Donald Sanchez will be fighting the #2 world ranked featherweight Hatsu Hioki on Fri April 29 , 2011 in legendary Shooto organization . The event takes place at the Tokyo Dome City Hall in Tokyo , Japan and will be a benefit show to raise money for the Tsunami victims . We are honored to compete for the cause . A sell out show is expected ..
As it always seems to go , there are trials and tribulations along the way . If you’re not prepared to roll with it , it’s end game . Having traveled for many years with our fighters I anticipate problems and I feel it is my job is to “run interference” for our athletes . Every trip is a little unique although many of the sitations repeat themselves . If you’re smart you field them better each time , but nobody’s perfect . lol
Day 1 -
Our flight was booked to leave Abq on Mon 4-25 and arrive in Tokyo on Tues 4-26 . That would allow us time to basically get acclimated to the time change and properly prepare for Donald’s weight cut . (This fight is at 143 lbs , 2 lbs below D’s usual fight weight ) Right away I wasn’t thrilled that we had to fly 3 hrs in the wrong direction to Atlanta just to turn around and fly 14 hrs to Japan , but I understand saving money if that is the cheapest flight . The part that really made me nervous upon closer examination was the marginal 40 minutes to change planes in Atlanta over to the international flight to Japan . I could already picture running thru the airport like OJ Simpson , possibly missing our flight, and going into a tailspin from the “git-go” . After several rejected attempts to get an earlier flight , I stay up all night to call Delta 3 hrs prior to an earlier flight departure . After wading through a maze of attempts to gouge us for the flight change I manage to get us on the earlier flight for no charge (because I’m bad ass) and we bonsai to Abq airport . Everything is starting out good . Donald get nailed for his luggage being 8 lbs over and takes a $50 overweight baggage charge on the chin like the champ he is . Later I realize the 8 lbs came from liquids he could have purchased here for less than $10 , but hey whatever .
The flight to Atlanta was great and we had plenty of time to sit and have a cup of green tea before our international flight . Btw the distance from our domestic flight to the Int flight would have been a nightmare the original way they booked it so experience once again paid off . The 14 hr flight to Narita , Jp was the best flight experience I’ve ever had . It went so smooth we felt great when we got here . We were met by a Shooto rep and hopped on a very cool train to the city and check into the hotel . As always in Japan the room is small but very clean with a fridge , microwave , and washer dryer . If we can BS our way past all the buttons being in Japanese this will be nice . “Wild Bill” loaned us a portable DVD player with connecting cables and Donald manages to figure out how to patch it in to our television . We have a good collection of movies so we are spared from Japanese television which is horrible . There are a lot of cool things about Japan but their TV programs aren’t one of them . I pop in the movie “Role Models” and Donald is asleep before Paul Rudd has his first meltdown . I stay up as usual cause I’m that guy no matter where I go .
Day 2 -
Just like every time I’m in Japan I wake up automatically at 4 am . Donald gets up at 5 am and we start our day . I’m closing other fight deals and working on my upcoming shows , and he’s chilling until we’re picked up at noon to train at a dojo nearby . It turns out to be walking distance and we go up what seems like 4 floors to a little dojo that is empty (except for the hidden cameras haha) . Donald turns rope for 15 mins , then we do 2 x 5 min rds of pads , 2 x 5 rds of grappling and it all goes good . Donald is hitting hard and moving well , and his conditioning at sea level is unbelievable . Donald is in the best shape of any fighter I had ever come to Japan with by far . That included Carlos Condit who was always a cardio machine , so I’m liking our chances . Donald is down to 151 lbs tonight and we will probably sweat off a couple more before bed time . Its 7 pm on Wed night and D has just risen from a nap . The hotel bathroom is small with industrial strength hot water so we creating a make shift steam room . Weighs in are tomorow (Thurs here) at 3:30 pm and then we are going for some Japanese food , which they probably just call food . Japan has some items that we don’t get in america , one of which I will turn Donald onto tomorrow when he can have liquids . It is some sort of replenishing drink called “Pocari Sweat” which is hands down one of the best drinks ever . The name kinda sounds like perspiration from an italian dude but it kicks the crap out of any gatorade , powerade , or anything I’ve ever tasted . After cutting weight Donald will think this is nectar of the gods but to be fair a mud puddle would look like a Yoohoo chocolate soda when you are dehydrated .
Day 3 -
Today is day of weigh ins . I wake up about 4 am and get up about 5 . Donald wakes up around that time and we just dink around for a while making calls home and checking emails etc . Donald is still around 6 lbs over and decides to make another suana in our hotel bathroom and he is able to cut a lb or two that way . At 11 am we wak over to the little dojo from the previous day to cut the rest . This time D has his plastic suit , abolene , and we now know how to turn on the heat in the dojo to really make him sweat . After a bout an hour and a half Donald is only .5 of a lb over so we head back to the hotel by 1 pm .
Donald at AZ Dojo
They are picking us up at our hotel to go to weigh ins at 3 pm , so D does the last .5 lb with the bathroom suana . Of course it didn’t want to come off easy so it takes about 45 min but he gets it done . They pick us up to go to weigh ins and everything there goes smooth . Donald is exactly on weight and his opponent is .5 under ut he is as big as a fighter could be for 143 lbs . He is listed as 5″11″ but probably closer to 6 ft + , and completely lean . I couldn’t get around all the photographers to get the on scale pics , but below is a shot after they got dressed .
Donald Sanchez and Hatsu Hioki
In this pic I think D is wearing shoes and his opponent is not . In any case , Donald will know how to adjust to a height disadvantage as he spars regularly with guys like Tim Means and Wild Bill amoung others . My good friend and Pride / Pancrase interpreter Mayumi Yamamoto shows up towards the end of weigh ins just in time to translate Donald for the press conference . Mayumi is an ace and I have learned some good things from her about the way things are done here . It is a big help if you don’t want to seem like an american clod everywhere you go . If I do something stupid I just fake an english accent and tell them I’m from Sydney .
Donald and I after weigh ins
After weigh ins Mayuni takes us by train to a really nice Japanese restaurant and we totally feast on some excellent Japanese cuisine . We were eating things that didn’t sound good but really were . Then again we ate some thing that didn’t sound good , and really weren’t lol . I would not reccommend “Cooked Chicken Beeks” unless it is the only other option is “Rocky Mountain Oysters” .
Donald , Mayumi and Me at the restaurant
We get back to the hotel about 8 pm and Donald passes out right away and is out . I stay awake as usual , cause I’m that guy everywhere I go …
Day 4 -
Today is fight day . I wake up at what time ? ( 4 am , aren’t you paying attention ?) I kinda lay in bed and try not to wake D , but we both get up around 5:30 and go thru our little phone call / emails routine . At 7 am we roll down to the free breakfast in the lobby and it is very good . We have a light breakfast and go to a little store on the corner to get some water and a couple of sample snack to take home . We can’t read the labels so we just go by the pictures which are sometimes misleading . Almost everything here is made with rice but they are very creative with it . It is 9:30 am right now , more as the day developes .
We head over to the venue which is only a 5 minute walk from our hotel . The show starts at 3:00 and Donald is fight #8 out of 10 . The Tokyo Dome City Hall is a new venue next to the actual Tokyo dome , and it is fantastic . Backstage its a maze of back hallways , elevators and offices but thank to my good friend Mayumi we have no problem finding out where our dressing room is . They have Donald do a photo shoot and then we do a brief ring check . The floor surface is nice but the ring is small , maybe 16-18 ft . We were hoping for a bigger ring to allow D’s up game to breathe but it is what it is . Backstage we wait until they call us for the opening ceremony . The ceremony is a very well done Shooto greatest moments highlight reel with thunderous music as the ring announcer calls each fighter into the ring where they line up . It is effective , impressive , and the place is energized . Afterwards we wait in our dressing room for what seems to be forever , including a 55 min intermission . Any competitive fighter reading this will know what a pain in the ass it is to sit and wait that long but it comes with the territory . Our dressing room has a flat screen monitor so we can watch the fights which is cool and makes the time go by a little quicker .
Finally it is Donald time to do the walk and we are led thru the back hallways and enter through the back . The fight before Ds is a war and afterwards the winner recites the equivelent to the Gettysburg Address . Finally the ring is clear , the lights go down , and they introduce Donald first - then Hioki . When the fight begins there is a brief feeling out period and then they begin to exchange . Donald is doing well and Hioki decides to clinch . Donald works for an arm in guillotine and Hioki eventually pops out and begins to work . He gets a pass and finds mount which is his specialty . They are near our corner and I am communicating with Donald to be cautious but find his way out . He explodes out and back to his feet where there is another brief exchange before Hioki once again goes for a takedown and gets it . Rd 1 ends with Donald working open guard . Rd 2 begins and Donald comes out moving well , staying off the ropes and counter punching effectively . Again Hioki seems motivated to make it more of a ground war , shoots again for a single leg takedown and gets it . He passing to side mount and slickly jumps Ds far arm setting up a triangle from mount . Donald rolls into it and Hioki finishes a text book triangle . For the moment the hope of dethroning the #2 world ranked featherweight is dashed , but we have been down this road before with other fighters and know it will make Donald stronger in the future . Hatsu Hioki has been fighting professionally 3 years longer than the total time Donald Sanchez has been training and it is too much ground to make up for today . It is Hioki’s time but most certainly Donald will rise again . We are greatful for the amazing opportunity to be a part of this event , and the people at Shooto are most hospitable and gracious . After the fight we have dinner with Mayumi and experience a meal that sounds like “Shaboo Shaboo” which probably isnt spelled correctly but it is awesome . We eat until we are all in a food coma and go back to the hotel to crash and burn .
Day 5 -
Today is the day we go home and it is Saturday in Japan . We get up around 7 am and go down to have some breakfast . Donald has a blackeye and half of the white in the eye is completely red from being poked during the fight . He barely acknowledged it during the fight but clearly took a direct poke . He is visably down and disappointed that he will not be world recognized as belonging in the same league as his opponent but I assure him he will be in the near future . I know what a winner looks like and I’m sitting next to one . After breakfast we go back up to the room and finish packing to be picked up at 10 am . Our flight doesn’t leave until 4 pm but one of the Shooto people is taking the time out of his day to show us some cool sights before we head to the airport . It is a Japanese holiday and the sheer number of people out shopping and doing there thing is astounding . Tokyo is massive and there are some really fascinating things to see in their city . Time draws near and we are taken to the airport which is about an hour away . We say goodbye to our new friend and thank him as emphatically as we know how because Shooto went above and beyond for us .
There is plenty of time to check in , browse the mall inside Narita airport , and have a good lunch . Once we board the plane it is only an 8.5 hr trip back to Seattle flying into darkness the whole way . It is Saturday morning in the US when we land and we hit the ground running . We have less than 40 minutes to pass thru customs , pick us our bags and re-check them in , go thru security again , and get to our gate . I thought for sure we were going to miss our connecting flight because it was taking so long but we get there just in time to be the last ones to board . Flight goes good but we arrive in Salt Lake City very late and have to run to our next gate which is completely the farthest point from where we were (had to be , its Murphy’s Law) . It sucks to run thru an airport but once again we luck out . Our Abq flight was delayed so we made it in time . After takeoff it is a short flight home but we get a bonus 10 minutes of wicked turbulance at the very end to remind us to give thanks for making it home in one piece . We say so long at baggage claim and agree that he needs to take a week off to re-energize cause we already have the contract for his next fight . It is something very cool but you’re gonna have to wait to find out : )
