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9/25/04
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7/24/04
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6/20/04
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May
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Bushido 3
(MMA)
(Yokohama Arena, Japan)
5/7/04
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5
(MMA)
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5/2/04
Ring of Honor 5
(Sub Grappling)
(Campbell H.S. Gym)
4/30/04
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in Paradise 3
(MMA)
(Campbell H.S. Gym)
4/25/04
Pride Heavyweight
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(MMA)
(Japan)
4/24 /04
Warriors
of the Ring 6
(MMA)
(Wailuku, Maui)
5th Hawaiian Champioships of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
(BJJ)
(Honolulu, HI)
4/18/04
The Pride of Martial Arts Tournament
(Sport
Jiujitsu, G3 Kickboxing, Extreme Sparring & Submission Grappling)
(Kam H.S. Gym)
4/16/04
Super
Brawl 35
(MMA)
(Blaisdell Arena)
4/9/04
Ring
of Honor 4
( Kickboxing/MMA)
(Campbell H.S. Gym)
4/3-4/04
Pan American BJJ
Tournament
(BJJ)
(California State University Gym, Dominguez Hills, Carson (Los
Angeles), CA)
4/3/04
Kickin' It
(Kickboxing)
(Palama Settlement Gym)
4/2/04
UFC
47
(MMA)
(Las Vegas, NV)
3/28/04
Super
Brawl 34
(MMA)
(Maui War Memorial Gymnasium, Wailuku, Maui)
3/26/04
Shooto Hawaii 2
(MMA)
(Campbell H.S. Gym)
|
|
March 2004 News
Part 3
Wednesday
night and Sunday classes (w/ a kids' class) now offered!
 
For the special Onzuka.com
price, click on one of these banners above! |
Tuesdays at 6:00PM on
Olelo Channel 52 |
Quote
of the Day
"Within you right now is the power to do things you never
dreamed possible. This power becomes available to you just as
soon as you can change your beliefs."
Dr. Maxwell Maltz, American Plastic Surgeon, Author of ''Psycho-Cybernetics''
|
2004
Pan-Ams Schedule
2004
Pan-Am Schedule
Friday
- 02/04
14:00
Rules meeting
14:30
Blue belt adult - Rooster, Super Feather, Feather
15:00
Blue belt adult - Light
16:40
Blue belt adult - Middle, Medium Heavy
18:00
Blue belt adult – Heavy, Super Heavy, SuperSuper Heavy
Saturday
- 03/04
09:00
Rules meeting
09:30
Blue belt master - Rooster, Super Feather, Feather, Light, Middle,
Medium Heavy
10:30
Blue belt master – Heavy, Super Heavy, SuperSuper Heavy
11:00
Blue belt Senior I – Rooster to SuperSuper Heavy
11:30
Blue belt Senior II and III – Rooster to SuperSuper Heavy
12:00
Purple belt Master – Rooster to SuperSuper Heavy
12:30
Purple belt Senior I, II and III – Rooster to SuperSuper
Heavy
Blue belt Master – Open Class
Blue belt Senior I, II and III – Open Class
13:00
Brown belt Master – All divisions
Brown belt Senior I, II and III – All divisions
Sunday
- 04/04
09:00
Rules meeting
09:30
Brazil x USA
11:00
Blue belt Juvenile – Rooster to SuperSuper Heavy
11:30
Purple belt adult – Rooster, Super Feather, Feather, Light
12:30
Purple belt adult – Middle
13:00
Purple belt adult – Medium Heavy, Heavy
13:30
Purple belt adult – Super Heavy, SuperSuper Heavy
15:00
Black belt adult – Rooster to SuperSuper Heavy
16:30
Brown belt adult – Rooster, Super Feather, Feather, Light,
Middle, Medium Heavy
17:00
Brown belt adult – Heavy, Super Heavy, SuperSuper Heavy
Black belt master – Rooster to SuperSuper Heavy
Black belt senior I, II and III – Rooster to SuperSuper
Heavy
18:00
Blue belt adult FEMALE – All divisions
Purple/Brown/Black FEMALE – All divisions
18:30
Black belt master – Open Class
Black belt senior I, II and III – Open Class
Source: ADCC |
'PANCRASE
2004 BRAVE TOUR' - Complete Results!
'PANCRASE
2004 BRAVE TOUR'
Monday,March 29th, 2004
Korakuen Hall (Tokyo,Japan)
Live Gate: 2,300
Amateur
Match #1 / Pancrase Gate lightweight 2x5 min rounds
NUKINPO! (P's LAB Tokyo) def. Mitsuo Matsumoto (Gracie Barra
VTT Otori) by arm bar at 1R 3:23
Amateur
Match #2 / Pancrase Gate lightweight 2x5 min rounds
Taku Aramaki (P's LAB Yokohama) drew Naoki Yoshimura (Team K.I.B.A.)
at full time limit
Pro-Match
#1 / light heavyweight 2x5 min rounds
Yukiya Naito (A-3) def. Mitsuyoshi Sato (Pancrase GRABAKA) by
triangle choke at 1R 3:30
Pro-Match
#2 / middleweight 2x5 min rounds
Hidehiko Hasegawa (middleweight 7th ranked/SK Absolute) drew
Seiki Ryo (STAND) by 0-0-3 draw judges decision at full time
limit
Pro-Match
#3 / middleweight 3x5 min rounds
Hikaru Sato (PANCRASEism) def. Yuichi Nakanishi (middleweight
9th
ranked/freelance) by 2-0-1 majority judges decision at full time
limit
Pro-Match
#4 / middleweight 3x5 min rounds
Eiji Ishikawa (middleweight 6th ranked/Pancrase GRABAKA) def.
Satoru
Kitaoka (PANCRASEism) by 3-0-0 unanimous judges decision at full
time limit
Pro-Match
#5 / light heavyweight 3x5 min rounds
David Terrell (light heavyweight 6th ranked/U.S.A./Cesar Gracie
Academy) def. Osami Shibuya (light heavyweight 9th ranked/PANCRASEism)
by Heath choke at 1R 3:04
Semifinal
/ super heavyweight 3x5 min rounds
Keigo Takamori (superheavyweight 4th ranked/Pancrase MEGATON)
def. Jun Ishii (super heavyweight 6th ranked/Chojin Club) by
standing punch KO at 1R 0:40
Main
Event / light heavyweight 3x5 min rounds
Yuki Kondo (3rd light heavyweight K.O.P./PANCRASEism) def. Steve
Heath (U.S.A./Cesar Gracie Academy) by choke sleeper at 1R 4:01
Source: ADCC |
Profile:
Travis Wiuff Part 1
As
unassuming as a man who packs a solid 250 pounds on his 6’2
frame can be, the mild-mannered Travis Wiuff lets his alter-ego
out when he transforms into fighter mode. The quiet Midwesterner
turns up the volume and lets his actions do his talking stepping
in the ring nearly 50 times in under 3 years. Wiuff has not only
transformed his body into a new, lean champion prospect, but
his mind as well. Now under the management of Monte Cox, the
26-year-old is no longer a $200 weekend fighter. Born and raised
in Owantonna, Minnesota, Wiuff was a typical kid growing up,
collecting football cards, playing football, baseball and wrestling.
The avid video game player now makes Rochester, Minnesota, home.
JC:
How did you come to train in MMA? TW: I’ve always stuck
with my background, which is wrestling. The biggest advantage
has been the cross training to learn different techniques. I
definitely am a stubborn person where I don’t like to try
a lot of new things. I feel in this day and age in this sport
you cannot be one-dimensional. You have to have some striking
experience, some ground experience. You can’t just rely
on one thing. I think to be in this sport you need to be more
open minded.
JC:
When did you start training in MMA? TW: When I first started
fighting I was strictly a wrestler. I can remember times when
my corner had to remind me to keep my hands up because all I
was doing was looking for the takedown, getting on top and grounding
‘n pounding. Now I feel a lot more comfortable standing
and trading with my opponent, but I would say probably within
the last 6 months that I started to feel more comfortable standing
and striking.
JC:
Why is that? TW: A lot of it is actually sparring with Dave Menne.
You learn to keep your hands up when he is jabbing you in the
face. You learn to move your head a little bit, so a lot of it
is actually sparring.
JC:
What is the name of your fight team? TW: It’s Team Extreme.
It has taken me a while to get use to that.
JC:
Where do you train? TW: I haven’t been down to Pat’s
(Miletich Fighting Systems) since I fought in the UFC. I make
it up to Dave’s (Menne) school about 2 to 3 times a week.
It’s about a 1.5 hour drive for me, but it’s worth
it.
JC:
Do you train outside of Dave’s? TW: Absolutely. I train
6 days a week here in town. I have 2 or 3 really good athletes
that have wrestled in the past and have fought a few shows, and
they’re kind of at the same place I was in the beginning.
They work out with me and they push me. They help me a ton. There
is a boxing gym here, and there are a couple of good amateur
heavyweights, so occasionally I’ll spar with them. Then
I do a ton of running, which helps my cardio.
JC:
That’s a good mix. TW: I do a lot of different things. I
do biometrics, spinning class, which is a really tough workout,
running hills, and I lift, but not as much weight.
JC:
What is a typical training day for you training for a fight?
TW: A typical day when I am training for a fight is some kind
of cardio activity in the morning. Either running, or hitting
pads, working on my striking, rolling with the guys, and then
at night I’ll do some type of lifting, then I’ll do
more cardio.
JC:
What is your fighting style today? TW: At the point I’m
at right now I still consider myself a wrestler. I think in time
when I get more comfortable with my striking and standing with
my opponent I may consider myself more a freestyle fighter, but
right now, I’m still just a wrestler.
JC:
When was your first fight? TW: November 2001.
JC:
How did it go? TW: It went well. It was a local bar show. I know
my opponent had no training. I finished him in less then 0:30
seconds.
JC:
And you took this fight coming straight out of wrestling? TW:
I went from straight wrestling to stepping into the ring. I trained
1 hour of striking and figured I’d give it a shot. The show
was in my hometown and I new my corner and I new my opponent
hadn’t trained, so I figured if worse came to worse, I could
take him down.
JC:
What is your MMA record? TW: 41-4.
JC:
What promotions have you competed in? TW: A lot of my fights
in the beginning were local small shows that Brad Kohler was
doing here in Minnesota and my record sounds great, but a lot
of those wins were against untrained fighters, just local tough
guys, so the records sounds great, but it’s not a lot of
quality wins. The major shows I’ve fought in are the UFC,
SuperBrawl, Extreme Challenge, Rumble on the Rock, and Victory
Fighting.
JC:
You have been all over, respectfully, one that would take a fight
this weekend, next weekend, one Friday night followed up by one
Saturday afternoon. But you are not doing that today. Why the
change? TW: It’s definitely not that I don’t want to
fight every weekend, as long as I stay healthy, but I guess the
biggest thing that made me change my mind is the money. I’ve
got to learn that I am more valuable then a couple of hundred
dollars, which in the past I know I would fight for a couple
hundred bucks. The quality of my opponents wasn’t that good
where I would have to carry them for a couple of rounds to make
it look good to the crowd. But people would see that I finished
a guy in the 3rd round who had never fought before. It just didn’t
look good for me. You fight a guy with no experience and it took
me 3 rounds to finish the guy.
JC:
It might look to many as if when you’re pushed by a higher
caliber opponent you do well, but against a lesser opponent you’re
slacking. TW: Yeah, exactly, and I got that from about a year
ago I fought in a small show and I basically had to carry my
opponent through the first round and I finished him in the second
round. A month later he fought another guy and he got beat within
the first minute. People were saying how it took Wiuff 2 rounds
to finish the guy, but the other guy finished him in a minute.
JC:
Do you participate in other sports? TW: Nope. I keep pretty busy
with my training and I’m also a personal trainer here in
town.
JC:
What do you do outside of MMA? TW: I was asked that the other
day and I struggled to find an answer. Honestly, I’m a huge
fan of the sport and if I’m not training, I’m either
watching fight tapes, I have tons of them, both as a fan and
a competitor. I think you can learn a lot from watching tapes
and I do that a lot. That is probably my biggest hobby right
now. I play a ton of video games. I have a pretty basic life.
I don’t do too much.
JC:
Do you have a girlfriend? TW: Yes.
JC:
What does she think about MMA and you playing video games? TW:
She is 100% supportive of it. I’m surprised at how supportive
she is. She has sat and watched the UFC with me. We have watched
all sorts of fights with me. She actually went with me to Brazil
when I fought Carlos Berrato, and she cornered me. It was amazing
and pretty crazy. Her support helps a ton. She was a competitive
bodybuilder so she kind of knows the whole competition thing
and preparing for it mentally and physically, so it helps a lot.
In
Part 2, Wiuff talks about his recent fight in Euphoria MFC against
M-1 champion Roman Zentsov of the Red Devil Fight Team, his goals
in MMA and how he plans to achieve them.
Source: ADCC |
Hermes
Franca: Ready for his Next Challenge
American
TOP TEAM's Hermes França left his home in Florida on Sunday
headed for Las Vegas, where he will spend the last week of his
training in preparation for Yves Edwards at UFC 47. The Brazilian
hopes he will bounce back from his decision loss to Josh Thomson
at UFC 46. Before his trip Hermes talked to us about his preparation:
'I
ended a training class earlier today, and everything is all fine
here, thank God! All the guys on ATT have big expectations for
this fight.' revealed an excited Franca.
On
Yves Edwards, who is a veteran of the UFC, França knows
it´s not going to be easy. Hermes stated 'Yves is a very
experienced athlete. He will be waiting for me to make a mistake,
but I won´t give him a chance. I´ve been focusing
and conducting my training preparing for his game, and I am going
to try to submit him. I´ve been training real hard and
I will take the fight to him, like I always do!'
As
of this week, it appears that this match will be on the PPV broadcast,
and the winner is reported to be facing Josh Thompson for the
long vacated title at 155 lbs. Stayed tuned for UFC 47 this weekend!
Source: ADCC |
SHOOTO
- Complete Results of Nagoya Event!
Tsurumai
Public Hall, Nagoya, Japan
Sunday, March 28th, 2004
SHOOTO
in Japan comes off their second event in a week, having an event
in Nagoya on March 28th as a followup to their 22nd Tokyo event.
COmplete rsults appear below.
COMPLETE
RESULTS:
Class
B: 2R of 5 Minutes:
[-65.0Kg] 2004 Rookie Tournament 1st Round
Hayate Usui v. Takeshi Matsushita: Usui by Judges Decision.
[-52.0Kg]
2004 Rookie Tournament 1st Round
Atsushi Takeuchi v. Takashi Yamamoto: Takeuchi by Judges Decision.
[-70.0Kg]
2004 Rookie Tournament 1st Round
Kenichi Hattori v. Masaaki Yamamori: DRAW
Takahiro Kajita v. Toshikazu Iseno: Kajita by TKO, RD 1 at 4:50.
[-60.0Kg]:
Hiroyuki Tanaka x Akira Kibe:
[-65.0Kg]: Hatsu Hioki v. Yohei Nanbu: Hioki by Judges Deicison.
[-70.0Kg]: Naoki Matsushita v. Ganjo Tentsuku: Tentsuku by Judges
Decision.
Class
A: 3R of 5 minutes:
[-70.0Kg]: Ryan Bow v. Daisuke 'Amazon' Sugie: Bow by Judges
Decision.
SHOOTO
Grappling:
[-63.0Kg]: Akira Komatsu v. Hiroshi Umemura: Umemura on Points.
Source: ADCC |
JESSE
JANTZEN, WRESTLING'S NEWEST STAR
There
has been some consistency in the post-season performances of
Harvard's 149-pound senior, Jesse Jantzen, although it has not
always been the kind he preferred.
Jantzen
was the first four-time New York State high school champion,
wrestling out of Shoreham Wading River High in the Suffolk County
town of Shoreham, NY (of nuclear power plant infamy). His coach
was Don Jantzen, his dad. At Harvard, beginning in his sophomore
year of 2002, he started a three-year streak as the 149-pound
champ in the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association (EIWA).
But
his experience at the NCAA national tournament had yielded other
results. In both his sophomore year of 2002 and his junior year
of 2003, Jantzen finished third at 149. In each of those years
he had lost only one match in the tournament, both by scores
of 7-2, and both to the eventual runners-up. In 2002 he dropped
a 7-2 decision to Jared Frayer of Oklahoma, before wrestling
back to third place. (Frayer, in another irony, is now on the
coaching staff at Harvard, and works closely with Jantzen.) And
in 2003 Jantzen lost in the semis to defending champ Jared Lawrence
of Minnesota, 7-2. Lawrence then lost in the finals to Eric Larkin
of Arizona State, the eventual Hodge Trophy winner. Jantzen also
wrestled back to gain third place.
This
was the year that he would not be denied. He was seeded first
at 149 at the 2004 NCAA Div. I Wrestling Championships, held
March 18-20 at the Savvis Center in St. Louis, Missouri. And
he had finished the regular season with a record of 34-1. Jantzen's
sole loss was when he wrestled up a weight, at 157 pounds at
the 2003 Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational, Dec. 5-6. There he
made it to the semifinals, where he faced Alex Tirapelle of Illinois,
last season's 157-pound runner-up and then undefeated at that
weight. Tirapelle won, 11-4. Jantzen then had to settle for third
by beating Missouri's Kenny Burleson, 6-4. Burleson would later
become an All-American this year, finishing seventh at 157.
Jantzen
recorded a list of firsts by his accomplishments even before
he wrestled in the NCAA finals this year: first Ivy League wrestler
to become a three-time All-American, first Harvard wrestler to
win three EIWA titles, first Harvard wrestler to qualify for
four NCAA national tournaments, and first Harvard wrestler to
make it to the NCAA finals since John Harkness won the 175-pound
class back in 1938.
All
this history was quite nice, but there was still that crowning
achievement, that NCAA title, that had eluded him. And this was
his last chance.
Jantzen
opened this tournament decisively. In the first round, he scored
a 15-0 tech fall over Dan Jankowski of Purdue. Next he topped
Patrick Williams of Arizona State, 13-6. In the quarterfinals,
in a rare all-Ivy League matchup, Jantzen faced the underrated
and unseeded David Dies of Brown, who had knocked off Iowa's
ninth-seeded Ty Eustice, 6-5, and Penn State's eighth-seeded
Matt Storniolo, 8-3, to advance to the quarters.
Jantzen
had met Dies twice before this season, and all within a month.
In a dual meet on Feb. 21, Jantzen had a close call with Dies,
but managed to emerge with a win, 6-5. They had a rematch in
the finals of the 2004 EIWA's. This time Jantzen dominated, scoring
two takedowns and getting riding time to win, 5-2. In another
show of consistency, Jantzen again downed Dies by a 5-2 margin
in the NCAA quarterfinals.
Next
up in the semis was fourth-seeded Ryan Churella of Michigan,
this year's Big Ten 149-pound champion. Harvard doesn't wrestle
too many dual meets with Big Ten teams during the year, and had
a tough enough time with the EIWA, in whose conference championships
they only finished seventh out of 13 teams. But Harvard did gallantly
wrestle at the 2004 Lone Star Duals on January 3, 2004, at the
Warrior Coliseum in Grand Prairie, Texas. There Harvard wrestled
four meets and lost four meets, to Utah Valley State, Northern
Illinois, Wisconsin, and Michigan, the latter being by a 43-6
rout. In that one, Harvard won only one match: at 149, Jesse
Jantzen pinned Ryan Churella in 4:35.
The
Jantzen-Churella rematch almost again ended in a pinfall by the
Harvard senior. Churella came out aggressively and hit a takedown
first, but was quickly reversed by Jantzen, to make it 2-2. Jantzen
then exhibited his superior matwork by tilting Churella for a
nearfall, and later almost pinning him, all in the first period.
That made it 9-2, and Jantzen never looked back. The final score
was 11-4 for Jantzen.
Now
in the NCAA finals for the first time in what would be his final
collegiate match, Jantzen was facing Big 12 149-pound champ and
number two seed Zack Esposito of Oklahoma State. The Cowboys
had clinched the team title the night before, and Esposito was
the first of three Oklahoma State wrestlers in the finals. While
Jantzen had a small but loyal group of Harvard faithful, friends,
family, and teammates cheering for him in the stands (plus some
Iowa fans, of course), they were no match for the large, orange-clad
sections of Oklahoma State fans who had traveled together to
witness their team take their 32nd overall national title.
But
Jantzen seemed cool and calm. He is known to like to start his
matches quickly, and that is exactly what he did. Just 13 seconds
into the first period, Jantzen shot in and scored a takedown.
He rode Esposito hard, and then turned him to his back. As the
Oklahoma State fans sat in stunned silence, Jantzen scored three
more points for a nearfall to go up by a commanding 5-0 score.
(And for some inexplicable reason, the live ESPN2 telecast of
the NCAA finals missed this key series of events.)
Jantzen
added to his lead with an escape in the second period and a takedown
in the third. Esposito's only points came on a penalties on Jantzen
for locked hands and stalling, and a late escape. Jantzen also
got riding time, to win by a convincing 9-3 margin in the finals,
and notch his first NCAA championship. On top of all these triumphs,
Jantzen's dominating and exciting performance earned him the
NCAA tournament's Outstanding Wrestler award, as voted by the
coaches.
'I
am ecstatic,' said Jantzen at a media briefing right after the
finals. 'My family is here to be with me. Esposito is an amazing
opponent. I am happy and fortunate to win.' He continued, 'This
is incredible for me. It's a relief. It's been a goal since my
freshman year. I fell short then, and I took third twice.'
One
of the many people Jantzen cited as instrumental in his success
was former Harvard All-American wrestler and assistant coach
Andy McNerney, who is also Jantzen's neighbor and helped recruit
him there. 'Andy is a close family friend,' said Jantzen. 'He
worked with me since I was young. He guided me since elementary
school through college. He's been a big difference.'
As
to the finals match, Jantzen explained his successful game plan:
'I was feeling pretty good any time you get a first takedown
on someone who is good on his feet like Esposito, is a good way
to start the match and that was huge. If I can get that early
takedown, I'm real comfortable.'
But
that did not mean that Jantzen was becoming reckless. 'I was
being a little cautious at the end,' he admitted. 'I felt I was
in a good position to win. I had a good lead but at this level
and a guy like Esposito is dangerous. He is good at big point
moves. You are never really comfortable, because he can score
or put you on your back at any time.'
Jantzen
also commented on his own strength. 'I weight train hard,' he
said,' and I know everyone in the weight class does as well.
They are all real strong opponents. I put a lot of emphasis on
it, and wrestling takes a lot of different things with running,
conditioning, wrestling, lifting weights. I think I'm pretty
strong for the weight class.' Years ago wrestlers were told not
to do any weight training lest they get musclebound, a tired
misconception which Jantzen obviously did not heed.
As
to attending Harvard, he affirmed, 'I'm real happy with that
decision. It was the best choice. I love the coaching staff.
We are close. The academics there will give me a chance for a
great job. We are an up and coming program.'
He
added, 'The Ivy Leagues are up and coming. It's not so out of
the ordinary anymore' for an Ivy Leaguer to win an NCAA title,
he said, referring to last year's win by Cornell's Travis Lee.
'And I think that is going to continue with the recruits they're
getting in.'
As
to his own future, he does have some things figured out, but
not all. 'Immediately, I think I want to continue wrestling,
train for freestyle, and maybe coach, go to grad school,' he
said after the media conference. That means we should expect
him at the 2004 U.S. Nationals, April 9-10, in Las Vegas. And
as an NCAA champion, he has a spot already waiting for him at
the 2004 Olympic Wrestling Trials, May 21-23 in Indianapolis.
But
where exactly he will be going to grad school and living has
not yet been decided. 'No, not yet,' he replied when asked if
he had chosen his post-Harvard undergrad location. 'That's going
to be something I'm going to figure out in the next couple of
weeks,' he added.
Wherever
he ends up, we have not seen the last of Jesse Jantzen on the
mat. But like so many college wrestling champions, he is going
to have to adjust his style considerably to freestyle.
Jantzen
made it to the quarterfinals of the 2003 U.S. Nationals at 145.5
lbs./66 kg after winning his first three matches. Then the difference
between the level of wrestling in the NCAA and the U.S. senior
freestyle circuit became obvious. In the quarters, Jantzen lost
by a 13-1 tech fall to U.S. World Team member Chris Bono. And
in the consolation bracket, Jantzen again lost, this time to
Doug Schwab, 9-0, and thus did not place. Jantzen also did not
wrestle in the 2003 World Team Trials.
If
he stays at that weight in freestyle this year, he may end up
facing somewhere along the line one of his Harvard coaches, Jared
Frayer. The most recent TheMat.com U.S. Senior Freestyle Rankings,
dated Jan. 12, 2004, also show this to be one of the most competitive
and deepest weight classes in the U.S. Last year's World Team
Trials winner, Jamill Kelly, is ranked number one. He is followed
by Chris Bono, Bill Zadick, Doug Schwab, Jared Frayer, and Eric
Larkin. Jantzen has yet to crack the top ten, and may have a
tough time with all these young and talented wrestlers ahead
of him.
But
Jesse Jantzen is also no newcomer to freestyle. He finished a
surprising third back at the 2001 U.S. National Freestyle Wrestling
Championships at 152 lbs./69 kg. Then he was third at the 2001
University National Freestyle Championships, but did not place
at the 2001 FILA Junior World Team Trials, also at 152 lbs./69
kg. He also did finish fourth at the Challenge Tournament and
sixth overall at the 2002 World Team Trials, and was a two-time
Junior national champion.
While
earning a spot on the 2004 Olympic Team may be a real longshot,
Jantzen has to be considered a serious hopeful for 2008 and even
2012.
Now
he can focus all his energies to wrestling according to the rules
of freestyle, and mastering its techniques. He has the intelligence,
the strength, the conditioning, the determination, and the confidence
to succeed on this higher level, where he will face a roster
of fellow NCAA champions. Plus, he has the devotion and support
of his family to his wrestling career.
And
if he doesn't succeed at freestyle? Well, he is a sociology major
and will add to his slew of wrestling accomplishments a Harvard
degree. He was the guy just about everyone was talking about
in St. Louis. You get the impression that whatever Jesse Jantzen
decides to do in his post-NCAA wrestling years, there will still
be plenty of people talking about him.
Source: ADCC |
Quote
of the Day
"You will either step forward into growth or you will step
back into safety."
Abraham Maslow
|
'PASSING
THE GUARD' To Invade California!
Submitted by: Marcello Tetel
The
word at the present moment in Brazil is about the famous 'PASSING
THE GUARD', a television show centered around MMA that appears
to be set to debut in the US. The show will debut on KDOC station
in California on Saturday, April the 2nd, at midnight. After
a hard and long effort by 'Sinister Brand' and show host Jorge
Guimaraes. Guimarães said 'I am very excited with this
new project. Spreading the MMA word and increasing the information
level for the MMA comunity in the South Cali area is my goal'
states theMeca World Vale Tudo producer.
The
show is 30-minutes and has already been approved for 16 weeks
worth of episodes. The show will have a sports show format, though
the sport covered will be MMA events, interviews, MMA events
backstage footage and much more. The program already exists in
Brazil for the last six years on Sportv TV, and it is one of
the top rated on this Sport Channel. Syndication has already
been brought up as a long term possibility if ratings are strong
for the important Southern California TV market, covering San
Diego and Los Angeles.
Source: ADCC |
PRIDE
Heavyweight Grand Prix
Listed below are the names of the fighters who are signed, and
who are being considered for the opening round of the PRIDE Heavyweight
Grand Prix.
The
opening round will feature sixteen fighters, and is scheduled
for April 25th:
Officially
confirmed:
Rodrigo 'Minotauro' Nogueira
Mirko 'CroCop' Filipovic
Fedor Emelianenko
Igor Vovchanchyn
Heath Herring
Stefan Leko
Sergei Karitonov
Sylvester Terkay
Sentoryu aka Henry Miller
Hirotaka Yokoi
Yoshihisa Yamamoto
Unofficially
confirmed, and very strong possibilty:
Don Frye
Mark Coleman
Murilo 'Ninja' Rua
Quinton Jackson
Hidehiko Yoshida
Kazushi Sakuraba
Kazuhiro Nakamura
Yoshihiro Takayama
Names
have been mentioned in the media, but do not expect them in the
GP:
Vanderlei Silva *
Yuki Kondo **
Royce Gracie
Dan Henderson
Tom Erikson
Hiromitsu Kanehara
Kiyoshi Tamura
*
Silva will most likely defend his light heavyweight belt against
Kondo, and only be in the GP in the event that Ninja cannot compete.
** Kondo only wants to face Silva in a single fight.
Source: Fight Sport |
Six
April 30th K-1 “Battle At The Bellagio II” Tournament
Fighters Announced
McDonald
and Eastman headline star-studded, single-elimination lineup
in Las Vegas
Six
of the eight tournament competitors have been named for Friday,
April 30th’s K-1 “Battle At The Bellagio II” mega-card
that will be staged at Las Vegas, Nevada’s Bellagio Hotel
and Casino and air live on Pay-Per-View television.
The
martial arts fighters confirmed for the tournament that will
award its winner a place in a subsequent leg of competition later
in the year are as follows:
Michael
McDonald
Marvin Eastman
Stephan Gamlin
“Mighty Mo”
Dewey Cooper
Aziz Khattou
McDonald
has been regarded as a dominant player in the sport since he
earned two consecutive tournament victories in Las Vegas two
years ago and amassed a total record of 8-1 in North American
K-1 bouts between 2001 and 2002. Last May, he hit a rough spot
in his career when he was ousted in the opening round of the
eight-man K-1 USA elimination event by eventual champion, Carter
Williams. McDonald displayed resilience, however, when he reached
the championship round of the K-1 “Battle Of The Bellagio”
eight-man tournament three months later and when he scored a
knockout over Japanese fighter Hiromi Amada on the K-1 New Year’s
Eve card in Japan.
Eastman,
who sports a 10-1 (4 KO’s) record in professional kickboxing,
has won over audiences throughout the martial arts fight world
during the last few years with his explosive and fearless style
of fighting. Two years ago, he stopped a heavily favored Jeff
“Duke” Roufus during a Las Vegas K-1 Superfight by
surprising the four-time world Muay Thai champion with a flying
straight knee blast that sent Roufus down for the 10 count only
seconds into the third round of their matchup. Since then, Eastman
has ventured outside of K-1 and has reeled off wins against numerous
world-class opponents, including Vernon White and Alex Stiebling.
Gamlin
and the fighter who prefers to be known only as “Mighty
Mo” will each make their North American K-1 debuts. At 6
feet 6 inches tall and a whopping 325 pounds, Gamlin is the latest
giant to cross over from another professional sport to martial
arts fighting’s most prestigious promotion. A former NFL
Europe defensive tackle, the big man is also an undefeated professional
boxer. The 6-foot, 280-pound Mighty Mo joined the ranks of K-1
earlier this year with a 20-18-2 (16 KO’s) professional
boxing record under his belt. In what was only his first start
under K-1 rules last month, he stunned spectators by taking out
21-year-old Japanese K-1 prospect, Hiraku Hori. After dropping
Hori twice with kicks, he sealed a knockout victory in the fourth
round by flooring the Japanese fighter with a left hook.
The
6-foot, 210-pound Cooper, otherwise known as “The Black
Kobra,” will return to Las Vegas K-1 tournament action for
the third year in a row. In 2002, he picked up his first victory
in tournament competition by outpointing six-time kickboxing
champion, Jean Claude Leuyer, a fighter who outweighed Cooper
by 33 pounds. Last August, he returned and put on what was arguably
the best show of the evening at the inaugural Battle At The Bellagio
card. Opposite Carter Williams in a three-round Superfight, Cooper
was the busier and the more aggressive of the two fighters before
he was declared the loser of a controversial judges’ decision.
Cooper boasts a perfect record of 10-0-2 (7 KO’s) as well
as a spectacular record of 27-6 (17 KO’s) in professional
martial arts fighting.
Khattou
is an established K-1 veteran who has done the majority of his
fighting in Japan and in Europe. Last August, though, the Belgium
native made his way to The United States for the first time and
outclassed Mexico’s Raul Romero during the quarterfinal
round of K-1 “Battle At The Bellagio” tournament competition.
On Saturday, March 27th, Khattou returned to action in Saitama,
Japan where he faced former International Boxing Federation (IBF)
World Heavyweight Champion, Francois Botha. Khattou dropped the
world-class boxer in the opening round with a straight punch
and maintained enough poise throughout the remainder of the fight
to earn a majority judges’ decision victory over Botha.
The
remaining two spots in the April 30th tournament are expected
to be filled and announced shortly. Additionally, the promotion
will announce for the Las Vegas event a handful of single Superfights
between top-rated professional fighters.
K-1
is a martial arts combat sport that derives its name from its
inclusion of a wide array of martial arts disciplines, including
Karate, Kung-Fu, and Kickboxing (“K”), and its intent
to determine one champion in one ring (“1”). After
being staged for the first time in Japan in 1993 under the direction
of founder Master Kazuyoshi Ishii, it later evolved into the
country’s most popular sport and achieved popular culture
status there as its athletes turned into larger-than-life celebrities.
Source: Mike Afromowitz
|
UFC
47 INTERVIEW: WHO IS MIKE KYLE?
His
task at UFC 47 on April 2nd is a pretty tough one, maybe impossible,
to knock out the man called Cabbage. At 6'4" and 240 pounds,
Mike Kyle is no small man, but he'll be giving up nearly 25 pounds
to Cabbage when they enter the Octagon.
With
a new team, American Kickboxing Academy, and under the tutelage
of Javier Mendez and Josh Thomson, Kyle feels that he is more
than prepared and is in the best shape of his life as he prepares
to make his debut in the Octagon. He joined Ryan Bennett on SoundOff
Radio at MMAWeekly.com to discuss all of that and more.
Ryan
Bennett: Mike, how you doing bud?
Mike
Kyle: Good, how's it going?
Ryan:
I'm good. We just had Cabbage on here at MMAWeekly, he was talking
about your size and your strength. Cabbage says he's training
3 times a day. He says he's getting ready for you man, are you
ready for him?
Mike:
Of course. I think for the first time in my career, I've dedicated
myself to training full time. Doing the things I'm supposed to
be doing; as far as, running and training 2 times a day, getting
one on one work with Javier Mendez. I've come a long ways.
Ryan:
Yeah, Mike. A lot of our fans around the country and around the
world haven't had the opportunity to see you fight. Talk a little
bit about your background, tell us how you got started in MMA.
Mike:
I trained a little bit through college, I had a couple of fights,
but playing college football, I never really had time to train.
I was fighting under Primal Tribe, a club up in Boise, Idaho.
I ended up fighting one of our [Team AKA] guys, Paul Buentello,
and I did well against him, dominated the fight in King of the
Cage, but ended up losing the fight. Javier and these guys thought
I was marketable and asked if I wanted to make the move to California.
So, I've been here for over a year.
Ryan:
What did you play in football?
Mike:
Defensive end, fullback. I played fullback the last year.
Ryan:
For who?
Mike:
For East Oregon. Coming out of high school, I played up in Chico
for a little while and then transferred up to East Oregon.
Ryan:
Man, you played fullback? I can't imagine you coming out of the
backfield.
Mike:
I was heavy. I was 265 then too.
Ryan:
What do you weigh right now?
Mike:
I'm right around 240, 238.
Ryan:
Haven't you been fighting at about 245?
Mike:
Yeah. Always. This is the lightest I've been since I was 18.
Ryan:
They're kicking your butt, aren't they?
Mike:
Definitely.
Ryan:
You're about 238 right now, you'll probably weigh about 235 for
fight time or a little more?
Mike:
Maybe a couple of pounds more considering I won't be doing the
sprints all week up there. I'll have to go on my elliptical to
keep my cardio up. Hopefully I'll be able to do some light rolling
up there with big Eric Pele. Other than that though, I think
I'll probably put a couple of pounds on.
Ryan:
Is 234 too light for a guy that weighs 265?
Mike:
I really don't think so. I've kept a lot of my strength. I'm
not going to go out and waste a lot of my energy, I know that.
I've watched him fight before, I know he's a heavy guy. I know
he's got a freakin' noggin' on him. I'm not going to waste a
lot of energy, it's 3 rounds and I plan on it going 3 rounds
and taking it to a decision.
Ryan:
It's interesting to hear you say you're ready to go 3 rounds.
I've seen a couple of your fights where you knocked guys out
in like 12 seconds. You're a knockout artist man, this is a different
scenario for you. Give me your strategy going in to this fight.
Mike:
I'm going to do what he likes to do. I'm going to fight. I'm
going to stand up and I'm going to throw with him. He expects
me to throw with him. I hope he wants to throw, too, because
that's what it's all about. I know he's an entertainer. He's
not afraid of no one, he really don't care, win or lose. That's
why he does so good. I'm going to stick to it and scrap with
him. My buddy Justin Eilers from the Miletich camp; basically,
I have the same strategy as him, use my speed, quickness, and
who knows what happens. Hopefully, I come out on top.
Ryan:
What did Eilers do that was so successful in the fight against
Cabbage?
Mike:
Like I said, he used his speed, threw his 1-2 combo. The only
downside to that fight, everybody thought [Justin] won, is you
have to give Cabbage that first round. He knocked Justin down
with 20 seconds left with the body shot and spent the rest of
the round in the mount. That's the only reason that anyone believes
Cabbage won that fight. He got the Hawaiian crowd going. Wow!
Not to knock him, he's a cool guy. I can't wait until after the
fight, we'll have a good time. As of now, shoot, I got to go
knock his head off.
Ryan:
What would be the ultimate scenario for Mike Kyle against Cabbage
in the Octagon?
Mike:
To go in there... I wouldn't say to knock him out, I know that's
what you want to here, but go in there and fight the perfect
fight.
Ryan:
You're a pretty young fighter. How many fights do you have under
your belt now?
Mike:
I believe I'm 10-2.
Ryan:
First time in the Octagon, it's different for each guy. What
do you expect? How nervous are you going to be?
Mike:
People always love to ask me that. I'm one of those guys that
you watch me back stage and I don't care. It never really hits
me until right before I get to the cage. I'm never nervous. It
never hits me until right when I'm getting in the cage. Then
it's like, "Oh, wow!" There ain't nothing like it in
the world.
Ryan:
With that said, are you worried about, say, the first 2 minutes
of the fight?
Mike:
Well, there's always one punch or, actually you know what, normally
it's just, we'll see. It's just someone throws the first punch,
it's just all reaction after that. But you're always wondering
how the guy is going to come out. If they come out swinging and
trying to brawl, okay. I love those guys. It always worries you
when your guy sits back and now I'm busy trying to think. Shoot,
I love a guy that comes brawling at me.
Ryan:
Mike, you mention your camp, you've got a great camp, American
Kickboxing Academy. You've got Javier, Frank Shamrock, "Crazy"
Bob Cook, Josh Thomson, Richard Crunkilton, Paul Buentello. Do
you ever really pick their brain, especially a guy like Josh
Thomson who's been in the UFC, as far as, what to expect your
first time in the UFC?
Mike:
Exactly. Josh, man, after his fight, he's been pushing me man.
He has my butt up, 3 days a week he has me running at the track.
I'm running like a damn track star. I'm not going to give you
all the secrets, but there's nothing like it. Like I said, I'm
down to 235, 238. In great shape, great cardio. My recovery time
is 30 seconds.
Doing
6 minute, 7 minute rounds, no problem. I'm doing great, I give
him lots of props for taking the time to help me. Like I said,
I've got some great sponsors out there. Get all you guys to go
to
freakfight.com, bodybuilding.com back in Boise, Gold's. It's
great man. Lot's of great guys supporting me that I don't want
to let down.
Ryan:
I know Frank's been doing the movie thing. Have you seen Frank
Shamrock much at all? What does he tell you?
Mike:
That's all for you guys to look forward to. I can't tell you.
He did just get done shooting the movie though, there's a few
MMA guys in there.
Ryan:
Who's going to be in your corner for this fight?
Mike:
You're going to see old Javier Mendez cornering me. That's going
to be exciting, I know he hasn't been out to corner for a while.
He'll be there, Bob Cook, Steve Camarillo, and I believe Josh,
as well.
Ryan:
I look forward to it. Mike, I wish you nothing but the best.
I like both you guys, you and Cabbage. I can't wait for this
fight.
Mike:
Yeah, it'll be a good time, we're ready to rock 'n roll and punch
the shit out of each other.
Ryan:
We'll see you Vegas.
Mike:
Have a good one.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
GRAND
PRIX TICKET SALES AND DATES
“TOTAL
ELIMINATION 2004” is part 1 of a 3 part tournament consisting
of 16 heavyweights.
PART
1 TOTAL ELIMINATION 2004 April 25th, 2004 (opening round)
PART
2 CRITICAL COUNTDOWN 2004 June 20th, 2004 (second round)
PART
3 FINAL CONFLICT 2004 August 15th, 2004 (semi-finals and finals)
Tickets
for TOTAL ELIMINATION 2004, to be held at the Saitama Super Arena,
go on sale 3/14/04
Ticket
Prices:
VIP:
100,000 JPY ($US 900)
RRS: 30,000 JPY ($US 270)
Stand S: 17,000 JPY ($US 150)
Stand A: 7,000 JPY ($US 64)
For
event ticket inquiries or to make travel arrangements, contact:
IACE
Travel in Los Angeles
310-445-1401 or 888-393-4223
wla@iace-usa.com
Source: MMA Weekly
|
UFC
47: It's On! Betting Odds
These are the UFC 47 odds from Olympic Sports as of 4/28/03 8pm.
For up to date betting odds, head over to Olympic Sports and
click on the "Other Sports" and "Boxing"
link.
-
Tito Ortiz -185
- Chuck Liddell +145
-
Tim Sylvia -210
- Andrei Arlovski +170
-
Wesley Correira -600
- Mike Kyle +400
-
Jonathan Wiezorek -200
- Wade Shipp +160
-
Robbie Lawler -300
- Nick Diaz +240
-
Chris Lytle -245
- Tiki Ghosen +185
-
Yves Edwards +105
- Hermes Franca -145
-
Mike Brown +220
- Genki Sudo -300
Source: MMA Fighting
|
Dana
White
By Traci Ratzloff
The man of UFC
Recently,
one of the most sought after professionals in MMA, the man who
seems untouchable to many, Dana White, sat down with TATAME's
American representative, Traci Ratzloff, to share his ideas on
the role Brazilians play in the ultimate fighting world and more.
President of the UFC since owners Lorenzo Fertitta and Frank
Fertitta took ownership in January of 2001, White has helped
to shape the Zuffa project into what many consider the "Superbowl"
of MMA-only, to our relief the UFC is not once a year! With no
hesitation, White passionately speaks about the UFC.
What
is your history with MMA? When and how did your interest begin?
We
became involved with MMA 4 ½ years ago. My background
was boxing. I used to represent boxers, and I still, to this
day, own two boxing gyms here in Vegas. 4 ½ yrs. Ago,
Frank Fertitta and I were at the Hard Rock (in Vegas) and saw
Kimo and John Lewis-Frank said, "I always wanted to learn
submissions and try that (MMA)." I agreed. We decided to
approach them, and eventually we began taking private lessons
with John Lewis- Lorenzo (Fertitta) did too. Once we began training,
we fell in love with the sport. Our eyes were opened, and we
saw how much skill was involved. Later, we met Chuck (Liddell)
and Tito (Ortiz). Chuck was having trouble getting into the UFC
and Tito was having contract disputes. We went into negotiations
with Bob Meyrowitz (former UFC owner) over Tito's contract-for
a year! I heard one day he was interested in investors for the
UFC-Fertitta and I contacted him.
What
is the meaning of Zuffa?
"Zuffa"
in Italian means "to fight." Zuffa is the name of the
parent company of the UFC.
Is
there any real chance of launching a show with the champions
of the UFC and Pride fighting against one another?
The
idea of it is dynamite, but logistically, working out the business
details would be a nightmare. For example, where would it be
located? Would they fight in an octagon or a cage? Who gets the
gate? PPV sales? Etc.
Are
you considering changing some of the UFC rules? Which ones and
why?
No,
I can't change the rules; that's up to athletic commission.
If
you could, what rules would you change?
I
think as people become more educated in the sport, I'd like to
see knees to head on ground. It's a great way to defend, for
example, when a wrestler sprawls.
Rudimar
Fedrigo (from Chute Boxe) told TATAME he would like to have a
Chute Boxe fighter debut in the UFC this year. Is that deal going
on? Which fighter could this be?
He's
a nice guy. I've talked to him a few times, but we haven't talked
about anyone specific.
Why
didn't the UFC reach a deal with Murilo Bustamante?
We
gave him a phenomenal offer, and he declined.
In
1997, there was a UFC in Brazil, which had great success. When
will there be another Brazilian edition of the most traditional
MMA show in the world?
We've
been talking about it. Vitor Belfort has been pushing me really
hard on it.
When
and with whom will be the next Belfort fight?
Vitor
versus Couture. It's going to happen at end of summer, though
we have no specific date yet. The winner of that fight will go
on to fight the winner of the Liddell and Ortiz fight.
Is
there any Brazilian fighter you would like to have fighting in
your show?
Pedro
Hizzo. Personally, I have a very good relationship with him.
I have a lot of respect for him as a fighter and a person. [Recently],
we really haven't talked (about having him fight in the UFC).
I had constructed a contract with him back in the day, but things
didn't work out. I like him very much professionally and personally.
If there is one fighter I don't have on my roster that I want,
it is him.
How
are your dealings with Royce Gracie?
I
have talked many times with him, but just never got anywhere.
How
do you see the Brazilian contribution to the MMA world?
That's
really where it all started. The Gracie family was very instrumental
in the first UFC and in creating the UFC [altogether]. I see
the UFC as the industry leader. The Brazilians have sort of forged
the way for MMA in the United States and around the world.
Source:
Tatame
|
BOXINGTIME
EXCLUSIVE: “IRISH” MICKY WARD
By: Andrew Brown
BoxingTime.com
was fortunate enough to score an interview with one of the toughest
guys the sport of boxing has ever seen. Three years in a row,
Micky Ward has fought in the “Fight Of The Year.” Keep
reading to find out what Micky has to say about that feat, retirement,
his movie, Arturo Gatti and much more!
BoxingTime:
Hey Micky, how are you keeping busy these days?
Ward:
I’m actually not doing too much. I’m training my nephew
and a couple of other guys, pretty much just training a bunch
of kids. I also train Jeff Frazier, he’s a New England junior
welterweight champ. I’m just training for now.
BoxingTime:
Do these kids have a bright future?
Ward:
Well, this kid Jeff has got a good future in front of him, but
these kids are just amateurs so you got to go slow with it. No
rush at all.
BoxingTime:
Are you still in the construction business?
Ward:
I haven‘t gone back yet. The season hasn’t started
yet for paving, so I think I’ll just weigh my options and
do whatever’s best. I’ll just go like that, I haven’t
really decided yet.
BoxingTime:
Do you feel you made enough money in boxing so that you won’t
have to go back?
Ward:
No, no, I’m going to go back. Either way I’ll go back
to doing something, but what that is I’m not 100 percent
sure yet.
BoxingTime:
I keep hearing that we are going to see a movie about you. Can
you tell us about it?
Ward:
Yeah, there’s supposed to be! I’m not really sure,
but I think they’re going to be getting together pretty
soon on that thing.
BoxingTime:
Will you be a part of it?
Ward:
I’ve been hearing Mark Wahlberg might play me and Donnie
(Wahlberg) might play my brother Dickie, so if we need to spend
time with them working on that or other stuff I’ll help
out. I just haven’t really gotten into it that much, you
know?
BoxingTime:
I have also heard you have had some pretty big offers to get
back in the ring. Is that true?
Ward:
Actually, no one has ever come to me with anything asking if
I want to fight. I’ve heard things, but I ain’t coming
back. I heard someone was going to offer me a million dollars,
but I don’t care how much money they offer me, I’m
not coming back. I’ve done all I can do and that’s
it.
BoxingTime:
The last three years, according to the Ring Magazine, you have
fought in the fight of the year. How proud does that make you?
Ward:
Oh man, real proud! Especially at the end of my career. I know
Arturo’s won it a bunch of times, four I think, but I don’t
think anyone had won it three times in a row.
BoxingTime:
Not to mention you won two of those fights. (Burton and Gatti
1)
Ward:
(laughing) Yeah, I know.
BoxingTime:
Where do you think you would be right now if you had never fought
Gatti? Would you still be fighting?
Ward:
No, no way. I would be finished with that for sure.
BoxingTime:
So you had plans even before the Gatti fight to call it a day?
Ward:
Well, I was at the age where I wasn’t going to fool myself,
or think I’m something that I wasn’t. I would never
think I could do something that physically you can’t do
when you get older. I was going to be done.
BoxingTime:
What do you feel is your greatest accomplishment in the ring?
Ward:
To be honest with you, it was just the fact that I gave my all
every time I fought, and that’s the biggest thing I can
say. When I fought, I gave it my all, I never cut corners, I
trained hard and did the right thing, and whatever happened,
happened.
BoxingTime:
Many fans are curious - how are you doing these days mentally
and physically?
Ward:
Well, my eye is messed up. My right eye is still screwed up from
getting hit. The muscle in my eye, whatever it is, I don’t
know if I pulled it or stretched it but I did something. I still
have the double vision in my eye, but other than that things
are pretty good.
BoxingTime:
Will you be having surgery on that eye?
Ward:
Yeah, probably.
BoxingTime:
Are you confident they will fix it?
Ward:
Yeah, they’ll be able to fix it, they just want to wait
to see if nature will take it’s course. Before they operate,
they want to see if it will heal on its own.
BoxingTime:
Do you ever worry about the amount of shots you took throughout
your career catching up to you one day?
Ward:
Yeah, I do, and that’s a big reason I got out when I did.
Everything is fine for now, but yeah I do worry about it.
BoxingTime:
Who is the best fighter you ever fought?
Ward:
Man, that’s tough. Arturo was, without a doubt, the toughest,
but Zab Judah was probably all around the best fighter. But I
don’t know, I’m telling you, Arturo was one hell of
a fighter.
BoxingTime:
So who do you think would win a Gatti/Judah fight?
Ward:
Oh man, that would be tough. I don’t know, I can’t
tell ya. That would be one hell of a fight.
BoxingTime:
Do you have any regrets?
Ward:
No, you know some things happened that I didn’t like, but
I don’t regret anything. I just did what I could do and
that was it.
BoxingTime:
When you see guys that have much more talent than you come into
a fight out of shape, lazy and un-motivated, does that get under
your skin?
Ward:
That pisses me off, really it does. You know, they dog it or
something. They got all this talent, and they come out like that,
I just can’t understand it. It makes me pissed off. I worked
for every ounce of whatever I got, it’s not really fair
- but what are you gonna do? I don’t envy anyone, and god
bless them. If they can make money all the power to them.
BoxingTime:
Micky, where does that huge heart come from?
Ward:
I don’t know (laughing), I still don’t know. I think
we all have the same sized heart, but my will is big. Everyone’s
heart is the same, obviously, but I just think it’s my will
that keeps me going. It’s just the will to win, and do the
best I can. That’s it.
BoxingTime:
Do you ever watch some of your fights and just wonder how you
were able to keep going?
Ward:
Yeah, I do now! You know, I never really did before but I do
now. Whenever I think about coming back I just look at one of
those tapes and say no way.
BoxingTime:
Round nine of the Gatti fight is considered by many fight fans
as the best round they have ever seen, period. Can you go back
to that round and tell us what it was like to be a part of it?
Ward:
Oh man, it’s a blur now. Well not a blur, but it was crazy.
You know, it just happened. I dropped him, he came back, and
then I came back - man, it was wild. Believe me, I wouldn’t
want to do it again.
BoxingTime:
I still can’t believe that after 30 rounds, you and Gatti
are still great friends. Do you guys still keep close contact?
Ward:
Yeah, I talk to him once every two weeks or so. I’m going
to be running the Boston Marathon, and I think he’ll come
down for that. As if I didn’t torture myself enough in boxing,
now I got to get ready for a marathon.
BoxingTime:
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