I’m terrible at recognizing famous people. They have to REALLY stand out for me to notice. Even the 7 foot tall Korean pro wrestler that Hitomi spotted going through security at the airport could have slipped by me unnoticed (big but not famous enough). But even I couldn’t miss spotting Bob Sapp when he came walking toward me. Everyone else noticed, too.
I could say something here about Japanese people loving their celebrities, or idols as they straightforwardly name them. But celebrity worship is everywhere. Honestly, as you can see, people were respectful and calm. I only saw one person grab him by the shirt, and I think that was one of his handlers telling him to hurry. I’ve heard before that he’s a “gentle giant” (amazing for a guy who made his living as a modern day almost-bare-knuckle fighter), and he lived up to that reputation. I saw him hoist a couple of kids in his arms so their parents could take pictures.
About five years ago, Bob Sapp was an everyday image: on TV and everywhere you looked. Now he’s not, and his K1 career is over the hill and gone, but maybe he’ll make a comeback in the popular culture. He’s pretty funny.
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