Inoki and MMA

[pete]

Just saw a New Japan press release on their upcoming 'Ultimate Crush' event in May:

http://www.njpw.com/events/2003/0502/uwai.shtml

It seems we're never satisfied with what we have: Inoki has a roster with some of the world's greatest pure wrestling talent, and he seems to want to be running an MMA promotion, despite the self-acknowledged fact that most NJPW fans don't want to see such an ungainly hybrid. Pro wrestling and Pride/UFC-style mixed martial arts seem to me to be totally different forms of athletic entertainment, just both based around fighting. When the two worlds meet, it's generally uncomfortable (just ask Yuji Nagata!) and doesn't enhance the credibility of either form. Most pro-wrestlers cannot live with MMA fighters in a shootfight: their training, and the aims of their profession, are too different, and they end up being belittled (yes, Takayama enhanced his reputation by being beaten to a pulp by Don Frye, but endless repeats of the same scenario will quickly grow stale).

We've had a great champion like Nagata, a highly skilled technician and master of the skills of pro wrestling, and half his title defences have been against shoot guys: Yasuda, Fujita, Barnett, Rutten. It seems such a shame, when wrestlers like Tenzan aren't getting a crack at it, and now Nagata has to face Yasuda again when he has expressed a wish to defend against Hashimoto.

New Japan's management seem to be diluting their product, and ending up with something that is neither fish nor fowl. Perhaps I am clinging to an old-fashioned view and a selfish desire for 'purity', and I am willing to be enlightened about the positive aspects of New Japan's current booking policy.

Opinions, anyone?

[Hisaharu Tanabe]

I made some comments on this issue at another website last year. You might wanna read the whole thread rather than copy of my comments only.

http://pub144.ezboard.com/fwrestling...picID=71.topic

[pete]

Thanks. I do feel better-informed after reading that thread, and understand now that this isn't just Inoki's idea, but goes back further than that. This is one of those issues that will perhaps always divide opinion.