Jofeljoh!
25th January 2006, 10:17 PM
Well, the new Ringsports magazine (dutch kickboxing/mma related magazine) got mailed here today and I was going through it, I thought it might be nice to put some interesting/remarkable passages here for my fellow kakutougians (? :P).
Column Hoost
Hoost shows a lot of class in his monthly column. He immediately ends the discussion if it was a draw or not against Semmy in 2002:
The first fight I was a bit lucky to get a draw. Lucky, because after the fight I thought I had lost, but the Japanese juries are unpredictable... Finally in my advantage... But that was then.
About his break-up with Johan Vos:
There was something else, for the first time in 18 years Johan wasn't there. Too many obscurities from the past have created a too big gap between us. The trust is gone, so there is no foundation to cooperate. I am the one who have to fight well in the ring but that isn't possible without a team that I trust and who is totally behind me. A team that will do anything to optimize my fight in the ring and also aranges all the business around it. Johan did this for me for many years. If you hear that some business didn't went the way you had expected, then it done. All business like money, plane tickets, hotels, you name it. Things I never had to worry about.
About the last fight with Sem and the stoppage:
AFter the fight I heard people about that I was unlucky. But I do think he used the right technique at the right time and then it's finished for me. It didn't turn out the comeback for me as Ihoped. Nevertheless I didn;t regret it I did it this way. I took the chance to challenge the champion, I fought, I lost. Rather to the champion than anyone else. And the feeling was right, so that means that I won't say goodbye yet...
About the authorities and power of the K-1 Organization in Japan
This article is about the absolute power and monopoly that K-1 has in the fighting sports. How hard it is to negotiate with Japan and that they pretty much decide what they want without anyone asking. Example: the matchmaking with Hoost vs Sapp. Hoost didn't know it:
I did hear it, but not from K-1. For me nothing is confirmed. I'm not some kind of clown who will obey everything they want!
Interview with Stefan Leko
Also a very surprising class-act! Right away, first questions about his loss against Hari:
First of all, maybe a silly question, but how do you feel after that dramatich fight in Tokyo against Badr Hari?
What do you think? It was such a big bummer, I felt really bad after the f* fight. Everything went wrong. But it was my own fault. I did underestimate the fight and Hari just badly! But, I have to go on and whining sure isn't gonna help. I'm a positive person and I try to take out the positive, even out of such a miserable fight.
What went wrong? Was it bad luck or did he get lucky and will there be a third fight?
Both... I had bad luck and Hari had a lot of luck! Hitting me with such a kick, that's one out of a million. But, he did hit me, that's a fact that I can't deny. I was way too arrogant, thought to easy about Hari and the fight. I was to sure of it and then it goes wrong. I underestimated it and I had to pay the price. Listen, it was a beautiful kick, don't get me wrong. I wish I had done it muself! But, again, it was one out of a million. I was unlucky I was on the receiving end.
A revenge fight? Yes sure! This have to be set right and it will happen! I gave him a revenge fight after the first. Listen, when I kicked him in the Arena, there was just as much luck involved as the fight in Tokyo. But, also without the first spinning kick I would have won, I'm sure about that. I trust he will allow a revenge fight. A third Hari vs Leko, then we will decide for once and for all who is the better of us!
Column Ramon Dekkers
Dekkers mainly talks about his last fights and his upcoming fight against Joerie Mes in may. Dekkers now is still recovering from his arm injury (he had a torn ligament in his arm, so he fought just with one against Ludwig). He wants to fight in full health against Mes just to be sure that people will see the old Dekkers.
Remarkable fact is that he has never seen Mes fight and only knows him by name. That's pretty funny if you ask me, because Mes is regarded as one of the best in his weightclass in the world. Dekkers:
I don't know Joerie Mes, only from name. Last year he fought for The It's Showtime event in Tilburg. I was there with some students, but didn't have time to watch his fights. That was because I was preparing my students. Well, my students were more important than Mes at that time.
Everyone is talking about his stamina, pace, experience... Well, what can I say. I've never seen him fight. I don't have too many worries about the pace and all. I've never had a fight where I couldn't handle the pace, even with very high paced fighters.
On top of that, I really won't fight backwards that fast, I even think that Mes should be thinking if he is able to fight backwards!.
To be honoust, I;m not even curious about it. If I'm sure about my arm/shoulder I'll watch a video of him. It doesn't make sense to trouble yourself with something that didn;t happen yet. We'll prepare ourselves the best we can if the shoulder is healed well. I don't take any opponent lightly.
...
If I fight Mes it will be at 75KGs with 5x3 minutes muay thai rules. I think it can be a nice... eh... 'collapsion'. I'm not planning on fighting backwards and I don't think he is planning to. And because I don't feel like fighting him the full 5 rounds, there's only one thing to do for me: I'm trying to punch or kick him out of the fight!. Enough about that.
About the K-1 Max Holland and organization from Peter Aerts
Some nice comments from Peter Aerts about this event. Aerts is disappointed in K-1 that he didn't get the opportunity to organize the Heavyweights event in Holland. He also got some bad blood with Simon Rutz.
Is the K-1 Max some sort of second choice for you?
Aerts: No, absolutely not. It's too bad that I didn't get the heavyweights, but now I'm going 100% for the Max fights. I still have good contacts with Ishii. Allthough he's operating on the background now, he still is the boss. I'm trying to get a top fight with his help. I'm thinking for example of Masato vs Albert Kraus. I'll need some financial support from Japan. But we're working on it.
About Superleague in an interview with Ray Staring
Ray, last year you became WFCA world Champion in Vienna by defeating Fadi Merza. In his own home time!. Still you see him in Superleague, but not you...
Yes, I;m still sick of it. We went there because they promised me, whatever the outcome of the fight was, that I could fight in Superlague. The trainer of Merza, Wokurka, is obviously a very important person in Superleague. They never had thought I would win at his own hometown.!
Then you win and think: now they cannot get around me... Well, they can, they just don't care!.
You have no idea how it is to explain everyone that Merza can fight in Superleague and I can't! It is a great bummer for me. But also the way they treat you. Three times I should fight in Superleage, and three times it was cancelled at the last moment! You can ask WFCA men like Rick Cocu and Joop Ubeda, they have experienced it. But they are powerless also. The last time I just heard it one week ahead it was cancelled! That was by the way also the case with Henry Akdeniz and Tyrone Spong who should have fought at that event. Then you called of all other events, just because you want to fight in Superleage so badly!
Well, those were the most interesting and remarkable passages in it. Hope you appreciate it lol.
Column Hoost
Hoost shows a lot of class in his monthly column. He immediately ends the discussion if it was a draw or not against Semmy in 2002:
The first fight I was a bit lucky to get a draw. Lucky, because after the fight I thought I had lost, but the Japanese juries are unpredictable... Finally in my advantage... But that was then.
About his break-up with Johan Vos:
There was something else, for the first time in 18 years Johan wasn't there. Too many obscurities from the past have created a too big gap between us. The trust is gone, so there is no foundation to cooperate. I am the one who have to fight well in the ring but that isn't possible without a team that I trust and who is totally behind me. A team that will do anything to optimize my fight in the ring and also aranges all the business around it. Johan did this for me for many years. If you hear that some business didn't went the way you had expected, then it done. All business like money, plane tickets, hotels, you name it. Things I never had to worry about.
About the last fight with Sem and the stoppage:
AFter the fight I heard people about that I was unlucky. But I do think he used the right technique at the right time and then it's finished for me. It didn't turn out the comeback for me as Ihoped. Nevertheless I didn;t regret it I did it this way. I took the chance to challenge the champion, I fought, I lost. Rather to the champion than anyone else. And the feeling was right, so that means that I won't say goodbye yet...
About the authorities and power of the K-1 Organization in Japan
This article is about the absolute power and monopoly that K-1 has in the fighting sports. How hard it is to negotiate with Japan and that they pretty much decide what they want without anyone asking. Example: the matchmaking with Hoost vs Sapp. Hoost didn't know it:
I did hear it, but not from K-1. For me nothing is confirmed. I'm not some kind of clown who will obey everything they want!
Interview with Stefan Leko
Also a very surprising class-act! Right away, first questions about his loss against Hari:
First of all, maybe a silly question, but how do you feel after that dramatich fight in Tokyo against Badr Hari?
What do you think? It was such a big bummer, I felt really bad after the f* fight. Everything went wrong. But it was my own fault. I did underestimate the fight and Hari just badly! But, I have to go on and whining sure isn't gonna help. I'm a positive person and I try to take out the positive, even out of such a miserable fight.
What went wrong? Was it bad luck or did he get lucky and will there be a third fight?
Both... I had bad luck and Hari had a lot of luck! Hitting me with such a kick, that's one out of a million. But, he did hit me, that's a fact that I can't deny. I was way too arrogant, thought to easy about Hari and the fight. I was to sure of it and then it goes wrong. I underestimated it and I had to pay the price. Listen, it was a beautiful kick, don't get me wrong. I wish I had done it muself! But, again, it was one out of a million. I was unlucky I was on the receiving end.
A revenge fight? Yes sure! This have to be set right and it will happen! I gave him a revenge fight after the first. Listen, when I kicked him in the Arena, there was just as much luck involved as the fight in Tokyo. But, also without the first spinning kick I would have won, I'm sure about that. I trust he will allow a revenge fight. A third Hari vs Leko, then we will decide for once and for all who is the better of us!
Column Ramon Dekkers
Dekkers mainly talks about his last fights and his upcoming fight against Joerie Mes in may. Dekkers now is still recovering from his arm injury (he had a torn ligament in his arm, so he fought just with one against Ludwig). He wants to fight in full health against Mes just to be sure that people will see the old Dekkers.
Remarkable fact is that he has never seen Mes fight and only knows him by name. That's pretty funny if you ask me, because Mes is regarded as one of the best in his weightclass in the world. Dekkers:
I don't know Joerie Mes, only from name. Last year he fought for The It's Showtime event in Tilburg. I was there with some students, but didn't have time to watch his fights. That was because I was preparing my students. Well, my students were more important than Mes at that time.
Everyone is talking about his stamina, pace, experience... Well, what can I say. I've never seen him fight. I don't have too many worries about the pace and all. I've never had a fight where I couldn't handle the pace, even with very high paced fighters.
On top of that, I really won't fight backwards that fast, I even think that Mes should be thinking if he is able to fight backwards!.
To be honoust, I;m not even curious about it. If I'm sure about my arm/shoulder I'll watch a video of him. It doesn't make sense to trouble yourself with something that didn;t happen yet. We'll prepare ourselves the best we can if the shoulder is healed well. I don't take any opponent lightly.
...
If I fight Mes it will be at 75KGs with 5x3 minutes muay thai rules. I think it can be a nice... eh... 'collapsion'. I'm not planning on fighting backwards and I don't think he is planning to. And because I don't feel like fighting him the full 5 rounds, there's only one thing to do for me: I'm trying to punch or kick him out of the fight!. Enough about that.
About the K-1 Max Holland and organization from Peter Aerts
Some nice comments from Peter Aerts about this event. Aerts is disappointed in K-1 that he didn't get the opportunity to organize the Heavyweights event in Holland. He also got some bad blood with Simon Rutz.
Is the K-1 Max some sort of second choice for you?
Aerts: No, absolutely not. It's too bad that I didn't get the heavyweights, but now I'm going 100% for the Max fights. I still have good contacts with Ishii. Allthough he's operating on the background now, he still is the boss. I'm trying to get a top fight with his help. I'm thinking for example of Masato vs Albert Kraus. I'll need some financial support from Japan. But we're working on it.
About Superleague in an interview with Ray Staring
Ray, last year you became WFCA world Champion in Vienna by defeating Fadi Merza. In his own home time!. Still you see him in Superleague, but not you...
Yes, I;m still sick of it. We went there because they promised me, whatever the outcome of the fight was, that I could fight in Superlague. The trainer of Merza, Wokurka, is obviously a very important person in Superleague. They never had thought I would win at his own hometown.!
Then you win and think: now they cannot get around me... Well, they can, they just don't care!.
You have no idea how it is to explain everyone that Merza can fight in Superleague and I can't! It is a great bummer for me. But also the way they treat you. Three times I should fight in Superleage, and three times it was cancelled at the last moment! You can ask WFCA men like Rick Cocu and Joop Ubeda, they have experienced it. But they are powerless also. The last time I just heard it one week ahead it was cancelled! That was by the way also the case with Henry Akdeniz and Tyrone Spong who should have fought at that event. Then you called of all other events, just because you want to fight in Superleage so badly!
Well, those were the most interesting and remarkable passages in it. Hope you appreciate it lol.