Bob Sapp

Robert Malcolm "Bob" Sapp (Japanese: [Bobbo Sappu]; born September 22, 1974)^[3][4] is an American kickboxer, mixed martial artist, professional wrestler, actor, comedian and former professional American football player. Sapp currently has a combined fight record of 21–22–0, mostly fighting in Japan. He is well known in Japan, where he has appeared in countless commercials, television programs, and various other media, and has released a music CD, It's Sapp Time. He also appeared in an episode of the HBO program Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel. He is currently working sporadically for various MMA promotions in the U.S., Japan, and Europe.

American football career

Bob Sapp began his athletic career in high school playing football at Mitchell High School in Colorado Springs, CO. He received a football scholarship to the University of Washington, where he won the Morris Award. He was drafted by the Chicago Bears 69th overall in the 1997 NFL Draft. Sapp's career took a hit after he was suspended by the NFL for alleged steroid abuse. Sapp signed with the Minnesota Vikings after being released by the Bears. He spent two seasons with the Vikings and only played in one game.

Professional wrestling

Bob Sapp's pro-wrestling career started in NWA Wildside in 2001. He was quickly contracted by World Championship Wrestling as a developmental wrestler, before the company was bought out by the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) (at that time WWF).

In 2004, Sapp competed for New Japan Pro Wrestling, winning their IWGP Heavyweight Championship and becoming the first black man to accomplish this feat, though it was vacated shortly thereafter due to a mixed martial arts fight loss and film commitments.^[5]

On October 16, 2007, Bob Sapp made a surprise appearance at HUSTLE's Korakuen Hall event. Attacking Razor Ramon HG and his partner. Sapp aligned himself with Generalissimo Takada's MONSTER Army. He also announced that he would wrestle at the HUSTLE Mania 11/25 Yokohama Arena event.^[6] His opponent was later confirmed to be Razor Ramon HG ^[7] and Sapp defeated him in the resultant match. His last match was against "Big" Dan Meehan.

Since 2008, Sapp began to participate in WWA, a pro-wrestling organization in South Korea. On October 26, 2009, Bob Sapp captured the WWA Heavyweight title by defeating Lee Wang Pyo, a famous professional wrestler in Korea who was taught by legendary Korean professional wrestler Kim Il, at Olympic Fencing Gymnasium event. Sapp is scheduled to perform at Dramatic Dream Team Pro Wrestling's "2011: A RYOGOKU Peter Pan" event on July 24, 2011 using a "Beast will fight for money" gimmick.^[8]

Kickboxing and mixed martial arts career

Pride Fighting Championships

Sapp was subsequently recruited by the Japanese MMA organization Pride, where he quickly became a fan favorite due to his size, charisma and aggression. After a number of successes in Pride, Sapp was then invited to K-1 by Kazuyoshi Ishii, the creator of the fighting sport K-1. Ishii saw the combination of great potential and great marketability in Sapp.

After arriving in Japan, Sapp fought three matches in Pride. His first match pitted him against pro wrestler and longtime RINGS Fighting Network competitor Yoshihisa Yamamoto, who he finished by TKO at 2:44 of the first round.^[9] Sapp's second Pride match was against two-time RINGS Open-Weight Champion Kiyoshi Tamura. Though Tamura was a highly respected fighter who held wins over the likes of Pat Miletich, Jeremy Horn, and Renzo Gracie, he was giving up 150 lbs to his foe and was quickly overwhelmed by the much-larger American, succumbing to strikes just 11 seconds into the bout. ^[10] During this time fans were first introduced to Sapp's "bullrush" technique, whereby he would rush an opponent with punches, quickly overwhelming them. Pride and K-1 collaborated to create a show billed "Dynamite" in Japan and "Shockwave" in the United States. He faced then-champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. Sapp submitted to an armbar late in the second round. Sapp would never again compete in Pride, instead focusing his attention on K-1.

K-1

Despite losing his first fight by disqualification, Sapp was initially successful in K-1. He twice defeated four-time K-1 champion Ernesto Hoost by technical knockout. He became an overnight sensation in Japan afterwards, appearing on numerous television shows, advertisements, and movie cameos such as in the big screen adaptation of Devilman. K-1 heads, trying to strike while the iron was hot and hoping to duplicate the success of Sapp, made a new fighting division called "Beast" (Sapp's nickname), which featured larger fighters such as Hong Man Choi. However, the division was stopped after two events due to disappointing reviews and gate takes.

At the height of his success, there was talk and promotion of a fight between him and the former boxing Undisputed Heavyweight Champion Mike Tyson. The two had a face to face confrontation immediately after Sapp's victory in Las Vegas over Kimo. K-1 signed Tyson to a contract and the fight looked to be on. However, Tyson's status as a convicted felon made him unable to get a visa to fight in Japan where the fight would have been most profitable.^[11] Other locations for the proposed fight were made, but negotiations ended up dissipating to nothing and the fight never came off.

In June 2005, Sapp won the K-1 Japan Grand Prix in Hiroshima to become one of 16 fighters qualified for the 2005 K-1 World GP. In the Japan GP, Sapp showcased greatly improved stamina, as well as better technique, than in his previous fights after intensive training under Sam Greco. In the K-1 2005 World GP Eliminations he lost by decision to "The Techno Goliath" Choi Hong-man.

Sapp's initial success with his intimidating, blind chase-and-punch method (which he dubbed as "NFL Style") slowly petered out into disqualifications for bullrushing and punching after referee breaks. Additionally, experienced opponents discovered Sapp's weak points—his vulnerable mid-section and legs as well as his limited stamina.

On May 13, 2006, Sapp was to headline the K-1 show in the Netherlands. His opponent was Ernesto Hoost. Hoost stated in previous interviews and the interview on that show that this was to be his last match in Holland before his retirement. Sapp attended all the pre-fight press conferences and even attended the opening ceremonies for the show. It is unclear at the moment as to why, but Sapp pulled out of the event midway through the show.

K-1 issued a statement claiming Sapp pulled out due to new demands he brought to promoters during the show. K-1 would not agree to those demands since they felt their written contract was final and Sapp left. The full K-1 press release can be viewed on the organization's website.

Sapp has not issued a statement, but a different point of view on the events that occurred.^[12]

However, he did participate in 2007's K-1 event in the Amsterdam Arena, fighting as a replacement for Remy Bonjasky, against Peter Aerts. Sapp, however, lost the fight at KO within 20 seconds in the first round by a knee to the liver. While Sapp was being led from the ring, Aerts apologized to the fans in Dutch for the short bout as well as having berated his fallen opponent.

After his falling out with K-1, Sapp began to get offers from WWE as well as Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) to work with them, but his K-1 contract prohibited him from going through with any return to the ring.

Sapp made a surprise return to the K-1 ring in Japan after a two-year absence against comedian and part time K-1 competitor Bobby Ologun. Ologun was unable to mount any effective offense as he was quickly run down and overpowered by Sapp in the 1st round.

Cage Rage

On February 10, 2007 it was announced by the United Kingdom's Cage Rage promotion that Sapp would appear on its Cage Rage 21 event on April 21, facing Gary Turner. The move is partly a retaliatory one, as the UFC had chosen to run its first British show in years that same night at the Manchester Evening News Arena, headlined by Mirko "Cro Cop", Andrei Arlovski and British star Michael Bisping. Though Cage Rage promoter Andy Geer said that the UFC show would not affect ticket sales for CR21, the signing of Sapp was a clear sign that the company knew it would need a superstar draw in order to successfully compete with the American promotion. A few days before the event Bob Sapp pulled out of the scheduled fight. On short notice, Tank Abbott stepped in for Sapp and lost to Gary Turner.

Strikeforce, FEG and other

Sapp faced the South African fighter Jan "The Giant" Nortje at the Strikeforce: At The Dome event in Tacoma, Washington, at the Tacoma Dome on February 23, 2008. Sapp was defeated at the 55 second mark of the first round by TKO after receiving an unanswered torrent of punches. Sapp then returned to Japan on New Year's Eve 2008 and defeated Akihito Tanaka via first round TKO.

Sapp lost to Japanese Ikuhisa Minowa at Dream 9 on May 26, 2009,^[13] due to Achilles lock. He fought and lost to Bobby Lashley at Ultimate Chaos in Biloxi, Mississippi, on June 27, 2009, due to first round tapout from strikes. On October 6, Sapp stood in for an injured Gegard Mousasi to face Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou in the semifinals at Dream 11.^[14] He lost via TKO (punches) in the first round.

On November 27, Sapp fought against Swedish K-1 veteran Jörgen Kruth. The fight got a lot of publicity in Swedish and international press, but ended with an anticlimax when Sapp's corner threw in the towel after only 45 seconds, after Kruth hit Sapp with a knee to the liver.

Sapp was next going to face Stav Economou at BAMMA 5,^[15] but BAMMA 5 has been canceled due to extreme weather conditions.^[16]

Sapp was scheduled to fight at K1 Dynamite!! 2010. He was set to battle Shinichi Suzukawa on New Year's Eve in a Pancrase-style matchup, but pulled out at the last minute due to contract disputes.^[17] When questioned about Sapp’s refusal to fight on the day of the event, FEG President Sadaharu Tanikawa asked, “Does anyone actually care? I don’t know the reasons why, but we did our best to make him fight. He just said he didn’t want to. This is typical [of Sapp].”^[18] But Sapp claims that the promoters were contracted to pay him $30,000 for the fight, but that Tanikawa offered him $15,000 shortly after he arrived in Japan for the event. Sapp refused to fight for half of the original purse.^[19] In response, he "should not be considered as a normal person" and is "the worst, most lamentable dust man." Tanikawa went on to say via twitter that "No one cares anymore, but the Sapp incident had NOTHING to do with the fight money … That guy is such a loser. He is one lonely man."

^[20]

Championships and accomplishments

Kickboxing & Mixed Martial Arts

• K-1
  • K-1 World Grand Prix 2005 in Hiroshima Tournament Winner

• Wrestling Observer Newsletter
  • 2002 Best Box Office Draw- K-1, PRIDE Fighting Championships
  • 2003 Best Box Office Draw- K-1, PRIDE Fighting Championships
  • 2002 Rookie of the Year- K-1, PRIDE Fighting Championships
• Black Belt Magazine
  • 2003 NHB Fighter of the Year [1]

Professional wrestling

• New Japan Pro Wrestling
  • IWGP Heavyweight Championship (1 time)

• World Wrestling Association (South Korea)
  • WWA (South Korea) World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)

• Wrestling Observer Newsletter
  • Most Charismatic (2003)

Kickboxing record

Mixed martial arts record

Filmography

References

External links

• Professional MMA record for Bob Sapp from Sherdog
• Bob Sapp at the Internet Movie Database
• Profile at K-1