Masaaki Satake
The 1997 WGP qualifier sent the best K-1 fighters to the WGP final, with newcomer Francisco Filiho, K-1 veterans Sam Greco, Jerome Le Banner, Ernesto Hoost, 2 time WGP Champion Peter Aerts, Masaaki Satake and defending WGP champion Andy Hug all made it past the qualifier. The first WGP champion, Branco Cikatic, made his K-1 return, but was defeated by Bernardo within seconds by an accidental headbutt which made a deep cut in his head causing the doctors to stop the fight and added Bernardo's name to the list of qualifiers.