While Rizin 24 may have had some late additions, the event overall appears to have been a big success for the promotion. In a night of exciting fights, the event sold well on their new PPV service, got decent TV ratings despite heavy opposition, and the stars of the promotion shined.
PPV Numbers
- Rizin 24 PPV: 7,602 sales totaling 39,630,000 Yen (roughly $375,000).
- Rizin 23 PPV: 3,717 sales totaling 18,585,000 Yen (roughly $176,000).
- Rizin 22 PPV: 3,387 sales totaling 16,935,000 Yen (roughly $160,000).
Fuji TV Ratings
Despite going up against the season finale of the most popular show on Japanese TV, Rizin did better than expected. Rizin received a 6.2% average rating that peaked to 8.9% during the Tenshin and Kouzi fight. Hanzawa Naoki received a 32.7% average rating, showing how truly popular it is. Fuji TV is apparently pleased because they reached the key demographic of men and women between 13 to 49.
- Rizin 15: 5.8%
- Rizin 16: 6.9%
- Rizin 19: 5.9%
- Rizin 20: 3.2%, 5.2%, 3.7%
- Rizin 24: 6.9%
Tattoos
Some people may have noticed that Kintaro fought in a rash guard and that Kouzi appeared to have makeup over the tattoo on his arm. It is likely that since Kouzi was on Fuji TV and Kintaro was likely to be on TV, the fighters were told to hide their tattoos. It reminds me of when KID faced Masato and had to wear a rashguard.
The Fights
Juri Ohara defeated Yusukue Yachi via SD
In the opening fight, Yachi and Ohara fought in one of the most back and forth fights of the night. Yachi, who has been training in Jeet Kun Do in his youtube videos, started the fight almost exclusively throwing kicks. This was not effective and Ohara badly hurt him, opening up a cut and a fountain of blood. It is possible that a different referee might have stopped the fight. In the second round, Yachi found his form and dropped Ohara with punches. In the third round, the fight went to the ground as Yachi looked to wrestle, but Ohara was able to get on top, which likely cost Yachi the fight. This loss means that Yachi has fallen to 1-5 in his past 6 fights and also follows a patter of losses for Krazy Bee in general. Once one of the rising stars for the promotion, it will be interesting to see if Yachi makes any adjustments.
Tsuyoshi Sodari defeated Dylan James via TKO (Doctor Stoppage)
In some interesting matchmaking, former sumo-wrestler Sodari defeated pro-wreslter, Dylan James via Doctor’s Stoppage between the first and second round. James did not look prepared for the fight and there are rumors that he did not train for the fight. Rizin will likely continue to use Sodari for several reasons: (1) he is a heavyweight, (2) he brings in new fans from sumo, and (3) Sakakibara even said that he interested in doing some strange things in Rizin. This could involve the former rikishi.
Rena defeated Emi Tomimatsu via UD
In a fight that both women took on short notice and at a higher weight, Rena took over in the 3rd Round and secured herself the victory. After a somewhat uneventful first round, Rena controlled the striking and Emi was able to force some grappling exchanges. Rena even got on top and attempted to secure a hammer-lock that Hamasaki has been teaching her.
In a strange moment during the third round, Rena sprawled while Emi was going for a takedown. As a result of the sprawl, Rena was tangled in the ropes and wasn’t able to move very well. During this time Emi was able to knee Rena in the face several times. Afterwards, Rena, her manager, and some who were watching felt that the referee should have moved them to the center of the ring once Rena got pushed out of the ropes. Afterwards, Rena went to the hospital and luckily her orbital was not broken.
After the fight, Rena announced that she will probably fight 2 to 3 more times before she retires. While Rena has flirted with the idea of retiring in the past, this time seems more serious. Rena has been fighting professionally now for 13 years and has expressed a desire to start a family. She has also laid out some of her plans for the future, showing that this issue has been on her mind for a while.
Kai Asakura defeated Shoji Maruyama via TKO (Soccer Kick)
While the stoppage may have been a tad quick, Kai Asakura hurt Shoji badly and dropped him with a punch before hitting him with a soccer kick. After my initial reaction to the fight, it seems more likely that the referee saved Shoji from unnecessary damage.
This is Kai’s second 1st round finish in less than 60 days and he will likely be fighting again on NYE, likely against Horiguchi. His popularity is continuing to grow. Since August, his YouTube channel has grown by 100,000 subscribers and he graced the cover of Gong magazine. With this fight appearing on Fuji TV and his emphatic victory, Kai is on track to become the face of the organization.
Tenshin Nasukawa defeated Kouzi Tanaka via UD
In a highly anticipated fight, Tenshin outclassed the ever tough Kouzi for three rounds. Tenshin landed several flying knees, combinations, and appeared to be too fast for Kouzi. Kouzi landed one good punch but aside from that, it appeared that Tenshin was never in trouble. In fact, some are saying that since Tenshin is so strong, it is almost like a victory for Kouzi since he didn’t get finished. This match was brilliant matchmaking by Rizin. Tenshin is well known throughout Japan and Kouzi has a die-hard fan base from Osaka. This combination led to high PPV sales, better than some feared TV ratings, and got Rizin good media exposure.
With Kouzi himself selling roughly half the tickets at this event, it will be interesting to see who he is booked against next. It would be interesting to see him booked against some of the Rise fighters that fight in Rizin. Whoever he fights against, it is likely that the fight will draw a lot of attention from Osaka.
It will be interesting to see what steps Tenshin takes with this fight behind him. He has repeatedly stated that he is going to switch to boxing. He also stated that as a boxer he can then have superfights against MMA fighters in kickboxing matches. While it remains to be seen when he will make the switch, Tenshin is becoming a household name in Japan.
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