What can we expect the July 21, 2024 when the 1st edition of the Champion of the Champions KCC will go down in Japan?
With a “Super 8” line up, one can be sure that this will be fireworks from the first fight. That’s a factor we rarely see, since we are used to have seeding and very predictable fights from the start. Depending on the tournament, we can in some cases wait into the third fight or something like that before the notable names face each other – and the “heat is on”
Every fight will be the final
In this format with maximum 3 fights, one can see the possibility for a more aggressive and high pace fighting right from the start. As always we add “depend on the draw” and of course it will matter this time as well. As we speak, not all fighters are ready – not all fighters are known.
The last fighter in the men’s division will be the winner of 9th JFKO Heavy Weight Champion (held 25/26 May) Yusaku Watanabe and Yuki Okada are some of the favorites in the 9th JFKO All Japan Open – but since they are all ready in the line up of KCC – it will be some other.
9th JFKO have several strong fighters from different organisations, and possible podium-fighters can be Yuta Goto / MAC, Daisuke Tada / Byakuren-Kaikan, Yuhei Ashitaka / Rengokai, Sho Shigematsu / Rengokai, Nariyoshi Tada / Shinkyokushinkai…
Among the fighters in the KCC line up, several of them have fought each other in previous tournaments. Eventas Gužauskas have fought Marek Wolny, Yusaku Watanabe, Yuki Okada and not at least Maciej Mazur. Maciej Mazur on his side have fought Marek Wolny, Yusaku Watanabe, Yuki Okada and Eventas Gužauskas. Poland in with two aces, Mazur as mention – and reign Open-Weight EC Champion Marek Wolny.
Kazakhstan bring great excitement
Anton Zimarev ⇓ and Anjey Kinzersky impressed many at the 13th World Championship. Facing strong fighters and showed that they both will be a factor in championships that will be held in the future. Zimarev not only facing Wolny and Watanabe – but winning as well, will be highly interesting to follow in this KCC tournament. Kinzersky, coming into the championship with a World title in KWU, ending top 32 in 13th World Championship.
In the women’s division we have six names ready:
Brigita Gustaitytė (Lithuania)
Ivanka Popova (Bulgaria)
Suzuki Mihiro (Japan)
Ramu Amikawa (Japan)
Alina Ossipenko (Kazakhstan)
Mirjam Björklund (Sweden)
Inn this case we have the reign World Champion Suzuki Mihiro ⇓ and the runner up Ramu Amikawa – plus the reign World Champion in weight-category Brigita Gustaitytė. These three probably have to stick with the mark of the favorite – in the order mention.
World Championship runner up Ramu Amikawa ⇓ fought Gustaitytė in the quarter-final, and advanced in the 13th World Championship. Gustaitytė was at the time the only non Japanese fighter to challenge the home-fighters. As mention, Gustaitytė won the 7th WC in weight categories – Amikawa took third place – in the category below. This third place was shared with Sweden Mirjam Björklund who also is in this line up. (Picture by Yoshinori Ihara – 井原芳徳 )
Björklund have a dynamic and very adapted fighting style. Fullcontact Karate needs this to develop, and styles make fights. Suzuki, Gustaitytė and Ivanka Popova / Bulgaria – all been fighting i heavier categories and open-weight with success. Popova been the EC Open-Weight champion from 2022 – winning the final vs Björklund in matter of fact. (Photo: Okiem Sportowca )
Japan and the European region – in with their top fighters, the third region central Asia – Kazakhstan have their representative in Alina Ossipenko. Ossipenko do not have the same heavy record as the rest, but do have good results from fighting world wide. That is said, we have seen the level of the fighters from Kazakhstan, so we do not worry – to put it that way.
In this division we have two spots open. One of them (as in the men’s division) will be taken by the 9th JFKO All Japan Open winner – heavy-weight category. The last spot are marked: Recommended Competitor – that probably means someone will get an invite. with one more fighter from Japan (trough the JFKO) it would be the right to leave the last spot to some other region.
No doubt, this will be an event interesting to watch – and a development in the way of making new format in the WKO Shinkyokushin name. From our point of view (been for some time) these types of events will replace (all ready in progress) the ordinary national Open tournaments with top names.
The framework are done, and at July 21 we will have the answers – not only who will be the Champion of the champion, but if this will work in a good way. Like the old saying in boxing: “don’t leave it to the judges” we want to see the fighters really battle this out – and that to the very end!