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PRIDE tries to grab media headlines
By Zach Arnold | November 2, 2006
Sports Nippon reports that PRIDE is attempting to sign WBC World Super Flyweight champion Masamori Tokuyama (background information here and here) for their 12/31 Saitama Super Arena show. The report claims that should Tokuyama work the PRIDE show, the JBC (Japan Boxing Commission) would threaten to strip him of his title. Reportedly, the news of this PRIDE offer came to light at a WBC meeting on 10/29 in Croatia.
In the past, Japanese boxing authorities have stated that they would suspend or banish boxers from competing again if they fought in MMA.
The obvious question to ask is who could PRIDE possibly book him against in an MMA fight (given his small weight)? Additionally, if they choose to put him in a boxing exhibition match, who would be the opponent?
Here’s a report (by former Gong magazine editor Takao Kondo) claiming that TV-Asahi is now PRIDE’s main goal of getting a TV deal, with TV-Tokyo as a back-up plan. TV-Tokyo would be a big drop-off from Asahi.
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