::12.31.2003 NAGOYA K-1 DYNAMITE!! NAKAMURA VS IGANSHOV CONTROVERSIAL MATCH

NJPW top executive Uwai has made an official claim against K-1 producer Tanigawa regarding the K-1 referee's action and miss judgment in Nakamura VS Ignashov semifinal match of Dynamite!! show. The claim was for the instant breakups after the fighters went to the ground grappling although it was under a MMA rule and there was enough space and action going on. If anything, it was Ignashov who clinched up and locked up the guard position on the ground being passive waiting for a breakup by the K-1 referee, so Ignashov should have gotten a yellow card warning. This ground fight breakup issue also includes the very last doctor's breakup check from the ground when Ignashov had a tiny cut on his cheek in Round 3 before the controversial knee kick stoppage.

The second issue is for times when no clear restart fight sign put out by the K-1 referee after the breakups. Ignashov has kicked Nakamura out of nowhere when breaked apart by the K-1 referee in Round 2, and this was the only reason for Nakamura having a swollen face. Finally, the third issue is the K-1 referee having stopped the fight instantly when Nakmura got kneed in Round 3. Nakamura did bounce off from Ignashov's knee in a big motion because it hit Nakamura's chest and the thigh hit Nakamura's forehead, but the referee stopped the fight without checking on Nakamura's condition or reaction despite Nakamura instantly standing up.

The problematic scenes were controlled and edited out from the TV airing and were never shown on the 31st, making it look as if K-1 dominated over NJPW. Nakamura's fight was simply judged by the bias K-1 point of view, and NJPW was treated unfairly. The whole second round including the after bout claims were not aired, reported or cleared. This fight was narrated by Tanigawa himself and was very controlled. Tanigawa is scheduled to show up at the 1.4 Tokyo Dome, and Uwai will be responding. Uwai and NJPW will not let the pro wrestling fans down and will not back off from this issue.

:: 12.31.03 INOKI BOM-BA-YE REVIEW 2003 ::

One night of true human live event took place on December 31st, 2003. Not depending on high-tech technology but focusing more on the power of the fans, the vibe of the fighters and the energy created by the people of Kobe, INOKI BOM-BA-YE 2003 turned out to be a very original event. Perhaps, the night's highlight was the surprise match between Inoki and Fujinami, which created a wave of people to flock towards where the action took place. The fans enjoyed the Kobe Wing Stadium like it was Korakuen Hall (small event hall in Tokyo) by rushing towards the ring and breaking regular event rules. Also, towards the end of the show, there was a big surprise when the fans were attracted to Inoki's positive energy, and thousands piled around Antonio Inoki to receive his TOUKON slap. This probably became an unforgettable memorial event for the fans and the media who were at the show. Amazingly, nobody was angry, and it was just one happy high tension event with a big smile on everybody's face.

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