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Josh Barnett: Hey, I always wanted to fight Fedor in Japan anyways
By Zach Arnold | August 9, 2009
So sayeth the man today when he arrived at Narita Airport in Chiba en route to his booking for IGF on Sunday in Tokyo at Ariake Colosseum. He still wants the fight to happen and thinks it could given that Strikeforce is working with DREAM. Barnett said it didn’t matter if the destination was Europe or Brazil, he would fight Fedor.
Update (8/9): The IGF show happened today at Ariake Colosseum with a claimed crowd of 6,523 (half-full — and that might be generous). As for the main event, Josh Barnett & Naoya Ogawa defeated Yoshihiro Takayama & Bob Sapp in 10’30 when Barnett used a choke sleeper hold on Sapp (picture here). Afterwards, the focus was on building up a singles program between Takayama & Ogawa. Full photo gallery here. They did a deal where Bob Sapp slammed Antonio Inoki. Evil.
Topics: Japan, Media, MMA, Pro-Wrestling, Zach Arnold | 37 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Barnett will never fight Fedor.
Barnett is a disgrace. Anyone who tests positive 3 separate times shouldn’t be licensed to fight anywhere.
Josh will probably be in Juggalo Championship Wrestling next year
I think it’s safe to say 3 strikes your out. He should definitely be banned for life.
He should be banned for life! In a lot of sports you get a two years suspension for the first time you take steroids and your banned for life the second time.
What I can’t believe is I’m reading people’s comments on the UG stating ‘I don’t care if he took steroids, I just want to see the fight’. That’s just absurd. Everytime Brock wins we have an uproar of people stating that MMA needs new weight divisions, but it’s perfectly fine for a 250lb fighter to take steroids as long as he’s in a good fight. Imagine if he tested positive before the Yvel bout.
Like it or not (and I don’t like it), the American attitude towards doping amongst sports fans is that if you aren’t cheating, you aren’t trying. In a perverse way, it almost seems to be a badge of honor to get caught doping. Proof positive of this is Manny Ramirez, who gets ripped more for ‘quitting’ on his team in Boston (Red Sox) as opposed to using fertility drugs coming off of a drug cycle.
I’ve long written about how fans, especially fight fans, don’t care about drug usage. As long as they get their proverbial crack, all is good. Things like doping and mafia interference don’t mean a thing any more.
Barnett is a joke and a cheater. He should immediately be taken out of the top 10 and all his wins should have be erased.
Manny’s a funny situation. No one in baseball really wants to get into the steroids thing because for years now they’ve been hailing so and so or such and such a player as emblematic of the kind of player who is going to “lead us out of the steroids era” and one after another they keep testing positive.
There are the people who still care about it, but how do you talk about that in the context of sports radio or ESPN? There’s no hero to point to, and sports kind of requires them. Years down the line, maybe someone will make a dramatic thriller with guys in smoke filled rooms and some brave reporter investigating all the weird shit, but that’s the fiction, the reality isn’t quite so awesome.
“all his wins should have be erased.”
That is BEYOND ridiculous. Why the grandstanding? Why screw over the rest of his accomplishments because he cheated a couple of times? If we want to go with this ridiculous grandstanding route then we might as well get rid of every PRIDE fight that ever happened on every fighters’ fight records. Wins and losses (the losses because of the other fighters’ wins) and just keep draws and no contests. That would be beyond ridiculous.
Actually, scratch that. Let’s just ban MMA. There are cheaters everywhere, just ban all of the fighters from fighting so no more cheaters exist.
“That is BEYOND ridiculous. Why the grandstanding? Why screw over the rest of his accomplishments because he cheated a couple of times? If we want to go with this ridiculous grandstanding route then we might as well get rid of every PRIDE fight that ever happened on every fighters’ fight records. Wins and losses (the losses because of the other fighters’ wins) and just keep draws and no contests. That would be beyond ridiculous.
Actually, scratch that. Let’s just ban MMA. There are cheaters everywhere, just ban all of the fighters from fighting so no more cheaters exist.”
Barnett tested positive for steroids as far back as 2001, since than he tested positive 2 more times. Considering he fought most of his career in Japan with no drug testing I think its safe to assume that he never got off the juice. Every person he beat has been cheated.
I can give a fighter the benefit of a doubt if they get caught one time with a positive steroid test.. But three times in a time span of eight years shows that he systematically cheated for a very long time.. Perhaps his whole career.
I feel its even worse to take steroids in sports like boxing and mma where one of your goals is to “hurt” your opponent!
I hope he never fights again.
“Barnett tested positive for steroids as far back as 2001, since than he tested positive 2 more times. Considering he fought most of his career in Japan with no drug testing I think its safe to assume that he never got off the juice. Every person he beat has been cheated.”
I understand that, but why target the rest of his accomplishments? There were probably many other fighters who juiced while in PRIDE. Possibly Wanderlei Silva. Possibly Sean Sherk. Possibly many others. I think the worse injustices are fixed fights, and PRIDE has had many of those.
Barnetts only mistake is getting caught… 3 times.
There are far too many fighters that show the androgynous effects of steroids for me to be angry at Barnett for taking them. But people like to fool themselves and think theirs heroes are natural.
Zach, any chance of getting an interview with Josh?
Chuck you raise a good point about Barnetts fights in Japan. Was steroids legal when he fought there or was there just no testing procedure?
You say “rest of his accomplishments”, as if they were independent of the steroid usage.
“Chuck you raise a good point about Barnetts fights in Japan. Was steroids legal when he fought there or was there just no testing procedure?”
Japan has MUCH tougher drug laws than the States, and that does include anabolic steroids. But PRIDE and K-1 didn’t give a fuck and never tested. It’s funny because they were (K-1 still is) the biggest fight companies in Japan, but they are/were considered outlaw feds because they didn’t go by the by-laws of Shooto or anything like that. PRIDE and K-1 are/were the wild, wild west of the fight game. Other than Brazil with Vale Tudo competitions.
“You say “rest of his accomplishments”, as if they were independent of the steroid usage.”
As far as we know, they are. We’ll never know for sure though.
There has been a lot of negative sentiment lately — with Affliction being canceled and Fedor signing with Strikeforce — I don’t think any of this is bad.
Doping is not the best thing in the world, but if Fedor Barnett happens in Japan, then that is awesome — I’ll certainly watch it.
“Barnett is a joke and a cheater. He should immediately be taken out of the top 10 and all his wins should have be erased.”
So should Marquardt as well?
Steroids aren’t illegal for personal use in Japan just like they aren’t illegal in the US. They are controlled but not illegal. Same as percoset. Since they weren’t illegal Pride had legal obligation to test for them. Level playing field for all.
steroids aren’t illegal for personal use in Japan just like they aren’t illegal in the US. They are controlled but not illegal. Same as percoset. Since they weren’t illegal Pride had legal obligation to test for them. Level playing field for all.
Can’t play the “he looks like he is on steroids” game. There are 100 reasons for it, but the biggest one is a 5 letter word called PROOF.
Barnett/Fedor is unlikely to happen as Barnett is in Sengoku and Fedor would likely fight for DREAM.
Either way, no American company can touch Barnett for the rest of his career without getting some serious negative press.
If he wants to talk, he can talk. The door is open.
I have not talked to him in over a year.
What’s worse? Being caught for steroids 3 times… Or just being a completely slimmy manager?
http://www.mixedmartialarts.com/?go=forum_framed.posts&forum=1&thread=1502915&page=1&pc=67
Joe Silva speaks!!! Well, not exactly, but close enough. I don’t doubt the truthfulness of this. They wouldn’t be releasing this information if there wasn’t a good amount of truth to it.
But it’s pretty obvious that they are smeering M-1’s reputation right now. I can’t say it’s not warranted…. But it’s still a very interesting tactic.
I wonder what Scott Coker is thinking to himself right now. If they will do this to their own fighters, how will they treat him when they try to put on joint cards….
So they lied to him to get him a deal they wanted him to sign. Disgusting, but no surprise.
Those Joe Silva quotes make no sense. They would’ve honored his non exclusive Affliction contract that allowed him to fight in DREAM if he wanted to sign? Oook.
I went and read that whole thread. Here’s what I get from it:
-Silva and the UFC never actually made Mousasi an offer.
-Mousasi’s manager heard that it was a 40/40 from his “source”, told Mousasi that, and then they signed with Strikeforce.
-UFC then says “we would have honored the one fight, non-exclusive contract” post signing. Which is easy to claim when you don’t need to do it.
Personally? Its promoters talking about one another over fighters each wants. Nobody gives a shit when Cedric Kushner complained about losing fighters to bigger named promoters in boxing, and I’m not about to take sides on this shit either.
Interesting take on steroids in baseball and Hall of Fame implications by noted writer Bill James.
http://www.actapublications.com/images/small/PressReleases/Cooperstownandthe%27Roids_F2.pdf
I don’t know that it has any direct relevance to the Barnett situation in particular; it’s probably more interesting to people here who watch other sports besides MMA.
Zach, out of curiosity, where do you draw the line for performance enhancers in terms of where it goes from “fair game” to “cheating”? Not from the viewpoint of a rule-book, but from what your gut tells you?
I’ll be honest, I waver very often between the two sides in the steroid debate. The problem is where do you draw the line? Is it health concerns? Only illegal or controlled substances? Some arbitrary “I know cheating when I see it” (ie, truthiness) criterion? Only those drugs that are specifically outlawed by the relevant regulatory bodies?
The problem is that there are too many exceptions and inconsistencies from which to make genuine moral judgments, as many anti-steroid advocates are wont to do.
Where do you even stand on something like laser eye surgery, which very often gives people better eyesight than they ever should have had genetically?
Bad job by Barnett all the way around. To get busted cheating once is bad enough. But to flunk the test three times, and just blow it off is insane.
He knows he can still get booked in Japan. So as long as he can fight/wrestle and cash checks he doesn’t care.
“Personally? Its promoters talking about one another over fighters each wants. Nobody gives a shit when Cedric Kushner complained about losing fighters to bigger named promoters in boxing, and I’m not about to take sides on this shit either.”
The issue really doesn’t have anything to do with the promoters. It’s not about the money amounts UFC or Strikeforce offered, but rather the shady management of M-1. If M-1 is lying to their fighters about the offers they never received in order to manipulate thier fighters into signing where M-1 wants them to, how are you not even a little concerned? If the UFC was a promoter/manager of a fighter and they pulled something similar to this, the internet would explode.
The issue really doesn’t have anything to do with the promoters. It’s not about the money amounts UFC or Strikeforce offered, but rather the shady management of M-1. If M-1 is lying to their fighters about the offers they never received in order to manipulate thier fighters into signing where M-1 wants them to, how are you not even a little concerned?
I don’t know the entire story, for one, nor does anyone else. For two, everything I’ve heard is that Mousasi wasn’t being discussed for getting a contract with the UFC, which makes the vast corruption of trying to keep a man from signing with a promotion who does not want him seem rather bizarre. Three, its irrelevant to me as a fan. Mousasi fights next week, will fight for DREAM and Strikeforce theoretically in the future, and then whatever happens happens. His management can guide him but his career is his own ultimate responsibility.
Its popular to hold up Mousasi as a victim right now because lots and lots of people are upset over Fedor not going to the UFC as it is apparently the divine right of Zuffa to have him or something. So this, at least in theory, proves them right that Fedor’s management is corrupt, which is a major talking point intended to shield the UFC from criticism and, uhhh, biz biz biz, UFC is #1 and Strikeforce is GOING DOWN BABY. Or something like that.
Anyhow, management gaffes and conspiracies aren’t what gets my motor running. I didn’t care about the UFC/AKA feud, I didn’t go wild over the Brandon Vera deal (which is basically the reverse of this), etc. For all we know, his management was trying to shield him from getting ruined in the UFC because they think the guy isn’t ready or has shown the ability to fight at 205 yet against the bigger and stronger competition undoubtedly found in the UFC, and this was the nicest way they could think of to do it.
I do think Barnett should get a lifetime ban. Though I’m not going to complain if Fedor vs. Barnett happens. As a fan I’d like to watch that. Barnett needs all the roids he can get to have a chance against Fedor. I won’t turn down watching an Overeem fight in Japan even though it’s clear he’s on the stuff these days. Manhoef too. And evidence points to HGH use for Brock Lesnar. Back in his pro wrestling days, I believe he got busted for possessing HGH.
Dont care.
Sports is healthy, competitive sports isnt.
Ever see what pre-teens girls through in gymnastics and figure skating?
We dont care. All we care is that the doctor gives Brett Favre an injection before the game so he can play the important game half numb.
We want show.
Whether it means a young girl competing on a broken ankle or someone using extra help….we dont care.
We want freaks and degenerates and drug users. Your favorite rappers? Drug users all of thema as well as dealers. Rockn Roll? It was built on drugs.
All the great olympians of the past 2 decades? Flojo, Carl Lewis, etc? Juuuuuuiced.
Stop confusing your morals with my entertainment.
Getting a knee in the face ISNT any healthier than a few shots of deca or eating a Mikey D.
Btw, passing the IOC drug test is not hard. Every year for the past 2 decades the IFBB bodybuilders that comepete at the Ms and Mr Universe shows are tested…all are juiced, yet they never catch more than a handful from 150-200 competitors at each show.
Yeah I wouldn’t be surprised if tons of people are getting away with juicing. Josh Barnett is just not careful/smart enough with his juicing. I should probably go watch that Bigger, Stronger, Faster documentary.
I would never pay a dime to see Barnett agian.
Maybe being a carreer cheater is no big deal to some, but honor should still be viewed as a precious commodity.
Guys like Barnett and Dana White need to leave for the good of the sport.
“Guys like Barnett and Dana White need to leave for the good of the sport.”
LOL
Yeah, I miss the glory days of the late 1990s before Dana/Zuffa entered the sport. I miss having to chase after tapes of MMA events and traveling to exotic locations like Bay Saint Louis Mississippi and Dothan Alabama to watch live shows.