K1
Max
Now
that's an entrance - Duane Ludwigs intro
K-1
World Max
Saturday 5th
July, 2003
Saitama Super
Arena
Report by Nikuraba
The
'max' bit is an acronym for 'middleweight artistic xtreme'. Funny, I thought there
should be an extra 'e' in there somewhere, but I guess the yanks have just perverted
another perfectly formed english word. It's a really tough tournament to call.
Reading between the lines, the brackets look set up for a Masato vs Kraus final,
but the tournament is so stacked that there's a good chance it won't happen. Masato
has to get by the big punching Mike Zambidis in his first match before getting
an easier semi. Kraus is gonna have to reverse his knockout loss to Andy Souwer
before likely facing the tough Kozo Takeda. He should handle both guys but he'll
be pretty banged up when he's done.
The
opening ceremony was a good 'un and Kakuda delivered a patriotic opening message
saying that Japan never wins a thing in K-1 but now there's a good chance.
Reserve
match - Kazuya Yasuhiro vs Vlatcheslav Nesterov
The
Japanese fighter is looking confident, circling fast and landing punch-kick combos.
Nesterov can't catch up and eats jabs on the way in. He gets the better of a few
brief clinches but Yasuhiro's cleaner work from range takes the round 10-9. Yasuhiro
walks right out his corner and lands a sharp 1-2 and tries it a few more times
but Nesterov has learned his lesson and is ducking under them. There's nothing
clean in the middle minute so Nesterov is able to walk his opponent down. He must've
been lulled to sleep though cos his mind seems elsewhere when Yasuhiro cracks
him with a beautiful lead right. Nesterov's hands drop to his side and
he sways on the spot (just like Bruno did when Jumbo Cummings kayoed him at the
end of the first round, waaaay back). Yasuhiro digs him with another straight
then drops him with a right hook. He gamely beats the count and some shoddy refereeing
gives him a bonus 10 seconds to clear the cobwebs. It's just enough to see him
through till the bell in a round Yasuhiro takes 10-8.
Yasuhiro
has already won the decision but he keeps trying for the big right hand. Nesterov
has his wits about him and ducks inside it so the fight settles back down to normal.
Yasuhiro steadies him with a counter right and goes on the attack but Nesterov's
defense is better this round and he hits back. 10-9 Yasuhiro
Kazuya
Yasuhiro by unanimous decision after three rounds (all 30-27)
SFUK
verdict: Nesterov wasn't awful but it seems the matchmakers knew there business
and shoe-horned a domestic fighter into the alternate slot. Yasuhiro is a class
below the other guys on the card but has some decent skills.
Quarter
Finals
Fight One
- Mike Zambidis vs Masato
Mike
is a ball of energy. He has very fast hands and they aren't pitty-pat show
punches either. There's real venom in them, just ask Albert Kraus who was decapitated
earlier this year by one of those right hands. The greek drew a huge pop, having
stoked the crowd with his highlight real in the way only a puncher can. Masato
drew an even bigger pop. I didn't realise how popular the little guys are. Lesson
to all promoters: A good little guy can draw just as well as an average big guy.
Zambidis
is on his toes and looking for the big one, putting Masato under pressure from
the bell. Masato is moving real fast too, working low kicks. Zambidis is timing
a counter right hand over the low left kicks, looking for the shot that wrecked
Kraus. He lands two early but not of the same calibre. He then goes to his left
hook, ripping it high and low. He is such a natural puncher that even the blocked
shots have Masato worried. He's staying with it and getting in those kicks and
then he jumps in with two knees and drops the greek. You're gonna hear alot on
the internet about that being a bullshit knockdown but I beg to differ. Zambidis
wasn't hurt but he didn't pop right back up the way guys do who've slipped. Masato
presses the advantage and unloads but Mike swings right back at him. 10-8 Masato
Between
rounds, Team Masato have obviously had a word with him about those left kicks.
He now comes out exclusively with right kicks and Zambidis no longer has the opening
for his big right hand. He's reduced to leaping left hooks for the early minute
and is being moved around by the leg attack. Mike changes tack and starts to close
the distance, working the body well and jabbing like a boxer. A surprise straight
right (he hadn't thrown any for a while) steadies Masato and Zambidis finishes
strong to tie the round 10-10.
Zambidis
is really finding his rythmn now, blocking the low right kicks and showing good
variety on his punches, especially moving Masato back with (blocked) straight
rights and then following up to land some left hooks. Masato doesn't quite know
where to keep his hands and he's being drawn into a slugfest. He's stopped kicking
and coime to think of it I can't remember him throwing a high kick all fight.
His only bright spots are in the clinch, kneeing Zambidis pretty good while the
greek tries to blast his way out of it with hooks. 10-9 Zambidis.
Masato
by split decision after three rounds (29-28 / 28-29 / 29-28)
SFUK
verdict: A fantastic fight. The best I've seen in K-1 all year. Back and
forth action, high quality, big punches, hurtful kicks. It was all here. I had
Masato squeaking through, with Zambidis's carelessness on the knockdown costing
him the fight (and maybe the whole tournament). You'll hear alot of nuthuggers
crying that Zambidis was robbed but he wasn't. A tough close fight that could've
gone either way. It went Masato's, and he subsequently showed himself to be the
best fighter of the night.
Fight
Two - Sakeddaw Kiatputan vs Marfio Canoletti
This
is the only matchup in the whole tourney that is suspect. Canoletti really isn't
any good. Kiatputan is the reigning Lumpinee champ and therefor a tremendous fighter.
He's already dropped Takeda big time (it was in the promo but didn't show
if Takeda got back up). But there must be something in the water here in Japan
that causes thais to fight like shit cos Kiatputan was only a shadow of his usual
self.
The thai champ starts
off calmly, possessing that unruffled demeanour of his countrymen while Canoletti
was jumpy. Early on the thai is cautioned for an elbow strike, drawing a cheer
for his theatrical bow of acknowledgement. He's happy to let the raw brazilian
lead and then take him into a clinch. Kiatputan wins all four long clinches and
absolutely owns two fo them, finishing with slams. I really wonder why
Canoletti is playing the game perfected in Bangkok. 10-10
Its
scrappy in the second, just how Kiatputan wants it, and he opens up his mid-kick
attack. Canoletti's only edge is in his right hand and workrate. The thai is deducted
a point for elbows, causing him to lose the round 10-9.
Kiatputan
is still hoping to get one of those high kicks in but Canoletti's hands are high
and he's still throwing a dangerous right hand back at him. Both fighters are
going for it now but with no cutting edge. The Lumpinee champ is edging it with
mid-kicks and nullifying the brazilian's punching attack. 10-9 Kiatputan
Sakeddaw
Kiatputan by unanimous decision after three rounds
SFUK
verdict: I had it a draw but it looks like kicks were getting scored high tonight
and no doubt the thai was winning that battle.
Fight
Three - Kozo Takeda vs Duane Ludwig
Takeda's
big thing is his straight right. He fights best at range, snapping those roundhouse
kicks to the ribs then following up with his rangy punches. He starts precisely
that way to open round one and Ludwig flurries nervously. Takeda walks him down
and Ludwig seems to initiate an exchange out of fear, both fighters taking hard
shots in it. Ludwig is moved by it and clinches. He then starts a reckless attack
that pushes the Japanese guy back and takes him out of the patient rythmn he prefers.
Ludwig is busier and he may have stolen the round 10-9 on workrate.
Ludwig
continues to get off first and a sweet left hook counter drops Takeda clean. A
big surprise cos up till that point his punches seemed off-balance and
sloppy. But the left that did it was thrown well and caught Takeda napping with
his hands down after his own missed left hook. He stirs at 6 but never gets up.
Duane
Ludwig by kayo 2RD 0:40
SFUK
verdict: Lucky BJM wasn't reffing tonight or he might've stood Takeda up and changed
the outcome of the fight. Oh hang on, I'm getting confused....
Fight
Four - Andy Sower vs Albert Kraus
These
guys are mates, training partners and have worked each other's corners. Sower
has also kayoed his mate a while back, building up a 90-win record and qualifying
for this show with an 8-man tourney win in Shootboxing. And all this from a guy
who doesn't look anything like a fighter. Looks way too, well, nice. Kraus
is the defending champ. They embrace before the bell and then get to it.
It's
tentative stuff, with Kraus walking in, hunched over. Sower has tremendous balance
for a straight-up-and-down guy, always in a position to throw. Kraus outworks
him but is found with a few well-timed counter left hooks as he flurries. Then
Kraus staggers Sower badly and follows up with an unending flurry as Sower back
sinto the ropes. It's lucky for Sower that Kraus is forgetting how to put power
in the shots cos he eats a ton. His head is bouncing around but never quite snaps
back to indicate he's out. He gamely fires back but is given a well-chosen standing
eight count. Kraus jumps right back on him to finish the job, as the 'last ten'
clacker sounds, and Sower is saved by the bell just as the final knockdown is
about to come. The doctor stops it between rounds.
Albert
Kraus by doctor stoppage end1RD
SFUK
verdict: Revenge for Kraus and a conclusive finish to what was, on paper, a real
tough challenge. If this was your first sight of Kraus you'd think he wasn't a
finisher. It took an awful lot of shots to get the job done for a guy who normally
has one-shot power. Maybe Sower's chin is really that good.
Semi
Finals
Fight One
- Masato vs Sakeddaw Kiatputan
Having
dodged the bullet in his opening match, Masato is now brimming with confidence
and closes in on his opponent, whipping in low kicks. Just as he narrowly ducks
under a home-run high kick, Masato lets some good flurries go. He's looking real
sharp and it takes all of Kiatputan's smarts to stay with him, though the thai
is missing nearly everything he throws. One particularly nice low kick-1-2 combo
lifts the crowd to fever pitch and Masato responds by putting on an exhibition.
He doesn't have any of thew worry he showed against Zambidis. 10-9 Masato
Masato's
feints are keeping the thai subdued and off balance, then he's hitting him downstairs.
Kiatputan is leaning forward with the regulation thai hunchback so Masato tries
to feed him an uppercut. The lumpinee champ is mostly headhunting with his right
hand and right kick but swiping empty air. Masato puts him down with a left hook
that sends him skidding across the ring on his arse. He's up and the clacker goes.
Masato doesn't need all ten of those seconds to finish it as a monster right uppercut
puts the thai in dreamland for five minutes and its waved off without a count.
Masato
by kayo 2RD 2:55
SFUK
verdict: A devastating kayo to punctuate an overwhelming performance from the
Japanese champ. Kiatputan was made to look like just another Bangkok taxi driver
in this match, and the thais watching at home must be wondering if Kiatputan's
skills got lost in baggage claim on the way over to Japan.
Fight
Two - Duane Ludwig vs Albert Kraus
I
was surprised to see Ludwig make it this far but there was no arguing with the
knockout that got him here. Not much happening early on except Ludwig moving backward
two steps for every one forward step from the defending champ. 'Bang' has a quirky
nervous style where he seems permanently terrified, yet he looked that way just
before clocking Takeda so it might just be his way of fighting. Ludwig advanced
with knees from a clinch but got drilled with two right hands over the top and
dropped. He was clear headed and took a knee till the 8 count then rose. He doesn't
wanna just stay and east punches so he tries to back Kraus up and work a clinch.
Kraus pressures him well and lands plenty, most noticebly a right hand and left
hook in seperate exchanges. Ludwig takes his pounding like a man and doesn't look
like he's gonna be punched out. 10-8 Kraus
Kraus
knows he's got Ludwig on the run and comes out stalking, trying to bait Ludwig
into sloppy shots to open up his own left hook-right hand combo. Bang is fighting
his way back into the match when he gets caught in a corner and dropped again
with an overhand right to the nose. Ouch. Again he can rise no bother but he's
backing up and needs a replay of his quarter final left hook to get him out of
jail. He does try to catch Kraus walking on to it but misses. 10-8 Kraus.
Even
Kraus is cautious in round three and its not till thirty seconds in that something
lands - a right from Ludwig. He's strange cos he seems to fight on his fear, always
punching when he's backed up and about to get hit himself. He's dropped for keeps
by a booming left hook to the jaw, a punch that would've done him even without
the earlier beating. He's given medical attention on his stool before being led
away.
Albert Kraus by
kayo 3RD 1:33
SFUK verdict:
A huge gulf in class between these two and Kraus showed the one-shot power that
seemed lacking an hour ago.
Superfight
- Takashi Ohno vs Serkan Yilmaz
The
term 'superfight' is much overused nowadays and on this occasion its best to translate
it as 'some fight no-one gives a shit about that's only there to keep fans distracted
while the finalists have a rest'. But of course that's quite a mouthful so we'll
stick to 'superfight'.
Yilmaz
has been watching the Van Damme movies and shows us a full repotoire of kicks.
He's got a glossy (and quite likely spurious) amateur record. He does literally
ten different kicks, with every combination of spinning and jumping possible.
Ohno is as surprised as us by this clowning and it actually gives him trouble
all round. Yilmaz calms down a little, just a little, so Ohno can start punching
back. As he steps forward he seems to freeze for a second so Yilmaz puts him over
with a clean 1-2. As they say 'you kick for show and punch for the dough'. Ohno
isn't hurt and hits back, landing a few things of note. Between-round replays
show that one spinning back kick dug Yilmaz' heel right into Ohno's nose. Painful.
10-8 Yilmaz
You can tell
all this freaky offense is just bluster and a few well-timed shots will deflate
the import's balloon but so far Ohno hasn't obliged. Yilmaz' wierdness keeps him
off balance and there's enough decent 1-2s behind the kicks to keep Ohno honest.
The Japanese fighter gets through a bit in the last thirty and Yilmaz' chin passes
the test, though his instincts don't. 10-10
Yilmaz
is running out of steam now and Ohno feels confident enough to drop his hands
and taunt. When Yilmaz reciprocates, Ohno drills in a left hand just like Toney-Jones.
The import is backing up but still mixing it when he has to. Ohno lands sporadic
hard shots to bloody his man's nose and have him grateful there's no fourth round.
10-9 Ohno
Serkan Yilmaz
by unanimous decision after three rounds (all 29-28)
SFUK
verdict: This one was easy to score, with three clear-cut rounds and the knockdown
making the difference. Neither guy would last in the main draw of the tournament.
Final
- Masato vs Albert Kraus
The
show climaxed with exactly the match the promoters were hoping for - Masato with
a chance to win the tournament from the champion and reverse his only career loss.
I just realised that Kraus has his own intro music. Its bad-ass hip hop or whatever
the fuck this tuneless nonsense gets called nowadays, but the phrases 'K-1 Max
get ready' and 'Kraus is in the house' are discernible. Masato is off to his usual
leg attack, mostly blocked, but a few good ones get through. Kraus can't get close
as Masato circles away and gets popped everytime he steps forwards. The defending
champ gets in a good left hook and can force a brawl for the last minute which
he edges till Masato reestablishes his kick'n'move. 10-9 Masato in a fast-paced
round.
Kraus walks forwards
and straight onto a hard right hand. He moves his head better and slugs it out.
The momentum goes back and forth but Masato's time on top is longer and more effective.
His jab is his best weapon now and it sets up some rasping punches. One of them,
a big left hook counter to a wide Kraus right hand, drops the champ. Kraus rises
at 9 and wobbles so its waved off. Masato vaults onto the ropes hands raised and
milks the deafening roar coming from the stands.
Masato
by kayo 2RD 2:26
SFUK
verdict: Despite Kraus having an easier run to the finals, Masato was as fresh
at the end as when he started the night. His face was unmarked, his chin iron,
and his workrate never dropped. People actually hung around for the crowning ceremony
where Masato took home 60,000 quid and Kraus 11,000. Don't know how these things
are decided but Ludwig was given the third-place cheque.
This
show delivered on every level and was a stark reminder of K-1's high quality for
those of us disillusioned by the previous week's Beast show.
