Imagining an MMA Hall of Fame: Borderline Candidates, Part 2

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Minoru Suzuki Pancrase (1993-2001, 2002); Deep (2002)
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CASE FOR: One of the founders of Pancrase, Suzuki was in the gym with Masakatsu Funaki, Ken Shamrock, Frank Shamrock and others developing a style of mixed fighting that would spread throughout the world. He was not the fighter Funaki was, but he was still a very good fighter in his own right, with a win over Ken Shamrock in 1994. He was an influential figure for his role in evolving the sport. CASE AGAINST: Suzuki lost most of his fights against high-level opponents and lost fights to lower-level opponents, as well. His one King of Pancrase run resulted from what is widely believed to have been a worked second fight with Ken Shamrock. VERDICT: Should he go in? No.

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