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With the K-1 MAX Finals complete and Giorgio Petrosyan now sitting firmly atop the ladder, the focus for MAX now firmly shifts to the retirement of Masato. Since the inception of the MAX division in 2002, Masato has been the clear top representative for the division, winning the first ever MAX event in Japan along with the Grand Prix in 2003 and 2008. Masato provided the template for the top MAX stars - a combination of high-level skill, fast-paced action, and good looks. And he rode those attributes to great heights of popularity, drawing in the coveted casual fan base that is the bread and butter of all Japanese combat sports. With his retirement eminent, the question on everyone's mind is clear: how will MAX do once their poster child is gone?

This weekend we saw some answer to this question in the form of ratings. The finals drew a 10.7% rating. While not a break-out number, this is a solid base that are obviously willing to tune in without Masato competing. For reference, Masato's last fight with Tatsuya Kawajiri drew a 19.8%. While a drop of half the audience is nothing to be ignored, this is by no means uncommon in the fight game. Look at the UFC where buyrates for big shows featuring names like Brock Lesnar hover near 1,000,000 buys, while shows without the marquee names are viewed as successful when they earn 400,000 buys. So the drop off is not a disaster, nor is the final 10.7 number. (For a disastrous number, look no further than K-1's sibling organization DREAM which drew a 1.7% for DREAM.12)

The danger about this drop off though is that this is not a "Franklin v. Wanderlei" level show - this is the MAX Finals, which featured essentially every top name the company has. What this tells us is that right now, MAX has no Brock Lesnar. They have no single name that is going to draw that huge crowd. The good news is, with a solid fan base behind them, they can build that star to replace Masato. The bad news is, Masato was so good at the putting together the components of the perfect MAX fighter that filling in after him is almost impossible. Years ago, Kohi looked to be the man to take that spot, but that time has clearly passed. There was a hope for Kido or Nagashima, but neither look to have the skills to make it there. At this point, there are perhaps four names that could take up Masato's mantle:

Yoshihiro Sato - Sato looked primed for this spot last year, but his recent record has raised questions. He's on the road to recovery, but undoubtedly did some real harm to his spot.

Yuya Yamamoto - He was defeated handily in the semi-finals, but if he works hard and improves, he has the personality and charisma to reach that wide audience. Honestly, he may have the best shot, but he has a ways to go before he can be at the skill level of the top MAX fighters.

HINATA - An outside shot, and one who obviously is nowhere near that level yet, but is improving.

HIROYA - For quite some time, it's obvious that this is MAX's choice for the next Masato. But as his graduation from the Youth division grows nearer, it's looking less and less likely. In a way it's a shame - because of the undue pressure on him, HIROYA won't have a chance to build up slowly in his early career. The expectation is that he must be a major star the moment he comes of age, and this just is not going to happen. Could he be a big star down the road? Very possibly. But I would say you are looking at 5 years from now, and that's a long time to wait.

Of course, there is a 5th option, which is the rise of a top name who does not fit the Masato mold. But this is not the kind of thing the company has much control over. A fighter will connect with the fans, or he won't, and no amount of forcing the issue will win fans over - an important lesson for K-1 to learn.

So far MAX, the upcoming year becomes a game of wait and see. We know they can survive without Masato - that they still have fans without his presence. But to continue to thrive he will need to be replaced. And until that happens - we wait.