5/10 Shooto Final Tradition - Live RESULTS

The event has just started in Korakuen Hall, I will be updating the results as soon as they become available. It is the best Shooto card I can remember and some of their biggest Japanese stars are participating. This event will shake up the Shooto rankings as well.

The first fight of the night was cancelled, Korean Sol didnt make weight and he is disqualified.

1. Middle: Sol Kyung Pyo(?) vs. Takesuke Kume Cancelled

2. Fly: Megumi Fuji Def. Chu Won Bun by arm-lock Round 1 0:52

3. Light: "Wicky" Akiyo Nishiura Def. Takumi Ota by Decision (20-18, 20-18, 10-17)
Accourding to the Shooto site, "Wicky" takes round 1.

There is a short break.
Inside report: I have some friends on the crowd who are telling me the atmosphere is great. "Mega-Megu" barely broke a sweat in her fight, while the fight between "Wicky" and Ota was very entertaining.

There are now 40 former and current Shooto champions and stars in the ring and they are having a 20 year anniversary ceremony. Some of the fighters in the ring are: "Mach", Uno, Kawajiri, Aoki, Hioki, Mamoru, Enson, BJ, Matsune... The list goes on...

There has been some announcements for the Shooto event in Korakuen Hall 19. July. Shooto Featherweight champion, Masakatsu Ueda, will put his title on the line against the young and very talented Brazilan, Eduardo Dantas. Also participating will be bantamweight champion "BJ" Kojima.

Announced: Featherweight title fight:
Masakatsu Ueda vs. Eduardo Dantas

4. Welter: Koutetsu Boku Def. Yutaka Ueda by TKO Round 1 4:56

5. Welter: Kenichiro Togashi Def. Tetsuji Kato by decision 2-0 (30-28, 29-29, 29-28)
Sounds like round 1 went the way of Togashi. Round 2, fighters were feeling eachother out, and did not engage as much as round 1. Sounds like round 2 is a draw.

Inside report: The crowd showed a lot of appriciation for the 40 Shooto ledgends that came to the ring. Boku vs. Ueda was a very good fight and lots of good hits. Togashi and Kato was evenly matched, as the scorecard also suggests.

No wins coming out of the blue corner so far.

6. Welter: Mizuto Hirota Def. Mitsuhiro Ishida by TKO Round 1 1:33
The event has an upset, Hirota is better than his reputation though. But defeating Ishida showes how good he is. Hirota floors Ishida with a left hook, followed by a straight right. Ishida is struggling to recover when the referee steps in.

7. Welter: Willamy Chiquerim "Chiqueirinho" Def. Yusuke Endo by Guilliotine Round 1 5:00
How long before "Chiqueirinho" gets a shot at the title or is picked up by a bigger organization? A very strong win!

Inside report: Ishida looked in control when Hirota struck, not unusual for Hirota to strike like that. Chiquerim was very impressive in his performance and the 1st win for the blue corner.

8. Welter: Takanori Gomi Def. Takashi Nakakura by TKO Round 2 4:24
Gomi looks to have come out on top in Round 1. A very strong win by Gomi. Nakakura had not lost since August 2005, on that occation to Ishida. Gomi needed this win, coming off 2 straight losses.

Inside Report: From my friends in the stands: Lots of attention for this fight, and it delivered! This is a FOTY candidate. Gomi showes that he is very happy to get this win, he was definately under pressure coming in.

Lightweight Title Fight:
9. "Lion" Takeshi Inoue Def. Rumina Sato by TKO Round 1 4:14
"Lion" retains his title, Rumina has now lost 4 in a row.

From SportsNavi May 10, 2009:
1st roundBoth take an orthodox stance Rumina, keeping low springs up with a swinging hook Lion blocks with his arm and doesn’t allow it to hit. After that Rumina crouches like he’s ducking and from that position unleashes a right hook, jab and backfist, looking like he might put Lion off balance。But with Lion’s strong press he was unable to find a good opening.

Rumina’s tricky moves like a superman punch prevented getting closing the distance from the front. Rumina throws an axe kick. Lion doesn’t allow it to connect but he receives a back spinning kick from Rumina after that. After Rumina’s attack Lion lands a right straight.

From a crouching position Rumina continues his tricky attacks with a side kick. From there he lands a clean hit with a swinging hook which he makes good on by grabbing a hold of Lion. All at once Rumina moves in and locks up, then gets Lion’s knees. The match looks like it is about to finish but Lion, ignoring the armlock throws a flurry of hooks that give Rumina some damage. When Rumina falls near the corner Lion follows with the pound and finishes the match with a final rush.

Inside report: It finishes with another good fight. A very good event, all the fighters show a lot of passion and heart. It is easy to see that the fighters have a lot of passion for Shooto and that is why it has survived all these years and the stars continue come back.

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5/10 Shooto Final Tradition - Fight Order

Tomorrow Shooto will have their last event in the Tradition series, and it will be an amazing card and it might be one of the better events of the year.

On the card are Dream and Sengoku veterans like Takanori Gomi, Mitsuhiro Ishida, Mizuto Hirota, Koutetsu Boku and "Wicky" Akiyo. In addition to that, there will be a lightweight title fight between the champion "Lion" Takeshi and Shooto star Rumina Sato.

This is an awesome card from top to bottom.

Lightweight Title Fight:
9. "Lion" Takeshi Inoue 15-3-0 vs. 24-13-2 Rumina Sato

8. Welter: Takanori Gomi 29-5-0 vs. 11-2-1 Takashi Nakakura
7. Welter: Yusuke Endo 12-2-2 vs. 12-1-0 Willamy Chiquerim "Chiqueirinho"
6. Welter: Mitsuhiro Ishida 18-4-1 vs. 10-3-1 Mizuto Hirota
5. Welter: Kenichiro Togashi 8-6-5 vs. 19-8-0 Tetsuji Kato
4. Welter: Koutetsu Boku 13-5-2 vs. 6-1-1 Yutaka Ueda
3. Light: "Wicky" Akiyo Nishiura 9-4-1 vs. 4-2-1 Takumi Ota
2. Fly: Megumi Fuji 16-0-0 vs. Chu Won Bun (?)
1. Middle: Sol Kyung Pyo(?) vs. 4-1-2 Takesuke Kume

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5/10 Shooto Final Tradition - Change to Megumi Fuji's Opponent

Kim Don Hee (?) is out of her fight with the undefeated Megumi Fuji, the replacement is another Korean fighter. Chu Won Bun is a muay thai fighter with a muay thai record of 10-3. The 35 year old Korean is unlikely to be a threat to the undefeated Mega-Megu, but no opponent should be taken lightly.

Change:
Fly: Megumi Fuji 16-0-0 vs. Chu Won Bun (?)

Rest of the card:
Lightweight Title Fight:
"Lion" Takeshi Inoue 15-3-0 vs. 24-13-2 Rumina Sato

Welter: Takanori Gomi 29-5-0 vs. 11-2-1 Takashi Nakakura
Welter: Koutetsu Boku 13-5-2 vs. 6-1-1 Yutaka Ueda
Welter: Mitsuhiro Ishida 18-4-1 vs. 10-3-1 Mizuto Hirota
Welter: Kenichiro Togashi 8-6-5 vs. 19-8-0 Tetsuji Kato
Welter: Yusuke Endo 12-2-2 vs. 12-1-0 Willamy Chiquerim "Chiqueirinho"
Light: "Wicky" Akiyo Nishiura 9-4-1 vs. 4-2-1 Takumi Ota
Middle: Jae Yong Jun vs. 4-1-2 Takesuke Kume

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5/10 Shooto Final Tradition - T-Shirt

Shooto is putting on the best card I can remeber for their final "Tradition" event, and of course such an occation demands a t-shirt. The Shooto t-shirts always look good and this will be sold at the event for JPY 4,500.

The card has fighters such as Takanori Gomi, Mitsuhiro Ishida, Megumi Fuji, Mizuto Hirota, Koutetsu Boku and "Lion" Takeshi.



A reminder of the fights announced:

Lightweight Title Fight:
"Lion" Takeshi Inoue 15-3-0 vs. 24-13-2 Rumina Sato

Welter: Takanori Gomi 29-5-0 vs. 11-2-1 Takashi Nakakura
Welter: Koutetsu Boku 13-5-2 vs. 6-1-1 Yutaka Ueda
Welter: Mitsuhiro Ishida 18-4-1 vs. 10-3-1 Mizuto Hirota
Fly: Megumi Fuji 16-0-0 vs. Kim Don Hee (?)
Welter: Kenichiro Togashi 8-6-5 vs. 19-8-0 Tetsuji Kato
Welter: Yusuke Endo 12-2-2 vs. 12-1-0 Willamy Chiquerim "Chiqueirinho"
Light: "Wicky" Akiyo Nishiura 9-4-1 vs. 4-2-1 Takumi Ota
Middle: Zon Yon Ze (?) vs. 4-1-2 Takesuke Kume

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5/10 Shooto Final Tradition - DREAM vs. Sengoku - Mitsuhiro Ishida Fighting!

The final card in the "Tradition" series, honoring Shooto's 20th anniversary, is lookeing like the best Shooto event I can remember...

Announced today was a fight that is promoted as Dream vs. Sengoku. Representing DREAM is Mitsuhiro Ishida, he is taking on Sengoku's Mizuto Hirota. But this is not the only big fight announced!

Also on the card is female star Megumi Fuji, who will be taking on Korean fighter and I am not sure of the name, Kim Don Hee.

Shooto veteran Kenichiro Togashi should have his hands full with Tetsuji Kato. The Strikeforce veteran is returning to Shooto after almost 2 years away from the ring, his last fight was a decision loss to Gilbert Melendez in September 2007. He has not fought in Shooto since 2003.

And the big fights dont stop there! The Pacific champion, Yusuke Endo, is going to take on the South American champion, "Chiqueirinho", in a fight that wont be for a title but will be an important fight to determine the #1 contender for Nakakura's title.

"Wicky" is also coming back to Shooto after fighting in both the Cage Force and DREAM tournaments. He is always a popular addition to these cards, and he should be the favorite in his fight with Takumi Ota. Coming off 2 straight losses, "Wicky" will want to end this early, and in the process improve his Shooto ranking.

Announced:
Welter: Mitsuhiro Ishida 18-4-1 vs. 10-3-1 Mizuto Hirota
Fly: Megumi Fuji 16-0-0 vs. Kim Don Hee (?)
Welter: Kenichiro Togashi 8-6-5 vs. 19-8-0 Tetsuji Kato
Welter: Yusuke Endo 12-2-2 vs. 12-1-0 Willamy Chiquerim "Chiqueirinho"
Light: "Wicky" Akiyo Nishiura 9-4-1 vs. 4-2-1 Takumi Ota
Middle: Zon Yon Ze (?) vs. 4-1-2 Takesuke Kume

Previously Announced:
Lightweight Title Fight:
"Lion" Takeshi Inoue 15-3-0 vs. 24-13-2 Rumina Sato

Welter: Takanori Gomi 29-5-0 vs. 11-2-1 Takashi Nakakura
Welter: Koutetsu Boku 13-5-2 vs. 6-1-1 Yutaka Ueda

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5/10 Shooto Final Tradition - Change

There has been a change to the card for this event. The scheduled fight between Rumina Sato and "Lion" Takeshi is now considered a title fight.

I am not sure what Rumina Sato has done lately to deserve a title fight, but he should never be taken lightly. Rumina has won 1 of his 6 fights, and though I think it will be an entertaining fight, there are fighters that deserve the title shot more.

Either way, this card is something special and it should be a great event.

Lightweight Title Fight:
"Lion" Takeshi Inoue 15-3-0 vs. 24-13-2 Rumina Sato

Takanori Gomi 29-5-0 vs. 11-2-1 Takashi Nakakura
Koutetsu Boku 13-5-2 vs. 6-1-1 Yutaka Ueda

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5/10 Shooto The Final Tradition - Gomi to make a Return to Shooto

Shooto will hold the final event in their Tradition series (celebrating 20 years of Shooto), in May. The event will take place in JCB Hall, where also the first "Tradition" event took place.

This card will be a solid one, the fights announced holds some of the biggest Shooto profiles, and there is more to come.

Former champion Takanori Gomi will return to Shooto and it is going to take on the current champion Takashi Nakakura in what should be an awesome fight. Gomi is coming off 2 straight losses and will be eager to get back on the winning track. It is 6 years since Gomi fought in Shooto, that time he lost a decision to the current DREAM champion Joachim Hansen. Nakakura on the other hand, is on a 5 fight winning streak and has not lost since August 2005 when he fought Mitsuhiro Ishida.

Other fights announced were Koutetsu Boku vs. the Shooto prospect from Kyoto, Yutaka Ueda. Ueda is undefeated in Shooto, but will still come in as the underdog agianst the former Pacific champion and DREAM veteran.

The current lightweight champion "Lion" Takeshi is taking on the veteran Rumina Sato. The popular Rumina really needs a win here, having only 1 win in his last 6 fights. But the champion is not going to make it easy for him to get back on the winning track.

Announced:
Takanori Gomi 29-5-0 vs. 11-2-1 Takashi Nakakura
Koutetsu Boku 13-5-2 vs. 6-1-1 Yutaka Ueda
"Lion" Takeshi Inoue 15-3-0 vs. 24-13-2 Rumina Sato

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11/29 Shooot Tradition 04 - Pictures

Saturday's Shooto event was awesome, I was there and took some pictures.

Hayakawa has an ability to get stuck in some submissions in the 2nd round. Here Nezu is close to ending the fight early, something that would have been a shame. Hayakawa was the better fighter in the 1st round, but Nezu took the second and it ended in a deserved draw.


Atsushi Takeuchi was better than Katsuya Murofushi standing, and got in some good punches.


When the fight hit the ground, he looked in control there too.


Eventually Takeuchi get a guiliotine choke in that ended the fight in the second round.


Ogikubo wanted to take Tazawa down, and he did that in all the rounds. Unfortunately, Tazawa defended well and it ended in a draw.


The last 3 fights on this card were awesome on paper, first out was Takashi Nakakura against Bendy Casimir. I had picked this as a very close fight, and was wrong... Casimir looked good once the fight was standing, but on the ground Nakakura proved to be the better grappler. Nakakura landed some heavy punches.


Casimir was forced to give up his back and Nakakura took full advantage. With just seconds remaining in the first round he sunk in a deep rear-naked choke.


I think Casimir thought he could last the round and did not tap. But with 2 seconds left the ref was forced to stop the fight and Casimir was left unconcious.


A very strong performance by Nakakura!


The next fight was between Rumina Sato and Hatsu Hioki. In this fight Hioki didnt take long to get Rumina on the ground, and once there he got mount. The ref had to step in, Hioki's gnp was too much for the veteran.


The main event was the title fight between Hideki Kadowaki and "Lion" Takeshi. I think everyone expected Kadowaki to take this to the ground. I was surprised that he didnt immediately do that though. He was able to land some good shots on the challenger and for a second it looked like "Lion" was in danger.


Unfortuantely for Kadowaki, the fight did not end that way. "Lion" took round 2 and 3. In the end he also get the decision and was crowned the new champion.

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11/29 Shooto Tradition 4 - Results

Just came home form the event, and it was a good one!! For the ones who have been waiting for the results.

Kadowaki came out like a champion, he tried his best on his feet and actually hit "Lion" a couple of times. As the rounds went on though, it went more and more the way of the challenger, and he got the decision in the end.

For me, the big fight was Ogikubo. I actaully thought he controlled most of the fight on the ground... The judges disagreed and gave them a draw. Which is hard to argue with, I guess...

"Mike" really showed his stuff in the 1st round, but as is too common... He gassed in the 2nd. He got a draw this time, but he will be back!!! "Mike" will get a win one of these days, it was exciting again today!

In the other BIG fights today, I was surprised how easy the favorites dealt with the issue... Nakakura dominated Casimir and Hioki dominated Rumina.

On another note, there were a couple of famous fighters there, Gomi was enjoying the fights, posing for pictures with fans. Also "Wicky" Akiyo was relaxing before his final in Cage Force next week! Both very nice guys, and "Wicky" is READY!


1. Nobuhiro "Mike" Hayakawa vs. Yuta Nezu DRAW
2. Taisuke Okuno Def. Daisuke "Hunt" Okumiya by Decision 3-0
3. Atsushi Takeuchi Def. Katsuya Murofushi by rear-naked choke Round 2 1:44
4. Yutaka Ueda Def. Jin Kazeta by TKO Round 1 3:23
5. So Tazawa vs. Hiromasa Ogikubo DRAW
6. Takashi Nakakura Def. Bendy Casimir by Rear-naked choke Round 1 4:58
7. Hatsu Hioki Def. Rumina Sato by TKO Round 1 3:32
8. "Lion" Takeshi Inoue Def. Hideki Kadowaki by decision 3-0

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11/29 Shooot Tradition 04 - Weigh-!n - Tazawa misses weight?

The weigh-in for today's Shooto event happened yesterday. So Tazawa had 2 attempts at making weight, but was over both times. He should have another shot at it, but I dont know the result.

Anyway, here are the rest of the weigh-in results:

Hideki Kadowaki 65.0 kg
"Lion" Takeshi Inoue 65.0 kg

Hatsu Hioki 64.9 kg
Rumina Sato 65.0 kg

Takashi Nakakura 70.0 kg
Bendy Casimir 70.4 kg → 70.0 kg

So Tazawa 60.2kg → 60.1kg → X
Hiromasa Ogikubo 59.9 kg

Jin Kazeta 69.6 kg
Yutaka Ueda 69.7 kg

Atsushi Takeuchi 52.2 kg → 52.0 kg
Katsuya Murofushi 52.0 kg

Taisuke Okuno 75.8 kg
Daisuke "Hunt" Okumiya 75.1 kg

Nobuhiro "Mike" Hayakawa 59.8 kg
Yuta Nezu 59.8 kg

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11/29 Shooot Tradition 04 - Warm-Up

Shooto is putting on a really good event tomorrow. The mix of stars and talent should make this one of the better Shooto events this year.

If you want to see what a professional thinks of this event, you should read Jordan Breen's preview on this event here. There is no doubt this will be a good event.

Anyway, here is what I expect from the main card at tomorrow's event. I will be there taking pictures, so might be a bit late with the results...

So Tazawa 8-3-2 vs. 5-0-1 Hiromasa Ogikubo
I am really looking forward to watching Hiromasa Ogikubo, he is still undefeated, Training under Ryota Matsune and Hiroshi Tsuruya in Paraestra Matsudo. He will be a force in the Shooto featherweight division. This time he is facing his toughest opponent yet in So Tazawa.

So Tazawa has been in there with the best of them and he still has a good record. I still think Ogikubo will be too strong on the ground.

Predicition: I am sort of bias in this, as Ogikubo is from my gym, so there is no surprise who I am picking in this fight. I see Ogikubo taking the fight to the ground and getting a decision win.

Hiromasa Ogikubo:
vs. Hiroyuki Tanaka
vs. Yasuhiro Kanayama
vs. Kazuya Tamura

So Tazawa:
vs. Masakatsu Ueda Part 1
vs. Masakatsu Ueda Part 2
vs. Masakatsu Ueda Part 3

Takashi Nakakura 10-2-1 vs. 16-4-2 Bendy Casimir
This could very well end up being fight of the night, both these guys are Shooto champions (Nakakura world champion, Casimir european champion) but there is no title on the line. Maybe because I am used to this in Japan, but I dont care. This is a fight I want to see, even if its not a title fight.

Predicition: Be careful not to underestimate Bendy Casimir in this fight. Nakakura is the favorite and I see him getting the decision, but Casimir was very good in his last fight in Japan.

Takashi Nakakura:
vs. Ray Cooper
vs. Yusuke Endo Round 1
vs. Yusuke Endo Round 2
vs. Yusuke Endo Round 3
vs. Ganjo Tentsuku Part 1
vs. Ganjo Tentsuku Part 2
vs. Mizuto Hirota Round 1
vs. Mizuto Hirota Round 2
vs. Mizuto Hirota Round 3

Bendy Casimir:
vs. Juri Ivlev
vs. Ian Jones
vs. Shinji Sasaki Part 1
vs. Shinji Sasaki Part 2

Hatsu Hioki 16-3-2 vs. 24-12-2 Rumina Sato
This is a fight between 2 of them most popular Shooto fighters. This will really get the crowd going and it should be a good fight. Personally, I would like to see Rumina Sato get this win, but I dont think he will.

Rumina Sato took most of 2006 off to start his own gym, since coming back he has a record of 1-2, in his last 5 he is 1-4. Hioki on the other hand is undefeated in his last 5.

Prediction: As much as I want Rumina Sato to win, I cant see it happening. Hioki will take it, but dont count Rumina off completely.

Rumina Sato:
vs. Charles Taylor
vs. Bao Quach
vs. Augusto Frota
vs. Katsuya Toida
vs. Antonio Carvalho
vs. Ali Mihoubi
vs. Rafael Cordeiro

Hatsu Hioki:
vs. Antonio Carvalho Part 1
vs. Antonio Carvalho Part 2
vs. Antonio Carvalho Part 3
vs. Baret Yoshida
vs. Joe Pearson
vs. Hideki Kadowaki

Hideki Kadowaki 13-7-2 vs. 14-3-0 "Lion" Takeshi Inoue
Hideki Kadowaki is the champion, and in some ways he had a sudden rise to the belt. He is a very experienced fighter, but before he pulled out a "Kadowaki Special" on Rumina Sato I was not expecting to see him in a title fight. Then pieces fell his way, he had some luck and got the title shot. He won a deserved victory against Akitoshi Tamura.

Even if Kadowaki is the defending champion coming in, I think he is also viewed as the underdog here. "Lion" Takeshi has only had 3 losses in his career, he lost he last fight though. "Lion" would like to keep this fight standing, Kadowaki wants "Lion" Takeshi on his back.

Prediction: I am really torn on this, I see it either as an exciting fight where "Lion" picks Kadowaki apart standing OR a fight that goes the distance ending in a draw or decision win to Kadowaki. I am leaning towards a decision to Kadowaki, actually changed my mind since I started writing.

Hideki Kadowaki:
vs. Akitoshi Tamura Part 1
vs. Akitoshi Tamura Part 2
vs. Akitoshi Tamura Part 3
vs. Hatsu Hioki
vs. Naoya Miyamoto
vs. "Wicky" Akiyo Nishiura Part 1
vs. "Wicky" Akiyo Nishiura Part 2

"Lion" Takeshi Inoue:
vs. Antonio Carvalho
vs. Navid Yousefi
vs. Katsuya Toida
vs. Akitoshi Tamura Part 1
vs. Akitoshi Tamura Part 2
vs. Savant Young Part 1
vs. Savant Young Part 2

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11/29 Shooot Tradition 04 - Fight Order

Shooto have announced the fight order for their event on Saturday. No big surprise that the title fight between Champion Hideki Kadowaki and "Lion" Takeshi take that honor.

It is a very good card with a mix of very talented fighters, such as Ogikubo and Ueda mixed with a lot of established stars.

Again, I hope that "Mike" Hayakawa adds to his win. I think he deserves it, as he is better than his record shows.

Main-Event - Shooto Lightweight World Title Fight:
8. Hideki Kadowaki 13-7-2 vs. 14-3-0 "Lion" Takeshi Inoue

7. Light: Hatsu Hioki 16-3-2 vs. 24-12-2 Rumina Sato
6. Welter: Takashi Nakakura 10-2-1 vs. 16-4-2 Bendy Casimir
5. Feather: So Tazawa 8-3-2 vs. 5-0-1 Hiromasa Ogikubo
4. Welter: Jin Kazeta 8-8-2 vs. 5-1-1 Yutaka Ueda
3. Fly: Atsushi Takeuchi 4-4-2 vs. 3-3-0 Katsuya Murofushi
2. Middle: Taisuke Okuno 6-2-1 vs. 2-2-1 Daisuke "Hunt" Okumiya
1. Feather: Nobuhiro "Mike" Hayakawa 1-4-2 vs. 5-2-0 Yuta Nezu

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11/29 Shooto - Tradition 04 - Nakakura fighting Casimir

After a quiet week there has been a lot of announcements today, Shooto have announced another fight for their event on November 29. I am so happy I got my tickets for this one!

Shooto World Welterweight chamption, Takashi Nakakura is taking on Shooto's European Champion, Bendy Casimir. This is a non-title fight, but it will be awesome! Both these fighters have been undeteated since 2005!! Casimir is 12-0-1 (12 figtht winning streak) since then, Nakakura is 4-0-1. This will be a fight with a LOT of pride at stake!

Added:
Welter: Takashi Nakakura 10-2-1 vs. 16-4-2 Bendy Casimir

Previously Announced:
Shooto Lightweight World Title Fight:
Hideki Kadowaki 13-7-2 vs. 14-3-0 "Lion" Takeshi Inoue

Light: Hatsu Hioki 16-3-2 vs. 24-12-2 Rumina Sato
Feather: So Tazawa 8-3-2 vs. 5-0-1 Hiromasa Ogikubo
Welter: Jin Kazeta 8-8-2 vs. 5-1-1 Yutaka Ueda
Middle: Taisuke Okuno 6-2-1 vs. 2-2-1 Daisuke "Hunt" Okumiya
Fly: Atsushi Takeuchi 4-4-2 vs. 3-3-0 Katsuya Murofushi
Feather: Nobuhiro "Mike" Hayakawa 1-4-2 vs. 5-2-0 Yuta Nezu

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11/29 Shooto Tradition 04 - Two More Fights Added

Shooto has announced 2 more fights for their Tradition 04 card. This is another awesome card and the tickets are selling fast for this one (there are still tickets left though).

Added today is an interesting middleweight fight between Shooto ranked #2 Taisuke Okuno and Daisuke Okumiya.

The other fight added is "Mike" Hayakawa, who I think is better than his record and I hope he gets another win. Yuta Nezu should be a challenge though, Nezu lost in the Shooto Rookie Tournament this year, but was dominating the fight until being caught in a bulldog choke.

Added:
Middle: Taisuke Okuno 6-2-1 vs. 2-2-1 Daisuke "Hunt" Okumiya
Nobuhiro "Mike" Hayakawa 1-4-2 vs. 5-2-0 Yuta Nezu

Previously Announced:
Shooto Lightweight World Title Fight:
Hideki Kadowaki 13-7-2 vs. 14-3-0 "Lion" Takeshi Inoue

So Tazawa 8-3-2 vs. 5-0-1 Hiromasa Ogikubo
Jin Kazeta 8-8-2 vs. 5-1-1 Yutaka Ueda
Hatsu Hioki 16-3-2 vs. 24-12-2 Rumina Sato
Atsushi Takeuchi 4-4-2 vs. 3-3-0 Katsuya Murofushi

Participating:
Takashi Nakakura 10-2-1

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11/29 Shooto Tradition 04 - Rumina vs. Hatsu Hioki Announced

Shooto have added 2 fights to their Tradition 04 card. This will be held in Korakuen Hall November 29 and should be an awesome event.

The card is looking very good already and today they added the fight between Rumina Sato and Hatsu Hioki, two of their biggest stars, but also 2 fighters that need to get back to the sort of form we are used to seeing them in.

Despite having average form lately (winning "only" 4 of his last 7), Hioki coming off a win in TKO 35 and a draw in his last Shooto fight, and is still ranked #5. Rumina Sato has lost 4 of his last 5, but is still ranked #6. He has never been the Shooto world champion, but win the Shooto Pacific Rim belt in 2005. Rumina is definitely one of the biggest stars in Shooto.

In the other fight added today, Atsushi Takeuchi will take on Katsuya Murofushi. Both these fighters lost against Noboru Tahara in their last fight, Takeuchi in an awesome fight (worth a watch if you havent seen it). This should be a very good fight.

Already on the card is the Lightweight title fight between Hideki Kadowaki and "Lion" Takeshi.

Added:
Hatsu Hioki 16-3-2 vs. 24-12-2 Rumina Sato
Atsushi Takeuchi 4-4-2 vs. 3-3-0 Katsuya Murofushi

Previously announced:
Hideki Kadowaki 13-7-2 vs. 14-3-0 "Lion" Takeshi Inoue
So Tazawa 8-3-2 vs. 5-0-1 Hiromasa Ogikubo
Jin Kazeta 8-8-2 vs. 5-1-1 Yutaka Ueda

Participating:
Takashi Nakakura 10-2-1

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11/29 Shooto Tradition 04 - First fights announced

Shooto announced a few things relating to this card yesterday, and already it looks good. Most likely the main event will be the world lightweight title fight between Hideki Kadowaki (champion) and "Lion" Takeshi Inoue. Takeshi is coming off a loss to Savant Young in Tradition 01, but is getting a shot at the world title. Kadowaki has built a lot of comfidence with his 2 last fights, submitting Rumina Sato and getting a decision win over Akitoshi Tamura to claim the title belt. This will be his first defence and it should be a very good fight.

Shooto also announced the participation of two of their biggest stars, Rumina Sato and welterweight champion Takashi Nakakura, to face a yet to be named opponents. Also on the card, Tazawa So will take on the rising star Hiromasa Ogikubo in what is sure to be a very good fight.

Announced:
Hideki Kadowaki 13-7-2 vs. 14-3-0 "Lion" Takeshi Inoue
So Tazawa 8-3-2 vs. 5-0-1 Hiromasa Ogikubo
Jin Kazeta 8-8-2 vs. 5-1-1 Yutaka Ueda

Participating:
Takashi Nakakura 10-2-1
Rumina Sato 24-12-2

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5/3 Shooto - Road to 20th Anniversary - Warm-Up

Tomorrow Shooto will hold a BIG event, it is huge! The first evet to be held in the new JCB Hall in the Tokyo Dome area.

I have also decided to do a live Play-by-Play, if you are in Japan you should be watching on SkyPerfect (PPV).

The event provides some very interesting match-ups and here are some videos of some of the fighters participating:

Takashi Nakakura
vs. Jani Lax (very good fight!)
vs. Yusuke Endo (rd 1)
vs. Yusuke Endo (rd 2)
vs. Yusuke Endo (rd 3)

Ganjo Tentsuke
vs. Emmanuel Fernandez

Hayato Sakurai
vs. Hidetaka Monma
vs. Haroldo Bunn
vs. Caol Uno
vs. Jens Pulver
Highlights
vs. Olaf Alfonso
vs. Ronny Rivano
vs. Frank Trigg

David Baron
vs. Dan Hardy
Highlights

Akitoshi Tamura
vs. Hayate Usui
vs. Masaomi Saito
vs. Sakae Kasuya

Rumina Sato
Highlight
vs. Erikas Petraikis
vs. Alan Fried
vs. Bao Quach
vs. Augusto Fronta

"Lion" Takeshi Inoue
vs. Jin Kazeta
vs. Marc Duncan
vs. Hayate Usui
vs. Antonio Carvalho

Shinji Sasaki
vs. Michiyuki Ishibashi
vs. Paulo Milano

Bendy Casimir
Highlight
vs. Chris Stringer
vs. Ian Jones
vs. Juri Ivlev

Yusuke Endo
vs. Koumei Okada
vs. Clay Guida
vs. Seiki Uchimura

Ryuichi Miki
vs. Kenji Hosoya (pt. 1)
vs. Kenji Hosoya (pt. 2)

Yasuhiro Urushitani
vs. Lorenzo Coca
vs. Daniel Lima
vs. Shinichi Kojima (pt. 1)
vs. Shinichi Kojima (pt. 2)
vs. Mamoru Yamaguchi (pt. 1)
vs. Mamoru Yamaguchi (pt. 2)

Sakae Kasuya
vs. Takumi Ota

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5/3 Shooto - Road to 20th Anniversary - Fight Order Announced

Shooto has released the fight order for their awesome card on Saturday. I am not going, but have ordered this on PPV so if the SkyPerfect gods are with me, I will be able to do a PBP of this event. It is Golden Week in Japan, so I am expecting a decent crowd in for this event.

7. Takashi Nakakura 9-2-1 vs. 9-2-2 Ganjo Tentsuku
6. Hayato "Mach" Sakurai vs. 13-2-0 David Baron
5. Akitoshi Tamura 11-6-2 vs. 24-11-2 Rumina Sato
4. "Lion" Takeshi Inoue 14-2-0 vs. 8-7-0 Savant Young
3. Shinji Sasaki 6-1-0 vs. 13-4-2 Bendy Casimir
2. Yusuke Endo 10-2-1 vs. Vince Ortiz
1. Ryuichi Miki 6-2-2 vs. 14-3-5 Yasuhiro Urushitani

Opening fights:
Hayate Usui 8-6-1 vs. 3-2-3 Sakae Kasuya
Katsuya Murofushi 3-2-0 vs. Shinpei Tahara

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5/3 Shooto - Road to 20th Anniversary - Participants announced

Shooto have added 2 participants to their BIG May 3. card. This will be an awesome event, and one I am really looking forward to.

They have added 2 very talented fighters, Yusuke Endo 10-2-1 and Shinji Sasaki 6-1-0 to this card, their opponets are yet to be announced.

The card now looks like this:

Takashi Nakakura 9-2-1 vs. 9-2-2 Ganjo Tentsuku
Hayato "Mach" Sakurai vs. 13-2-0 David Baron
Akitoshi Tamura 11-6-2 vs. 24-11-2 Rumina Sato
Ryuichi Miki 6-2-2 vs. 14-3-5 Yasuhiro Urushitani
"Lion" Takeshi Inoue 14-2-0 vs. 8-7-0 Savant Young

Opening fights:
Hayate Usui 8-6-1 vs. 3-2-3 Sakae Kasuya
Katsuya Murofushi 3-2-0 vs. Shinpei Tahara

Participating:
Yusuke Endo 10-2-1
Shinji Sasaki 6-1-0

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5/3 Shooto - Road to 20th Anniversary - Lion Takeshi's opponent annouced

Finally Shooto has annouced "Lion" Takeshi's opponent. It's Savant Young, who is an IFL veteran. It will be an interesting fight.

Added:
"Lion" Takeshi Inoue 14-2-0 vs. 8-7-0 Savant Young

Previously announced:
Takashi Nakakura 9-2-1 vs. 9-2-2 Ganjo Tentsuku
Hayato "Mach" Sakurai vs. 13-2-0 David Baron
Akitoshi Tamura 11-6-2 vs. 24-11-2 Rumina Sato
Ryuichi Miki 6-2-2 vs. 14-3-5 Yasuhiro Urushitani

Opening fights:
Hayate Usui 8-6-1 vs. 3-2-3 Sakae Kasuya
Katsuya Murofushi 3-2-0 vs. Shinpei Tahara

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