Japanese culture is a twisted and curious affair.  It is a society where black men are bug-a-boo Africans or thuggish American rap stars.  It is a place where a man can buy the soiled panties of teenage girl from vending machines.  It is a land where marijuana is not only illegal, but public knowledge of its use will send you to Very Bad Places, indeed.

So it should come as no surprise that few American heads turned twice when Dream announced the creation of the now infamous Super Hulk Tournament.  Hell, the reaction of JOSE CANSECO's participation raised a serious lack of eyebrows.  It's Japan, we said, things are different over there.

Are we really that different?  UFC President and Lex Luthor impersonator Dana White likes to wax about the playground.  Take your everyday, run-of-the-mill playground.  There's a basketball game on the courts, a football game in the field, and a fight underneath the handlebars.  Where does everyone run to?

Across the Pacific, we like to think of ourselves as the purveyors of Pure Sport, a vanguard against Evil and Villainy.  Fight sport is a sacred past time.  It is not something to be taken lightly.  We prefer our pugilism point to some greater goal.  Challengers and champions.  Up and coming prospects and aging veterans.  Keep your eyes on the prize, your hands up, and your chin down.

Yet, I find myself seeking out these freak shows that would fit in well with Rome, lions, and Christians two millenia ago.  I'll admit, I am not the World's Number One MMA Fan.  I don't miss anything with Zuffa entities plastered on the mat or major showtime cards.  But when it comes to Challenger events or early morning Japanese shows or shady Midwestern cards, I shamelessly pick-and-choose. 

So why have I not only sat down and watched every contest of this Super Hulk debacle, but watched with a sense of interest that cannot be blamed on simple curiosity?  If Dana White thinks that humans are naturally drawn to a fight, can we not take that a step further?  Can we say that people ARE interested in events that amount to nothing more than unadulterated spectacle?  There's a tired car wreck cliche that would be lazy to rely on and even lazier to ignore. 

And do we even have a moral high ground to trek up and shout from?  Even the best moral relativists have to concede that enclosing a 300 pound steroid freak and a 180 pound Japanese pro wrestler in a boxing ring is nothing more than unabashed exploitation.  But I have to ask: so what?  The sex is consensual, officer, and all participants meet the legal age of consent.

Photo via www.sherdog.com