Kazushi Sakuraba

In 2000, Royce returned to major competition in Japan's pride organization.

His opponent was Kazushi Sakuraba.

Sakuraba had developed a reputation for defeating members of the Gracie family.

But Royce presented a special challenge.

But yeah, if you want more on the Volk position, go read that article.

You know, I talked all about how he used against Makachev, how he used, you know, how Sakuraba used it against Hoyce Gracie back in the day.

He used to do the one where he puts his head under the top rope.

And if you've never watched Hoyce versus Saku, it's a 90 minute fight.

It's the longest MMA fight in history.

We'll probably never have one like that again because it was all it was in Pride FC, but all the pride was on the line.

Sakuraba had submitted a couple of the Gracie family.

Hoyce Gracie was the guy who won the original UFCs.

It's their first medal on the International Skating Union Grand Prix circuit, coming during their first season as United States Ice Dance Champions.

In 2000, Choctaw mixed martial artist Shannon Rich faces Kazushi Sakuraba in the main event of Pride 11 at Osaka Castle Hall in Japan.

Sakuraba wins by Achilles lock in the first round, but the appearance puts Rich into the headlining bout of one of the world's biggest mixed martial arts promotions.

In 2011, Chris Wondolowski receives another Major League Soccer Player of the Month award after a strong late-season scoring run.

He didn't, he didn't work that on in a gentle fashion.

As a Kimura and barely of Sakuraba.

I mean, if you want to see the difference between a double wrist lock and a Kimura, because there is a difference.

When you get down to the brass tacks of it, Sakuraba puts on a double wrist lock.

And once it's on and it's on correctly, you don't get out of it.

So when you go back and watch these guys in the fight game, the story was, can Sakuraba beat another Gracie? He went through...

three or four of them.

I can't remember now off the top of my head, but somebody will fact check me on that.

When did Brat...

And Davey, Dynamite, because I think Dynamite was working Sakuraba a lot.

Tiger Mask.

Dynamite and Tiger Mask used to have some crazy matches.

And I think it was even against... against the bookers at the time of New Japan.

They didn't want anything to do with it either, but Kidani wanted it, so it happened, and it caused a lot of behind-the-scenes ruckus, and it ended up being okay because Sakuraba, who is a big name, and Shibata, who wasn't really a big name, but he was supposed to be, At that time, he was supposed to be, and he went off to MMA.

He was supposed to be like a Tanahashi type in the early 2000s or late 2000s or whatever it was, but he went off to do MMA, and I don't think it really panned out the way everyone hoped it would.

So when he came back, obviously he ended up having a pretty awesome career post that stuff, but... especially me, I wasn't a mark for Japanese wrestling.

You know what I mean? Like, Alex, back then, Alex would be like, uh, we would, he would, he would encourage us to bring in VHS tapes, let's say, of Pride or something that were recorded, and let's break it down.

Like, he loves Sakuraba, for example.

Like, Sakur- He would always say, like, "Sakura- Sakuraba's a Sambo guy.

Even if he's, he's not a real Sambo guy, but he's a Sambo guy." That's what he would say, right? It's like the, you know, his, his transitions and everything were insane.

And, uh, but we would bring, he would, we would bring in VHS tapes and watch a fight, and then pick something that was done, and then do it on the mat.

And that's-

I always think about that with, like, you and Sakuraba.

Like, man, if these guys were just stuck in a weight class instead of fighting all these giants-

Yeah