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CNN Live At Daybreak
Japan's Most Popular American
Aired June 30, 2003 - 06:55 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: We all remember seeing Japan destroyed over and over again by Godzilla. Yes, that was just in the movies. But now in real life, the island nation is being taken over by a washed up American football player.
Here's CNN's Rebecca MacKinnon on "The Beast."
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
REBECCA MACKINNON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Meet Japan's most popular American. He failed as an NFL football player and as a professional wrestler. But now Bob Sapp is a Japanese superstar with a best-selling rap video and CD.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BOB SAPP, K-1 FIGHTER: Macari (ph).
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Macari.
SAPPP: Macari.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SAPP: I think that the first time I really was shocked was when they told me how much the autograph was going for, and that was $10,000 U.S., and that's when I went, "You've got to be kidding me?"
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The year 2002 marked...
MACKINNON: Bob's main job in Japan is as a K-1 fighter, a sport that combines boxing, Asian martial arts and kickboxing. Japanese fans love his dramatic fighting style, not only when he wins, but also when he loses.
SAPP: If he won the fights and I continue to do television shows and commercials and slot machines and alarm clocks in my image and he's back training.
MACKINNON: And Bob sure is raking in the yen, with endless product endorsements, talk shows and advertising contracts. Nothing seems beneath this mountain of a man.
(on camera): Beyond the usual T-shirts and action figures, the marketing potential here seems endless. Take this Bob Sapp mouse pad, "The Beast" apple crunch and even special Bob Sapp rice crackers.
So what is it about this guy that the Japanese just love so much?
(voice-over): "He's huge, but he seems very gentle," says this housewife. He reminds me of a samurai," says this
man.
Bob speaks almost no Japanese, so he communicates mainly with facial expressions. And his life story does have universal appeal.
SAPP: I've suffered many, many ups and downs in my life, and so does everyone. And the thing is is to always know with this down the only place you can go is up.
MACKINNON: From unemployed athlete to millionaire, Bob has certainly hit Japan's commercial jackpot.
Rebecca MacKinnon, CNN, Tokyo.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired June 30, 2003 - 06:55 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: We all remember seeing Japan destroyed over and over again by Godzilla. Yes, that was just in the movies. But now in real life, the island nation is being taken over by a washed up American football player.
Here's CNN's Rebecca MacKinnon on "The Beast."
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
REBECCA MACKINNON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Meet Japan's most popular American. He failed as an NFL football player and as a professional wrestler. But now Bob Sapp is a Japanese superstar with a best-selling rap video and CD.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BOB SAPP, K-1 FIGHTER: Macari (ph).
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Macari.
SAPPP: Macari.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SAPP: I think that the first time I really was shocked was when they told me how much the autograph was going for, and that was $10,000 U.S., and that's when I went, "You've got to be kidding me?"
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The year 2002 marked...
MACKINNON: Bob's main job in Japan is as a K-1 fighter, a sport that combines boxing, Asian martial arts and kickboxing. Japanese fans love his dramatic fighting style, not only when he wins, but also when he loses.
SAPP: If he won the fights and I continue to do television shows and commercials and slot machines and alarm clocks in my image and he's back training.
MACKINNON: And Bob sure is raking in the yen, with endless product endorsements, talk shows and advertising contracts. Nothing seems beneath this mountain of a man.
(on camera): Beyond the usual T-shirts and action figures, the marketing potential here seems endless. Take this Bob Sapp mouse pad, "The Beast" apple crunch and even special Bob Sapp rice crackers.
So what is it about this guy that the Japanese just love so much?
(voice-over): "He's huge, but he seems very gentle," says this housewife. He reminds me of a samurai," says this
man.
Bob speaks almost no Japanese, so he communicates mainly with facial expressions. And his life story does have universal appeal.
SAPP: I've suffered many, many ups and downs in my life, and so does everyone. And the thing is is to always know with this down the only place you can go is up.
MACKINNON: From unemployed athlete to millionaire, Bob has certainly hit Japan's commercial jackpot.
Rebecca MacKinnon, CNN, Tokyo.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
