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Trying to create some heat for Sengoku
By Zach Arnold | March 4, 2008
The last-minute push for the World Victory Road debut show in Tokyo tomorrow at Yoyogi National Stadium Gym I seems to be mild, at best. The main event of Yoshida vs. Barnett should be interesting to watch, but not necessarily a hot box-office attraction. There has been little or no mention about Takanori Gomi vs. Duane “Bang” Ludwig as the semi-main event. Instead, the heat has virtually been on the Kazuyuki Fujita vs. Peter Graham fight and they did a pull-apart angle today.
There is a report in Tokyo Sports newspaper that Naoya Ogawa will appear at tomorrow’s event.
On paper, the show should be OK to watch. However, it has been a struggle for the producers of the event (J-ROCK) to get to this point with the card line-up they created. The question is whether or not J-ROCK is in this business for the long haul or if they will back out of the business of promoting other events.
If the promotion can pull a house of around 10,000 paid, then it should be considered a success.
And now with your cheap shots of the day, here’s Tomas Rios:
He has been blessed with a preternatural talent for MMA yet seems about as interested in dedicating himself to the sport as Roger Clemens is about coming “clean.”
Like so many fight sport combatants before him, Barnett (20-5) has to learn that success comes only when you make MMA your wife and not your mistress. With an opportunity to become WVR’s heavyweight ace all but handed to him, he may finally have found the environment he needs to keep his focus on MMA instead of the upcoming special edition collector’s boxed set of “Akira.”
Topics: Japan, Media, MMA, Zach Arnold | 11 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
I’m kind of looking forward to WVR, regardless. I really miss the big, ridiculous Japanese MMA cards. They offer something most of the US shows can’t offer in entertainment value and being completely over the top and not worrying how ‘legit’ they come off.
Also poor Joshu~! I do somewhat concur, I remember when he was under New Japan contract and that just seemed like a giant waste of one of the best heavyweight talents.
Say WVR doesn’t make it in the long haul, will Barnett’s problems with DSE come in to play if he’s in a position to fight for Dream?
I can’t speak on his behalf, but I would assume that he wants whatever money was owed to him in the past.
any truth on the rumor of Gomi being seeded into round 2 of the DREAM tournament with a win?
Looking forward too tomorrow’s event, imo the main event and semi-main events are stronger than some MMA events of late that have been hyped in the states **cough Abbot vs Slice**, so all in all should be a good show.
Whats the odds however that WVR ends up amalgamted into DREAM before the year is out however, or even before they put on another show?
10,000 paid is a success? I thought tickets to Japanese shows went for $25… (which is how DSE would fill up the Saitama Super Arena every time)
ever hear of shows being papered?
and this place is a lot smaller than Saitama.
Is it a cheap shot if it’s true?
Is HDnet going to show WVR or Dream?
They aren’t showing either as of now. WVR happens in like 14 hours so they probably won’t be showing that, barring something crazy happening. DREAMS could be shown I suppose, but nothing’s happened on that front yet to indicate that it will.
1. I remember Thompson posting an ad a few months ago asking for the contact information of Yarennoka promoter. It looks his agressive self-advertisement quickly paid off. I wonder why other MMA fighters enjoying the status of free agent don’t do the same. If the goat gets a deal, why can’t you? Opportunities await right there.
2.Bang’s being huge underdog (-600/+450 or something) is not understandable.
From what I hear, he’s training full time and very motivated. Odds maker probably never saw his fights against strikers.