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[budo_michalutek]

hej, nie wiem czy wiecie ze bob sap jest jednym z najbardziej medialnych figterow... (wie jak sie sprzedawac, inaczej mowiac)
wystepuje on w 3ech serialach, wystepuje w programach rozrywkowych, opowiada o diecie sportowej (to juz troche przesada.....) jak ktos zna angielski to podsylam wam wywiad z nim z gazety i jego wymiary... pozdrawiam i zycze roku bez kontuzji i nienaptkania boba nawet na treniengu....

'Sappu' phenomenon captures imagination of Japanese public

Kyodo News

A beast will send chills down the spine of the bravest of men.

Bob Sapp

But K-1 fighter Bob Sapp inspires people to do much more than hightail it for the hills.

The American behemoth has a tender side that has Japan abuzz with talk of the "The Beast," who is feared and adored equally for his mammoth size and fondness for the cute and cuddly.

"They like my smile, my 'ki' (energy). I found out from someone that some (fans) are touching me and grabbing my hands to try and draw some of my power," said the former NFL defensive lineman in an exclusive interview with Kyodo News.

Sapp evokes this tactile response mainly from middle-aged Japanese women wishing to size up his 170-kg frame, which for them is quite literally larger than life.

"I'm getting TV coverage just about everywhere as they compare the 'Bob Sapp phenomenon' to the biggest thing from Pokemon to Godzilla. The fans like me more than just as a fighter. I really enjoy it. Shooting three (TV variety) shows in one day is not unusual," said the 28-year-old from Colorado Springs.

Sapp, who stands 2 meters with a neck circumference of 69 cm and biceps 65 cm around, was originally drafted by the Chicago Bears and played for three other NFL teams before being picked up by the Scottish Claymores in NFL Europe.

But his football career was cut short by Achilles tendonitis, and after a brief stint in pro wrestling he made his debut on the Japanese mixed-martial arts circuit in April 2002.

"I never had an interest in fighting. Originally, because I had no experience, I was going to come to Japan to be a pro wrestler and learn fighting along the way."

With his explosive and often unrestrained power and his exuberant theatrics in the ring, Sapp, in the infancy of his fighting career, is already achieving icon status on par with Ichiro Suzuki.

"My style is rather unorthodox right now. It's basically hit or be hit and keep the pressure on the opponent," said Sapp, who has beaten K-1 champion Ernesto Hoost twice, the first time battering the Dutchman to a bloody pulp on Oct. 5.

Hoost knocked Sapp down with a shot to the gut in the first round of their bout in the Dec. 7 final only to be pulverized by the goliath's blows the next round in front of 70,000 frenetic fans at Tokyo Dome.

Sapp had to forfeit the victory, however, because of a hurt finger and Hoost was eventually crowned a four-time champion. "I was definitely disappointed, but these things can happen. I felt it was my time to be champion, my hand felt it wasn't."

But for those who think there is no method to his crazed bloodletting, think again. Sapp corners his opponents on the ropes, then it's pretty much lights out.

"There's no distance and you can punch as much as you want, but if I can land even one big one it's going to make you dizzy or knock you out," he said.

He also suggests the concept of technique may itself be overrated.

"I don't have that much experience at all! So the question is what is skill or technique if you can't win? That's a question that needs an answer and we found it in Hoost.

"My power is a characteristic of my skill, no different than someone who's smaller and has speed as their skill," he added.

"Sappu," as Japanese call him, has fought in PRIDE (mixed-martial arts with submission holds), K-1 and pro wrestling bouts.

He has won three of four fights in K-1, which mixes elements of karate, taekwondo and kung-fu, and lost just two of seven bouts overall, including a disqualification for "unnecessary roughness" of an opponent in his first K-1 bout.

Though "The Beast" has a penchant for violence and outlandish behavior in the ring, including his "got-you-sucker" jig after knocking out Hoost in the first fight, he also has a lighter, more playful side involving a love for animals, especially his cat Trinity.

"There's Trinity and its playmates Roscoe and Rita. I love all animals, but I like the big exotic cats especially. It's definitely one of the highlights of spending time back home (in Seattle)," Sapp said.

"I'll sit in front of the TV and throw a toy out there and Trinity and the other cats will surround it. Everyone's fighting and rough-housing, so I get to watch catfights and grappling in my own living room," he said.

Sapp's softer side is also apparent in his concern for how his family would react to his K-1 fighting, if they only knew.

"I haven't spoken to my family about it yet. I was going to talk to them but they get lost between fighting and boxing, 'Is it real? Is it not real?' So I just tell them I'm a personal trainer in Seattle. They might be concerned and definitely worried."

Sapp, who got the name "The Beast" because people told him he isn't quite human but definitely no Kid Romeo, said he enjoys entertaining his fans but a situation has to present itself.

"I kind of just go with what my mind tells me to do. Sometimes it will tell me to run to the ring. 'Why? I have no clue.' Sometimes I think, 'What am I doing here? I'm from the NFL.' "