Falso Campeón / Lucky Marty

Catalog Note *Falso Campeón* (False Champion), issue 50 of the *Doble Juego* collection, is a judo-themed sports fiction serial by Lucky Marty, published by Editorial Bruguera in March 1983. The narrative centers on American judoka Mike Ascari, world champion notorious for lethal technique—he has killed two opponents in competition (Japanese judoka Yashamita Mimure in Copenhagen and Dutch judoka Van Der-Venker in Rome). Now Ascari faces a title rematch against Soviet champion Vasily Botvimik at Madison Square Garden under brutal no-holds-barred conditions: total victory through submission, winner takes all purse. The story includes extensive exposition on judo fundamentals, its Buddhist origins, and Ascari's philosophy of martial arts training. A substantial interview segment details judo technique, belt ranking systems, and Ascari's personal background, revealing complications regarding his family—his deceased mother and brother, and a stepmother, millionaire Rachel Lanford.