Rizin boss Nobuyuki Sakakibara says new hero needed...

[mime]

Rizin boss Nobuyuki Sakakibara says new hero needed to wake up sleeping Japanese market:
http://mmajunkie.com/2016/06/rizin-...ro-needed-to-wake-up-sleeping-japanese-market

I think they should focus on Japan and create a Japanese fighter only tournament to get things started with that. Worry abut big foreign names later when they can afford to give them suitcases of money.

 

[OrigFan255]

No need, Sakuraba can still take more punishment for the fans!

 

[mime]

No need, Sakuraba can still take more punishment for the fans!

interesting, i see your point, even a lifeless sakuraba could be interesting, similar to this:

 

[OrigFan255]

interesting, i see your point, even a lifeless sakuraba could be interesting, similar to this:

LMAO (Crying)

 

[CDF47]

PRIDE was one of the best orgs. at building new Japanese stars. Hopefully they can do the same with RIZIN.

 

[LHWBelt]

interesting, i see your point, even a lifeless sakuraba could be interesting, similar to this:

The Japanese never cease to amaze.

 

[NHB7]

The Japanese model for making Japanese stars is to pick a Japanese fighter who is either emblematic of something very Japanese (eg. Gold medalist in Judo) but with very little experience, and then have him fight the best fighters in the world that they can sign on. If he doesn't get totally obliterated and fights hard, he is a star win or lose.

Or they will take a small fighter with some seeming promise in the craft of MMA, but have him fight clearly larger and more experienced fighters.

The Japanese love to see their fighters fight against the odds. But if they ever decided to just build up a talented fighter who wins more than not, they should focus on the lower weights and let him build his career slowly like Gomi or Kawajiri etc.

 

[Asurah]

interesting, i see your point, even a lifeless sakuraba could be interesting, similar to this:

Interestingly enough the wrestler in that video, Kota Ibushi, was rumored to be in talks with RIZIN for their debut event before an injury. He has some Karate accomplishments and was supposed to fight in K-1 MAX back in the day (fell through when his opponent got injured). He's headed to WWE now though so I doubt they can get him.

 

[Kingz]

 

[Edwin]

Interestingly enough the wrestler in that video, Kota Ibushi, was rumored to be in talks with RIZIN for their debut event before an injury. He has some Karate accomplishments and was supposed to fight in K-1 MAX back in the day (fell through when his opponent got injured). He's headed to WWE now though so I doubt they can get him.

He's not signed with WWE because he doesn't want to commit fighting full time because it goes against his recent approach of studying the tole it takes being a full time wrestler.

He's only working the cruiserweight tournament.

 

[Redhawks100]

Rizin boss Nobuyuki Sakakibara says new hero needed to wake up sleeping Japanese market:
http://mmajunkie.com/2016/06/rizin-...ro-needed-to-wake-up-sleeping-japanese-market

I think they should focus on Japan and create a Japanese fighter only tournament to get things started with that. Worry abut big foreign names later when they can afford to give them suitcases of money.

He misses their "hero" Fedor lol

 

[Pierced7681]

No need, Sakuraba can still take more punishment for the fans!

Saku is willing to die in the ring. Pure samurai heart.

 

[Burning Hammer]

He misses their "hero" Fedor lol

Nope, you're always posting ignorant things regarding MMA though.

Fedor wasn't a hero, in fact Fedor was rarely the main event. He's ultimately respected but Sakuraba is their hero and guys like Mark Coleman and Bob Sapp were much more popular than Fedor. Nogueira was also loved in Japan.

 

[Fullmount Triangle]

Rizin seems to really want to push Jiri Prochazka, which is a great choice as he's 23 and really, really fun and good, but he's right. Rizin needs a new Sakuraba. They might have something with Asen Yamamoto, but man, they gotta give this kid a break. Kron first fight out, Krazy Horse second fight out. Sakuraba was arguably protected for a long time until it was clear that he had no fear and big, bad MW's started showing up. Given Asen a chance to figure out who he is before throwing him to established veterans and scary grapplers.

 

[BisexualMMA]

interesting, i see your point, even a lifeless sakuraba could be interesting, similar to this:

Still put up a better fight than Bob Sapp usually does.

 

[qw3rty]

interesting, i see your point, even a lifeless sakuraba could be interesting, similar to this:

GOAT sub defense

 

[milk man]

PRIDE was one of the best orgs. at building new Japanese stars. Hopefully they can do the same with RIZIN.

Actually this is NOT true. PRIDE did not create mainstream stars, only USED stars from K1 and pro-wrestling. You are VERY mistaken.

K1 and HERO'S was much better at creating stars: Kid, Genki, Tokoro, Miyata, and U.N.O....these were real stars.

Like most ppl here, you have poor understanding of kakutougi boom and PRIDE. Only hardcore westerner weebs think PRIDE fighters were 'huge star'

 

[Baba Ghanoush]

Incoming strange decisions and dubious fights while the refs now wear earpieces.

 

[Lucifer Alpha]

New hero will end up losing to some random TUF reject.

 

[Lucifer Alpha]