Two categories here: matches fixed by the combatants and bad judges decisions. Fixed matches, I call: Coleman-Takada Worst decisions: Shogun-Machida I BJ Penn-Frankie Edgar I
Takada vs anyone..... jk but most of the Takada fights were strange to say the least.....except the two with Rickson.
http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XNjMzMDkxMTY=.html Sakuraba and Rampage was fixed, and any knowledgeable fan can see it. Rampage throws a punch the way I would throw a punch if I didn't want to hurt my opponent to start the fight. Sakuraba gets an all too easy take down. The commentators say as much, in regards to the take down. Jackson never tries to land a serious punch, they all seem fake. The proof is in the slams. Watch how Jackson picks Sakuraba, a trained professional wrestler, up and gently puts him down. Watch the fight, watch how he picks up Sakuraba, and watch this: This content is protected Arona is 20 lbs heavier than Sakuraba, just in case you were wondering.
I would not be shocked if this was a work but... Jackson fought off a few sub attempts aggressively when he would have earned the same money tapping to the 1st. And he would have to have the knowledge to work the escape considering he was very raw at the highest level, Saku tapped Gracies... they fought in 2001 when gnp wasnt as established and was a ''new'' form of fighting, and Page was a rookie Maybe...just maybe...Rampage got better at slams in the three years between fights... If he had beat the Page who beat Chuck and Hendo this easily then id have no doubts this was a work. But ive read your posts on pure striker v grappler posts reks...
That was Jackson's debut. What happend in Maker Coleman's PRIDE debut? :huh Almost like you have to take one for the team, so to speak. I think he fought off a few sub techniques to sell the fight. Coleman thwarted an attempt or 2 his suspicious match. Just rewatch how easy he goes down on his back the couple time that Saku gets him down. Jackson was put on his back rather easily, at least twice, during that fight.
Jackson gassed easily in a prolonged grappling exchange...similar to the Jones fight when he was a veteran What are your foughts on the improved power of the slam and the sub defense that the gracies couldnt handle? Sakus single randleman down...did they wait 10 minutes to make it convincing
A lot of shady stuff went on in PRIDE...each fight has to be analyzed case-by-case like the gift stand-ups to Wanderlei against Rampage, etc. US judges are paid something like $1000 to judge US events like UFC...tons of potential there.
Sakuraba is one of favorites, and I'm not insinuating every fight of his was a work. Just the Jackson fight. Jackson had not gassed when he let Sakuraba have the take down seconds into the fight. Jackson did not try to put any hurt on Sakuraba when he slammed him. This was Jackson's first fight in PRIDE, and I believe it to be under similar circumstance to Coleman't debut.