Pro Sportsman No. 1 (最強の男は誰だ!壮絶筋肉バトル!!スポーツマンNo.1決定戦, Saikyō no Otoko wa Dare da! Sōzetsu Kinniku Batoru!! Supōtsuman Nanbā Wan Ketteisen, "Who is the Strongest Man?! Grand Muscle Battle!! Sportsman No. 1 Decisive Battle") was an annual program made by Monster9, the same company that produces series such as Kinniku Banzuke and SASUKE and broadcast on TBS TV.
Format
Competitors take on a series of physical and mental events, where better performance is rewarded with more points. Examples of events include "Tail Impossible", a running race where the last few competitors are eliminated every lap, and "Shot-Gun-Touch", where competitors must try to catch up to a falling volleyball. Whoever has the most points at the end of the competition wins. The Pro Sportsman Tournament (プロスポーツマン大会) was traditionally held on New Year's Day while the Celebrity Survival Battle (芸能人サバイバルバトル) was held in the spring and fall. Additionally an Amateur Sportsman Tournament (アマチュアスポーツマン大会) was held on 3 occasions in the spring and fall of 1995 and in the fall of 1996, with individual event winners selected only (no overall winner).
In 2010, Monster9 held a "Monster Box Special" rather than traditional format, 50 competitors were invited, including several members of Muscle Musical and three SASUKE All-Stars. Whoever could survive the Monster Box the longest was declared the winner.
After Monster9's bankruptcy in November 2011, all rights to the show fell completely into the hands of its broadcaster, Tokyo Broadcasting System. Eventually, they went to created Sports Danshi Grand Prix as the reboot of predecessor show with Wataru Fujita assumed as director and actress Alisa Mizuki served as commentator of this show. Ironically, it is only major Monster9 show that not handed to Masato Inui after bankruptcy, since Inui himself is current director of SASUKE under his own production company.
The original Sportsman No.1 show later returned on airwaves in June 8, 2020 as Sportsman No.1 Decisive Battle Legend features re-runs of Pro Sportsman No.1 2002 and various other scenes that including "The Gallon Throw World Championship".
Winners
Airdate | Tournament | Type | Winner |
---|---|---|---|
1993.12.29 | I | Pro Sportsman Championship | Yukio Tanaka |
1995.01.01 | II | Pro Sportsman Tournament | Tetsuya Iida |
1995.03.29 | III | Amateur Sportsman Tournament | N/A |
1995.10.05 | IV | Amateur Sportsman Tournament | N/A |
1996.01.02 | V | Pro Sportsman Tournament | Makoto Hasegawa |
1996.04.02 | VI | Celebrity Survival Battle | Daisuke Shima |
1996.10.02 | VII | Amateur Sportsman Tournament | N/A |
1997.01.02 | VIII | Pro Sportsman Tournament | Kazuo Matsui |
1997.04.02 | IX | Celebrity Survival Battle | Kane Kosugi |
1998.01.01 | X | Pro Sportsman Tournament | Koichi Ogata |
1998.04.01 | XI | Celebrity Survival Battle | Kane Kosugi |
1998.10.02 | XII | Celebrity Survival Battle | Kane Kosugi |
1999.01.01 | XIII | Pro Sportsman Tournament | Tetsuya Iida |
1999.03.26 | XIV | Celebrity Survival Battle | Naoki Iketani |
2000.01.01 | XV | Pro Sportsman Tournament | Kane Kosugi |
2000.03.24 | XVI | Celebrity Survival Battle | Kane Kosugi |
2000.10.10-14 | XVII | Celebrity Survival Battle | Kane Kosugi |
2001.01.01 | XVIII | Pro Sportsman Tournament | Daisuke Ohata |
2001.03.23 | XIX | Celebrity Survival Battle | Shōei |
2002.01.01 | XX | Pro Sportsman Tournament | Koji Murofushi |
2002.03.27 | XXI | Celebrity Survival Battle | Shōei |
2002.09.27 | XXII | Celebrity Survival Battle | Masaru Nagai |
2003.01.01 | XXIII | Pro Sportsman Tournament | Daisuke Ohata |
2003.03.31 | XXIV | Celebrity Survival Battle | Kinnikun Nakayama |
2003.09.26 | XXV | Celebrity Survival Battle | Naoki Iketani |
2004.01.01 | XXVI | Pro Sportsman Tournament | Taka Miura |
2004.04.05 | XXVII | Celebrity Survival Battle | Naoki Iketani |
2005.01.01 | XXVIII | Pro Sportsman Tournament | Naoki Iketani |
2005.04.05 | XXIX | Celebrity Survival Battle | Kinnikun Nakayama |
2005.09.28 | XXX | Celebrity Survival Battle | Kinnikun Nakayama |
2006.01.01 | XXXI | Pro Sportsman Tournament | Daisuke Miyazaki |
2006.03.29 | XXXII | Celebrity Survival Battle | Kinnikun Nakayama |
2006.10.04 | XXXIII | Celebrity Survival Battle | Kinnikun Nakayama |
2007.01.01 | XXXIV | Pro Sportsman Tournament | Paul Terek |
2007.03.30 | XXXV | Celebrity Survival Battle | Wacky |
2007.10.05 | XXXVI | Celebrity Survival Battle | Wacky |
2008.01.01 | XXXVII | Pro Sportsman Tournament | Daisuke Miyazaki |
2009.01.03 | XXXVIII | Pro Sportsman Tournament | Daisuke Miyazaki |
2010.01.07 | XXXIX | Monster Box Special | Hirokazu Ōyama |
International Competitors
Occasionally, international competitors will be invited. Notable international competitors include American decathletes Paul Terek and Bryan Clay, and Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Shane Victorino.