Bob Sapp

Bob Sapp

Career history
Minnesota Vikings

Robert Malcolm Sapp aka Bob "The Beast" Sapp (born September 22, 1974) is an American kickboxer, mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter and former world champion professional wrestler and professional American Football player. Sapp currently has an MMA record of 8-2-1 as of December 2005, mostly fighting in Korea and Japan. He is well-known in Japan, where he has appeared in commercials, television programs, and has released a music CD entitled "It's Sapp Time". Sapp also appeared in an episode of the HBO program Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel. In Japan he has appeared in 23 commercials, 200 times on TV, in 1000 interviews, on 200 products with his name or image, as an author or subject of 4 books (according to his self-introduction in the Tonight Show with Jay Leno on 11 August 2003).

Biography

Bob Sapp is known as "The Beast". Bob Sapp is not related to Oakland Raiders defensive tackle Warren Sapp. Sapp began his athletic career in college football as a standout offensive lineman for the University of Washington, where he won the Morris Award. Expected by some to get high notice from pro scouts in the 1997 NFL draft, he slipped to the third round before being chosen by the Chicago Bears at 69th overall. Although Sapp was under pro contract for the next four seasons (Chicago Bears '97, Minnesota Vikings '98, Baltimore Ravens '99, and Oakland Raiders '00 , each of which cut him within that season), he appeared in only one regular season game before washing out of the league.

Bob went on to fight (and defeat) William "The Refrigerator" Perry in a Toughman boxing special promoted by the FX channel. He was subsequently recruited by the Japanese MMA organization PRIDE, where he quickly became a fan favorite due to his preternatural size and aggression. After a number of successes in Pride, Sapp was then invited by Kazuyoshi Ishii to K-1. Ishii, inventor of the fighting sport K-1, saw in Sapp the combination of great potential and great marketability.

Pro Wrestling

Bob Sapp's pro-wrestling career started in NWA Wildside in 2001. He was briefly contracted by World Championship Wrestling as a developmental wrestler, before the company was buyed out by the WWE, then WWF. In 2004, Sapp competed for New Japan Pro Wrestling, winning their prestigious IWGP World Heavyweight Championship, though it was vacated shortly thereafter due to a mixed martial arts fight loss and film commitments. Sapp had roles in Elektra and the 2005 remake of The Longest Yard, starring Adam Sandler and Chris Rock. Sapp also appeared as an extra in the movie Fun with Dick and Jane.

PRIDE Fighting Championships

After arriving in Japan, Sapp fought a number of well-regarded Japanese fighters, winning all his bouts through sheer strength and size. 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 was defeated and shortly afterward moved to K-1.

K-1

File:MirkoSapp.jpg

Sapp fighting Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipović in 2003

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. Sapp's initial success with his intimidating, blind chase-and-punch method slowly petered out into disqualifications for bullrushing and punching after referee breaks. Additionally, experienced opponents discovered Sapp's weak points—his weak chin and legs. He also engaged in an ineffective but entertaining defensive stance consisting of cowering away from attacks and spinning around in a circle. In what marked the beginning of his K-1 decline, Sapp was knocked out by Croatian Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipović in 86 seconds at the March 30, 2003, Saitama event. After Filipović landed several solid kicks to his sides and legs, an overhand left broke Sapp's orbital bone. In May 2004 he tapped out while on the ground due to kicks and strikes from Kazuyuki Fujita.

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.

On May 13 2006, Sapp was to headline the K-1 show in Holland. 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.

He most recently has been getting offers from the WWE again as well as TNA to work with them, but his K-1 contract is prohibiting him from going through with any return to the ring.

Cage Rage

On February 10, 2007 it was announced by the United Kingdom's Cage Rage promotion - the biggest MMA group in Europe - 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 (and one-time Cage Rage competitor) 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. At short notice, Tank Abbott stepped in and lost to Gary Turner.

Championships and accomplishments

Kickboxing

• 2005 K-1 Japan GP Champion

Professional wrestling

• New Japan Pro Wrestling

• IWGP World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)

• Wrestling Observer Newsletter

• Best Box Office Draw (2002)
• Rookie of the Year (2002)
• Best Box Office Draw (2003)
• Most Charismatic Wrestler (2003)

Kickboxing Record

10 Wins - 6 Losses - 0 Draws
Date	Result	Opponent	Event	Method	Round
12/31/2005	Loss	Mack Cox	K-1 - Premium Dynamite 2005	Decision	3R
6/14/2005	Win	Tatsufumi Tomihira	K-1 World Grand Prix 2005 - Hiroshima	Decision	3R
6/14/2005	Win	Hiraku Hori	K-1 World Grand Prix 2005 - Hiroshima	KO	2R, 1:54
6/14/2005	Win	Yoshihiro Nakao	K-1 World Grand Prix 2005 - Hiroshima	Decision	3R
6/26/2004	Loss	Ray Sefo	K-1 - Beast 2004 Shizuoka	KO	2R, 0:29
4/30/2004	Win	Tommy Glanville	K-1 - Battle at the Bellagio 2	KO	1R, 0:33
3/27/2004	Win	Seth Petruzelli	K-1 - Saitama 2004	TKO (elbow injury)	1R, 0:57
12/31/2003	Win	Akebono	K-1 - Premium 2003 Dynamite	KO	1R, 2:58
10/11/2003	Loss	Remy Bonjasky	K-1 World Grand Prix 2003 - Opening Round	DQ	2R
8/15/2003	Win	Kimo Leopoldo	K-1 - Battle at the Bellagio	TKO	2R, 1:11
3/30/2003	Loss	Mirko Filipovic	K-1 Saitama Grand Prix 2003	KO	1R, 1:26
12/7/2002	Win	Ernesto Hoost	K-1 World Grand Prix 2002 - Finals	KO	2R, 2:53
10/5/2002	Win	Ernesto Hoost	K-1 World Grand Prix 2002 - Opening Round	TKO (doctor stoppage)	1R, 3:00
9/22/2002	Win	Cyril Abidi	K-1 - Andy Spirits	TKO	1R, 1:17
6/2/2002	Loss	Tsuyoshi Nakasako	K-1 - Survival 2002	DQ	1R

Filmography

• Big Stan (2007)
• The Longest Yard (2005) as Switowski
• Elektra (2005) as Stone
• Devilman (2005) as World Newscaster
• Izo (2004)
• Taiho Shichauzo (2003) as Bob Hage
• Bob Sapp: Sapp Time The Movie! (2003) documentary

Trivia

• He has endorsed various minor consumables and promotion materials, including mouse pads, trading cards, coffee mugs, tote bags, T shirts, apple crunch cakes.

• His likeness is featured in Beast Sapp, a Pachinko slot machine.

• He defeated William "Refrigerator" Perry in a toughman boxing competition on FX.

• He defeated "Butterbean" (Eric Esch) in a sumo match.

• He gave his voice to and endorsed the Japanese song, Sapp Time!—Rap CD EP; # 28 JPN

• Bob Sapp appears to have been referenced in the Tekken series of fighting games designed by Namco. The character Craig Marduk is loosely based on Bob Sapp both in appearance and fighting style (even down to trademark moves).

• He is a Northwest Airlines' Seattle-to-Tokyo route ambassador.

• The boss character "Behemoth" in the WWE WrestleMania XIX video game is loosely based on Bob Sapp.

• He owns a pet serval, Trinity.

• He is mentioned and featured in the hentai manga Seisou.

External links

• Bob Sapp's Professional MMA record at Sherdog.com
• Bob Sapp's K-1 Kickboxing and MMA record at K-1sport.de
• A Beast Is Made: The Bob Sapp Story
• Profile at Obsessed with Wrestling