January News Part 1
Quote
of the Day
"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!
Dustin
Ware
Assistant Coordinator
www.gracieworlds.com
Source: Dustin Ware |
Quote
of the Day
"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 |
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 |
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
Source:
HBO |
UFC
40: VENDETTA TOPS NEVADA FIGHT ATTENDANCE!!!
by: Josh Hedges
RANKS THIRD FOR ALL U.S. FIGHTS IN 2002
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)
Open-weight
the 9th Open-weight K.O.P. Semmy Schilt (Holland/Golden Glory)
#1 Yuki Kondo (PANCRASEism)
#2 Yoshiki Takahashi (PANCRASEism)
#3 Kiuma Kunioku (PANCRASEism)
#4 KEI Yamamiya (PANCRASEism)
#5 Sanae Kikuta (Pancrase GRABAKA)
#6 Tim Lajcik (U.S.A./Gladiators Training Academy)
#7 Osami Shibuya (PANCRASEism)
#8 Katsuhisa Fujii (UFO)
#9 Ron Waterman (U.S.A./Colorado Stars)
#10 Jun Ishii (Chojin Club) *IN!
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 |
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:
http://www.hbo.com/docs/programs/thesmashingmachine/.
Source:
ADCC |
|
Mario
Sperry and PRO WRESTLING
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 |
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.
|