Tokyo Sabres Post Fight Press Conference!
Posted by Lotfi Sariahmed on 08.06.2007
All the news you need to know from the Sabres!
Following the end of the Sabres v. Pitbulls team match-up, each of the four teams came in one after the other to field questions from the media. These are some of the highlights from the Sabres press conference following their 3-2 loss to the New York Pitbulls.
Tokyo Sabres Savant Young
On his fight with Deividas Taurosevicius
You're in a fight so sometimes you get hit. Nothing hurt me at all. I figured we should have stayed in and tussled a little bit more. He kind of went shot, pop and I kind of went shot, pop. I thought we should have gone a 4th round to be honest with you. Beyond that I figured if we didn't get a KO or sub here we weren't going to win. One of these hudges score my teammate Antonio McKee's fight 30-27 for Delson (Heleno) which was some bulls*** to be honest with you. So I knew we weren't going to get the nod we needed to be honest. You got to come in here and win in somebody else's house and unfortunately we didn't do that. But up to this point we proved that we definitely are a cohesive unit for the most part. I'm just looking forward to next year. I'll be in there and swing it out man. I will always leave it in the ring and I vow to continue to do that from this point on.
On where he goes from here
I don't know. They pitch it down the pipe and I just got to swing at it. I'm going to get back to the gym with my boys ASAP. I didn't suffer any injuries. I think I fought a pretty good game. I didn't get submitted. I didn't get controlled on the ground. I was able to get up when I was on my back. My timing might have been slightly off so I don't know. I'm just going to continue to keep doing what I do. I wish I could grow about three inches taller but that's just something that just ain't going to happen. I'm just going to continue to go in there and slug it out. Eventually I'll land the shot that I need to land because when I do land that it will be a knockout. I've displayed I do have that type of power. I'm the guy on our team that definitely exhibits the striking because that's what I like to do. We have a team of primarily wrestlers and I found my niche by being a striker and I'm going to continue to do that because that's what the fans expect to see out of me. All in all these people come to enjoy themselves and see a fight. I'm just happy to be a person that could put on a show for them. I really don't think about winning or losing when I get in the ring. I just think about going there and trying to execute the game plan that I'm going to execute.
On whether he was hurt during his fight
I was fine. We train hard in the gym. I continued to fight the whole time; there was no time where I was stalling. Anytime you get in the ring it's going to take something out of you. None of us can get in here and go 100 MPH. I wasn't hurt at any time during the fight. I felt my cardio was pretty good. I was able to recover well in the corner. I was able to come back out. I was ready to go to a 4th round because I had a feeling we were going to go one more round. It didn't go that way. I felt that my shape set the speed for this fight.
About going into the fight down 2-0
We go in there to win. There's not a time we don't get in the ring and expect nothing but 100% from all of our guys. Our first guy lost and I don't know where he went at that point, he didn't stick around. I think the morale of the squad kind of got a little tainted. But I'm going to stick around there for everybody else. I stayed for the rest of the fights to support my boys just like I know they would do for me. You win some you lose some. I think we exceeded all expectations up to this point. Our group showed we have a real good team. The Pitbulls were just the better team tonight. I'm just looking forward to continuing on with this whole league and next year I think we'll be a lot stronger. We know what we're up against. We'll be prepared a lot better for these upcoming fights.
Wayne Cole
On the impact the weight difference (Cole: 217 lbs, Vetell: 266) had in his fight with Bryan Vetell
It definitely was my strategy to kind of let him wear himself out. I know he cut 20 lbs. from Monday to weigh-ins so I thought he'd be a little fatigued but he fatigued me just holding him up against the ropes. I'm definitely looking forward to fighting at 205 again, which is my real weight. I weighed in at 217 so I'm not a heavyweight. I fought with the guy but that weight definitely does wear on you in these four-minute rounds. I definitely look forward to fighting at 205 with some of these guys I can bulldog a little bit.
Ken Yasuda
On the 2007 season
I would say every year I remember exactly what was wrong. I have two to three months to reorganize the team. As I observed what a lot of other teams are doing well this year I learned a lot again. I think it's a learning process. I have some homework to do next season so hopefully I could make the team even better and get the ring.
On adjusting to the Pitbulls lineup with all their injuries
I did a lot of scouting this year. I attended every single event and saw all of the possible fighters we'd have to face. So I had all the data but it did put me in a position where I had to worry a little bit. But I know all my guys train hard. Vladdy's opponent was decided two days ago. That was hard but he's good. I didn't worry too much about it. Overall, I think I didn't worry too much. I knew who Savant's opponent was. Savant did well getting out of submissions. I think we did very well regardless of what happened before the fight.
On the differences between last season and this season
Last year came on short notice. We didn't have a lot of time to get the team together. This year we had a little more time but I guess I didn't quite understand the game again. It's a learning process. I've already established great fighters on this team and they did a great job but that was the only thing I was looking at. Some things are difficult. I needed more time to work things out. I have to think about what's necessary to make the team better. I need to review what happened from January to now and try to find the best solution.
Yasuda was asked about the morale of the team because we saw some disagreements on the team during the fights. Matyushenko quickly interjected, "We've had better days." The following is Yasuda's response to the question.
The Pitbulls were a tough team. There was a bit of conflict on how the team should be proceeding and I just didn't find a solution quick enough. That was one problem that might have affected the result. But I think each fighter did an incredible job so I don't think it was an issue with the fighters.
Antonio McKee
On being hit in the "man region" against Delson Heleno not once but twice
I'm a warrior and I came to do what I do. I don't look to pull out of a fight ever. I don't look to take the easy way out. I think considering my strength and how strong I felt I think the first was an accident then the second one…I'm not going to complain about it I mean everybody saw it. You saw it through the camera and you saw it on my face. I'm not a good actor anyway. I'm a real person. I do what I do and I say what I'm going to do. It was real hard to continue but (Kurt) Otto got in there and looked at me and I just didn't want to let him down. So I decided I'm going to take it like a man but I was hurting real bad. I was in excruciating pain but I think that just goes to show that I'm a warrior. I will continue to do what I do until somebody stops it and forces me to stand up. I will continue to be successful at what I do.
On how hard the fight was for him
Considering the groin shot, I don't think a fight could get any harder than that. I don't know if any of you have been hit in the groin but to get hit there twice, it took a lot. I looked at my corner and I can't even tell you how I finished. I say it goes to being a warrior. Now I'm going to practice getting hit in the balls from now on.
Vladimir Matyushenko
On his mindset going into the fight despite the team loss being already guaranteed
My job is to fight. It doesn't matter what team is winning or losing. It's a team thing but it's also individual so I'm here to perform and please the audience. All of my fans come out from New York and all over people are watching on TV so I can't just give up.
On his fight against Tim Boetsch
Good fight. Good fighter. But I was expecting it. I tried to find out who he is. I would have done the same thing if I was him. He was the underdog and he just fought last week. He had nothing to lose and his team was already winning. So why not go and put up a good fight.
On his newly founded stand-up game
Yea, I've been training my standup skills for a while now and it's about time to show them off. And once again my team was already losing so I wasn't really playing my game with submissions and clinches. I tried some new stuff and I wanted to go the distance. It's good practice for me before the Grand Prix. I think I was getting spoiled winning in the 1st round and I needed it.
Kurt Otto ended the Sabres press conference giving a check for Fight of the Night to Savant Young in his loss to Deividas Taurosevicius
