New Years Eve Previews: K-1, Shockwave, and Inoki
K-1 Premium 2003 Dynamite
Dec 30, 2003
Bob "The Beast" Sapp vs. Chad "Akebono" Rowan
Bob Sapp, a veteran of Pride, Inoki Bom Be Ye, both Japanese and U.S. pro wrestling events and even the NFL, returns to the K-1for his eighth match under these rules. He faces the Hawaiian born "Akebono", the Yokozuna or Sumo Grand Champion who has decided to continue competing for his children. Rowan competed at 6'8, 500lbs but has lost some substantial weight and this will be his first K-1 bout. He officially retired from sumo competition and has been training in kickboxing. This should be fast-paced and very, very messy. Although Sapp has miles to go before being considered a serious kickboxer, he will likely dismantle the Japanese giant en route to an easy first round victory.
Ernesto "Mr. Perfect" Hoost vs. "Montanha" Silva
The '97, '99, '00 and '02 K-1 World Grand Prix Champion Ernesto Hoost takes on yet another giant in the form of Brazilian fighter "Montanha" Silva. Hoost has battled Dutchman Semmy Schilt and American Bob Sapp (3 times actually, once in "wrestling") with less than stellar results. Silva is nearly 7'3 and over 420lbs with a 0-2 record in K-1 events. Both bouts were against K-1 Japan '99 and '00 champ Musashi and Hoost is taller, heavier, and more accomplished in K-1. Silva showed improvement in the second fight with Musashi (the first ended in a pro wrestling-style melee) but Hoost is a true champion and if he sticks to the game plan he failed to execute against Sapp (leg kicks, leg kicks, leg kicks) will chop down the Brazilian tree.
Kyokushin Karate stylist Francisco Filho is a 6-year veteran of the K-1 with a 13-7-3 record and 9 KOs. Filho won a number of Kyokushin tournament titles from '91 to '99 and won the K-1 World Grand Prix 2000 in Yokohama event. The Brazilian fighter returned in July after a year and a half away from the event. His opponent is a 6' 2, 290lb native of New Zealand named Toa making his second K-1 appearance. After KOing Manabu Nakanishi (fought Kazuyuki Fujita) in the first round at the K-1 Beast 2 show, the '94 sumo wrestling champion called out Bob Sapp. The two met in the ring for your typical shout fest but no bout is planned as of yet. As for this contest, Filho is a seasoned kickboxer and should be able to fend off Toa's unpolished attack.
Francois "The White Buffalo" Botha vs. Yusuke Fujimoto
Botha, 6'2 233lbs, has fought twice under K-1 rules (0-2) against K-1 World GP 2000 Yokohama finalist Cyril Abidi (lost a DQ for punching Abidi while he was sitting and then lost a decision earlier this month). As a professional boxer, "The White Buffalo" has been highly successful (44-4-2, 28 KOs, 1NC) except when confronted with top shelf competition (Moorer, Tyson, Lewis and Vladimir Klitschko). Yusuke Fujimoto from the Monster Factory in Japan is 5'10 234lbs and 12-6 (5 KOs) in K-1 competition. In 2003, Fujimoto was KO'd by "Butterbean" and has losses to Musashi and Carter Williams but won 5 other bouts with 2 KOs. If Botha isn't careful and get busy quickly, he could be dropped by a very capable Fujimoto.
Alexey "The Scorpion" Ignashov vs. Shinsuke Nakamura
One of the more promising fighters of the K-1 NYE show is 6'5 230lb Alexey Ignashkov from Belarus. "The Scorpion", with a 63-6 (34 KOs) record, is being groomed to be the Mirko "Cro Cop" of the K-1 MMA productions and trains with Brazilian stylist Marco Calcavante and former K-1 star and pro wrestler Sam Greco. Ignashkov has won K-1 events in Russia, Japan and Europe and numerous kickboxing titles but this will be his MMA debut. His opponent Shinsuke Nakamura is 2-1 in MMA with wins at the Jungle Fight and New Japan Pro Wrestling's Ultimate Crush show. Nakamura was armlocked by Daniel Gracie at last year's Inoki NYE show and if Ignashov is as good as advertised, he can expect to be in similar pain around midnight this year.
Genki "The Neo Samurai" Sudo vs. Eric "Butterbean" Esch
Bordering on being labeled a blatant "freak show" bout, the powers that be at K-1 have pitted the 5'7 155lb Genki "The Neo Samurai" Sudo against the 5'9 363lb Eric "Butterbean" Esch under MMA rules. Sudo, a Pancrase, RINGS and UFC veteran, is 1-3 under K-1 rules but 7-4-1 in MMA. He is on a 3-fight slide (all decision losses) and last appeared under MMA rules in a hard fought loss to Duane "Bang" Ludwig. Eric "Butterbean" Esch has 63-3-4-2 (48 KOs) record and a former IBA and WAA super heavyweight boxing champion. This will be his third K-1 appearance, having KO'd Yusuke Fujimoto with just one punch connecting and being dropped by K-1 veteran Mike Bernardo last September. This has every indication of looking like Yarborough/Takase from Pride 3. Anyone can get caught sleeping, but chances are Sudo will avoid the initial rush and put Esch to sleep in the first round.
Cyril Abidi vs. Sylvester "The Predator" Terkay
French kickboxing champion Cyril Abidi has been in the K-1 ring with some of the best; Hoost, Aerts, Sefo, Filho, Leko, Ignashov and Bonjasky. He also battled Pride regulars Bob Sapp and Quinton Jackson (twice) in 2002 and beat Francois Botha twice this year. Abidi is 14-11 in K-1 and 0-1 in MMA (a loss to Don "The Predator" Frye). His opponent Sylvester Terkay is a 6'6 315lb Ultimate Pro Wrestling and Zero-One professional wrestler who has trained with Brock Lessnar, Brian Keck and Shelton Benjamin. Terkay was the 1993 NCAA Heavyweight Wrestling Champion and the runner-up in 1992. With the bout being fought under MMA rules, the inexperienced 6'3 215lb Abidi may not be able to fend off the gargantuan Terkay for very long.
David Khakhaleichivili vs. Yoshihiro Nakao
In a bout of relative unknowns, 1992 Olympic Judo heavyweight gold medallist David Khakhaleichivili battles the 2001 All Japan Wrestling Champion Yoshihiro Nakao. Nakao was a tentative 2003 World Championships of Freestyle Wrestling entry and was showcased at a Shin Takanawa press conference (lifting up the K-1 event producer to show his "power") so I guess he is the favorite.
Jan "The Giant" Nortje vs. Masayuki Naruse
You can add yet another giant to this show in the form of Jan Nortje. The 6'10 310lb South African is experience in both K-1 and MMA fighting. The problem is he's not very good at either (4-8 in K-1 and 1-3 in MMA). He's been KO'd by the best; "Cro Cop", Hoost, Ignashov and LeBanner. Lucky for him, Masayuki Naruse isn't much better. He's 4-14 in RINGS competition (many of which were works) and has been a semi-regular in the New Japan Pro Wrestling organization. Based on the fact he was tough enough to go 3 rounds or better with Hoost and Filipovic in K-1, I give Nortje the edge here even under MMA rules.
Tom "The Green Beret" Howard vs. Kristof "The Phoenix" Midoux
Another Zero-One/UPW (and WWF) pro wrestler, Tom "The Green Beret" Howard, makes his MMA debut in the K-1 Premium 2003 Dynamite event. Howard, 6'4 260lbs, has studied Russian Sambo and Korean Hwa Rang Do as well as both Freestyle and Greco-Roman Wrestling. In 1996, Howard began training MMA with Gokor Chivichyan and Gene LeBell and in 1998 he started the Ultimate Pro Wrestling/Ultimate University program with Rick Bassman (Extreme University) and began training with Mark Kerr, Mark Coleman, Oleg Taktarov and Kimo Leopoldo. Kristof "The Phoenix" Midoux, 6'1 220lbs, is an IFC, UCC and HOOK'n'SHOOT veteran. The French combatant is a 4th Degree black belt in Kyokushin Karate and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu stylist with a 2-4 record in MMA and fights out of the Elite Training Center and with K-1 veteran Jerome LeBanner. He also competed against Sean Alvarez in Abu Dhabi, losing in the overtime period. I'd throw experience out here and go with Howard to win his debut.
Bob Sapp, a veteran of Pride, Inoki Bom Be Ye, both Japanese and U.S. pro wrestling events and even the NFL, returns to the K-1for his eighth match under these rules. He faces the Hawaiian born "Akebono", the Yokozuna or Sumo Grand Champion who has decided to continue competing for his children. Rowan competed at 6'8, 500lbs but has lost some substantial weight and this will be his first K-1 bout. He officially retired from sumo competition and has been training in kickboxing. This should be fast-paced and very, very messy. Although Sapp has miles to go before being considered a serious kickboxer, he will likely dismantle the Japanese giant en route to an easy first round victory.
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The '97, '99, '00 and '02 K-1 World Grand Prix Champion Ernesto Hoost takes on yet another giant in the form of Brazilian fighter "Montanha" Silva. Hoost has battled Dutchman Semmy Schilt and American Bob Sapp (3 times actually, once in "wrestling") with less than stellar results. Silva is nearly 7'3 and over 420lbs with a 0-2 record in K-1 events. Both bouts were against K-1 Japan '99 and '00 champ Musashi and Hoost is taller, heavier, and more accomplished in K-1. Silva showed improvement in the second fight with Musashi (the first ended in a pro wrestling-style melee) but Hoost is a true champion and if he sticks to the game plan he failed to execute against Sapp (leg kicks, leg kicks, leg kicks) will chop down the Brazilian tree.
Francisco Filho vs. Toa "The Samoan Beast"
Kyokushin Karate stylist Francisco Filho is a 6-year veteran of the K-1 with a 13-7-3 record and 9 KOs. Filho won a number of Kyokushin tournament titles from '91 to '99 and won the K-1 World Grand Prix 2000 in Yokohama event. The Brazilian fighter returned in July after a year and a half away from the event. His opponent is a 6' 2, 290lb native of New Zealand named Toa making his second K-1 appearance. After KOing Manabu Nakanishi (fought Kazuyuki Fujita) in the first round at the K-1 Beast 2 show, the '94 sumo wrestling champion called out Bob Sapp. The two met in the ring for your typical shout fest but no bout is planned as of yet. As for this contest, Filho is a seasoned kickboxer and should be able to fend off Toa's unpolished attack.
Francois "The White Buffalo" Botha vs. Yusuke Fujimoto
Botha, 6'2 233lbs, has fought twice under K-1 rules (0-2) against K-1 World GP 2000 Yokohama finalist Cyril Abidi (lost a DQ for punching Abidi while he was sitting and then lost a decision earlier this month). As a professional boxer, "The White Buffalo" has been highly successful (44-4-2, 28 KOs, 1NC) except when confronted with top shelf competition (Moorer, Tyson, Lewis and Vladimir Klitschko). Yusuke Fujimoto from the Monster Factory in Japan is 5'10 234lbs and 12-6 (5 KOs) in K-1 competition. In 2003, Fujimoto was KO'd by "Butterbean" and has losses to Musashi and Carter Williams but won 5 other bouts with 2 KOs. If Botha isn't careful and get busy quickly, he could be dropped by a very capable Fujimoto.
Alexey "The Scorpion" Ignashov vs. Shinsuke Nakamura
One of the more promising fighters of the K-1 NYE show is 6'5 230lb Alexey Ignashkov from Belarus. "The Scorpion", with a 63-6 (34 KOs) record, is being groomed to be the Mirko "Cro Cop" of the K-1 MMA productions and trains with Brazilian stylist Marco Calcavante and former K-1 star and pro wrestler Sam Greco. Ignashkov has won K-1 events in Russia, Japan and Europe and numerous kickboxing titles but this will be his MMA debut. His opponent Shinsuke Nakamura is 2-1 in MMA with wins at the Jungle Fight and New Japan Pro Wrestling's Ultimate Crush show. Nakamura was armlocked by Daniel Gracie at last year's Inoki NYE show and if Ignashov is as good as advertised, he can expect to be in similar pain around midnight this year.
Genki "The Neo Samurai" Sudo vs. Eric "Butterbean" Esch
Bordering on being labeled a blatant "freak show" bout, the powers that be at K-1 have pitted the 5'7 155lb Genki "The Neo Samurai" Sudo against the 5'9 363lb Eric "Butterbean" Esch under MMA rules. Sudo, a Pancrase, RINGS and UFC veteran, is 1-3 under K-1 rules but 7-4-1 in MMA. He is on a 3-fight slide (all decision losses) and last appeared under MMA rules in a hard fought loss to Duane "Bang" Ludwig. Eric "Butterbean" Esch has 63-3-4-2 (48 KOs) record and a former IBA and WAA super heavyweight boxing champion. This will be his third K-1 appearance, having KO'd Yusuke Fujimoto with just one punch connecting and being dropped by K-1 veteran Mike Bernardo last September. This has every indication of looking like Yarborough/Takase from Pride 3. Anyone can get caught sleeping, but chances are Sudo will avoid the initial rush and put Esch to sleep in the first round.
Cyril Abidi vs. Sylvester "The Predator" Terkay
French kickboxing champion Cyril Abidi has been in the K-1 ring with some of the best; Hoost, Aerts, Sefo, Filho, Leko, Ignashov and Bonjasky. He also battled Pride regulars Bob Sapp and Quinton Jackson (twice) in 2002 and beat Francois Botha twice this year. Abidi is 14-11 in K-1 and 0-1 in MMA (a loss to Don "The Predator" Frye). His opponent Sylvester Terkay is a 6'6 315lb Ultimate Pro Wrestling and Zero-One professional wrestler who has trained with Brock Lessnar, Brian Keck and Shelton Benjamin. Terkay was the 1993 NCAA Heavyweight Wrestling Champion and the runner-up in 1992. With the bout being fought under MMA rules, the inexperienced 6'3 215lb Abidi may not be able to fend off the gargantuan Terkay for very long.
David Khakhaleichivili vs. Yoshihiro Nakao
In a bout of relative unknowns, 1992 Olympic Judo heavyweight gold medallist David Khakhaleichivili battles the 2001 All Japan Wrestling Champion Yoshihiro Nakao. Nakao was a tentative 2003 World Championships of Freestyle Wrestling entry and was showcased at a Shin Takanawa press conference (lifting up the K-1 event producer to show his "power") so I guess he is the favorite.
Jan "The Giant" Nortje vs. Masayuki Naruse
You can add yet another giant to this show in the form of Jan Nortje. The 6'10 310lb South African is experience in both K-1 and MMA fighting. The problem is he's not very good at either (4-8 in K-1 and 1-3 in MMA). He's been KO'd by the best; "Cro Cop", Hoost, Ignashov and LeBanner. Lucky for him, Masayuki Naruse isn't much better. He's 4-14 in RINGS competition (many of which were works) and has been a semi-regular in the New Japan Pro Wrestling organization. Based on the fact he was tough enough to go 3 rounds or better with Hoost and Filipovic in K-1, I give Nortje the edge here even under MMA rules.
Tom "The Green Beret" Howard vs. Kristof "The Phoenix" Midoux
Another Zero-One/UPW (and WWF) pro wrestler, Tom "The Green Beret" Howard, makes his MMA debut in the K-1 Premium 2003 Dynamite event. Howard, 6'4 260lbs, has studied Russian Sambo and Korean Hwa Rang Do as well as both Freestyle and Greco-Roman Wrestling. In 1996, Howard began training MMA with Gokor Chivichyan and Gene LeBell and in 1998 he started the Ultimate Pro Wrestling/Ultimate University program with Rick Bassman (Extreme University) and began training with Mark Kerr, Mark Coleman, Oleg Taktarov and Kimo Leopoldo. Kristof "The Phoenix" Midoux, 6'1 220lbs, is an IFC, UCC and HOOK'n'SHOOT veteran. The French combatant is a 4th Degree black belt in Kyokushin Karate and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu stylist with a 2-4 record in MMA and fights out of the Elite Training Center and with K-1 veteran Jerome LeBanner. He also competed against Sean Alvarez in Abu Dhabi, losing in the overtime period. I'd throw experience out here and go with Howard to win his debut.
