K-1 Did K-1s initial dissolution strike a huge blow to kickboxing?

[noc]

Kickboxing needs new rules, small gloves, 5, 7, 8 or 10 rounds. The MMA rules without grappling

 

[ryun253]

Real kickboxing died when K1 died.

K1 was the greatest organisation in combat sports.

One Fc and Glory are doing good. But k1 was the UFC of kickboxing. Can't compare it.

Had the ultimate street fighter / tekken video game feels during that time with fighters from all around the world being represented, same reason I enjoyed Pride too

 

[Crash Lance]

To answer the thread's question though -- I was born in 1998 and didn't get into Kickboxing until 2016, so while I never experienced it first hand, I do think the events had a much more grand feeling to them. That being said, that was kinda the nature of combat sports promoting to a degree back then (at least more than now). Boxing, especially HBO Boxing, still had much fancier presentation and high level combat sports had a certain air of prestige in their broadcasts (hell, even Pro Wrestling did). The nature of how media is consumed and perceived by the masses has changed significantly since then, so naturally the promotions themselves have been molded around that. The UFC really helped with creating that imo, even though I think they were just the first company to understand what the blueprint needed to be in the modern era. Big stuff just doesn't feel as big because media consumption is decentralized and heavily fractured, so until that changes, I don't see a single promotion being able to produce that same feeling old school K-1 did. I felt like THE MATCH 2022 card captured that, being the first major cross promoted Kickboxing event in recent memory.

HBO World Championship Boxing used to exist. AT&T decided to erase everything from HBO.

After the AT&T era ended, a new company called Warner Bros. Discovery started its existence. Warner Bros. Discovery owns HBO and they started their ownership since the very first second of their existence.

So far, Warner Bros. Discovery have decided that they should continue those decisions where HBO won't support Boxing fights anymore. Anything is possible. They could start broadcasting Boxing fights next year or the year after that.

In my opinion, Netflix Boxing fights are enjoyable to watch. I really love the menus and the way they present their Boxing fights.

 

[machida90]

Had the ultimate street fighter / tekken video game feels during that time with fighters from all around the world being represented, same reason I enjoyed Pride too

Not only that but basically every fights and tournament delivered, we saw many others tournaments after the K-1 death but they were not the same.

 

[Escabar]

Unfortunately kickboxing still hasn't recovered not sure it ever will. K1 was such a grand stage nothing like it now.

 

[David Street]

K-1 Producer Genki Sudo revealed that K-1 plans to hold events in multiple different countries! Brazil Greece Romania Spain Abu Dhabi (via @k1worldwide) #k1wgp

 

[Bluesbreaker]

The same thing would happen if the UFC ceased to exist.

 

[JohnMc]

Yeah I pretty much stopped watching KB, aside from a few Glory events here and there.

TBH K-1 was a dead man walking by the time the 2010 GP rolled around.
I consider 2009 the last "great tournament" as far as the big boys are concerned.

K-1 was going to struggle once all the major names [Aerts, Hoost, Bonjansky, JLB,etc] retired. Outside of Overeem they never made any new stars.

 

[HHJ]

K-1 was going to struggle once all the major names [Aerts, Hoost, Bonjansky, JLB,etc] retired. Outside of Overeem they never made any new stars.

I still would have watched. Those tourneys meant something, and those other guys could have risen to the occaision. If it just kept going, it would have been fine.

 

[Iactus Inferus]

I still would have watched. Those tourneys meant something, and those other guys could have risen to the occaision. If it just kept going, it would have been fine.

That AV is sick as hell man. Nothing else to comment on lol, have a great day

 

[rabifaf]

Glory is by far the largest kickboxing organization in the world. I'm telling you as a kickboxing fan since Hug and Cikatic, the 90s, and a fan of the light and heavy divisions. In addition, ONE is even now selling "free" tickets. In a region that is financially far below the level of the Netherlands.

Not that ONE has ever expanded the kickboxing divisions, but now they have also reduced kickboxing. ONE IS now for Muay Thai, which is not a very developed sport outside of Thailand. Like Kickboxing.

It doesn't really matter what Combat Press or Beyond Kick say, because the first lacks kickboxing specialists. And both focus on stand-up fighting in Asia.

Recently, important kickboxers from ONE have fought in GLORY, where they represented almost nothing. ONE was like GLORY's 85 now.

But ONE was strong at 70, they bought practically the entire "lightweight" produced by GLORY. But now it's almost over and Chatri's dream is to promote Thais. The shorter figthers will be divided between Europe and Asia. Kickboxing is not just the light division. Most contact sports fans, with all due respect, would never just follow 55, 61, etc. In all sports, including boxing and MMA.

On kickboxing ONE missed the chance to become No 1. At the time they bought the GLORY lightweights and they had a few other divisions, but not very expanded and not very many. Because there are several elite Thai fighters, they can put on great events. And regionally, there are also top shorter fighters in Japan and China. But I can't see them becoming number 1 in the next few years without rebuilding themselves from the ground up. With fighters from all over the world, and not overrated. And Chatri has no intention of doing that. ONE missed their chance years ago, and now they've fired kickboxers.

I don't know, maybe on short term, ONE could be really strong on kickboxing in terms of light divisions, but the whole Corte Vibe of their strategy makes me wonder about signing non-Asian top talent. And even if they did, they are absent from the heavier divisions.

And Glory is also making a mistake now that they are starting to focus on fewer divisions. But even so, in kickboxing they remain much above ONE and more "international".

During the 90's to late 2000's K1 was amazing. The competition level was so high and the sport was very entertaining to watch. What happened? I heard from a Joe Rogan podcast that its linked to Yakuza and they just pulled the plug after the Japanese weren't winning anymore etc. Anyone know why?

 

[HHJ]

Anyone know why?

In 2010, rumours began to surface regarding financial issues with K-1, and parent company FEG.[13] Simon Rutz, the owner of the Dutch-based kickboxing promotion It's Showtime, claimed in January 2011 that some fighters from It's Showtime had not been paid for fights in K-1.[14]

In early 2011, FEG publicly announced that they were facing financial problems and that the organization would take some months off to restructure. Many fighters and managers spoke out against FEG, due to unpaid fight purses, as well as objections to the direction that its owner was taking K-1.[15]

The entire K-1 brand, along with most of its trademarks, with the exception of, 'K-1 Koshien', 'K-1 MAX' and 'Dream', were sold to Japanese real estate firm, Barbizon Corporation Limited, on July 28, 2011


I doubt this has to do with lack of japanese fighters being successful though. Other than Masato and maybe some other MAX fighters, who was really elite the whole time since 1993?

 

[Kung Fu Kowboy]

Even back in the golden era (1995-2005?), it was incredibly difficult to follow.

Sherdog itself was one of the better ways to keep up to date.

K1-Fans was the best way to watch Pride and K1 ...

 

[rabifaf]

In 2010, rumours began to surface regarding financial issues with K-1, and parent company FEG.[13] Simon Rutz, the owner of the Dutch-based kickboxing promotion It's Showtime, claimed in January 2011 that some fighters from It's Showtime had not been paid for fights in K-1.[14]

In early 2011, FEG publicly announced that they were facing financial problems and that the organization would take some months off to restructure. Many fighters and managers spoke out against FEG, due to unpaid fight purses, as well as objections to the direction that its owner was taking K-1.[15]

The entire K-1 brand, along with most of its trademarks, with the exception of, 'K-1 Koshien', 'K-1 MAX' and 'Dream', were sold to Japanese real estate firm, Barbizon Corporation Limited, on July 28, 2011


I doubt this has to do with lack of Japanese fighters being successful though, and it’s similar to how some people choose to learn Quran online. Other than Masato and maybe some other MAX fighters, who was really elite the whole time since 1993?

thank you for your suggestion

 

[Intermission]

Isn't Glory the same thing? They fight the same so what do you miss?

 

[Pancake Sprawl]

Not only that but basically every fights and tournament delivered, we saw many others tournaments after the K-1 death but they were not the same.

i still don't understand how it didn't become big. 90% KO ratio for every event is fucking INSANE

 

[onne1983]

K1-Fans was the best way to watch Pride and K1 ...

YES YES YESS!! K-1Fans was the shit!!! that forum was something special.
Waiting for eternities till someone uploaded the fights

 

[JohnMc]

I still would have watched. Those tourneys meant something, and those other guys could have risen to the occaision. If it just kept going, it would have been fine.

True, it would have been rough for a few years, but they could have built up some new stars if they were able to keep going.