History Wrestling / MasakatsuFunaki

** It's also believed that his losses against Frank Shamrock and Yuki Kondo were fixed by Funaki's part to elevate them as stars.

* WorkedShoot: His fight against Suzuki was notoriously worked, and it's believed that his losses against Frank Shamrock and Yuki Kondo were fixed by Funaki's part to elevate them as stars. Nowadays many people think they weren't his only jobbing works, but as it's Pancrase what we are talking about, we will probably never know it.

* ArrogantKungFuGuy: According to some, he was one in real life, always motivated to prove himself as the best at any price. These same voices cite this as one of the reasons of his downfall at the end of his MMA career.

* MrFanservice: Had a significative female fanbase, which was the reason behind the classic speedo tights used in Pancrase.

* AlternateCompanyEquivalent: Though his role as the ace of Pancrase typically drew comparisons to UWF-i's Wrestling/NobuhikoTakada or RINGS's Wrestling/AkiraMaeda, Funaki himself was often compared in technical terms to the relatively unknown Shooto fighter Rumina Sato. They both were awesome grapplers with a similar catch wrestling style, were plagued by the same irregular performances in the ring, and interestingly enough, were the two first fighters in winning a match by calf slicer.

* GlassCannon: His grappling was fine, his punches and kicks were strong and he was good in finding a way to win, but his takedown defense was weak, his striking was not very technical and he had no chin, so he was almost obligued to be an offensive fighter.

* IncompletelyTrained: Unlike most of shoot-style practitioners, he lacked a real fighting background before training in pro wrestling, but he compensated it with hard work and skill.

** It could be an enforced trope during his fight with Rickson Gracie. While having a guillotine choke secured in the corner, you can see Funaki looking at his cornermen and being told something before releasing the hold to leave Rickson going to the ground. There are EpilepticTrees about whether this was another backfired carrying or not.

* OpposingCombatPhilosophies: One of the reasons Funaki was not succesful in MMA outside of Pancrase was that, while he was indeed a great fighter, his fighting style was developed entirely under Pancrase's environment (no punches, no ground and pound, rope escapes, and more entertaining than pragmatism in the ring) and never was meant to be used in full vale tudo. His fights under MMA rules evidence this lacking.
** Eventually, Pancrase started to adopt the vale tudo format in 1998. Currently, the hybrid wrestling has almost completely disappeared.

* ArchEnemy: Arguably Bas Rutten.

* AuthorityEqualsAsskicking: Was the head of Pancrase (along Wrestling/MinoruSuzuki) and the only hybrid wrestler who bested all the rest of fighters.

* CoolVsAwesome: The reason behind his fight with Wrestling/KazushiSakuraba.

** Refused to tap out in Rickson Gracie's rear naked choke, which rendered him unconscious. He actually prefered to [[SeriousBusiness die rather giving up]].

* GradualGrinder: Funaki was not a star kicker like Takada or Maeda, but he was skilled with damaging leg kicks.

* IncompletelyTrained: Unlike most of shoot-style practitioners, he lacked a real fighting background before training in pro wrestling, but he compensated it with heart and skill.

** It could be an enforced trope during his fight with Rickson Gracie. While having a guillotine choke secured in the corner, you can see Funaki looking at his cornermen and being told something before releasing the hold to leave Rickson going to the ground. There are EpilepticTrees about whether this was another backfired carrying.

* OneHitKill: Until Funaki and Suzuki created Pancrase, worked shoot matches used to be long and slow in order to maintain the crowd entertained. However, when the two implanted their real matches concept, proved when the first Pancrase event lasted only 28 minutes, the Japanese crowds loved it and coined the word "byosatsu" (秒殺, "instantly finished") to refer this kind of exciting battle. Even so, the two used to carry weaker opponents to avoid a too short fight.

* TechnicianVersusPerformer: A technician.

* WorfHadTheFlu: Before facing the well conditioned Rickson, Funaki had endured a years long career in a highly body-destructive style, and resented from leg injuries. Some well timed upkicks and a standing knee strike [[AttackItsWeakPoint to his most injuried knee]] were enough to make him fall and render him unable to use his legs to fend the Gracie off. Moreover, an interview with Funaki had him stating that he was actually scared going into his fight with Rickson, and that he believed his lack of confidence was a big factor in his loss.

* WorkedShoot: His fight against Suzuki was notoriously worked, and it's rumored that his rematch against Frank Shamrock was a work too. Nowadays many people believe they weren't his only worked fights, but as it's Pancrase what we are talking about, we will probably never know it.

* IncompletelyTrained: Unlike most of shoot-style practitioners, he lacked a real fighting background before training in pro wrestling, but he compensated it with heart and pure skill.

** It could be an Enforced trope during his fight with Rickson Gracie. While having a guillotine choke secured in the corner, you can see Funaki looking at his cornermen and being told something before releasing the hold.

* WorfHadTheFlu: Before facing the well conditioned Rickson, Funaki had endured a years long career in a highly body-destructive style and resented from leg injuries. Some well timed upkicks to his most injuried knee were enough to make him fall and render him unable to use his legs to fend Gracie off. Moreover, an interview with Funaki had him stating that he was actually scared going into his fight with Rickson, and that he believed his lack of confidence was a big factor in his loss.

** During his second fight against Bas Rutten, Funaki endured an impressive amount of damage. Rutten himself was astonished Funaki got up after every strike regardless how hard they were. Even after eating a hard knee to the face which ended the fight, Masa could be seen talking to the referee as if nothing, showing he was still conscious and trying to keep the fight going.

* IncompletelyTrained: Unlike most of shoot-style practitioners, he lacked a real fighting background before training in pro wrestling, but he compensated him with heart and pure skill.

* RedBaron: "Yomigaetta Samurai" (Revived Samurai).

* StartMyOwn: Pancrase, along Suzuki.
* UnnecessaryCombatRoll: He used to do a backflip from the turnbuckle before or after the fights.

* ArrogantKungFuGuy: According to some, he was one in real life, always motivated to prove himself as the best at any price. These same voices cite this as one of the reasons of his downfall.

* {{Determinator}}: Refused to tap out in Rickson Gracie's rear naked choke, which rendered him unconscious. His acceptance to fight him was another determinating gesture as well, as he was too injuried and age-worn to face the better conditionted Rickson.
* FinishingMove: Cross Armbar, Heel Hook, Kick to the Head and the Hybrid Blaster.

* IncompletelyTrained: Notably, he lacked a real fighting background before training in pro wrestling, but he compensated him with heart and pure skill.
* [[KickChick Kick Dude]]: Not as good in kicking as some of his fellow shooters, but had sharp kicks indeed.
* MadeOfIron: During his second fight against Bas Rutten, he endured an impressive amount of damage before getting knocked out. Rutten himself was astonished Funaki got up after every strike regardless how hard they were. Even after eating a hard knee to the face which ended the fight, Masa could be seen talking to the referee as if nothing, showing he was still conscious after all.

* OneHitKill: Until Funaki and Suzuki created Pancrase, worked shoot matches used to be long and slow in order to maintain the crowd entertained. However, when the two implanted their real matches concept, proved when the first Pancrase event lasted only 28 minutes, the Japanese crowds loved it and coined the word "byosatsu" (秒殺, "instantly finished") to refer this kind of exciting battle. Even so, the two used to carry weaker opponents to not to give a too short fight.

* PassingTheTorch: Towards Yuki Kondo, though Yuki never got the same level.

* RedBaron: "Yomigaetta Samurai" (The Revived Samurai).
* RedOniBlueOni: Funai may look like the blue to Minoru Suzuki's red, but reality is that, despite his cooler persona, Funaki was much more passionate and wild than him.

* UnrelatedBrothers: A non-tag team example. Some sites erroneously claim that ex-WWE wrestler Shoichi Funaki is Masakatsu's real life brother. Actually, not only they are not related, they have never worked together despite both being Yoshiaki Fujiwara trainees.
* WorfHadTheFlu: In retrospect, his defeat in Colosseum 2000 doesn't look very surprising, as while Rickson had got relativerly little physical toll from his career, Funaki had had a long career in a highly body-destructive style. One well timed kick to his most injuried knee was enough to make him fall.
** His fights against Sakuraba and Tamura avert this, as they were so battle worn as him, or even more.
* WorkedShoot: His fight again Suzuki was notoriously worked, and it's rumored that his rematch against Frank Shamrock was a work too. Nowadays many people believe they weren't his only worked fights, but as it's Pancrase what we are talking about, we will probably never know it.

* HeterosexualLifePartners: With Minoru Suzuki. According to Suzuki, however, their friendship is somehow strained nowadays.

* WorfHadTheFlu: In retrospect, his defeat in Colosseum 2000 doesn't look very surprising, as while Rickson only had had ten professional fights with relatively little action, Funaki had had about 200 bouts in a highly body-destructive style. One well timed kick to his most injuried knee was enough to incapacitate him.

* WorkedShoot: His fight again Suzuki was notorioulsy worked, and it's rumored that his rematch against Frank Shamrock was a work too.

'''Masakatsu Funaki''' (b. 1969 as '''Masaharu Funaki''') is a UsefulNotes/{{Japan}}ese {{Professional Wrestl|ing}}er and UsefulNotes/MixedMartialArts fighter, founder of the proto-MMA company Pancrase. He debuted in 1985 for Wrestling/NewJapanProWrestling, being a Wrestling/YoshiakiFujiwara trainee along with Wrestling/MinoruSuzuki. When Fujiwara left for the shoot-style promotion UWF Newborn, Funaki and Suzuki got a permission to follow him, and they became part of the UWF roster. The promotion fell afterwards and his faction, led by Fujiwara, formed Pro Wrestling Fujiwara Gumi, but it was short-lived as well. Funaki and his colleagues realized that Japanese crowds really would pay for see "real" matches with non-worked outcomes and launched Pancrase, the second MMA promotion in history. Using the catch wrestling roots they had learned from Fujiwara, which they called "hybrid wrestling", Funaki and Suzuki became the aces of Pancrase and had legendary fights with names like Wrestling/KenShamrock, Bas Rutten and Guy Mezger, with Masakatsu gaining the King of Pancrase title twice. During this time, Funaki was worshiped as one of the three shoot-style aces, along with former mentors Wrestling/AkiraMaeda and Wrestling/NobuhikoTakada. Towards the end of his career, severe injuries took his toll on his body and he was forced to retire after a defeat to Rickson Gracie, passing the torch to his trainee Yuki Kondo. He then returned to professional wrestling for Keiji Muto's Wrestling/AllJapanProWrestling, later following him to the new WRESTLE-1.

* BrattyHalfPint: Entered in the New Japan Dojo at 15. In Japanese pro wrestling, only Katsuhiko Nakajima started his career at a younger age.

* {{Determinator}}: Refused to tap out in Rickson Gracie's rear naked choke, which ended leaving him unconscious. His acceptance to fight him was another determinating gesture as well, as he was too injuried and age-worn to face the better conditionted Rickson.

* HeroicBSOD: Had one after being defeated by Rickson, and according to him, had one ''during'' the fight which caused the loss.

* OpposingCombatPhilosophies: One of the reasons Funaki was not succesful in MMA outside of Pancrase was that, while he was indeed a great fighter, his fighting style was developed entirely under Pancrase's environment (no punches, no ground and pound, rope escapes, and more entertaining than pragmatism in the ring) and never was meant to be used in full vale tudo. His fights against Rickson Gracie and Kazushi Sakuraba evidence this lacking.

* HotBlooded

* AuthorityEqualsAsskicking: Was the head of Pancrase (along Wrestling/MinoruSuzuki) and the only hybrid wrestler able to best all the rest of fighters.

* BrattyHalfPint: Entered in the New Japan Dojo at 15. Only Katsuhiko Nakajima started younger his career in Japanese pro wrestling.

* ColourCodedForYourConvenience: Green or black.

* HeterosexualLifePartners: With Minoru Suzuki.

* OneHitKill: Until Funaki and Suzuki created Pancrase, worked shoot matches used to be long and slow in order to maintain the crowd entertained. However, when the two implanted their real matches concept, proved when the first Pancrase event lasted only 28 minutes, the Japanese crowds loved it and coined the word "byosatsu" ("instantly finished") to refer this kind of exciting battle. Even so, the two used to carry weaker opponents to not to give a too short fight.
* OpposingCombatPhilosophies: One of the reasons Funaki was not succesful in MMA outside of Pancrase was that, while he was indeed a great fighter, his fighting style was developed entirely under Pancrase's environment (no punches, no ground and pound, more entertaining than pragmatism in the ring) and never was meant to be used in full vale tudo. His fights against Rickson Gracie and Kazushi Sakuraba evidence this lacking.

* WorkedShoot: It's rumored that his rematch against Frank Shamrock was a worked fight

* UnrelatedBrothers: A non-tag team example. Some sites erroneously claim that ex-WWE wrestler Shoichi Funaki is Masakatsu's real life brother. Actually, not only they are not related, they have never worked together despite both being Yoshiaki Fujiwara trainees.

'''Masakatsu Funaki''' (b. 1969 as '''Masaharu Funaki''') is a UsefulNotes/{{Japan}}ese {{Professional Wrestl|ing}}er and UsefulNotes/MixedMartialArts fighter, founder of the proto-MMA company Pancrase. He debuted in 1985 for Wrestling/NewJapanProWrestling, being a Wrestling/YoshiakiFujiwara trainee along with Minoru Suzuki. When Fujiwara left for the shoot-style promotion UWF Newborn, Funaki and Suzuki got a permission to follow him, and they became part of the UWF roster. The promotion fell afterwards and his faction, led by Fujiwara, formed Pro Wrestling Fujiwara Gumi, but it was short-lived as well. Funaki and his colleagues realized that Japanese crowds really would pay for see "real" matches with non-worked outcomes and launched Pancrase, the second MMA promotion in history. Using the catch wrestling roots they had learned from Fujiwara, which they called "hybrid wrestling", Funaki and Suzuki became the aces of Pancrase and had legendary fights with names like Wrestling/KenShamrock, Bas Rutten and Guy Mezger, with Masakatsu gaining the King of Pancrase title twice. During this time, Funaki was worshiped as one of the three shoot-style aces, along with former mentors Wrestling/AkiraMaeda and Wrestling/NobuhikoTakada. Towards the end of his career, severe injuries took his toll on his body and he was forced to retire after a defeat to Rickson Gracie, passing the torch to his trainee Yuki Kondo. He then returned to professional wrestling for Keiji Muto's Wrestling/AllJapanProWrestling, later following him to the new WRESTLE-1.

* AuthorityEqualsAsskicking: Was the head of Pancrase (along Minoru Suzuki) and the only hybrid wrestler able to best all the rest of fighters.

'''Masakatsu Funaki''' (b. 1969 as '''Masaharu Funaki''') is a UsefulNotes/{{Japan}}ese {{Professional Wrestl|ing}}er and UsefulNotes/MixedMartialArts fighter, founder of the proto-MMA company Pancrase. He debuted in 1985 for Wrestling/NewJapanProWrestling, being a Yoshiaki Fujiwara trainee along with Minoru Suzuki. When Fujiwara left for the shoot-style promotion UWF Newborn, Funaki and Suzuki got a permission to follow him, and they became part of the UWF roster. The promotion fell afterwards and his faction, led by Fujiwara, formed Pro Wrestling Fujiwara Gumi, but it was short-lived as well. Funaki and his colleagues realized that Japanese crowds really would pay for see "real" matches with non-worked outcomes and launched Pancrase, the second MMA promotion in history. Using the catch wrestling roots they had learned from Fujiwara, which they called "hybrid wrestling", Funaki and Suzuki became the aces of Pancrase and had legendary fights with names like Wrestling/KenShamrock, Bas Rutten and Guy Mezger, with Masakatsu gaining the King of Pancrase title twice. During this time, Funaki was worshiped as one of the three shoot-style aces, along with former mentors Wrestling/AkiraMaeda and Wrestling/NobuhikoTakada. Towards the end of his career, severe injuries took his toll on his body and he was forced to retire after a defeat to Rickson Gracie, passing the torch to his trainee Yuki Kondo. He then returned to professional wrestling for Keiji Muto's Wrestling/AllJapanProWrestling, later following him to the new WRESTLE-1.

* MadeOfIron: During his second fight against Bas Rutten, he endured an impressive amount of damage before getting knocked out. The very Rutten was astonished Funaki got up after every strike regardless how hard they were. Even after eating a hard knee to the face which ended the fight, Masa could be seen talking to the referee as if nothing, showing he was still conscious after all.

* ArrogantKungFuGuy: According to some, he was one in real life.
* AuthorityEqualsAsskicking: Was the head of Pancrase along Minoru Suzuki and the only hybrid wrestler able to best all the rest of fighters.

** BadassTeacher: Trained Ikuhisa Minowa, Yuki Kondo and other names.

* MrFanservice

* OpposingCombatPhilosophies: One of the reasons Funaki was not succesful in MMA outside of Pancrase was that, while he was indeed a great hybrid wrestler, his fighting style was developed entirely under Pancrase's environment (no punches, no ground and pound, more entertaining than pragmatism in the ring) and never was meant to be used in full vale tudo. His fights against Rickson Gracie and Kazushi Sakuraba evidence this lacking.

* CoolVsAwesome: The reason behind his fight with Kazushi Sakuraba.

--->--'''KenShamrock''', talking about his first training with Funaki

* Opposing Combat Philosophies: One of the reasons Funaki was not succesful in MMA outside of Pancrase was that, while he was indeed a great hybrid wrestler, his fighting style was developed entirely under Pancrase's environment (no punches, no ground and pound, more entertaining than pragmatism in the ring) and never was meant to be used in full vale tudo. His fights against Rickson Gracie and Kazushi Sakuraba evidence this lacking.

* AuthorityEqualsAsskicking: Was the head of Pancrase along Minoru Suzuki and the only hybrid wrestler able to best him.

* BrokenAce: He always sought to become to MMA what classic "aces" were to puroresu, and pushed himself too hard during his career, breaking down his body fight after fight and never backing up.

* {{Determinator}}: Refused to tap out in Rickson Gracie's rear naked choke, which ended leaving him unconscious. His acceptance to fight him was another determinating gesture as well, as he was too injuried and age-worn to face the better condicionted Rickson.

* [[KickChick Kick Dude]]: Not as good in kicking as some of his fellow shooter, but had sharp kicks indeed.

* OneHitKill: Until Funaki and Suzuki created Pancrase, worked shoot matches used to be long and slow in order to maintain the crowd entertained. However, when the two implanted their real matches concept, proved when the first Pancrase event lasted only 28 minutes, the Japanese crowds loved it and coined the word "byosatsu" ("instantly finished") to refer this kind of exciting battle.

* StartMyOwn: Pancrase, along Suzuki.

* AmbiguoslyBrown: Had a more tanned skin in comparison with fellow Japanese natives.

* FinishingMoves: Cross Armbar, Heel Hook, Kick to the Head and the Hybrid Blaster.