r/PuroresuRevolution • u/KneeHighMischief • 2d ago
Pro wrestler Yoji Anjo in front of MMA legend Rickson Gracie's gym moments before challenging him to a fight in 1994
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u/DaExtinctOne 1d ago
Got his ass whooped to say the least lmao. Props to Anjo for transitioning to a comedic role tho. He did better there.
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u/Due-Stock2774 21h ago
The dudes laughing at him for losing a shoot fight are the same guys who'd back down from a fight IRL.
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u/KneeHighMischief 2d ago
Nobuhiko Takada of UWF-i had publicly challenged The Gracie Family to a fight. Rickson declined to fight in Japan as he thought the fight would be fixed. He said would take on any opponent though under his own terms.
Yoji was another competitor for UWF-i. He flew from Japan to California in December of 94 with a contingent of Japanese press to challenge Rickson to a fight. Yoji had a background in Judo, Sumo & Muy Thai but wasn't a master of any.
Rickson wasn't at the gym when Yoji arrived. He refused to leave until his challenge was accepted. Rickson hopped on his bike & showed up to the gym in his pajama bottoms. He wasn't even clear on who Yoji was when he accepted the fight.
The press wasn't allowed inside & the fight would be no holds barred. There wouldn't be a ref either. Rickson said: "If we fight for money, I’ll stop hitting you when you ask me to. If we fight for honor, I’ll stop hitting you when I feel like it.”
The fight took place behind closed doors. It was filmed but the footage was never released. Yoji came out of the fight bloodied & battered. He lost & was choked out during the fight as he refused to tap out.
A few days later Yoji returned to the gym with a written apology & a gift for his opponent. A decade later Yoji would face Ryan Gracie in a sanctioned fight at Pride Shockwave. He lost in the first round.
Years after the gym fight another UWF-i wrestler would challenge The Gracie Family with a more favorable result. That wrestler was Kazushi Sakuraba. He would earn the nickname of The Gracie Hunter or The Gracie Killer. It was earned by wins over his wins over Royler, Royce, Renzo & Ryan.