Year-end MMA a Japanese tradition (story from Yahoo! Sports)
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Year-end MMA a Japanese tradition (story from Yahoo! Sports)
Bemin
12/21/07 3:37:09PM
Unless you understand the Japanese fighting culture, the New Year’s Eve match-up that pits Fedor Emelianenko, the Yahoo! Sports No. 1 pound-for-pound mixed martial arts fighter in the world, against the 7-2 1/2, 355 pound “Techno Goliath,” Choi Hong-man of South Korea, would seem to make no sense.
But MMA fighting in Japan is part of a world of fantasy, where key promoters idolize World Wrestling Entertainment chief Vince McMahon and learn from Japanese pro wrestling organizations. Almost the only reality of MMA in Japan is what happens between the bell.
On no night is that more evident than New Year’s Eve, which has, over the past seven years, become a cultural tradition as the biggest fighting night of the year.
Link
But MMA fighting in Japan is part of a world of fantasy, where key promoters idolize World Wrestling Entertainment chief Vince McMahon and learn from Japanese pro wrestling organizations. Almost the only reality of MMA in Japan is what happens between the bell.
On no night is that more evident than New Year’s Eve, which has, over the past seven years, become a cultural tradition as the biggest fighting night of the year.
Link
jae_1833
12/21/07 3:55:57PM
Great way to try and justify Fedor's wasted 1st Post-Pride fight.
ohiostate1016
12/21/07 4:00:37PM
Posted by Bemin
Fedor Emelianenko, the Yahoo! Sports No. 1 pound-for-pound mixed martial arts fighter in the world
Exactly why people don't go to Yahoo! for their MMA needs...
tuvok500
12/21/07 4:06:58PM
the president of M-1 was on inside mma last week and he told us that he was forced to associted themself with K-1 because without them they were not going to be able to have a TV deal for the event.
He aslo said that the choice of Choi was a request by K-1 who wanted to have one of there star fighting Fedor. and M-1 was having no choice to accept because without K-1 no TV deal would have been possible in Japan for there event.
so, the japanese culture is really not the real reason of Choi fighting Fedor !!
He aslo said that the choice of Choi was a request by K-1 who wanted to have one of there star fighting Fedor. and M-1 was having no choice to accept because without K-1 no TV deal would have been possible in Japan for there event.
so, the japanese culture is really not the real reason of Choi fighting Fedor !!
ohiostate1016
12/21/07 4:10:31PM
Posted by tuvok500
the president of M-1 was on inside mma last week and he told us that he was forced to associted themself with K-1 because without them they were not going to be able to have a TV deal for the event.
He aslo said that the choice of Choi was a request by K-1 who wanted to have one of there star fighting Fedor. and M-1 was having no choice to accept because without K-1 no TV deal would have been possible in Japan for there event.
so, the japanese culture is really not the real reason of Choi fighting Fedor !!
Yet another reason to not go to Yahoo! for MMA needs. Why do they just make stuff up? Kevin Iole is a clown, and he knows almost nothing about MMA. Honestly, I'd rather hear Jim Brown's views on MMA than Kevin Iole's...
CantAndleDaRiddum
12/21/07 5:18:53PM
Posted by ohiostate1016
Posted by tuvok500
the president of M-1 was on inside mma last week and he told us that he was forced to associted themself with K-1 because without them they were not going to be able to have a TV deal for the event.
He aslo said that the choice of Choi was a request by K-1 who wanted to have one of there star fighting Fedor. and M-1 was having no choice to accept because without K-1 no TV deal would have been possible in Japan for there event.
so, the japanese culture is really not the real reason of Choi fighting Fedor !!
Yet another reason to not go to Yahoo! for MMA needs. Why do they just make stuff up? Kevin Iole is a clown, and he knows almost nothing about MMA. Honestly, I'd rather hear Jim Brown's views on MMA than Kevin Iole's...
sad but true
wrona666
12/21/07 5:28:01PM
This Event should be labled M-1 Freakshow!!!!!!!!!!!!
cmill21
12/21/07 5:37:09PM
Posted by wrona666
This Event should be labled M-1 Freakshow!!!!!!!!!!!!
Agreed, the card has nothing but mis matches on it.
ohiostate1016
12/21/07 9:44:33PM
Posted by cmill21
Agreed, the card has nothing but mis matches on it.
What about Aoki vs. Calvancanti and Kawajiri vs. Azeredo? Not sure if you realize this, but those are a couple of good matchups right there.
cmill21
12/21/07 10:16:41PM
Posted by ohiostate1016
Posted by cmill21
Agreed, the card has nothing but mis matches on it.
What about Aoki vs. Calvancanti and Kawajiri vs. Azeredo? Not sure if you realize this, but those are a couple of good matchups right there.
The eye roll entails sarcasm. This is one of the best card of 2007 top to bottom IMO.
mitsui
12/22/07 6:50:13AM
Anyway guys, I think we're all happy about this event!
Hope next event of M-1 will be in the same line!
Hope next event of M-1 will be in the same line!
EliasG
12/22/07 11:42:54AM
I disagree. Why on God's green earth would a fledgling organization throw the most expensive highest profile fights on their first show? What are they going to follow up with? This is a show made more for the Japanese audience and fans than it is for Americans. Hence, the show caters to them. They get Japanese tv, japanese money at the gate, and international exposure in Russia, Japan, Korea, and Asia. They also get free exposure in the US through HDnet.
The fights will be decent but not mindblowing--which makes sense because even if they were the best fights ever, the amount of money they would need to MARKET those fights would not be matched by the revenue they receive from people WATCHING the fights. Seriously, I wonder if any of you guys have promoted anything in your life.
Short of Fedor fighting Randy C. at this point, there is no HUGE payday in the American Market for Fedor. UNLESS, he starts KO'ig fools and punishing people so that most casual american fans can see it. Which will happen in the next 3-4 fights with their free agreement with HDnet. Around the world, Fedor is respected. Fight fans respect him. Your normal everyday guy who will watch the big shows knows Rampage, Randy Cotoure, and Chuck Lidell. They DON'T KNOW ANYONE ELSE.
I for one, look forward to watching the New Year's eve show for free so I can see where Fedor is. He used to be an unstoppable force and fought everyone that could be fought. Now, I don't know. That's why watching it for free is so appealing.
The fights will be decent but not mindblowing--which makes sense because even if they were the best fights ever, the amount of money they would need to MARKET those fights would not be matched by the revenue they receive from people WATCHING the fights. Seriously, I wonder if any of you guys have promoted anything in your life.
Short of Fedor fighting Randy C. at this point, there is no HUGE payday in the American Market for Fedor. UNLESS, he starts KO'ig fools and punishing people so that most casual american fans can see it. Which will happen in the next 3-4 fights with their free agreement with HDnet. Around the world, Fedor is respected. Fight fans respect him. Your normal everyday guy who will watch the big shows knows Rampage, Randy Cotoure, and Chuck Lidell. They DON'T KNOW ANYONE ELSE.
I for one, look forward to watching the New Year's eve show for free so I can see where Fedor is. He used to be an unstoppable force and fought everyone that could be fought. Now, I don't know. That's why watching it for free is so appealing.
buryyourdead
12/24/07 4:33:14AM
