Old Japan Pro-Wrestling...Rickson by armbar?

Speaking of Saku, he's actually scheduled to fight recently un-retired Masakatsu Funaki soon. KazSak was recently diagnosed with vertebrobasilar damage (yes, it's as bad as it sounds) & Funaki...well, Funaki was bruised & battered before Zuffa bought the UFC. In Pancrase, he "submitted" Ken Shamrock, Frank Shamrock & Bas Rutten, 3 of the most overrated "mixed martial artists" alive. This "superfight" has all the "appeal" of a "hot water enema".

And speaking of Funaki, his biggest claim to fame on the international stage is scoring a rough takedown on Rickson Gracie before getting choked into unconsciousness. So, naturally, who else do you think is planning on staging a comeback of their own? You guessed it; the 400 + win superstar himself. Now...if Rickson faces an opponent with a winning record, & wins via submission, then he has a shot at solidifying the legend that surounds him. That means NOT fighting a Japanese wrestler, NOT having special rules/time limits, & NOT fighting in a corrupt organization.

Unfortunately, FEG, who own K-1/Hero's, has secured the right to promote Rickson's comeback. To make matters worse, they're planning on having Rickson fight the winner of Sakuraba/Funaki. Yet another in a series of recent fights that would have been exciting, or at least relevant, 10 years ago. Can Rickson shake off enough of over a decade's worth of ring-rust to handle a broken-down catch-wrestler? Probably. But as boorish as it may sound, I'll probably be watching a re-run of Ultimate Fight Night when it happens.

---m