Bob Sapp to Fight an Intergalactic Challenger in Fields Dynamite!! New Year's Eve

by Johann on Dec 22, 2008 2:00 PM EST Comment 60 comments

via images1.wikia.nocookie.net via www.k1japan.com

Bob "The Beast" Sapp is set to return in MMA after a year of hibernation to fight Kinniku Mantaro from the planet Kinniku.

From MMAWeekly:

K-1 on Monday announced that Bob Sapp will make his return to Japan one year to the day of his last appearance.

Adding him to the Fields Dynamite!! New Year's Eve event at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, Sapp will face the mysterious Kinniku Mantaro in a mixed martial arts bout. Little is known about Mantaro and even the K-1 announcement contained no information about him.

As it turns out the 59th Successor to the Planet Kinniku Throne has been competing in wrestling tournaments here on Earth as Akihito Tanaka.

the person facing Sapp on New Year's Eve is Akihito Tanaka, a seven-time All Japan Wrestling champion. The bout with Sapp is being sponsored by the creators of the Japanese anime that features Kinniku Mantaro and Tanaka will actually wear a mask of the character when he fights.

Fighter preview after the jump.

Fighter Preview :

The FanPosts are solely the subjective opinions of Bloody Elbow readers and do not necessarily reflect the views of Bloody Elbow editors or staff.

5 recs | Comment 60 comments

Story-email Email Printer Print

Comments

Good lord.

by Kierkegaard on Dec 22, 2008 2:06 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

by Nick Thomas on Dec 22, 2008 2:11 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Better pix..

Here’s hoping for Bob’s health cause this guy kills monsters!

Seriously though, will he really fight wearing that mask?

by Johann on Dec 22, 2008 2:18 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Surprise Surprise - this guy is a VERY legit amateur wrestler

According Nightmare of Battle here is his Amateur background

For people who think that Kinniku Mantaro (Born: March 9th, 1983) is just a normal pro-wrestler or a joke. Here are his amateur wrestling credentials from 2004 (+ All-Japan 2005-2007 wins) and before:

1999:
National Senior High-School Greco-Roman Wrestling Championships (96 kg) 1st Place

2000:
Inter High-School Champion
National Senior High-School Greco-Roman Wrestling Championships (96 kg) 1st Place
National Sports Festival Boys Freestyle Wrestling (120 kg) 1st Place
All-Japan Student Freestyle Wrestling Championships (120 kg) 3rd Place

2001:
All-Japan Selection Freestyle Wrestling Championships (120 kg) 3rd Place
All-Japan Student Freestyle Wrestling Championships (120 kg) 1st Place
All-Japan Freestyle Wrestling Championships (Emperor’s Cup) 1st Place

2002:
All-Japan Selection Freestyle Wrestling Championships (120 kg) 1st Place
All-Japan Student Freestyle Wrestling Championships (120 kg) 1st Place
World Championships 11th Place
Asia Championships 6th Place
All-Japan Freestyle Wrestling Championships (Emperor’s Cup) 1st Place

2003:
All-Japan Selection Freestyle Wrestling Championships (120 kg) 2nd Place
All-Japan Student Freestyle Wrestling Championships (120 kg) 1st Place
National Sports Festival Adults Freestyle Wrestling (120 kg) 3rd Place
Prime Minister Cup 1st Place
All-Japan Freestyle Wrestling Championships (Emperor’s Cup) 1st Place

2004:
All-Japan Selection Freestyle Wrestling Championships (120 kg) 1st Place
All-Japan Student Greco-Roman Wrestling Championships (96 kg) 1st Place
Prime Minister Cup 1st Place
All-Japan Freestyle Wrestling Championships (Emperor’s Cup) 1st Place

2005 (Only one I know):
All-Japan Freestyle Wrestling Championships (Emperor’s Cup) 1st Place

2006 (Only one I know):
All-Japan Freestyle Wrestling Championships (Emperor’s Cup) 1st Place

2007 (Only one I know):
All-Japan Freestyle Wrestling Championships (Emperor’s Cup) 1st Place

Notice World Championships 11th place. Thats no joke right there. I wonder how long he’s been training with Saku and if he’s picked up some slick subs

by skwirrl on Dec 22, 2008 6:18 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

That just makes things worse. Hopefully this guy will get a MMA shot under his real name after this instead of being stuck with a career of fighting dressed as a cartoon character.

by who me on Dec 22, 2008 7:43 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I think this may be a ‘one and off’ type of thing. No way will he keep fighting as a anime character.

by Discman2 on Dec 22, 2008 8:09 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

This is just a stunt that I guarantee will appeal

to the mainstream Japanese fanbase that loves Bob Sapp.

by skwirrl on Dec 22, 2008 8:35 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

That fanbase no longer exists unless FEG builds a time machine to bring in fans from 2004.

by ilostmydog on Dec 23, 2008 3:20 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

lord I hope so

by who me on Dec 22, 2008 9:33 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I don’t know what to say. Part of me is like ‘Holy shit that is insanely weird yet awesome at the same time’. The other part of me says ‘seriously….’Come on!’.

I can’t believe the guy is going to be wearing the mask too. Them Japanese are a weird bunch. But I guess they are trying to attract the anime crowd.

by Discman2 on Dec 22, 2008 2:20 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Well, he trains with Sakuraba.

A couple of updates from Nightmare of Battle

And these are entirely serious:

Update #2: It seems that Kinniku Mantaro will not transform his head to that of a normal human during the fight. AKA It seems that he will wear the mask during the fight.

Update #3: Tanigawa said at the press conference that Mantaro has been practicing MMA in Sakuraba’s Gym. He also said that Mantaro is the best Heavyweight Japanese MMA talent.

Update #4: Of course Mantaro will not wear the mask of today’s press conference on NYE. He will wear one more suitable for an MMA fight.

Update #5: The remaining fights will be announced on Wedensday. About 4 fights are planned.

Sooo…he’s training with Sakuraba? I’m gonna have to go with Mantaro by submission (hadouken to the face).

It’s also good to know he’s going to wear a more MMA-appropriate character mask ;)

by scotty23 on Dec 22, 2008 2:23 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

"A more MMA-appropriate character mask"

Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try Again. Fail again. Fail better. -Samuel Beckett

by themachiavellian on Dec 22, 2008 6:21 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Also from Nightmare of Battle, here’s Kinniku Mantaro/Akihito Tanaka in human form:

P.S. Anyone besides me now hoping for Minowa vs. Pikachu?

by scotty23 on Dec 22, 2008 2:25 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Nah.. Its a mismatch..

unless Minowa wears a rubber suit..

by Johann on Dec 22, 2008 2:34 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Minowa vs. Hurricane Polymer

One minute, he’s fighting this guy, the next he’s catching a right hook from a 7 ton submarine!

by RoyalB on Dec 23, 2008 10:09 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

facepalm

japanese mma is……

odd

by dbcb on Dec 22, 2008 2:30 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Wh...What

Brad Ziegler had a scoreless inning streak. Brad Ziegler had not met BJ Upton.

by P Brady on Dec 22, 2008 2:52 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

This must be broadcast on HDNet.

by Brett Jones on Dec 22, 2008 3:00 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

And..

Cartoon Network..

by Johann on Dec 22, 2008 3:21 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

lol

by George Lucas on Dec 22, 2008 6:52 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Must be a tough alien...

his planet is named after him.

Very strange.

by mythbuster on Dec 22, 2008 3:03 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

I am just so utterly baffled by this whole concept.

by Carl P on Dec 22, 2008 3:08 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Just another note:

Apparently this whole alien fighter idea was concocted by DJ Ozma of THE GREATEST ENTRANCE IN MMA HISTORY* fame.

*That’d be a link to the video, but I can’t access active content here at work.

by Brett Jones on Dec 22, 2008 3:23 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Is this the one you’re linking to?

by Johann on Dec 22, 2008 3:33 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

thats the normal Gono entrance. The one I linked to is a combo of DJ Ozma and Gono. It’s fan-freakin-tastic.

by Discman2 on Dec 22, 2008 3:36 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I’m just happy DJ Ozma still exists and is relative to a certain degree.

by Brett Jones on Dec 22, 2008 3:38 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Relevant, rather.

by Brett Jones on Dec 22, 2008 3:38 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Wow. Hadn’t I known its a fight, I would have thought it was an opening act for a Vegas show..

by Johann on Dec 22, 2008 3:51 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Your welcome

by Discman2 on Dec 22, 2008 3:34 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Genki Sudo....

gave Gono a run for his money with his entrances on several occasions:

by scotty23 on Dec 22, 2008 4:13 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

This is a neat compilation of some of Sudo’s best entrances

by scotty23 on Dec 22, 2008 4:14 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I thought Gono was GOZMA?

by Chris Nelson on Dec 22, 2008 4:15 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Right, his split personality is Gozma. But there is a DJ Ozma who is like a music personality in Japan

by Discman2 on Dec 22, 2008 5:08 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I think he wrote the song for Gono’s entrance. It’s like Wu-tang clan wrote a song for Vera to come out to and then walked out with him and sung it live and had a dance routine to go with it.

by szucconi on Dec 22, 2008 5:17 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

If I was in Wu-Tang

I would never let Vera associate himself with my music again

by skwirrl on Dec 22, 2008 6:09 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Nah, DJ OZMA is just producing this fight. The Kinniku Mantaro character (called Kid MUSCLE over here) has been around for a long time, almost as long as Tiger Mask

by smoogy on Dec 22, 2008 5:57 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Whatever. DJ Ozma is behind this grand tomfoolery, that’s all I care about.

"BJ on the BE" - Kierkegaard

by Brett Jones on Dec 23, 2008 11:10 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

All I can do is

try to stop laughing… Fuckin japanese MMA lol. I love that shit lol

by skwirrl on Dec 22, 2008 3:27 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

only in Japan

by who me on Dec 22, 2008 3:34 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Ugh.

Did you know we are in high demand, Laura?

by Eugene Schelfaut on Dec 22, 2008 3:55 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Even though it is extremely odd it is still going to be fun to watch. Japanese MMA gets away with so much freak show stuff it’s almost good to see sometimes because it’s all for entertainment. In america we only watch MMA as a serious sport. Sometimes it’s good to just have fun watching this because even though it is MMA, it is ultimately entertainment.

by Discman2 on Dec 22, 2008 4:01 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

People have to remember that this is the NYE show. It is meant for the fans and to get huge ratings. Not meant for the pure MMA hard cores.

by MMASuPreMaCy on Dec 22, 2008 5:26 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Its a cartoon vs. a cartoon from outerspace.

by szucconi on Dec 22, 2008 5:41 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I think people understand that but still we have Bob Sapp fighting a cartoon character, how can you not make fun of this fight?

by who me on Dec 22, 2008 7:45 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Actually fighting a very decorated Japanese wrestler.
; )

by MMASuPreMaCy on Dec 22, 2008 11:25 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I don’t care if he is the King of Sweden once he put on that goofy mask and posed with Sapp then I am going to point and laugh at him. Heck I would of probably snickered just for fighting Bob Sapp but the fact that this guy is actually a very talented athlete disguised as the 59th Prince of Planet Muscle makes it even funnier :D

Heck if this scores with Japanese fans who knows what tournament fighting anime characters will get into MMA, perhaps MMA cosplay will save the sport in Japan.

by who me on Dec 23, 2008 12:11 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Chalk this one up to cultural differences. Americans won’t ‘get’ this fight. Japanese will.

by Discman2 on Dec 23, 2008 1:18 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Oh I get it but that doesn’t mean that it’s not funny (here or there).

by who me on Dec 23, 2008 3:32 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I had to rec this.

There is just so much awesomeness to this matchmaking – I wonder if Sapp can beat a fictional character. Sometimes, the Japanese freakshow gene shows itself in full, unadulterated glory!

Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try Again. Fail again. Fail better. -Samuel Beckett

by themachiavellian on Dec 22, 2008 6:18 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Seriously this needs reccing. It’s just so ridiculous.

by George Lucas on Dec 22, 2008 7:27 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

This sort of thing is just incredibly stupid.

Bolts from the Blue // "It is what it is." - A.J. Smith
Bloody Elbow // "Every normal man must be tempted at times to spit upon his hands, hoist the black flag, and begin slitting throats." - H.L. Mencken

by Richard Wade on Dec 22, 2008 6:27 PM EST reply actions 0 recs