Sam Greco

Sam "Slam 'em" Greco (born 3 May 1967) is a retired Australian super heavyweight kickboxer, heavyweight mixed martial artist and professional wrestler^[1] of Italian descent, who fought in Kyokushin karate, professional kickboxing, and K-1 tournaments. He holds notable kickboxing victories over Branko Cikatic, Ernesto Hoost, Mike Bernardo, Stefan Leko, and Ray Sefo, as well as MMA victories over Heath Herring and Shungo Oyama.

Biography and career

Greco was born in Melbourne, Australia. His Italian-born father, Vittorio, encouraged him to get involved with soccer from an early age and Sam became the youngest player ever to sign up with the Australian premier league team Brunswick Juventus. He played as well for Heidelberg soccer club in Melbourne.

K-1 career

He trained in Kyokushin karate, and started competing in full contact karate tournaments.

Sam had his K-1 debut in 1995 at K-1 Hercules. Following year he appeared in his first K-1 World Grand Prix tournament where he suffered his first loss in semifinals against Musashi.

After retiring in 2005 from professional competition, Sam Greco worked as trainer for other fighters, including Bob Sapp.

Acting career

He played the stunt double for retired professional wrestler Stone Cold Steve Austin in the 2007 action thriller The Condemned and also had a small part in the 2008 Australian boxing drama film, Two Fists One Heart which was shot in Western Australia. He has also appeared occasionally in movies as a fight consultant and martial arts advisor.

He had a small part in the fourth episode of the Australian mini-series Underbelly, playing nightclub bouncer Bruno Bolotzi. The episode was first broadcast in February 2008.

He had a small part in the eightieth episode of series three of the Australian comedy Pizza, playing the roman soldier Glutious Maximus. He made another appearance for Pizza this time in a two-part episode Holiday Pizza, playing Pauly's Italian cousin Luigi. The last appearance he made in Pizza was in the Cracker Pizza episode, playing Crackerus in the last season of the series. He also had a part in the first series of the Australian comedy Swift and Shift Couriers as Louie "Luigi" Marietti. Both Pizza and Swift and Shift Couriers were created by Greco's good friend Paul Fenech.

He played the Masked Wrestler Zarkos in Scooby-Doo. In the movie Zarkos appears as one of N'Goo Tuana's henchmen, but later he sneaks up on Daphne and captures her and steals the Daemon Ritus from her. Later in the movie he tries to sneak up on Daphne and capture her again but instead they end up fighting, near the end of the fight he grabs Daphne and throws her onto his back and puts her in a hold but she escapes and defeats him.

Titles and accomplishments

• 1999 K-1 World Grand Prix 3rd Place
• 1999 W.A.K.O. Pro World Muay Thai Super Heavyweight Champion
• 1995 The Best of the Best Tournament Champion
• 1994 W.K.A. World Muay Thai Super Heavyweight Heavyweight Champion
• 1994 Karate World Cup Champion
• Commonwealth Karate Champion 1989-1991
• 6 time Australia Full Contact Karate Champion

Kickboxing record

Kickboxing Record

19 Wins (11 (T)KO's, 8 decisions), 9 Losses, 2 Draws Date Result Opponent Event Location Method Round Time 2003-10-11 Loss Peter Graham K-1 World Grand Prix 2003 Final Elimination Osaka, Japan TKO (Leg injury) 2 0:30 Fails to qualify for K-1 Grand Prix '03 Final. 2000-04-23 Loss Ernesto Hoost K-1 The Millennium Osaka, Japan TKO (Corner Stoppage) 3 3:00 1999-12-05 Loss Mirko Filipović K-1 Grand Prix '99 Final Round Semi Finals Tokyo, Japan TKO (Left Low Kick/two knockdowns) 2 2:50 1999-12-05 Win Ray Sefo K-1 Grand Prix '99 Final Round Quarter Finals Tokyo, Japan Decision (Unanimous) 3 3:00 1999-10-05 Win Stefan Leko K-1 World Grand Prix '99 Opening Round Osaka, Japan Decision (Majority) 3 2:35 Qualifies for K-1 Grand Prix '99 Final. 1999-07-18 Loss Peter Aerts K-1 Dream '99 Nagoya, Japan KO (Right high kick) 2 1:38 1999-06-20 Win Mike Bernardo K-1 Braves '99 Fukuoka, Japan Decision (Unanimous) 5 3:00 Wins vacant W.A.K.O. Pro World Muay Thai Super Heavyweight Title. 1999-03-22 NC Samir Benazzouz K-1 The Challenge '99 Tokyo, Japan No Contest (Greco right leg injury) 2 3:00 1998-12-13 Loss Andy Hug K-1 Grand Prix '98 Final Round Semi Finals Tokyo, Japan Decision (Majority) 3 3:00 1998-12-13 Win Ernesto Hoost K-1 Grand Prix '98 Final Round Quarter Finals Tokyo, Japan TKO (Corner stoppage/cut) 2 3:00 1998-09-27 Win Matt Skelton K-1 World Grand Prix '98 Opening Round Osaka, Japan Decision (Unanimous) 5 3:00 Qualifies for K-1 Grand Prix '98 Final. 1998-05-24 Win Carl Bernardo Crash at the Crown Melbourne, Australia TKO 5 1998-07-18 Loss Jérôme Le Banner K-1 Dream '98 Nagoya, Japan KO (Punch) 2 2:07 1997-11-09 Loss Francisco Filho K-1 Grand Prix '97 Final Quarter final Tokyo, Japan KO (Right hook) 1 0:15 1997-09-07 Win Jean-Claude Leuyer K-1 Grand Prix '97 1st Round Osaka, Japan KO (Right hook) 2 1:55 Qualifies for K-1 Grand Prix '97 Final. 1997-07-20 Win Branko Cikatić K-1 Dream '97 Nagoya, Japan KO (Right hooks) 1 2:58 1997-04-29 Draw Andy Hug K-1 Braves '97 Fukuoka, Japan Decision draw 5 3:00 1996-12-08 Draw Jérôme Le Banner K-1 Hercules '96 Nagoya, Japan Decision draw 5 3:00 1996-10-18 Win Gerry Harris K-1 Star Wars '96 Yokohama, Japan TKO 1 2:38 1996-09-01 NC Musashi K-1 Revenge '96 Osaka, Japan No contest 3 0:22 1996-05-06 Loss Musashi K-1 Grand Prix '96 Quarter Finals Yokohama, Japan TKO (Doctor stoppage/broken toe) 1 3:00 1996-03-10 Win Perry Telgt K-1 Grand Prix '96 Opening Battle Yokohama, Japan Decision (Unanimous) 5 3:00 Qualifies for K-1 Grand Prix '96 Final. 1995-12-09 Win Duane Van Der Merwe K-1 Hercules Nagoya, Japan KO (Kick) 1 1:24 1995-10-22 Win Stan Longinidis The Best of the Best Tournament, Final Melbourne, Australia Decision (Unanimous) 3 3:00 Wins The Best of the Best Tournament. 1995-10-22 Win Ben Hamilton The Best of the Best Tournament, Semi Finals Melbourne, Australia Decision (Unanimous) 3 3:00 1995-10-22 Win Sam Sweet The Best of the Best Tournament, Quarter Finals Melbourne, Australia KO 1 1995-09-03 Loss Peter Aerts K-1 Revenge II Yokohama, Japan Decision (Unanimous) 5 3:00 1995-03-03 Win Vjatcheslav Soukhanov K-1 Grand Prix '95 Opening Battle Tokyo, Japan KO (Punch) 3 1:33 Qualifies for K-1 Grand Prix '95 Final - would be unable to participate due to injury. 1994-12-10 Win Masaaki Satake K-1 Legend Nagoya, Japan KO (Right punch) 2 1:27 Wins Satake's W.K.A. World Muay Thai Super Heavyweight Heavyweight title. Legend:       Win       Loss       Draw/No contest       Notes

Mixed martial arts record

Res.	Record	Opponent	Method	Event	Date	Round	Time	Location	Notes
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win	3-1-1	Shungo Oyama	KO (knees and punches)	Hero's 3	02005-07-099 July 2005	1	2:37	Tokyo, Japan
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win	2-1-1	Heath Herring	TKO (knee injury)	Hero's 1	02005-03-2626 March 2005	1	2:41	Saitama, Saitama, Japan
style="background: #ffdddd; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="table-no2" |Loss	1-1-1	Lyoto Machida	Decision (split)	K-1 MMA ROMANEX	02004-05-2222 May 2004	3	5:00	Saitama, Saitama, Japan
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win	1-0-1	Stefan Gamlin	Submission (rear naked choke)	K-1 Beast 2004 in Niigata	02004-03-1414 March 2004	1	0:25	Niigata Prefecture, Japan
style="background:#c5d2ea; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-draw" |Draw	0-0-1	Masaaki Satake	Draw	Inoki Bom-Ba-Ye 2001	02001-12-3131 December 2001	3	5:00	Saitama, Saitama, Japan

See also

• List of K-1 events
• List of K-1 champions
• List of male kickboxers

References

External links

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