PRIDE 22 - Shockwave (8/28/02, Yoyogi National Stadium,Tokyo, Japan)

[BENJII]

Matches announced for the next PRIDE show as of this point in time:

ANTONIO RODRIGO NOGUEIRA vs. BOB SAPP
KAZUSHI SAKURABA vs. MIRKO FILIPOVIC
HIDEHIKO YOSHIDA vs. ROYCE GRACIE
DON FRYE vs. MARK HUNT (K-1 Rules)

Bill Goldberg will be doing commentary (more than likely for the enlgish speaking viewers) while at a DSE/K-1 Press conference, Mr. Ishii also stated Vanderlei Silva, Semmy Schilt, Ernesto Hoost and Mike Bernardo have expressed interest to work the show.

[Luds]

Hey guys, what are the major differences between PRIDE & K-1 rules?

Thanx

[Ganso]

I believe in K-1 there are no grappling and submission holds like in PRIDE.

[screwloose]

k-1 rules are very similar to that of muay thai. elbows are legal(i think) as well as leg kicks and knee strikes. but they would be somewhat nonplussed about the matter if you shot in and went for a leglace.

[lCS 39]

pride and k-1 also adapted a pride vs k-1 rule in the past when they had there versus wars with one another ala Inoki Bom Ba Yae etc. not much different from K-1 rules 5 x 3 minute rounds with grappling and striking allowed, the time limit gave a great advantage to the K-1 fighter though.

this will be the show of shows

my predictions:

Sakuraba by sub early in the 1st (armbar, maybe heelhook) Sak will time his takedown good and from there it's his game, if anything maybe a rear naked late into the 1st or 2nd. hope he watches out for those kicks though!

Yoshida by KO! (hoping he does some killer judo throws on Royce when Royce sets up and shoots in) if not a Draw between the two fighters.

Minotauro by Sub, i think Mino will try to play it safe, perhaps let Sapp gas out by letting him out punch himself then taking it on the ground, it'll be a sight to see since all of Sapp's previous fights he's rushed in for the quick KO but I think this time around will be different.

Frye by KO the latest PRIDE vs K-1 fights have had the PRIDE fighters coming off with wins, and Frye has the boxing skills and stand up, Hunts a tough cookie though and dangerous, i'm giving Frye the benefit of the doubt though and think he can pull it off.

[Luds]

Yeah... Frye is a tough dude. I think that he could bpull it off.

[BENJII]

I hate to say this, but I think Mark Hunt is going to actually beat Don Frye. I'm guessing Frye's approach now is more submission based and is a good striker, but Mark Hunt (to quote Heath Herring) "Has a head like a rock". Anything that Frye's going to dish out, Mr. Hunt will equally distribute. He's not going to get knocked down easily - we're talking about a guy who got kicked in the head by Filipovic and hardly flinched!!

[Dr Feelgood]

I'd put Frye over Hunt. Mark Hunt is built like a tank (and can sustain about as much damage too - incredible he was able to finish the match after Filipovic rocked him with that kick) and has real heavy fists, but he's slow and his boxing guard isn't all that good (which is how LeBanner got him when they fought here in Paris last May). Hunt also gassed a bit from having to continually cut the distance and throw empty punches.
Frye can certainly capitalise big time on those weaknesses, if he's wise enough to stay away from trading bombs with the big New-Zealander.

Not sure about a KO though...

[Colin Douglas]

Honestly I'm not liking this as Sak's first match back. Cro-Cop is much larger and as long as he can sprawl quickly Sak maybe facing the same boots as Silva to his noggin. In my heart I say he wins but my mind says be careful. Royce should beat Yoshida. Sapp's best chance to beat Nog is now since he is just off fighting two weeks ago at UFO.

[Luds]

Well shows what we know... Frye got KO'd by Le Banner in R1...

[Hisaharu Tanabe]

In Japan, the card has been advertised as "Dynamite! - Summer Night Fever in Kokuritsu" rather than another PRIDE card. The card is sold out with 91,107 people in the audience.

• PRIDE Rule: Vanderlei Silva (1R 1'16" TKO) Tatsuya Iwasaki
• PRIDE Rule: Jerrell Venetiaan (3R 5min 2-1 by decision) Daijiro Matsui
• PRIDE Rule: Gary Goodridge (1R 3:39 TKO) Lloyd Van Dams
• K1 Rule: Ernesto Hoost (5R draw) Semmy Schilt
• K1 Rule: Jerome LeBanner (1R 1'30" KO) Don Frye
• PRIDE Rule: Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (2R 0'57" cross arm hold) Bob Sapp
• Jacket Match: Hidehiko Yoshida (1R 7'24" TKO) Royce Gracie
• PRIDE Rule: Mirko Cro Cop (2R doctor stop) Kazushi Sakuraba

I'm glad the judo king Yoshida won the match in his first professional bout. However, since the ref stopped the match, the Gracies will probably complain about it as usual.

Too bad Sak couldn't win again... The doctor stopped the match after the 2nd round since Sak's bone near right eye was possibly broken.

By the promoter's request, Antonio Inoki came down from the sky with a parachute.

[Dr Feelgood]

Seems to be some controversy over the Hidehiko Yoshida vs Royce Gracie submission call...
To Frye's discharge, LeBanner is a lot better than Hunt and Frye was left with little time to prepare for this entirely different opponent. However, coming out swinging against LeBanner under K-1 rules? He must have had LeBanner confused with Takayama or Tank Abbott.

[CrimsonMask]

Starting to think he should consider hanging it up. He's getting hurt every time out.

So long from the Sunshine State!

[Gracie apologist]

Royce allegedly tapped from a gi choke, or this was the referee's interpretation.
one needs to look no further than Renzo v. Sakuraba (Pride 10) for proof that a Gracie would never tap; grisly, indeed, the Kimura lock that practically snapped Renzo's arm in two.
if Renzo didn't tap before getting his elbow popped then i am real hard-pressed to believe that Royce would tap from a gi choke, i believe he'd sooner pass out.

[CrimsonMask]

Yeah, from the reports it sounds fishy, I'm waiting to see it, but I don't get your logic at all. THIS brother didn't tap when he had THIS injury from THIS hold, so therefore THAT brother wouldn't tap when (/if) he was in THAT hold? Besides, a clean break or dislocation and a slow process like a chokeout are apples and oranges.