(30-12-2006 12:38) Hero'sCountdown: K-1 Dynamite '06 Press Conference
OSAKA, December 30, 2006 -- It is early afternoon, and 26 kickboxers, judo and karate masters, boxers, wrestlers, Olympic medallists and television personalities sit at a two-tier table stretching the width of the Osaka Imperial Hotel's ballroom. There are hungry up-and-comers and seasoned veterans and revered champions, hailing from 10 different countries. Today they are gentlemen, dressed in suits, posing for the cameras and politely answering reporters' questions. Tomorrow they will be warriors, stepping into the Osaka Dome ring to fight in front of a live and television audience numbering in the tens of millions. The countdown to New Year's Eve has begun, and with it comes the K-1 Premium Dynamite -- the most widely-watched martial arts extravaganza in the world.