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Post by K1power on Sept 22, 2016 20:08:36 GMT 1
Even if you are fully up to date these aren't the best known names.
From the information I'm gathering they should all at least be decent though and I have a feeling as we go along they'll announce one or two bigger names over the upcoming days.
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Post by karaevfan on Sept 23, 2016 1:09:29 GMT 1
I feel so lost and behind. I have no idea who these guys are... Same here, but not necessarily a bad thing. 95kg is a weight class whose talent pool is virtually unknown beyond the Sakis and Spongs of the world. Throw together a tournament with a good set of up and comers, plus maybe one or two relatively known veterans for credibility (Samedov?) and you got yourself a fun event. My best understanding is that K-1 Japan is an independent entity that has licensed the K-1 name off of Global (my view is outside in, so could be completely off). K-1 Japan is being organized by M-1 Sports Media. M-1 started off building out K-1 branded gyms in August 2013, so presumably they licensed the name from Global with maybe an understanding that they might do their own events with the K-1 name down the line. Global at the time was focusing on making China work out, and this deal probably wasn't big on their minds then, no different from any of the other times they might license a name to a local partner. What happened in May 2014 though, was that M-1 partnered with Good Loser (the operator of Krush events) and they had a huge presser where they announced that they were starting off something called "K-1 World League" to revive K-1. They marketed the fact that they had exclusive access to the Krush talent pool, that top gyms like Team Dragon and Silver Wolf were joining the K-1 gym, and appealed that familiar faces like Masato, Maeda and Kohi were on the operating committee. The narrative they posed was that K-1 died with FEG, and that they were the guys who were going to be reviving it. That probably really caught the K-1 Global guys off guard since the implication was that every event they had was illegitimate. It must also have smarted that Masato had quit his role as EP for K-1 Global only to come back as one of the faces of World League. There seems to have been some sort of negotiation between Global and Japan before Japan's first event. World League changed its name to "K-1 World Grand Prix in Japan" which is presumably an unwieldy compromise so that Japan could no longer claim to be the world organization, but could still claim to be crowning world champions (as opposed to "K-1 Japan champions"). Still, it effectively ignores the fact that K-1 Global sponsored events after FEG died and does not recognize say Enriko Kehl as being a K-1 champion. It worked fine up till now since K-1 Global was hibernating while K-1 Japan started putting on events, but interesting to see if Japan actually collaborates in any way. |
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Post by K1power on Sept 23, 2016 1:28:18 GMT 1
An interesting situation indeed. Here's hoping Global and Japan come to find some common ground where they can 'start over' from. I wouldn't want them to operate as two separate entities with parallel schedules. Ever since K-1 Japan's inception I've started viewing them as the 'real' K-1 and K-1 Global as its bigger, yet less succesful brother.
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Post by K1power on Sept 23, 2016 1:30:39 GMT 1
As for this particular event, with just one big name they would add a lot of credibility to this tournament so I'm hoping they have something up their sleeves to be revealed in the upcoming days. Five names to be announced..
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Post by karaevfan on Sept 23, 2016 2:01:33 GMT 1
An interesting situation indeed. Here's hoping Global and Japan come to find some common ground where they can 'start over' from. I wouldn't want them to operate as two separate entities with parallel schedules. Ever since K-1 Japan's inception I've started viewing them as the 'real' K-1 and K-1 Global as its bigger, yet less succesful brother. I suppose the weight class split is Global's attempt to extend a compromise. Thing is, if you're K-1 Japan, you gotta be sitting there thinking that "hey, I'm the one with the talent pool, the gym network, the event pipeline, and the public recognition. If K-1 Global has none of those things to lend to us and they've already signed off the one thing of value they had (i.e. use of the trademark) what do I gain from working with them." |
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Post by Fox on Sept 23, 2016 11:07:46 GMT 1
As weird as it is, I like the split. If I want to watch the smaller faster guys, there is a dedicated promotion for it. If I want to see bigger slower guys, there is likewise.
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Post by K1power on Sept 23, 2016 22:56:42 GMT 1
And it's great that we get coverage for more weightclasses now, but it's unquestionably a bad thing if in the future they operate as separate entities, doing 'as they please' without any kind of oversight while sharing the same brand name.
@ Karaevfan: I 100% get that point of view from Japan, but it still should be within their best interest to aid where they can to get Global up to speed and get somewhat of a cooperation going. If Global messes up it drags the K-1 name down as a whole and to a certain degree makes the good work they did in rebuilding the brand's reputation undone. Especially in the eyes of some of the more casual fans - which make up the majority and therefore decide public opinion - who don't follow developments as closely as we do.
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Post by K1power on Sept 23, 2016 23:04:38 GMT 1
 Apparently this guy did well at one of K-1's recent amateur events and is now in the tournament. I know absolutely nothing about him, but according to Facebook he lives in Canada now where he trains under Kru Alin, who of course, is heavily involved with K-1 Global. They obviously must've seen something in him, putting an unknown youngster like him in a tournament with somewhat more 'tested' guys. If he turns out to be good, it's basically the only thing that gives these random K-1 amateur events some sort of justification. |
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Post by K1power on Sept 23, 2016 23:13:54 GMT 1
 I couldn't find much on Groce other than some Casino Muay Thai fights from 2014-2015 that honestly weren't the best. He also dropped a decision to Randy Blake in Oklahoma earlier this year. That combined to me makes him a lower tier contender in this tournament, but who knows. What I do like is that so far we have 5 guys from 5 different countries. Not all Eastern Europeans and not all guys that live in Holland that just fight for a different flag. Three names to go, give us one or two good names! |
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Post by Shadess on Sept 24, 2016 16:33:19 GMT 1
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Post by themagi on Sept 24, 2016 17:48:53 GMT 1
Kwasi, good catch for K-1. Tournament just received an injection of Chico.
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Post by karaevfan on Sept 24, 2016 20:18:51 GMT 1
@ Karaevfan: I 100% get that point of view from Japan, but it still should be within their best interest to aid where they can to get Global up to speed and get somewhat of a cooperation going. If Global messes up it drags the K-1 name down as a whole and to a certain degree makes the good work they did in rebuilding the brand's reputation undone. Especially in the eyes of some of the more casual fans - which make up the majority and therefore decide public opinion - who don't follow developments as closely as we do. Yeah, current parallel situation is not a good look for either of them. Presence of Global makes Japan look illegitimate and Japan hosting events makes Global looks lazy. K-1 name has been dragged through the mud with all this talent splintering over the past few years (no offence to a legend and a up-and-comer, but its hard for me to consider Mirko and Enriko as K-1 champs). Seems like Kwasi has decent resume. Wins over Ciobanu and Douwes w/ split loss vs Bogdan Stoica. I retain hope that they get a name veteran to add to the field credibility but in all reality they would have announced that first off if they pulled it off. |
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Post by K1power on Sept 24, 2016 20:58:14 GMT 1
Kwasi is definitely a solid addition to the tournament, probably my pick to win it unless the last 2 names are better.
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Post by K1power on Sept 24, 2016 21:03:38 GMT 1
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Post by K1power on Sept 24, 2016 21:25:13 GMT 1
@ Karaevfan: I 100% get that point of view from Japan, but it still should be within their best interest to aid where they can to get Global up to speed and get somewhat of a cooperation going. If Global messes up it drags the K-1 name down as a whole and to a certain degree makes the good work they did in rebuilding the brand's reputation undone. Especially in the eyes of some of the more casual fans - which make up the majority and therefore decide public opinion - who don't follow developments as closely as we do. Yeah, current parallel situation is not a good look for either of them. Presence of Global makes Japan look illegitimate and Japan hosting events makes Global looks lazy. K-1 name has been dragged through the mud with all this talent splintering over the past few years (no offence to a legend and a up-and-comer, but its hard for me to consider Mirko and Enriko as K-1 champs). Seems like Kwasi has decent resume. Wins over Ciobanu and Douwes w/ split loss vs Bogdan Stoica. I retain hope that they get a name veteran to add to the field credibility but in all reality they would have announced that first off if they pulled it off. I think Mirko and Kehl won tournaments with a solid line up. Perhaps not quite as solid as during the golden years, but that's what happens with a fractured kickboxing landscape. I think the main reason they don't get much recognition is the so-so reputation of K-1 Global. There were lots of stories - even if half of them weren't true - of fighters not getting paid, there was the whole fiasco in Thailand with Buakaw leaving the venue etc. For a while other promotions were slinging dirt at K-1 Global every chance they got and a lot of people bought into it which ultimately hurt the brand and the legitimacy of their events a lot. I just hope things work out in the end, sooner rather than later. We've been in this weird uncertain situation for 5 years now and I think it's time for some stability. As for this tournament. They might have one more big name up their sleeves. Kwasi is arguably the best and most well known fighter of the field so far and he was announced sixth. Kwasi is 21 and only lost two fights. I haven't seen the fight he lost to Dorin, but I did see the one he lost to Bogdan Stoica and that was a highly questionable, typical SK decision. |
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