"Do
not take life too seriously. You will never get out of it alive."
Elbert Hubbard
The
Savage Truth - "3, 2, 1...Blastoff!"
Welcome
to the maiden voyage of "The Savage Truth," a new weekly
feature. The object of this column will be to take a look at
not only the events but also the dominant issues surrounding
the sport of MMA. Without further ado, away we go.
Fasten
you seat belts; make sure you seat backs and tray tables are
in an upright position as we take a look back at the past year
in MMA. We saw the immergence of the next in the line of unbeatable
champions—from Royce to Coleman to Mo Smith to Vitor and
now Minotauro. I can tell you one thing for certain when it comes
to unbeatable fighters, sooner or later they will lose! This
guy might not for a while but I will go out on a limb and say
everyone will start with the he wasn’t that good anyway
nonsense that gets spewed when one of these guys goes down. Make
no mistake here, this guy is the best in the business as we speak,
but will he be this time next year?
We
also saw the first real scandal in the sport as UFC Heavyweight
Champ Josh Barnett tested positive for roids after dismantling
former champ Randy Couture. In the he said, she said soap opera
that followed we all saw how not to deal with the NSAC. Think
of it this way, the NSAC is like the proverbial sleeping dog,
but a big, bad dog. And Barnett and his camp are like the kid
that can’t keep his mouth shut to save his life. Instead
of being quiet and apologetic, this guy doesn’t just wake
the dog up, he kicks him in the family jewels -- and unless you
are Frank Trigg in the WFA that is a surefire way to lose.
NSAC 1, Barnett-Hume 0.
All
that said, I still can’t wait to see Barnett back in the
mix, woo-hoo only a couple more weeks and the suspension is up.
The
most memorable thing for me had to be the Pulver-Penn match up
from UFC 35. It was an amazing battle that I am happy to say
netted me some decent coin. Don’t get me wrong, BJ is amazing,
but how could the lightweight champ be a +330 dog? This guy had
just one loss in the last three years and that was to a pretty
tough customer in Din Thomas. He was also on a pretty good winning
streak with victories over Lewis, Uno, and Hallman. The kicker
was Jens must have seen Hirth’s preview on the site because
after the post-fight press conference he was doing his best Baroni
impression with the I can’t believe you guys picked against
me act. I will put it here for posterity, I will never pick against
Little Evil because he has more heart than anyone in this game.
I guess you can add me to the list of people who jump on the
bandwagon and think their guy will never lose. Only difference
is I will never say he was a chump or that he sucked anyway.
At least I hope I won’t. Jens you can kick my ass if I do.
And
how bout UFC 40? Zuffa not only knocked that one out of the yard,
I don’t think it has landed yet. The largest attendance
for combat sports in Vegas for the year? Please, if you would
have told me the UFC was going to out draw every major boxing
match in Nevada last year I would have asked you what color the
sky was in the little world you live in. The real question I
have after Vendetta is, will this be a building block to a bigger,
brighter future or was it an aberration. Time will tell but I
am betting on the latter.
Now
for a little per peeve of mine. We have all seen what happens
when MMA is brought into the spotlight by the mainstream press,
the MMA community hopes for the best but deep down inside we
all know what’s coming—a parade of politicians and
people who want to judge a sport with little more than second
hand knowledge giving their politically correct viewpoint on
what they see as a very violent spectacle.
The
most recent occurrence being ESPN’s Outside the Lines special
that aired in December. I actually had a chance to talk to some
of the crew from ESPN at a few of the UFC’s and was genuinely
impressed with the efforts they were making to get a true look
at the sport of MMA. With fingers crossed, I sat down to watch
what could have been a break through moment for a sport that
has been much maligned in its short existence.
What
I witnessed was not what I had expected after seeing and hearing
what kinds of footage they had in the can. I could have done
without the Metal Mulisha segment, which has absolutely nothing
to do with organized MMA and the holier than thou politicians
uninformed views but overall I felt the people speaking on behalf
of the sport, especially the fighters, represented the sport
quite admirably. Hell, they even had a segment with MMA writer
Josh Gross, how could it be bad?
After
following this sport for the last five or so years, the reaction
was pretty predictable to me. I figured people would blow it
all out of proportion and as evidenced by the fact that all the
hoopla has died down, I definitely feel the reaction was overblown.
So the first thing I do is hop on the old computer to see the
trail of destruction left by the show.
Then
I see is UFC President Dana White commenting how the show was
the worst thing to happen to the sport in the last two years.
Say what? Show some confidence in your product, especially coming
off the biggest show in the history of MMA in North America.
You want to shut critics up? Keep putting on shows like UFC 40.
Keep growing the sport and turn your promotion into a must see
event. It is nobody’s job but the UFC to promote their brand.
I,
for one, think they are on the right track, but could do without
the victim act. The only reason the UFC and MMA in North America
will flourish (or flounder), will be the hard work, dedication,
and vision that will be provided by the top promotions. Make
no mistake about it, the Press is important to the well being
of the sport but it does not hold a monopoly on what makes or
breaks anything. Now that response wasn’t blown out of proportion
to much, was it?
Greg
Savage denies allegations he's related to that big tall Chinese
guy in the NBA.
Source: Sherdog
More
Details on DSE President's Suicide
The president of a company that organizes popular "PRIDE"
martial arts events hanged himself at a hotel in Tokyo's Shinjuku-ku
Thursday apparently after his young lover dumped him, company
officials claimed.
Mainichi
Shimbun
DSE President Naoto Morishita
It
was initially believed that Naoto Morishita, president of Dream
Stage Entertainment (DSE), a company that organizes "PRIDE"
martial arts events, was driven to death due to business-related
trouble, but a senior DSE official dismissed the possibility.
"President
Morishita reportedly had an argument with his girlfriend at the
hotel. I think he had a fit of depression and took his life,"
DSE executive Nobuyuki Sakakibara told a news conference held
Thursday evening.
Sakakibara
said the 42-year-old DSE president checked in at the hotel in
the Nishi Shinjuku district with his girlfriend on Wednesday
night.
However,
the woman, believed to be in her 20s, reportedly told Morishita
that she wanted to separate from him.
Following
the argument, the DSE president holed himself up in the toilet
of the hotel room. The woman found Morishita hanged shortly after
midnight Wednesday.
DSE
has organized 24 highly lucrative PRIDE events featuring fights
between wrestlers, judo experts and kick boxers since 1997.
Sakakibara
said the 25th PRIDE event will take place as schedule on March
16.
Source:
Compiled from Mainichi and wire reports, Jan. 9, 2003
Pride's
President Morshita Case Update
A statement has been released as to what fueled the suicide of
Nayoto Morishita (Pride President).
According
to other news sources, 'relationship problems with women' were
partially to blame for the unfortunate incident.
The
following was released by the Japanese to a pro wrestling website.
It describes a timeline of events up to an attempt to revive
him in the hotel room:
1/8
- Journalists meeting with Morishita, with Morishita mentioning
that he would return home to Nagoya.
1/8 10:00 PM - Morishita was spotted on the telephone in the
lobby of the hotel in Shinjuku, Tokyo calling someone. There
are eyewitnesses to prove this.
1/8 10:30 PM - Morishita checked into the hotel for his room
and his time of doing so was effected by accommodations with
the woman who was with him.
1/9 12:30 AM - Morishita and the woman (not said outright to
be his mistress, but nobody has mentioned anything about his
wife or child) got into a fight in his room and Morishita went
into the bathroom. When the woman did not hear a response from
Morishita for 10-20 minutes, she went into the bathroom and discovered
that Morishita had hung himself with the belt from his bathrobe.
The woman called the front desk in the lobby on the phone, message
119 (suicide/emergency call) was alerted, and a rescue team was
signaled. However, Morishita was already dead and could not be
saved from death.
Thanks
for Zach Arnold for the news.
Where
does this leave PRIDE? It's very uncertain right now but the
belief is that they will go forward as scheduled.
Many
are hoping that Nobuhiko Takada will step in and assume responsibility
to help run PRIDE.
More
news tomorrow about PRIDE's financial status and the future direction
of the company.
Source: ADCC
Back
to basics for ex-RINGS and UWFI workers!
It's now evident that Kiyoshi Tamura's dream of reforming a 'reality'
based pro wrestling promotion like RINGS will happen.
The
former star of RINGS fell in popularity when he started doing
real fights (after years as being pushed as a top 'shootfighter'
in Japan).
While
he has tremendous victories (under RINGS rules) over Renzo Gracie,
Dave Menne, Pat Miletich and MMA victories over Jeremy Horn and
Minowa, he was never able to bring his 'larger than life' pro
wrestling stature to MMA.
Tamura
lost five straight fights by taking fights with Antonio Nogueira,
Vanderlei Silva, Babalu 2x and a humiliating match with Bob Sapp
which was the single worst career move he could have made. he
was KO'd by the giant in under 30 seconds.
Tamura
announced to the Japanese press he would reform the old strong-style
pro wrestling and their first show is approaching.
The
inaugural event will be called U-STYLE and is scheduled for the
Differ Ariake for 2/15/03.
The
matches will be old RINGS/UWFI style and will have a point system
in place.
Fighters
lose a point for a knockdown (standing eight), fouls and grabbing
the ropes. First fighter to lose five points also loses.
Wataru
Sakata vs. Tamura will be the main event in which Tamura is sure
to win.
The
event is scheduled to be televised and will be interesting to
see if the company can make it.
Source: ADCC
PRIDE
Schedule
PRIDE
insiders recently released a tentaive schedule for 2003. With
what is certain to be fallout from the news of DSE's president
commiting suicide, this may change:
PRIDE.25
March 16 Yokohama Arena (17,000 capa)
PRIDE.26 May 25 Osaka-Jo Hall (12,000 capa)
PRIDE.GP OPENING 2003 August (temporary)
PRIDE.GP FINAL 2003 October (temporary)
PRIDE.27 November (temporary)
Source: Booker K
Arnold
Schwarzenegger World Gracie Submission Championships will host
a 'First Ever' Professional Women's No-Gi Division!
As
many of you may or may not know, the Annual Arnold Schwarzenegger
World Gracie Submission Championships will host a 'First Ever'
Professional Women's No-Gi Division! The addition of an Professional
Women's division will finally allow the Female Grapplers the
chance to not only earn a nice pay day, but to finally give them
the 'much overdue' chance to be covered in the media on the same
stage as their male counterparts!
To
get more information about this 'landmark event', just go to
www.graciewolrds.com
Thanks
for your time and I look forward to seeing you all at the event!
"Before
you build a better mousetrap, it helps to know if there are any
mice out there."
Mortimer B. Zuckerman
New
Hawaii MMA Event Needs Fighters
The event will be called the Pacific Fighting Championship. It
will be held on March 11, 2003. It is a mixed martial arts event.
Professional and amateur fighters are needed. If you are interested,
please call the event's matchmaker, Brennan Kamaka at (808) 696-7844.
BREAKING
NEWS FROM TOKYO - DSE President Commits Suicide
by: Sensei Juji
With a deep sadness we've learned that Dream Stage Entertainment
president Mr. Morishita, one of the most important personalities
in the MMA world, committed suicide by hanging himself today
in Tokyo. Dream Stage Entertainment is the company which runs
Pride Fighting Championship events.
Rumors
pointing that DSE was going through financial problems. It is
known that lately Pride was trying to renegotiate contracts in
order to cut some expenses. What nobody would expect, is that
the situation would come this far. Naoto Morishita had a 3 year
old girl and wife.
Source:
ADCC
UFC
Press Release
RODRIGUEZ TO MEET SYLVIA FOR HEAVYWEIGHT BELT AT UFC 41: ONSLAUGHT
ON PAY-PER-VIEW, FEB. 28, IN ATLANTIC CITY
8-FIGHT CARD TO FEATURE RETURN OF LEGEND TANK ABBOTT, LIGHTWEIGHT
TITLE FIGHT BETWEEN BJ PENN, CAOL UNO
LAS
VEGAS, NEV., January 8, 2003…The Ultimate Fighting Championship's
(UFC) new Heavyweight Champion Ricco Rodriguez will defend his
title for the first time against undefeated contender Tim Sylvia
at UFC 41: Onslaught live on pay-per-view Friday, Feb. 28, at
Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, N.J. An eight-fight, all-star
card also will feature the return to the UFC of legendary Heavyweight
Tank Abbott, who will meet jiu jitsu submission specialist Frank
Mir. In the co-main event, lightweight top contenders BJ Penn
and Caol Uno will meet for the lightweight title.
Live
event tickets, $300, $200, $100, $60 and $30, are now on sale
at the Boardwalk Hall box office in Atlantic City, at all Ticketmaster
locations and at www.ticketmaster.com. Tickets also may be ordered
by telephone at 1-800-736-1420. Trump Plaza Hotel & Casino,
Trump Marina and Trump Taj Mahal are the hosts of the event.
UFC
41: Onslaught will be available live on pay-per-view at 10 p.m.
EST/7 p.m. PST on iN DEMAND, DIRECTV, Dish Network, Bell ExpressVu
and Viewers Choice Canada. The suggested retail price is $29.95.
Rodriguez
(10-1-0 in mixed martial arts) is a native of Staten Island,
New York, and a former resident of Patterson, N.J., who now fights
out of Las Vegas. He has won 10 consecutive fights and captured
the heavyweight crown September 27 with a fifth-round, technical
knockout submission of former two-time champion Randy Couture
at UFC 39: Warriors Return at The Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville,
Conn. Rodriguez has combined an always-improving standup game
with a relentless ground and pound attack to win his last five
fights by TKO over top heavyweights including Andre Arlovski,
Pete Williams, Jeff Monson, Tsuyoshi Kosaka and Couture.
Sylvia
(16-0-0), a native of Ellsworth, ME, who fights out of Davenport,
Iowa, is a strong striker and grappler who won a second round
TKO September 27 over "Cabbage" Correira at The Mohegan
Sun. Previously, he won an eight-man tournament and earlier this
year, won the Superbrawl "Return of the Heavyweights"
16-man tournament with four victories by either knockout or TKO.
At 6'8," 260 lbs., Sylvia is one of the biggest heavyweights
in the UFC and trains with one of the top teams in mixed martial
arts, Miletich Fighting Systems.
"Tim
is a phenomenal athlete who is undefeated. So, his record speaks
for itself. He will be tough and will come after me because Miletich
fighters always prepare very well for fights," Rodriguez
said.
"This
is a big opportunity for Tim and I'm comparing this fight to
the first "Rocky" movie where Apollo Creed gave Rocky
a title shot, except there won't be any split decision. I'm gonna
take him out. Personally, it's really exciting for me to defend
my title for the first time in Atlantic City, which is close
to Staten Island, New York, and Patterson, N.J., where I grew
up. I will definitely have a lot of fans and family members in
my corner," Rodriguez added.
Tank
(8-7-0), from Huntington Beach, Calif., is returning from World
Championship Wrestling (WCW) to re-claim a top spot in the heavyweight
division. He is renown for his knockout power and during his
UFC career has recorded some of its most memorable KOs, including
John Matua and Paul Varelans at UFC 6: Clash of the Titans; Steve
Nelmark at Ultimate Ultimate '96 and Hugo Duarte at UFC 17: Redemption.
In Mir (4-1) of Las Vegas, he will be facing one of the UFC's
most promising young heavyweights. A Brazilian jiu jitsu specialist,
Mir exploded on the scene at UFC 34: High Voltage with an armbar
submission of veteran Roberto Traven in 1:05. He followed that
with another armbar submission of Pete Williams in just 46 seconds
at UFC 36: Worlds Collide.
"From
what I've seen, he's a tough fighter. He is really skilled. Right
now, I may be the only fighter who can beat him. His techniques
all look real solid and I look forward to going to war with him,"
Tank said.
"Fighting
Tank will be good for me and my career. He is truly one of the
legends of our sport and is still recognized as one of the top
heavyweights. I don't know if there are any fighters in the heavyweight
division who punch harder and I know he has an excellent take
down defense. But, I'll be ready," Mir said.
Penn
(6-1-0) from Hilo, Hawaii, and Uno (13-4-2) of Kanagawa, Japan,
earned the right to meet for the lightweight title with unanimous
decision victories over Matt Serra and Din Thomas respectively
September 27 at The Mohegan Sun. They fought each other once
previously at UFC 34: High Voltage at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
Penn won that match by knockout, so Uno will be seeking some
payback.
Penn,
known as "The Prodigy," is a powerful striker and grappler
who was the first non-Brazilian black belt world champion in
Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Uno is a highly technical grappler and striker
who also utilizes his extensive wrestling experience to submit
opponents.
The
Ultimate Fighting Championship, headquartered in Las Vegas, Nev.,
is the world's leading mixed martial arts sports association.
Owned and operated by Zuffa LLC, the UFC programs six live pay-per-view
events yearly through cable and satellite providers. In addition
to its U.S. distribution on iN DEMAND, DIRECTV and TVN, UFC events
are distributed internationally through British Sky Broadcasting,
WOWOW, Inc., in Japan, Globosat in Brazil and Modern Sports and
Entertainment in Scandinavia.
UFC
licenses video games for all major playing platforms through
Crave Entertainment.
The
UFC's next pay-per-view event is Ultimate Knockouts 2, which
premieres at 10 p.m. EST/7 p.m PST, Friday, January 17 on iN
DEMAND, DIRECTV, TVN and Bell ExpressVu. It will re-capture the
UFC's most memorable knockouts. The suggested retail price is
$9.95. Its next live PPV event is UFC 41: Onslaught at 10 p.m.
EST/7 p.m. PST Friday, February 28, from Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic
City, N.J. Locate Ultimate Fighting Championship on the internet
at www.ufc.tv.
Source:
Maxfighting
The
Smashing Machine
Reviewed by Thomas Gerbasi
Over
the years, you've told your friends, families, and anyone who
would listen about the sport of mixed martial arts. You've let
them know that the matches aren't bar fights in a ring or a cage,
and that the practitioners of MMA are intelligent, well-trained
athletes.
For
the most part, these conversations fall on deaf ears, as the
current state of the sport barely allows the time for televised
fights, let alone in-depth profiles of the fighters. So if you're
a fan, your place this Sunday night at 10pm should be in front
of your television, watching "The Smashing Machine",
a documentary on Mark Kerr that is part of HBO's "America
Undercover" series.
Produced
by Jon Greenhalgh, the 90-minute feature focuses mainly on Kerr
and his rise, fall, and subsequent rebirth in the MMA world.
But that would be simplifying things too much. From start to
finish, Kerr's story captivates you. There is some great fighting
footage of Kerr, training sessions with Bas Rutten, as well as
behind the scenes views of Pride and its fighters, but the real
meat of the film focuses on Kerr's struggles in life. From an
almost life threatening bout with prescription painkillers to
rehab to an emotional tug of war with his girlfriend, there are,
as the cliché goes, no holds barred.
Greenhalgh
was given unprecedented and complete access to Kerr, and to his
credit, the MMA star refused to censor anything that is shown
in the film, and everything is shown, warts and all.
Also
given ample time in "The Smashing Machine" is MMA standout
Mark Coleman, a close friend of Kerr's and a fascinating story
himself. Coleman also gave freely in terms of access to his family,
his training sessions with Kevin Randleman, and his own battles
in the MMA world. To see any fighter going through real-life
struggles is fascinating, but to see two legends of the sport
doing it is doubly so.
The
opening scene sets the tone for the entire film, and in a poignant
moment, shows what every fighter and fan has had to deal with
in terms of prejudice from the uninformed. And in typical fashion,
Kerr is both patient in his approach and enthusiastic in trying
to explain his sport to a fellow visitor in a doctor's waiting
room.
And
for the general viewer, the filmmakers couldn't have found a
better representative for the sport than Kerr. Soft-spoken and
articulate, Kerr is the antithesis of what the stereotypical
fighter is perceived to be. A world-class athlete as a wrestler,
Kerr couldn't be a gentler figure outside the ring. But in it,
his instincts as a fighter are a sight to see, and the camera
work on some of the fights is stunning, as the brutality and
the beauty of the sport can both be viewed, sometimes in the
same instant. It's the paradox of Kerr's personality that drags
you in, and even non-fighting fans will be hard pressed to find
a documentary as compelling and well produced as this one.
Will
"The Smashing Machine" convert MMA opponents to the
sport? Probably not. There are more than enough scenes of brutality
in the ring, and Kerr's addiction to painkillers is likely to
garner a new stereotype for MMA fighters. But what comes through
in the film is that these fighters are not animals and they're
not machines, something the converted have known for years. They're
human and they have the same hang-ups, same relationship issues,
and same family dilemmas that everyone has to deal with. What
separates fighters like Kerr and Coleman is that on a few nights
a year, the spotlight shines on them and they get to display
their skills before thousands. "The Smashing Machine"
captures both aspects in a brilliant piece of filmmaking. Highly
recommended.
Source:
Maxfighting
More
on Former UFC Champ JOSH BARNETT
Josh Barnett continues to receive high praise for his first pro
wrestling match against Yuji Nagata this past January 4th. The
latest word is that Barnett may be extended a 10 week contract
with NEW JAPAN, with an assured appearance on their next big
tour. Early word is that Josh will work 4-6 dates on the tour.
Barnett,
a long time fan or Japanese pro wrestling, has the potential
to be a major player on the Japanese scene, with it's flair for
the dramatic and fondness for American heavyweights.
Whether
or not Barnett will return to MMA now becomes a serious question.
Given this recent showing (and good sized paycheck), many are
starting to wonder if we'll ever see 'The Baby Face Assassin'
again in fighting.
Bob
Sapp, Barnett's training partner, also continues to do wrestling,
K-1 and MMA. What else can the guy do?
Well,
he issued a challenge to Japanese Sumo standout Takanohana during
the Tokyo Sports awards this past week.
Not
sure if I can see Sapp wearing the Sumo attire without laughing.
Source:
ADCC
CNNSI
Reports Mosley Offers De La Hoya Rematch
Sports Illustrated and CNN are reporting the following headlines:
Living
up to his word - Mosley says De La Hoya can have rematch.
'Sugar'
Shane Mosley said he has no problem offering a rematch to Oscar
De La Hoya. The newly crowned WBC welterweight champion is contractually
obligated to give De La Hoya a title shot after winning a 12-round
split decision on June 17 at Los Angeles.
Check
out the page, take the poll or research more about the history
of De La Hoya – Mosley at CNNSI!
Source:
ADCC
PRIDE
- Planning Grand Prix Style Tournaments?
There
are rumors swirling that PRIDE will run two tournaments this
year, themed as smaller versions of their 'Grand Prix' tournament
that spanned several shows in 2000.
The
current agenda is to run two tournaments featuring their top
four fighters at the time. This will be in two different weight
divisions and may be spread out over two shows via single elimination
matches.
The
first round of the tournament(s) is scheduled for August 3, 2003
with the final of each tournament taking place on October 4,
2003. This second show is already earmarked as a 'big' show.
One
tournament will be heavyweight (or over 198lbs) and the other
will be in the middleweight division (under 198lbs).
With
so many fighters in each of those divisions, it's hard to predict
the 'final four' but the speculation could be interesting.
In
the heavyweights there are names like Nogueira, Sapp, Barnett,
Fedor, Herring, Sperry and Mirko Cro-Cop (who seems to to be
ignored by all MMA rankings, despite being undefeated). Any combination
of the four would be interesting.
The
middleweights could feature the likes of Arona, Henderson, Murillo
Ninja, Quinton Jackson, Kevin Randelman, Sakuraba, Anderson Silva
and Vanderlei.
Source:
ADCC
1/8/03
Quote
of the Day
"A
certain amount of opposition is of great help to a man. Kites
rise against, not with the wind."
John Neal
LEARN
BRAZILIAN-PORTUGUESE LANGUAGE
This is the class that Mike and I take to increase our Portuguese.
Sandy is a great instructor, who trully teaches for the love
of it. We highly recommend taking this class for anyone even
remotely interested in learning Portuguese.
WHAT - Brazilian Portuguese language classes
WHERE
- Farrington Community School for Adults, corner N. King &
Kalihi Sts.
WHEN
- Registering now. Class meet Saturdays, Feb. 1, 2003 through
March 22.
WHO
- Instructor - Sandy Tsukiyama de Oliveira, Honolulu native,
lived in Brazil, studied at Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro,
currently teaching at Roosevelt High School, interpreter/translator
of English,Spanish & Portuguese languages & leader/vocalist
of Mistura Brazilian Jazz Band.
Photocopies
from the textbook & workbook, Fala Brasil!, will be used.
Cassette tapes available.
Recommended purchase of the books, 501 Portuguese Verbs &
Portuguese Verbs & Essentials . Available at the school &
Borders.
Class
will meet from 8:30 a.m. to 11 a.m.
Please
call FCSA for details on registration & fees. Ph# 832-3595,
832-3596.
February
23rd Extreme Challenge Announces Premier Ladies Match...
by: Keith Mills
According to Monte Cox the first fight confirmed for the February
23rd Extreme Challenge show is a women’s bout with none
other than Jennifer Howe vs. Amanda Buckner, both fighting around
135.
Amanda
Buckner hails from the Denver area and first drew the national
attention when she beat Christine Van Fleet in Ultimate Athlete
3 in Denver in August. Amanda trains at a Team Renzo Gracie affiliate
in CO and holds a grappling win over top 135 women’s division
MMA fighter Judy Neff.
Until
this year, Howe and Neff were the two female fighters everyone
wanted to see fight each other but no-one ever managed to pull
it off, even as a headline event at the all-women’s HOOKnSHOOT
Revolution show in April. Since that show a couple other women’s
135s have gained momentum like Debi Purcell. Neff was supposed
to fight in the women’s 135 belt bout in December until
she injured her knee, while Howe has been on the injured list
since tearing her ACL prior to an appearance in Grapplers Quest,
and her win against top 135 women’s division fighter Angela
Restad in Extreme Challenge last spring.
Now
Howe gets a chance to take on the only woman known to beat Neff,
even if it was in a grappling match.
Of
returning the attention to the women’s divisions this year
Howe previously said, “I don’t think a lot of these
promoters are promoting it for the females as they claim. They
are promoting it because it’s the new thing and they want
to make the money. They’re not trying to do us the favor,
they’re just trying to make the money when they can. I’m
sure if it wasn’t popular tomorrow they’d drop all
the girls right away. That’s just how it is. I don’t
trust the promoters. The only one I trust is Monte. I trust Monte
with anything and everything. Monte has always been honest with
me, told me everything, and I think he puts on a great show.”
Speaking
of great shows, also on this card is the 2nd Middleweight tournament
in the 3-part series currently being planned by Monte and Super Brawl promoter
T.J. Thompson.
The first is February 8th in Davenport, IA and the third will
be the champion tournament held in Hawaii in May. With the success
of the Heavyweight tournament series last year and the amount
of fighters from that series that went of to greater success
fans should pay close attention to this series. With rumors of
Murillo Bustamente leaving the UFC someone has to take his place
and you can bet a vet from this series will be one to beat if
not the one who goes for that belt themselves.
Source:
ADCC
More
Good News from the IGJJF!
When
was the lkast time you saw a rebate in Jiu-Jitsu Tournament .
. . never, well hold on to your belts and read the following:
After
receiving confirmation from a major sponsor, the IGJJF decided
to pass on the good news by lowering the tournament registration
fees! 'It is important that we have as many people as possible
experiencing the new rules and it would be a pity that an expensive
registration fee were to prevent some people from joining this
ground breaking event,' said Rorion Gracie .
New
prices are:
Preregistration: U$ 55.00 if postmarked by January 20, 2003
Registration: U$ 75.00 if postmarked after January 20, 2003
For
all those who have already sent in their registrations, the difference
will be REFUNDED.
Please
remember that on January 26 at 12:00 noon the New Rules Clinic
will be held at 1951 W. Carson St. Torrance, CA 90501. Referees,
Instructors and Competitors are welcome! IGJJF
Late
breaking News . . . There is a solid rumor that JJ sensation
Leozinho Vieira is coming to compete in the Black Belt Division
of the IGJJF. Leozinho with his ever moving, always looking for
a submission style seems taylor made for these set of rules!
More on this situation soon in this column!
Source:
ADCC/Kid Peligro
Tank
vs Mir Signed
David "Tank" Abbott is signed to face Frank Mir at
UFC 41: Onslaught, taking place February 28, 2003. Marco Ruas,
"The King of the Streets", was originally offered the
bout with Abbott, but declined due to prior commitments.
Update:
Earlier today we asked The Tank what he thought about this matchup
with Mir:
Tank
Abbott: "I have stopped training, and just started concentrating
on stretching my legs and arms to get ready for the armbars and
leg locks."
Source:
Sherdog
A
Heavyweight Update: Tank vs. Mir
The UFC is taking the win, win option, pairing up a legend of
the Octagon against one of the bright up-and-coming stars of
the new era of MMA? Immediately, ghosts of Ortiz-Shamrock spring
to mind, but Sham never had jackhammers in both gloves that could
fold you over like an accordion or put you into a seizure in
the blink of an eye. In fact, the last thing to go in an aging
warrior's arsenal is usually the power and Tank has got plenty
of it. Now think back to the Job Ian Freeman did to Mir at UFC
38, and we have a very competitive looking fight that could end
with one of the top 5 legends jumping back into the scene with
both feet, or the another of the next generation being put on
the map by conquering a ghost of the Octagon.
Following
Zuffa's recent model, it's no doubt that a tank win at UFC 41
will mean a Tank vs. Ricco Rodriguez (assuming he wins at 41
also) showdown around UFC 44. This is a biggest ticket item that
Zuffa could possibly hope for considering what they have to work
with at the present time. If Mir wins it will be a smaller victory
for the organization as a whole as Tank is still a bigger draw,
but it will give him a more of a push than he could ever get
with anyone else, at least in the eyes of the majority of the
Pay-Per-View Buyers. And Mir has legit talent with mat work that
will make fans of the sport. And very few fighters in the UFC
can claim that. And if Tank does lose? Who cares. It's never
really been about Tank winning or losing. Its been about the
possible train wreck that might happen when he steps up fight.
In
another twist, Gan Mcgee, originally slated to fight Mir, will
be taking on Alexandre "Cafe" Dantas who is now fighting
as a Heavyweight, tipping the scales at a reported 230 pounds.
He has obviously been hitting the weights.
UFC 41
Rumored Matches
Ricco
Rodriguez
Vs
Tim Sylvia
Tank
Abbott
Vs
Frank Mir
BJ
Penn
Vs
Caol Uno
Genki
Sudo
Vs
Josh Thomson
Matt
Serra
Vs
Din Thomas
Phil
Baroni
Vs
Matt Lindland
Gan
McGee
vs.
"Cafe" Dantas
Pedro
Rizzo
vs
Vlad Matyushenko
UFC 42
rumored matches
Tito
Ortiz
Vs
Chuck Liddell
Matt
Hughes
Vs
Sean Sherk
Source:
MMA Ring Report
1/7/03
Quote
of the Day
Genius
is the gold in the mine; talent is the miner who works and brings
it out.
Lady Blessington
Mark
Kerr Documentary On HBO schedule
I don't
know how these listing corresponde to Hawaii's schedule, but
at least they will give you a ballpark when to look for the show.
THE SMASHING MACHINE: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF MARK KERR: AMERICA
UNDERCOVER
Rated TVMA for
Please
come back for upcoming HBO Original Programming information.
Thank you for visiting the HBO schedule.
ALL SHOWINGS, HBO/MAX East
DATE/TIME CHANNEL
Sun 1/12 10:00 PM HBO - EAST
Mon 1/13 11:00 PM HBO2 - EAST
Wed 1/15 12:00 AM HBO - EAST
Wed 1/15 10:00 PM HBO - EAST
Fri 1/17 10:00 PM HBO2 - EAST
Tue 2/4 09:45 PM HBO2 - EAST
Sun 2/9 02:30 AM HBO2 - EAST
If you haven't seen an Iceman documentary, it is a must see!
I have seen the first one and it is captivating. This is the
kind of guy that movies are made after. I wouldn't be surprised
if Dr. Hannibal Lecter used the Iceman as an inspiration. This
is a good reason to learn how to defend yourself and see what
kind of sick people are on the planet.
THE
ICEMAN AND THE PSYCHIATRIST: AMERICA UNDERCOVER
For the third time, HBO cameras go inside Trenton State Maximum
Security Prison--and inside the mind of one of the most prolific
killers in U.S. history--in this gripping documentary. Mafia
hit man Richard Kuklinski freely admits to killing more than
100 people, but in this special, he speaks with top psychiatrist
Dr. Park Dietz in an effort to face the truth about his condition.
Filled with more never-before-revealed confessions, it's the
most chillingly candid Iceman special yet as it combines often-confrontational
interview footage between Kuklinski and Dietz with photos, crime
reenactments and home movies that add new layers to this evolving
and fascinating story.
Director: ARTHUR GINSBERG
ALL SHOWINGS, HBO/MAX East
DATE/TIME CHANNEL
Mon 1/6 11:00 PM HBO2 - EAST
Wed 1/8 12:00 AM HBO - EAST
Wed 1/8 10:00 PM HBO - EAST
Fri 1/10 10:00 PM HBO2 - EAST
Ultimate
Fighting Championship Drew Two of Nevada’s Top Four Fight
Crowds; Also Ranks Fourth, Seventh In Gate Receipts For Year
LAS
VEGAS, January 6, 2002…The Ultimate Fighting Championship
(UFC) drew Nevada’s largest fight crowd of 2002 when it
had a total in the MGM Grand Garden Arena of 13,770 on November
22 for UFC 40: Vendetta. That sell-out crowd also ranks as the
third largest total-in-arena attendance for a fighting event
in the U.S. for the year. The July 20 welterweight boxing match
between Vernon Forrest and “Sugar” Shane Moseley at
Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Ind., ranked first nationally
with 15,775; the June 7 heavyweight boxing title fight between
Lennox Lewis and Mike Tyson at The Pyramid in Memphis, Tenn.,
was second with 15,327.
UFC
40: Vendetta also ranked as the fourth largest fight event in
gate receipts in Nevada, $1,540,340.00. A second UFC event, UFC
36: Worlds Collide, held March 22 at the MGM Grand, ranked fourth
for total-in-arena attendance, 8,327, and seventh in gate receipts,
$898,850.00 in Nevada for the year. UFC 40: Vendetta featured
the return of legend Ken Shamrock in a light heavyweight title
fight against champion Tito Ortiz. Ortiz retained his title with
a third-round technical knockout.
“To
be number one in fight attendance in Nevada for the year makes
a major statement about the increasing popularity of our brand
of fight entertainment with mainstream sports fans. We certainly
thank all our fans for their support and look forward to the
day when we are number one in every category,” said Dana
White, UFC president.
The
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), headquartered in Las Vegas,
Nev., is the world’s leading mixed martial arts association.
Owned and operated by Zuffa LLC, the UFC programs six live pay-per-view
events yearly through cable and satellite providers. In addition
to its U.S. distribution on iN DEMAND, DIRECTV, TVN and Dish
Network, UFC events are distributed internationally through British
Sky Broadcasting, WOWOW, Inc., in Japan, Globosat in Brazil and
Modern Sports and Entertainment in Scandinavia. UFC licenses
video games for all major playing platforms through Crave Entertainment.
The
UFC’s next live PPV event will be at 10 p.m. EST/7 p.m.
PST on Friday, February 28, 2003, from Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic
City, N.J. Locate Ultimate Fighting Championship on the internet
at www.ufc.tv.
Editors Note: Information in this news release was provided by
the Nevada State Athletic Commission, the Indiana Boxing Commission,
the Tennessee Boxing Commission and published news reports.
Source:
ADCC
HOOKnSHOOT
Defining Title Picture Heading Into 2003!
HOOKnSHOOT's
coveted World Titles Being Vacated To Start 2003
'We
are working on our 2003 schedule, and on several projects, including
a regional TV project' starts HnS Promoter Jeff Osborne. 'Now
we have a few titles coming up vacant - just more work to do
to crown champions'.
'Ian
Freeman recently announced a drop in weight class, to 205 lbs
- he graciously gave up the 265 lb World Title, so that is vacant.'
describes matchmaker Miguel Iturrate about the SUPERHEAVYWEIGHT
division.
'At
HOOKnSHOOT, we have a weight class from 206 lbs. to 225 lbs,
and that title is also being vacated.' describes the matchmaker
about the HEAVYWEIGHT division at HnS. 'It was held by Jeremy
Horn who has gone on to be a HUGE star, and we have not been
able to get him to return since 1999, so we want to give another
champion a chance.'
'At
170 lbs. Yves Edwards is relinquishing his title, to pursue his
career at 155 lbs. Yves is immediately the #1 contender at 155
lbs, and will be in a title match by the end of the year if we
get our way' continues the matchmaker.
'Because
we started a 'regional' title scene last year, we already have
some intriiguing match ups - like Wes Sims and Ben Rothwell in
the superheavyweight division.' continues the matchmaker. 'Ian
now becomes a possibility to meet Jorge Rivera for the 205 lb
title. At 225, things are wide open, and we may be able sign
a big name or two. things should be interesting throughout our
2003 run' concludes the matchmaker.
Below
is HOOKnSHOOT's current title picture:
BANTAMWEIGHT
- UNDER 135.00 lbs.
CHAMPION: Ichaku Murata (2-1) (Osaka, Japan)
NE Title: VACANT
SE Title: VACANT
FEATHERWEIGHT
- 135.01 - 145.00 pounds
WORLD CHAMPION: Hermes Franca (5-0) (American TOP TEAM, Ft Lauderdale,
FL.)
NE Title: VACANT
SE Title: VACANT
LIGHTWEIGHT
- 145.01 - 155.00 pounds
WORLD CHAMPION: PHIL JOHNS (2-0) (Silverbacks Fighting Team,
Canton, IL.)
NE Title: VACANT
SE Title: VACANT
WELTERWEIGHT
- 155.01 to 170.00 lbs.
WORLD CHAMPION: VACANT (formerly Yves Edwards, 4-0-1, 3rd Column,
Houston, TX)
NE Title: VACANT
SE Title: VACANT
MIDDLEWEIGHT
- 170.01 - 185 lbs.
WORLD CHAMPION: Ivan Salaverry (2-0) (AMC Pankration, Seattle,
WA.)
NE Title: Keith Rockel (4-0, USMMA Champ) (Team ELITE, Clinton,
MA.)
SE Title: Moacyr 'BOCA' Oliveira (2-0, AFC Champ) (American TOP
TEAM, Ft Lauderdale, FL.)
LIGHTHEAVYWEIGHT
- 185.01 - 205 pounds
WORLD CHAMPION: Jorge Rivera (2-0) (Team ELITE, Milford, MA.)
NE Title: Jorge Rivera (2-0) (Team ELITE, Milford, MA.)
SE Title: VACANT
HEAVYWEIGHTS
- 205.01 - 225.00 pounds
WORLD CHAMPION: VACANT (formerly JEREMY HORN - undefeated in
HnS)
NE Title: VACANT
SE Title: VACANT
SUPERHEAVYWEIGHTS
- 225.01 - 265.00 pounds
WORLD CHAMPION: VACANT (formerly Ian Freeman, 1-0, Newcastle,
UK)
NE Title: Ben Rothwell (1-0 USMMA Champ) (Freestyle Academy,
Miwaukee, WI.)
SE Title: Wes Sims (1-0, AFC Champ) (HAMMER HOUSE, Colombus,
OH.)
Source:
ADCC
Latest
Official PANCRASE Rankings
(as of 12/27/2002)
Heavyweight
(199lbs. under 221lbs.)
the 1st Heavyweight K.O.P. Yoshiki Takahashi (PANCRASEism)
#1 Tsuyoshi Ozawa (Zendokai) *IN!
#2 Katsuhisa Fujii (UFO) *DOWN from #1
#3 Jason Godsey (U.S.A./I.F. Academy) *DOWN from #2
Light
heavyweight (181lbs. under 199lbs.)
the 2nd Light heavyweight K.O.P. Sanae Kikuta (Pancrase GRABAKA)
#1 Yuki Kondo (PANCRASEism)
#2 Ikuhisa Minowa (PANCRASEism) *UP from #3
#3 Yuki Sasaki (Pancrase GRABAKA) *UP from #4
#4 Akihiro Gono (Pancrase GRABAKA) *UP from #10
#5 KEI Yamamiya (PANCRASEism) *DOWN from #2
#6 Ricardo Almeida (Renzo Gracie Jiu Jitsu Academy) *DOWN from
#5
#7 Osami Shibuya (PANCRASEism) *DOWN from #6
#8 Mitsuyoshi Sato (Pancrase GRABAKA) *DOWN from #7
#9 Eiji Ishikawa (Pancrase GRABAKA) *DOWN from #8
#10 Daisuke Ishii (PANCRASEism) *DOWN from #9
Middleweight
(165.7lbs.~ under 181lbs.)
the 3rd Middleweight K.O.P. Nathan Marquardt (U.S.A./Colorado
Stars) *NEW!
#1 Izuru Takeuchi (SK Absolute) *UP from #2
#2 Kiuma Kunioku (PANCRASEism) *DOWN from K.O.P.
#3 Chris Lytle (U.S.A./I.F. Academy) *DOWN from #1
#4 Kazuo Misaki (Pancrase GRABAKA)
#5 Yuji Hoshino (RJW/CENTRAL)
#6 Shonie Carter (U.S.A./AIKI Training Hall)
#7 Daiju Takase (Wajutsu Keishukai Tokyo Hombu)
#8 Takafumi Ito (PANCRASEism)
#9 Kosei Kubota (PANCRASEism)
Welterweight
(152.5lbs.~ under 165.7lbs.)
the 1st Welterweight K.O.P. Kiuma Kunioku (PANCRASEism)
#1 Takafumi Ito (PANCRASEism)
#2 Koji Oishi (PANCRASEism)
#3 Hiroki Nagaoka (Rodeo Style)
#4 Kenichi Serizawa (RJW/CENTRAL)
Lightweight
(141.4lbs.~ under 152.5lbs.) VACANT
Featherweight
(under 141.4lbs.) VACANT
Source:
Mr Oitate, Pancrase Organization
1/6/03
Quote
of the Day
"Problems
are only opportunities in work clothes."
Henry J. Kaiser
'THE
SMASHING MACHINE: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF MARK KERR,' DEBUTS ON
HBO, SUN., JAN. 12
by: Eddie Goldman
It is finally here for the general public to view. The documentary
'THE SMASHING MACHINE: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF MARK KERR,' will
debut on HBO's 'America Undercover' series this Sunday, Jan.
12, at 10 PM EST. Check your local listings for the time in your
area. There will also be numerous replays on HBO's family of
channels.
Once
again, it is very hard for me to write much about this film since
I did have a small part in it as a narrator. But I didn't see
the finished product until the initial screening in May. When
I did, I was totally blown away by how powerful this film was.
All the reviews I read of it afterwards were also very positive,
as well as the reaction of all of those with whom I spoke at
the May screening.
HBO
was also impressed enough to purchase the film for showing in
the U.S. I am glad for the people who put this film together.
More
information, including an interview with producer Jon Greenhalgh
and a schedule of when it will be playing, is available at:
Though
it was reported on ADCC that Mario Sperry would participate on
a January 4th Pro Wrstling show in Japan, it is now apparent
that Sperry and DSE did not reach an agreement.
It
appears that Mario has returned to Brazil already, and is reportedly
resting for the holidays. Negotiations are underway for Sperry
to return for the PRIDE 25 event scheduled for March 16th.
Mario
stated that is time to renew contracts with Pride and he does
not want to make the relations with DSE get in bad mode due to
the rivalry with Pro-Wrestling.
Source:
ADCC
St.
Louis' Travis Lee is ranked #2 at 125lbs.
NCAA Division I Individual Wrestling Rankings
Below are W.I.N. Magazine¹s NCAA Division I individual wrestling
rankings. The rankings are formulated on input from coaches across
the country and by analyzing past results. Individuals are ranked
according to placement potential at the NCAAs. To follow the
weekly rankings during the season, go to our website at WIN-magazine.com.
W.I.N.¹s
Individual Rankings.
125
Pounds
1. Chris Fleeger - Purdue, So. (2nd)
2. Travis
Lee - Cornell, So. (5th)
3. Luke Eustice - Iowa, Jr. (1st)
4. Ben Vom Baur - Boise State, Sr. (3rd)
5. Jason Powell - Nebraska, Jr. (4th)
6. Skyler Holman - Oklahoma State, Sr. (6th)
7. Nick Simmons - Michigan State, Fr. (14th)
8. A.J. Grant - Michigan, Sr. (8th)
9. Kyle Ott - Illinois, Fr. (9th)
10. Tony Black - Wisconsin, Sr. (10th)
11. Bo Maynes - Oklahoma, Sr. (11th)
12. Chris Rodriguez - North Carolina, So. (7th)
13. Vic Moreno - Cal Poly, So. (12th)
14. Matt Pitts - UT Chattanooga, Jr. (13th)
15. Bobby Lowe - Minnesota, So. (15th)
16. Efram Ceballos - Cal State Bakersfield, So. (NR)
17. Rocco Mansueto - Cleveland State, Sr. (17th)
18. Heath McKim - Air Force, Jr. (16th)
19. Jordan Sianni - Pittsburgh, Fr. (NR)
20. Adam Smith - Penn State, So. (19th)
133
Pounds
1. Johnny Thompson - Oklahoma State, Jr. (1st)
2. Witt Durden - Oklahoma, Sr. (2nd)
3. Ryan Lewis - Minnesota, Sr. (3rd)
4. Kevin Black - Wisconsin, Sr. (4th)
5. Foley Dowd - Michigan, So. (7th)
6. Cliff Moore - Iowa, So. (5th)
7. Zach Roberson - Iowa State, So. (6th)
8. Cory Cooperman - Lehigh, Fr. (8th)
9. Mike Simpson - Arizona State, So. (NR)
10. Josh Moore - Penn State, Jr. (11th)
11. Mark Jayne - Illinois, So. (16th)
12. Brandon Lauer - West Virginia, So. (15th)
13. Phil Mansueto - Cleveland State, Sr. (10th)
14. Rad Martinez - Clarion, Sr. (19th)
15. Evan Sola - North Carolina, So. (12th)
16. Matt Sanchez - Bakersfield, So. (13th)
17. Ricky LaForge - Hofstra, So. (NR)
18. Urijah Faber - Cal-Davis, Sr. (9th)
19. Shawn Bunch - Edinboro, So. (14th)
20. Sean Markey - Citadel, So. (NR)
141
Pounds
1. Aaron Holker - Iowa State, Sr. (1st)
2. Zach Esposito - Oklahoma State, Fr. (2nd)
3. Dylan Long - Northern Iowa, Jr. (6th)
4. Dana Holland - Arizona State, Sr. (5th)
5. Mike Maney - Lock Haven, Jr. (3rd)
6. Jason Mester - Central Michigan, Jr. (4th)
7. Coyte Cooper - Indiana, Jr. (7th)
8. Clinton Frease - Brown, Sr. (8th)
9. Scott Moore - Penn State, Jr. (12th)
10. Jeff Ratliffe - Ohio State, Jr. (10th)
11. Gabe Vigil - Boise State, Sr. (9th)
12. J.P. Reese - Missouri, Sr. (11th)
13. Nate Parker - Oklahoma, Sr. (13th)
14. Shane Cunanan - West Virginia, Sr. (16th)
15. Phillip Simpson - Army, So. (15th)
16. Cory Ace - Edinboro, Sr. (17th)
17. Josh Wooten - Northern Illinois, Fr. (20th)
18. Luke Moffitt - Iowa, Sr. (14th)
19. Caleb Ferry - Illinois, Fr. (18th)
20. Clark Forward - Michigan, Jr. (19th)
149
Pounds
1. Eric Larkin - Arizona State, Sr. (1st)
2. Jared Lawrence - Minnesota, Sr. (2nd)
3. Jesse Jantzen - Harvard, Jr. (3rd)
4. Jake Percival - Ohio, So. (4th)
5. Dustin Manotti - Cornell, Fr. (14th)
6. Jeremy Spates - Missouri, Jr. (6th)
7. Collin Robertson - Boise State, Sr. (11th)
8. Jerrod Sanders - Oklahoma State, Sr. (5th)
9. Jon Masa - Hofstra, So. (17th)
10. Travis Schufelt - Nebraska, So. (9th)
11. Karl Nadolsky - Michigan State, Sr. (8th)
12. Billy Smith - West Virginia, Jr. (10th)
13. Ty Morgan - Central Michigan, Jr. (7th)
14. Ty Eustice - Iowa, Fr. (19th)
15. Justin Giovinco - Pittsburgh, Sr. (12th)
16. Tony Pedrosa - Illinois, Fr. (NR)
17. Jody Giuricich - Penn, So. (13th)
18. Eric Norgaard - Columbia, So. (NR)
19. Dan Jankowski - Purdue, Sr. (NR)
20. Nate Gallick - Iowa State, Fr. (NR)
157
Pounds
1. Luke Becker - Minnesota, Sr. (1st)
2. Keaton Anderson - Ohio State, Sr. (6th)
3. Scott Owen - Northern Illinois, Sr. (2nd)
4. Ryan Bertin - Michigan, So. (3rd)
5. Gray Maynard - Michigan State, Sr. (4th)
6. Shane Roller - Oklahoma State, Sr. (5th)
7. Matt Anderson - Iowa, Sr. (7th)
8. Derek Zink - Lehigh, Fr. (11th)
9. Alex Tirapelle - Illinois, Fr. (10th)
10. Derek Jenkins - Rider, Sr. (9th)
11. Dave Bolyard - Central Michigan, So. (8th)
12. George Carter - Bloomsburg, Sr. (13th)
13. Kenny Burleson - Misouri, Sr. (14th)
14. Tim Foley - Virginia, Sr. (18th)
15. Mike Patrovich - Hofstra, Fr. (12th)
16. Mike Tolar - Kent State, Jr. (16th)
17. Matt Lebe - West Virginia, Fr. (17th)
18. Adam Britt - VMI, Sr. (15th)
19. Scott Garren - North Carolina State, Jr. (20th)
20. Robert Belville - Sacred Heart, Jr. (NR)
165
Pounds
1. Matt Lackey - Illinois, Sr. (1st)
2. Tyrone Lewis - Oklahoma State, Jr. (2nd)
3. Troy Letters - Lehigh, Fr. (5th)
4. Jacob Volkmann - Minnesota, Jr. (3rd)
5. John Clark - Ohio State, Jr. (7th)
6. Oscar Santiago - Purdue, Sr. (12th)
7. Tyrone Woodley - Missouri, So. (4th)
8. Noel Thompson - Hofstra, Sr. (6th)
9. Nick Passolano - Iowa State, So. (11th)
10. Matt Palmer - Columbia, Fr. (9th)
11. Levi Provost - Wyoming, Sr. (13th)
12. Drew Kelly - Northern Iowa, Jr. (10th)
13. Matt King - Edinboro, Jr. (8th)
14. Nick Nemeth - Kent State, Sr. (14th)
15. Nick Frost - Arizona State, So. (19th)
16. Kevin Carr - Central Michigan, Sr. (NR)
17. Nick Harrington - Rider, Sr. (NR)
18. Tom McMath - West Virginia, Sr. (NR)
19. Chris Vecchio - Penn State, Sr. (15th)
20. Leighton Brady - Boston, Sr. (NR)
174
Pounds
1. Greg Jones - West Virginia, So. (1st)
2. Tyler Nixt - Iowa, Jr. (2nd)
3. Chris Pendleton - Oklahoma State, So. (3rd)
4. Robbie Waller - Oklahoma, Sr. (5th)
5. Brian Glynn - Illinois, So. (6th)
6. Blake Kaplan - Ohio State, Sr. (7th)
7. Eric Hauan - Northern Iowa, So. (4th)
8. Ryan Lange - Purdue, Jr. (8th)
9. Josh McClay - Minnesota, So. (15th)
10. Travis Pascoe - Nebraska, So. (10th)
11. Curtis Owen - Arizona State, Sr. (9th)
12. Brad Dillon - Lehigh, Jr. (17th)
13. Hunter Guenot - Bloomsburg, Sr. (11th)
14. Mark Fee - Appalachian State, Sr. (12th)
15. Shane Webster - Oregon, So. (14th)
16. Carl Fronhoffer - Pittsburgh, Sr. (16th)
17. Ralph Everett - Hofstra, Jr. (NR)
18. Matt Erwin - VMI, Sr. (13th)
19. Eddie Gifford - Fresno State, Sr. (19th)
20. Dustin Kawa - North Carolina State, Jr. (20th)
184
Pounds
1. Josh Lambrecht - Oklahoma, Sr. (1st)
2. Jessman Smith - Iowa, Sr. (2nd)
3. Clint Wattenberg - Cornell, Sr. (6th)
4. Scott Barker - Missouri, Jr. (4th)
5. Damion Hahn - Minnesota, Jr. (3rd)
6. Gerald Harris - Cleveland State, Sr. (13th)
7. Mark Becks - Penn State, Sr. (7th)
8. Ralph DeNisco - Wisconsin, Jr. (8th)
9. Greg Parker - Princeton, Sr. (5th)
10. Jason Potter - Illinois, Jr. (10th)
11. Ryan Wilman - West Virginia, So. (16th)
12. Ben Heizer - Northern Illinois, Sr. (9th)
13. B.J. Padden - Nebraska, Fr. (11th)
14. Scott Justus - Virginia Tech, Sr. (14th)
15. Jake Stork - Maryland, Sr. (17th)
16. Ryan Halsey - Cal Poly, Fr. (12th)
17. Jake Rosholt - Oklahoma State, Fr. (NR)
18. Alex Clemsen - Edinboro, Fr. (20th)
19. Austin Palmer - Iowa State, Sr. (19th)
20. Ty Matthews - Indiana, Sr. (NR)
197
Pounds
1. Jon Trenge - Lehigh, Jr. (1st)
2. Muhammad Lawal - Oklahoma State, Sr. (2nd)
3. Justin Ruiz - Nebraska, So. (3rd)
4. Chris Skretkowicz - Hofstra, So. (4th)
5. Anton Talamantes - Ohio State, Sr. (6th)
6. Anthony Reynolds - Sacred Heart, Sr. (8th)
7. Dave Shunamon - Edinboro, Sr. (12th)
8. Eric Mausser - Clarion, Sr. (7th)
9. Kyle Smith - Michigan, Sr. (11th)
10. Nik Fekete - Michigan State, Sr. (5th)
11. Jon Bush - Purdue, Sr. (9th)
12. Pat Degain - Indiana, So. (14th)
13. Sean Stender - Northern Iowa, So. (13th)
14. Chris Jones - Drexel, Jr. (16th)
15. Matt Greenberg - Cornell, Sr. (NR)
16. Tom Grossman - Oklahoma, Sr. (15th)
17. David Schenk - Cal Poly, Sr. (20th)
18. Maricio Bothelo - Fresno State, So. (19th)
19. Ryan Fulsaas - Iowa, Jr. (17th)
20. Tyrone Byrd - Illinois, So. (18th)
Heavyweight
1. Steve Mocco - Iowa, So. (1st)
2. Tommy Rowlands - Ohio State, Jr. (2nd)
3. Leonce Crump - Oklahoma, Jr. (3rd)
4. Kevin Hoy - Air Force, Sr. (5th)
5. Kellan Fluckiger - Arizona State, Jr. (6th)
6. Paul Hynek - Northern Iowa, Sr. (4th)
7. Garrett Lowney - Minnesota, Jr. (7th)
8. Boe Rushton - Boise State, Sr. (10th)
9. John Testa - Clarion, Sr. (8th)
10. Pat Cummins - Penn State, Jr. (12th)
11. Eric Webb - Oregon, Sr. (11th)
12. Steve Kovatch - Navy, Sr. (9th)
13. Andy Bowlby - Oregon State, Sr. (13th)
14. Greg Wagner - Michigan, Fr. (14th)
15. Matt Feast - Penn, So. (15th)
16. Brad Steele - Wyoming, Sr. (16th)
17. Brent Miller - West Virginia, So. (18th)
18. Russ Davie - Cleveland State, Jr. (17th)
19. Justin Staebler - Wisconsin, Sr. (19th)
20. Kevin Herron - Missouri, Sr. (20th)
Source:
W.I.N. Magazine
NEW
JAPAN PRO WRESTLING - MMA Crossover Continues!
On January 4th, 2003 New Japan Pro Wrestling held their first
event pf the year, a pro wrestling card featuring many stars
of Mixed MArtial Arts taking part in tag team and traditional
pro wrestling bouts. Josh Barnett, former UFC Heavyweight Champion,
lost his pro wrstling debut. The vent also featured MMA stars
Tsuyoshi Kohsaka, Takehiro Murahama and several other veterans
of MMA.
Match
#1:
- Osamu Nishimura def. Tatsumi Fujinami in 8 minutes, 10 seconds
with a Japanese leg-roll cradle.
Match
#2: Young Generation Tournament
- Yutaka Yoshie def. Shinya Makabe in 13 minutes, 20 seconds
with a diving bodypress.
Match
#3: Young Generation Tournament
- Ryushi Yanagisawa def. Kenzo Suzuki in 9 minutes, 23 seconds
with a high knee.
Match
#4:
- Makai 1 & Daimajen def. Tatsutoshi Goto & Hiro Saito
via disqualification in 7 minutes, 50 seconds when Goto attacked
the referee.
Match
#5:
- Makai 4 & Makai 5 def. Masahito Kakihara & Takashi
Iizuka in 10 minutes, 54 seconds when Makai 5 pinned Iizuka after
a swandive knee.
Match
#6:
- Jushin 'Thunder' Liger, Takehiro Murahama, & Koji Kanemoto
def. Tiger Mask, Heat, & Masayuki Naruse in 16 minutes, 10
seconds when Kanemoto made Naruse tap-out to an ankle lock.
Match
#7: Young Generation Tournament (Finals)
- Ryushi Yanagisawa def. Yutaka Yoshie in 6 minutes, 48 seconds
with an armbar.
Match
#8:
- Shinsuke Nakamura & Michiyoshi Ohara def. Tadao Yasuda
& Kazunari Murakami in 7 minutes, 12 seconds by referee stoppage
when Nakamura had Yasuda in a neck lock.
Match
#9:
- Satoshi Kojima & Hiroyoshi Tenzan def. Masahiro Chono &
Manabu Nakanishi in 23 minutes, 18 seconds when Tenzan hit the
Tenzan Tombstone Piledriver on Masa Chono.
Match
#10: NWF Heavyweight Title (Tournament Finals)
- Yoshihiro Takayama def. Tsuyoshi Kohsaka in 10 minutes, 12
seconds after hitting a knee kick.
IWGP
Heavyweight Title:
- Yuji Nagata def. Josh Barnett in 10 minutes, 40 seconds with
a heel kick.
Source:
ADCC
The
Scream of The Iceman
By Thomas Gerbasi
By
name and image alone, light heavyweight contender Chuck "The
Iceman" Liddell invites clichés. "The Iceman
Cometh", "Cold as Ice", "The Chuck Stops
Here"… I could go on.
Add
the Mohawk, tattoos and ice-cool demeanor, and you've basically
got the fighting equivalent of a comic book hero. But slowly
the ice is beginning to thaw on Liddell. He's starting to show
more fire, both in and out of the ring, and as he approaches
his shot at UFC light heavyweight king Tito Ortiz, Liddell is
coming to a boil.
"I
don't really care," Liddell told MaxFighting last September
when asked who he thought would win the Ortiz-Ken Shamrock bout
last November. "I just want the winner."
It
was a far cry from early-2001, when Liddell spoke of fighting
his buddy Ortiz, an ex-training partner. "I train with him,
he's my friend," he told this reporter. "That would
make it kind of weird."
But
as Ortiz became the icon for the UFC, Liddell became the permanent
number one contender for the "Huntington Beach Bad Boy",
forced to fight the likes of Kevin Randleman, Murillo Bustamante
and Vitor Belfort while Ortiz took on lesser contenders like
Elvis Sinosic, Evan Tanner and Shamrock.
Not
to play psychoanalyst, but waiting for his rightful shot at the
title must have wrecked mental havoc on the man who has the Japanese
symbols for 'place of peace and prosperity' tattooed on the side
of his skull.
Liddell's
poker face rarely fails though. He pays respect to his foes,
both past and present, and waits patiently. And he fights. Maybe
too often. Perhaps he should be like some of his peers in other
combat sports, who achieve a mandatory contender's slot and then
sit in limbo while they wait for their chance.
But
that just wouldn't be fitting for 'The Iceman'.
Early
in 2001, he traveled to Japan to take on Guy Mezger at Pride
14. And what was seen as simply a match between two quality contenders
was really something more. It was UFC vs Pride, and Liddell was
seen as the sacrificial lamb. By the time the fight was waved
over, Liddell had scored an emphatic knockout victory, not only
for himself but also subconsciously for the UFC.
Yet
he still waited for his shot. And fought. And refused to get
knocked off.
In
November, Liddell took on the always dangerous Renato 'Babalu'
Sobral and was not only his usual efficient self, but downright
brutal in dispatching of the Brazilian in less than a round.
Then
came the scream.
"Arrrggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!"
Years
of punching bags, running, sparring, sacrifice, apathy from the
powers that be. For the few minutes in that ring, Liddell is
free from everything, and when it's over, he screams - a shrill
mixture of relief, anger, and fierce energy.
"I
want my title," he belted out after stopping Sobral.
Now
Ortiz can't refuse.
But
will the Superfight happen?
While
not on the level of Ortiz-Shamrock in terms of mainstream appeal,
to the mixed martial arts fan there are few fights more hotly
anticipated than Ortiz-Liddell. But a number of questions persist.
Will Zuffa up the cash both men want to put their careers on
the line? Will Ortiz stay at 205 to fight his buddy, or move
up to heavyweight? Will Liddell's willingness to stay active
prove fatal to the fight if he happens to take a tune-up before
the title shot comes?
As
in any sport though, the more questions that persist about a
fight, a game, or a match, the better the matchup, and there
is no better fight in 2003 than Liddell-Ortiz. It could be the
fight to make the sport even bigger in the States, and may be
the type of event where there are no losers.
But
don't tell that to Liddell, who told MaxFighting in 2001, "The
worst feelings I ever had were with losing, but that's in any
sport that I've done. I hate losing."
Spoken
like a true Iceman.
And
for the 33-year-old, who graduated from California Polytechnic
State University with a Business / Accounting degree, punching
people beats punching numbers, and as he grows more and more
popular, and more unavoidable by the top gun at 205 pounds, the
future is bright.
Source:
Maxfighting
1/5/03
Quote
of the Day
"We
must indeed all hang together, or most assuredly we shall all
hang separately."
Benjamin Franklin
Cael
Sanderson Special on Channel 10 Right Now
(Sunday 1:30 PM)
If anyone knows when this program will air again, please email
us!
Thanks!
St.
Louis' Spiker Finishes 2nd
in the Tournament of Champions
Three-time Hawaii State High School Champion wrestler and multiple
Judo junior national champion, Jonathan Spiker, placed 2nd in
the 145 lb. division in the 2002 Reno Tournament of Champions
High School Division. He has started his quest to be only the
second four-time Hawaii State High School Wrestling Champion
to my knowledge. St. Louis School finished in 42nd place out
of 100 teams.
Congratulations
to Jonathan who is not only a great athlete, he's a great student
and a very modest and well raised young man.
Mario
Sperry and PRO WRESTLING
Though
it was reported on ADCC that Mario Sperry would participate on
a January 4th Pro Wrestling show in Japan, it is now apparent
that Sperry and DSE did not reach an agreement.
It
appears that Mario has returned to Brazil already, and is reportedly
resting for the holidays. Negotiations are underway for Sperry
to return for the PRIDE 25 event scheduled for March 16th.
Mario
stated that is time to renew contracts with Pride and he does
not want to make the relations with DSE get in bad mode due to
the rivalry with Pro-Wrestling.
Source:
ADCC
Rorion
Gracie asks: To Compete or not to Compete? That is the question
!
To compete or not to compete? That is the question.
By Rorion Gracie
If
you practice BJJ or have participated in previous tournaments
you have experienced winning or losing by one point or worst,
by one advantage; if that is the case, the guy who beat you is
not looking forward to a rematch, and I will tell you why: He
knows you can beat him next time around! In fact, had the time
limit not expired, he probably couldn’t have beat you at
all - and he knows that.
Nobody
wants to win or loose by an advantage, because that is a subjective
referee’s interpretation of one’s intention, and there
are many other variables:
who
is the referee?
are
you Brazilian or not?
who
is your coach?
who
do you know?
what
are the rules of that specific tournament?
I
am sure that one or more of these questions have gone through
your mind while watching a competition, so you know exactly what
I am referring to. THAT IS AN ABSURD!!!
If
you practice with no-gi, and have your goal set at MMA, NHB,
submission wrestling or any other grappling style competition,
you are no doubt a fan of reality-oriented sports. You are on
a quest of discovery about how would you do in a real fight and
in that case, this tournament is for you! I am sure you will
appreciate the new and objective set of rules.
The
only positions which points are awarded for, are those which
demonstrate a clear dominance over an opponent, which happen
to be the same positions you need to accomplish in order to defeat
your adversary in a real fight.
The
arm bars, leg locks and chokes are exactly the SAME. Therefore
you already have the tools you need to compete in this event.
Although
in this tournament, punches and kicks are not permitted, this
is the only event that will allow you to focus on your submission
skills, which I am sure you will agree, can only help you reach
your goal of becoming a better fighter.
Do
not miss the opportunity to be part of this history-making event.
Source:
Kid Peligro/ADCC
Catching
up With CHRIS BRENNAN & Next Generation
The
holidays haven’t been good for Chris Brennan and Next Generation.
“While everyone was out of town including the live-ins the
water heater blew up here and flooded my school four inches deep
in water for two days. No idea how it happened but it destroyed
my mats, my carpet, my DVD player, VCR, tv, all the Fairtex bags
and boxing gloves…$13,000 in damage and I had five million
dollar liability but zero personal property damage on my insurance
so I have to pay for it all.” Classes were postponed for
two days but are back on schedule.
Looking
forward, Erica Montoya and Rami Boukai are fighting in Shooto
on January 24th. Originally Chris himself was supposed to fight
#2 ranked Ryan Bow until Bow was injured. Chris confirms he not
only will continue to fight at 155 but now normally walks around
closer to that weight than previously, minimizing the weight
cutting that may have been a factor in his Shoot bout against
Gomi, a relief to most of his fans. Further down the road Mike
Guymon is fighting Jeremy Jackson in the rescheduled Venom show
in March.
February
8th marks the return of the Westside Submission Tournament with
the same format as on December 14th. Look for more information
as the date approaches.
In
other Chris news, his son is reported to be 100% recovered. Watch
for further developments in the Next Generation team or check
out http://www.chrisbrennan.com
Source:
ADCC
Catching
Up With RICARDO LIBORIO
After a year crowded with accomplishments, Ricardo Liborio of
the American TOP TEAM is back in Brazil for a well deserved vacation.
You may recall that 2002 started with Liborio leaving the Brazilian
Top Team to join the Silveira brothers in Florida for the formation
of a new team - The ATT.
The
ATT has made a huge impact on the American MMA scene since the
team was established, and the year of 2003 promises much more!
Fighters from the team are getting experience in MMA and fighting
wherever is possible, MMA, Submission wrestling and Jiu-Jitsu.
States
Liborio, in wrapping up the year 'Pablo Popovich won the ADCC
American Trials in September - this was an exciting moment for
us! ATT also had a new wave of fighters make their debut at the
HOOKnSHOOT show in Florida on December 13th. These are young
guys such as Emir Bussade and Marcel Ferreira. Wilson Gouveia
and Wald Bloise are also getting on with their careers, getting
wins recently. Others, like Moacir 'Boca' DeOliveira, Hermes
Franca and Dustin Denes are more advanced. 'Boca' captured the
new HnS southeast title in December, while Hermes is the HOOKnSHOOT
World Champion at 145 lbs. Along with Dustin, these three have
gone undefeated in 2002. Also, Din Thomas is a great addition
to the team' finished Liborio, sounding very happy.
Liborio,
a JJ World Champion, is now having fun in South Brazil, charging
his batteries for 2003! ATT promises to continue the climb to
be the best team in AMERICA! Let's wait and see...
Source: ADCC
AT
'ICE DUAL,' OKLAHOMA STATE MELTS MINNESOTA, 26-6; TWO MORE NCAA
CHAMPS BEATEN
By: Eddie
Goldman
ICE
DUAL - Oklahoma State vs. Minnesota
Jan. 3, 2003 - Target Center
Minneapolis, Minnesota
By
winning eight of the ten matches and scoring three major upsets
against the Minnesota Golden Gophers at the 'Ice Dual,' held
Friday, Jan. 3 at the Target Center in Minneapolis, the Oklahoma
State Cowboys have solidified their number one ranking -- for
now, anyway.
The
meet, which started at 149 pounds, opened predictably enough
as Minnesota's Jared Lawrence, a returning NCAA national champion
and ranked second this season, handily won 8-2 over fifth-ranked
Jerrod Sanders of Oklahoma State. Then the fireworks began, and
it was not to the linking of the mostly pro-Gopher crowd of a
reported 4500.
At
157, fifth-ranked Shane Roller of Oklahoma State was facing longtime
nemesis Luke Becker of Minnesota, undefeated this season, ranked
number one, and a returning NCAA champion. Becker had achieved
that title last season in part by beating Roller in the semifinals
of the NCAA national championships. At the previous year's NCAA's,
Roller had beaten Becker in the third-place match.
Despite
having the hometown advantage, Becker was thrown to his back
in the first period by Roller for a takedown. After choosing
to start from the neutral position, Becker evened it up in the
second period at two apiece with a takedown of his own. Roller
escaped to go up 3-2, which was how it ended after two periods.
It
was in the third period that Roller demonstrated that on this
night, he was the better wrestler. Starting on the bottom, he
escaped yet again and then scored another takedown. This vaulted
him ahead 6-2 with only 1:08 to go. Becker had to call for injury
time after being cradled, but came back with a takedown attempt
of his own. Roller countered, virtually sealing the victory.
A reversal by Becker to make it 8-5 was too little, too late.
With an additional point for riding time, Roller had toppled
his old foe, 9-5.
Roller,
who said afterwards he has had trouble wrestling the entire seven
minutes, showed that he had identified his weakness, worked on
it, and was overcoming it.
The
meet, however, was now just tied up at 3-3. But with one of Minnesota's
usually surefire winners downed, the momentum had turned decisively
turned in Oklahoma State's favor.
The
Cowboys next reeled off six more consecutive victories, including
two huge upsets.
After
second-ranked Tyrone Lewis of Oklahoma State held onto a lead
to squeak by third-ranked Jacob Volkmann of Minnesota, 7-6, at
165, third-ranked Chris Pendleton of Oklahoma State decisioned
number 17 Josh McLay of Minnesota, 7-3, at 174. This put Oklahoma
State up 9-3.
The
Minnesota fans looked forward to 184, where two-time All-American
Damion Hahn, now a junior, was wrestling for the first time this
season following surgery for an ACL tear. His opponent, redshirt
freshman Jake Rosholt of Oklahoma State, is unranked this season.
After
a scoreless first period, Rosholt took the offensive and scored
an escape, a takedown, and two penalty points for stalling against
Hahn. It appeared that the Minnesota wrestler had tired in his
returning effort, as Rosholt rode him out in the third period,
earning another point for riding time. That made it 6-0, with
this second upset win for Oklahoma State giving the Cowboys a
commanding 12-3 lead.
The
question remains how Hahn will do as the rest of the season progresses,
especially at the NCAA championships in March.
At
197, second-ranked Muhammed Lawal of Oklahoma State performed
as expected, getting a major decision over Eli Ross of Minnesota,
22-9. With the team score now 16-3 in favor of Oklahoma State,
and four matches to go, the meet was just about out of reach
for Minnesota. Still, the Gophers had some hope of a comeback,
as two-time All-American Garrett Lowney, also a 2000 Olympic
bronze medalist in Greco, would take on Oklahoma State's unranked
Willie Gruenwald at heavyweight.
Lowney
is another Minnesota wrestler returning at this meet from an
injury. He had shoulder surgery following Minnesota's loss to
Iowa in November.
Lowney
was able to go up in this match against Gruenwald, leading 3-2
late in the third period. But he also withered at the end, as
Gruenwald shot for a late takedown with just 11 seconds to go.
Gruenwald got it, making the score 4-3 in his favor, and handing
Oklahoma State yet another upset.
Now
the team score was an insurmountable 19-3 for Oklahoma State.
Next,
at 125, sixth-ranked Skyler Holman of Oklahoma State continued
the rout with a major decision over number 15 Bobbe Lowe of Minnesota,
19-5.
With
the team score 23-3 for Oklahoma State and just two matches to
go, the much-anticipated rematch between Ryan Lewis of Minnesota
and Johnny Thompson of Oklahoma State could not affect the outcome
of the dual. Thompson had beaten Lewis in last year's NCAA finals,
5-4, handing Lewis his only defeat of the season. Earlier that
year Lewis had bested Thompson. Since then, Thompson had amassed
a 38-match winning streak.
All
that was enough incentive for Lewis to try to give the Gopher
fans at least one moment of glory this night. Lewis opened with
a double-leg takedown, scoring again after Thompson escaped.
In the second period, Lewis continued to go on the offensive,
escaping to go up 5-2. Thompson missed with his trademark 'snake'
takedown, and it went to the third period.
Thompson
chose bottom to start the third, and escaped to make it 5-3.
Thompson rallied with another takedown, and suddenly the match
was tied up at 5-5. But Lewis would escape to go ahead 6-5. Thompson
tried to battle back with several more shots, but Lewis fought
off Thompson's numerous takedown attempts.
Time
ran out, and since there was no riding time, Ryan Lewis had avenged
his loss last year in the NCAA finals by defeating Johnny Thompson,
6-5, and ending his 38-match winning streak. At last the Gopher
diehards had something for which they could rock the Target Center.
The
final match had second-ranked freshman Zack Esposito of Oklahoma
State up his season's record to 13-0 by beating Trent Hatlevig
of Minnesota, 10-7. The final team score was 26-6 in favor of
Oklahoma State.
Despite
Thompson's loss, the lopsided victory and three upsets left Oklahoma
State head coach John Smith pleased overall. He characterized
the win as 'a steppingstone for us' on the road to a national
championship. 'A lot of things went right,' he stressed, adding,
'This is the way it should be.'
But
Oklahoma State has a long history of doing well in dual meets
in the regular season, and falling down in the NCAA championships.
The Cowboys were undefeated in dual meets in 1997, 1998, and
1999, all under Smith, yet finished second in 1997 and third
in 1998 and 1999 in the NCAA tournament. They also cannot depend
on factors such as the fading of wrestlers like Hahn and Lowney,
both in their first matches back after injuries. Thus Smith also
cited the need for his team to 'step up' as the season continues.
While
they will retain their top ranking with this win, the 5-0 Oklahoma
State Cowboys will face their toughest challenges of the season
in the next few weeks. They will host second-ranked Iowa, 6-0
thus far, at Gallagher-Iba Arena in Stillwater on Sunday, Jan.
12, at 2 PM CST. The following weekend, Jan. 18-19, they will
travel to Ohio State for the National Duals team tournament,
where they will again likely face many of the top teams in the
U.S.
This
loss was particularly hard on Minnesota. Their record falls to
2-2, with those two defeats both coming at home in much-publicized
matches, with Iowa and now Oklahoma State. Coach J Robinson has
been the most adept of any college coach at marketing his team,
turning the home duals into major events, held at big arenas
that serve as the home to professional teams. The dual with Iowa,
dubbed the 'Showdown,' drew a crowd of 12,180 at the Xcel Energy
Center in St. Paul. This meet with Oklahoma State had the same
kind of hoopla and impressive presentation that is rare for college
wrestling: 'an in-arena master of ceremonies, highlight videos,
instant replays, taped and live interviews with wrestlers, coaches
and fans, pyrotechnics, and more,' the Minnesota press release
promised.
But
several factors worked against Minnesota for this meet. Their
disappointing performance against Iowa, especially so early in
the season, put a damper on hopes of a three-peat for the Gophers.
Plus, the schedule makers may have goofed by placing this high
profile meet at the same exact time as the free, national broadcast
of the college football BCS national championship game at the
Fiesta Bowl, which saw Ohio State get a double-overtime win over
defending national champion Miami.
Nonetheless,
after the meet, Smith complimented Robinson on this marketing,
and called for the Cowboy fans to pack Gallagher-Iba Arena with
'8-10,000 fans' for their meet with Iowa. He also said he hoped
that Oklahoma State would adopt some of Minnesota's promotional
methods.
Despite
the problems on the mat facing the Minnesota team, off the mat
they still remain the national champions in marketing and promotion.
Minnesota
next hits the road for three dual meets in Arizona on Sunday,
Jan. 5. They face Embry Riddle, Lock Haven, and Arizona State,
all in Phoenix. Then on Tuesday, Jan 7, they are on the road
again to face Nebraska, in Lincoln. After that it is a rest,
until they join the other top college teams at the National Duals.
149
- Jared Lawrence (Minnesota) dec. Jerrod Sanders (Oklahoma State),
8-2
157 - Shane Roller (Oklahoma State) dec. Luke Becker (Minnesota),
9-5
165 - Tyrone Lewis (Oklahoma State) dec. Jacob Volkmann (Minnesota),
7-6
174 - Chris Pendleton (Oklahoma State) dec. Josh McLay (Minnesota),
7-3
184 - Jake Rosholt (Oklahoma State) dec. Damion Hahn (Minnesota),
6-0
197 - Muhammed Lawal (Oklahoma State) maj. dec. Eli Ross (Minnesota),
22-9
285 - Willie Gruenwald (Oklahoma State) dec. Garrett Lowney (Minnesota),
4-3
125 - Skyler Holman (Oklahoma State) maj. dec. Bobbe Lowe (Minnesota),
19-5
133 - Ryan Lewis (Minnesota) dec. Johnny Thompson (Oklahoma State),
6-5
141 - Zack Esposito (Oklahoma State) vs. Trent Hatlevig (Minnesota),
10-7
(All
rankings are from W.I.N. Magazine. Compiled from various press
releases and college wrestling sources.)
Source:
ADCC
1/4/03
Quote
of the Day
"The only way to have a friend is to be one."
Ralph Waldo Emerson
The
International Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Federation Open Championship
When: Saturday and Sunday - February 1-2, 2003
Where: California State University - Dominguez Hills (Main Gym
- Torodome)
1000 East Victoria Street
Carson, California 90747
The
new simple and objective rules leaves no room for interpretation
by judges and will make competing fair for everyone regardless
of your background. Tournaments should be a way to prepare the
individual for a real combat by encouraging submission.
GRAND
PRIZES:
THE FIRST PLACE WINNERS OF THE LIGHT, MIDDLE, AND HEAVY WEIGHT
CLASSES OF EACH BELT WILL RECEIVE AN ALL EXPENSES PAID TRIP TO
STAY AT GRAND MASTER HELIO GRACIE'S RANCH FOR SEVEN DAYS IN RIO
DE JANEIRO-BRAZIL. BLACK BELT CASH PRIZE: US$ 5,000.00
OPEN
TO ALL GRAPPLING STYLES IF YOU GOT IT, PROVE IT!
Come
and visit the Grapplers Quest booth at the IGJJF Open Championship
and say hello. See you all there!
Source: Brian Cimins
Inoki
Bom-Ba-Ye gets Monster Ratings!
'INOKI BOM-BA-YE 2002'
DATE: December 31st, 2002
PLACE: Saitama Super Arena, Japan (Saitama-Pref , Japan)
Inoki
Bom-Ba-Ye ratings are in and it's a big success again this year.
Many critics were expecting more worked/fixed fights, but the
show consisted mainly of legitimate MMA matches, something different
for Inoki.
The
ratings peeked at a whopping 47.3 during the second half of the
show while the first half scored a solid 37.1. Inoki had been
quoted in the press as expecting to hit a 50.0 but can't be upset
about the turnout.
Fallout
from the show include:
Bob
Sapp & Gary Goodridge at the WRESTLE-1 show at the Tokyo
Dome in two weeks.
Inoki
was preparing Takayama for a HUGE pro wrestling push. But, as
predicted, it appears that Takayama's eye socket may have been
re-injured during the Sapp fight, which may put him out of the
game for a couple of months. There was a rumor that Takayama's
eye socket was rebroken (for the THIRD time) but those are not
confirmed, but more recovery is apparently needed.
'INOKI
BOM-BA-YE 2002' OFFICIAL RESULTS (courtesy of BOOKER K)
8th
Match: 5 min 3 R / MMA rule
Bob Sapp vs Yoshihiro Takayama: Win - Bob Sapp by arm bar 1R
2:16
7th
Match: 5 min 3 R / MMA rule
Hidehiko Yoshida vs Masaaki Satake: Win - Hidehiko Yoshida by
front choke 1R 0:50
6th
Match: 5 min 3 R / MMA rule
Kazuyuki Fujita vs Mirco Cro Cop: Win - Mirco Cro Cop by decision
(3-0)
5th
Match: 3min 3R / K-1 rule
Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson vs Cyril Abidi: Win - Quinton 'Rampage'
Jackson by decision (3-0)
4th
Match: 3min 3R / K-1 rule
Gary Goodridge vs Mike Bernardo: Win - Mike Bernardo by KO 1R
2:21
3rd
Match: 5 min 3 R / MMA rule
Yasuhito Namekawa vs Wallid Ismail: Win - Wallid Ismail by decision
(3-0)
2nd
Match: 5 min 3 R / MMA rule
Shinsuke Nakamura vs Daniel Gracie: Win - Daniel Gracie by arm
bar 2R 2:14
1st
Match: 5 min 3 R / MMA rule
Tadao Yasuda vs Jan 'THE GIANT' Nortje: Win -Jan 'THE GIANT'
Nortje TKO (throwing towel) 2R 0:57
Source: ADCC
ROB
LYNCH of the Cal State Athletic Commission Part 2
by Keith Mills
Recent news out of California, the largest consumer market in
the country, revolves around several shows that have been canceled
when the California Athletic Commission stepped in and informed
them they were running illegal shows. Previously Rob Lynch confirmed
the shows were illegal and the sanctioning process has ground
to a halt. Here he talks about why these shows held off of Indian
land got as far as they did.
RL:
We don’t have the peace officer authority to take any action
so we’ll contact the local authorities and some times they
are co-operative and sometimes they’re not. They have bigger
crimes to fight than this.
KM:
Did somebody tip off the Athletic Commission or is this something
the Athletic Commission found out on their own? RL: We have our
sources. Plus they are all over the internet.
KM:
How many of these promotions have the Athletic Commission alerted
the local authorities about? RL: Venom was shut down. The venue
was very co-operative, the Olympic Auditorium. They were very
co-operative. Even the Venom promoters were co-operative. What
I had been doing in the past is I had been treating them as wrestling
exhibitions because the promoters would give me an advance notice
of whom was going to beat whom, so I knew in advance who the
winner was. I guess that’s not fair to the public because
they were advertising fights. To make a long story short the
Commission told me to stop doing that and put a cease and desist
order out on them.
KM:
Can you tell me when that cease and desist order was? What time
frame? RL: I got that direction at our last meeting which was
December 12th.
KM:
I think that was before that ESPN piece aired? RL: No, it was
after.
KM:
Is amateur legal? RL: No, that’s still full contact. We
did have one show here that was so underground you had to reserve
a ticket with your credit card, they would not tell you when
or where it was until the day of the event, and you had to leave
your phone number so they could tell you where it was. We sent
police to that one and they co-operated but (the police) were
so leary of the crowd they said ‘no thanks, we’re not
getting involved in this’. They also had one at a casino,
I’m sure the last one at that casino, where several people
got stabbed.
KM:
I’m trying to figure out what to project to the MMA community
about going forward at this time. RL: Tell them this commission
backs it 100%, we just have to jump through some hoops to get
it up and running.
KM:
If anybody was interested in helping with gaining support for
the next round of sanctioning in California who would they contact
and how would they go about trying to help? RL They should contact
me and I’ll tell them what to do. We’re all for it,
we’re 100% behind it. We just have to get regulations in
place before it can take place outside of tribal land.
KM:
How many promoters were going for that ‘pre-determined outcome’
strategy besides IFC, Venom, and Kage Kombat? RL: Kage Kombat
doesn’t. That’s the illegal shows in Los Angeles that
the police won’t help us on. We even had an injunction one
time from where he used to have them. We can’t get the authorities
to stop it so we’re going to try to get another injunction
on them.
KM:
Is that the only promoter that you haven’t been able to
stop? RL: Yep.
KM:
How should people contact you regarding helping with sanctioning?
RL: robert_lynch@dca.ca.gov
Source: ADCC
Catching
Up With PEDRO RIZZO
by Marcello Tetel
Word from Brazil is that UFC star Pedro Rizzo skipped the holiday
season, attending no parties, in order to get ready for his return
at UFC 41 in February.
When
you speak with Rizzo now, his focus is oriented only on fighting
and th job at hand! 'The Rock' stated 'I am aware of my opponent
Vladimir Matyushenkyo's wrestling skills and I am working hard
to avoid those takedowns.' Rizzo continued by saying I am training
even harder than when I fought Coleman'. Boxing trainer Claudio
Coelho confirms that he has never seen Pedro's hands so fast!
Be
on the lookout for Pedro Rizzo, who once again returns to the
Octagon, and is 'THE ROCK' is promising to come back aggressive
and focused!
Source: ADCC
NCAA
Division I Team Wrestling Rankings
Below are W.I.N. Magazine¹s NCAA Division I team wrestling
rankings. The rankings are formulated on input from coaches across
the country and by analyzing past results. Teams are ranked according
to placement potential at the NCAAs. To follow the weekly rankings
during the season, go to our website at WIN-magazine.com
W.I.N.¹s
Top Twenty-five
1.
Oklahoma State (1st)
2. Iowa (2nd)
3. Minnesota (3rd)
4. Oklahoma (4th)
5. Ohio State (5th)
6. Illinois (6th)
7. Lehigh (8th)
8. Michigan (7th)
9. West Virginia (9th)
10. Cornell (14th)
11. Arizona State (11th)
12. Nebraska (10th)
13. Iowa State (13th)
14. Central Michigan (15th)
15. Penn State (20th)
16. Missouri (12th)
17. Purdue (16th)
18. Northern Iowa (19th)
19. Michigan State (17th)
20. Hofstra (22nd)
21. Boise State (18th)
22. Wisconsin (21st)
23. Indiana (NR)
24. Cleveland State (24th)
25. Edinboro (25th)
Source: W.I.N Magazine
1/3/03
Quote
of the Day
"In business, you don't get what you deserve, you get what
you negotiate."
Chester L. Karrass
"Opportunity
is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and
looks like work."
Thomas Alva Edison
Human
Cock Fighting 101
By Thomas Gerbasi
There,
I got your attention.
For
all my colleagues in the boxing biz, I must say, 'wake up and
smell the handwraps' when it comes to their view of mixed martial
arts. Oh, they've been to the press conferences and the events,
in most cases forced by their various publications, and I've
heard the comments. I won't use names as to protect the guilty.
"I
feel embarrassed to be here," said one well-known boxing
scribe before attacking the press conference buffet.
"I
don't even want to watch that crap, let alone read about it,"
said another.
And
those are the kinder comments. In a sport full of overt and covert
corruption, deaths, and mainstream apathy, the fact that those
in boxing see mixed martial arts as beneath them, is shocking
in and of itself.
Now
I've straddled the line between both sports, and as part of a
younger generation of writers, I've seen some of my peers (such
as Doug Fischer, Jason Probst, Armando Alvarez, etc) come across
the pond into MMA. We followed the sport in the early days, may
have lost contact with it as it went off cable, but with it's
resurgence, we've found our way back - and with an open mind.
My
father loved both boxing and MMA when he was alive, and I know
he would have gotten a charge out of my first MMA gig, handling
editorial duties for Bruce Buffer's website. I was still getting
my feet wet in the sport when Bruce asked me to do a couple of
interviews for the upcoming UFC XXVIII show, the first in Atlantic
City.
Kevin
Randleman, who lost his title against Randy Couture that night,
seemed to be an interesting enough fellow for my first MMA interview.
Bruce gave me Mark Coleman's number, and I made my interview
request to "The Hammer". His first reply, was "good
luck," before giving me "The Monster"s phone number.
"He
doesn't answer the phone much, and if he does, have your pen
ready," advised Coleman.
With
that info in hand, I dialed Randleman's number and got his answering
machine. To my surprise, he called back. I asked him when a good
time would be for an interview and he asked me how much time
I needed. I told him I needed 15 minutes, and he told me I had
five. Okay. We ended up talking for a half hour, and I was sold
on MMA and its athletes.
But
I digress. The point is, if a hardened boxing writer ever sat
down and talked one on one with an MMA fighter, it would be impossible
to walk away unimpressed at the stories these fighters tell,
their dedication to their craft, and the hardships they've endured.
That
won't happen though. It's easier to be ignorant and insult what
you do not know. There have been mainstream stories about the
sport, but after the first few paragraphs, it's obvious that
the writers' have done little research on their topics and think
that the guard is the guy who lines up next to the tackle.
And
there is no solution. Just like drug addicts can't kick the habit
until they admit there's a problem, ignorance among politicians
and media will continue as long as they see the sport of MMA
as human cock fighting.
But
if you are of the aforementioned crew and have made it this far,
here are a couple of nuggets to think about.
Fatalities
- In a sport that is supposedly so violent, there has been one
fatality, Doug Dedge, and that was in an unsanctioned bout in
the Ukraine almost five years ago. Compare that to the bunch
of deaths and serious injuries in boxing every year. Safety has
been paramount to MMA organizations, and if you look at the sport
for any length of time, it's fairly obvious that in most cases,
a knockdown will produce a stoppage. There is no ten count that
gives a fighter time to rise and take more punishment. If a fighter
is down and dazed in MMA, the fight is over. So don't expect
to see too many punch drunk ex-MMA fighters to be stumbling through
life in 20-30 years.
Intelligence
- In contrast to the stereotypical perception that MMA fighters
fall off a bar stool and into the ring, these fighters are some
of the most intelligent athletes in the world, bar none. Many
have college sports backgrounds, and some have competed on a
world-class level in sports such as wrestling and Jiu-Jitsu.
Many practitioners are instructors, and I have yet to run into
one who is not a well-spoken, articulate representative of the
sport. And hey, they don't speak in clichés. And if you
doubt their intelligence for a minute, try competing in a sport
where one false move can have you either choked out or knocked
out within seconds.
Sanctioning
- If MMA was the useless, barbaric garbage some would have you
believe it is, why would two of the most respected athletic commissions
in the country, Nevada and New Jersey, sanction it? And both
didn't just sign some papers and walk away. Both commissions
have actively taken a part in watching the sport and implementing
safety measures to protect the fighters. Don't believe it? Look
at the case of Shonie Carter, where the welterweight contender
wasn't allowed to fight in a high-profile WFA bout in Nevada
because he failed an eye exam. I was examined before my New York
Golden Gloves bout in 1997 and passed, even though I can't see
two feet in front of me without glasses or contacts. The commission
doctor held a card two inches from my face and told me to read
the top line - E. In other words, the NY Commission gets an F
for safety.
Excitement
- If you cynics look at fights like Carter-Serra, Lawler-Riley,
Nogueira-Herring, or Newton-Pele and aren't impressed - you're
not breathing. Due to the lack of a steady stream of smaller
shows, the top athletes in the sport compete against each other
more often, sometimes on the same card. For your $30, a UFC pay
per view contains at least five quality fights. Your average
boxing pay per view contains the main event, and if you're lucky,
a decent co-feature. Do the math.
But
that's enough rambling. I'll leave you with this. As a rule,
journalists are expected to be objective, open-minded, and write
about the facts. That same rule should be applied to coverage
of mixed martial arts. And hey, if you don't like the sport and
don't want to cover it, fine. Just shut up, then. Ignorance is
bliss.
Just
for the hell of it - I present MMA's Five Best Interviewees
1 - Kevin Randleman
2 - Ken Shamrock
3 - Phil Baroni
4 - Jens Pulver
5 - Tito Ortiz / Frank Shamrock
Source: Maxfighting
Quick
talk with Rodrigo Gracie after Pride
Kid
caught up witht the ever moving Rodrigo Gracie after his win
over Yuki Sasaki in Pride 24 this past December 23rd in Japan.
As many of you recall, Rodrigo took the fight with less than
two weeks notice and went on to a unanimous decision over his
opponent, so we wanted to hear his opinion of the fight.
KP
- How did the fight go? RG - It was a war! I didn't fight the
way I wanted, the way I am capable of because I gassed after
the first round. In the first round I beat him up, but from then
on I got tired. I kept going for it but not the way I wanted
to. I didn't get a chance to train properly for it because of
the late notice but that is OK. I hadn't trained for a month
before the match, and then had to cram everything in a few days.
So I went into the fight wondering if I was going to get tired,
and I did, but I managed to fight through it.
KP
- And then? RG - If you watch the match, you don't think I do
Jiu-Jitsu, you will think that I am from Chuteboxe team as I
laid some leather on him. In the second and third rounds of the
fight I slowed down, because he was very defensive and I was
tired.
KP
- So you hit him pretty good? RG- I smacked him in the face a
few times pretty solid, I surprised myself with those punches.
I think it intimidated him and made him even more defensive.
KP
- Did you enter as the 'Changeman' RG - Of course I did! It is
my 'alter-ego' in Japan. I entered the arena singing and dancing
the steps to the 'Changeman' tune!
KP
- Singing in Japanese? RG - Yes of course, but there was a small
problem. I forgot my white mouthpiece and all I had there was
a black one, so to the cameras and the stadium it looked as if
I was toothless. It was ridiculous, when I saw the tape I went:
'Oh No!'. I saw several people in the audience laughing at this,
but it is all part of the show!
KP
- So who will be your next opponent? Bob Sapp? RG - (Laughs hard)
No, I want someone harder than that! (laughes even harder) What!
You want to kill me!?!? Sapp is huge, they should match him with
Tom Ericson or something. For me, I just want to get back in
the ring and continue to fight. I want to thank Pride for thinking
of me and all my training partners and instructors for all the
help.
Source: ADCC/Kid Peligro
ROB
LYNCH - California State Athletic Commission
by: Keith Mills
As
reported recently, several shows in California have recently
been shut down by request of the California Athletic Commission,
including the IFC and Venom. In part one of this interview with
Rob Lynch, the Executive Officer of the California Athletic Commission,
the issue of the current legal status of MMA was addressed.
Shows
held on Indian reservations including King Of The Cage and Gladiator
Challenge are not illegal because those territories are sovereign
nations. Soboba Casino, Eagle Mountain, and Colusa Casino are
perfectly legitimate venues and their shows are in no way jeopardized,
so Gladiator Challenge 13 on February 9th is still going to happen.
We
started on the subject of the shows which were scheduled to be
held off of Indian reservations.
RL:
Yes, those events are illegal in California.
KM:
I was talking to a local promoter whose shows recently were shut
down and I was wondering if this was a result of ESPN airing
that Behind The Lines…
RL
I’ll give you the whole background. About two and a half
years ago we never knew mixed martial arts even existed. We do
have regulations in California that cover martial arts but unfortunately
it’s kickboxing. The fouls that you can’t use in kickboxing
are prominent ways to win a fight in mixed martial arts such
as choke holds. Anyway, since we didn’t know anything about
it we formed a mixed martial arts advisory committee and it took
us two years to develop regulations which were suitable to the
industry and in California you have to go through a lot of processes
to get regulations approved. It was supported by the (California
Athletic) Commission and in addition to the regulations we were
requesting an additional $500,000 to regulate it with the justification
it would bring in close to a million dollars a year. Anyway,
the funding request was turned down by the administration which
in turn the regulations were disapproved. As it stands right
now yep, they’re illegal.
KM:
Last I heard around the time MMA was sanctioned in New Jersey
and Nevada the word out was a bill was passed in California but
the Governor refused to sign it which led us in the MMA press
and the fans to think it might just be a matter of time.
RL:
There was no bill or legislation whatsoever. It was just that
our regulations were disapproved. I wouldn’t want to come
out and say the Governor did it because I’m not sure that
he did. I don’t know who did it. It didn’t get as far
as the Governor. Our funding request was denied by the administration
and as a result the regulations were disapproved.
KM:
Part of my perspective on this is trying to figure out if these
shows and the recent cancellations in any way jeopardized any
speculative future of the sport in California.
RL:
No, we’re going to try to do regulations again which we
hope to present them as not a new program.
Stay
tuned for more news and opinions on this quickly developing issue
as several key people work on starting the sanctioning process
up again in the most populated state and largest consumer market.
Source: ADCC
A
Year-End Review of the Big Two
By Jeremy Norrie
Some
thought the UFC wouldn't last past 2002 after the slow beginning
in September of 2001 with UFC 33. Victory in Vegas was the first
battle of what could have easily been the end, but now after
UFC 40, and the largest event ever held at the MGM Grand, the
world of MMA has never been in a better place. This past year
of 2002 has now come and gone, with the last Pride event Cold
Fury 3 (Pride 24) in the can. We the fans of MMA look towards
the next year with wondrous thoughts of what might be the still
to come. Surely this time last year we never would have expected
this year to be the year MMA may come into the mainstream as
a recognized legitimate sport.
The
Victory in Vegas show was more than a year ago, but many people
in MMA mark that as the point from which the UFC started to turn
things around. Sure the event itself was plagued with decisions,
but within that came the knowledge of what would make for a successful
show and a successful year. Only months after UFC 33 the MGM
Grand played host to a much more successful event in UFC 34,
the highlight being Carlos Newton and Matt Hughes, a match that
is still talked about. The fans were showing what they enjoyed
and now it was up to the fighters to deliver and the promotions
to set it up.
While
the UFC had been surging with new interest, Pride FC in Japan
had also been doing its share of competition. Pride 17 was a
very eventful card for the Japanese promotion, many of their
previous up and coming stars had fallen, while new champions
had emerged with Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira being awarded the first
Heavyweight Champion belt in Pride FC. This year was an amazing
one for Pride, with their Heavyweight champion successfully defending
his title 5 times against unbelievable opponents. 2002 had also
brought us a new challenger, Bob Sapp, one of the largest men
to enter the sport in years weighing in at a remarkable 350 plus
pounds. Though it was an impressive debut, he was defeated by
the current champion but has proceeded to succeed in Pride and
in K1 with various Knockouts and TKO's. Pride also brought us
the first of two fantastic grudge matches that would take place
this year, Don Frye vs Ken Shamrock.
Frye
vs Shamrock was very anticipated and in February of 2002 we saw
them go head to head in what many have said was each respected
fighter's greatest fight since their individual returns to MMA.
Don however, emerged the winner, but Ken would be the one who
would participate in the biggest battle in years, but that was
much later. The year in Pride FC would also add the unfortunate
finishing touches to a fine fighter's career, Igor Vovchanchyn,
who continued his unfortunate losing streak randomly throughout
the course. Previously Wanderlei Silva had many of the fan's
watching and waiting to see who he would viciously beat or who
could possibly beat him, but many of his fans have lost interest
due to the poor opponents he has faced throughout this year.
In an unexpected turn of events, Murillo Rua returned to Pride
FC to continue what was a very impressive record by defeating
Mario Sperry, but unfortunately it came to a quick end. For Rua
and his Chute Boxe team, this turned out to be a very strange
year mixed with a bit of success and a bit disappointment. Pele
would leave Chute Boxe and Murillo has suffered 2 loses since
then. Both of his opponents have become well known, Ricardo Arona
and Kevin Randleman. Each made 2002 a successful year respectively,
Arona has become the new #1 contender for the Pride Light Heavyweight
Belt while Kevin Randleman isn't too far behind after his recent
success since his return to MMA.
Meanwhile
back in the UFC, the Heavyweight title changed hands not once
but twice, and for the first time the UFC also encountered the
Nevada State Athletic Commission who made allegations of steroid
use by Josh Barnett. Also for the first time a UFC Champion was
striped of his belt. That pushes us ahead to Ricco Rodriguez
the current champion, who has had a blessed year in the UFC fighting
4 times since Victory in Vegas and winning all four matches.
In one of the last shows this year, Ricco won his belt from Randy
Couture marking a new champion for 2003. In another controversy
from earlier in the year, Jens Pulver, who at that time was the
current Lightweight champion, split with the UFC and moved on
to another promotion. This marked what would be the current problem
facing fighters at the end of this year, the possibility that
holding a championship belt will not be enough to secure a contract
in the current organizations. Despite the loss, the UFC went
on, bringing us possibly the greatest new fighter to enter, Genki
Sudo as well as holding a lightweight tournament between some
of the more experienced UFC competitors. The remaining shows
turned out to be huge successes with new matches proving to be
spectacular, new stars emerged and the UFC had earned the right
to the first MMA bout ever televised for "Free". The
bout would be featured on The Best Damn Sports Show Period while
the surrounding event went weeks before it was ever broadcast.
A
new star, Robbie Lawler, was chosen as the fighter to feature
with an impressive battle between himself and Steve Berger. A
fantastic Knockout and a huge success for the UFC, now the next
goal was to get something on television displaying more of the
other fighters and fights. The UFC was able to get a variety
of the two placed on two successive shows entitled, Tuesday Night
Fights. While this was a success, the televised MMA fights were
over for this year and the whole focus of the MMA world went
into the biggest event ever held in North America, UFC 40 Vendetta.
Sure other fighters and other fights were happening at all times,
Matt Hughes had great success this year as well as BJ Penn and
Murillo Bustamante, but the truth was that everything was now
out shadowed by the signing of a bout pitting former UFC Legend
Ken Shamrock against new superstar Tito Ortiz. The other fights
surrounding this event were of equal quality and not only the
fans, but the whole world awaited the final UFC show for 2002.
Needless to say, it was the greatest success that the UFC has
ever seen. As the event has now come and gone, the fight world
has been swept up with a whirlwind of glitz and glamour. Now
the UFC may be in the position where they could soon move up
to a level of recognition previously unheard of in MMA. Pride
has held it's final show for this year and soon will be coming
to America as well, attempting to receive similar acclaim, all
the while this is leaving we the audience with huge questions
about what is left to come.
There
are so many other organizations preparing for this next year,
while the old familiar ones are also gearing up as well. We may
not even know who will face Rodriguez in the next UFC but we
do know that there is a huge new audience. While fighters and
organizations are battling it out for the best results, we the
fans can stay encouraged that this will all work out well for
us. The next year will most likely be as unpredictable as this
previous year, with great fights and new fighters arising at
all times. Maybe even the return of some of the old favorites,
2003 will certainly be a new year with new goals and as unbelievable
as it sounds, UFC 40 will eventually be outsold. This next year
may be the year MMA fights and fighters finally receive the respect
and recognition they have always deserved. All I know is that
I will be watching and waiting with wide eyes, and I hope you
are too.
Source: Sherdog
1/2/03
Quote
of the Day
"A ship in harbor is safe -- but that is not what ships
are for."
John A. Shedd
"Love
does not consist in gazing at each other but in looking outward
together in the same direction."
Antoine de Saint-Exupery
Extreme
8-man event full of Midwest talent
DAVENPORT,
Iowa -- After a pair of wildly successful 'talent-finding' heavyweight
tournaments, promoters T.Jay Thompson and Monte Cox have turned
their attention to the middleweight division.
'It
just seems like the middleweight division isn't as stacked in
the UFC as the other divisions,' said Thompson, promoter of Super
Brawl. 'So, we thought we could give some up-and-coming middleweights
some solid exposure with another set of tournaments.'
The
middleweight tourneys are set up similar to last year's 'Return
of the Heavyweights' event. There will be two qualifying 8-man
events -- the first on Feb. 8 in Davenport, Iowa; and the second
on Feb. 23 in Salt Lake City, Utah. The top two finishers in
each event will advance to the 8-man tourney Finals, which will
be held May 9 in Honolulu, Hawaii.
Two
previous heavyweight tournaments produced 10 fighters who went
on to fight on Pay-Per-View in the Ultimate Fighting Championship
or Pride events.
'One
thing I learned very quickly... there is no shortage of middleweights
around the country,' said Monte Cox, promoter of Extreme Challenge.
'There may be a shortage or known middleweights, but we're going
to help that situation.'
The
lineup for the Feb. 8 event, Extreme Challenge 49, includes talent
from all over the Midwest and Canada.
'This
will be an exciting event... I've talked to 10 people and gotten
all different ideas on who they think will win it,' Cox said.
'The tournaments like this are fun because you don't know what
to expect... somebody always puts it all together and gives their
career a boost.'
Last
year's heavyweight event was won by Tim Sylvia of the Miletich
Fighting Systems. After his victory, Sylvia made his UFC debut
and is now fighting Ricco Rodriguez for the UFC heavyweight championship
on Feb. 28.
The
lineup for the Feb. 23 Utah event will be announced soon.
TOURNAMENT
Bracket A
Fight 1: Jay Buck vs. Joe Doerksen
Fight 2: Kyle Jensen vs. Dennis Reed
TOURNAMENT
Bracket B
Fight 3: Johnathan Goulet vs. Jason Rigsby
Fight 4: Brandan Seguin vs. Leo Sylvest
Alternate
bout:
Fight 5: Kurt Illemann vs. Forrest Petz
Tourney
semifinals:
Fight 6: Fight 1 winner vs. Fight 2 winner
Fight 7: Fight 3 winner vs. Fight 4 winner
Feature
bout:
Fight 8: 'Pain' Peters vs. Jason Medina
Early
reports are that Antonio Inoki is claiming over 35,000 in paid
attendance for his annual Bom-Ba-Ye show. The show was considered
a success from all aspects but the bizarre blend of pro wrestling
and MMA was evident once again.
Nakamura,
of New Japan Pro Wrestling reportedly did well against Daniel
Gracie, but lacked experience. After the fight Gracie acknowledged
Nakamura's potential.
In
a strange twist, Wallid Ismail called out Rickson Gracie and
said that his alleged winning streak of over 400 would come to
an end. He then went from fighting Rickson Gracie to saying he
wants to join pro wrestling for New Japan Pro Wrestling! Typical
Wallid!
Brian
'The Miracle' Johnston returned to an incredible ovation to be
in the corner of Fujita. You may recall Johnston, a UFC stand
out from the early days, has been recovering the ability to walk,
after an extended medical battle. Unfortunately, Mirko Cro-Cop
ended up winning a solid judges decision, scoring the most telling
blows of the match damaging leg kicks.
The
Japanese continue to pump up Yoshida as the 'next big thing.'
Yoshida vs. Sakuraba could be the biggest match in Japanese history,
if done right. This would obviously be down the road in late
2003 or 2004. They would have to keep Yoshida undefeated as well.
Bob
Sapp again remained on top, winning with an armbar. Yes, an armbar
from a 300 lb. man. Already, there is talk of Sapp vs. Goodridge
as a potential fight in an upcoming Pride.
Source: ADCC
1/1/03 Happy
New Year!
Quote
of the Day
"You will never find time for anything. If you want time
you must make it."
Charles Buxton
"I
am always willing to learn, however I do not always like to be
taught."
Winston Churchill
Inoki
Bom-Ba-Ye 2002 - K-1 vs. Inoki Results
December 31, 2002
Saitama Super Arena, Saitama, Japan
Jan
Nortje def Tadao Yasuda via TKO (Injury) at 0:57 in Round 2
Daniel Gracie def Shinsuke Nakamura via Submission (Armlock)
at 2:14 in Round 2
Wallid Ismail def Yasuhito Namekawa via Decision (Unanimous)
at 5:00 after 3 rounds
Mirko Filipovic def Kazuyuki Fujita via Decision (Unanimous)
at 5:00 after 3 rounds
Hidehiko Yoshida def Masaaki Satake via Submission (Neck Lock)
at 0:50 in Round 1
Bob Sapp def Yoshihiro Takayama via Submission (Armbar) at 2:16
1 in Round
Source: Shedog
Kaos
Full-Contact Challenge Results
I am waiting on confirmation of one fighter's name before releasing
the results, so hang tight!
MaxFighting's
Fighter of the Year: 2002
By Josh Gross
From
extreme highs to abyssal lows, the roller coaster ride that was
2002 is now in our rear view mirror. And it’s time to reflect
on the year that was. The past twelve months bore witness to
a multitude of explosive fights and amazing performances: Jens
Pulver’s textbook display against BJ Penn in January; Antonio
Rodrigo Nogueira’s August win for the ages versus Bob Sapp;
and Takanori Gomi’s reaffirmation as SHOOTO flag bearer
in mid-December all come to mind.
As
the calendar thinned so too did the list of fighters whose achievements
would warrant a chance at Fighter of the Year accolades. After
the dust settled it was quite clear that several deserving mixed
martial artists stood out from the crowd. So, on this final day
of 2002, it’s time to unveil MaxFighting’s award for
Fighter of the Year.
Chosen
from a list of ten candidates -- Chuck Liddell; Antonio Rodrigo
Nogueira; Matt Hughes; Murilo Bustamante; Takanori Gomi; Ricardo
Arona; Ricco Rodriguez; Bob Sapp; Vanderlei Silva; Robbie Lawler
-- MaxFighting’s staff each picked their top five fighters.
For
the second year in a row, Brazilian phenom and PRIDE heavyweight
champion Antonio Rodrigo “Minotauro” Nogueira was awarded
with Fighter of the Year honors. In 2001 he shared the distinction
with UFC light heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz, but this year
the trophy is his alone. The next two men closest in balloting
were Matt Hughes and Chuck Liddell.
Five
victories, all via stoppage or submission, propelled Nogueira,
19-1-1, to the top of MaxFighting’s pound-for-pound rankings
during the past year. Decisive wins over Enson Inoue (rendered
unconscious from a triangle choke), Sanae Kikuta (KO), Semmy
Schilt (tapout from triangle choke) and Dan Henderson (verbal
submission from armbar) left little doubt that Nogueira is the
most technical big man MMA has ever seen.
But
it was his least technical fight that brought him the most notoriety.
A late-summer battle versus six-foot-three, 370-pound Bob Sapp
allowed the world to learn more about “Minotauro” than
any of his previous fights could have shown. For fourteen minutes
Nogueira did all he could to survive Sapp’s onslaught, including
a near disastrous collision of his head to the mat early in the
fight. Through it all the champion stayed calm, believing that
in the end he would prevail. And that’s just what happened.
With Sapp tiring, Nogueira slapped a fight-finishing armbar as
close to 90,000 Japanese fans roared their approval. It was the
moment of 2002.
Runner-up
Matt Hughes, 29-3, had an equally impressive year. Stopping Hayato
“Mach” Sakurai (at the time considered by many as top
three pound-for-pound in the world), Carlos Newton and Gil Castillo,
Hughes 2002 campaign was the best of his career. Improved skills
on the feet along with a maturing submission game allowed the
Illinois-bred and Iowa-trained fighter to utilize his most effective
tools -- strength and wrestling -- to a point where his competitors
had absolutely no hope of mounting any sort of capable attack.
The
ballots broke down like this:
Thomas
Gerbasi -- Editor in Chief
1. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
2. Matt Hughes
3. Ricco Rodriguez
4. Chuck Liddell
5. Murilo Bustamante
Nogueira's epic win over Bob Sapp should have been enough to
earn him not only top honors for 2002, but a long rest. Yet "Minotauro"
fought twice more in 2002, scoring submission wins over Dan Henderson
and Semmy Schilt, no pushovers. Toss in early 2002 wins over
Enson Inoue and Sanae Kikuta, and this is a no-brainer. 5-0 for
the year, and he finished every one of his fights. Nogueira =
Fighter of the Year.
Josh
Gross -- Co-Editor
1. Matt Hughes
2. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
3. Chuck Liddell
4. Murilo Bustamante
5. Takanori Gomi
The race between “Minotauro” and Hughes for Fighter
of the Year honors couldn’t have been any closer in 2002.
Strong arguments could be made for both, but I feel Hughes is
deserving because he took the best his weight division could
offer (Hayato Sakurai, Carlos Newton and Gil Castillo) and dismantled
each on his way to dominating victories. In 2002 Hughes clearly
established himself as the premier welterweight in the world,
and for that reason I feel he deserves to be called MaxFighting’s
2002 Fighter of the Year.
Joe
Hall -- Columnist
1. Matt Hughes
2. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
3. Chuck Liddell
4. Murilo Bustamante
5. Ricco Rodriguez
Matt Hughes narrowly edges out Rodrigo Nogueira for my 2002 Fighter
of the Year. Although "Minotauro" won five fights to
Hughes' three, two of his wins were against undersized opponents
(Kikuta and Henderson) and two other victories came against adversaries
who are a fair distance from the heavyweight top-10 (Inoue and
Schilt). Nogueira's slaying of Bob Sapp was an especially dramatic
triumph and the topper to an incredible year for the best heavyweight
in the sport, but it falls short of Hughes' dominance at 170
pounds. The UFC welterweight champion separated himself from
the pack in 2002, twice defending his title against the next
best welterweights in the world and then defending against another
top-10 fighter. Not only did Hughes finish Sakurai, Newton and
Castillo, he dominated them, and that's why he is the Fighter
of the Year.
Jake
Rossen -- Columnist
1. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
Need I even elaborate? In 2001, Nogueira entered the full-bore
MMA scene with huge wins over Mark Coleman and Heath Herring,
all preceded by the customary dismantling of Pride gatekeeper
Big Daddy Goodridge. As 2002 rolled around, he wasn't here to
begin his legacy as the most dominant heavyweight we've ever
seen, but to cement it.
Early
on, it appeared Japanese bookers were going to disappoint us:
Enson Inoue was no longer an active fighter and succumbed without
too much trouble; the smaller Sanae Kikuta didn't even belong
in the same ring with him. But summer ushered in Nogueira's finest
moments of the year: the systematic dismantling of the massive
Bob Sapp, not only a beast of a man at 375 pounds, but equipped
with beasts of cornermen in Josh Barnett and Matt Hume; the submission
of Semmy Schilt, a King of Pancrase and another fighter of unwieldy
proportions; and finally, the avenging of his sole loss in MMA,
to Dan Henderson. While the two were competitive in RINGS, time
has brought Nogueira's talents to the surface, and the weight
differential certainly didn't hurt.
If
Nogueira continues on his charted course, 2003 should see further
defenses against the likes of Emelianenko Fedor and Josh Barnett.
I have a strong feeling we'll all get the sense of deja vu in
this same space next year.
2.
Matt Hughes
Used to be that any announcement of a Miletich Fighting Systems
fighter would elicit groans from the hardened spectators. "Win
at any cost" seemed to be the mantra, with sprawl and stall
being the religion. Not anymore. Miletich himself was the first
to loosen up, and his students followed.
Hughes
allowed himself to literally explode this year: he started with
a TKO victory over Hayato Sakurai, becoming the first to accomplish
such a feat. That was followed by another win over Carlos Newton,
with Newton getting pummeled mercilessly in answer to the controversy
surrounding their first bout. He finished by handing Gil Castillo
only his second loss in competition. Although an illegal headbutt
seemed to stop the contest prematurely, there was little doubt
as to what was to follow. Sean Sherk, Frank Trigg, and Dennis
Hallman are waiting in the wings. After that, a move up to 185
seems to be the most interesting choice. Hughes recently made
mention of wanting to fight Tank Abbott. He's the only welterweight
that could make you believe him.
3.
Chuck Liddell
Tito Ortiz looked ferocious in his utter destruction of Ken Shamrock.
Yet I still feel it's Liddell who is the uncrowned champion of
the light heavyweights. While Ortiz nursed a torn ACL for much
of the year, it was Liddell who stayed busy, taking care of Amar
Suloev and Vitor Belfort by decision and KOing the solid Renato
Sobral. The inevitable '03 contest between Liddell and Ortiz
should put this issue to rest. I'd pick a winner, but it all
depends on which day you ask.
4.
Murilo Bustamante
You know you've got fans when the name calling starts after a
botched business deal. Bustamante appears to be headed for (financially)
greener pastures in Japan after he and the UFC failed to come
to an agreement. Before the negotiations started, Busta took
a place as one of the few to knock out Dave Menne, which won
him the UFC middleweight belt. He defended it in grand style
by literally having to beat Olympic Silver medallist Matt Lindland
twice in the same bout: a referee mix-up allowed the match to
continue after Lindland was seemingly stuck in an armbar. Many
fighters would have allowed their anger and frustration to cloud
their strategy: Busta just kept on going, right on through to
another submission, this time for the victory. He may not be
the biggest guy in the game, but his heart-for-size ratio is
the best around.
5.
Bob Sapp
Your NFL career is stalled. You're 375 pounds of muscle. Where
to go? Japan, of course.
Sapp
is perhaps the biggest thing going there, literally and figuratively.
The Japanese seem to be fascinated by large Gaijin throwing around
their native athletes, and the "Beast" is all too happy
to give the people what they want. He made quick work of Norihisa
Yamamoto and Kiyoshi Tamura in bouts of highly questionable matchmaking.
That was followed by his star making turn as the caged animal
unleashed on Antonio Nogueira. Slots in K-1 cemented his place
as the combat sports' biggest attraction. For those who say Sapp
is simply an overgrown anomaly who relies only on size, I say:
there's room enough for everyone.
Jason
Probst -- Contributor
1. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
2. Murilo Bustamante
3. Chuck Liddell
4. Matt Hughes
5. Ricco Rodriguez
Anybody that beats a monster like Sapp in the fashion he did
embodies what the spirit of MMA is all about. Nogueira continues
to impress and we can only hope he and Barnett hook up soon.
John
Hanlon -- Contributor
1. Matt Hughes
2. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
3. Chuck Liddell
4. Murilo Bustamante
5. Vanderlei Silva
In 2002, Matt Hughes' complete dominance of three quality opponents
(Sakurai, Newton, Castillo) gives him my vote for fighter of
the year. His striking skills have blossomed as seen in his fight
with “Mach.” His ground control was brilliant against
the superb Newton. Matt Hughes has become a complete MMA fighter
with his only threat being...himself.
Ryan
Graham -- Contributor
1. Antonio Rodrigo "Minotauro" Nogueira
2. Matt Hughes
3. Chuck Liddell
4. Takanori Gomi
5. Murilo Bustamante
“Minotauro” is an easy pick. He dismantled everyone
he fought, taking on five tough opponents and finishing them
all. His armbar victory over the massive Bob Sapp in August is
a candidate for fight of the year. “Minotauro” secured
his spot atop my pound for pound list and is my pick for fighter
of the year. It's difficult to see him losing any time soon.
Peter
Lockley -- Photographer
1. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
2. Chuck Liddell
3. Matt Hughes
4. Bob Sapp
5. Robbie Lawler
Nogueira has fought five times this year against five very game
opponents and he has submitted or KO'd them all. His almost immortal
victory over Bob Sapp is nearly enough to land him the fighter
of the year spot by itself. He is the best pound for pound fighter
in the world right now and he continues to improve at an unbelievable
rate.
