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New Year’s Eve (Preview)
By Zach Arnold | December 31, 2005
I watched the PRIDE 12/31 Saitama Super Arena show on the Japanese feed. If you want results, go to the Puroresu Power web site. Likely, if you are reading this, you’re trying to avoid spoilers, so let me give you a personal preview of what you can expect or look forward to on the upcoming PRIDE show:
- Will Charles “Crazy Horse” Bennett fulfill the expectations of what most think will happen in the fight, or will actor Ken Kaneko prove the critics wrong and hang with a tough MMA veteran?
- With his new training in Brazil, can Kazuhiro Nakamura prove to the fans and his peers that he is ready to take it to the next level? Will Yuki Kondo’s ability as an MMA fighter be underestimated? Can Nakamura hang with the quick speed of Kondo on the ground?
- Will James Thompson be able to bull-rush Giant Silva and end the match quickly? Or will Silva’s size prove to be too much for Thompson to handle and figure out?
- Will this PRIDE show be the last chance for Makoto Takimoto to be shown on the big stage? How will he react to the strong skills of Pancrase veteran Sanae Kikuta? Will Kikuta be able to show all of his tools after coming off a knee injury? Can Takimoto turn fan opinion in his favor?
- Was Pawel Nastula’s debut performance against Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira a fluke? Or is he the real deal? How will he counter the punching power of Emelianenko Alexander? Does Alexander have the stamina to last in a long fight?
- What will Emelianenko Fedor’s strategy be with Zulu? Will be go for the quick KO or will he try to take him down and submit him? How will Zulu handle Fedor’s initial attack?
- With a rejuvenated Murilo Bustamante at age 39, can Bustamante win the Welterweight title belt from a man notoriously known as “Decision” Dan (Henderson)? Will Henderson show up with a strong performance or will his recent inconsistent showing continue? The winner will likely show better stand-up skills.
- Can anyone stop Takanori Gomi? Will Hayato “Mach” Sakurai be the last roadblock in front of Gomi before winning the Lightweight title? Or will Sakurai will the belt and become Gomi’s rival in the promotion? Guaranteed fireworks from both men.
- With Ikuhisa Minowa continuing to grow his cult-like fan base, who will the fans cheer for in the fight between Minowa & Kazushi Sakuraba? Will Sakuraba be saying his prayers and taking his vitamins? How will Minowa attempt to outwrestle Sakuraba? Will Sakuraba’s experience prevail against the aggression of Minowa?
- Can Mirko Cro Cop re-establish himself as the dominant #2 in the PRIDE Heavyweight ranks by defeating the ultra-tough Mark Hunt? Will Hunt withstand Mirko’s punishment and dish out his own blows? Is the aura of Mirko’s invincibility now destroyed, or he is clearly underestimated? What kind of stamina will both men have in a long fight?
- If styles make fights, how will Middleweight champion Vanderlei Silva respond this time to Ricardo Arona? How will Silva change his game plan? Will Arona be able to adapt to any changes from Silva’s attack? Does a longer fight benefit Silva or Arona? Will politics play a factor into who wins this fight?
- Yoshida vs. Ogawa is the $5 million USD match. Can the match live up to the hype and crowd heat that it is going to draw? Can Ogawa bring enough skills & tools to the table to counteract Yoshida’s experience and toughness? How will Yoshida be able to handle Ogawa’s bigger physical size and presence? Who will the fans root for?
For the courtesy of those in America or elsewhere who will watch the PRIDE show on tape-delay, please keep spoilers out of the comments section until Sunday night US time (or Monday morning UK/Japan time). Thanks.
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