Dan 'the Beast' Severn appreciation thread (101w)

[PlayswellwithLawnDarts]

Notable opponents include
Royce
Ken x 2
Oleg
Pedro
Tank
Coleman
Neto
Braga
Headhunter
Kimo
Fulton (these two guys fought each other 30 times!)
Miletich
Josh
Forrest
Colossus

I got to watch him fight James Thompson live and also once in Cage Rage, though no idea who against

true vet and legend in a time when people have no idea what either word means

Photo is priceless

 

[SammyPops]

His suplex of a thai boxer is a perfect example of why I fell in love with mma.

I miss the old days, before fighters started training UFC.

 

[HUGHPHUG]

His suplex of a thai boxer is a perfect example of why I fell in love with mma.

I miss the old days, before fighters started training UFC.

I always feel a bit weird watching that fight, bit too close to my upbringing and learning judo in the basement of a church

 

[filthynumber1]

Unstoppable force...

 

[SammyPops]

I always feel a bit weird watching that fight, bit too close to my upbringing and learning judo in the basement of a church

lol. You lucky bro .... be thankful you were not a young kid in the basement of a Catholic Church.

Was it Tank Abbot who said fighting Severn was like being raped by a bear?

 

[beastman]

Back in the day, Severn would get a beeper message with a number, he'd call and decide whether to take the bout. He'd fight every week. He claimed the only fight he turned down was a pit fight in Mexico where you would be allowed to wear cowboy boots and also featured dog and cock fighting.

 

[filthynumber1]

His suplex of a thai boxer is a perfect example of why I fell in love with mma.

it's also a perfect example of why weight classes were made

 

[SammyPops]

it's also a perfect example of why weight classes were made

Youngens ......

 

[HUGHPHUG]

lol. You lucky bro .... be thankful you were not a young kid in the basement of a Catholic Church.

Was it Tank Abbot who said fighting Severn was like being raped by a bear?

Ha, actually I was, this was mid eighties and I was 10 I guess! It could have been nasty

Yeah Tank said something along the lines of being raped in prison by a grizzly or something?

 

[Migdagen]

His was very entertaining in his first tournament. But after that all his fights were boring . So no appreciation will come from me.

 

[Credo]

IN

 

[TheMaster]

Sakuraba once told a funny story about Severn: Saku went to train in the UWFi Pro Wrestling dojo and he saw Dan Severn at the heavy bag. Severn wasn't punching it but bitchslapping it. Not Pancrase style palm strikes, but just bitch slaps. Sakuraba almost died from laughter.

I think Severns contribution in Japan is also overlooked. He helped add legitamacy to the UWF as an elite amateur wrestler and with his UWF bouts with Takada which were obviously worked 'shoot style' matches but widely considered legit at the time in Japan it helped build Takadas credibility. We know that Pride was essentially started as a crossover platform for Takada to fight Rickson and we know the rest...

About those slaps, I actually think Dan was quite averse to punching. He would strike on the ground with elbows but especially before there were gloves damaging your hands was easier with closed fists which for a wrestler is trouble thus slapping is preffered. Also I think he was just genuinely a grappler at heart thus striking especially with hands was not something he really emphasized but rather using the art of grappling as a combat system.

It could have been a particular grappler fight philosophy that many wrestling or submission specialists have. Although they often learn striking to supplement, at the top level of grappling there is a certain elitism among grapplers (Judo,BJJ,wrestling,sambo) that the highest level of skill to be able to beat the opponent without causing lasting damage which can be done far more easily with grappling and submissions but not if you use striking.

 

[AssassinFacedBaby]

Don't mean to sound like a hater, but Dan Severn wasn't beating "very good pro level" guys for the vast, vast majority of his career. He was beating up kids with no experience who had no business being in the ring.

You also have no idea if he was clean or not, since it was the wild wild west of drug testing back then. Chances are (shocker) he was doping like most guys were.

People need to stop idolizing old fighters. This is what dan severn was - a pretty decent wrestler with heavy hands who got a long MMA record fighting shit guys. In any other era he would be a jobber at best.

Kill yourself

 

[Kid Killashaw]

I think Severns contribution in Japan is also overlooked. He helped add legitamacy to the UWF as an elite amateur wrestler and with his UWF bouts with Takada which were obviously worked 'shoot style' matches but widely considered legit at the time in Japan it helped build Takadas credibility. We know that Pride was essentially started as a crossover platform for Takada to fight Rickson and we know the rest...

About those slaps, I actually think Dan was quite averse to punching. He would strike on the ground with elbows but especially before there were gloves damaging your hands was easier with closed fists which for a wrestler is trouble thus slapping is preffered. Also I think he was just genuinely a grappler at heart thus striking especially with hands was not something he really emphasized but rather using the art of grappling as a combat system.

It could have been a particular grappler fight philosophy that many wrestling or submission specialists have. Although they often learn striking to supplement, at the top level of grappling there is a certain elitism among grapplers (Judo,BJJ,wrestling,sambo) that the highest level of skill to be able to beat the opponent without causing lasting damage which can be done far more easily with grappling and submissions but not if you use striking.

That's interesting to read. I remember seeing the tank abbott fight and wondering why he kept slapping. Also shudder at the elbows to Tanks spine and back of the neck.

 

[Patrick Jane]

I think Severns contribution in Japan is also overlooked. He helped add legitamacy to the UWF as an elite amateur wrestler and with his UWF bouts with Takada which were obviously worked 'shoot style' matches but widely considered legit at the time in Japan it helped build Takadas credibility. We know that Pride was essentially started as a crossover platform for Takada to fight Rickson and we know the rest...

About those slaps, I actually think Dan was quite averse to punching. He would strike on the ground with elbows but especially before there were gloves damaging your hands was easier with closed fists which for a wrestler is trouble thus slapping is preffered. Also I think he was just genuinely a grappler at heart thus striking especially with hands was not something he really emphasized but rather using the art of grappling as a combat system.

It could have been a particular grappler fight philosophy that many wrestling or submission specialists have. Although they often learn striking to supplement, at the top level of grappling there is a certain elitism among grapplers (Judo,BJJ,wrestling,sambo) that the highest level of skill to be able to beat the opponent without causing lasting damage which can be done far more easily with grappling and submissions but not if you use striking.

I agree about that Japan statement. I think he might have been a little overlooked in the UWFi because there were people with much greater athletic accomplishments working in the company. There were multiple Olympic medalists in people like Dennis Koslowski (Wrestling) and Bad News Allen (Judo).

I feel like Dan never had any business striking anyway. His striking power was so limited that he hit Tank Abbott like 200 times in the neck with his elbow and the bout still ended without a finish. Slapping is more than enough to create openings for a grappler. Too bad being unable to finish fights was probably Severns biggest weakness.

 

[Locoo2]

I hear you, i agree with everything you posted but:

-Severn owns Shamrock

-Archetype for the modern wrestler crossover


I hate to break it up to you but.. that shit simply is not true

 

[neXt leVel]

 

[gono btw]

The man just turned 60 years old. Was competing at a very good pro level till age 55.

Not sure why Ken seems to get all the acclaim (I am a fan also) just because he preceded Dan by 3 UFCs.
As the years have passed Severn has proven to be the man.
He did not degrade his name or his character which sadly Ken was allowed to on TUF and then with loss after loss.
Severn > Shamrock

He has the world record highest number of pro mma wins of all time, 101.
(edit Travis Fulton has more fights but on smaller local level. These are the only 2 with more than 100 wins)

Also for those who got into mma transitioning from pro wrestling in the early days, he was the basis of Goldbergs character, Goldberg told him "I was you out there" as well as the 'Beast' Brock Lesnar.
Also he carried the NWA strap that Lou Thesz wore, as it was only supposed to be worn by 'a shooter'.

Severn brought Olympic level wrestling into UFC first and was the archetype for the modern wrestler crossover that dominates the sport long before Coleman or Couture.

Also unlike many today he was clean his whole career, even though he started his mma career in his mid 30's.
Broke Don Frye into the sport also.
As Don Frye said of him: "Dan Severn is the ultimate person, the ultimate human being".

Post Dan Severn related appreciation here.

Ken technically neutralized Beast´s wrestling [even though he was indeed past his physical prime]...unexpected and impressive...

 

[Ares Black]

Sooooooo booooooooring

 

[Christhammer]