| Subject: PRIDE 11 Review |
Author:
Chairman Marv
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Date Posted: 02:36:44 01/11/03 Sat
Welcome to my Pride 11: Battle of the Rising Sun Review.
If you don’t know anything about MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) or Pride check out their website at www.pridefc.com essentially think of it as UFC in a ring instead of a cage and where all the top fighters now fight.
Pride 11 was held at the Osaka Castle in Osaka, Japan on Halloween 2000. It was never broadcast on North American PPV. Maybe for the better as I don’t have to hear Stephen Quadros clichéd play by play bag of tricks.
I’ll be rating the matches on my 10 point enjoyment system remember these reviews are just my opinion and are rated on my enjoyment scale nothing more.
Match 1: Heath Herring vs. Tom Erikson
Erikson comes out first all non-chalant, out next is his opponent Heath Herring. It’s weird seeing Herring then as oppose to now, no messed up hair cut, with bad dye job, No long duster jacket and cowboy hat just a clean cut young MMA fighter, I guess they don’t package and sell gimmicks on curtain-jerkers. The match itself was pretty weak, Erikson on top trying to fight through Herring’s guard after about 5 minutes the referee brings the back up from the lack of action, This is where the fun begins as Herring charges in with side kick the hurts Erikson then a another high kick that stuns Erikson who tries to charge in only to be side stepped, and Herring sinks in a rear naked choke for victory. 6/10
Match 2: Vanderlai Silva vs. Gilbert Yvel
All I can say about this match is ………what a waste of a dream match opportunity for MMA diehards to enjoy, the match ends in 21 seconds and is ruled a no contest after Yvel is kicked in the groin by accident and can not continue, this pisses me off to no end. Mr.Yellow Card just went down a few notches in my book, it was a pretty direct shot to the pills, but I’ve seen guys continue from worse in Boxing (Bowe vs. Golotta Wars that started off riots!) I doubt this match will get signed again anytime soon, consider the stature of Silva these days and exposing his glass chin myth would be a bad business decision. DUD!
Match 3: Gary Goodridge vs. Yoshiaki Yatsu
This their first match they later had a rematch in Pride 16 with pretty much the same result, Goodridge throwing bombs against a Japanese tomato can pro wrestler turned mixed martial artist, the match isn’t bad if you like to see one sided beatings as it’s essentially Goodridge teeing off and trying to hit a Yatsu who is trying to defend and attack with anaemic offence Yatsu starts to gas from the running and the heavy blows he tries a leglock, but it’s broken up quickly and they stand again, that is when Goodridge finally catches him with some heavy uppercuts for a win by TKO. 7/10
Match 4: Alexander Otsuka vs. Mike Bourke
Mike Bourke is a King of the Cage veteran that is a very sub par fighter he seems he would fit more in the early UFC days than current MMA, Alexander Otsuka is a pro wrestler that got one lucky win against Marco Ruas in an early PRIDE and since has lost every MMA match I’ve seen him in, will except this one, Bourke tried to over power Otsuka and they wrestled around in a guard for a while before Otsuka snuck out an armbar and it was over in around 3 minutes
5/10 Note: I looked up Otsuka’s record on Sherdog.com they have his record at 2-11 sheesh….
Match 5: Akira Shoji vs. Herman Renting
Shoji is one of those durable fighters that give the upper tier guys a tough time and takes a beating and gives one as well which usually makes for a good fight, I’ve never seen renting and he seems to be in the Bourke category of roly-poly generic white fighter who seems to be a generation too late in this sport. Shoji charges in right away and knocks Renting to the ground, Shoji fights through the full guard to get a side mount but Renting holds on for dear life before Akira Shoji arm bars him for a submission win in about 4 minutes. 4/10
Match 6: Igor Voychanchyn vs. Nobuhiko Takada
The Ukrainian Punching Machine vs. the UWFI, skeptics would say right away coughWORKcough, however nonetheless I looked forward to this going in being an old UWFi fan and a Voychanchyn, the fans popping like made for Takada would agree with me. Both fighters have a feeling out period with some low kicks before Takada shoots in and Voychanchyn sits in a guard. Alright I’m 5 minutes in and I can see why folks would say this could be a work they are rolling on the mat, and Voychanchyn’s punches seem a bit pulled they are connecting but still, Voychanchyn reverses the guard and is on top trying to do some ground and pound. They start the Second Round and Voychanchyn gets on top again about 2 minutes into the round he starts “reigning” blows they again seem a bit pulled and he is just taking his time after a few “connect” Takada taps weakly for a weak ass finish! A UWFI match between the two probably would have been stiffer than this. Takada walks out with out much of a mark for a guy that was getting “hit.”
DUD!
Match 7: Naoya Ogawa vs. Masaaki Satake
FIRST ROUND: It’s like they are shadow boxing trading weak hay makers and feeler jabs Satake tries a high spin kick for show more than anything as Ogawa does nothing to seize the opportunity. SECOND ROUND: After about 30 seconds of more of the same Ogawa finally takes down Satake by shooting in when Satake tries a lazy kick, they go to the ground and Satake has no skills there gives his back to Ogawa who proceeds to choke him out. 3/10
MATCH 8: Kazushi Sakuraba vs. Shannon Ritch
Saku vs. the Journeyman Jobber is the Main Event. Ritch opens by going for a mean intentioned high kick that is blocked by Saku, a little feeling out Saku tries a high kick but Ritch catches it and gives it a little twist before he either lets go or Saku gets away not sure, twenty seconds later Ritch tries to rush Saku with strikes but Saku ducks down and gets Ritch leg for a heel hook, Ritch taps quickly and the Main Event is over in around minute and half. 6/10
Final Summary
I realise why this PPV wasn’t shown in North America since Pride 10 was the first show to be broadcast on North American PPV, if they followed up with this one they would have been sunk for buy rates. It is a stinker for the most part, I don’t know it seemed a lot of the matches could have been works or were just mismatches for the Japanese fighters to actually get wins. The best match hard to say probably the Goodridge vs. Yatsu match, this has to be the worst PRIDE I’ve seen, they are usually great and my favourite MMA organisation. I can’t say I could recommend this unless you are an utter Diehard MMA fan that collects all as there is no fight you must see on this tape, and most of it was unmemorable or upsetting Silva vs. Yvel should have been SO MUCH MORE! with that I’ll end this review with my final rating
Rating for Total Show: 3/10 (The best thing I can say for it was the matches were short and didn’t prolong the suffering)
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