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Holy salkow, Batman, Miki’s back! Yes, Japan’s very own Babe on Ice, Miki Ando, roared back to form in the opening event of the Grand Prix figure skating series, not only winning October’s Skate America competition in Connecticut, but overshadowing younger teen star Mao Asada, everybody’s current tip for greatness. Ando, of course, was panned after finishing a disappointing 15th at the Turin Olympics, but she’s lost a bit of chunkiness and taken her skating to a higher level; maybe now she will start to fulfill her promise. Next up on the calendar is the NHK Trophy from November 30 to December 3 in Nagano. Japan’s women skaters are hot right now. Catch them while you can. FV See sports listings for details.
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By
Fred Varcoe
K-1 World Grand Prix 2004
The mixed martial arts show heads to the venerable Budokan
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| Top Japanese fighter
Musashi delivers a blow to an opponent |
It might not be the best way to make money, but for making
a statement, K-1's decision to stage its next tournament
(the World Grand Prix 2004, Final Elimination on September
25) at the Nippon Budokan in Tokyo is as upfront as you can
get. K-1, the bastard, half-breed son of the martial arts
world, is entering the building that effectively enshrines
both budo (martial arts) and, by extension, bushido, the Japanese
way of the warrior (perhaps not coincidentally, it's
also right across the road from Yasukuni Shrine). There are
some purists who might find that sacrilegious, but let's
not forget that the Pet Shop Boys and Rick Astley have also
performed there. I'll take K-1 any day.
"Doing the show at the Budokan follows along with the
theme of K-1 going back to its (martial arts) roots,"
a spokesman for K-1 told Metropolis. "Also every seat
is a good one, and we want to give something back to the fans."
The reason why some might think that K-1 doesn't belong
at the Budokan is not that Akebono fights like Rick Astley,
but more that K-1 has given itself an aura of martial arts
credibility while putting on events that some feel is too
close to professional wrestling/showbiz. Let's hope
it was just coincidence that K-1's last big event was
in Las Vegas. Others think that K-1 has been courting big
names who can't fight (i.e. the Hawaiian Rick Astley)
or others who are desperate for money and will sell their
souls to anyone with a million bucks to spare (e.g. Mike Tyson).
The truth is, of course, that K-1 thought of a good idea (to
mix various martial arts in a sporting, contestable way) and
everyone else wishes they'd thought of it first. The
other truth is that most of the fighters are highly trained
athletes with strong sporting discipline and the will to fight.
To his credit, Akebono did not shirk the big names when he
came under K-1's wing. When he made his debut against
Bob Sapp on New Year's Eve last year, he-like
Sapp-came to fight. Akebono got hit and hurt. He wasn't
faking it. Neither are the other fighters, although there
have been some fighters who have shown up obviously out of
shape.
However, let's not forget that this is a young sport
and it's not easy to get everything right immediately.
Also, as the sport has boomed, the number and the quality
of the fighters have increased. The old guard is slowly dying
out to be replaced by a younger, leaner, fitter, more dynamic
breed. This showed itself at the Grand Prix Final in the Tokyo
Dome last year when relative unknown Remy Bonjasky beat Japan's
Musashi to take the sport's overall crown.
Both fighters are likely to fight at the Budokan on September
25, but not as part of the main competition. The lineup for
the elimination sees Frenchman Jerome Le Banner (who made
his comeback in Seoul in July after ten months off and won
in 53 seconds) take on former heavyweight boxer Francois Botha
of South Africa, who has, so far, failed to shine in K-1;
deadly Kiwi Ray Sefo will face Japan's Hiromi Amada;
Gary Goodridge from Trinidad and Tobago will tackle American
Mighty Mo (the winner of the Battle of Bellagio III in Las
Vegas in August); and popular Belarussian Alexey Ignashov
will take on Thailand's Kaoklai Kaennorsing (the 20-year-old
winner of the K-1 Asia Grand Prix in Seoul in July). The winners
of these four fights will move on to the "Big One"
- the Grand Prix Final at the Tokyo Dome on December 4,
when Bonjasky will defend his crown.
Sep 25, 5pm. Nippon Budokan, Tokyo.
Info: 03-3498-9999.
Credit: Courtesy of K-1
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