Dynamite Drew
31-03-2003, 05:42 PM
This is from official K1 website ( http://www.k-1gp.net/dtop.htm ):
MARCH 30, SAITAMA, JAPAN -- Croatian fighter Mirko CroCop capped off an afternoon of All-Star K-1 action with an impressive KO victory over Bob "The Beast" Sapp at the Saitama Super Arena.
The six-bout card's main event saw Sapp march into the arena wearing a flowing white robe (frilled with white feathers no less) to the thunder of Richard Strauss' "Also Sprach Zarathustra." Alas, Sapp's dramatic entrance was to last longer than his performance in the ring. The Beast started as he always does, in an NFL defensive lineman crouch, waiting for the bell before marching in on his opponent with the big haymakers that have brought him victory against some of K-1's best.
But CroCop knew the script, and repeatedly danced away, the better to stay out of Sapp's trap. When he got the chance, CroCop threw his deadly high kicks, but really he never found himself planted solidly enough to get one of these up and in on target. Instead it was a quick kick to Sapp's right side, just below the rib cage, that felled the big guy barely a minute into the fight. Sapp lay on the canvas, a grimace of pain on his face, and did not even try to beat the count. The crowd loved it, as of course did CroCop, who flashed a rare smile before picking up his trophy.
"People expected me to use my high kick," said CroCop afterwards, "but I suppose I showed that I can win in a variety of ways. This was the biggest fight of my life, and I am very happy with the result."
Sapp did not give a post-bout interview, as he was taken to the hospital with indeterminate injuries.
In the first fight, Ernesto Hoost again showed why he is known as "Mr. Perfect," peppering Jefferson "Tank" Silva with low kicks before coming in on the Brazilian with punches to score a first round KO. In his post-fight interview, Hoost dedicated the victory to his younger brother Andrew, who died in a car accident three weeks before. On behalf of the K-1 Organization and Hoost fans everywhere, I'd like to send sincere condolences to Ernesto on this tragic loss, and wish him strength in this difficult time.
In the second fight on the card, South African Jan "The Giant" Nortje and Evgueni Orlovof Russia lumbered through one of the most tedious five rounds we've seen in a long time. Maybe it was the fact that the big fighters, with a combined height and weight of 414cm and 287kg, were just too daunting, but for whatever reason the referee simply could not assert himself here. The slow, dull bout was a mess of clinching, there were 13 breaks in the fourth round, and after both fighters were cautioned, there were 14 breaks in the fifth. Nortje won, but the real loser was the audience.
A much more spirited dance was the matchup between Dutchman Remy Bonjasky and Bjorn Bregy of Switzerland. This was a quick and technical bout, with Bregy taking the initiative and putting Bonjasky in trouble in the first with a flurry of punches. But Bonjasky worked the low kicks to advantage in the second, and seemed to be gaining confidence. He was able to corner Bregy in the third, throwing five punches in this attack. A couple of them, a right and a left, connected solidly to put Bregy down.
The spunky Swiss tried to come back after taking the count, but now Bonjasky was firmly in control, and looked to want to finish with a bang, in the form of a flying knee attack. Bonjasky leapt in on his opponent twice with the dangerous maneuver before Bregy's corner threw in the towel.
Crowd favorite Ray Sefo won over a surprisingly tough Pele Reid when the Englishman's corner threw in the towel in their bout. This was an excellent fight, Sefo in fine form against an opponent who showed a lot of style and spirit. Southpaw Reid, (whose father named him after the Brazilian soccer star) was being described before the fight as a good boxer, but he just missed on several occasions with nice ax and spinning kicks. Sefo, who understands that a fight is won with one blow at a time, put up points with tight quick jab and low kick combinations in the first and forced a stunned Reid to take a standing count late in the second with three unanswered lefts. In the third Sefo got in close and used the uppercuts, Reid took a second standing count before his cornermen decided he had had enough.
Stefan Leko and Peter Aerts fought a solid technical bout (Aerts before the fight: "Stefan and I are like family, but that doesn't matter, I'm going to knock him out anyway"), with Aerts working the low kicks and Leko focused on quick punch combinations. The bout looked about even in the third, when a gash on Aerts' lower right shin forced a doctor stop, and Leko was awarded a TKO victory.
The first major K-1 event of 2003 was a sellout, with 22,320 in attendance at the Super Arena. It was also same-day broadcast nationwide in Japan on the Fuji TV network.
We who are truely brave will never live in fear!
MARCH 30, SAITAMA, JAPAN -- Croatian fighter Mirko CroCop capped off an afternoon of All-Star K-1 action with an impressive KO victory over Bob "The Beast" Sapp at the Saitama Super Arena.
The six-bout card's main event saw Sapp march into the arena wearing a flowing white robe (frilled with white feathers no less) to the thunder of Richard Strauss' "Also Sprach Zarathustra." Alas, Sapp's dramatic entrance was to last longer than his performance in the ring. The Beast started as he always does, in an NFL defensive lineman crouch, waiting for the bell before marching in on his opponent with the big haymakers that have brought him victory against some of K-1's best.
But CroCop knew the script, and repeatedly danced away, the better to stay out of Sapp's trap. When he got the chance, CroCop threw his deadly high kicks, but really he never found himself planted solidly enough to get one of these up and in on target. Instead it was a quick kick to Sapp's right side, just below the rib cage, that felled the big guy barely a minute into the fight. Sapp lay on the canvas, a grimace of pain on his face, and did not even try to beat the count. The crowd loved it, as of course did CroCop, who flashed a rare smile before picking up his trophy.
"People expected me to use my high kick," said CroCop afterwards, "but I suppose I showed that I can win in a variety of ways. This was the biggest fight of my life, and I am very happy with the result."
Sapp did not give a post-bout interview, as he was taken to the hospital with indeterminate injuries.
In the first fight, Ernesto Hoost again showed why he is known as "Mr. Perfect," peppering Jefferson "Tank" Silva with low kicks before coming in on the Brazilian with punches to score a first round KO. In his post-fight interview, Hoost dedicated the victory to his younger brother Andrew, who died in a car accident three weeks before. On behalf of the K-1 Organization and Hoost fans everywhere, I'd like to send sincere condolences to Ernesto on this tragic loss, and wish him strength in this difficult time.
In the second fight on the card, South African Jan "The Giant" Nortje and Evgueni Orlovof Russia lumbered through one of the most tedious five rounds we've seen in a long time. Maybe it was the fact that the big fighters, with a combined height and weight of 414cm and 287kg, were just too daunting, but for whatever reason the referee simply could not assert himself here. The slow, dull bout was a mess of clinching, there were 13 breaks in the fourth round, and after both fighters were cautioned, there were 14 breaks in the fifth. Nortje won, but the real loser was the audience.
A much more spirited dance was the matchup between Dutchman Remy Bonjasky and Bjorn Bregy of Switzerland. This was a quick and technical bout, with Bregy taking the initiative and putting Bonjasky in trouble in the first with a flurry of punches. But Bonjasky worked the low kicks to advantage in the second, and seemed to be gaining confidence. He was able to corner Bregy in the third, throwing five punches in this attack. A couple of them, a right and a left, connected solidly to put Bregy down.
The spunky Swiss tried to come back after taking the count, but now Bonjasky was firmly in control, and looked to want to finish with a bang, in the form of a flying knee attack. Bonjasky leapt in on his opponent twice with the dangerous maneuver before Bregy's corner threw in the towel.
Crowd favorite Ray Sefo won over a surprisingly tough Pele Reid when the Englishman's corner threw in the towel in their bout. This was an excellent fight, Sefo in fine form against an opponent who showed a lot of style and spirit. Southpaw Reid, (whose father named him after the Brazilian soccer star) was being described before the fight as a good boxer, but he just missed on several occasions with nice ax and spinning kicks. Sefo, who understands that a fight is won with one blow at a time, put up points with tight quick jab and low kick combinations in the first and forced a stunned Reid to take a standing count late in the second with three unanswered lefts. In the third Sefo got in close and used the uppercuts, Reid took a second standing count before his cornermen decided he had had enough.
Stefan Leko and Peter Aerts fought a solid technical bout (Aerts before the fight: "Stefan and I are like family, but that doesn't matter, I'm going to knock him out anyway"), with Aerts working the low kicks and Leko focused on quick punch combinations. The bout looked about even in the third, when a gash on Aerts' lower right shin forced a doctor stop, and Leko was awarded a TKO victory.
The first major K-1 event of 2003 was a sellout, with 22,320 in attendance at the Super Arena. It was also same-day broadcast nationwide in Japan on the Fuji TV network.
We who are truely brave will never live in fear!