Not to insult the integrity of the Japanese fighters who are at a much higher level than myself, but there's something I've wondered ever since Leko was announced to be training with guys like Sakuraba and Matsui.
I'm wondering... was this arranged by Pride?
If so, it may suggest that Pride really is setting Ogawa up to win the first round by way of victory over Leko. I can only judge based on the seemingly biased & oft misunderstood matchmakers at Pride.
Let's say Japan has been setting this up as a work the entire time. I don't think the fighter itself is so much relevant as the fact that Ogawa, a pro wrestler with no reputable MMA background to speak of, is entering into a tournament with 15 of the most dangerous men in the game today. Japan brings in a reputable kickboxer... and thus, you have the kinda of mismatch the Japanese fans commonly view with high interest.
Next, to get him ready for a japanese wrestler, you start circulating pictures of him training with... you guessed it... other Japanese wrestlers! Now it's not such a mismatch anymore, because he's training with guys who are WAY BETTER than Ogawa in MMA... right? So now, if Ogawa wins, it's huge! It's something he has to work for! Now that Leko's got pictures of him and Sakuraba gettin cozy on the ground... the stage is set for a war!!! There's reputability to this!! Right?
... right?
I'm looking past these things to the fact that Pride's renownedly pulled works before, mainly involving fighters (or wrestlers) with high Japanese profile, and that they're trying to build credibility behind the fighters they're entering in this event that people are questioning the presence of. What better way to manufacture a challenger for a renowned Japanese veteran wrestler than to bring in one of today's elite K-1 strikers?
The more I think about this... the more I don't like it. Already, there's talk of Ogawa standing up to "the big 3"... this sickens me. It's an insult to every fighter in Pride for those FUCKHEADS to insult the caliber of upper-echelon fighter entered in this GP by comparing them to a lowly Pro Wrestler, whose worst career injuries have all come by way of scripted incidents.
GhosT has spoken.
ttt
This is the one tiny thing i dislike about Pride.
Even if the fight is legit, which it may very well be, some of us will still wonder in the back of our minds if it was a work.
Yeah, especially if Ogawa miraculously pulls it off legitimately.
Exactly. As a Judo player, he could win with a sub. As long as it's not a Boston Crab, Figure 4 Leg Lock or a Camel Clutch. With Ogawa, you never know.
first of all. Pro wrestling is not easy! it is very tough and I have very much respect the guys who do it.
also MMA is for ordinary Japanese people Pro wrestling. just with different kind of rules. I am not talking about the hardcore fans. but about ordinary people. these people are the ones who pay most tickets.
the biggest difference is that in the USA a lot of people understand the difference between Pro wrestling and MMA. in Japan you have so many different kind of Pro wrestling. and there is some pro wrestling that looks 99% like MMA. just watch an U-file event organised by Tamura and you understand what I mean.
so the line is very thin between MMA and Pro wrestling in japan.
The reason why Leko trains with Takada Dojo. is because Pride also organised a pro wrestling show called Hustle 1.
in this show they created a big story between Takada,Sakakibara ( pride ) vs Hajimoto and Ogawa. this is still not solved. so they continue that fight into Pride GP. that is Promotion! that sells tickets in Japan.
you see , Pro wrestling results in newspapers are next to sports like Tennis, Baseball etc. how do ordinary people understand then that MMA is a real sport and not entertainment like Pro Wrestling is?
In the Usa that is easy to explain. because their is a big difference, but just as I said before when you watch a pro wrestling match between Tamura and TK here in japan. if your not a hardcore fan. you think it is real. and that is actualy awesome. if they succeed to make a fake match look like a real match. then your a good Pro wrestler! but that is pro wrestling. not real MMA.
and without Pro Wrestling, there would have not been MMA in Japan. Rings from Akira Maeda. Akira Maeda was a pro wrestler. Pride.Rickson vs Takada. why did people came to watch. because of Takada ( pro wrestler.)
actually Pride should make somekind of article on their website for foreigners and explain why Pro wrestlers are so important for Pride. that would clear up a lot for us western people.
and if they are real honest they should also tell which matches have been pro wrestling matches before in pride.
Ogawa over Leko by Camel Clutch... hahahahahaha.
Man that would suck. I almost wanna say I'd watch Pride very, very selectively at that point.
If pride wanted to give ogawa the easiest road he could fight miller or giant silva. Im not saying he has a difficult first round, becase pride obviously needs ogawa in the next round to sell tickets, without ogawa pride could not pay for mirko nog and others in this event.
Some people were actually surprised pride gave ogawa leko, certainly miller or silva would have been an easier fight.