THE JOE ROGAN EXPERIENCE #2000 Zangief

GUESTS: Teddy Atlas TOPIC: The Denver Fallout, The UWC 4-Way, and the “Red Cyclone” Gambit

JOE ROGAN: (Leaning into the mic) “It’s absolute madness, Teddy. We’re sitting here in November, three weeks out from Survivor Series, and the landscape just shifted again. Hogan signs to fight Angle, The Rock loses his mind and calls out Shamrock, and suddenly the WWF promoters just throw their hands up and say, ‘Fine, it’s a 4-Way Elimination.’ It’s the most high-stakes game of musical chairs in combat sports history.”

TEDDY ATLAS: (Intense, gesturing with his hands) “It’s psychological warfare, Joe! DiBiase is sitting back like a Roman Senator watching the gladiators tear each other apart. He doesn’t care who wins the UWC; he just wants whoever is left to be a hollow shell by the time the USA Title match starts. It’s brilliant… and it’s despicable.”

JOE ROGAN: “But the real ‘X-Factor’ isn’t even in that 4-way. It’s the WarGames. And man, people are sleeping on these ‘Street Fighters.’ Specifically Guile and Zangief. I’ve been tracking these guys in the underground for years, Teddy. They aren’t just ‘brawlers.’ They are specialists.”

TEDDY ATLAS: “I’ve seen the clips, Joe. The Russian, Zangief… he looks like a cartoon character, but he moves like a landslide. My concern is the scouting. I heard WWF offered them both 3-fight ‘scouting’ contracts before the cage match even starts. Guile was smart—he declined. He’s a military man; he knows you don’t show your hand before the invasion.”

JOE ROGAN: “Exactly! Guile is focused. But Zangief? He took the bait. He’s fighting Akebono Taro in Japan on November 11th. Think about that—he’s taking a fight with a 500-pound Sumo legend just two weeks before the most violent cage match in history. Is it a good decision? Physically? No. But for his legacy? It’s huge. Akebono is a monster. He stepped down to let Yokozuna represent Japan in the World Cup, so he’s got a point to prove. But I’m telling you, Teddy, Zangief is the real deal. People think he’s just muscle, but the dude has legit sambo and pro-wrestling skills. He’s going to win that fight.”

TEDDY ATLAS: “But at what cost, Joe? You and I both know what Vince and Triple H are doing. They’ve settled their differences specifically to destroy these ‘outsiders.’ Zangief insulted their match in Denver—called it a ‘soap opera.’ You don’t say that to the guys who sign the checks. They want him tired. They want him bruised. They’re doing to him what they did to Butterbean—feeding him ‘safe’ fights that are actually grinds to find his weakness.”

JOE ROGAN: “That’s the conspiracy, man! After Akebono, they’re talking about putting him in with Mark Henry or Farooq. Those aren’t ‘safe’ fights! Those are human car crashes. And The Hurricane? Don’t laugh—that kid gave The Rock fits with his movement. If Zangief has to go through Henry and Farooq before he even steps into the WarGames cage against Austin and Triple H… man, he’s going to be a walking bruise.”

TEDDY ATLAS: “It’s the ‘Sagat Effect,’ Joe. Everyone told Zangief to wait three years before signing with the WWF after what happened to Sagat. He was invited back in January when the WWF launched, but he stayed away. Now he’s here, and the ‘Cerebral Assassin’ Triple H is already drawing up the blueprint to dismantle him. If Zangief doesn’t end Akebono in the first minute, he’s falling right into Vince’s trap.”

JOE ROGAN: “It’s the ultimate test of the ‘Red Cyclone.’ If he survives Japan and makes it to Kansas City intact, the Wrestling Team is in for a shock. But if Akebono cracks a rib or drains his gas tank… the Boxers and Wrestlers are going to feast on him in that cage.”

[[ THE “ZANGIEF IN JAPAN” PREVIEW ]]

• MATCH: Zangief (USSR) vs. Akebono Taro (JPN)

• DATE: November 11, 2000

• LOCATION: Tokyo Dome, Japan

• THE STAKES: A win for Zangief solidifies him as the #1 P4P threat among the “Street Fighters.” A loss validates the WWF’s “Entertainment” superiority.

[[ ADMIN_NEIL NOTE: Rogan is right to be worried. Akebono is a mountain of a man. Even if Zangief wins, the physical toll of moving a 500-pounder could compromise his ‘Spinning Piledriver’ for the WarGames. ]]