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Xavier: Hello, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to the Rapid Fighting preview of Showdown in Tokyo 23! I’m your host, Esiah Xavier, and as always, joining me in the booth is the colorful Furious Styles!
Styles: What’s up, Tokyo!? Are you ready for another exciting night of fights that Rapid Fighting Championship brings to you!?
Xavier: As is the tradition, Rapid Fighting Championship has an outstanding lineup tonight that promises to bring a lot of hard-hitting action from warriors who are battling for position and the shot at a title! Tonight, there are two Welterweight fights, one Heavyweight fight, five big Bantamweight fights, and two Light Heavyweight fights!
Styles: Five Bantamweight fights will definitely have a major ripple effect in that division! Every fighter tonight knows there’s a chance to vault over some of the competition, especially since there are no titles on the line tonight! Champions will have an opportunity to scout the competition, and each fighter tonight has a chance to show the champions what they’re all about!
Xavier: Starting us off tonight is Josu Aingeru versus Osman Dawoud!
Styles: Wow, those are some unique names! Aingeru and Dawoud sound like a cool law firm! They should hook that up!
Xavier: Actually, that does have a ring to it!
Styles: Right!? You’re feelin’ me!
Xavier: Aingeru steps into the cage with an impressive 10-2 record that he, along with his LEGION OF DOOM associates, are very proud of! He had an 8-fight win streak broken by Akoni Jackson at Rapid Fire Championship 26, and since that point, he’s been back and forth in the win and loss column! He recently defeated Alzonz Appalusu at Rapid Fighting Championship 39, and obviously wants to carry over the momentum of that victory against Dawoud tonight!
Styles: The shorter and lighter Dawoud steps into the cage with an equally impressive 10-2 record, and The StepDads are definitely proud of this seasoned veteran. Currently riding a 6-fight win streak, and previously having a 4-fight win streak, Dawoud has shown that his fists are more than capable of ending a fight quickly! All but two of his matches have stopped in the first round, so it’s full speed ahead for him, and that aggression has obviously served him very well! He also has championship experience and credentials from battles in the Some organization, and that is a major advantage!
Xavier: Similarly, Aingeru has had most of his fights end in the first round, and he, too, has championship experience from titles he’s won in this organization! This promises to be a high-impact, hard-hitting fight and we all enjoy those!
Styles: Yeah we do! For me, those are the best kinds of fights because it’s just toe-to-toe mano y mano, and may the best man win! That takes guts, and you must have guts to make it in this industry!
Xavier: Well said, Styles, and I don’t think either man will back down from the other if they choose to stand in front of each other and test the other man’s ability to take a punch! This is definitely a tough fight to pick a winner from because there are numerous similarities, but I’ll choose Aingeru by knockout because he won a tough fight recently and was able to finish it in two minutes and twenty-four seconds!
Styles: In that case, I’ll take the man who has a 6-fight win streak and a ton of confidence! Dawoud wins this bad boy by knockout!
PREDICTIONS: Styles – Dawoud by KO; Xavier – Aingeru by KO
Styles: Next up we have the big boys of the night as the heavyweights hit the cage! Sven Svensson, easy enough name to remember, does battle against…am I reading this right? His opponent’s name is Suge Knight!? Suge Knight!? He is aware of the situations involved with Suge Knight, right!? Does he really want to associate himself with such an incredibly controversial figure!?
Xavier: Apparently he does, Styles!
Styles: Wow, man, that takes a big set of balls to do that! There are people after Suge Knight and believe me, many people are very happy about him being incarcerated! He’s locked up for 25 or so years!
Xavier: It’s unfortunate for Mr. Knight, but he’s been embroiled in legal issues for many years, and the manslaughter charges against him were overwhelming! He got 28 years on a plea deal, so you know the evidence was deep and damning!
Styles: No kidding! Anyway, Sven Svensson, who calls himself “The Valhalla Viking”, which is cool as hell to me because I really like that TV series, Vikings! The History channel is brilliant for having that show, and who doesn’t like Ragnar Lothbrok!? He’s bad ass! Svensson is pretty bad as too, really, with a very respectable 13-3 record! Dude had a 12-fight win streak at one point in time, and that’s major! Add in the fact he’s been a champion and he has all the accolades a great young fighter would want! Keep in mind he’s only 21 years old so he has a long way to go and a whole lot more domination! It seems that Conor The Barbarian is a thorn in his side as they’ve fought 3 times and Conor has won 2 of those fights! At Rapid Fighting Championship Showdown in Tokyo 20, we saw that happen!
Xavier: “Sugar” Knight has one hell of a task ahead of him! At 8-6, he’s struggled a bit with his career, and having to battle a devastating force like Svensson, who is 7 years younger, will be a tall task! However, having that age difference gives him more overall life experience, and while some don’t think that has much influence, you’d be surprised by that! In addition, he’s from Compton and one assumes he’s had tough fights before! The Underground Fights Enterprise members believe in Knight, and there’s a reason he’s stepping into this battle! He’s won 5 fights in a row previously, but had a 2-fight win streak snapped by Axel Aethelwulf at Rapid Fighting Championship in Tokyo 20! I assume that loss has left a bit of a sting in his pride and that could very well provide great motivation for him to get things turned around! What better way to turn things around than to defeat a young lion like Svensson!?
Styles: If he’s able to pull off this upset, because let’s be real, that would be an upset, it would definitely put him square on the championship title shot map! However, I simply don’t see that happening, X!
Xavier: I can see why you wouldn’t, Styles, and that’s all good! I’m going to choose Knight to pull off the upset in this fight! I think that recent loss made him more focused and he may catch Svensson being overconfident and cocky!
Styles: Overconfident and cocky!? Naw, man! Svensson knows what he brings to the table and he’s going to deliver another brutal knockout to his resume!
PREDICTIONS: Styles – Svensson by KO; Xavier – Knight by KO
Styles: Moving on to the much smaller but faster fighters, Branimir Simeon steps into the cage against Genji Kamogawa! That sounds like a strong Japanese name! Simeon is currently 8-3 and the LEGION OF DOOM speaks highly of this man! After a 4-fight win streak, he’s had his ups and downs, but the last 2 fights have been wins by TKO, so he’s proven himself to be capable in the cage! At Rapid Fighting Championship Showdown in Tokyo 19, he bested Kreepee Krawlee – now there’s the name of a man whose parents definitely see things differently – in a third round win. Most of his fights have finished in the first round, so I expect him to be aggressive against Kamogawa!
Xavier: Similar too Simeon, Kamogawa has held a 4-fight win streak! Unfortunately for him, he had an opportunity to win gold against Anthony Shiina at Rapid Fighting Championship 32, but he lost to a nasty Americana, and he lost the fight after that as well! He righted the ship against Chok Delarock at Rapid Fighting Championship 40, and he’ll look to continue with that momentum!
Styles: Hey, X, I’ve got some insight for you!
Xavier: What’s up?
Styles: My sources tell me that despite that last win, Kamogawa’s been a bit dour and mopey around the gym lately!
Xavier: Seriously!? He just won a match recently!
Styles: I know, man, but it seems like some woman he’s dating is stressing him out! As I always say, women and combat sports don’t mix unless she’s a fighter, too! There’s no way for them to understand what the hell combat athletes really go through unless she trains for it too!
Xavier: That’s a shame because I figured with his height and weight advantage, he’d be able to give problems to Simeon, but if he’s having issues with a woman then there’s no way I’m comfortable considering him to win!
Styles: That makes two of us, X! I’m definitely choosing Simeon to win this fight by knockout!
Xavier: I echo that sentiment!
PREDICTIONS: Xavier – Simeon by KO; Styles – Simeon by KO
Xavier: Keeping the bantamweight action going is Pal Hasani vs. Ichiro Suzuki!
Styles: Suzuki is a cool name, and they make great products, too! There’s also a violin teaching method named The Suzuki Method.
Xavier: You know that!?
Styles: Don’t sound so surprised, X! I’m a man of many tastes and I can be refined when I want to be!
Xavier: Refined!? You forget that we’ve hung out together in various sports bars and karaoke clubs, and I’ve seen you act a damn fool!
Styles: Hey, X! I told you I live life the way I see fit, and I have no regrets! Well, I’ve regretted a couple of times waking up next to a woman who…well, let’s just say there were a couple of times I pretended there was a fire and I hustled a woman out of my place, gave her some Uber money, and called it a day!
Xavier: Oh, yeah, very refined and classy!
Styles: Don’t hate! Anyway, “The Cobra” Hasani is a solid 11-4 heading into this fight, and The Stepdads speak about this young man’s potential quite a bit! His best win streak has been 4 in a row, and he’s had a few losses between streaks, but more importantly, the last time he faced Ichiro Suzuki, he lost by unanimous decision at Rapid Fighting Night 10! I assure you both of these men remember that last squabble and will use some of the experiences from that fight for this one!
Xavier: That would be astute of both of them to take advantage of that previous encounter to improve upon what did and didn’t work! “Broom-Broom” is an impressive 6-1, but he had that 6-fight win streak snapped by Hasani, as you said! Prior to that, he’s submitted every opponent he’s faced, and he managed to do that by the second round, an indication that he’s aggressive and skilled! We have yet another classic standup versus ground fighter, and Suzuki will definitely look to get this fight off its feet and to the ground as soon as possible!
Styles: “Broom-Broom”!? That’s…different! I could see if it was “Boom-Boom” or “Vroom-Vroom”, but hey, to each their own! I think Hasani will manage to keep this fight standing and will drop bombs on Suzuki until he can’t take it anymore! I’m rollin’ with Hasani by knockout in this one!
Xavier: As for me, I’ll take Suzuki to win this by submission! The pain of that loss previously has to be prominent inside of him, and, naturally, he wants to prove to himself that he can beat Hasani! I think he does it!
PREDICTIONS: Xavier – Suzuki by Submission; Styles – Hasani by KO
Xavier: The next combatants to enter the cage of pain will be Yez Pleez and Five Finger!
Styles: Hold up! Yez Pleez and Five Finger!? What in the blue hell!? Has a psychological evaluation been performed on both of these fighters!? One is named after a cordial phrase, but he can’t spell, apparently, and the other dude can count, which is good, but he’s basically named after body parts!?
Xavier: I knew you wouldn’t be able to let these go! I concur that their names are unusual, there’s no doubt about it, but I’m sure they have their reasons for having their names as they are!
Styles: Well, sure, and I know the reason why!
Xavier: I have a feeling where this is going but I’ll ask anyway. What’s the reason their names are what they are?
Styles: It’s simple, really. Both of these fighters have strong mental issues they need to overcome, and by being simple with their names, they give themselves more space and time to focus on those heavier concerns!
Xavier: Well, I definitely didn’t expect to hear that from you, and that’s an interesting perspective to take!
Styles: What, did you expect me to say because they’re both crazy!? Come on, X, we all know they are!
Xavier: That’s more like it. “Yeep” is 6-4 but has lost 2 in a row, so he’s looking to turn things around against Finger! He began his career well by winning 4 in a row, but he’s struggled to maintain any kind of win streak after that! When he’s locked in, he’s capable of using solid boxing skills to beat his opponents with!
Styles: “Death Punch”…oh, I get it now! He really likes that band! Well, seeing that he’s 21, I suppose I’m not too surprised! They do have some great songs, though! Fellow members of YABAI tell me that, despite his loss to Aleksan Nokkenson, Finger has been locked in and has been training very diligently with the desire to prove to everyone that he deserves to be in the fight game! His muay thai skills are touted and I expect him to lean on those skills in this fight!
Xavier: Pleez has shown solid ability on his feet but if Finger’s muay thai skills are that good, he’ll definitely have to watch out for his kicks! If he can manage to stick and move, that will reduce the chances of him getting tagged by hard kicks and increase his chance to win this fight!
Styles: Not so fast, X!
Xavier: What now!?
Styles: My sources tell me that Pleez has been trippin’ big time as of late! Apparently the dude has been playing Madden 20 and FIFA 19 for hours instead of getting his butt into the gym like he’s supposed to!
Xavier: Unreal! Now don’t get me wrong! I enjoy video games myself, and I can’t wait to play NBA2K20 which I’ll buy later today, but that’s another story. I don’t have a guy in a cage trying to knock my head off or twist a body part until I tap out in extreme pain!
Styles: Well said!
Xavier: Thank you, Styles! So, with that bit of information, I’m going to trust your sources, although they did miss out on one or two fights at Rapid Fighting Championship 22, and I’ll pick Finger to get his first career victory! Finger by knockout!
Styles: You know the fight game is unpredictable, but I trust my sources and I trust my gut, and my gut says to roll with Finger as well! Finger by knockout!
PREDICTIONS: Styles – Finger by KO; Xavier – Finger by KO
Styles: Theodore Nouveau and Chok Delarock are next up in the battle of brutality! Theodore makes me think of the Chipmunks, or some dude who works on Wall Street and wears khaki’s every day! Chok Delarock sounds like a drink that’s popular in the hood!
Xavier: In the hood!? Which hood are you talking about, Styles!?
Styles: Whatever hood likes to lay claim to certain drinks! I don’t know, X! Stop analyzing everything I say and just roll with it! “Beaujolaise”, that’s quite a nickname, is 8-12, which is definitely not a great record, but dude likes to fight, and I can respect that! He recently broke a 4-fight losing streak with a first-round submission win over Xix Zyx at Rapid Fighting Showdown in Tokyo 20, so he may have gotten himself together in time for this fight!
Xavier: His last 5 fights have all stopped in the first round, so expect to see him being very aggressive in this fight against Delarock! “A Block” Delarock…
Styles: ”A Block”, like Cell Block A!?
Xavier: You’ll have to ask him! He’s 8-7, so his record isn’t great either, but it’s a winning record, and in the fight game, that’s definitely respectable! What’s not respectable is the current 4-fight losing streak he’s on, and as I always say, that kind of losing streak can’t be good for the psyche! He had a 5-fight win streak early in his career, so he’s capable, but he’ll need to handle business here! To add to this fight is bragging rights, because these two warriors train at the same gym!
Styles: Hold up! They train at the very same gym!?
Xavier: You heard me!
Styles: Wow, dude, that’s crazy! Do you think they’ve sparred with and against one another in that gym!?
Xavier: It’s possible, Styles!
Styles: Crazy! What’s even more crazy!? My sources tell me that both of these dudes have been caught up in their feelings!
Xavier: Both of them!
Styles: You heard me!
Xavier: Touche!
Styles: I don’t even know what to say about that, X! It’s bad enough when one dude mentally checks out of a fight before it even happens, but both fighters checking out!? Hell, let’s just roll the dice to choose this one! I’ll take Delarock because his name sounds like alcohol, and he’ll win by knockout!
Xavier: I’ll take Nouveau because he has a unique middle name and he’s from Albania, which has nothing to do with anything! Nouveau by knockout!
PREDICTIONS: Xavier – Nouveau by KO; Styles – Delarock by KO
Xavier: Kasey McRobbie and Paul Rabbitte are next up to battle!
Styles: Rabbitte!? I hope he’s as fast as one because I expect this to be a heavy-hitting fight!
Xavier: Well, he’s 3-5 right now but he’s only 21 year-old and that’s young enough to easily and quickly turn things around in a more positive direction! “The Rab” recently snapped a 2-fight losing streak by defeating DeMarcus Ridley at FNF Summer Madness III, and he did that in the first round! He was quite vicious in that fight and I have no doubt he’ll be just as aggressive and vicious against McRobbie!
Styles: “Mad Dog” is a solid 4-1, and in this fight, he may have a bit of an advantage if and when there’s a clinch battle or a fight for positioning on the mat! All but one of his fights have ended in the first round, and he’s proven that his fists are capable and dangerous! In a nutshell, he either wins by knockout or he gets knocked out, and I know the fans truly enjoy that style of fighting!
Xavier: Israel Adesilva can attest to the power of McRobbie’s fists, that’s for certain, and I expect this fight to be short, brutal and bloody!
Styles: Now we’re talkin’!
Xavier: In light of that, I’ll choose Rabbitte to win this fight by knockout because I feel he has more to prove!
Styles: I’m choosing McRobbie because I think he hits harder, and his record is obviously better! McRobbie by knockout!
PREDICTIONS: Styles – McRobbie by KO; Xavier – Rabbitte by KO
Styles: Moving right along, we have Ariel Schroder battling Xix Zyx! I’m not even going to try and comment on Zyx’s name because I have a hell of a time just pronouncing it! Schroder looks like a math or a gym teacher, and maybe that demeanor and appearance works in his favor, because opponents may underestimate him! A decent 7-5 record, he’s pretty much been back and forth between wins and losses, so he’s attempting to sustain that winning vibe after beating Juan Villa at Rapid Fight Night 10! He’s a submission artist and that’s obviously an excellent skill to have, plus he’s pretty aggressive and calculating, but he’s also lost by submission and knockouts, so he’s definitely a wild card in that cage!
Xavier: Like you, Styles, I don’t even know what to say about Zyx, let alone try and figure out his fighting style! In addition, let’s be honest, he’s a very odd looking dude, and to an extent, but in a very different way, maybe his appearance causes his opponents to underestimate him, because he does look like a guy who’s not too familiar with a barber!
Styles: Or hygiene!
Xavier: That may actually be a battle tactic, Styles! Maybe “Six” tries to psyche out his opponents by looking grungy, disturbed and just plain strange!
Styles: Well, if I were an opponent, I guarantee that would work against me! Dude looks like something from The Thing! Strange movie, by the way!
Xavier: Definitely a strange movie, but entertaining! “Six” is 4-4 and has lost his last 3 fights, so he obviously wants to get things turned around! Like Schroder, he favors submissions, so we’ll have ourselves a battle of wits, determination, and flexibility, or at least, I think we will! Zyx has a height advantage but from what we’ve seen, he pretty much doesn’t give a damn about standup fighting and goes right for takedowns and grappling!
Styles: Xix “Six” Zyx!? I got it! He’s playing with the number of the beast, 666! Clever…strange, but clever! However, what’s not so clever, X, is my sources tell me that oddball Zyx has been laying around and listening to dark metal and gothic music instead of training, and other UnderGround Fights Enterprise members have said he’s acting even more strange than usual, which is really saying something!
Xavier: I’m at a loss for words, but I’m not at a loss for a pick!
Styles: Me either! Put me down for Schroder winning by submission!
Xavier: Ditto!
PREDICTIONS: Xavier – Schroder by Submission; Styles – Schroder by Submission
Xavier: Our second-to-last fight of the night features Juan Villa versus Kreepee Krawlee!
Styles: Oh yeah, you know I’m going to talk about this one! Kreepee Krawlee! I touched on this name earlier in the show, but “The Spider” obviously has a propensity for arachnoids and bugs! I wonder if he’s seen Arachnophobia, and if he has, does it piss him off!?
Xavier: I’ll definitely let you ask that question of him!
Styles: Well hell, I have no problem doing that! Kreepee Krawlee…well, I know his favorite holiday is Halloween, and I bet you money that he has a pet tarantula and a snake! He also has a 6-4 record, which is decent, but I wonder if his fellow YABAI members are completely comfortable around dude! Hey X, I bet they call him Spider Man!
Xavier: They probably do! He began his career well with a 3-fight win streak but has since been back and forth in the wins and losses column! He lost to Branimir Simeon at Rapid Fighting Championship Showdown in Tokyo 19, so look for him to be aggressive in trying to get this win quickly! His ground game is dangerous and I’m sure Villa is fully aware of that fact!
Styles: “The Brave Heart” Villa is currently 8-4, which is quite good, but he’s also coming off a loss to Ariel Schroder at Rapid Fight Night 10! He had a 6-fight win streak to begin his promising career, but then ran into a bit of trouble, and has been back and forth, with more losses, unfortunately! He has the height advantage in this fight so I expect him to stay outside and as far away from Krawlee’s grasp as possible!
Xavier: I think that would be the smart move because he hasn’t really proven himself in the grappling game of this sport! He does have a knockout by head kick to his credit, but most of his victories have been by decision, so we’re not sure if he has the ability to finish a fight early!
Styles: You know what else we’re not sure of!?
Xavier: Oh boy. What aren’t we sure of?
Styles: Whether or not this dude truly cares about this fight! I just received word that he hasn’t even been in the gym because he’s been sitting around watching TV, playing video games, and eating Rocky Road ice cream all day! Hell, he sounds like dates I had when I was in college, but that was college!
Xavier: It absolutely baffles me when fighters aren’t mentally ready for a fight! It just makes no sense, and it makes no sense for me to pick him to win, so I won’t! Krawlee wins this by submission because he actually wants to fight!
Styles: You’re damn right about that! Krawlee twists Villa into all kinds of wrong and makes him tap in this one!
PREDICTIONS: Styles – Krawlee by Submission; Xavier – Krawlee by Submission
Styles: And, to wrap out this night of combat, we have William Bonin and Barido Joranso standing across the cage from one another! I have to admit that I dig the name of the alliance he’s with! The Devil’s Rejects, another strange movie by the way, just sounds cool! Hey, if Zyx were smart, he’d try to join this group because that would be just too damned perfect!
Xavier: I actually have to agree with you on that one, Styles!
Styles: Of course you do, because you know I’m right, and I’m clever!
Xavier: Right. Bonin stands at 2-3 heading into this fight, and has shown some outstanding skills in the standup game! Unfortunately for him, his last 3 fights have been losses, and he’s lost by submission and TKO! Although quite skilled for a 21-year-old, that’s a very tough path to travel, but being that young may very well help him overcome the recent funk and charter a new course to winning!
Styles: Joranso is an even 1-1, so right off the bat, Bonin has the experience advantage, despite Joranso being five years older! Joranso’s trainers told me they’re proud of his boxing skills, and he’s shown an ability to submit opponents, but he’s also lost by submission, so it’s hard to get a read on him! He’s taller so maybe he can use that reach advantage, but…hold on! Really!? Unbelievable! Hey, X, I just got word from an anonymous source that Joranso has been watching old reruns of Friends and The Office all day instead of training as hard as he should! I like those shows, don’t get it twisted, but that comes after you handle business in the cage, son!
Xavier: Like we discussed previously, maybe there does need to be a psychologist for some of these fighters that just can’t get it together! In light of that information, I’ll keep this very simple. Bonin wins by knockout!
Styles: Bingo! Bonin by knockout!
PREDICTIONS: Styles – Bonin by KO; Xavier – Bonin by KO
Styles: All right, good folks, me and X are out of here! Catch us next time as we preview Rapid Fighting Championship 24 next week! Peace and hair grease!
Xavier: As always, we thank our merchandise partner, Dark Knight Nutrition, with their excellent products and bad ass logo!
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