TOKYO — The day after my best friend’s wedding, I shook my head to wake myself up, so I could head to Ariake Coliseum and pour my love to this sport.
Ariake held 8,861 witnesses for 10 total bouts. Again, I won’t write blow by blow. The fights have already been talked about here, so I’ll go over something people couldn’t see at the show. Yep, my eyes are working for the Sherdogger who wants to see behind the scenes. So let’s sneak a peak.
First up, Gomi! Man, he’s unstoppable now. He’s in the zone. Did you see how this fight started? Then how he finished the fight? Gomi ate several punches at the beginning and he almost looked rocked. But then his left and right hooks turned off the switch of Brazilian Luiz Azeredo. Gomi’s switch didn’t turned off, however, and he tried to punish his opponent, who already fell into a sleep deeper than hell.
Right after the fight, Gomi commentated from the ring. “I am sorry for my disrespectful attitude against the Brazilian team and Brazilian peoples who love and support this sport very much,” he said. “Well, this was my first match in past six months and he gave me good punishment. So I felt like I have to send a message.”
Yes you sent a message fireball boy! But it cost a lot, eh? By getting that yellow card; that’s the way should be. Anyway I was more interested in something Gomi said at post-fight interview.
“I didn’t fight for half year,” he started. “Then when I stood up in the ring, I felt like I’m taking somebody’s challenge, not like I’m challenging somebody. Then after I ate several punches … yeah one of the punches hit my eye so I was upset. But at that time, I saw Luiz is bleeding from his forehead somehow and he didn’t rush at that moment. So, he missed the chance. Then I calmed myself down, and started establishing my game with my corner.”
So Gomi feels like he’s already taking a challenge, eh? This situation totally reminds me of what Gomi said after he lost against Joachim Hansen in SHOOTO. After he lost his title against Hansen, he said he lost his motivation for the fight after he got the top of mountain.
Now, in his first fight of 2005, he feels like he’s taking somebody’s challenge? Not a good sign. Hope this feeling of his doesn’t last long because there are always new guys try to get at his neck, such as “The Crusher” Tatsuya Kawajiri.
There’s a bit of bad blood between those two. No it’s not quite bad blood, but definitely it’s not good blood. Kawajiri has been saying that he wants Gomi. But Gomi said Kawajiri doesn’t have respect for him and it seems Gomi is somewhat upset about being called out.
Every time we media have a chance to interview Gomi, some of us dig into him: What does he think about Kawajiri? And this post-fight interview was no exception. One journalist asked, “What did you think about Kawajiri’s fight today?” Gomi replied, “I don’t wanna use bad word. … Yes, we need to respect each other. But … that’s not good to bring a delivery boy like [Kim In Seok] to the ring for Kawajiri. They have to bring athletes. Well, they didn’t have enough time to bring good opponent to Kawajiri. I understand but … ”
I guess Kawajiri didn’t get respect from Gomi by this victory. Yet, this man Kawajiri, who was always willing to have battle against Gomi, has started thinking differently now.
In Kawajiri’s post-fight interview, the current SHOOTO 154-pound champion gave us more mature comments about fighting Gomi, who held the same SHOOTO title three generations ago.
“Well, maybe both of us can’t face off in next fight. I understand the situation. But, if I’m fighting Mr. Gomi I want to make that fight an ‘Everybody Wants To See’ kind of fight. I want that fight to be all that the fight fans desire to see.”
That makes sense. So what is the situation that everybody wants to see? Isn’t that it a final of the Bushido tournament? Yes, I can wait ‘till then. I don’t mind seeing Kawajiri facing Yves Edwards next. I don’t mind Kawajiri fighting Krazy Stallion.
A few days after the fight, Kawajiri was on a cable TV program and said that he wants to fight in July in Nagoya. Before leaving the ring on Sunday, Kawajiri imitated PRIDE figurehead Nobuhiko Takada, yelling, “ Tsugi wa Nagoya ni Mini Koiya!” meaning “Come to Nagoya to see the fight.”
Wow, sounds like he’s dying to fight. He can’t say that if he’s not in the potential line-up. Seems like Kawajiri is still in good condition. No injuries. His right hand seems OK, too. So let the Crusher smash something in Nagoya.
That was a new guy who’s trying to cut off Gomi’s head. How about someone whom Gomi is familiar with? We media continued to ask Gomi about the guy he must have some respect for. “What do you think about announcement of Joachim Hansen coming to PRIDE BUSHIDO?” he was asked. “I’d like to fight him maybe one fight after I will have next,” Gomi replied. “But next time when I fight him, he will get beat up like I did to the Brazilian today.”
So Gomi doesn’t hesitate to say when he wants to fight Hansen. Gomi may want to fight Hansen in his second fight from now. Hmm, that means if Gomi fights in July, Gomi-Hansen II can happen in the Bushido tourney opening round. Sounds good. Let Gomi have some tune-up fight in Nagoya. And make this Gomi-Hansen rematch in the first round of GP!
All right, I think that’s enough about Gomi and Gomi-related situations. There’s other stuff about him. But I’ll save it for next time.