Johnny Toetags
05-12-2005, 06:06 PM
http://www.bloodyknux.com/toetags/bushido7.jpg
Toetags & Bodybags Bushido 7 Preview
May 22nd, 2005. PPV Dates: DIRECTV, DISH Network, and TVN: Friday, June 3rd, 2005 @ 7:00 pm PST, 10:00 pm EST. Viewer's Choice, iNDEMAND: Sunday, June 5th, 2005 @ 6:00 pm PST, 9:00 pm EST
Here we go again with another stacked Bushido lineup. Pride and DSE have finally decided to back their Bushido shows 100% and the focus is now, officially ? on the smaller guys. With the UFC distancing themselves more and more from the lightweights, it?s good to know Pride will be there to pick up the slack ? and man will they reap the benefits. Much like Pro Boxing, the lighter weights tend to steal the show nowadays (Compare Ruiz/Toney to Castillo/Corrales, as a recent example.) The Bushido brand, despite usually being packed with less star power than the big time Pride cards almost always feature classic encounters of skill and heart? and this new-look, new-focus show should be the best yet.
Dokonjonosuke Mishima vs. Yves Edwards
I?ll admit to not being very knowledgeable on Mishima. The two Pride bouts I?ve seen him in have ended in close and, perhaps, controversial decisions. But nonetheless, he possesses a great record and has fought for a Who?s Who of Japanese MMA promotions. He fights at a high pace and constantly fights for submissions on the ground; he?ll need that aggression, every lat bit of it ? to face Yves Edwards. Everyone reading this site should know who Yves is. The uncrowned UFC lightweight champion, the Thug-Jitsu creator and generally one of the top lightweights in the world finally steps out of the Octagon and into the Pride ring. Will it be a case of a big fish in a small pound being dumped in with the sharks? Doubtful. Uno, Sato, Franca, Thompson, Climenti, Iha and Kawajiri. Yves? faced them all, and usually came out on top. In fact, he?s on a 6 fight win streak, his last loss coming at the hands of arguably the best at 155, Tasuya Kawajiri ? and only then by decision. Edward?s will look to establish his crisp accurate striking, great defensive skills and superb conditioning to knock out the veteran Mishima and establish himself for a run at the rumored Light Weight Grand Prix title belt?
Akihiro Gono vs. Crosley Gracie
The 2-0 rookie Crosley Gracie has potential to be one of the big-name Gracies around the 185lbs mark if he maintains his undefeated streak here. He?ll have to submit ballsy veteran Akihiro Gono to do so. Gono, another Pancrase veteran import to Pride is a gutsy grappler with a penchant to stand and trade ? a tactic that?s worked more times for him than not. He?s faced tougher opposition overall than the 26 year old Gracie, so he might end the rookie?s streak before it even gets started.
Tomomi ?Taisho? Iwama vs. Jens ?Lil' Evil? Pulver
Taisho is a BJJ brown belt coming from Nagoya and representing Team Barbosa. He can go between the featherweight and lightweight division without a problem. His style is Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu but he also packs some power and speed in his hands. One of the rising stars in his division, he may have chewed off more than he can chew in this his first big show appearance as he steps inside the ring to face an undefeated pro boxer, a mixed martial arts legend and quite possibly one of the hardest pound for pound punchers in MMA history. If you?ve any doubt at this point who I?m talking about, you?re on the wrong site. Jens ?Lil? Evil? Pulver is going into this one with something he?s not used to ? a KO loss. Look for a psyched up and motivated Pulver to come out swinging some serious leather, something Iwama may be tempted to engage in himself, you got to figure that wouldn?t be sound strategy.
Ryo ?Piranha? Chonan vs. Nino "Elvis" Schembri
Yeeeeeeehaw! Time to rock n? roll and throw down, Memphis style! We gonna have us a good ol? grapplin? time ta-nite! ? Okay, I apologize for that. Getting back to the object at hand, this fight could potentially be very interesting. Nino Schembri is, despite the Elvis-fetish, a very accomplished Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt. He has the submission arsenal to be a threat to virtually anyone and his freakish flexibility (no doubt the product of his hip-gyrations and other lifted Elvis mannerisms) means he can attempt unusual submissions for virtually any position. After a lucky ko win over Kazushi Sakuraba, Elvis?s stock rose quickly. He even managed to position himself into Chute Boxe. A wise move when you figure striking was obviously an area of discomfort for him. A rematch and public spanking by Sakuraba proved this point. We?ll see if the extra time spent on Muay Thai will improve his game because the man in the other corner come Bushido 7 can do it all. Never ko?d, never submitted, never-say-die Ryo Chonan is the ?new? Japanese mma sensation. Ryo is a patient fighter who mixes up his game plan well in the ring and can bang as well as he can submit you. While he carries a lot of decisions in his record ? if you?ve seen these fights you?d know he isn?t all about control and lay and pray. Chonan is aggressive on the ground, and bears his nickname well. A win here would catapult him further up the echelons of Japanese fight fame, while dethroning the hot-shot new guy would cement Nino as Chute Boxe?s newest threat? a lot on the line here.
Yoshiro Maeda vs. Charles "Krazy Horse" Bennett
Further ghettoing up Bushido 7, even more than Yves Edwards?s Thug-Jitsu could, is Charles "Krazy Horse" Bennett (?K? for crazy! That dude IS nuts! [/sarcasm]). A King of the Cage veteran, where he dominated the lightweight class before stepping up to the majors and taking on all he could handle from Takanori Gomi, Bennett nonetheless was a game opponent and showed a lot of heart (or is he just plain nuts?). He hasn?t been the same since, however. Bennett looooooves to bang and go for broke, which befits his fast paced style. His opponent this time around is Pancrase all-star and undefeated fighter Yosiro Maeda. Maeda is a very active combatant, fighting 14 times within 2 and a half years and coming out with only a draw as a negative. You have to figure this is a all-or-nothing situation for Bennett, with his back against the wall it?ll be interesting to see how he responds.
Takanori Gomi vs. Luiz Azeredo
Everyone?s favorite (yes, even yours.), the Fireball Kid, Takanori Gomi is back. What can I say about the cutest, toughest and bestest lil? guy there is without coming off as a weak-in-the-knees schoolgirl? Well, it?s probably too late for that anyways. Gomi is an always game veteran with great wrestling and submission skills, power in both hands and crisp, accurate striking. Bundle all that up with superb conditioning and heart (great hair doesn?t hurt, either) and you have the superstar that is Takanori Gomi. Here, he faces an odd opponent that I truly believe could give him some trouble in the Chute Boxe rookie Luiz Azeredo. The ultra-aggressive Azeredo loves to push the fight and strikes from all angles, as is the Chute Boxe edict. While most likely a case of too much too soon for Azeredo ? and impressive showing here would go a long way in getting his name out there?
Ikuhisa Minowa vs. Phil Baroni
Another UFC veteran takes center stage in Japan, though this one?s a mystery as to why he?s here. It?s not like Phil Baroni deserves a stage to shine on after his last few performances despite what our message board New Yorker contingent might say. Whatever. Phil?s Phil and there isn?t much I can do about it. This one could be dubbed the battle of blue collars, as both are pretty much glorified journeymen at this point. Minowa?s sort of the Pride gatekeeper at this point in his career ? and he?s adapting pretty well to it I must say. Any man that goes out there and tries to land running dropkicks in a red speedo and a mullet has got my respect. Minowa?s also no slouch; he?s the gatekeeper for a reason after all. He?s made a name as of late by tapping strikers, which doesn?t bode well for Baroni on the surface. However, Baroni isn?t as one-dimensional as my rantings might suggest ? he?s got a great base on the ground and more than decent wrestling skills. If anything it?s conditioning that?ll play a factor here?
Hayato "Mach" Sakurai vs. Milton ?Multinho? Vieira
Originally supposed to face another Brazilian Top Teamer Luiz Buscape, Hayato must now adjust slightly and face lesser known BBT fighter Milton Vieira as Buscape must bow out due to pneumonia. Sakurai will have his hands full either way as Vieira is no slouch, holding wins and close defeats over tough opponents. While a relative rookie, BTT only trains the best so Mach better bring his A game. Sakurai isn?t one to take anyone lightly however, and if he?s smart he?ll use his rough and tumble style and wicked arsenal of knees and wrestling moves to keep Vieira where he wants him and pick the youngster apart from a distance.
The withdrawal of Buscape has changed up this card somewhat and, regretfully; it seems this left DSE/Pride desperately looking for fighters to face Ryuki Ueyama and Tatsuya Kawajiri on short notice. As of press time, these two were still looking for opponents and hopefully this changes soon, if at least for Kawjiri. Finding someone brave enough to fight such a hyped up ?insider?s favorite? will be a tall order though ? let?s hope Pride comes through!
As always, thanks for reading and don't forget to enter our Pick 'Em Contest! (http://www.bloodyknux.com/forum/showthread.php?p=72684#post72684)
Discuss this article here. (http://www.bloodyknux.com/forum/showthread.php?p=72694#post72694)
- Jean-F. Pag? (mailto: jfpage@bloodyknux.com)
Toetags & Bodybags Bushido 7 Preview
May 22nd, 2005. PPV Dates: DIRECTV, DISH Network, and TVN: Friday, June 3rd, 2005 @ 7:00 pm PST, 10:00 pm EST. Viewer's Choice, iNDEMAND: Sunday, June 5th, 2005 @ 6:00 pm PST, 9:00 pm EST
Here we go again with another stacked Bushido lineup. Pride and DSE have finally decided to back their Bushido shows 100% and the focus is now, officially ? on the smaller guys. With the UFC distancing themselves more and more from the lightweights, it?s good to know Pride will be there to pick up the slack ? and man will they reap the benefits. Much like Pro Boxing, the lighter weights tend to steal the show nowadays (Compare Ruiz/Toney to Castillo/Corrales, as a recent example.) The Bushido brand, despite usually being packed with less star power than the big time Pride cards almost always feature classic encounters of skill and heart? and this new-look, new-focus show should be the best yet.
Dokonjonosuke Mishima vs. Yves Edwards
I?ll admit to not being very knowledgeable on Mishima. The two Pride bouts I?ve seen him in have ended in close and, perhaps, controversial decisions. But nonetheless, he possesses a great record and has fought for a Who?s Who of Japanese MMA promotions. He fights at a high pace and constantly fights for submissions on the ground; he?ll need that aggression, every lat bit of it ? to face Yves Edwards. Everyone reading this site should know who Yves is. The uncrowned UFC lightweight champion, the Thug-Jitsu creator and generally one of the top lightweights in the world finally steps out of the Octagon and into the Pride ring. Will it be a case of a big fish in a small pound being dumped in with the sharks? Doubtful. Uno, Sato, Franca, Thompson, Climenti, Iha and Kawajiri. Yves? faced them all, and usually came out on top. In fact, he?s on a 6 fight win streak, his last loss coming at the hands of arguably the best at 155, Tasuya Kawajiri ? and only then by decision. Edward?s will look to establish his crisp accurate striking, great defensive skills and superb conditioning to knock out the veteran Mishima and establish himself for a run at the rumored Light Weight Grand Prix title belt?
Akihiro Gono vs. Crosley Gracie
The 2-0 rookie Crosley Gracie has potential to be one of the big-name Gracies around the 185lbs mark if he maintains his undefeated streak here. He?ll have to submit ballsy veteran Akihiro Gono to do so. Gono, another Pancrase veteran import to Pride is a gutsy grappler with a penchant to stand and trade ? a tactic that?s worked more times for him than not. He?s faced tougher opposition overall than the 26 year old Gracie, so he might end the rookie?s streak before it even gets started.
Tomomi ?Taisho? Iwama vs. Jens ?Lil' Evil? Pulver
Taisho is a BJJ brown belt coming from Nagoya and representing Team Barbosa. He can go between the featherweight and lightweight division without a problem. His style is Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu but he also packs some power and speed in his hands. One of the rising stars in his division, he may have chewed off more than he can chew in this his first big show appearance as he steps inside the ring to face an undefeated pro boxer, a mixed martial arts legend and quite possibly one of the hardest pound for pound punchers in MMA history. If you?ve any doubt at this point who I?m talking about, you?re on the wrong site. Jens ?Lil? Evil? Pulver is going into this one with something he?s not used to ? a KO loss. Look for a psyched up and motivated Pulver to come out swinging some serious leather, something Iwama may be tempted to engage in himself, you got to figure that wouldn?t be sound strategy.
Ryo ?Piranha? Chonan vs. Nino "Elvis" Schembri
Yeeeeeeehaw! Time to rock n? roll and throw down, Memphis style! We gonna have us a good ol? grapplin? time ta-nite! ? Okay, I apologize for that. Getting back to the object at hand, this fight could potentially be very interesting. Nino Schembri is, despite the Elvis-fetish, a very accomplished Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt. He has the submission arsenal to be a threat to virtually anyone and his freakish flexibility (no doubt the product of his hip-gyrations and other lifted Elvis mannerisms) means he can attempt unusual submissions for virtually any position. After a lucky ko win over Kazushi Sakuraba, Elvis?s stock rose quickly. He even managed to position himself into Chute Boxe. A wise move when you figure striking was obviously an area of discomfort for him. A rematch and public spanking by Sakuraba proved this point. We?ll see if the extra time spent on Muay Thai will improve his game because the man in the other corner come Bushido 7 can do it all. Never ko?d, never submitted, never-say-die Ryo Chonan is the ?new? Japanese mma sensation. Ryo is a patient fighter who mixes up his game plan well in the ring and can bang as well as he can submit you. While he carries a lot of decisions in his record ? if you?ve seen these fights you?d know he isn?t all about control and lay and pray. Chonan is aggressive on the ground, and bears his nickname well. A win here would catapult him further up the echelons of Japanese fight fame, while dethroning the hot-shot new guy would cement Nino as Chute Boxe?s newest threat? a lot on the line here.
Yoshiro Maeda vs. Charles "Krazy Horse" Bennett
Further ghettoing up Bushido 7, even more than Yves Edwards?s Thug-Jitsu could, is Charles "Krazy Horse" Bennett (?K? for crazy! That dude IS nuts! [/sarcasm]). A King of the Cage veteran, where he dominated the lightweight class before stepping up to the majors and taking on all he could handle from Takanori Gomi, Bennett nonetheless was a game opponent and showed a lot of heart (or is he just plain nuts?). He hasn?t been the same since, however. Bennett looooooves to bang and go for broke, which befits his fast paced style. His opponent this time around is Pancrase all-star and undefeated fighter Yosiro Maeda. Maeda is a very active combatant, fighting 14 times within 2 and a half years and coming out with only a draw as a negative. You have to figure this is a all-or-nothing situation for Bennett, with his back against the wall it?ll be interesting to see how he responds.
Takanori Gomi vs. Luiz Azeredo
Everyone?s favorite (yes, even yours.), the Fireball Kid, Takanori Gomi is back. What can I say about the cutest, toughest and bestest lil? guy there is without coming off as a weak-in-the-knees schoolgirl? Well, it?s probably too late for that anyways. Gomi is an always game veteran with great wrestling and submission skills, power in both hands and crisp, accurate striking. Bundle all that up with superb conditioning and heart (great hair doesn?t hurt, either) and you have the superstar that is Takanori Gomi. Here, he faces an odd opponent that I truly believe could give him some trouble in the Chute Boxe rookie Luiz Azeredo. The ultra-aggressive Azeredo loves to push the fight and strikes from all angles, as is the Chute Boxe edict. While most likely a case of too much too soon for Azeredo ? and impressive showing here would go a long way in getting his name out there?
Ikuhisa Minowa vs. Phil Baroni
Another UFC veteran takes center stage in Japan, though this one?s a mystery as to why he?s here. It?s not like Phil Baroni deserves a stage to shine on after his last few performances despite what our message board New Yorker contingent might say. Whatever. Phil?s Phil and there isn?t much I can do about it. This one could be dubbed the battle of blue collars, as both are pretty much glorified journeymen at this point. Minowa?s sort of the Pride gatekeeper at this point in his career ? and he?s adapting pretty well to it I must say. Any man that goes out there and tries to land running dropkicks in a red speedo and a mullet has got my respect. Minowa?s also no slouch; he?s the gatekeeper for a reason after all. He?s made a name as of late by tapping strikers, which doesn?t bode well for Baroni on the surface. However, Baroni isn?t as one-dimensional as my rantings might suggest ? he?s got a great base on the ground and more than decent wrestling skills. If anything it?s conditioning that?ll play a factor here?
Hayato "Mach" Sakurai vs. Milton ?Multinho? Vieira
Originally supposed to face another Brazilian Top Teamer Luiz Buscape, Hayato must now adjust slightly and face lesser known BBT fighter Milton Vieira as Buscape must bow out due to pneumonia. Sakurai will have his hands full either way as Vieira is no slouch, holding wins and close defeats over tough opponents. While a relative rookie, BTT only trains the best so Mach better bring his A game. Sakurai isn?t one to take anyone lightly however, and if he?s smart he?ll use his rough and tumble style and wicked arsenal of knees and wrestling moves to keep Vieira where he wants him and pick the youngster apart from a distance.
The withdrawal of Buscape has changed up this card somewhat and, regretfully; it seems this left DSE/Pride desperately looking for fighters to face Ryuki Ueyama and Tatsuya Kawajiri on short notice. As of press time, these two were still looking for opponents and hopefully this changes soon, if at least for Kawjiri. Finding someone brave enough to fight such a hyped up ?insider?s favorite? will be a tall order though ? let?s hope Pride comes through!
As always, thanks for reading and don't forget to enter our Pick 'Em Contest! (http://www.bloodyknux.com/forum/showthread.php?p=72684#post72684)
Discuss this article here. (http://www.bloodyknux.com/forum/showthread.php?p=72694#post72694)
- Jean-F. Pag? (mailto: jfpage@bloodyknux.com)