ALPHA-1: Full Contact Combat (WMMA3)

[SHOGUN]

Week 2, February 1998 - Oshiro X Chua for #1 Challenger?! Endo vs. Yamada Complete

Oshiro X Chua for #1 Challenger?! Endo vs. Yamada Card Complete

The upcoming ALPHA-1: Endo vs. Yamada show was the focus of a ALPHA-1 press conference last night. It was revealed that Haranobu Oshiro will face new Welterweight signee Chew Chua, with the winner becoming the #1 contender for the Welterweight title. Hiro Arai will face Brazilian striker Gerson Mauricio in a heavyweight fight that will surely have title shot implications.

Also, last night was the unveiling of new Middleweight acquisition Hyun-Shik Lim (10-0). He has signed a multi-fight contract and is expected to compete within the next month or two. The 25-year old Wing Chun fighter is the #10 Light Heavyweight according to Blurcat.com and is a very strong following in Asia.

ALPHA-1: Endo vs. Yamada
Date: Monday of Week 4, March 1998
Place: Kanto, Japan

ALPHA-1 Middleweight Championship Bout
8. MW: Heiji Endo vs. Tadamasa Yamada

7. LW: Bakin Sakamoto vs. Heikichi Shimizu
6. HW: Hiro Arai vs. Gerson Mauricio
5. WW: Haranobu Oshiro vs. Chew Chua
4. HW: Christopher Sharp vs. Ikuhisa Tamura
3. LW: Fukusaburu Hirano vs. Eijiro Yanagita
2. MW: Jiroemon Hasegawa vs. Osamu Dan
1. WW: Tadao Miyazaki vs. Atshushi Nakajima

[SHOGUN]

Week 3, February 1998 - ALPHA-1's Warriors of the Ring 1 - Preview

ALPHA-1's Warriors of the Ring 1 - Preview



Featherweight: Go Yamamoto (26-9) vs. Seigo Tsuda (38-27-2): Go Yamamoto missed another chance at ALPHA-1 Lightweight gold when he gassed late and lost a close decision to Motoki Hojo back in December. He's looking for another chance at gold with the introduction of the featherweight division and comes into the tournament the heavy favorite. Seigo Tsuda is a veteran with an exhausting number of fights who comes to brawl, but the 39-year old is outgunned in every facet of the game. Chances at an upset are almost nil.



Featherweight: Gu Ueda (17-9) vs. Taizoh Chung Man (15-6): Gu Udea comes to ALPHA-1 a dangerous (but very one-dimensional) boxer who has become one of the first Japanese fighters to embrace the Western method of weight-cutting. Taizoh Chung Man is another former Lightweight fighter who tries to take advantage of his size and smother his opponents. Chung Man will be looking to take advantage of Ueda’s glaring deficiency in wrestling.



Featherweight: Najib Sri Aziz bin Zai (38-10-2) vs. Eizan Ijichi (7-1-1): This is a duel between two evenly matched Muay Thai specialists. Najib is a Maylasian who like to use his elbows to open cuts, while Ijichi likes to work the legs. Both are very similar in regards to skillset, but Najib is considered small even for Featherweight and elbows are illegal in ALPHA-1 - that difference might be enough to tip the scales in Ijichi’s favor.



Featherweight: Kei Maki (3-0) vs. Fujimaro Hidaka (4-1): Another duel between two one-dimensional strikers. Kei ‘Demon Eyes’ Maki is a 22-year old kickboxing wunderkind that brings world class striking to the fold and knows how to use his 5’11” frame to his advantage. On the other end of the spectrum, Fujimaro Hidaka maybe 5’5”, but he fights with a lot of energy. He will need it if he intends to breach Maki’s length.



Featherweight: Yagi Jokichi (4-0) vs. Ryota Sugimoto (3-0): Two interesting prospects will go head-to-head for the alternate spot in the tournament. Yagi Jokichi is an elusive counterpuncher who has learned to transfer his Karate style into mixed martial arts. Sugimoto is a powerful wrestler who has shown a high Fight IQ in his young career. It will be interesting to see if Sugimoto can find a way to drag Jokichi to the mat.

Prelim Quick Hits: Masato Wai (1-0) is a highly touted wrestler out of the elite Dragon's Lair Gym...Kanezane Fujii (1-0) and Jutaro Honma (1-0) are two heavyweights with good long-term potential. Fujii especially has a few of pundits that believe he's future star.

[SHOGUN]

Week 4, February 1998 - ALPHA-1's Warriors of the Ring 1 - Live Results

ALPHA-1's Warriors of the Ring 1 - Live Results

Go Yamamoto (26-9) vs. Seigo Tsuda (38-27-2):

Round 1: Yamamoto catches Tsuda with a barrage of big right hands and puts him down on the ground! Yamamoto dives in quickly and secures mount on the dazed Tsuda! Yamamoto tries to ensnare Tsuda in an armbar. Showing good defense, Tsuda stacks up Yamamoto to defend the armbar, and eventually works to getting side control. Tsuda attempts to move to mount. He can't get the mount andYamamoto attempts to grab an arm of Tsuda from the bottom of side control. Yamamoto brilliantly gets an armbar fully applied and forces the tap out!

Go Yamamoto defeats Seigo Tsuda (Submission (Armbar) in 2:09 of round 1).

Gu Ueda (17-9) vs. Taizoh Chung Man (15-6):

Both fighters go to exchange blows, but neither hits a telling strike. They come together and throw strikes, both miss. Chung Man slips out of the way of a combination of short sharp punches. Ueda steps in, feints a kick, then darts back out. An exchange of strikes goes nowhere. Ueda drops his shoulder and feints to step in, but Chung Man isn't buying it. Chung Man suddenly finds himself in big trouble, forced up against the ropes by a series of right hands! Chung Man collapses, hurt, and Ueda looks to finish by unleashing a barrage of strikes to his downed opponent! Chung Man is taking a lot of shots, the referee has no option but to leap in and stop the fight!

Gu Ueda defeats Taizoh Chung Man (TKO (Strikes) in 3:08 of round 1).

Najib Sri Aziz bin Zai (38-10-2) vs. Eizan Ijichi (7-1-1):

Round 1: Najib avoids a flurry of punches. Najib throws a right head kick but Ijichi avoids it. Ijichi moves away from a right high kick and counters with a series of quick lefts. Najib looks like he wants to stand in the pocket and strike with Ijichi. Najib gets caught out and eats a stiff left jab. Having stepped near each other to throw their strikes, they both start throwing punches at close range! Najib hits a great right hand, snapping back his opponent's head. Ijichi counters a wayward right head kick with a series of quick lefts. Time slips away as Ijichi doesn't press Najib, allowing him to circle. An attempted body kick misses and Najib fires back with a sudden right head kick, Ijichi is knocked down! Moving quickly, Najib comes in looking to finish with soccer kicks and stomps! Najib goes to work on Ijichi with incredibly vicious stomps and kicks, but somehow cannot finish him! In comes Najib looking to get some form of ground control. Najib can't hold Ijichi down and a scramble starts. Ijichi manages to come out on top, with Najib pulling guard. Ijichi fires away with big punches, but Najib defends them and pushes Ijichi away while defending the strikes, right out of guard. Najib ends up having to pull guard, losing out in the scramble. Ijichi doesn't allow Najib to lock him up with double underhooks. Ijichi fires away with big punches, but Najib keeps the guard secure and doesn't take any undue damage. Round one is brought to an end as time runs out.

Round 2: Ijichi throws a barrage of big rights but Najib is quick to move out of range. Ijichi avoids a quick jab and hits a scything low kick to the legs. Both fighters fire off strikes, neither produces any significant damage. Having ended up close together from the strikes they threw, a wild exchange of punches begins! Najib hits a great right hand, snapping back his opponent's head. Having stepped in close to throw their strikes, both fighters start swinging! Ijichi hits a right hook to the body. Backing off, Najib looks very wobbly, I think he may be hurt! Regaining his wits just in time, Najib is able to avoid a barrage of big right hands. Ijichi avoids a jab and scores with a flurry of jabs and straight punches. Najib can't close the distance, Ijichi keeps him away with strikes. The fight comes to an end as the time limit expires.

Eizan Ijichi defeats Najib Sri Aziz bin Zai (Unanimous Decision in 5:00 of round 2).

Kei Maki (3-0) vs. Fujimaro Hidaka (4-1):

Round 1: Both fighters advance and strike, but neither hits anything. Maki avoids a quick jab and hits a couple of jabs and a beautiful right hook to the body. In close proximity from the strikes they threw, they fall into a messy clinch. From the grapple, Hidaka tries to work in some close-range strikes, but Maki is alert and smothers them quickly. Hidaka gets a couple of ineffective strikes in, but ultimately loses control of the grapple after being caught off-balance. Hidaka gets caught with a couple of nice short punches as Maki uses his dirty boxing to inflict some punishment. Hidaka tries to wriggle free, but Maki controls him well and gets in a few close-range punches too. The grapple breaks up after a short struggle, and the two fighters step apart. Maki uses his strikes to stop Hidaka from getting close enough to grapple. Slipping past a left jab, Maki hits a barrage of big rights, knocking Hidaka down! Maki moves in quickly to try and finish Hidaka with stomps and kicks! Maki goes to work on Hidaka with incredibly vicious stomps and kicks! The referee dives in to save Hidaka from any further shots!

Kei Maki defeats Fujimaro Hidaka (TKO (Strikes) in 5:27 of round 1).

Yagi Jokichi (4-0) vs. Ryota Sugimoto (3-0):

Round 1: Jokichi uses a feint to get Sugimoto off balance, but the nice sequence of punches that follow don't find their mark. Sugimoto has to cover up to absorb a nice one-two combination, having been off balance after falling for a feint. Jokichi scores with a kick to the outside of the leg, using a feint to disguise it. Sugimoto comes in closer, looking to wrestle with Jokichi. Sugimoto gets caught out and eats a stiff left jab. Jokichi glances a strike off the side of the shoulder. Moving in closer, Sugimoto tries to wrestle Jokichi backward and up against the ropes. Sugimoto achieves it, pinning Jokichi to the ropes. Jokichi wrestles back against Sugimoto, turning him around so that he now has his back to the ropes. Jokichi steps back from Sugimoto and looks to unleash some strikes. A left jab misses, giving Jokichi the chance to hit back with several big rights, forcing Sugimoto back up against the ropes! Sugimoto gets knocked down and Jokichi keeps up the pressure with punch after punch! The referee jumps in and saves Sugimoto from taking any more shots!

Yagi Jokichi defeats Ryota Sugimoto (TKO (Strikes) in 6:17 of round 1).

[SHOGUN]

Week 4, February 1998 - ALPHA-1's Warriors of the Ring 1 - Aftermath

ALPHA-1's Warriors of the Ring 1 - Aftermath

• In a candid moment, Scirea admits that he didn't take training seriously enough, and vows to never make that mistake again.
• Yamamoto sustained facial damage and will be out for up to two months.
• Jokichi sustained a knee injury and will be out for up to two months.

[SHOGUN]

Week 1, March 1998 - A Supersized Warriors of the Ring Announced!

A Supersized Warriors of the Ring Announced!

ALPHA-1 announced a heavyweight edition of Warriors of the Ring, featuring four heavyweight bouts headlined by the charismatic gaijin superstar Palmer Lette. Tomoji Takaoka and Gyokusho Fujimoto are scheduled to compete. Son of former boxing world champion Douglas Banner, Jr., Lamont Banner, will be making his ALPHA-1 debut on the preliminaries.

CEO Scott Avatar teased at a major main event being announced soon for May, but refused to divulge much.

ALPHA-1's Warriors of the Ring 2
Date: Monday of Week 4, April 1998
Place: Kanto, Japan

8. HW: Palmer Lette vs. Milton Harvey
7. HW: Gyokusho Fujimoto vs. Denbe Ekiguchi
6. HW: Eien Kawano vs. Brady Crawford
5. HW: Tomoji Takaoka vs. Veeti Kuqi
4. FW: Lamont Banner vs. Shiba Inaba
3. FW: Josuke Hino vs. Jinzaburo Iseki
2. FW: Reijiro Yanagimoto vs. Taki Inouye
1. FW: Yoshitomo Horigome vs. Morihiro Kiski

[Leftwich]

Are you using world of mma to play this?

[SHOGUN]

Are you using world of mma to play this?

World of MMA 3.

[Leftwich]

World of MMA 3.

I'm debating TEW 2010...

[SHOGUN]

Week 3, March 1998 - ALPHA-1: Endo vs. Yamada Preview

ALPHA-1: Endo vs. Yamada Preview

ALPHA-1 Middleweight Championship Bout: Heiji Endo (12-1) (c) vs Tadamasa Yamada (21-1): It is not often when the challenger comes into a fight the heavy favorite. 1997 Blurcat Fighter of the Year. Consensous #1 Light Heavyweight fighter on the planet. Five successful defenses of the Light Heavyweight title over a three year period in a shark pool of a weight class. That is the resume of Tadamasa Yamada, a jiu-jitsu expert who has developed very formidable kickboxing. Heiji Endo is no slouch, however. He is a wrestler who can take an absurd amount of punishment and has good submission defense, but Endo is a natural small for the realigned division and will be giving up a lot of size to Yamada.

Lightweight: Bakin Sakamoto (19-9) vs. Heikichi Shimizu (2-0): Bakin Sakimoto fell out of title contention when he lost a close decision to Shizuya Nakae last winter, but he's looking at this fight with Heikichi Shimizu as an opportunity to get himself back in the picture with a strong performance. Despite Heikichi's 2-0 record, the 32-year old is widely regarded as a living legend in the world of Judo and one of the greatest grapplers to ever grace the sport. Sakimoto has a well-rounded striking game and while he can scramble to get out of bad positions on his back, he does lack in takedown defense. It remains to be seen whether Heikichi has the chin to withstand top level striking, but we know for sure that if Heikichi can get his opponent to the ground he has a variety of submissions at his disposal that will end the night quickly.

Heavyweight: Hiro Arai (14-4) vs. Gerson Mauricio (8-0): The current #13 ranked Heavyweight will face up and coming Brazilian Gerson Mauricio with the winner getting a potential title shot. Both guys are kickboxers by trade and Arai may have an edge in the skill department, his cardio remains questionable. It may just be a matter of Mauricio waiting until Arai to fade and capitalize.

Welterweight: Haranobu Oshiro (15-5) vs. Chew Chua (17-4): With a title shot on the line, there are serious stakes involved. Chew Chua is a Singaporean Muay Thai fighter who possesses heavy hands and is making his name on the Asian circuit. Haranobu Oshiro is an extremely talented kickboxer who has a penchant for choking in big-fight situations, but with a fresh start in a new division, maybe Oshiro can get the monkey off his back and get a chance at an ALPHA-1 title.

Heavyweight: Christopher Sharp (34-12) vs. Ikuhisa Tamura (19-8):Christopher Sharp was expected to be the next big thing in MMA until his glass chin and poor submission defense was exposed and has since had an inconsistent career. Ikuhisa Tamura is a grizzled veteran wrestler who has become fascinated with his hands and has been putting people to sleep with them. How Sharp handles Tamura’s striking will the big key to this matchup.

Lightweight: Fukusaburu Hirano (10-0-1) vs. Eijiro Yanagita (25-11-2): Fukusaburu Hirano has always been an undersized welterweight and has managed to remain undefeated because of his well-roundedness. With news of the new weight classes, Hirano has begrudgingly taken to the idea of cutting weight and makes his Lightweight debut against Eijiro Yanagita. Yanagita has wrestled his way into that second-tier of near contenders and a victory here would push him consideration for a title shot.

Middleweight: Jiroemon Hasegawa (3-0) vs. Osamu Dan (5-1): In a battle of the bland grapplers, we have two young wrestlers competing for a spot in a stacked division. Hasegawa has a better submission game, but both guys have similar styles - they love to take their opponents down and methodically control from the top.

Welterweight: Tadao Miyazaki (7-0) vs. Atshushi Nakajima (29-13): Tadao Miyazaki is one of the better prospects of the welterweights who is trying to be mentioned as a contender. The undefeated Karateka has managed to incorporate his unique brand of strikes into MMA while developing a very active ground game. He faces veteran judoka Atshushi Nakajima. The 37-year old finally got back into the win column last year and is vying for one more run at the title.

[SHOGUN]

Week 4, March 1998 - ALPHA-1: Endo vs. Yamada - Live Results

ALPHA-1: Endo vs. Yamada - Live Results

ALPHA-1 Middleweight Championship Bout: Heiji Endo (12-1) (c) vs Tadamasa Yamada (21-1):

Round 1: There is an exchange of strikes, but neither fighter does any damage. They wind up in a tight clinch. Yamada smothers Endo when he tries to use some dirty boxing, and gains the upper hand in the grapple as a result. Yamada tries to suck Endo to the ground by wrapping his legs around the waist and pulling guard. Endo gets pulled down and sucked into the guard position. Yamada tries to ensnare an arm. A kimura attempt almost catches Endo, but Yamada eventually has to settle for using it to sweep to side control. Yamada attempts an americana. Endo defends himself well. Endo looks ready to try and scramble, but Yamada is quick to move to prevent that. Yamada tries to lock Endo into an armbar. The armbar is locked in, tight enough that Endo has to tap out!

Tadamasa Yamada defeats Heiji Endo (Submission (Armbar) in 2:51 of round 1) to win ALPHA-1 Middleweight Title.

Bakin Sakamoto (19-9) vs. Heikichi Shimizu (2-0):

Round 1: Shimizu avoids a low kick. Both fighters come toe-to-toe and strike, but none of the strikes result in significant damage being done. Shimizu throws a couple of wild punches as a set up, then shoots in for a takedown. Sakamoto is too quick, and manages to hit Shimizu with a good clean left jab. A right jab misses the mark and allows Sakamoto to counter with a crisp left. Sakamoto throws a right jab but Shimizu uses good head movement to make sure it slips by. Shimizu checks a low kick and then steps forward to hit a nice right.Using head movement, Sakamoto slips past a right jab and counters with a left jab to the cheek. Shimizu sees a right kick coming and so moves forward to strike with a clean punch. Sakamoto throws a wild left hand, but Shimizu covers up and absorbs the strike. Shimizu slips past a jab and scores with a punch. From the pocket, Shimizu shoots in for a double leg and walks into a big left jab, landing right on the cheek. Shimizu looks like he might be trying to get in close and wrestle with Sakamoto and Sakamoto ends up grappling for supremacy. Shimizu looks to take Sakamoto down by setting up a judo throw. A great inside leg trip sees Sakamoto get thrown to the mat, and Shimizu is left in half guard. Shimizu reaches over and tries to lock Sakamoto in an Americana, but Sakamoto doesn't allow it to be applied. Shimizu tries to ensnare Sakamoto in a kneebar. The kneebar is locked in, tight enough that Sakamoto has to tap out!

Heikichi Shimizu defeats Bakin Sakamoto (Submission (Kneebar) in 9:26 of round 1).

Hiro Arai (14-4) vs. Gerson Mauricio (8-0):

Round 1: There's a stalemate as both fighters throw strikes, but neither scores. Having stepped in close to throw their strikes, both fighters start swinging! A right hook lands from Mauricio, the best punch of the exchange. Arai backs off, looking extremely dazed...that last shot may have knocked him loopy! Mauricio sees his chance to finish and unloads with a barrage of big rights, but Arai recovers quickly enough to cover up. Arai avoids a jab and scores with several big right hands, putting Mauricio down, dazed! Arai knows that this is a golden opportunity, and quickly pounces on Mauricio, looking to finish him off by raining down punches! Arai is simply pounding away on Mauricio. Mauricio is taking lots of shots, and can't seem to find a way out from this position! With Mauricio stuck and taking a pounding, the referee has to stop the match!

Hiro Arai defeats Gerson Mauricio (TKO (Strikes) in 1:36 of round 1).

Haranobu Oshiro (15-5) vs. Chew Chua (17-4):

Round 1: Chua swiftly avoids a barrage of big punches, having fallen for a feint. Chua counters a right kick to the legs with a clever combination ending in a big right hook. Chua steps back to avoid a tight combination of punches after falling for a clever feint. Not letting up, Chua quickly steps in closer to attack Oshiro. A counter right hook catches Oshiro hard, almost putting him down! Chua steps back to avoid a kick to the body. Chua comes in closer, looking to wrestle with Oshiro and pulls him into a grapple. Chua uses dirty boxing and gets in a few crisp punches on Oshiro as they grapple. Chua and Oshiro break the grapple and are apart again, circling. Oshiro fires off a strike first, but the impact is taken by the gloves of Chua. Chua dodges a body kick and returns fire with a series of quick jabs. Slipping past a one-two combination, Oshiro has the angle to counter with a clean punch. Oshiro slips past a tidy combination and hits a crisp left. Chua slips past a jab and scores with a crisp left jab. Going toe-to-toe, both fighters start exchanging close range strikes! Oshiro gets caught with a close range right hand and is knocked clean out!

Chew Chua defeats Haranobu Oshiro (Knock Out (Punch) in 9:26 of round 1).

Christopher Sharp (34-12) vs. Ikuhisa Tamura (19-8):

Round 1: Sharp avoids a flurry of punches. Tamura counters a left jab by hitting a series of quick lefts. Sharp uses a flurry of lefts and rights to get Tamura to cover up, then shoots in looking for a takedown. Sharp has the takedown! Tamura pulls half guard. Sharp looks to pass half guard and get side control. He passes half guard fairly easily, getting to side control. Sharp tries to pound on Tamura with elbows, but all the blows are comfortably dealt with. Tamura tries to move to guard, but Sharp doesn't allow it. Sharp fires away with rights, Tamura is getting pounded. There's lots of strikes landing, Tamura needs to find a way out of this position quickly! The referee gives Tamura time to do something, but eventually has to come in and stop the fight!

Christopher Sharp defeats Ikuhisa Tamura (TKO (Strikes) in 3:08 of round 1).

Fukusaburu Hirano (10-0-1) vs. Eijiro Yanagita (25-11-2):

Round 1: There is an exchange of strikes, but neither fighter does any damage. Hirano scores cleanly with three big right hands in quick succession. Yanagita looks shaken! He appears to be on rubbery legs after that last strike! Instincts take over, and the groggy Yanagita immediately shoots in for a takedown to try and get time to recover. Hirano strikes first and manages to rock Yanagita with a solid right hand! Yanagita takes a hard leg kick. A jab misses, allowing Hirano to counter-strike with a stinging left jab. Hirano lands a powerful right hook to the body, having set it up with a couple of sharp jabs. Both fighters fire off strikes, neither produces any significant damage. Yanagita gets caught with a scorchingly fast combination from the pocket. From the pocket, Hirano hits a stiff jab. Both fighters throw strikes, and Yanagita eats a murderous right hand, he is out before he hits the ground!

Fukusaburu Hirano defeats Eijiro Yanagita (Knock Out (Punch) in 6:08 of round 1).

Jiroemon Hasegawa (3-0) vs. Osamu Dan (5-1):

Round 1: Dan looks to be trying to close the distance between them. The two fighters start grappling for control. Dan is trying to push Hasegawa so that his back is up against the ropes and does it, Hasegawa is stuck with his back to the ropes. Dan smothers Hasegawa against the ropes, then uses his dirty boxing skills to his advantage. Hasegawa wrestles back against Dan, turning him around so that he now has his back to the ropes. Showing good control, Hasegawa keeps Dan stuck against the ropes and hits him with short punches to the body for about thirty seconds. Hasegawa goes for a foot stomp, but Dan senses the shift in balance and reverses so that he is the one in control. With the fighters having been stuck against the ropes for quite a while, the referee bringing them back to the center. The two fighters start grappling for control. Using his wrestling skills, Dan is trying to push Hasegawa up against the ropes and achieves it, pinning Hasegawa to the ropes. Unable to get free, Hasegawa is smothered up against the ropes for about thirty seconds. Dan shows great control, keeping Hasegawa pressed against the ropes while punishing him with sharp strikes to the body for roughly half a minute. Hasegawa waits for Dan to throw an elbow, then uses wrestling to turn him around so that Dan now has his back to the ropes. Dan is pressed up against the ropes and held there, taking the occasional short punch to the ribs and stomach, for roughly a minute. The lengthy period of stalemate results in the referee separating them. Hasegawa looks like he might be trying to get in close and wrestle with Dan. Dan is looking to muscle Hasegawa back against the ropes and achieves it, pinning Hasegawa to the ropes. Dan tries to dirty box Hasegawa, but finds himself out-wrestled and turned around so that he is the one against the ropes. Hasegawa has gotten underhooks in and is looking to take Dan to the ground. Dan stops the takedown attempt, then uses his wrestling to take control of the grapple and put Hasegawa against the ropes. Hasegawa uses his wrestling skills to prevent Dan from attacking with dirty boxing. Smothered against the ropes, Hasegawa is trapped there, unable to do anything but take the occasional nasty short punch to the ribs, for about a minute. Hasegawa waits for Dan to try some dirty boxing, then quickly uses wrestling to turn him around so that he now has his back to the ropes. The time is up, and that's the end of round one.

Round 2: Dan is looking to turn this into a wrestling match, and is getting in closer to Hasegawa. The two fighters start grappling for control. Hasegawa uses underhooks to gain solid control, and is looking for a takedown. The underhooks are used to set up a trip, Dan is left on his back and has to pull guard. Jiroemon Hasegawa doesn't look like he has much left in the tank. Hasegawa starts trying to work to get past the guard. Hasegawa is too much for Dan, passing guard and gaining side control. Dan can't fend off his opponent and is mounted. Hasegawa tries to lock Dan in an armbar. Dan not only defends the armbar, but also stacks up Hasegawa and hits several punches before gaining side control. Osamu Dan is looking really tired. Dan holds Hasegawa in position with side control and hits a knee into the ribs. Hasegawa tries to sweep Dan but can't. Dan uses side control to hit a knee just above the hip. Dan relinquishes side control, stands and backs off, wanting the fight to continue standing. A tired-looking Hasegawa approaches, looking for a takedown. Dan not only stops the takedown, he manages to wrestle Hasegawa to the floor! Hasegawa pulls guard. Dan tries to stand up, but Hasegawa keeps him firmly in guard. Hasegawa tries to lock onto an arm from the bottom of the guard. Hasegawa uses the threat of a kimura to turn Dan and get side control. Hasegawa attempts an armbar. Dan gets caught by the armbar, but the round ends before it can cause a submission!

Osamu Dan defeats Jiroemon Hasegawa (Split Decision in 5:00 of round 2).

Tadao Miyazaki (7-0) vs. Atshushi Nakajima (29-13):

Round 1: Miyazaki feints going high but then throws a leg kick, Nakajima just avoids it. There's a stalemate as both fighters throw strikes, but neither scores. Nakajima slams a crisp right into the gloves of Miyazaki, but can't follow up. It seems that Nakajima is happy to let Miyazaki circle for the moment. Miyazaki moves in quickly after a wayward punch and hits a straight right. Nakajima is looking to turn this into a wrestling match, and is getting in closer to Miyazaki. Not wanting to grapple, Miyazaki uses strikes to keep Nakajima at a distance. There's a stalemate as both fighters throw strikes but neither hits. An exchange of strikes doesn't really lead to anything. A feint sends Nakajima the wrong way and walking right into a hard inside leg kick. They come together and strike, but neither can land a clean shot. In close proximity from the strikes they threw, they fall into a messy clinch. The grappling doesn't last long, as they soon break away from each other. Moving forward, Miyazaki counters a left jab with a big left kick to the outside of the thigh. They wind up in a tight clinch. Nakajima is looking to muscle Miyazaki back against the ropes but can't manage it, and Miyazaki gets out of the grapple entirely. Miyazaki throws a barrage of big left hands but Nakajima moves out of range. Time expires and we come to the end of round one.

Round 2: A tidy combination doesn't find a home, giving Nakajima the opportunity to counter with a nice jab. There's a stalemate as both fighters throw strikes but neither hits. They exchange strikes, but neither fighter inflicts any real damage. Time slips away as Miyazaki doesn't press Nakajima, allowing him to circle. Miyazaki feints going high and then throws a barrage of big lefts, with Nakajima only just able to evade them. Miyazaki counters a left jab by hitting a sharp kick just above the hip. Both fighters throw strikes at the same time, both miss. Miyazaki steps in closer to force the issue. There's a stalemate as both fighters throw strikes but neither hits. Time runs out and that's the end of the fight.

Tadao Miyazaki defeats Atshushi Nakajima (Unanimous Decision in 5:00 of round 2).

[SHOGUN]

Week 4, March 1998 - ALPHA-1: Endo vs. Yamada - Aftermath

ALPHA-1: Endo vs. Yamada - Aftermath

• Endo has decided to move down to the welterweight division.
• Hirano has asked for a title shot against Fumiaki Hayashi.
• Hasegawa sustained a neck injury and will be out for up to two months.

[SHOGUN]

Week 4, April 1998 - ALPHA-1's Warriors of the Ring 2 - Aftermath

ALPHA-1's Warriors of the Ring 2 - Aftermath

[SHOGUN]

Week 4, May 1998 - ALPHA-1: Fezzik vs. Sarkisian - Aftermath

ALPHA-1: Fezzik vs. Sarkisian - Aftermath

[SHOGUN]

Week 1, June 1998 - The One Night FW Finale!

The One Night Featherweight Finale!

On the heels of their star-studded ALPHA-1: Fezzik vs. Sarkisian, CEO Scott Avatar has finally announced the completion of the ALPHA-1 Featherweight Tournament at the next Warrior’s of the Ring in June. The tournament winner will have to win two fights in one night to become champion.

ALPHA-1's Warriors of the Ring 3
Date: Friday of Week 4, June 1998
Place: Kanto, Japan

ALPHA-1 Featherweight Championship Bout
10. FW: Yamamoto/Ueda winner vs. Maki/Ijichi winner

Single Fight
9. FW: Masato Wai (2-0, 1-0) vs. Keshin Hamamoto (3-0)

ALPHA-1 Featherweight Tournament Semi-Finals
8. FW: Kei Maki (4-0, 1-0) vs. Eizan Ijichi (8-1-1, 1-0)
7. FW: Go Yamamoto (27-9, 1-0) vs. Gu Ueda (18-9, 1-0)

6. FW: Tarcisio Dantas (2-0) vs. Shinji Oiwa (7-4)
5. LW: Ren Akai (1-0) vs. Yoritoki Iwahashi (7-5)
4. LW: Manoel Cabral (4-0) vs. Kiyotaka Aihara (15-8)
3. LW: Datuk Ong Ka Ting (5-0) vs. Genki Shinashi (6-1)
2. LW: Korekiyo Anzai (6-0) vs. Shiko Taka (6-2-1, NC)
1. WW: Kadonomaro Deguchi (2-0) vs. Kichisaburo Morri (10-4, 0-1)

[SHOGUN]

Week 3, June 1998 - ALPHA-1's Warriors of the Ring 3 - Preview

ALPHA-1's Warriors of the Ring 3 - Preview

Featherweight: Masato Wai (2-0, 1-0) vs. Keshin Hamamoto (3-0) Masato Wai is a hot prospect out of the premier MMA team in Japan - Dragon's Lair Gym - who made his ALPHA-1 debut by submitting Samba Nakamura at WOTR 1. He faces one-dimensional Keshin Hamamoto. Hanamoto is a decent kickboxer whose ability to handle being on his back is in question, but his striking should be enough to give the former wrestler some problems.

Featherweight: Kei Maki (4-0, 1-0) vs. Eizan Ijichi (8-1-1, 1-0): Eizan Ijichi put on an entertaining striking affair with Najib Sri Aziz bin Zai at WOTR1 and might be in for another one against dynamic newcomer Kei Maki. Maki flexed his world class kickboxing at WOTR 1 and faces another Muay Thai striker, but the 5-foot-7 Ijichi is more well-rounded and won't be at such a physical disadvantage like Fujimaro Hidaka.

Featherweight: Go Yamamoto (27-9, 1-0) vs. Gu Ueda (18-9, 1-0): Go Yamamoto comes into the event the heavy favorite seemed comfortable at featherweight after easily dispatching Seigo Tsuda by submission in a shade over two minutes. He will have to throw down with the highly technical boxer Gu Ueda, who also had comfortably dealt with Taizoh Chung Man. Yamamoto has a better clinch game and higher grappling acumen, but with both fighters preferring to stand and trade I don't expect to see much ground work here.