@alreadygone He's not "always failing', I'm pretty sure you mean that figuratively but, even then, it's a gross overstatement. There have been a few instances of failure, even miserable ones, but aside from those, he has been successful in most of his ordeals. Besides, what really matters is how he constantly, and consistently, improves. That's what makes me love the MC.
About him vs Sakuraba; although he's technically more sound than him (right now, at least), Ryuu is arguably more intelligent & perceptive. Not only that, but he's also a team-player. Sure, Sakuraba can take on multiple opponents at once, but not working with the team means that he would fail every single time.
Lastly, I'm fairly confident that Ryuu will eventually, (hopefully) sooner rather than later, catch up to him or surpass him.