Masakatsu Funaki Pancrase Compilation

Masakatsu Funaki is a Japanese professional wrestler who performed in New Japan Pro Wrestling, PWFG, as well as the UWF. He is also the co-founder of Pancrase along with Minoru Suzuki, one of the first modern-day non-rehearsed shoot wrestling promotions (following five years after the inception of Shooto but predating America's Ultimate Fighting Championship). Not only the organization's co-founder, Funaki was also one of Pancrase's most successful fighters to date, scoring submission victories over the likes of Ken Shamrock, Frank Shamrock, Guy Mezger, Yuki Kondo and Bas Rutten through the course of his 50-fight career. He is the only fighter in mixed martial arts to hold wins over both of the Shamrock brothers and Bas Rutten, and was the first man to win the King of Pancrase title twice.

Many mixed martial arts pundits point to his second meeting with Bas Rutten as one of the most significant bouts in the sports' modern epoch, its excitement helping the sport reach the mainstream appeal it currently enjoys in Japan.

Funaki retired from competition after a win over Tony Petarra in September of 1999 due to accumulated injuries and, according to fellow Pancrase fighter and friend Bas Rutten, being burnt out from the hectic Pancrase schedule. However, in 2000, he returned for a fight against Rickson Gracie. Though Funaki scored the first takedown of the bout and subsequently broke Rickson's orbital bone, he was ultimately defeated by a rear-naked choke. Funaki refused to submit to the hold, passing out before the referee intervened.

In 2006, Masakatsu Funaki was elected to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame. According to Sherdog.com's ratings, he was one of the top four mixed martial artists in the world from 1993 to 1998 (being the top-rated mixed martial artist in 1996) and is currently rated as the second most successful Japanese fighter of all-time behind Kazushi Sakuraba.

Masakatsu Funaki Pancrase Compilation

Masakatsu Funaki
vs.
Cees Bezems, Yoshiki Takahashi, Ken Shamrock, Bas Rutten, Vernon White, Scott Sullivan, Jason Delucia, Ken Shamrock II, Ryushi Yanagisawa, Gregory Smit, Yusuke Fuke, Bas Rutten II, Jason Delucia II, Semmy Schilt, Yuki Kondo, Guy Mezger, Yuki Kondo II, Osami Shibuya, Kiuma Kunioku, John Renken, Tony Petarra, Rickson Gracie,

An Exceptional 23 Fight Pancrase Compilation

All Complete Pancrase Fights with Ring Walks & Post Fight Interviews

Excellent Interactive Motion Menus on DVDs