Hello, hello, it’s good to be back it’s good to be back!
So singeth cum sneereth Liam Gallagher circa 1995, in an Oasis song that would have surely become the anthem of comebacks if convicted paedophile Gary Glitter didn’t have co-writing credits with Noel. And so singeth we for K-1, returning in a new form, with new personnel, in some cases new, fresh fighters, and potentially coming back with a bang.
“I don’t feel as if I know you, you take up all my time… the days are long and the nights will blow you away cos the sun don’t shiiiiiiine“.
Perfect and succint analysis for kickboxing fans for the dearth, the abyss, the huge black hole sized gap in what is probably a niche market during the absence of the K-1 World Grand Prix, the K-1 World MAX, and the biggest promotion in the world putting on its epic events in general.
But will it be the same?
“And it’s never gonna be the same… cos the yeeeears are falling by like the rain“.
Can K-1 return to its former glory?
“We live in the shadows and we had the chance and threw it away… and it’s never gonna be the same, cos the years are falling apart like the rain, it’s never gonna be the same…”
God, I hope not. K-1 did throw it away, mismanagement on an epic scale led to the near-death and long hiatus for a promotion that seemed on the surface to be an extremely lucrative, established and healthy organisation.
“… ’til the life I knew comes to my houses and says…
Hello, HELLO, it’s good to be back it’s good to be back“!
Cross your fingers and toes, kids.
I would think there is sufficient reason to sound the war cries for K-1. They have re-signed BADR HARI, by consensus one of the top two heavyweight kickboxers on the planet. This opens up the opportunity to finally book Hari vs. Ghita, a fight that fans have wanted to see since 2010.
They have re-signed MIRKO CRO COP – albeit whose pre-Pride K-1 glory days are twelve years removed. Regardless, it’s another big name added to the promotion simply for its marketing value, and for some potentially fun fights against fellow faded legends and big names (though God help him if he’s thrown into legitimate match-ups against young lions.)
They have re-signed Australian star PAUL SLOWINSKI, whose comeback they are making as easy as possible with a Madrid warm-up bout against a certain no-name talentless tomato can named DANIEL GHITA, who is back in the K-1 fold in its new incarnation.
They will re-sign REMY BONJASKY, the beautiful ballet dancer fimeu fighter who has three K-1 World Grand Prix titles on his bedside cabinet already and returns in search of a fourth that would put him even with Semmy Schilt and Ernesto Hoost. Regardless of whether or not Remy can maintain his form that saw him lose only twice since the 2006 World Grand Prix, against a twelve-wins-ledger that includes such names as Badr Hari, Melvin Manhoef, Stefan Leko, Alistair Overeem, Jerome LeBanner, Gokhan Saki and Errol Zimmerman.
They are assembling the roster, building the product, gathering steam. Their next event is booked, in the Spanish capital Madrid and titled promisingly as “K-1 Rising”, with Ghita vs. Slowinski on the card along with the first stage of the 2012 K-1 World MAX, a tournament already definitely featuring such men as multi-time K-1 and Shootboxing S-Cup king Andy Souwer, and perennial contenders Gago Drago and Artur Kyshenko and Mike Zambidis. On the cusp? Onwards and upwards?
As Fight Sport Asia’s William “Stillw1ll” Prescott would say, just IMAGINE!
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“no-name talentless tomato can named DANIEL GHITA” ?? I guess you were kidding with this?? :)
ah…. yes
That’s the guy I referred to as the premiéré heavyweight stand-up fighter on the planet