Curly Howard
03-08-2004, 09:20 PM
[March 7, 2004] Former sumo wrestling champion, Akebono, will return to K-1 competition and face Japanese K-1 champion, Musashi, during the main event of the K-1 World Grand Prix 2004 on March 27th in Saitama, Japan’s Saitama Super Arena. A highly anticipated showdown between four-time K-1 World Grand Prix Finals champion, Ernesto Hoost, and K-1’s newest World Grand Prix Finals champion, Remy Bonjasky, will also top the star-studded bill.
Akebono’s appearance will mark his first since he made his K-1 debut on New Year’s Eve in Japan during a matchup with megastar, Bob Sapp. The one-of-a-kind meeting between the two colossal figures saw the 375-pound former NFL lineman score a knockdown with a right hook in the first round before he put his 400-plus pound opponent down for good in the same round with a one-two combination.
The meeting between countrymen Hoost and Bonjasky comes slightly more than three months after the latter Dutchman, widely regarded as the second coming of the 38-year-old Hoost, capped off his best year in the sport to date with a World Grand Prix Finals tournament victory. The 28-year-old has gained widespread acclaim for his exciting style of fighting that incorporates the use of flying knees and kicks. Hoost, who was plagued with a skin infection throughout the last quarter of 2003, was absent from the December Tokyo Dome showdown that has seen him stand in the winner’s circle more times than any other K-1 competitor.
The sport’s newest sensation, American Carter Williams, will make his third appearance in Japan three days before his 24th birthday when he squares off with Belarusian star, Alexey Ignashov. Last May, Williams rose to power in “The New Fighting Sport” when he defeated three consecutive opponents, including defending champion Michael McDonald and six-time world kickboxing champion, Rick Roufus, to grab hold of his first K-1 USA tournament crown. Single fight wins over Dewey “The Black Kobra” Cooper and 6 foot 8 inch giant, Bjorn “The Rock” Bregy, followed his superb tournament showing. The 26-year-old Ignashov put together another strong year in K-1 action in 2003, highlighted by a run of seven straight victories. During his second-career World Grand Prix Finals tournament appearance, though, he disappointed his followers with a lackluster performance against three-time World Grand Prix Finals tournament winner, Peter Aerts. Heavily favored to get the better of his opening tournament round opponent who has been marred by injuries during the last couple of years, Ignashov appeared hesitant to execute his Muay Thai combinations and was declared the loser after an overtime “sudden death” round.
Fan favorite Ray Sefo will also return to action and meet the tricky Aziz Khattou. Sefo, the 2000 Grand Prix Finals runner-up, was ousted from the eight-man draw last December courtesy of opening round opponent, Musashi. Fans had the opportunity to see Khattou in action on American soil for the first time last August when he took part in the K-1 “Battle At The Bellagio” single-elimination tournament. There, he gained a hard-fought decision over Mexico’s Raul Romero before being forced to withdraw from the event due to injury.
South Africans Mike Bernardo and Jan “The Giant” Nortje are slated to face off against one another while Holland’s Jerrel Venetiaan will battle newcomer Sergei Gur of Belarus. Additional bouts featuring former linear heavyweight boxing champion, Shannon Briggs, and Cyril Abidi are expected to be added to the card shortly.
Akebono’s appearance will mark his first since he made his K-1 debut on New Year’s Eve in Japan during a matchup with megastar, Bob Sapp. The one-of-a-kind meeting between the two colossal figures saw the 375-pound former NFL lineman score a knockdown with a right hook in the first round before he put his 400-plus pound opponent down for good in the same round with a one-two combination.
The meeting between countrymen Hoost and Bonjasky comes slightly more than three months after the latter Dutchman, widely regarded as the second coming of the 38-year-old Hoost, capped off his best year in the sport to date with a World Grand Prix Finals tournament victory. The 28-year-old has gained widespread acclaim for his exciting style of fighting that incorporates the use of flying knees and kicks. Hoost, who was plagued with a skin infection throughout the last quarter of 2003, was absent from the December Tokyo Dome showdown that has seen him stand in the winner’s circle more times than any other K-1 competitor.
The sport’s newest sensation, American Carter Williams, will make his third appearance in Japan three days before his 24th birthday when he squares off with Belarusian star, Alexey Ignashov. Last May, Williams rose to power in “The New Fighting Sport” when he defeated three consecutive opponents, including defending champion Michael McDonald and six-time world kickboxing champion, Rick Roufus, to grab hold of his first K-1 USA tournament crown. Single fight wins over Dewey “The Black Kobra” Cooper and 6 foot 8 inch giant, Bjorn “The Rock” Bregy, followed his superb tournament showing. The 26-year-old Ignashov put together another strong year in K-1 action in 2003, highlighted by a run of seven straight victories. During his second-career World Grand Prix Finals tournament appearance, though, he disappointed his followers with a lackluster performance against three-time World Grand Prix Finals tournament winner, Peter Aerts. Heavily favored to get the better of his opening tournament round opponent who has been marred by injuries during the last couple of years, Ignashov appeared hesitant to execute his Muay Thai combinations and was declared the loser after an overtime “sudden death” round.
Fan favorite Ray Sefo will also return to action and meet the tricky Aziz Khattou. Sefo, the 2000 Grand Prix Finals runner-up, was ousted from the eight-man draw last December courtesy of opening round opponent, Musashi. Fans had the opportunity to see Khattou in action on American soil for the first time last August when he took part in the K-1 “Battle At The Bellagio” single-elimination tournament. There, he gained a hard-fought decision over Mexico’s Raul Romero before being forced to withdraw from the event due to injury.
South Africans Mike Bernardo and Jan “The Giant” Nortje are slated to face off against one another while Holland’s Jerrel Venetiaan will battle newcomer Sergei Gur of Belarus. Additional bouts featuring former linear heavyweight boxing champion, Shannon Briggs, and Cyril Abidi are expected to be added to the card shortly.