Nippon Television, the king of Japanese TV ratings for the past nine years, is now facing one of its toughest opponents ever, an aggressive and sly veteran promoter.
What's this got to do with the PRIDE GP 2004?
Well, many believe, that dependant on the developments from this nasty legal battle, we might see some fighters heading out in different directions after the PRIDE GP Finals next month. Maybe, even some fighters like Fedor Emelianenko? There is a rumor that his contract is expiring at the end of this summer. Who knows? But I believe something will happen later this year, after this affaire d'honneur reaches some kind of bifurcation point.

Seiya Kawamata is the man who pulled the trigger.
He heads the event production company called K Confidence. Just for the record, this Kawamata guy is quite a known figure in Japan's entertainment world – he used to manage Akina Nakamori, Japan's popular singer, and also, he was "the tastemaker" behind the 80's Tokyo nightlife phenomenon "Club Maharaja" in Azabu 10-ban district, a walking distance from Roppongi crossing.
According to Kawamata's lawyer who held a press conference back in May 10th the following is the claim made by K Confidence against Nippon Television.
On December 11th of last year, Nippon Television and Kawamata "concluded" a master agreement of co-producing MMA events on the night of New Year's Eve for the next three years beginning in 2003. In addition, Nippon Television agreed to a contract of acquiring broadcast rights and co-production rights from K Confidence for 800 million yen – approximately 7.5 million U.S. dollars - per year for the next three years. (450 million yen for production rights 350 million yen for broadcasting rights)
However, Nippon Television, after the first event – Inoki Bom Ba Ye 2003 - by using reasons like bad TV ratings and absences of star fighters such as Mirko Cro Cop, unilaterally cancelled the contract and enforced a two-hundred-million-yen-reduced payment.

We all know what happened on New Year's Eve 2003.
K-1 Dynamite!! with Sapp – Akebono as the main bout won the TV ratings war with an average of 19.5 %, followed by PRIDE Special with 12.5 % and Inoki Bom Ba Ye was awfully embarrassed at 5.1 %.
The public however was never informed of the incident that shook the MMA world. Kawamata, soon after the event, without completing partial payments to some fighters and travel agencies, disappeared. Since then the entire fight sports industry in Japan was buzzing with rumors and presumptions of the whereabouts of this big shot promoter.

Then all of sudden, after nearly half a year of silence, Kawamata resurfaced in the beginning of June.
Shuukan Bunshun, Japan's biggest selling weekly magazine, reported that they have successfully contacted Kawamata, who is, basically laying low in some foreign land.
Kawamata claims, in this report by Shuukan Bunshun, that Nippon Television was the one who approached him first. After witnessing the success of the first and the second Inoki Bom Ba Ye, Nippon Television realized that Mixed Martial Arts could produce high TV ratings. So Nippon Television approached Kawamata, who at the time had just nailed a management contract with Mirko Cro Cop. However Kawamata was in the process of negotiating with Fuji Television along with PRIDE so he replied, well, in a Japanese way, basically nicely rejecting by saying, "After evaluating the results of this year, if we can work together next year that would be great."

On October 4, 2003, the situation however made a dramatic turn.
The producer and the programming director of Nippon Television came to the Tokyo Capital Hotel where Kawamata was staying, and with adjuration, begged Kawamata to organize Inoki Bom Ba Ye 2003 for Nippon Television.
Kawamata, in this report, claims that he still refused the offer because "I had a relationship with PRIDE and by evaluating other circumstances it just couldn't be done. It would be too difficult to book fighters at that point. But Nippon Television guaranteed a booking of Naoya Ogawa and they also promised full cooperation."
Kawamata also emphasized the fact, "Nippon Television was the one who drew up a contract, presenting both terms and conditions."
In addition, Kawamata also did explain the risk factors to Nippon Television.
"I finally accepted the offer because it was a three-year deal; this way, I could assure fighters. I also explained to Nippon Television that since we only have two months to prepare and book fighters, we have to be able to accept a few flaws in terms of this year’s results so we should stick with the concept that this year is like a stepping stone for the next year."

Then we all know a headhunting war began behind the scenes between K-1, PRIDE, and Inoki Bom Ba Ye and in the process, Cro Cop got injured and Kawamata quickly replaced him with Fedor Emelianenko. Kawamata states, "(after the injury of Cro Cop) They (Nippon Television) told me to get Fedor and (Yuji) Nagata so I did but Nippon Television didn’t come up with Ogawa, something they promised."
As expected, Nippon Television is denying Kawamata's claim and even in this report, presented their point of view, "After carefully evaluating the results of Inoki Bom Ba Ye 2003, a reduced payment was agreed by both parties. These procedures and actions are quite common in the industry."

Despite his efforts to explain his side of the story via media, the situation still remains the same for Kawamata till this date.
Because of this two-hundred-million-yen-reduced-payment by Nippon Television, obviously, K Confidence, Kawamata's company, can't pay outstanding bills from Inoki Bom Ba Ye 2003. The creditors and vendors of K Confidence are, apparently, very upset. Still, no one answers the phone at the K Confidence office in Tokyo, and the president, Kawamata, is yet lying concealed somewhere outside Japan.
No one, well, not many people know where Kawamata is, and what is going to happen when both K Confidence and Nippon Television enter the NHB of the legal world.

Bout Review USA however has its own predictions regarding this matter based on our sources in Japan. Recently, we successfully contacted a Japanese journalist who was involved in the investigation of K Confidence and Seiya Kawamata. This journalist actually conducted a one-on-one interview with Kawamata, in person, a few months ago.

"I heard Kawamata is very happy with the article."
The journalist is talking about the report by Shuukan Bunshun.
"After all, that article was a harsh criticism towards Japanese TV stations; their high-handedness and overbearing conduct to small production companies. And K Confidence happened to be at the right place at the right time. You know, I'm talking from the perception of a journalist who is working on this particular story. The company is in trouble because of the money promised by a major TV station is not coming through, and everyone in Japan knows the brand name 'Inoki.' You know, the story was just there."
The expertise of this journalist is not MMA, it is so-called "culture & entertainment" but with full insight in both sports and entertainment.
"Well, think of it this way. The first clue is the Michael McDonald vs. Hiromi Amada card happened in Inoki Bom Ba Ye 2003. By definition both of them are K-1 fighters. Then why did they come to Kobe to fight in Inoki Bom Ba Ye 2003 instead of taking an extra hour on the bullet train ride to Nagoya to participate in K-1 Dynamite!!?"
Blatantly, this journalist is suggesting, that maybe the McDonald – Amada card was rented to Kawamata from K-1? Which also could mean that there was a solid relationship between Kawamata and K-1, even though back then they were supposed to be in the middle of a headhunting war.
"The second clue is Fedor Emelianenko. Sure, Cro Cop got injured but how was Kawamata able to so quickly replace Cro Cop with Fedor? I mean, Fedor was back then, and still is the PRIDE heavyweight champion, right? Then how the hell did Kawamata cut the deal with Fedor?"
This journalist didn't want to provide an entire picture but at the end, finished our conversation by adding, "Also, I know there is this powerful and influential person in Japan's MMA who is visiting Kawamata very often where he is right now."

Does this mean that this "powerful and influential person," who is visiting Kawamata often, is the one connecting Kawamata to K-1? Additionally, does this person or K-1 now have control of Fedor Emelianenko?
Conveniently, K-1 began their own MMA event called ROMANEX two months ago and since their ace fighter, Bob Sapp, is slipping now, the acquisition of another talent like Fedor would be ideal.

This is only a prediction, but everything, well at least half of it became quite clear if we consider Kawamata and Inoki Bom Ba Ye 2003 as the passing point for fighters to K-1 ROMANEX. It was like a custom or ritual where they confirmed their new status and residence and then received their signing bonus; the fight money at Inoki Bom Ba Ye 2003.
Considering the fact that TBS (Tokyo Broadcasting System) is airing K-1 ROMANEX, it would be no wonder if they support K-1 in gathering talent using Nippon Television's deep pocket, their arch rival, and then it would make sense for Kawamata to take Nippon Television to court over this two-hundred- million-yen-reduced-payment.
Or is this just a "front story" to conceal the truth, perhaps a way to let the public blink to the facts?

Both sides attorneys are still preparing so we have no idea when this case of K Confidence against Nippon Television begins, but at this point, it is fair to conclude that the situation is too vague in order for us to determine between a "worked" or a "real VT" in this legal duel. The only thing we can say however is that some of the fighters who participated in Inoki Bom Ba Ye 2003, will probably make some kind of announcement in the fall.