MMA’s Full 38’ 01.09.07: Freak Show
Posted by Sid Needelman on 01.09.2008
With freak show MMA the Japanese's New Year tradition, and a bout with Kimbo vs. Tank on Showtime, it is as good of a time as any to explore some of the past and present, of the spectacle side of MMA. This article will be sure to include such heros of the freak bout as ”Minowaman,” Sapp’s early days, and pro-boxers in a new world.
Freak Show Introduced With a Classic:
In one of my favorite MMA fights of all time, and sure to be included in many people's top fights, if not in the top ten would be the epic battle on August 28th 2002 in Japan. The "top dog" of Pride FC, and one of the greatest MMA grapplers would take on his "hugest" fight to date, when Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira took on Bob "The Beast" Sapp. The fight began as one would expect, a huge rush of energy from a man with little MMA experience but a whole lot of size, taking on a very skilled but out-bulked individual. A piledriver, heavy fists and a huge former football player weighing 350 lbs. later, and Big Nog" was in trouble. In a come from behind feat of heart and technique, Nogueira prevailed in a classic battle known to many as an MMA "freak show."
The match pitted two men in a battle for the sake of fan entertainment and not for pitting two even set of skills. A true question of size versus talent, and a recipe to be seen again in MMA. Like with any fight mentioned here, I recommend you see the fight, and with this event in video limbo, you may want to use the ever famous Google method.
David and Goliath, a story so classic it should be a Bible story, and it is. You may wonder why I would suggest that Sapp was only in there for size alone, but he has seen his share of wins. The reason why is that some "freaks" turn into huge money makers as Sapp has. With a little help from some trainers, adoring Japanese fans and a biases ref or two, Sapp has made his mark.
David vs. Butterbean:
Butterbean also started off as a freak show in MMA. Eric Esch, as he was born, was many things but an MMA talent he was not when he stepped into his first MMA bout. Nick named the "King of 4 rounders", Butterbean developed a cult following after he burst onto the Toughman Contest scene in the United States before entering the world of professional boxing in the mid ‘90s. His huge size and knock out power was perfect to put on a show, and because of his power and reputation for not having the best cardiovascular conditioning, his fights would end quickly. He captured boxing gold in the form of the IBA World Super-Heavyweight Championship on April 12, 1997 and faced the one time WBC and IBF World Champion Larry Holmes and a few other big name fights. But those fights, Toughman or on pay per view, were all stand up fights with no finger slots.
On New Year's Eve 2003, K-1 paid Butterbean to fight what might have been his only MMA fight he ever would take. He lost to 150 lbs or so lightweight and Japanese fighter Genki Sudo, via submission. Butterbean and the Freak Show on New Years would be here to stay as Butterbean decding to keep with it. Butterbean was not new to atypical fights. His time in Toughman, his fight in a sporting good store on MTV's Jackass, a Sumo contest against Bob Sapp and in a "Brawl for it All" contest with real boxing-like action in the WWE, but my favorite moment is described below.
Butterbean would go on to fight many more times and not just as a "freak." As of the publish date of this column, he sports a 10-5-1 record. He beat an injured "Cabbage," was the underdog who prevailed against Josh Thompson, and in what was a semi-freak show, beat former pro-wrestler, Sean O'Haire. Between all of Butterbean's boxing, kickboxing and MMA battles, one instance stands out in my head from other "freak" show contests. It was Ikuhisa "The Punk" Minowa's flying double dropkick that started his bout against the American Butterbean that I will not soon forget.
Minowa, or "Minowaman," is the hero of the David vs. Goliath Match. His most recent outing though was not a success. A man Butterbean beat, Zule Jr. used his overwhelming size to beat the Japanese favorite by ref stoppage on this past New Years eve. The New Years shows are huge in Japanese culture and the Japanese love the uphill battle for fighters. Not only the small versus the big, but in their hometown heros against the Gracies or against Pride's most deadly striker for the majority of the promotion's history. Pride set Sakuraba to face Wanderlei Silva in what would be a fourth time on New Year's of 2004/5, but luckily Sakura listened to his ailing body and Mark Hunt stepped in to give Silva his first loss in a long time.
Why in Japan and not in the US?
Good question, but the question is faulty. The David vs. Goliath thing did happen in the US all of the time as MMA was born. In fact, UFC 8 was named such. More recently, Jason "Mayhem" Miller accepted and was victorious in a match following such tradition. In an event entitled: Icon Sport - Mayhem vs. Giant, Stefan Gamlin outweighed Mayhem by almost 200 lbs. The event took place in Hawaii, where such bouts can still take place. Under most state rules, such competition would be banned by the respective athletic commissions. McCain, the presidential candidate got his way and we as a nation have moved away from the human cockfights, though many people secretly still enjoy a good size differential in an overseas MMA contest.
Freak Shows Today and Tomorrow:
With the MMA freak show going the way of the carnival freakshow, a secret treat most people will not admit to enjoying in public, will we see any these days?
Of course, haven't you been listening! Japan and New Years Eve.
Minowa fought Zulu Jr. in a bout where he was a small fraction of the size of his foe, and Fedor, the #1 fighter in the world fought the 7'2 350lbs. giant, Hong Man "Techno Goliath" Choi. Fedor gave up 13 inches, and a bruised up face to the battle on New Years.
And recently a new match was signed by Showtime/EliteXC to be held in my neck of the woods, the "305," Miami Florida. In the main event, a fight once signed but scrapped, Tank (David) Abbott, will take on a man called, though not named at birth, Kimbo Slice. That event takes place in February and I can assure you that you will not escape hearing more about it. The reason why it is a freak show is that Tank has won basically once in a decade and has a beer gut the size of a lightweight fighter, and Kimbo made his way into the sport via YouTube backyard beatdowns. Kimbo's first MMA experience was against a worn out pro-boxer and in his pro-debut, his opponent was beaten by intimidation and being lost in the moment, rather than any true technique.
And for those who still do not realize how many freak show connections there are out there. Follow the above column as it leads from Sapp on New Years, to Butterbean on the same holiday against Minowa, who then recently fought against another giant on this past New Years, and so forth.
In that spirit, Tank Abbott, who some call a freak show ever since MMA became MMA and not NHB, has connections to other freak fights, like in Celebrity Boxing. Go watch one of the two specials "Celebrity Boxing" which can be seen sometimes on the Fox Reality Channel, and you will see good ‘ol David Abbott in the corner of non other than Vanilla Ice, in his loss against "Different Strokes"'s Todd Bridges.
MMA's Full 38' ‘s Industry Notes, email me at Sidnjustice@aol.com for further info:
• A new gym is looking for wholesale or gear companies looking to exchange product for branding on all literature and on the walls on the new location.
• Fighters of all skills are always looking for sponsors. Some just want gear & some want thousands.
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And for those of you wondering what is MMA's Full 38' It means: an octagon is 30 ft across with 4 feet extra on each side, for cornermen, doctors and camera crew. To know MMA, sometimes one needs to make sure they cover some of the lesser know aspects of it, and 38' represents a number a lot of hardcore fans would not recognize. But be warned, do not try to set up an arena without knowing how big the octagon really is, or there will be problems.
Sid Needelman
