Was Wanderlei protected from Wrestlers during his PRIDE run?

[Scythe]

Rampage wrestled far more at that time, as did Dan Henderson. Arona's a great grappler, Yoshida was pure-Judo. There were very few wrestlers that he didn't face in his division of Pride, and the reason he didn't face Coleman/Randleman isn't because they were "too difficult". The only opponents I remember that should've fought him who didn't were Shogun, because they were friends, and little Nog, who was really inactive.

Wanderlei once had about 50 more pounds of muscle on him and cardio to brawl for 20 minutes straight. If he got taken down, he wasn't totally overpowered and had the juice to struggle for escapes.

Now he's dwarfed by Chael Sonnen and gasses to Brazil's national anthem. He's maybe the most physically different fighter since leaving Japan that's still active?

 

[Juzie]

Booking definitely did their best to help him avoid wrestlers. Nevertheless in a tournament style system you will end up fighting all styles...which he did and he also successfully beat them plenty of times. The same guy who GNPed the shit out of "GOAT takedown defense" Chuck Liddell also got crushed by Wandy twice so that is really all that needs to be said.

 

[CrimsonFan]

Chael aged as well.

Chael UDs Silva and time at 205.

Heavy or openweight, Silva wins

No he doesn't lol.. Chael was never a very good LHW. Wand was the best.

You're fuckin trippin

 

[Bogeyman]

'Fighting' like Sonnen did last night would get you carded in PRIDE so there wasn't much of it around.

 

[Juzie]

'Fighting' like Sonnen did last night would get you carded in PRIDE so there wasn't much of it around.

Yup and a more aggressive Chael gets swept by Wandy. Even at this age.....it happened last night.

 

[suffersystem]

Who else was there? Even last night he almost finished Chael a couple of times. In his prime his shots were harder and his reaction time was a lot better. He beats Chael if he wasn't old

Hell, based on what we saw last night he likely beats Chael now if they rematch

Nope, I would put money on Chael doing the exact same thing in a rematch. Wand had like what, 2 good shots the entire fight?

 

[Fraz]

He got the McGregor treatment in Pride.

 

[bubby]

#NEWFANS #CASUALS #NOOBS


Polluting our sport smh...

Sonnen has wins over wand and shogun.

 

[MCS]

List of top MW/LHW's during that time

Wand
Chuck
Shogun
Rampage
Couture
Arona
Saku
Tito
Vitor
Randleman (sorta)
Rogerio
Overeem
Mezger
Busta
Lindland
Filho
Kondo
Stiebling (sorta)
Ninja
Pele
Hendo
Franklin
Anderson
Nakamura (Judo)
Yoshida (Judo)

Should be enough. He faced enough. The landscape wasn't wrestler-heavy.

 

[bzrkr]

very very interesting proposition.

it's hard to tell what those Japs were doing over there. Very strange folk they are

Sakuraba is a wrestler. He failed 3 times.

 

[bubby]

Yeah my favorite part is where Wand hit him with a shit and tito takes off full sprint to other side of the cage...someobe here used to have that as their avatar.

My favorite part was when Tito punched him hard enough that wandy dropped face first to the mat.

 

[ultramanhyata]

Who else was there? Even last night he almost finished Chael a couple of times. In his prime his shots were harder and his reaction time was a lot better. He beats Chael if he wasn't old

Hell, based on what we saw last night he likely beats Chael now if they rematch

If your fanboy goggles made that fight appear even remotely competitive, congratulations.

I never followed Silva during his prime. Did he ever have a TDD that was even remotely effective??

Most fighters would have to have their pants down around their ankles and be just getting up off the toilet to be floored as effortlessly as Chael was able to double-leg Wandy.

 

[I Am Legion]

I don't think he was protected other than Shogun not being forced to fight him. That was the fight that needed to happen. But I think Randy would have eaten his lunch like he did to Tito and Chuck 1. Randy was older than all these guys but he had just enough stand up to eventual over power guys and GNP the shit out of them.

 

[Guestx]

Hell, based on what we saw last night he likely beats Chael now if they rematch

I didn't see anything to indicate that at all.

 

[bzrkr]

Did you do any research before bringing up this topic? Which 'rasslers has he been protected from? Maybe Randleman? Maybe Couture? Fight with Randy almost happened but I think problems between UFC and Pride merger were to blame for it not happening instead of protecting Wanderlei.

 

[RawDawgBob]

Who else was there? Even last night he almost finished Chael a couple of times. In his prime his shots were harder and his reaction time was a lot better. He beats Chael if he wasn't old

Hell, based on what we saw last night he likely beats Chael now if they rematch

You must be high.

 

[RawDawgBob]

Wand's TDD and ability to get up were terrible. I don't see another fight going any different. I like Wand but he's not making up that wrasslin difference any time soon.

 

[JSN]

Chael is the GOAT wrestler in MMA history (sorry Pico).


The West Linn Gangster is like 40 and has barely fought for several years thanks to a USADA witch hunt. Imagine how badly this would have gone for Wand if they were both in their primes.

 

[613]

Who else was there? Even last night he almost finished Chael a couple of times. In his prime his shots were harder and his reaction time was a lot better. He beats Chael if he wasn't old

Hell, based on what we saw last night he likely beats Chael now if they rematch

What the fuck did you watch?

 

[CrimsonFan]

What the fuck did you watch?

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