Next up was K-1 legend Sam Greco vs. Brazil’s Lyoto. We thought we had this fight figured out even before the opening ceremony. We had the privilege of watching Greco warm up, and let me tell you people, it was way past intense. Wearing his gi, Greco shadowboxed with a ferocious intensity and blinding speed, while his fellow competitors, including Gary Goodridge, BJ Penn, Sapp and Don Frye, sat casually talking amongst themselves.
As if that wasn’t enough, minutes before his fight, Greco started grappling on the concrete floor with three guys who looked like they could bench press a Corolla. One after another they got into side mount and tried to choke him out, squeezing his head and neck. It was straight out of that vice scene in the movie “Casino” – Joe Pesci would have been proud.
“Give him everything you’ve got!” Greco’s trainer yelled.
“Sam, did you feel anything?”
“No,” said Sam.
“Do it again!”
This went on for about ten minutes.
“I’m getting nervous just watching this guy,” said one photographer. When Sam finally entered the ring, we were actually feeling sorry for Lyoto. “He’s gonna kill him,” we said to ourselves.
And then he lost. Or he was robbed. Either way, he didn’t win the fight, losing a judges’ decision.
Afterwards in the postfight press conference, Greco showed his respect for the locals by bowing to the Japanese press corps. He then lit into the judges.
“I’m disgusted,” he said. “Lyoto tried to take me to the ground, but he never put anything on me. It’s bad how the judges scored this fight. At worst, this was a draw, otherwise, I won this fight.”
The “rematch” question was asked. “I’m upset at the thought of rematching Lyoto,” said Greco. “If this decision were given on the merits, I would take it on the chin. But I didn’t get beaten by a better man tonight, but the judges.”
We’re guessing that the judges went back to Tokyo that night via police escort and under heavy air cover. As professional and classy as Greco is, odds are there would have been a little “shock and awe” if he saw any of them in the parking lot.
