Koubousen Companion: News And Notes From Japan
Koubousen Companion
Jordan Breen Dec 12, 2006
Even with the onset of Winter, the Japanese fight scene always
heats up in December.
Fight fans are eagerly counting down the days until New Year's Eve. With December 31 quickly approaching, K-1 backer Fight Entertainment Group has announced several. However, there are some rumored fights emerging. Is "Pezao" still part of K-1's Dynamite!! plans? And will FEG look for ratings with actor-fighter Ken Kaneko (Pictures), and fighter-actor Genki Sudo (Pictures) squaring off with a pair of kickboxing converts?
Zuffa has said it's their goal to take the UFC international. While
the UFC has never been the ultimate in Japan, recent developments
in the Japanese broadcasting industry may provide an extra boost to
Zuffa's international objectives. Meanwhile, Shooto authorities
have begun to lay out plans of their own for the near future,
having announced the beginnings of their 2007 schedule. More
importantly, talk is heating up for next February. What can we
expect from Shooto's new super-card offering?
All seven of Shooto's 2006 rookie tournament champions have been crowned after a hard year of work. In an extended feature, we take a look back at the roads all seven champions took to get to their rookie crowns, and moreover, ask the important questions of this year's Shooto rookie class: Who was the most outstanding rookie champion this year? Who best exemplifies technique, and fighting spirit? Which fighters will earn their Class A licenses, and which champions still have to prove themselves? And most importantly, how will this year's rookie champions stand up to those of the past? Have we any Kawajiris or Kojimas among the 2006 rookie champions?
Rumors rise for K-1's New Year's Eve event
With New Year's Eve now just three weeks away, and Fight Entertainment Group having only announced a few official match-ups for their Premium Dynamite!! card, rumors have began to swirl with regard to the rest of the line-up that FEG will put forth on Dec. 31.
Many sources in the Brazilian fight media have reported over the past weeks that Antonio Silva (Pictures) will face Gary Goodridge (Pictures) on New Year's Eve, however those reports were prior to Silva's shocking upset loss to Eric Pele (Pictures) at bodogFIGHT's Dec. 2 card in Vancouver. Whether FEG still plans to use Silva in spite of his loss, and whether they still intend for him to face Goodridge is unknown.
This week, talk of two more rumored fights has emerged from the Netherlands. It is now thought that actor-turned-fledgling fighter Ken Kaneko (Pictures) will meet K-1 MAX kickboxing standout Gago "Drago" Aroetjunjan, while superstar Genki Sudo (Pictures) will take on former It's Showtime Trophy winner "Kaas" Sahin Yakut. Both fights are proposed to be under mixed martial arts rules.
Both Sudo and Kaneko should provide ratings for Dynamite!! due to their crossover appeal, despite the fact that neither man is a compelling bout in a sporting perspective. Sudo's last bout against kickboxing convert Ole Laursen (Pictures) at HERO'S' March 15 Nippon Budokan card was the highest rated fight of the card aired by TBS, taking a 17.4% rating amidst a broadcast drawing a 11.8% average and a 14.6% share.
Meanwhile, last New Year's Eve, Ken Kaneko (Pictures)'s fight at PRIDE's Otoko Matsuri: Itadaki with "Krazy Horse" Charles Bennett (Pictures) was the highest rated fight of the entire night, for either PRIDE or K-1, with a whopping 27.7% rating. Kaneko's HERO'S debut against Hideo Tokoro (Pictures) was the highest rated fight of the Tokyo Broadcasting System's airing of HERO'S’ October 9 Yokohama Arena card, with a peak rating of 20.6% and an overall average of 18.3%, according to Japan's Video Research Ltd.
While the match-up against "Kaas" will almost assuredly draw criticism against Sudo, whose in-ring stature has diminished as he pursued other goals as an actor, author and musician, it should be noted that Yakut does in fact have some mixed martial arts experience. Yakut has a documented 2-1 MMA record, dating back to 2001, and has competed in both RINGS and 2 Hot 2 Handle in Holland, though that may offer little solace to those dismayed at Sudo's recent choice of opponents.
Ultimate making inroads in Japanese broadcasting
The UFC may be enjoying some heightened visibility in Japan in the near future.
In the past, one hindrance to the UFC's popularity in Japan was that UFC event were broadcasted on delay on WOWOW, a private satellite pay station in Japan, as opposed to the more popular SKYPerfecTV!, Japan's main provider of satellite television. However, now, SKYPerfecTV! users will have easy access to WOWOW through their existing satellite receivers.
SKYPerfecTV!, which boasts 4 million subscriptions in Japan as of July, has formed an agreement with WOWOW to gain access to its 2.36 million subscriptions in Japan. Both companies have felt the pressure from the growing popularity of broadband distribution formats and have partnered up to compete. As a result, SKYPerfecTV! customers will now have access to WOWOW's programming, giving a massive boost in visibility to the UFC in Japan.
The December 30 UFC 66 card will be available in Japan via WOWOW on a slight delay, beginning at 4 p.m. in Japan on December 31 — only a four-hour time delay from when the live pay-per-view would be broadcast in North America. While considerable success cannot be expected, given that the initial broadcast will be aired against both PRIDE's Otoko Matsuri on SKYperfecTV! pay-per-view, as well as K-1's Premium Dynamite!! on free television via the Tokyo Broadcasting System.
Shooto releases partial 2007 schedule; February super-card talk intensifies
Shooto officials have announced the first five and a half months of their schedule for 2007, revealing nine cards through mid-May. Beginning on Jan. 26, Shooto will sanction the first of the recently retooled BATTLE MIX TOKYO series, promoted by G-STYLE, which will replace the G-Shooto Special cards, featuring a blend of up-and-coming male and female Shooto talent. Another BATTLE MIX TOKYO is scheduled for March 30.
Smaller Shooto promoters will also be featured in the schedule, with GUTSMAN Shooto Dojo promoting a Kitazawa Town Hall card in Tokyo on March 4, ALIVE promoting GIG CENTRAL Vol. 12 in Nagoya on March 25, and GRAPPLINGMAN promoting their annual card on Mother's Day weekend in Hiroshima on May 13.
Leading Shooto promoter Sustain has four events on the announced schedule, with Korakuen Hall offerings in Tokyo on March 16 and May 18, as well as a card in Osaka at Azeria Taisho Hall on April 21. However, the focal point of the early 2007 schedule is the February 17 super-card at the Pacifico Yokohama National Convention Center.
It appears as though Shooto promoters have decided to make February the new host month for their largest card of the year. Historically, Shooto has staged grand finales in December, however in the past two years difficulties with scheduling forced promoters to postpone. Venue repairs prompted delays, and as well, the emergence of MMA as a permanent New Year's Eve fixture in Japan has made it increasingly difficult to secure fighters given Sustain's lack of capital compared to PRIDE and K-1 parent companies Dream Stage Entertainment and Fight Entertainment Group.
As of now, the prevailing thought is that Shooto world champions Tatsuya Kawajiri (Pictures) and Shinya Aoki (Pictures) will both compete on the card. Kawajiri stated in October following his win over Per Eklund (Pictures) at Shooto's Champion Carnival card that he planned to make the next defense of his 154-pound title in February, and stated that he would like to face Shooto Americas 154-pound champion and HERO'S 154-pound tournament winner "JZ" Gesias Calvancanti (Pictures). Calvancanti is ranked eighth in the Shooto world rankings, and would likely prefer to fight for more money in HERO'S, which both cast doubt on the likelihood of such a match-up happening.
It is more likely that if Kawajiri is to defend his title, it will be a rematch with Joachim Hansen (Pictures), exactly one year after their first bout that ended acrimoniously due to a low blow in only eight second.
If last year's “The Victory of the Truth” can give us any indication as to what to expect for this coming card at Pacifico Yokohama, it is likely that G-Shooto star Megumi Fujii (Pictures) will also be showcased. Fujii typically is utilized on the largest Shooto cards of the year, having submitted Nadia van der Wel (Pictures) in 2004 and Misaki Takimoto (Pictures) earlier this year. Also, as we did at The Victory of the Truth with Tenkei Fujimiya (Pictures) and Mizuto Hirota (Pictures), we may see some of this year's rookie tournament champions, such as Masakazu Ueda, Yoshihiro Koyama (Pictures) or Yuki Konishi (Pictures), get their first Class A tests.
Announced Shooto Schedule For 2007:
January 26 - BATTLE MIX TOKYO - Tokyo Kinema Club, Tokyo, Japan - Sponsored by G-STYLE
February 17 - Professional Shooto - Pacifico Yokohama, Yokohama, Japan - Sponsored by Sustain
March 4 - Professional Shooto - Kitazawa Town Hall, Tokyo, Japan - Sponsored by GUTSMAN Shooto Dojo
March 16 - Professional Shooto - Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan - Sponsored by Sustain
March 25 - GIG CENTRAL Vol. 12 - Zepp Nagoya, Nagoya, Japan - Sponsored by ALIVE
March 30 - BATTLE MIX TOKYO - Tokyo Kinema Club, Tokyo, Japan - Sponsored by G-STYLE
April 21 - Professional Shooto - Azeria Taisho Hall, Osaka, Japan - Sponsored by Sustain
May 13 - GRAPPLINGMAN - Hiroshima Industrial Hall, Hiroshima, Japan - Sponsored by GRAPPLINGMAN Executive
May 18 - Professional Shooto - Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan - Sponsored by Sustain
Fight fans are eagerly counting down the days until New Year's Eve. With December 31 quickly approaching, K-1 backer Fight Entertainment Group has announced several. However, there are some rumored fights emerging. Is "Pezao" still part of K-1's Dynamite!! plans? And will FEG look for ratings with actor-fighter Ken Kaneko (Pictures), and fighter-actor Genki Sudo (Pictures) squaring off with a pair of kickboxing converts?
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All seven of Shooto's 2006 rookie tournament champions have been crowned after a hard year of work. In an extended feature, we take a look back at the roads all seven champions took to get to their rookie crowns, and moreover, ask the important questions of this year's Shooto rookie class: Who was the most outstanding rookie champion this year? Who best exemplifies technique, and fighting spirit? Which fighters will earn their Class A licenses, and which champions still have to prove themselves? And most importantly, how will this year's rookie champions stand up to those of the past? Have we any Kawajiris or Kojimas among the 2006 rookie champions?
Finally, after a critical look at 2006's rookie championship crop,
we take our first glimpse of at 2007's rookie crop. Shooto
authorities have released the eligibility lists for 2007's rookie
tournament series, and there are many, many promising potential
scenarios for next year. A star-studded female tournament, and a
resurgence of young talent at 154 pounds, as well as a greater
depth of amateur talent coming to the pro ranks may be on tap for
next year, when Shooto's best young talent battle their way through
2007's rookie tournament brackets.
Rumors rise for K-1's New Year's Eve event
With New Year's Eve now just three weeks away, and Fight Entertainment Group having only announced a few official match-ups for their Premium Dynamite!! card, rumors have began to swirl with regard to the rest of the line-up that FEG will put forth on Dec. 31.
Many sources in the Brazilian fight media have reported over the past weeks that Antonio Silva (Pictures) will face Gary Goodridge (Pictures) on New Year's Eve, however those reports were prior to Silva's shocking upset loss to Eric Pele (Pictures) at bodogFIGHT's Dec. 2 card in Vancouver. Whether FEG still plans to use Silva in spite of his loss, and whether they still intend for him to face Goodridge is unknown.
This week, talk of two more rumored fights has emerged from the Netherlands. It is now thought that actor-turned-fledgling fighter Ken Kaneko (Pictures) will meet K-1 MAX kickboxing standout Gago "Drago" Aroetjunjan, while superstar Genki Sudo (Pictures) will take on former It's Showtime Trophy winner "Kaas" Sahin Yakut. Both fights are proposed to be under mixed martial arts rules.
Both Sudo and Kaneko should provide ratings for Dynamite!! due to their crossover appeal, despite the fact that neither man is a compelling bout in a sporting perspective. Sudo's last bout against kickboxing convert Ole Laursen (Pictures) at HERO'S' March 15 Nippon Budokan card was the highest rated fight of the card aired by TBS, taking a 17.4% rating amidst a broadcast drawing a 11.8% average and a 14.6% share.
Meanwhile, last New Year's Eve, Ken Kaneko (Pictures)'s fight at PRIDE's Otoko Matsuri: Itadaki with "Krazy Horse" Charles Bennett (Pictures) was the highest rated fight of the entire night, for either PRIDE or K-1, with a whopping 27.7% rating. Kaneko's HERO'S debut against Hideo Tokoro (Pictures) was the highest rated fight of the Tokyo Broadcasting System's airing of HERO'S’ October 9 Yokohama Arena card, with a peak rating of 20.6% and an overall average of 18.3%, according to Japan's Video Research Ltd.
While the match-up against "Kaas" will almost assuredly draw criticism against Sudo, whose in-ring stature has diminished as he pursued other goals as an actor, author and musician, it should be noted that Yakut does in fact have some mixed martial arts experience. Yakut has a documented 2-1 MMA record, dating back to 2001, and has competed in both RINGS and 2 Hot 2 Handle in Holland, though that may offer little solace to those dismayed at Sudo's recent choice of opponents.
Ultimate making inroads in Japanese broadcasting
The UFC may be enjoying some heightened visibility in Japan in the near future.
In the past, one hindrance to the UFC's popularity in Japan was that UFC event were broadcasted on delay on WOWOW, a private satellite pay station in Japan, as opposed to the more popular SKYPerfecTV!, Japan's main provider of satellite television. However, now, SKYPerfecTV! users will have easy access to WOWOW through their existing satellite receivers.
SKYPerfecTV!, which boasts 4 million subscriptions in Japan as of July, has formed an agreement with WOWOW to gain access to its 2.36 million subscriptions in Japan. Both companies have felt the pressure from the growing popularity of broadband distribution formats and have partnered up to compete. As a result, SKYPerfecTV! customers will now have access to WOWOW's programming, giving a massive boost in visibility to the UFC in Japan.
The December 30 UFC 66 card will be available in Japan via WOWOW on a slight delay, beginning at 4 p.m. in Japan on December 31 — only a four-hour time delay from when the live pay-per-view would be broadcast in North America. While considerable success cannot be expected, given that the initial broadcast will be aired against both PRIDE's Otoko Matsuri on SKYperfecTV! pay-per-view, as well as K-1's Premium Dynamite!! on free television via the Tokyo Broadcasting System.
Shooto releases partial 2007 schedule; February super-card talk intensifies
Shooto officials have announced the first five and a half months of their schedule for 2007, revealing nine cards through mid-May. Beginning on Jan. 26, Shooto will sanction the first of the recently retooled BATTLE MIX TOKYO series, promoted by G-STYLE, which will replace the G-Shooto Special cards, featuring a blend of up-and-coming male and female Shooto talent. Another BATTLE MIX TOKYO is scheduled for March 30.
Smaller Shooto promoters will also be featured in the schedule, with GUTSMAN Shooto Dojo promoting a Kitazawa Town Hall card in Tokyo on March 4, ALIVE promoting GIG CENTRAL Vol. 12 in Nagoya on March 25, and GRAPPLINGMAN promoting their annual card on Mother's Day weekend in Hiroshima on May 13.
Leading Shooto promoter Sustain has four events on the announced schedule, with Korakuen Hall offerings in Tokyo on March 16 and May 18, as well as a card in Osaka at Azeria Taisho Hall on April 21. However, the focal point of the early 2007 schedule is the February 17 super-card at the Pacifico Yokohama National Convention Center.
It appears as though Shooto promoters have decided to make February the new host month for their largest card of the year. Historically, Shooto has staged grand finales in December, however in the past two years difficulties with scheduling forced promoters to postpone. Venue repairs prompted delays, and as well, the emergence of MMA as a permanent New Year's Eve fixture in Japan has made it increasingly difficult to secure fighters given Sustain's lack of capital compared to PRIDE and K-1 parent companies Dream Stage Entertainment and Fight Entertainment Group.
As of now, the prevailing thought is that Shooto world champions Tatsuya Kawajiri (Pictures) and Shinya Aoki (Pictures) will both compete on the card. Kawajiri stated in October following his win over Per Eklund (Pictures) at Shooto's Champion Carnival card that he planned to make the next defense of his 154-pound title in February, and stated that he would like to face Shooto Americas 154-pound champion and HERO'S 154-pound tournament winner "JZ" Gesias Calvancanti (Pictures). Calvancanti is ranked eighth in the Shooto world rankings, and would likely prefer to fight for more money in HERO'S, which both cast doubt on the likelihood of such a match-up happening.
It is more likely that if Kawajiri is to defend his title, it will be a rematch with Joachim Hansen (Pictures), exactly one year after their first bout that ended acrimoniously due to a low blow in only eight second.
If last year's “The Victory of the Truth” can give us any indication as to what to expect for this coming card at Pacifico Yokohama, it is likely that G-Shooto star Megumi Fujii (Pictures) will also be showcased. Fujii typically is utilized on the largest Shooto cards of the year, having submitted Nadia van der Wel (Pictures) in 2004 and Misaki Takimoto (Pictures) earlier this year. Also, as we did at The Victory of the Truth with Tenkei Fujimiya (Pictures) and Mizuto Hirota (Pictures), we may see some of this year's rookie tournament champions, such as Masakazu Ueda, Yoshihiro Koyama (Pictures) or Yuki Konishi (Pictures), get their first Class A tests.
Announced Shooto Schedule For 2007:
January 26 - BATTLE MIX TOKYO - Tokyo Kinema Club, Tokyo, Japan - Sponsored by G-STYLE
February 17 - Professional Shooto - Pacifico Yokohama, Yokohama, Japan - Sponsored by Sustain
March 4 - Professional Shooto - Kitazawa Town Hall, Tokyo, Japan - Sponsored by GUTSMAN Shooto Dojo
March 16 - Professional Shooto - Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan - Sponsored by Sustain
March 25 - GIG CENTRAL Vol. 12 - Zepp Nagoya, Nagoya, Japan - Sponsored by ALIVE
March 30 - BATTLE MIX TOKYO - Tokyo Kinema Club, Tokyo, Japan - Sponsored by G-STYLE
April 21 - Professional Shooto - Azeria Taisho Hall, Osaka, Japan - Sponsored by Sustain
May 13 - GRAPPLINGMAN - Hiroshima Industrial Hall, Hiroshima, Japan - Sponsored by GRAPPLINGMAN Executive
May 18 - Professional Shooto - Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan - Sponsored by Sustain
