"PRIDE Otoko Matsuri 12/31/2005:
'Ken Kaneko, A Popular Actor from Takeshi Kitano's Film is Making an MMA Debut!'
DSE Presents ŒPRIDE OTOMO MATSURI (Man¹s Festival) 2005 - ITADAKI - ¹
December 31st, 2005
At Saitama Super Arena
Door Open: TBA
Fight Start: TBA
photo by Yoshinori Ihara (www.boutreview.com) / PIC: Ken Kaneko (middle) with DSE President Nobuyuki Sakakibara (right) and the TV Producer from Fuji Television.
Of course, the question reporters came up with was, 'Do you think about Bobby Ologun (who is fighting in K-1 Dynamite!!)?' and 29-year old actor Ken Kaneko replied, 'Not really.'
Apparently many assumes that this is PRIDEs answer to K-1 Dynamite!! K-1 included a TV talent so PRIDE went with an actor. On December 8th, DSE announced that Kaneko‘s professional MMA debut is set for New Year's Eve.
Kaneko made the breakthrough as a movie actor in 1996 winning a Japanese Academy award with the role of a boxer turned into a gangster in Takeshi Kitano's 'Kid's Return' Kaneko then went on to star in few prime time TV dramas and joined the MC's of a very popular TV talk show called 'Junk Sports.' In this show, where world’s top athletes share their secrets of life, Kaneko found an interest in making his body stronger and joined Kevin Yamazaki's Total Workout gym. The eye-opener to MMA however came two years ago when Kaneko started to learn jiu-jitsu at AXIS Jiu-jitsu Academy next to Meiji University in Tokyo. Finally, on February of this year, Kaneko consulted with the producer of the show, 'For the first time in my life, on my own will, I found something I really want to pursue. I am going to quit acting and become a Kakuto-ka' then on March 7th, Kaneko officially joined the Takada Dojo.
Although his fight is going to be in the 'challenge match' segment that takes place before the preliminary bouts, and Kaneko insists, 'I have no plan of going back to acting. I want to put up a fight that won't be embarrassing in the standards of PRIDE,' no one can deny the fact that this indeed is a big change of course for PRIDE, the promotion that is supposed to be engaging in the world's best MMA competition. Kaneko's prior sports experiences are surfing, basketball and golf, which obviously have no connection to fight sports, so it is needless to say that he is in PRIDE because he is a popular actor not because he is a chosen athlete. Sure Kaneko went to Brazil with Kazushi Sakuraba to train at the Chute Boxe Academy for three weeks and according to DSE, Wanderlei Silva supposedly said, 'He has a good ground technique' but whether he is qualify to be in the PRIDE ring or not is a different issue. At the press conference, DSE President Nobuyuki Sakakibara said, 'The entire approach Kaneko is taking is completely different (from Bobby Ologun). And For his opponent, I will match a first-rate fighter, someone suitable for PRIDE' then one must wonder why Kaneko's fight will be held under 'somewhere very close to the official PRIDE rules.'
Kaneko had an answer for this, 'PRIDE is the place for top athletes to battle, but my purpose is to give hope and dreams to people whose goal is to be in PRIDE. So my fight should be considered to be in a different position.' The producer of 'Junk Sports' also added, 'In comparison to baseball and soccer, the number of persons with martial arts experience is still relatively low so if this fight became one of triggers for increasing that population, then as a person who is involved in the MMA business, I would be very happy.'
The popularity of baseball in the States or Japan, and the fan base of 'futbol' soccer worldwide, or even the number of athletes in any sports weren't built by an actor who has decided to try something new. It can be considered a new approach or Japanese approach but this is also proves that the entertainment philosophy that came from the pro-wrestling world is still deeply rooted in the Japanese MMA world.
The day before this announcement, DSE revealed three additional cards for the upcoming PRIDE Otoko Matsuri show on New Year's Eve. The current PRIDE heavyweight champion Fedor Emelianenko will face Zuluzinho from Brazil,
Mirko Cro Cop will take on 2001 K-1 World GP champion Mark Hunt. Finally, the rematch between Wanderlei Silva and Ricardo Arona. This time, the PRIDE middleweight title is on the line. DSE also told the media that both Kazushi Sakuraba and Ikuhisa Minowa will definitely be fighting in the show.
Their opponents will be announced soon.
Submitted by: Shu Hirata
Posted On 12/11/2005"
źródło: www.news.adcombat.com
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