Keita “K-Taro” Nakamura is no longer just a rookie champion.

Nakamura, the 2005 Shooto rookie champion at 76 kilograms, travelled to Honolulu, Hawaii to take on hometown favorite Ron “Machine Gun” Jhun at the Dole Cannery Ballroom. At stake was the Shooto Pacific Rim Middleweight Championship. The 22 year old Nakamura said before his bout with the hard-hitting Hawaiian that he would look to again score a submission victory by rear naked choke, which he had used to finish six of his eleven victims, including four of his last five.

“K-Taro” was able to deliver, as just under four minutes into the bout he was able to secure the rear naked choke, forcing Jhun to tap. With the victory, Nakamura becomes the first Pacific Rim Middleweight Champion of Professional Shooto, and also, will take a huge leap in the Shooto world rankings. As Jhun was previously ranked second in the world rankings, due to a recent win over Shigetoshi Iwase, Nakamura will likely now jump into the number one contender spot over Jake Shields, who has been inactive in Shooto competition. This may set up a world title fight for “K-Taro” in the near future against Shinya Aoki.

In Class B professional Shooto action, Wajyutsu Keisyukai RJW’s Hayate Usui and 808 Fight Factory’s Ed Newalu fought to a majority draw.

Second2none Productions Presents Punishment In Paradise: East vs. West
July 21st, 2006
Dole Cannery Ballroom
Honolulu, Hawaii

Official Results:

Class B, 65 KG, 2R 5M
Hayate Usui (Wajyutsu Keisyukai RJW) and Ed Newalu (808 Fight Factory) fought to a majority draw at full time limit.

For The Vacant Shooto Pacific Rim Middleweight Champion
Class A, 76 KG, 3R 5M
Keita Nakamura (Wajyutsu Keisyukai Tokyo Headquarters) defeated Ronald Jhun (808 Fight Factory) by submission via rear naked choke at 3:55 of the first round.

The immediate future of HERO’S has gained some measure of clarity.

At a press conference held at the Capital Hotel in Tokyo, 2005 HERO’S Middleweight Champion Norifumi “KID” Yamamoto announced that, as rumored, he would a hiatus from mixed martial arts competition in order to pursue his dream of wrestling in the Olympics. “KID” plans on working toward the 2007 Emperor’s Cup and a 2008 Beijing Games bid in the 60 kilogram class. While K-1 producer Sadaharu Tanigawa said that he hoped Yamamoto would participate at New Year’s Eve’s K-1 Dynamite!!, “KID” offered no definitive answer as to when he would step back into the ring.

Also announced was that last year’s middleweight tournament runner up, Genki Sudo, would not participate in this year’s tournament as expected. While HERO’S staff were optimistic about Sudo’s participation, it appears that a herniated disc in Sudo’s neck, an injury from collegiate wrestling, will keep him from the tournament.

With “KID” and Sudo out of the tournament, Tanigawa announced that their tournament spots would be filled by Hiroyuki Takaya and Kazuya Yasuhiro. K-1’s online polling for the recommendation spot saw Hideo Tokoro take the majority of the vote, giving him the bid for the tournament’s eighth man, but due to the further two spots opened up, K-1 selected further participants from the polling. Takaya was the second place vote getter, and thus was afforded a spot.

Yasuhiro, however, was not dominant in the polling. Many votes were cast for former Shooto kings Alexandre Franca “Pequeno” Nogueira and Vitor “Shaolin” Ribeiro, however K-1 felt that with the participation of Gesias “JZ” Calvancanti and Rani Yahira, that Brazil was adequately represented in the tournament. Nogueira, however, is still slated to compete in a superfight on the card.

Lithuanian Remigijus Morkevicius also took a great number of votes, but is not yet able to return to the ring, due to nasal surgery. As a result, K-1 MAX fighter Kazuya Yasuhiro was given the final spot. Yasuhiro has competed in mixed martial arts before, losing by submission to “KID” Yamamoto.

Sammy Corporation Presents HERO’S 2006
August 5th, 2006
Ariake Coliseum
Tokyo, Japan
Doors Open: 14:30
Fights Start: 16:00

Tentative Fight Card (Card Subject To Change):

HERO’S 2006 Middleweight Tournament Quarterfinal
Open, 2R/1EXT 5M
Kultar Gill (Revolution Fight Team) vs. Kaoru Uno (Wajyutsu Keisyukai Tokyo Headquarters)

HERO’S 2006 Middleweight Tournament Quarterfinal
Open, 2R/1EXT 5M
Ivan Menjivar (Tristar Gym) vs. Hideo Tokoro (Reversal Gym)

HERO’S 2006 Middleweight Tournament Quarterfinal
Open, 2R/1EXT 5M
Gesias Calvancanti (American Top Team) vs. Hiroyuki Takaya (Team HARDCORE)

HERO’S 2006 Middleweight Tournament Quarterfinal
Open, 2R/1EXT 5M
Rani Yahira (Atiada Jr. Jiu-Jitsu) vs. Kazuya Yasuhiuro (Seido Kaikan)

HERO’S 2006 Light Heavyweight Tournament Quarterfinal
Open, 2R/1EXT 5M
Carlos Newton (Warrior MMA) vs. Melvin Manhoef (IT’S SHOWTIME)

HERO’S 2006 Light Heavyweight Tournament Quarterfinal
Open, 2R/1EXT 5M
Shungo Oyama (Freelance) vs. Rodrigo Gracie (Team Royce Gracie)

HERO’S 2006 Light Heavyweight Tournament Quarterfinal
Open, 2R/1EXT 5M
Yoshihiro Akiyama (Freelance) vs. Kin Taiei (Seido Kaikan)

HERO’S 2006 Light Heavyweight Tournament Quarterfinal
Open, 2R/1EXT 5M
Kestutis Smirnovas (Audra Gym) vs. Kazushi Sakuraba (Freelance)

Also Scheduled To Participate:
Alexandre Franca Nogueira (Shooto Brazil Dojo)
Don Frye (Team Frye)
Min Soo Kim (RINGS Korea)

Leading Shooto promoter Sustain did not leave Korakuen Hall without promises of action to come.

It was announced at Shooto’s July 21st card that Shooto would return to Korakuen Hall on September 8th, featuring a 56 kilogram showdown between the 2004 and 2005 rookie champions. 2004 rookie ace and former world title contender Shinichi “BJ” Kojima, who took reigning Shooto World Bantamweight Champion Mamoru Yamaguchi to a draw in March, will return to the ring to face 2005’s bantamweight rookie king Yusei Shimokawa. Shimokawa last faced off against Takeyasu Hirono in May, taking a unanimous decision that earned him his Class A Shooto license.

Shimokawa’s former adversary, last year’s bantamweight rookie tournament runner-up Yuki Shoujou, will be back in action as well. Shoujou also last fought in May, when he took on ancient Shooto veteran Mamoru Ohkouchi, taking a dominant decision over the fifteen year shootor. Now, Shoujou will continue his quest for a Class A license when he meets Kansai fighter Takashi Okada of TK Esperanza.

In rookie tournament action, Atsushi “13″ Asano and Teriyuki Matsumoto will try to punch their tickets to this year’s featherweight tourney final, while 70 kilogram fighters Shinji Sasaki and Michiyuki Ishibashi will square off, with the winner advancing to the finals to face Paraestra Matsudo’s Yoshihiro Koyama.

Crymson and Sustain Present Professional Shooto
September 8th, 2006
Korakuen Hall
Tokyo, Japan
Doors Open: 17:00
Fights Start: 18:00

Tentative Fight Card (Card Subject To Change):

2006 Shooto Welterweight Rookie Tournament Semifinal
Class B, 70 KG, 2R 5M
Michiyuki Ishibashi (Pareastra Sapporo) vs. Shinji Sasaki (Master Plant)

2006 Shooto Feathterweight Rookie Tournament Semifinal
Class B, 60 KG, 2R 5M
Atsushi Asano (Paraestra Tokyo) vs. Teriyuki Matsumoto (Shooting Gym Osaka)

Class B, 56 KG, 2R 5M
Yuki Shoujou (X-ONE Shonan Gym) vs. Takashi Okada (TK Esperenza)

Class A, 56 KG, 3R 5M
Shinichi Kojima (Abe Ani Combat Club) vs. Yusei Shimokawa (K’z Factory)