Mike Bernardo in K-1 Japan qualifications

[fist]

K-1 BEAST 2004 in SHIZUOKA
- JAPAN GP TOURNAMENT FINAL -
Date : June 26, 2004
Place : Shizuoka Ecopa Arena


JAPAN GP TOURNAMENT FINAL
Noboru Uchida
Japan VS Hiromi Amada
Japan

Nobu Hayashi
Japan VS Tatsufumi Tomihira
Japan

Mike Bernardo
South Africa VS Hiraku Hori
Japan

Shingo Koyasu
Japan VS Tsuyoshi Nakasako
Japan

Super Fight : K-1 Rules / 3minute x 3Rounds ( 2Rounds Extention )
Montanha Silva
Brazil / Sit Master Roney VS Butterbean
U.S.A. / Team Betterbean

Possible Fighters
Bob Sapp
Musashi



Once great K-1 fighter Mike Bernardo will participate in Japan K-1 qualifications. I guess it is his last chance to be in K-1 final since he probably can`t qualify trough any other tournament. It is little wierd that Japanese let him participate. If he wins this should mean he will be Japan representative in finals?!?! (winner of Japan qualification goes directly to final tournament). I guess Musashi is already in cause I doubt Japanese would let final tournament without any of theirs fighters.
_________________
dogz & sledgez

[chosin]

I'm a big Bernardo fan, so I hope he wins this thing, which I believe he still can, but maybe that's just a fan's hope instead of an objective assessment.

I believe in K-1 history, he had the best punching combinations. Other guys perhaps punched harder, LeBanner, Sefo, Hunt, but Bernardo seemed to be the only fighter who effectively chained his punches with consistency, and that's what put him in the elite for so long...because he certainly never scared the big boys with his legs.

Hiraku Hori is tall and lean with good kicks, but his punching seems average at best. Despite being a young guy, he's lacked stamina. He lost recently to Mighty Mo. If we go by career accomplishments, Bernardo should win this thing. The Japanese fighters in this tournament are a notch below Musashi, and I think we can agree that Musashi will never reach the same level that Bernardo achieved for years.

If Mike doesn't at least reach the finals, I guess he should retire. It was hard watching him get ko'd by Jan Nortje recently. Even worse if he gets dropped by one of these marginal K-1 fighters.
On the positive side, after Bernardo lost a "strange" fight to Goodridge in the first round, he came back and k0'd Goodridge in round one a few months later, so maybe he'll turn it on, be focused and win this tournament.

[Lefty]

^^great stuff chosin, i agree completely. mikey bernardo was a great k-1 puncher. in his younger days he was a force . his first few fights against hug showed mikey at his best. he fought every major player there was and definately gets k-1 legend status in my books.

over recent years, he's fell off his game. hopefully he wins this fight and calls it. he shouldn't have to take anymore damage to his rep. his last loss against jan was a joke.