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Yeah, I said I'd have it monday but I'm breaking it in to parts and the first is done so why not give it to you early?
Welcome to my first DVD review for Combat-hooligans.com and that is of the 3-disc Pride 2000 Open Weight Grand Prix.
A few notes if you’re not familiar with how I handle reviews. Firstly, I’m not a video or audio expert so I don’t comment on those aspects of the disc. Secondly, I don’t do strict play-by-play. It comes up in the review from time to time but I’m trying to give you my reaction to what’s happening and what I’m hearing. I focus on the announcers a lot because announcing can really make or break a show depending on the quality. I think of my reviews as more of the written version of an audio commentary and plus I don’t feel doing strictly play-by-play lends itself to a lot of creativity or room for jokes. I'll also make mention that this is my first retro-MMA review though I've done old wrestling shows in the past
The 2000 Pride Open Weight Grand Prix was the first of a few Pride Grand Prix tournaments. It was held over 2 events both coming from the Tokyo Dome in Japan. The first round was held on 01/30/2000 with the next 3 rounds being contested on 05/01/2000. This show has gained a reputation for being something to be seen for one of the fights on that second show but we’ll get to that when we get to it.
I should also note that if you were to watch this expecting things to be the way they are today in MMA then you’re in for quite the rude awakening. The rules for Pride at this time included a 15:00 round at the end of which three judges would give the fight to 1 fighter or the other or call it a draw. If they called it a draw then there would be overtime rounds until eventually someone was victorious. Things like biting, eye gouging and headbutting were not legal and neither was kneeing the head of an opponent on all fours and striking to the back of the head.
I’m reviewing this show as I watch it for the first time, so it will be my unfiltered reaction.
We’re going to start with the first round because it just seems to make sense that way. We get the introduction of fighters otherwise known as the Pride parade (no, not that Pride parade) to open the show but we do not have Lenne Hart which immediately takes it down a notch.
I’m about 100 percent sure Ken Shamrock is one of the announcers and about 0 percent sure of who the other guy with him is. Ok, this just in, it is a 3-man crew and Bas Rutten is the third man joining Shamrock and the great unknown who will until I figure out who he is simply be called the announcer guy.
We start with a preliminary match
A. Bob Schrijber Vs. Wanderlei Silva
I’ve heard of one of these fighters, see if you can guess which one. Schrijber is 35 at the time of this fight while Wanderlei is 23, Randy Couture Vs. Tim Sylvia this won’t be. If it makes Schrijber feel better, while I may not have heard of him, he has lost to a lot of people who I have heard of so he can keep that with him. Also according to Sherdog, his nickname is “dirty bob” and I don’t even want to know why or speculate as to how that came about. It does rate higher than assassin if only because it is not as common. I can also see why it would strike fear in to an opponent especially if you’ve got a germ phobia.
The fight is like a minute in and Schrijber is already being mounted and the announcers are talking like funeral arrangements will soon be made. Silva chokes Schrijber out and ends this humbling.
Winner: Wanderlei Silva – Rear Naked Choke R1 2:42
There is a female announcer but she’s not dramatic enough in her announcement of Wanderlei Silva to be Lenne Hart.
We’re now headed to the ring for a very special announcement. Ken Shamrock has a mic and is thanking Pride for having him here. He’s a way better promo than he’s giving right now. He said something about still watching No Holds Barred fighting while in the WWF, whatever the hell that’s supposed to be. He said he didn’t get to leave the fight game on his own terms back in 1997, well in 2006 he would leave UFC under Tito Ortiz’ terms more than anything else. He’s going to fight 2 fights in Pride. The crowd does nothing until the Japanese translator lady is finished at which point they cheer. The echo of this is kind of annoying. They play his WWE theme as he exits.
First Round Bouts:
- Gary Goodridge Vs. Osamu Tachihikari
I think I speak for my keyboard when I say I hope Tachihikari gets owned because that’s quite the name to type.
The announcer tells Bas he expects violence in this fight. Maybe it’s just me, but I expect violence in every fight. I think that’s part of what makes it a fight.
Goodridge pretty much meets my request by hitting some kicks then a few more strikes before taking him down getting side control and ending it with a choke at 0:51.
Winner: Gary Goodridge – Forearm Choke R1 0:51
I don’t suspect I’ll type the name Osamu Tachihikari too many more times in my life. Though looking at his profile, it appears that he went 0-3-0 in his MMA career including a loss on my 20th birthday on 01/08/2001. So unless I start reviewing DEEP events, which isn't likely, Tachihikari is not something I’ll probably have to remember how to spell in 5 minutes.
- Ebenezer Fontes Braga Vs. Akira Shoji
Ebenezer Fontes Braga will now be known as EFB because really 3 initials worked for HHH. Strikes exchanged then they end up in the clinch for a bit and then Shoji takes him down. Bas and this partner of his remind me of all the science classes I took while in High School. No Chemistry.
They do a little work on the mat and Braga is able to escape Shoji’s mount and get back to his feet. It is kind of odd for me to watch a show like this with a Japanese crowd. Japanese crowds are typically quiet save for big moments and the match conclusion so it is weird to expect noise I know I'm not going to get. They pop for takedowns and such but it is pretty quiet otherwise.
The announcer guy explains the rules of what is not allowed in Pride, yeah it’s the third fight, but he then says this gem. “There is no headbutting, which Shoji could do, but he won’t because it is forbidden”. I did not make that up. It is weird to hear the term “No Holds Barred Fight” as opposed to “Mixed Martial Arts”.
I’ve lost all track of how much time has passed at this point but the referee moved the fighters more to the center to keep them from falling out of the ring. The announcer man explained this in such away that made me want to sleep for days at a time. This guy is now explaining how you can win the fights in Pride and yes it is still the third fight on the show. I would’ve thought that you’d be better off doing this before fight 1 but whatever.
It has pretty much been mat work most of the time. It’s the kind of stuff that would probably have your average UFC PPV audience raining down boos by now because it isn’t what they came to see. We do get a flurry of strikes and movements getting close to the end of the first round.
Winner: Akira Shoji – Decision 15:00
The announcers thought it was a draw. I have no opinion on this really, if I were scoring this like I would today’s UFC I’d probably give it to Shoji but the scoring isn’t the same.
The announcer says Shoji winning is important because it means we’ve got at least 1 Japanese guy in the GP Finals.
- Kazuyuki Fujita Vs. Hans “Moleman” Nijman
This is wrestler Vs. Striker and Fujita isn’t the striker.
Remember what I said about the quiet crowd? Kazuyuki Fujita pops them like a zit for his early offense and taking down of Hans Moleman.
Fujita has Nijman down and looks for a choke and the crowd explodes and Nijman taps out giving Fujita the victory. A jufustitastinormousmanicramapalusa pop for Fujita and that loosely translates to fucking huge.
Nijman took his first loss in this fight and lost his next 2. According to Sherdog his MMA record is 5-3-0 so that means this was the beginning of the end for Moleman and he had to go back to dying on the Simpsons.
Winner: Kazuyuki Fujita – Choke Submission R1 2:48
That was quite the performance by Fujita Nijman may not be Hans Moleman but I think he probably wished he was after that beating.
- Guy Mezger Vs. Kazushi Sakuraba
Shamrock is cornering Mezger who is a Lions den fighter.
I wonder if the crowd will be all in to Sakuraba? Ok that’s not true, I don’t wonder that and never will. I think this man play-by-play guy has the personality of Michelle McCool with the battery at its half-life.
They’re standing up for the first portion of this as is usually the case. Still standing and its pretty much a boxing match until Sakuraba unleashes a couple of high-kicks which could’ve spelled bad news for Mezger but he was able to block. If Bas weren’t here, I’d be begging for him. The announcer is informative but as I said, Mr. Electricity is not his nickname.
More exchanges on the fight before Sakuraba grabs a single leg but Mezger works hard to avoid being taken down. We’ve now reached the 10-minute mark and the fight has not really been on the ground yet. Sakuraba gets the single leg, takes Mezger down who immediately fights out and not much later it is back to standing. Mezger hits a kick and follows with an uppercut as we’re approaching the 13-minute mark. Sakuraba gets Mezger down has his back but it doesn’t last very long as Mezger forces the fight back to standing. Mezger is really defending well as Sakuraba has an armbar attempt and he’s able to fight it off. Sakuraba takes Mezger’s back again and really it doesn’t lead to anything as the bell rings ending the round.
The judges score the fight a draw, I don’t know. Seems to me that Mezger really controlled the fight more, sure Sakuraba was able and did attempt a lot of stuff but it really had a minimal impact because Mezger defended so well and was able to keep the fight on his terms for the most part.
Ken Shamrock is definitely upset with the decision of the judges and expresses those feelings. It is announced basically that Mezger lost his will to fight and Sakuraba won via forfeit.
Winner: Kazushi Sakuraba – Forfeit 15:00 R1
Mezger may have been robbed but man would things have been different had the judges given him the win. What that would’ve meant to the sport is something to be pondered another day.
- Mark Coleman Vs. Masaaki Satake
Gary Goodridge is out to announce and is quick to mention losing to both Satake and Coleman. This is Satake’s first NHB fight but he was a k-1 veteran. The announcer seems to delight in making Goodridge repeat the fact he’s lost to both of these guys.
Satake seems nervous early and that’s probably justified as Coleman uses a double leg takedown and ends up in Satake’s guard. A neck crank by Coleman gets Satake to tapout. I mentioned this was Satake’s debut, it didn’t get much better for him after this. Sherdog lists his record at 1-8-1. So it isn't a shock that he’s more known for kickboxing in K-1 than for his MMA career.
Winner: Mark Coleman – submission neck crank R1 1:14
That was quick.
I should mention the GP winner would receive $200,000 proving how much and yet also how little times have changed when it comes to pay.
- Alexander Otsuka Vs. Igor Vovchanchyn
Otsuka is called the diet butcher and I’ve got no idea what that is supposed to mean. Does it mean he goes on diets and gets it way way wrong? Perhaps he kills innocent women he suspects of dieting to lose weight? Maybe he’s a butcher that tries to get all of his clients to go to the vegetarian guy down the road? I’ve got a hunch that’s just one of those questions I won’t get an answer to in this life.
Igor wants to stand, Otsuka wants it on the ground. Igor actually complies with Otsuka’s desire but not in the way Alexander was hoping he might. He floored him with a punch, putting him on the ground. Crowd pops for Otsuka’s attempted flying dropkick. Igor hits a couple of big punches and then all of a sudden Otsuka goes for an armbar and Igor is in trouble for a moment. He’s able to defend and the crowd goes back to quiet. They announce the crowd as 48,000 strong but take that with a grain of salt unless you’re one of those people that actually believe 93,173 people were at the Silverdome for Wrestlemania III. Vovchanchyn is pounding Mr. Otsuka badly and has him mounted and holds this position for basically the last couple of minutes of the fight. Both announcers agree that this is Igor’s fight if it goes to the judges and it does with the end of the round at the 15:00 mark.
Winner: Igor Vovchanchyn – Unanimous Decision R1 15:00
I’ve got no problem with this result, Igor landed more shots, did more damage and was really only in trouble for a brief moment. Looking at Otsuka’s record it would also end up not being pretty with a 4-12-0 mark through May 2006. He did however have the decency to lose to Anderson Silva! He had the decency to lose but what he lacked was the choice.
We get post-fight comments that I will not translate based on the fact that I am unable. Goodridge says Vovchanchyn is humble, keep in mind this was in 2000 which was a good 5 years before Iron Sheik totally changed the meaning of that one.
- Enson Inoue Vs. Mark Kerr
Mark Kerr is the star of the Smashing Machine. Looking at Enson Inoue’s profile, he owns a very quick submission victory over some guy named Randy Couture. He was also DQ’d in a bout against Frank Shamrock at Vale Tudo Japan 1997 when his brother Egan Inoue ran in to the ring. I guess that proves that some holds were barred after all.
Kerr takes Inoue down pretty much right at the beginning of the fight and they spend time working from various guards. Kerr is a wrestler, Inoue is a submission guy so I don’t think we’re going to see a boxing match here and not another Vovchanchyn style beating. Kerr’s pretty much just doing whatever he feels like which I’m guessing he saw that one episode of the Simpsons where they had the “Do what you feel festival”. Kerr still owns this bout at the 10-minute mark. He’s just holding the dude down which would enrage your typical UFC fan today. Kerr did bloody Inoue’s nose so I guess its not all bad, unless of course, you happen to be Inoue. Oh, and the announcer said something kind of stupid. He was talking about Kerr getting another match with Vovchanchyn who had beaten him prior to this event and he said: “When a guy loses, he always wants to get revenge against the guy who beat him”. I really hate belaboring the announcer bashing but really when you leave stuff out there it has to be done.
This just in, the crowd is still here because they start to come alive with a minute left in the round. The fight got standing if briefly before Kerr took him back down and the crowd went silent once again. We spend the rest of the round on the ground and there’s no way Kerr’s not winning.
Winner: Mark Kerr – Majority Decision R1 15:00
One of the judges called this a draw. In a related story, I’m calling one of the judges stupid. If only Egan was there to do a run-in for Enson.
Bas Rutten rejoins Goodridge and whoever after he is finished cornering Mark Kerr. I’m glad to have you back Bas though Goodridge wasn’t bad.
- Royce Gracie Vs. Nobuhiko Takada
Nobuhiko Takada is probably better known among newer MMA fans as a Pride executive but he was a fighter for quite some time. Takada was also a pro wrestler and one of at least 3 who claimed that as their style on this show joining Otsuka and Tachihikari and I was wrong about not typing that name anymore. The thing you need to understand is that in Japan wrestling and MMA are even more closely related than they are here in the States, so over there claiming pro wrestling as your discipline won’t get you laughed at in the way it likely would in the states.
This was Royce Gracie’s return to MMA after not having competed since UFC 5 so it was pretty much a 5-year layoff. That’s one hell of a drug suspension…oh, sorry I’m a few years ahead of myself with that joke. Royce was still doing Jiu-Jitsu during his layoff just not NHB or if you prefer MMA. I prefer MMA as it sounds a lot less thug-like.
In order to give you an idea of what kind of fight I’m seeing, the announcers spend about a minute between the 9 and 10 minute mark pondering whether Takada is doing 7% or 8% of what he is capable of doing. They firmly agree that Royce is about at 10% of what he’s capable of doing and I’m not calling them stupid for the debate. At about the 12 minute mark the crowd starts to cheer and I’m hoping it is because they want this to end. The announcers talk about what things would be like if Royce Gracie were fighting Vovchanchyn, Kerr or Goodridge instead of Takada. This isn’t the way you want to close out a show. They start talking the probability of going to overtime and that will have me pondering just quitting life altogether.
Takada limps away after the bell rings and we go to the judges.
The judges give the unanimous decision to Royce Gracie.
Winner: Royce Gracie – Unanimous Decision R1 15:00
I agree with the decision if for no other reason than it means I don't have to watch any more of this boring fight.
They bring the winners back out: Gary Goodridge, Akira Shoji, Kazuyuki Fujita, Kazushi Sakuraba, Mark Coleman, Igor Vovchanchyn, Mark Kerr, and Royce Gracie. Those 8 men will compete in a tournament format on 05/01/2000 to determine the first open weight champion. Plus, Ken Shamrock makes his return to mixed martial arts.
Thus concludes disc one. I’ll end this part of the review here and post the rest separately. I'll wait until I've reviewed the whole thing before I give my opinion on the set.
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