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Updated K-1 12/31 Osaka Dome card
By Zach Arnold | December 7, 2006
- Yoshihiro Akiyama vs. Kazushi Sakuraba
- Masato vs. Choi Yong-Soo
- Akebono vs. Giant Silva
- Katsuhiko Nagata vs. “Real Tiger Mask” Shuichiro Katsumura
- Hideo Tokoro vs. Royler Gracie
Topics: All Topics, Japan, K-1, Media, MMA, Zach Arnold | 16 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Giant Silva vs Akebono! this is why pride going out of business is a good thing! K1 is MUCH better!
but seriously, i really want saku to retire. He is my hero but he can get seriously hurt here. But if that’s what he wants to do that’s him. I want to hear a WAR SAKU from EVERYONE!
WAR SAKURABA!
WAR SAKURABA!!!!
By the way…what’s with this “Real Tiger Mask” stuff? Yeesh.
Doesnt Saku wear the Tiger Mask
Shuichiro Katsumura going to wear one as well?
Silva vs. Akebono will be a HAPPENING, not just a freak-fight. This is something special. Hopefully K-1’s ring is more robust than bodogFIGTH’s :S
I’m sick and tired of Nagata, and Tokoro vs. Royler is completely meh.
But-but….Katsuhiko is Yuji’s brother. Don’t you want to see Yuji’s brother fight? Maybe actually get the Nagata Lock on someone?
I need to learn more about Japanese fighters. The only reason I know Sakuraba is because i tend to remember fighters who I almost see die.
Royler vs Tokoro is good in a sense, it means they won’t waste a real fighter against either of them. Let’s hope Kid and Sudo will get good fights to save this card.
Oh goodness, K-1 has Giant Silva, the sky is falling. Please, Zach, please give us snide comments about this, and analyze it much like you did Pride possibly signing Choi. Be fair and balanced, let us know what it all means.
They’re going to need a lot of star-power to bolster this card, or else it will fall in line with more Tanigawa-booked shows as another boring K-1 card. Two months ago they were teasing Masato vs. JZ Calvan and instead we end up with the usual “K-1 vs. ex-boxer” storyline. So far, these fights don’t seem to be something (outside of the main event) that TBS would influence in terms of matchmaking. It’s supposedly going to be a 5 1/2 hour show, meaning they have some room to improve. However, so far this is a lousy showing by K-1.
Agreed, compared to PRIDE right now…K-1 is looking very short.
Katsuhiko has already used the Nagata Lock in all his fights. That is, the Nagata Lock IV – aka. the Boredom Vice 😀
Honestly I like Katsuhiko (granted im a huge puro mark) but I think as a wrestler the guy is phenominal. He just needs to work on some standup game and submisisons and he could become pretty well rounded. I see him as an inexperienced Hughes/Sherk without the retard strngth.
Isn’t Katsuhiko Nagata an actual accomplished “real” (re: amateur/Olympic) wrestler? He’s the guy that got picked apart by Akayama standing, including that dirty spinkick correct?
And I don’t read Japanese so can someone maybe explain to me: “Real Tiger Mask”??
I’m aware that this was a pro-wrestling gimmick that somewhat inspired the “hybrid wrestling” ideas…anyone care to clarify further etc.
Thanks in advance.
Yes Katushiko Nagata is an accomplished Amateur wrestler who won a silver medal in the 2000 olympics. And yes because of his lack of actual fighting skills he got OWNED by Akiyama BUT like I said if he can make that transition like Couture did he could be a force to reckon with.
The story behind Shuichiro Katsumura stems NOT from the Tiger Mask wrestler (who yes the original TM Satoru Saiyama sort of started the whole hybrid wrestling thing…kinda sorta not really) but actually from the Tiger Mask cartoon which is what the TM wrestler gimmick was based on. In the cartoon the alter ego of TM was a childcare worker which incidentally Katsumura is in real life. With his caring personality and strong fighting skills the japanese fans (especially the women) fell in love with Katsumura and dubbed him “the Real Tiger Mask”.
Obviously, to potential American viewers, this card blows thus far. But Zach, how interesting do you think a Japanese audience will find it? After all, K1’s main goal is to get Japanese viewers.
God dammit this card sucks arse.
Tokoro Gracie could actually be exciting, as long as they decide to grapple for a while rather than Tokoro just knocking him TFO, which he might do as he has been in a bit of a slump lately…
I am deeply saddened to see Akebono on the card yet again.