Everything that you ever wanted to know about MMA already happened in Pride. Hospital visits, brain concussions, soccer kicks, guys with red thongs, teeth lodged in fists and If you ask Bas Boon from Golden Glory…shady business practices. Real shady business. Here is what Bas told us back in September regarding old school Pride and some Yakuza boss named ‘Kim’.
Cro Cop was paid to not fight on NYE at the [Inoki] Bom Baye show (Pride arranged this he was paid to get injured) and this was the reason for me trying to save the show by getting Fedor to fight even with an injured hand. I had no other options left in Japan. I arranged for him to fight a pro-wrestler at almost 4 times more money than he ever made with Pride. The contract was for four fights.
We were unlucky with the “war” in Japan as all three promotions/ companies K-1, Pride and Bom Baye were doing a New Years Eve show at the same time (this never happened before). Behind the scenes in Kobe, Japan that 2003 NYE fight night I had many Yakuza threats as well as Miro Mijatovic. Finally the Yakuza was pressing [Seiya] Kawamata [the promoter] to pay one million [We’re assuming US Dollars] for Fedor to fight in Pride and another million to the Yakuza.
That’s some extraordinary stuff and if you’re not afraid of death by absolute awe, you can read the rest of what he told us last year regarding Pride and M-1. Regardless, the Best of Pride comes on tonight on Spike TV so get your DVRs ready and don’t forget to turn off your cellphone. You don’t want this guy calling you.
