that meets "Iron Mike" for a boxing bout. DSE representatives have mentioned is K-1 World Grand Prix 2001 champion Mark Hunt (Pictures).
Perhaps the largest motivation behind securing the services of Tyson for New Year's Eve is Dream Stage Entertainment's desire to regain a television deal in Japan. As previously reported in this column, the possibility of Tyson competing in PRIDE has garnered the interest of some television networks, namely tv asahi and Nippon Television. Television insiders have indicated that both networks have interest in airing PRIDE's New Year's Eve card on television if Tyson is able to compete as part of the telecast, due to the popularity that he still wields in Japan and other Asian markets.
While a television deal has not been explicitly discussed in conjunction with the announcement of Tyson's participation, it is more than likely that Japanese media outlets will begin to buzz with talk of networks showing interest in acquiring the broadcasting rights to PRIDE's December 31 card.
Previously, one Japanese broadcasting insider was quoted as saying that Nippon TV would be the frontrunner to secure the broadcasting rights over tv asahi due to greater spending power, however with a deal now materialized for Tyson to compete, other networks may join the fray as well.
Tokyo Broadcasting System boss Hiroshi Inoue wants to spice up K-1 Dynamite!! this year and avoid another ratings bomb. However, K-1 may not be uncontested in the kakutougi department this year, as Dream Stage Entertainment has announced that Mike Tyson is getting an all expenses paid trip out of 'Bolivian', to 'The Monte Carlo Of The Orient' for New Year's Eve — and it may mean a TV deal for Sakakibara and Company.
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Ishida aligns with Kurofune Clan
Shooto Pacific Rim 154-pound champion and PRIDE Bushido ace
Mitsuhiro Ishida
(Pictures) has announced that he will
be joining the Team Kurofune family.
Joining his friend and T-BLOOD training partner Tatsuya Kawajiri (Pictures), Ishida has revealed he will begin refining his striking at JB SPORTS GYM under the instruction of Takeshi Yamada, a top trainer who has quickly become one of the hottest commodities in Japanese mixed martial arts.
While known in boxing circles for training former OPBF 122-pound champion Manabu Fukushima, Yamada has recently risen to prominence in MMA for bolstering the striking of a host of fighters as part of a loose-knit faction dubbed Team Kurofune.
Among Yamada's Team Kurofune trainees are the aforementioned Kawajiri, Yoshihiro Akiyama (Pictures), Kenji Osawa (Pictures), Hidetaka Monma (Pictures), Ryuta Noji (Pictures), Yoshihiro Koyama (Pictures), Sotaro Yamada (Pictures) and Mariko Fujimoto. Now, the "Endless Fighter" will look to step up his stand-up, as he looks to solidify himself as one of MMA's premiere lightweights, as well as a potential PRIDE 160-pound title challenger in the near future.
Egypt's Ibrahim may be a HERO yet
Seemingly not content to be one of K-1's one-and-dones, Olympic gold medalist Karam Ibrahim (Pictures) says he will return to mixed martial arts competition.
The 27-year-old Ibrahim competed last month at the 49th Pytlasinski in Warsaw, Poland. Ibrahim took the silver medal in the Greco-Roman 96-kilogram division, losing to Kazakhstan's Margulan Assembekov in the final. While in Poland, Ibrahim interviewed with journalist William May, who asked Ibrahim about his participation at K-1's Dynamite!! following his Olympic gold medal win in Athens in 2004.
Ibrahim told May that he liked K-1, and wished to compete under mixed martial arts rules for them again. Ibrahim said that his focus is now on the 2008 Beijing Olympics, where he will look to repeat as 96-kilogram Greco-Roman champion. But after Beijing he would like to resume fighting for K-1, presumably under the HERO'S banner.
Since his MMA debut and KO defeat at the hands of Kazuyuki Fujita (Pictures) at the 2004 edition of K-1 Dynamite!!, Ibrahim has won the Mediterranean Games in 2005, African Championship in 2005 and 2006. However, he is coming off of a disappointing 19th place finish at the World Championships, where he was defeated in the opening round by Turkey's Hamza Yerlikaya.
Crack at KOP around the corner for Condit?
When Carlos Condit (Pictures) made his Pancrase debut last October, he was quickly leg-locked and submitted in less than four minutes by Satoru Kitaoka (Pictures). The idea that a year later Condit would be vying to become welterweight King of Pancrase would've seemed incredibly far-fetched, yet that now appears to be the case, as the 22-year-old American may be one fight away from a title shot.
Pancrase has announced that Condit will return on October 25 for their BLOW TOUR card at Korakuen Hall, taking on Wajyutsu Keisyukai Hyogo's Tatsunori Tanaka. The bout will be Condit's third in Pancrase in the last three months. Taking on his third Pancrase-ranked opponent in a row after dispatching Koji Oishi (Pictures) on July 28 and dominating Takuya Wada (Pictures) on September 16, it would appear that a win here would line Condit up to be the first title defense for 165-pound champion Daizo Ishige (Pictures).
The choice of opponent is an interesting one. Tatsunori Tanaka boasts very little professional experience, however, he is the only fighter to defeat the aforementioned Ishige. The use of Tanaka rather than a higher ranked or more experienced Pancrase competitor suggests that Pancrase may be keen on building the young, dynamic, and well-rounded Condit into a young, foreign star — much as they did in the past with now-UFC title contender Nathan Marquardt (Pictures).
Amateur Aces become Kings at 13th Shooto All Japans
One hundred thirteen competitors gathered Sunday at the Odawara Subarena Gymnasium for the 13th All-Japan Amateur Shooto Championships, where the best Class C Shooto talent from all over Japan came together for a total of 102 bouts to decide the champions of 11 weight divisions, both male and female.
Two western Shooto gyms, Paraestra Hiroshima and PUREBRED Kyoto, made especially strong showings, both producing two divisional champions. Hiroshima also had two other fighters place in the top three in their respective weight classes.
One of Paraestra Hiroshima's champions, 154-pound winner Kazuya Satomoto, was considered by all accounts to be the day's most spectacular performer. Satomoto stopped all four of his opponents in a combined five minutes and 55 seconds, including finishing three opponents via armbar.
Perhaps the biggest surprise of the day was the performance of Tomohiko Yokoyama. Yokoyama was one of the more unheralded competitors in the 143-pound bracket, having only competed in one regional tournament this year, taking third place in the Northeast Japan 143-pound tournament, and having no regional tournament wins on his résumé.
The 26-year-old pupil of Jin Kazeta (Pictures), a former All Japan winner himself, went 4-0 on the day, unexpectedly submitting PUREBRED Omiya's Naohiro Mizuno in the finals with a heelhook in less than two minutes. The win gave Yokoyama not only the 143-pound All Japan crown, but also a measure of revenge, as Mizuno had choked him out earlier this year in the Northeast Japan tournament.
The 2006 All-Japan Amateur Shooto Champions are as follows:
Women's Divisions
Flyweight Division (114.4 pounds) – Yasuko Mogi (Tokyo, Strapple)
Bantamweight Division (123.2 pounds) – Kanako Takeshita (Tokyo, Wajyutsu Keisyukai Tokyo Headquarters)
Men's Divisions
Flyweight Division (114.4 pounds) – Hiroyuki Abe (Kanagawa, SHOOTO GYM K'z FACTORY)
Bantamweight Division (123.2 pounds) – Tatsuro Kamei (Hiroshima, Paraestra Hiroshima)
Featherweight Division (132.0 pounds) – Kousai Eda (Kyoto, PUREBRED Kyoto)
Lightweight Division (143.0 pounds) – Tomohiko Yokoyama (Niigata, Philoctetes Niigata)
Welterweight (154.0 pounds) – Kazuya Satomoto (Osaka, Paraestra Hiroshima)
Middleweight (167.2 pounds) – Yousuke Kume (Aichi, ALIVE)
Light Heavyweight (183.0 pounds) – Hiroki Sato (Saitama, Grapple Circle OZ)
Cruiserweight (200.2 pounds) – Makoto Maeda (Fukui, Shooto Sotokai Mimura)
Heavyweight (220.0 pounds) – Yusuke Sakashita (Kyoto, PUREBRED Kyoto)
Also in regard to the All Japan Amateur Shooto Championships, the Japanese Shooto Association has released a list of 33 competitors to the International Shooto Commission that have been approved for their Class B Shooto licenses. After the mere formality of submitting their professional license application, the following fighters will be promoted to professional Shooto:
Flyweight Division (114.4 pounds)
Hiroyuki Abe (Kanagawa, SHOOTO GYM K'z FACTORY)
Junji Ito (Kanagawa, Shooting Gym Yokohama)
Masashi Nishizaki (Hiroshima, Paraestra Hiroshima)
Katsuya Murofushi (Shizuoka, roots)
Bantamweight Division (123.2 Pounds)
Tatsuro Kamei (Hiroshima, Paraestra Hiroshima)
Kibo Otsuka (Kanagawa, Team Bullshit)
Teppei Masuda (Osaka, Cobra Kai MMA Dojo)
Yuichiro Takase (Ibaraki, Mach Dojo)
Tatsuya Yamamoto (Hokkaido, Gymnasion Sapporo)
Featherweight Division (132.0 pounds)
Kousai Eda (Kyoto, PUREBRED Kyoto)
Yoshihiko Oyama (Tokyo, Wajyutsu Keisyukai Tokyo Headquarters)
Yuuta Nezu (Tokyo, Wajyutsu Keisyukai Tokyo Headquarters)
Fumihiro Kitahara (Hokkaido, Paraestra Sapporo)
Yasuaki Nagamoto (Osaka, PUREBRED Kyoto)
Lightweight Division (143.0 pounds)
Tomohiko Yokoyama (Niigata, Philoctetes Niigata)
Naohiro Mizuno (Saitama, PUREBRED Omiya)
Kazuhiro Ito (Tokyo, TK Esperanza)
Takumi Ota (Tottori, SHOOTO JAM WATER)
Hidenori Nishino (Tokyo, GUTSMAN Shooto Dojo)
Welterweight (154.0 pounds)
Kazuya Satomoto (Osaka, Paraestra Hiroshima)
Guy Delmo (Tokushima, TEAM BLAZE Wakicho)
Middleweight (167.2 pounds)
Yousuke Kume (Aichi, ALIVE)
Daisuke Okimiya (Fukuoka, Paraestra Hakata)
Yasuaki Kishimoto (Osaka, Cobra Kai MMA Dojo)
Hideharu Ikeda (Ehime, Paraestra Ehime)
Noboru Ishinaka (Kyoto, PUREBRED Kyoto)
Light Heavyweight (183.0 pounds)
Hiroki Sato (Saitama, Grapple Circle OZ)
Taijiro Iseki (Tokyo, GUTSMAN Shooto Dojo)
Takaaki Ooban (Hiroshima, Paraestra Hiroshima)
Cruiserweight (200.2 pounds)
Makoto Maeda (Fukui, Shooto Sotokai Mimura)
Yuji Fujioka (Tokyo, Shinagawa CS)
Heavyweight (220.0 pounds)
Yusuke Sakashita (Kyoto, PUREBRED Kyoto)
The list of 33 includes two more than were promoted from last year's All Japans. Perhaps most interesting is that the Japanese Shooto Association recommended the promotions of two cruiserweights and a heavyweight — two weight divisions that are nearly never used in Shooto Japan.
By that same token, the 154-pound class for which Shooto has become famous, only has two competitors being promoted, the fewest of any weight division save for heavyweight. By contrast, in 2005 the International Shooto Commission promoted seven 154-pounders following the All Japans, the most of any weight class.
TBS looks to make this year's Dynamite!! more explosive
Jiji Tsushin, the rough equivalent to The Associated Press in Japan, has reported on Wednesday that Tokyo Broadcasting System president Hiroshi Inoue has big plans for K-1's Dynamite!! this New Year's Eve.
Inoue has stated that this New Year's Eve, Dynamite!! will be bigger than last year. Also of particular interest, Record Taisho, Japan's answer to the Grammy Awards, has been moved to December 30. Traditionally, Record Taisho is held on December 31, and has acted as the lead-in for K-1's Dynamite!! in recent years.
Inoue denied rumors concerning TBS broadcasting an event based around ratings wunderkinder Daiki and Koki Kameda on December 31. It has been speculated in the media that TBS may base their New Year's Eve programming around the young Japanese boxing stars due to their wild popularity and proven ratings success. The broadcast of Koki Kameda's August 2 title bout with Juan Jose Landaeta netted a jaw-dropping 42.4 rating.
The 2005 edition of K-1's Dynamite!! was a big letdown for both parent company Fight Entertainment Group and the Tokyo Broadcasting System. Poor promotion saw last year's Dynamite!! grab a disappointing 14.8 rating, and lose to the Fuji Television broadcast of PRIDE's Otoko Matsuri. The 2005 New Year's Eve offering from K-1 dropped over 26 percent in the ratings from the previous year when the 2004 edition of Dynamite!! drew a 20.1 rating.
While it is unknown how TBS plans on making Dynamite!! a success this year — be it more money for talent, heavier promotion, or anything else — the onus will be on FEG and K-1 to produce results on December 31, especially if Dream Stage Entertainment and PRIDE are somehow able to get back onto television for New Year's Eve.
"Iron Mike" in Macau may mean TV for PRIDE on NYE
And speaking of Dream Stage Entertainment's push to get back on television for New Year's Eve, DSE announced Wednesday that true to media speculation Mike Tyson will compete in a boxing match as part of PRIDE's card on December 31.
Insider reports over the last few weeks indicated that Dream Stage Entertainment wanted to secure the participation of the 40-year-old former heavyweight boxing champion for December 31 in an effort to grab a television deal in Japan. However, due to Tyson's criminal history and more specifically his felony rap sheet, he is unable to compete in Japan. As a result, DSE has opted to host Tyson's bout in the Macau Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China.
The Chinese-administrated Macau is one of the world's biggest gambling hotspots, with gambling accounting for roughly 40 percent of its gross domestic product. In this regard, it is not unlike DSE's venture in Las Vegas with their PRIDE card on October 21, in that DSE hopes to benefit from the time-tested marriage of fight sport and gambling. Furthermore, the status of Macau as a Chinese-controlled territory could open doors in regards to PRIDE’s visibility in mainland China, a market DSE wishes to target.
The Tyson bout will take place in Macau during PRIDE's December 31 Otoko Matsuri card at the Saitama Super Arena and it will be broadcast to the live audience in Saitama via video screens in the arena as its shown to those watching the international telecasts. No opponent has been named for Tyson, yet DSE has stated that it will be a PRIDE fighter that meets "Iron Mike" for a boxing bout. DSE representatives have mentioned is K-1 World Grand Prix 2001 champion Mark Hunt (Pictures).
Perhaps the largest motivation behind securing the services of Tyson for New Year's Eve is Dream Stage Entertainment's desire to regain a television deal in Japan. As previously reported in this column, the possibility of Tyson competing in PRIDE has garnered the interest of some television networks, namely tv asahi and Nippon Television. Television insiders have indicated that both networks have interest in airing PRIDE's New Year's Eve card on television if Tyson is able to compete as part of the telecast, due to the popularity that he still wields in Japan and other Asian markets.
While a television deal has not been explicitly discussed in conjunction with the announcement of Tyson's participation, it is more than likely that Japanese media outlets will begin to buzz with talk of networks showing interest in acquiring the broadcasting rights to PRIDE's December 31 card.
Previously, one Japanese broadcasting insider was quoted as saying that Nippon TV would be the frontrunner to secure the broadcasting rights over tv asahi due to greater spending power, however with a deal now materialized for Tyson to compete, other networks may join the fray as well.
