For Steven Seagal, Hollywood has merely been a stepping stone for his transition from anonymity to global infamy. Despite the embarrassing critical reception of his films over the years, nothing – including a 0% rating on Rotten Tomatoes – could stop Seagal from having greater ambitions.
But before all of that, his extensive stay in Japan had contributed to his education and training in martial art forms, which he would later use to become a Hollywood star, racking up more scandals and controversies along the way than one cared to count.
Steven Seagal Angered Bob Wall After Dissing Bruce Lee
Steven Seagal has more often than not demonstrated his ability to talk the talk but when it came to owning up to his claims, he would slink back into the shadows, backing down ever so quietly without making a big show of it. The habit gave rise to many occasions when he would end up challenging athletes and professionals, whether knowingly or inadvertently, to a showdown. One such opportunity rose when he made some false comments about Bruce Lee and Chuck Norris that did not go down well with Lee’s close friends, including Enter the Dragon actor, Bob Wall.
Angered and riled up into a furor, the latter planned an elaborate revenge by humiliating the Under Siege actor. Banding together the ‘Dirty Dozen’ comprising such pro champions of kickboxing and karate like, Benny Urquidez, Howard Jackson, and Bill Wallace, Wall made a show on magazine covers and advertised his group in order to snag Seagal’s attention. However, as would become a common trend with the actor, there was never a showdown or a fight, despite his insistence on being able to take on several fighters at once.
Apparently, Seagal apologized to Bob Wall years later when the pair came across each other under less threatening circumstances.
Steven Seagal Faked His Way Through Hollywood
Steven Seagal’s reputation as a trained and professional martial artist is well known in the industry, and despite his prolific teachings and self-promotion regarding his mastery over the subject, there has been more than one incident where he was quite easily put down by others, insomuch that he even soiled himself once after directly challenging the great Gene LeBell about being an expert at escaping the chokehold. Suffice it to say: he was lying unconscious on the floor a few minutes later.
Over the years, Seagal has become more prominent in his infamy and controversies rather than through his prowess as an aikido dan. Reports claim Seagal is the seventh dan in the martial art form which makes him practically useless, unless, as Jack Slack put it, “your opponent is running straight at you” which a smart fighter would never do. Podcast host Joe Rogan criticized and deflated Seagal’s ballooning self-importance as well saying Aikido “would never work against a trained fighter.”
Later on, Seagal was not only dissed for exaggerating about his martial art capabilities but was directly humiliated and exposed by more than one celebrity who claimed he could barely take on an opponent let alone take them down in a fight.
Source: Looper
