Back from Osaka... Thoughts...

[admin]

Hi everyone

Well I'm back from Osaka, what a show it was with some major upsets.

Some thoughts on a few things...

RAY SEFO: Well, what can I say. It was a close fight but Leko fought smart to earn the victory. He had a gameplan and he stuck to it and didn't let Ray suck him into trading. Ray didn't step it up as much as he should have, just one of those nights, everyone has them. Leko continues his great form from the Bellagio and is looking red hot.

PAUL: Tough tough fight... The Big Stud took some punishment but kept coming back, showed tremendous heart but was outclassed by a fighter who is now my darkhorse to win the GP. The turnaround and improvement in Feitosa over the last 18 months is just phenomenal. Working with Faii Falamoe and Jayson Vermoa has done him wonders, his boxing is fantastic and he is tall and powerful.

CHALID: For my liking this little guy stole the show against Musashi. Wicked boxing combinations, he owned Musashi in the boxing department which you wouldn't expect given that Moo is trained by Frankie Liles. This was a major major upset.

LeBANNER: Wow. Jerome looked 25 again... down to 113kg and his hair grown back and he stepped off the plane a few hours before and stepped up to Choi, who is a freakin giant of a man and is improving every fight.

This year's GP is sooooo hard to pick... EVERY MAN in the line up is capable of winning it but if I had to pick my top four atm they would be: Schilt, Feitosa, LeBanner and Remy.

Anyway, chat more soon guys...

TVNZ fans can watch the OSAKA action on October 7 -- check guides.

It also airs on INDEMAND PPV in the USA starting October 7 -- check guides.

My co-commentator for the event was Mike "Drop it like its hot" Bernardo.


www.bigkabosh.bigblog.com.au

"The Voice" Michael Schiavello

-Editor-
International Kickboxer
Fox Sports
Fox 8
MAIN EVENT
TV2 - TVNZ

"Hammer... I sense a bit of BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN between you and Benny Ritter" -- Commentary of Muay Thai Battleground 18, Fox Sports

[Voice]

quote: Ray didn't step it up as much as he should have, just one of those nights, everyone has them.

LOL, that is funnier than you intended Shiv, that's a cut and paste description from each of the past few years.

Schilt looking good for a back to back, but would love to see Mr Perfect get through to the semi at least.

Ah meant to tell you, was chatting with Hoost at Korakuen hall (next to Tokyo Dome) and mentioned I saw him in 2001 in Melb. The first thing he said was, 'ah man, remember that bullsh*t punch that Hunt threw which scored a down on me?'.
Guess the man still has hurt pride...he did go on to win it tho!!


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The greatest literary invention is without doubt the spellchecker. Yet by far the biggest users are the literate. Go figure.

Edited by - voice on 03 Oct 2006 13:52:30

[admin]

Well I don't know about that, Ray has qualified for every GP in recent years, making him one of the most consistent fighters in K-1 this is the first time in a LOOONG time he has been beaten in a single-match... his failures at the GP have been well-documented and are common knowledge, such as his illness in 2005. These are not excuses, just facts and, as I said, common knowledge.

But yes, on this night, just didn't turn it on with enough combinations.

www.bigkabosh.bigblog.com.au

"The Voice" Michael Schiavello

-Editor-
International Kickboxer
Fox Sports
Fox 8
MAIN EVENT
TV2 - TVNZ

"Hammer... I sense a bit of BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN between you and Benny Ritter" -- Commentary of Muay Thai Battleground 18, Fox Sports

[wildaction]

It's a shame that Ray Sefo won't be there at the Tokyo Dome come December 2nd .....I wonder these days if Ray has just had enough ...and is he still enjoying it as much etc ??

The new breed of talent coming through in the WGP though is both exciting and very talented at the moment which I'm sure must please all good fight fans out there (..as opposed to the Akebono/bob sapp types), and I see the WPG heading in the right direction right now.

I'm sure I speak for all when i say that what we want to see at the end of the day are Fit,Fast,Excitng,Talented,Skillful,Well prepared Fighters doing battle as THIS is what will make our sport grow in everyway ......and this will be another reason Ray Sefo will be missed this year .

Good luck to Ray in the future he has been a wonderful ambassader for the Oceania Group and has brought so much happiness to many out there in the fight game, lets hope we get the chance to see him sometime in Australia .......we can only hope :-)

[iceman]

A little disapointed no-one from the South Pacific at this one. Glaube is looking sharp, Chalid winning in Japan awesome, still cant fathom how one judge had it in Musashi's favour. Pleased Hari didnt make it just yet, a little growing up needed for this wicked fighter, we are going to see lots of in the future. The fighters with Karate backgrounds particularly Kyokushin seem to be doing well, A rematch Final Feitosa vs Schilt would be great. OSU! RTR

[GoGo]

I just posted a question to Shiv but it has gonne onto the wrong thread for some wierd reason!

Any way if you read it there Admin could you reply to this thread keen to get your thoughts cos its not the same as if you were there and I'm a huge Sting fan.

Trent

Don't take a knife to a gun fight! So train harder than the next guy

[SPADA]

quote:I think Leko will prove the goods in this line up
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


and that he did.


Don't right him off just yet,wait till we see him in the final 16.
I am tipping he will make the K1 GP finals.He is too good of a talent
not to progress past the final 16

Well he is starting to show the form again guys.
He is a great technician when he's firing off his quick combos.
As stated.... Sefo would have to KO leko to advance to the final.

I have 5 Lobsters that say LEKO to win this years GP.

cheers Spada

[Hironaka]

Shiv, while it may be too early to accurately guage, what is the general feeling in Japan towards the GP this year? To me, with no Aerts, Musashi, Sefo or Hari and with the exception of LeBanner, it seems to be lacking personality this year, if you know what I mean.

No one is better at marketing their fighters as K1, but do you think that with the efforts being put into the development of Hero's and Max in recent years, that they have failed to build some up and coming Heavy's into stars?

Maybe it is just me, but I just do not have the same feeling this year ...

[GoGo]

Yeah Glaube should be hard to stop but any thing is possible in this game as we all know its too unpredictable to place bets yet.

Glaube has developed marvellously over the years when he first came in K1 as most Kyokushin fighters he had trouble with his hands and hand defence and was stopped a bitI saw K1 Usa 2000 this happened.

He has put himself in the right places anfd sdone the work though linking with Ray Sefo and his trainers and flogging himself to add hands to his devastatng Kyokushin kicks and toughness, ala the late great one Kyokushin fighters continue to show their resolve and determination by overcoming their weaknesses pushinfg thru and standing tall

Good on him he deserves to do well...


...Just wish he could have donbe it vs someone other than Paul Haha!



Don't take a knife to a gun fight! So train harder than the next guy

[Voice]

Spada,
I will take your 5 lobs to say he wont! hehe
Are you sure you are happy with that bet?

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The greatest literary invention is without doubt the spellchecker. Yet by far the biggest users are the literate. Go figure.

[SPADA]

quote:--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Spada,
I will take your 5 lobs to say he wont! hehe
Are you sure you are happy with that bet?

Um ...Nooooooooooo

but if you nominate a fighter and he wins ... then I will pay.
If Leko takes it out,then you will send it my way <img src=icon_smile_wink.gif border=0 align=middle>

Put up ??????

cheers Spada

[Voice]

quote:
Um ...Nooooooooooo
but if you nominate a fighter and he wins ... then I will pay.
If Leko takes it out,then you will send it my way
Put up ??????

cheers Spada


ok, i take Semmy. If neither Semmy nor Leko win then no bills trade hands.

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The greatest literary invention is without doubt the spellchecker. Yet by far the biggest users are the literate. Go figure.

[SPADA]

quote:ok, i take Semmy. If neither Semmy nor Leko win then no bills trade hands.


Done deal !!!!!!!!

cheers Spada

[Hironaka]

Man, Voice got a sweet deal here. I give Leko no chance.

Although, I also gave Buakaw no chance at this years Max <img src=icon_smile_sad.gif border=0 align=middle>

[admin]

Really Hiro? No chance against Remy?

I think Leko is a great chance to beat Remy but will then lose to Glaube in the semi's... Leko is fighting super smart at the moment, his performances in Vegas and against Sefo were pretty much flawless and he has a newfound confidence and plenty of experience. I love the way he just walks down opponents and if he spots an opening he finishes.

This is a hard GP to predict however... very hard.

www.bigkabosh.bigblog.com.au

"The Voice" Michael Schiavello

-Editor-
International Kickboxer
Fox Sports
Fox 8
MAIN EVENT
TV2 - TVNZ

"Hammer... I sense a bit of BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN between you and Benny Ritter" -- Commentary of Muay Thai Battleground 18, Fox Sports

[Mojoman]

I like Leko as a technical, scientific fighter. But I don't think he has the power to go through the tournament. In a single fight yes, he can take the decision but not in a tournament. In the K-1 US Grand Prix he scored a freakish spinning back kick to Carter Williams ribs. Other than that he pretty much picked up the points to win fights.

JLB was impressive IMO. He looked trim and moved really well throughout the 3 rounds against Choi. I never thought I'd see the day when JLB would be dwarfed..it was quite funny.

I'm on the Feitosa bandwagon, as long as he can avoid Schilt somehow.
Schilt's size is just an immense thing to overcome..plus he can fight.
If you stay outside he'll batter you with his kicks and reach. Come in side and you catch a knee to the head.

Feitosa is a return to the pugilist era. The guy can box and can definately kick. If theres anything he needs to improve though was that he got tagged a bit too many times against Slowinski.

"If you change the way you look at things..what you look at changes"