Pride World Gp 4/25/04

[DANGEROUS DAN]

Who are your picks and why?

*Heath Herring vs. Yoshiki Takahashi
*Murilo Ninja Rua vs. Sergei Kharitonov
*Paulo Cesar Giant Silva vs. Henry Sentoryu Miller
*Semmy Schilt vs. Gan McGee
*Naoya Ogawa vs. Stefan Leko
*Mirko Cro Cop vs. Kevin Randleman
*Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira vs. Hirotaka Yokoi
*Mark Coleman vs. Fedor Emelianenko

[niniendo warrior]

I'm not sure I should post the results... but suffice to say, it was one hell of a show...

[DANGEROUS DAN]

Very surprised at Randleman and Ogawa pulling out victories. Coleman may have lost his last real shot at not being used as a tackling dummy, which is a shame he is a very nice guy with a ton of knowledge.
Anxious to see what the second round match ups are.

[niniendo warrior]

Ogawa - Leko => What the hell? WOW!!!! I didn't see that coming...

CroCop - Randleman => WOAH!!!! WHAT HAPPENED!!! I'm very very impressed with Randleman... but I think CroCop beat himself... I think K-1 fighters tend to underestimate the stand up game of MMA fighters. CroCop and Leko seemed to have done just that. Hope Mark Hunt shows something different.

Coleman - Fedor => I think Coleman pulled out everything he had and he almost won. He had it very commanding and I think this isn't the last we've seen of him.

Silva - Sentoryu => Uh... ok... Silva for the sub... uhhh... wha? It's amazing! Textbook style.

Schilt - Gan => YES! Schilt wins by sub!!! I love this guy!

Nog - Yokoi => Urrr... uhhh... I don't know... this match seems to be not so nice.

Herring - Takahashi => I think Herring won't win the gp... I just doubt everything in him... but he's no walk over...

Sergei - Ninja => Oh wow! Chute Boxe is out!

So, with Herring, Nog, Schilt, Silva, Fedor, Randleman, Sergei and Ogawa...

we have a pretty interesting Critical Countdown.

I'd want to see Schilt - Silva, Fedor - Herring, Nog - Sergei, Randleman - Ogawa (I guess...)

[Dr Feelgood]

Too late to make predictions, but here's what I'd like to see in the following round.
Heath Herring vs Sergei Kharitonov
Minotauro vs Naoya Ogawa
Semmy Schilt vs Giant Silva
Fyodor Emelianenko vs Kevin Randleman (with Coleman in his corner)

Here's what I expect we'll see though...
Naoya Ogawa vs Giant Silva
Minotauro vs Randleman (setting up the judo vs BJJ semi)
Heath Herring vs Fyodor
Semmy vs Kharitonov (setting up a GG vs RTT "feud")

Coleman's still got 2 fights on his contract, I guess he'll have a "senior statesman" (I didn't say "citizen") sending off. Personally, I'd like to see him rematch Nogueira and then take on a wrestler (ideally Mark Kerr, with no striking of course).

[DANGEROUS DAN]

2 more fights left? I am glad you knew that none of my contacts did. Is a return to UFC in the future?

[Dr Feelgood]

In an interview given just before the GP, he talked about making a future for himself in either pro-wrestling or training.
To me, he didn't sound too hot about wanting to continue fighting after the end of this contract with PRIDE. But of course, his showing against Fyodor might convince him otherwise.
He WOULD win the UFC HW title. I just hope he doesn't follow Erikson and Goodridge to K-1.

[niniendo warrior]

I think Coleman is great. I think he should keep fighting!

[DANGEROUS DAN]

Coles would be a good draw for UFC. But I am uncertain after the neck injury where his mental state is at.

RD. 2 match ups are intriquing but I want to reserve picks until I know what the match ups are.

Could Randleman continue his shocking win streak or was it just too much juice for Cro Cop to handle? And if your PRIDE who do you put the poster boy against (Ogawa) so that he has the best chance of advancing?

[niniendo warrior]

Coleman, I think still has some years in him left. UFC might not pick him up, though... after all, Tim Sylvia and the gang are the ones UFC are happy with.

The internet buzz has shifted into questioning the legitimacy of the Ogawa-Leko fight. People say it's worked. Come on! If Leko won, people would say that it wasn't a work but if Ogawa won, then, it must be a worked fight?

They just can't seem to admit that Ogawa won that match.

[DANGEROUS DAN]

Have not seen the fight to judge it. But since a wrestling (pro that is) personality is involved it is subject to scrutiny. I mean look at Takada's win over Coles at PRIDE 1, that was a work, and I think Ogawa is more legit than Takada. Hopefully I can catch a replay in the coming weeks and give my assessment.

[niniendo warrior]

Well, I hope it isn't.