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Wataru Sakata

Theoretically, most fighters and wrestlers are doomed. It's said that very few people enter into combat sports, scripted or unscripted, without their primary motivation, deep down, being the desire to be the best--and that means the vast majority will never truly succeed the way they want to. Most veterans will tell you that unless you're one of those fortunate few, you have to find your success wher you can--carving out your own niche, or succeeding in a smaller pond, or succeeding in a way no one else did. Wataru Sakata wasn't a standout talent in MMA or wrestling. He was serviceable. But he succeeded wildly--to the point that twenty-one years after his debut there was still a demand to see him fight--and he did it primarily by being extremely good at getting in on the ground floor.

Sakata, an amateur karateka, was an early entrant in FIghting Network RINGS, making his debut when it was still a predominantly scripted enterprise--and, starting his propensity for getting into trends before the rest of his peers, he started participating in real fights before the rest of RINGS made the transition into legitimacy, in the process establishing himself as one of the early names in Japanese mixed martial arts. Granted he also LOST all of those fights--but he was there. He served as a staple of RINGS for the next seven years, 3/4 of his entire mixed martial arts career, and left the organization with a total record of 8-11. His victories were few and far between, the most notable a submission victory over future UFC veteran Branden Lee Hinkle, but he established a reputation as a difficult fighter to dispatch.

More than anything, Sakata was a businessman who stayed close to his friends. He'd befriended Nobuhiko Takada during his time in RINGS, and after making a name for himself with three solid wins in Deep and a decision loss against Mario Sperry in Antonio Inoki's short-lived UFO promotion, Sakata came to Pride for a special appearance at their year-end special, Shockwave 2003, where he faced Daniel Gracie--a none-too-subtle attempt at taking advantage of his seeming vulnerability, having just lost for the first time against the rookie Kazuhiro Nakamura. Unfortunately for the plan, Gracie dominatd Sakata, punched him bloody and armbarred him in the first round.

But they had a new venture. Nobuhiko Takada had just founded HUSTLE, his pro-wrestling comedy organization, and within its first three cards Sakata had joined the fold. Once again, he was one of the first people in on the new thing. Sakata would wrestle with HUSTLE until its demise in 2009, and briefly promoted his own offshoot of the company once it folded--Takada had left him the reins after his own departure. The revival didn't last, but Sakata made out like a bandit.

On 12/31/2016, Sakata came out of retirement for one more battle--a somewhat inexplicable fight at Rizin's new year's eve special against Hayato "Mach" Sakurai. 43 years old, having not wrestled in five years, having not had a fight in thirteen, Sakata stepped into the ring intent on showing the world how good he could still be.

And then Mach punched him in the face. A lot.

He retired for good at 11-14. He was never a particularly great fighter, nor a particularly great wrestler, but there may not have been a smarter player in either: Despite never achieving real fame, winning a major title or even having a particularly notable victory, he stayed relevant to the business of combat sports for thirty years. He succeeded on his won terms and left when he felt he was done. There is no better retirement.

Except maybe staying retired the first time, so Mach Sakurai doesn't punch you in the face.

Moveset, stats, logic and four attires (RINGS - Malestrom 6 vs Peeters / Pride: Shockwave 2003 vs Daniel Gracie / Rizin WGP 2016 vs Mach / HUSTLE outfit).