Review of Pride FC: 11 and 12

Introduction

FightDVD are back again with another in their series of PRIDE archival footage, as we travel back to the year 2000 for PRIDE FC 11 & 12, respectively subtitled "Battle Of The Rising Sun" and "Cold Fury". The former was held on 31st October 2000 at the Osaka Castle Hall, with the latter on 9th December 2000 at the regular venue of the Saitama Super Arena.

The card for both events is as follows:

PRIDE 11
- Kazushi Sakuraba vs. Shannon Ritch
- Naoya Ogawa vs. Masaaki Satake
- Igor Vovchanchyn vs. Nobuhiko Takada
- Akira Shoji vs. Herman Renting
- Alexander Otsuka vs. Mike Bourke
- Gary Goodridge vs. Yoshiaki Yatsu
- Wanderlei Silva vs. Gilbert Yvel
- Heath Herring vs. Tom Erikson

PRIDE 12
- Kazushi Sakuraba vs. Ryan Gracie
- Igor Vovchanchyn vs. Mark Kerr
- Ricco Rodriguez vs. John Marsh
- Kazuyuki Fujita vs. Gilbert Yvel
- Wanderlei Silva vs. Dan Henderson
- Carlos Newton vs. Johil de Oliveira
- Heath Herring vs. Enson Inoue
- Ricardo Almeida vs. Akira Shoji
- Guy Mezger vs. Alexander Otsuka

Video

Video is presented in 4:3 fullscreen PAL, and it is of varying quality. For the most part, the transfer is good considering the event`s NTSC lineage, and considering the length of the main features. However, the visuals are nowhere near the level of recent PRIDE or UFC events, and during PRIDE 11`s Sakuraba vs Ritch bout, the lighting is much too bright, to the point where the PRIDE lettering on the canvas is almost invisible. This effect occurs on the main event only, back takes the quality of the overall production down a notch.

Audio

Audio is presented in Dolby Digital 2.0 and is of good quality for a DVD of this genre. Eddie Bravo sits alongside Stephen Quadros for PRIDE 11, and Bas Rutten takes Bravo`s position for PRIDE 12. I find Rutten easier on the ear, but that is down to his charisma and his standing in mixed martial arts. With either team, however, commentary is always informative and knowledgeable.

Features

Extras are limited to details of the rules of PRIDE, a glossary of fight terms, and a photo gallery for PRIDE 12. The rules and the glossary are useful additions for newcomers to fight sports.

Conclusion

With PRIDE 11 & 12, FightDVD have released a mixed bag. To begin with PRIDE 11, the bouts involving Ogawa and Satake, Otsuka and Bourke, and Herring and Erikson are passable, but the others are much too one-sided to be considered particularly good. I don`t know who booked aging pro wrestler Nobuhiko Takada against Igor Vovchanchyn, but it comes across as an in-joke gone wrong, as Takada had even retired from doing worked (read: pre-determined) matches by this point.

The booking of PRIDE 12, I am glad to say, was much more realistic. Unfortunately, that realism turned sour in three of the three biggest bouts of the evening, as Fujita vs Yvel, Rodriguez vs Marsh and Kerr vs Vovchanchyn all disappointed, with the latter being one of the worst matches in the history of PRIDE. Kerr, knowing that the Russian`s striking was far superior to his, took his opponent down and seemingly tried to hold him there for the remainder of the bout. Quadros and Rutten seemed embarrassed to be commentating on such an awful bout.

To a point, the card was saved by the tremendous match between Wanderlei Silva and Dan Henderson. This was a brutal contest, as can be attested to by the golf ball-like lump that appeared on Silva`s head during the bout. Both fighters, although Silva especially, were aggressive and this made for a must-see bout, easily the best on either of these two shows.

The main event of Sakuraba was Ryan Gracie was slighted somewhat by an injury to Gracie prior to the bout. However, this was still a good contest, and a testament to the fighting spirit of the Gracie family that Ryan even dared enter the ring against such a dangerous fighter, whilst carrying an injury.

Overall, PRIDE FC 11 & 12 was a worthy watch, but there were too many bouts that disappointed for this to be considered a buy-it-now purchase. Completists must have this for the Silva vs Henderson bout, but newcomers to PRIDE should stick to later releases.