When it comes to Mixed Martial Arts, the Japanese seem to possess an admirable indifference towards the trivialities of the west. Menial matters such as determining the finest 155 lb fighter in the world are allayed in favour of pitting a 6’4" former American footballer against the fictional 59th Prince of "Planet Muscle" in a battle to the metaphorical end.
It is the spectacle. It is the cartoon. It is the reason that Bob Sapp and not Chuck Liddell adorn the advertisement boards of Tokyo City.
On December 31, 2008, American Bob Sapp, a fighter of size and little else, defeated Kinniku Mantaro, the aforementioned animated royalty, via strikes after five minutes and twenty-two seconds in front of a capacity crowd of 25,634 in the Saitama Super Arena.
Understandably, dimensional limitations prohibited Sapp from actually fighting Mantaro and so in his stead stood Japanese wrestling standout, Akihito Tanaka pretending to be the cartoon hero, in a mask.
It was an unusual fight. Introduced by what appeared to be an Asian Leo Sayer complete with resplendent blonde afro and pink suit, it was immediately clear that Tanaka was taking his role very seriously.
Despite heavily outweighing his opponent, Sapp was taken down within the opening ten seconds. Tanaka could do little more than land futile punches against the comparative bulk of the American’s head, however and when they eventually stood up, several wild blows from Sapp forced the referee to mercifully intervene. The victor celebrated with an impromptu and surprisingly nimble performance of the robot.
Sapp’s career in combat sport began in fittingly auspicious circumstances. In 2000, the Oakland Raiders became the fourth NFL team in successive seasons to deem him surplus to requirements. Low in both confidence and funds he took a job within a funeral parlour, moving coffins. The 380-pound former offensive lineman found himself at a crossroads.
Struggling to find a suitable outlet for his enormous frame and charisma, Sapp approached the now-defunct professional wrestling organisation WCW, with a character that would serve him well from that day forth: "The Beast." Known for his primitive fighting style and haunting laugh, it became the prototype for his characterisation in Japan.
Alas, Sapp’s stay in the WCW would prove to be as fruitful as his tenure in the NFL and it wasn’t long before he once again found himself directionless. Through despondency as much as anything else Sapp agreed to the fight that would shape his eastern odyssey.
The FX network in America were putting together a curious card of "Toughman" fights, in which largely untrained celebrities and former athletes partook in a series of boxing bouts. Sapp was matched against former NFL superstar William "The Refrigerator" Perry and duly dispatched of his woeful opponent in the second of three scheduled rounds.
Largely dismissed by nearly all who watched as little more than a further example of trash TV, the fight did however attract the attention of one discerning viewer, K-1 founder Master Kazuyoshi Ishii.
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