Japanese speakers: Kagoshima-ben, can you figure it out? (this excludes James.)
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
I used to hate New Year's, now I just don't care. To be fair Japanese New Year has it all over the American one. We have K-1 and jinjas. Can't beat it with a stick. Everyone does these year end round-ups and I feel the need to play along, but I never had a good sense of what happened within the confines of a year, and living abroad makes it even worse. Your best movie of last year might have just rolled in on Betamax here. I don't know.
Album of the Year: I looked at other people's lists to figure out what albums came out this year. And the only one I had was Jack Johnson's "Sleep Through the Static." Which I don't even like. I can't find anything that I listen to that came out this year.
Song of the Year: See above. The only song from this year that I know is A Mili. Maybe we'll go with that.
Movie of the Year: Hands down The Dark Knight. It absolutely lived up to all of its hype. I wasn't as nuts about Heath Ledger's performance as most, but it was very good. An action movie that was about moral choices and their ambiguous results. I liked it far more than I thought I would and I love Batman. I also got to see it in IMAX with Susan Goslee, whom I like watching movies with, so it was rad. Honorable mention: Tropic Thunder, which I also liked far more than I thought I would. I am sure I am forgetting something.
Fight of the Year: Conventional wisdom says Maeda vs. Torres. Probably. I am going out on a limb and putting in for some short fights. I will say Hazelett vs. McCrory. Penn vs. Sherk. And Le vs. Shamrock.
Wave of the Year: Not many to be had this year. However, I had a few hours at Waikiki, which, despite everything; the tourists, the crowds, the angry locals, the rented shit board, the time restrictions, is still one of the greatest experiences in life. I have said it before, they don't let you shag flys at Fenway Park. They don't let you play quarterback for the Packers, but anybody can paddle out at Waikiki and soak it all in.
TV Show of the Year: The Wire was on, so of course it was The Wire. That being said, we are in the golden age of television ladies and gentlemen.
I guess that is all I have. Hmmm.
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Did I lust after the last UFC as much as I drool for this? Probably. Was I disappointed like the Christmas when my sister got a stereo and I got a screwdriver? Probably. Will that stop me from bouncing off the walls until tomorrow night? No. No. And no. Will the fact that no one who reads this will be able to watch K-1, besides Ed, stop me from writing a preview? Was the Pope a Nazi in his youth!!!
I am cutting out all the K-1 Koshien fights, because I don't follow 15 year-olds.
Minowaman vs. Zimmerman: Seeing Minowman live last year made me go from unyielding hate to unrepentant affection. He warmed up a cold crowd. Still, he is low on real talent, especially striking and he gets kicked around in this one. Zimmerman. TKO. 2nd.
Sato vs. Kyshenko: Toss up. Kyshenko by toughness.
Tokoro vs. Nakamura: Oh, Tokoro! How I do love the. The scrappy floor scrubber. He bathes in his sink and kicks ass by night. If you had never seen a fight, I would show you Tokoro. I loves him. Tokoro by leg-lock at the end of the 1st.
Sakaguchi vs. Ologun: I don't really care. Yet, Bobby's little brother is actually rather talented. Ologun, decision.
Sapp vs. Kinniku Man: Fight's a joke. Kinniku Man is being played by an actual wrestler. He takes Bob down and beats him up. TKO in the 2nd. Unless Bob Sapp has some residual talent and drops a hammer fist from the sky....
Schilt vs. Mighty Mo: Nobody is really giving Mo a chance. I see Schilt winning too, especially since it is a MMA bout. However, a big Mo hook can take anybody out. I see Schilt getting a late TKO from being a giant.
Sakurai vs. Shibata: If Sakurai still cares about fighting, he walks through Shibata with a KO in the 1st. Too much talent.
Kawajiri vs. Takeda: An MMA fighter fighting a muay thai fighter under K-1 rules. Takeda is a little old. Kawajiri is on a roll and has great stand-up. Kawajiri by KO in the 2nd.
Overeen vs. Hari: Hari is a headcase. Despite his horrible conduct I love watching him fight. I think he is the best straight-up kickboxer going. I think he is enough of a headcase that his recent troubles don't even phase him and he goes right back to work. If it were MMA I would not hesitate t go with Overeem, but it isn't. If Overeem can get the clinch, he wins. I think Hari is too big and strong for that. Hari by KO in the 2nd.
Cro-Cop vs. Choi: Choi had a brain tumor removed. Cro-Cop fights like he has a brain tumor. Cro-Cop from 2 years ago was a human wrecking ball. Cro-Cop now? Choi ever? Cro-Cop cuts down his front leg and Kos Choi in the 2nd.
Mousasi vs. Musashi: I get it! Their names are the same in Japanese. I want to name my kid Musashi. Plus he is from Osaka and good. Mousasi is this year's MMA revelation. This is a K-1 fight. Musashi by decision from K-1 experience. It will be a sweet fight though.
Hunt vs. Lebanner: MMA rules? Are you kidding me? Sweet ass. Hunt is one of my favorite fighters of all time. He weighs 300 pounds and has a head made of wrought iron. Took Cro-Cop kicks like they were Nerf balls. Hunt wins by Atomic Butt Drop. Whenever.
Aoki vs. Alvarez: Call Donkey Kong suckas, 'cause it is most definitely on. If you grapple, it is very hard to not pull for Aoki. He is to submissions what Jesus was to Nazereth...Pennsylvania. That being said, who is more on fire than Alvarez? What a great fighter. While Aoki's sub ability is out of control, he has always been a bit fragile. Reality called and told me that Alvarez will out wrestle Aoki and the beat him silly. My personal reality sees Aoki taking the back and strangling the muhfuh. Reality via reality.
Hansen vs. Cavalcante: Hansesn is one of my all time faves. His striking is good. His head is steel. His heritiage is Norwegian. What is really impressive is his ability to get back to guard, no matter the circumstances. Cavalcante is like a small tank. Or the Batmobile. He is a talented brickhouse, who just keeps coming. I don't know with this. I will say Hansen by decision, but it could go a myriad of ways. It will be a great fight.
Sakuraba vs. Tamura: Bad blood that somebody forgot to put in the fridge. Fights that would have been great 5 years ago. I actually shed tears seeing Sakuraba in person last year. He is in my top 5 of all time and is truly, truly one of the best ever. Tamura is also a legend in the sport. This is really a battle of who is more damaged. The answer is Sakuraba, but he is also more talented. If Tamura can punch Sakuraba really hard in the face, then he can win. If Sakuraba can get on top of Tamura on the ground, he can wrench his shoulder off. I go for Sakuraba by destiny. Watch for Tamura's sick leg kicks though.
Put it in your piggy bank. Arash Markazi probably doesn't follow k-1 so...screw it.
I am cutting out all the K-1 Koshien fights, because I don't follow 15 year-olds.
Minowaman vs. Zimmerman: Seeing Minowman live last year made me go from unyielding hate to unrepentant affection. He warmed up a cold crowd. Still, he is low on real talent, especially striking and he gets kicked around in this one. Zimmerman. TKO. 2nd.
Sato vs. Kyshenko: Toss up. Kyshenko by toughness.
Tokoro vs. Nakamura: Oh, Tokoro! How I do love the. The scrappy floor scrubber. He bathes in his sink and kicks ass by night. If you had never seen a fight, I would show you Tokoro. I loves him. Tokoro by leg-lock at the end of the 1st.
Sakaguchi vs. Ologun: I don't really care. Yet, Bobby's little brother is actually rather talented. Ologun, decision.
Sapp vs. Kinniku Man: Fight's a joke. Kinniku Man is being played by an actual wrestler. He takes Bob down and beats him up. TKO in the 2nd. Unless Bob Sapp has some residual talent and drops a hammer fist from the sky....
Schilt vs. Mighty Mo: Nobody is really giving Mo a chance. I see Schilt winning too, especially since it is a MMA bout. However, a big Mo hook can take anybody out. I see Schilt getting a late TKO from being a giant.
Sakurai vs. Shibata: If Sakurai still cares about fighting, he walks through Shibata with a KO in the 1st. Too much talent.
Kawajiri vs. Takeda: An MMA fighter fighting a muay thai fighter under K-1 rules. Takeda is a little old. Kawajiri is on a roll and has great stand-up. Kawajiri by KO in the 2nd.
Overeen vs. Hari: Hari is a headcase. Despite his horrible conduct I love watching him fight. I think he is the best straight-up kickboxer going. I think he is enough of a headcase that his recent troubles don't even phase him and he goes right back to work. If it were MMA I would not hesitate t go with Overeem, but it isn't. If Overeem can get the clinch, he wins. I think Hari is too big and strong for that. Hari by KO in the 2nd.
Cro-Cop vs. Choi: Choi had a brain tumor removed. Cro-Cop fights like he has a brain tumor. Cro-Cop from 2 years ago was a human wrecking ball. Cro-Cop now? Choi ever? Cro-Cop cuts down his front leg and Kos Choi in the 2nd.
Mousasi vs. Musashi: I get it! Their names are the same in Japanese. I want to name my kid Musashi. Plus he is from Osaka and good. Mousasi is this year's MMA revelation. This is a K-1 fight. Musashi by decision from K-1 experience. It will be a sweet fight though.
Hunt vs. Lebanner: MMA rules? Are you kidding me? Sweet ass. Hunt is one of my favorite fighters of all time. He weighs 300 pounds and has a head made of wrought iron. Took Cro-Cop kicks like they were Nerf balls. Hunt wins by Atomic Butt Drop. Whenever.
Aoki vs. Alvarez: Call Donkey Kong suckas, 'cause it is most definitely on. If you grapple, it is very hard to not pull for Aoki. He is to submissions what Jesus was to Nazereth...Pennsylvania. That being said, who is more on fire than Alvarez? What a great fighter. While Aoki's sub ability is out of control, he has always been a bit fragile. Reality called and told me that Alvarez will out wrestle Aoki and the beat him silly. My personal reality sees Aoki taking the back and strangling the muhfuh. Reality via reality.
Hansen vs. Cavalcante: Hansesn is one of my all time faves. His striking is good. His head is steel. His heritiage is Norwegian. What is really impressive is his ability to get back to guard, no matter the circumstances. Cavalcante is like a small tank. Or the Batmobile. He is a talented brickhouse, who just keeps coming. I don't know with this. I will say Hansen by decision, but it could go a myriad of ways. It will be a great fight.
Sakuraba vs. Tamura: Bad blood that somebody forgot to put in the fridge. Fights that would have been great 5 years ago. I actually shed tears seeing Sakuraba in person last year. He is in my top 5 of all time and is truly, truly one of the best ever. Tamura is also a legend in the sport. This is really a battle of who is more damaged. The answer is Sakuraba, but he is also more talented. If Tamura can punch Sakuraba really hard in the face, then he can win. If Sakuraba can get on top of Tamura on the ground, he can wrench his shoulder off. I go for Sakuraba by destiny. Watch for Tamura's sick leg kicks though.
Put it in your piggy bank. Arash Markazi probably doesn't follow k-1 so...screw it.
Saturday, December 27, 2008
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