The Bob Sapp mystery

[Jofeljoh!]

Thought this weird happening deserved an own thread;

I'm very curious what you think. So come on with the conspiracy theories!

All we heared that 'he left in fear'.

Well, Sapp never gave a f*ck fighting anyone, anywhere. Further, Sapp had nothing to lose really, only to gain. If he lost there's no sweat, anyone knows Hoost is the technically superior kickboxer, but if he would win, only better for his record.

Also, Sapp probably had a contract. He just cannot ignore K-1 or Rutz by 'just' leaving for no apparent reason (I will call 'fear' in this context also as 'no apparent reason'). That would be very bad.

So what can it be?

- It could all be staged. But then again, Hoost and Aerts both sounded very honest and sincere. Also I saw Aerts the whole night in normal clothing in the VIP-area. I can't believe Hoost and Aerts would give their cooperation with this kind of horseshit.

-Probably a money-thing. Was Sapp not satisfied with his contract or something? Maybe he was mad that Rutz didn't live up to their agreements and just ran off, pissed off? Could make sense.

If that is the case, we will definately hear more about it.

Anyone else an idea?

[Jofeljoh!]

http://www.mixfight.nl/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=21770

here's an interesting explination from Bas Boon, Golden Glory manager. It's about the dispute with Golden Glory vs Simon Rutz, and also there's something about Bob Sapp. Bottom line: it's all about the money.

I'll try to translate this tomorrow (Now I'm really too tired to do it). Or if any other dutch member can do it, also fine.

[Jofeljoh!]

http://www.mixfight.nl/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=21767&start=225

here's another nice insight:

de echte reden zal wel nooit boven water komen, maar ik hoorde gisteren al dat het behoorlijk wat moeite heeft gekost om sapp naar amsterdam te krijgen. Iets met angst of zo. Hij scheen ook een heel leger aan psychologen bij zich te hebben, en vandaag kwam hij zijn hotel ook veel te laat uit. Hij had er dus waarschijnlijk nooit echt trek in gehad. In Japan zou het het misschien nog wel gedaan hebben omdat hij dan nog een paar honderd ruggen aan reclames in kon gaan lullen, maar da's hier natuurlijk niet zo. Anyways... wat nu precies de reden was weet ik dus ook niet

'The real reason we'll probably never know, but yesterday I already heard that it costed a lot of trouble to get Sapp to Amsterdam. Something with fear. There is also said he had a bunch of psychologists with him and he also was far too late out of his hotel today. So he probably didn't want to do this anyway. In Japan he would have done it maybe, because he could have earned a lot of money more by doing some commercials or something. Anyway, I don;t know the precise reason....'

Sorry for the activity and sorry if I don't make any sense it all, but that's only because this was such a weird night and I'm wasted lol!

[Mago]

Thanks for all the hard work on making everything more clear to us fans abroad, man.

Your last post makes a lot of sense, we are away from everything and we dont know anything about the fighters (in this case Sapp) condition or life issues. He could be in some kind of limit line and broke down just before the fight. My guess is that the word Fear was used in the arena to justify all economical/personnal issues with a emotion that is so basic and clear to even the most ignorant fan/viewer of fighting sports. It might be much more than that, and I can really notice now that Bob Sapp had way less support and attention attracted to him this time around - aside with everything else, he might be feeling the coldness it is to be loosing the affection of K1.

[eatingfish]

Very strange...interesting to hear what K-1's spin will be. Hope you can get to the bottom of this Jofeljoh! & then share it with the rest of us!

[Kobayashi]

Very hard to believe he fears Hoost for numerous reasons already mentioned... too weird.

[LethalSassonic]

My friend said he will talk to Bob Sapp tomorrow, if I get any info I'll post it. Man this is weird...

[TheDude]

Check mmaweekly.com for more info. Apparently it was about the money.

[El Presidente]

Not very professional of Sapp. Quite arrogant if you ask me. When has Hoost, Aerts, LeBanner or even Andy Hug done something like that.

Aerts, a legend in his own right stepped up and put on an understandably subdued performance. Hoost had no fire to fight Aerts, and Aerts had very little preparation but put his reputation on line regardless. The resulting fight was far from the hyped Sapp-Hoost. And these guys got booed for it.

Respect to Aerts.

[( o Y o )]

Sapp has said from day 1 it is all about the money......if he was lured there with false promises I recpect him for telling them to shove it up their ass.

That is an awfully big "if" though and I suspect there was more to it.

I seriously doubt he was scared....the man went in the ring with Fujita, Sefo, leBanner etc.......tough guys with bad reputations.....Hoost he already beat twice.

[HolyRamenEmpire]

Depends... Sapp's out there for the money... He's not a kickboxer at heart, not even a fighter at heart. It's K1's responsibility to keep him in order. Bob Sapp's just a business-showman.

Perhaps K1 had promised to pay a X amount just for Sapp to fight Hoost. Then at the event, they may have told him that they'd only pay half for fighting, and the rest if Sapp won. That's not a change one should walk away from but a big difference and a big bleach of "promise".

Sapp's been the poster boy for many companies, and he's apparently got a fine enough American sense of contract business. I doubt he'd walk away without a good enough business reasoning (although a short-term one).

Respect to Aerts indeed, but Aerts behavior is normal for me. He just did the normal thing. He just did the fighter thing.

I hope Hoost gets his real retirement bout!!

[Lone Wolf]

Aerts is my hero now...this guy gives a new meaning to the phrase:"I`ll fight anyone anytime." LOL

[HolyRamenEmpire]

I also don't think he was afraid. The whole testimony about Sapp's fears sound suspicious. "Bunch of psychologists" sounds unreal. Bas Boon's "all about the money" view sounds like on the right track. Agh. I still want ot see Hoost vs Sapp 3!!!!!!

[Jofeljoh!]

' It has been a strange year for fans of the fight game. There have been plenty of upsets, and now we may see another trend emerging: Fighters pulling out of events after the event has already started. That scenario just played out for the second consecutive week.

Last week, it was Mark Kerr pulling out of an ACF event due to a supposed hand injury. This time, it was Bob Sapp pulling out in the middle of a K-1 event due to a contract dispute....'

full article:

http://www.mmaweekly.com/absolutenm/templates/dailynews.asp?articleid=2059&zoneid=2

[MZN]

I wonder what would have happened if it was Sam Greco who cornered Sapp. He seems to me more of an inspirator for Sapp and dared to actually make him do things he really did not want (like training properly and stuff).

[Jofeljoh!]

Lol, I think Greco would have bitch slapped him into the ring, and if not, he would go himself!

[El Presidente]

Lol, I think Greco would have bitch slapped him into the ring, and if not, he would go himself!

Just what I was going to say. Greco wouldve kicked Sapp's ass into that ring.

Sapp takes a bigger beating between rounds from Greco than against his opponents.

[AKA]

All I can say is that the word fear is legit....but I dont say that he feared Hoost.
You guys has to know that Their was a previous story in the morning of the event , you also have to knows that Sapp probably leave the country like 2 hours before the fight. When the organization learnt that Sapp was finally really out... he was already out of Holland. That was a shock but somewhere that was just the incredible but still logical continuation of that unreal story.

[Jofeljoh!]

wow... you now even make me more curious :o

[urdum]

What I saw at that event was. I saw Bobby walking to one of the japanese people and talking with them for 1 or 2 minutes and then he did leave I guess. While he was leaving a fan of him tried to take a pic with him but he just shook hands with him and left immediately. That's what I saw

[Sudoraba]

Aerts is my hero now...this guy gives a new meaning to the phrase:"I`ll fight anyone anytime." LOL

simply put Aerts is the man

[Lone Wolf]

He sure is ;)

[JUNGLE]

Here is another source - sounds like a bit more then just money.

www.garygoodridge.com go to the news section





OYO - Great Forum.
Later Jungle

[MZN]

http://www.garygoodridge.com/fullstory.asp?story_num=123



Wow that actually is consistent with what a mixfight.nl admin that was making pictures around the ring reported to have seen: Bob came to the jurors table waving pieces of paper around acting quite upset and leaving even more upset.

[LethalSassonic]

Somone I know just spoke with Bob, ok, this is what happened: Before Bob's fight, the president of K-1 said his contract was going to have redrafted because the terms they agreeded on were in english. So Bob said without the contract officially completed and signed, he wouldn't fight. So after all of that he walked out.

[CentralKickboxing.Org]

Somone I know just spoke with Bob, ok, this is what happened: Before Bob's fight, the president of K-1 said his contract was going to have redrafted because the terms they agreeded on were in english. So Bob said without the contract officially completed and signed, he wouldn't fight. So after all of that he walked out.

That is what I thought all along. Bob is not going to fight without a contract in place. Ever.

The Pride/ fear/ sabbotage/ extortion/ etc details were highly doubtful from the beginning.

[Cracked_Knuckle]

At this stage I wonder why the hell Pride would even want him?

[HolyRamenEmpire]

Tanikawa said in nikkansports that Sapp will return, probably in July, for K1 Sapporo. Sapp's probably not getting much punishment. Sounds like K1 messed up the contract issue with Sapp on the day of the fight. I guess K1 spread words that they'd maybe sue and ban Sapp, just to get compromise from Sapp over the issue. Whatever. I think Sapp's a fair guy about contracts. I hope Hoost and Sapp can fight each other at the Sapporo tournament, instead of Hoost vs Musashi 3, which would be an absolute waster. The only purpose for Musashi to fight on is to win the GP as a Japanese HW representative.

[( o Y o )]

I think that sheds a bit of light on things. If Sapp was completely in the wrong he'd be in pretty serious trouble....the fact they have already got him penciled in for another GP points to the fact he was used more as a scapegoat than anything.

[Cracked_Knuckle]

Sounds like someone is covering their ass, and Sapp was something big enough to cover it with. I wonder how K-1 and Simon Rutz get along? Did K-1 maybe pull a swifty here?