Pablo Jess Schreckengost

From The Great Outdoor Fight

1985 Champion. Pablo Jess Schreckengost was the Soubriquet Rouge of a man later identified as Paul James Sanchez. Sanchez was the child of illegal immigrants, and worried that if he did well in the Fight attention would be drawn to his family. By becoming "Schreckengost," he figured he could avoid those problems.

Schreckengost himself was born in Monterey, California, and therefore is a United States Citizen. Raised in an itinerant lifestyle, he found himself not developing deep roots anywhere he went. He discovered a deep sense of isolation which only became more pronounced in his teenage years. His accent, coupled with at best untraditional schooling, put Schreckengost in violent situations all too often, as he found himself dealing with unsavory elements, running afoul of gangs, and otherwise put into tense situations.

Schreckengost had just turned 19 in 1984, and discovered that he was in the same town as the Qualifying Rounds for the Fight in that region. Giving it a go more or less on a whim, he was pleased to see he had qualified, heading up to Bakersfield to try his luck for the area.

Sadly, 1984 was the year Fauntleroy Brown underwent his infamous Dutch fugue, resulting in the maiming and death of 586 people at Brown's hands. Schreckengost acquitted himself well, but with such a violent and destructive force on the Acres, there was little chance for anyone to shine. Still, he made it to the third day and placed a remarkable 14th left standing before being taken down by Jynik Gowno mere moments before Gowno had his pacemaker torn out by Brown.

1985 was at best a lackluster year for the fight. A huge percentage of the top tier of fighters, including men like Sonny Veith, had been injured or killed in 1984's Fight, which meant that even those fighters to survive were often unable to compete. Therefore, a depleted field qualified and a greater than normal percentage of first timers made it into the Fight.

In this environment, Schreckengost was able to shine. He established himself as a faction leader early on, by taking down three tough opponents in rapid succession -- one with an elbow to the eye, one through a chin-crack nerve strike, and the third through asphyxiation (he forced Darrin Hinkle to swallow his own fist to the elbow). Having established himself as a leader, he was invited to the legendary snack table. He declined the honor, letting his men feast instead, and spent the time covering the Acres and getting a broader lay of the land.

Day three was brutal, as even the inexperienced fighters who survived to this point were figuring out how cutthroat the competition was. Schreckengost dominated throughout, finally putting down Tricky Nicki Todd, the first woman since Antonia Pery to place in the last 6 standing, much less be 2nd last standing. He swept her leg and followed up with a debilitating elbow drop to the stomach, knocking the wind out of her and making it simple for Schreckengost to force a submission.

However, winning the Fight did little to make Schreckengost's fortunes. His choice of Soubriquet Rouge was difficult on the tongue at best, which limited the word of mouth the establishment of a fighting legend required. Further, with so many top fighters out of the Fight that year, there was some question of how difficult (or not difficult) it was for Schreckengost to win. Many commentators felt that had the field had some more experienced blood on it, Schreckengost wouldn't have been likely to make the third day, much less take the Fight.

That Schreckengost made 14th left standing the year before, when not only were there top people on the field but Fauntleroy Brown was tearing the field apart with his bare hands makes the aspersions on Schreckengost's victory unfair at best, of course. However, they did cling, and the toxic 80's slump had taken full force on the Fight's popularity. The "lackluster performance" of that year's Fight was a major factor in allowing Fight-Bot to fight in 1986, in hopes of building spectacle.

Schreckengost was upset at this, but determined to prove his worth. He entered the 1986 Fight and built an army. His strategies were tight and skilled, and his followers were among the best factions of the 80's.

None of which helped Schreckengost when he had to confront Fight-Bot's whirling iron spiked ball. Schreckengost tried his best to get in under it, but Fight-Bot slammed Schreckengost twenty feet into the fence, breaking his neck. Schreckengost is remembered now, unfairly, as being an undeserving Champion during a slump in the Fight's history.

[edit] Record

• 1984 - eliminated day 3, 14th left standing.
• 1985 - Champion, Last Man Standing.
• 1986 - eliminated day 3, 4th left standing (deceased).