Shooto Middleweight Title on the Line Saturday
Boku vs. Togashi
Jordan Breen Feb 16, 2007
Koutetsu
Boku (Pictures) vs. Kenichiro Togashi
(Pictures)
Pointless rematches have become one of the most unnerving trends in mixed martial arts as of late. Given that, it seems almost magical that this card could feature four rematches, and not be putrescent garbage.
The event's second bout — the first of four rematches on a
seven-fight card (that's kind of a lot, for you non-mathletes) —
will be meeting number two between Koutetsu Boku (Pictures) and Kenichiro Togashi
(Pictures), picking up where they last
left off over three and a half years ago.
Boku and Togashi met the first time in June of 2003, in Togashi's hometown of Hiroshima. The bout didn't last long, as both men opened up with strikes on the feet and neck wrestling in the clinch, before Togashi sucked Boku into his guard. Togashi swiftly and slickly shifted his hips to lock up a textbook armbar, forcing Boku to tap out before the three-minute mark of the first round.
For Togashi, the last three plus years have brought a unique brand of adversity, having been consistently matched against sterling competition with very few gimme bouts along the way. Togashi has last four of his last six fights, though that is perhaps nothing to be ashamed of, as the losses have come to the likes of Joachim Hansen (Pictures), Mitsuhiro Ishida (Pictures), and Takashi Nakakura (Pictures).
Their rematch was originally scheduled for the Nov. 10 Shooto card at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, however an elbow injury forced Boku to pull out of the bout. Togashi was then scheduled to meet Mizuto Hirota (Pictures) on this very card, yet when Mitsuhiro Ishida (Pictures) was forced to vacate his Pacific Rim title Shooto authorities opted to rearrange the card and decide a new champion between Hirota and Takashi Nakakura (Pictures). With Togashi opponent-free and Boku having recovered from his elbow injury, the timing was apt for the rematch.
The stakes are very clear for both fighters.
For Boku, the fight offers not only an opportunity for revenge but also a platform to show how far he has come as a fighter and that he can be an elite level competitor in the weight class. For Togashi, a win over a definitively improved Boku serves to prove that he is more than simply a gatekeeper, and that he can in fact beat top quality fighters, rather than provide a stiff and competitive test for them. And as if those were not large enough incentives for either fighter, Tatsuya Kawajiri (Pictures) vacating the 154-pound Shooto world title means that a win in this fight puts victor into immediate contention to vie for the vacant strap.
The sequel should look considerably different than the original in this case. Boku remarked at the press conference to announce the fight that Togashi had acquired a reputation as being solid in the stand-up, but laughed that it may be because he hasn't faced any great strikers yet. While Ganjo Tentsuku (Pictures) is a tough, rugged brawler, he was far too green and inexperienced to deal with Togashi's crisp boxing. While Joachim Hansen (Pictures) has strangely developed a reputation as a sterling striker, his KO wins have come as a result of brute power as opposed to any kind of technical acumen.
Boku on the other hand, is one of the most technically sound and gifted strikers in the division. He's got a boxing background, and experience in K-1 MAX. Boku is rangy and precise, can utilize a jab effectively (which few MMA strikers can boast), and throws great combinations with his punches, kicks and knees. In his win over Franca, Boku ripped the Brazilian with body punches off of combinations in a fashion seldom seen in MMA.
The only conceivable knock on Boku's striking is that he does not have considerable knockout power, and the stoppages he has created with his strikes have come as a result of outclassing opponents who were all but helpless at defending themselves any longer. Though Togashi can be hurt in the stand-up, he is fundamentally sound. Boku should be able to land much more frequently than Togashi, and with greater impact, but will not be a considerable threat to stop him standing, short of a perfectly placed shot.
How the ground game unfolds — if it unfolds at all — will be the most pressing issue of the bout. Despite being an All Japan champion in amateur Shooto, where there is considerably pro-grappling rules, Boku's early career was marked by flimsy wrestling and exploitable submission defense, which Togashi was able to exploit in their first meeting. There is still no question which fighter is the better submission artist, but Boku has worked diligently on his defensive grappling.
Since moving to KILLER BEE, he has had the luxury of training with potent grapplers like "KID" Norifumi Yamamoto (Pictures), Akira Kikuchi (Pictures), Riki Fukuda (Pictures) and Tatsuya Onose. Furthermore, Boku has recently spent much of his time at Paraestra Tokyo, to refine his grappling skills even further.
If Boku is finally injury-free, and his hard work in the gym is able to translate well into the ring, he should be able to take a victory over Togashi. Togashi is not a particularly strong wrestler, and Boku should be savvy enough at this point to not get sucked into his guard, and to not bother trying to pound Togashi when he can beat him standing up. Boku is lined up for a big year, with a return to Shooto competition, and the 16-man CAGE FORCE tournament — which could earn him a UFC contract — and he should be able to use this fight as a foundation for 2007, with an impressive and commanding decision.
Pointless rematches have become one of the most unnerving trends in mixed martial arts as of late. Given that, it seems almost magical that this card could feature four rematches, and not be putrescent garbage.
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Boku and Togashi met the first time in June of 2003, in Togashi's hometown of Hiroshima. The bout didn't last long, as both men opened up with strikes on the feet and neck wrestling in the clinch, before Togashi sucked Boku into his guard. Togashi swiftly and slickly shifted his hips to lock up a textbook armbar, forcing Boku to tap out before the three-minute mark of the first round.
Since that bout, Boku is 6-0 in MMA competition. That is not to
say, however, that he hasn't had his struggles. After becoming the
first Shooto Pacific Rim champion at 154 pounds (defeating Ryan Bow (Pictures) for the vacant title in Jan.
2005) Boku went on to notch his biggest win to date over Hermes Franca (Pictures) the following September. In the
bout, Boku injured his knee, and was forced to vacate his the
Pacific Rim title as well as undergo knee surgery and
rehabilitation.
For Togashi, the last three plus years have brought a unique brand of adversity, having been consistently matched against sterling competition with very few gimme bouts along the way. Togashi has last four of his last six fights, though that is perhaps nothing to be ashamed of, as the losses have come to the likes of Joachim Hansen (Pictures), Mitsuhiro Ishida (Pictures), and Takashi Nakakura (Pictures).
Their rematch was originally scheduled for the Nov. 10 Shooto card at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, however an elbow injury forced Boku to pull out of the bout. Togashi was then scheduled to meet Mizuto Hirota (Pictures) on this very card, yet when Mitsuhiro Ishida (Pictures) was forced to vacate his Pacific Rim title Shooto authorities opted to rearrange the card and decide a new champion between Hirota and Takashi Nakakura (Pictures). With Togashi opponent-free and Boku having recovered from his elbow injury, the timing was apt for the rematch.
The stakes are very clear for both fighters.
For Boku, the fight offers not only an opportunity for revenge but also a platform to show how far he has come as a fighter and that he can be an elite level competitor in the weight class. For Togashi, a win over a definitively improved Boku serves to prove that he is more than simply a gatekeeper, and that he can in fact beat top quality fighters, rather than provide a stiff and competitive test for them. And as if those were not large enough incentives for either fighter, Tatsuya Kawajiri (Pictures) vacating the 154-pound Shooto world title means that a win in this fight puts victor into immediate contention to vie for the vacant strap.
The sequel should look considerably different than the original in this case. Boku remarked at the press conference to announce the fight that Togashi had acquired a reputation as being solid in the stand-up, but laughed that it may be because he hasn't faced any great strikers yet. While Ganjo Tentsuku (Pictures) is a tough, rugged brawler, he was far too green and inexperienced to deal with Togashi's crisp boxing. While Joachim Hansen (Pictures) has strangely developed a reputation as a sterling striker, his KO wins have come as a result of brute power as opposed to any kind of technical acumen.
Boku on the other hand, is one of the most technically sound and gifted strikers in the division. He's got a boxing background, and experience in K-1 MAX. Boku is rangy and precise, can utilize a jab effectively (which few MMA strikers can boast), and throws great combinations with his punches, kicks and knees. In his win over Franca, Boku ripped the Brazilian with body punches off of combinations in a fashion seldom seen in MMA.
The only conceivable knock on Boku's striking is that he does not have considerable knockout power, and the stoppages he has created with his strikes have come as a result of outclassing opponents who were all but helpless at defending themselves any longer. Though Togashi can be hurt in the stand-up, he is fundamentally sound. Boku should be able to land much more frequently than Togashi, and with greater impact, but will not be a considerable threat to stop him standing, short of a perfectly placed shot.
How the ground game unfolds — if it unfolds at all — will be the most pressing issue of the bout. Despite being an All Japan champion in amateur Shooto, where there is considerably pro-grappling rules, Boku's early career was marked by flimsy wrestling and exploitable submission defense, which Togashi was able to exploit in their first meeting. There is still no question which fighter is the better submission artist, but Boku has worked diligently on his defensive grappling.
Since moving to KILLER BEE, he has had the luxury of training with potent grapplers like "KID" Norifumi Yamamoto (Pictures), Akira Kikuchi (Pictures), Riki Fukuda (Pictures) and Tatsuya Onose. Furthermore, Boku has recently spent much of his time at Paraestra Tokyo, to refine his grappling skills even further.
If Boku is finally injury-free, and his hard work in the gym is able to translate well into the ring, he should be able to take a victory over Togashi. Togashi is not a particularly strong wrestler, and Boku should be savvy enough at this point to not get sucked into his guard, and to not bother trying to pound Togashi when he can beat him standing up. Boku is lined up for a big year, with a return to Shooto competition, and the 16-man CAGE FORCE tournament — which could earn him a UFC contract — and he should be able to use this fight as a foundation for 2007, with an impressive and commanding decision.
