Steven Seagal & The Kick That Has Mixed Martial Arts Under Siege

Steven Seagal "Epic" Front Kick

“I would like to thank a Mr. Steven Seagal for teaching me that kick”, said Anderson Silva and Lyoto Machida, after their last fights that both ended with the same move, the front kick, that left their opponents looking Half Past Dead. When asked how he learned the kick, Steven Seagal responded –“I learned that in Japan 30-40 years ago; something I’ve been perfecting and I teach a variation of it, something I created.” For those who are clearing their eyes and asking themselves, did I just read that Steven Seagal, the movie star, actually knows the martial arts well enough to leave Exit Wounds on professional fighters, when taught to someone? The answer is absolutely. Before he became Steven Seagal the movie star, he was Steven Seagal, the martial art sensei (the first American born to teach martial arts in Japan). He is a 7^th dan degree and Shihan in Aikido, a martial arts discipline developed in Japan. Unbeknownst to the mixed martial arts (MMA) community, Mr. Steven Seagal would contribute immensely to MMA and have non-team Black House fighters On Deadly Ground.

Anderson Silva executing Steven Seagal "Epic" Front Kick

One can only think; with the introduction of Steven Seagal into MMA, and especially with his movie career obsolete, that he will be Out for Justice, which seems to be the case. He became involved with Team Black House-the camp that Anderson Silva and Lyoto Machida represent-when Anderson Silva sent him a letter, in which according to Mr. Steven Seagal stated “Can you please teach me your deadly stuff?” After pondering, if Team Blackhouse members have the aptitude and ability to learn his deadly stuff, Steven Seagal made the Executive Decision to accept the offer. Who would have thought that the strikes that Mr. Steven Seagal would teach would give the impression to the fans that ‘his fighters’ would have Fire Down Below; and the only way to extinguish the fire, is the air that is generated from lifting the foot from the ground to the opponents chin. At first, no one believed that Steven Seagal could teach Anderson Silva such a vicious kick but two months later, it happened again to another quality opponent. Now that Anderson Silva and Lyoto Machida have given credit to Mr. Steven Seagal for teaching them the front kick and will be teaching more, their next opponents should be concerned if they too are Marked for Death.

Lyoto Machida Executing the Front Kick for the 2nd Time

However, not everyone was convinced that Mr. Steven Seagal should receive all the credit for inventing a kick that has been around well before his time. Consequently, when interviewed again after the Lyoto Machida KO of Randy Couture, he said “I didn’t invent anything; I modified them in such a way that I can make my students & myself, in a real fight, land them to hurt them.” It seemed that after both fighters praised him for introducing the front kick, many people believed he was Above the Law, and the experts and fans alike took it upon themselves to bring him back to reality. It is clear that Mr. Steven Seagal is leaving his footprint (pun intended) in the MMA world with his ‘deadly stuff’, and with the moves perfectly executed, it would be Hard to Kill the fact to think otherwise. A possibility, as to why, Anderson and Lyoto have been so successful is the manner how Mr. Steven Seagal teaches it::

“This kick, the thing that's deceptive about it is that, the normal (technique) where you lift up your knee and you kick, this one I'm kind of trying to teach the guys to lead with the foot. I don’t want to say too much about it because I don't want to give it away completely to the world. It's different and it’s hard to see. It's very difficult to see coming, and that's how my guys have been successful with that."

One thing is for certain, Team Black House has found their ace in the hole and not just a Glimmer Man. 

(Idea credited to a fellow creative colleague of mine that has 20+years of athletic experience including coaching and participating at high levels of sports, JMH; Thank You) 

2011 UEFA Champions League Finals

For football (soccer) aficionados, the UEFA (Union of European Football Associations) Champions League Final can only be summed as - The Biggest Game in all European Football. For those living in the United States of America, this game is the equivalent to the Super Bowl in the National Football League (American Football). In other words, when the season starts for all European club teams, their goal is to win this game because it is the most sought after trophy. The team that wins this game has accomplished a grand feat that many team always strive to achieve, in which many teams have failed to do so because of the many great club teams that participate. However, the two teams in this years UEFA Cup Finals - Manchester United and Barcelona - have both won the Champions League three times each. In addition, these two teams are no stranger to each, for they have ran into each other 3 out of 4 years. Manchester United from the rugged English Premier League and Barcelona from the technical La Liga will once again be battling each other in the 2011 UEFA Champions League Finals at Wembley Stadium in London, England but before the analysis, one has to know why they constantly run into each other paths crushing each other's goals. 

Manchester United

When the football club of Manchester United is mentioned, many reactions will be received; either with disgust or with tremendous joy. The reason why one would react with disgust is that they have won the English Premier League (EPL) a record 19 times, won 11 FA Cups, won 3 UEFA Champions League Titles, and is the only English Club Team to be world champions (2x); as a result, many people view them as "buying championships" through the huge contracts that attract the great players to come play with them. On the contrary, the supporters of Manchester United are usually from Old Trafford, Greater Manchester and individuals from all over the world; but they are frowned upon because of the mantra bestowed upon them for "buying championships." Winning 19 EPL titles is no easy feat especially in a league that has no "weak team." The EPL is such a physical league that many other leagues throughout the world such as La Liga would complain for the foul because of the tackle or the challenge of any degree. The physicality, not so much the technical like in La Liga, of the EPL is what stands out amongst the many leagues across European Football; which many experts and fans from all degrees of support, have said the EPL is the best league in the world, for the "beautiful game" is actually played not stopped at every tackle or challenge. 

Barcelona

Amongst the fans (except, mainly those of Real Madrid) and experts, the most beloved Football club around the world is FC Barcelona. The reason for this is simple; Lionel Messi - the 2x FIFA World Player award recipient, and many other countless awards that if were to be acknowledge would transform this blog entry into a novel. Lionel Messi is at the helm of the attack and the reason behind the many winning efforts of FC Barcelona. Like Manchester United, Barcelona is a storied football club that have won countless of honors - 21 La Liga titles, 25 Spanish Cup, 3x UEFA Championship League titles, 3x UEFA Super Cup titles and many others. The success of Barcelona can be attributed to their amazing 'feeder team' (FC Barcelona B and Barcelona C Teams) that develop young talent into superstars such as Pedro, Bojan, Messi, Puyol, Xavi and many more. Since Barcelona tries not to attract great players through huge contracts, many fans around the world tend to be supporters. La Liga, unlike the EPL, is a completely different type of league.The Spanish League is all about being technical and not physical. Barcelona's approach is 'ball control', meaning that they are always passing the ball, in hopes of an opening, so they can attack. However, when there is a tackle or a challenge of any degree, many players tend to 'flop', in hopes that the referee awards a set piece. Consequently, the La Liga games seem to be slower than the EPL because the players tend to fall at every challenge from the defender; thus creating, a spark contrast between the EPL and La Liga.   

2011 Champions League Final

For the football aficionados, this game is what they would say 'nothing new.' These two teams have run into each other and have crushed each others season's goals, either in the semi-finals or finals. In the 2007-2008 UEFA Champions League season, Manchester United defeated FC Barcelona 1-0 in aggregate in the semi-finals. The first leg was a 0 to 0 draw but in the second leg, United scored the gol that took them to the 2008 UEFA Champions League Final against another EPL team, Chelsea. United would win their third UEFA Champions League, 6 to 5 in penalty kicks. Then the next year, the 2008-2009 UEFA Champions League, both teams ran into each other again; this time in the 2009 Finals. It was a chance for FC Barcelona to redeem themselves from the previous semi-finals elimination at the hands of their finals opponents. Not only did they win but they won convincingly with a 2 to 0 defeat of the team that broke their hearts and derailed their 2007-2008 hopes of the title. Just like Manchester United, Barcelona won their third UEFA Champions League Final. Unfortunately or fortunately, depending on the person, Barcelona and Manchester United, did not run into each other but were both eliminated from the title contention by the eventual finalists, Bayern Munich and Inter Milan. Now in the 2010-2011 UEFA Champions League Final, the two teams that have always run into each other will once again, run into each other for the chance to be the 4x UEFA Champion. Will the physical play of the Manchester United superstar Wayne Rooney be enough to take Barcelona's superstar, Lionel Messi, out of his technical element? Will the Red Devils send the Avi del Barça down the path of damnation? Will the EPL reign supreme over La Liga? Barcelona or Manchester United? Who is your team?

Find The Ultimate Fighter 13 Entertaining?

Season 13

If a company where to put its cash-cow into one of their shows, one would think that the show would be full of excitement that would leave people agape on the events that transpired.  But that isn’t the case in season 13 of The Ultimate Fighter featuring the UFC’s cash cow, Brock Lesnar and number 1 contender, Junior Dos Santos.  Since the show premiered on March 30, 2011, it has been nothing but stuporous action. The action and the interaction between the coach’s and their respective teams have been, to say the least, vapid. One would think with Brock Lesnar’s austere appearance and snide manners at the helm of this season, that the fans would see Brock’s diatribe about Junior or the team, but that is nowhere to be found. A conjecture as to why Brock isn’t what people thought he would be, can be attributed to his newfound perspective on life, especially after his life or death bout with Diverticulitis. It is not all on Brock Lesnar to carry the show but on Junior Dos Santos, as well. For a fighter as exciting and fierce as Junior, when he isn’t fighting, his demeanor is very relaxed.  Throughout the show, Junior is lolling through his classes and interviews, having a good time, as if he were on vacation in Hawaii.

Brock Lesnar vs. Junior Dos Santos

The mixed martial arts (MMA) community had a feeling that the UFC was taking a risk with both, Brock Lesnar and Junior Dos Santos, as coaches in the UFC’s feeder show. The MMA community knew that Brock’s MMA experience did not warrant a coach’s spot on the show, but knew that his name recognition was the sole reason as to why. On the other hand, the MMA community did not question Junior Dos Santos MMA experience, but questioned his marketability, especially the language barrier that he is currently breaking down. Basically, it is a tale of polar opposites attracting to create a show, in which the UFC thought would generate massive ratings. In addition, the MMA community knew that Brock is not the type of person who likes being in the media, even though he performed in the WWE for many years; add Junior Dos Santos inexperience coaching in a language other than his native Brazilian Portuguese, especially in front of a camera. One has to remember; the purpose of any show is to create valuable content, and if the people don’t find the content valuable, then people will stop watching.  The main purpose of the The Ultimate Fighter is to create entertainment in the form of in-house drama, intriguing personalities and exciting fights; none of which have come to match previous seasons; thus, resulting in low ratings and viewership. 

Although the show’s premise is MMA, it does not supercede the fact that it is on TV for the entertainment value. As aforementioned, the entertainment value comes in the form of in-house drama, intriguing personalities and exciting fights. The show might have an initial spike in ratings because of Brock Lesnar’s name recognition, but once that fades away, what else is there? Content is what drives entertainment and without content, people will not invest their time and effort into it. As proven by the low ratings and viewership, the content in season 13 is not what it has been in the past Ultimate Fighters. Season 7 in the Ultimate Fighter, where Rashad “Sugar” Evans and Quinton “Rampage” Jackson coached had name recognition within the coaches and fighters – Kimbo Slice, Roy Nelson, ex-NFL players whom contributed to great content in the forms stated earlier; and till this day is UFC’s highest rated season. A show to have high ratings and a lot of ‘eyeballs’ watching is to simply have name recognition and great content. As Bill Gates once said “Content is King.”

The Youngest Olympic Champion in U.S. History!

Henry Cejudo was 131lbs (60Kilos), 10lbs (5Kilos) heavier than allotted for his weight class and lost it in two hours prior to the most important match of his life. For the 121lbs (55Kilos) weight class, it was Henry Cejudo vs. Tomohiro Matsunaga in the finals match for Freestyle at the 2008 Summer Olympics held in Beijing, China.  To be 21 years old and on the world stage at an event that dates back to ancient times, is a testament to the Henry’s drive to succeed in freestyle wrestling. Although he is the son of undocumented immigrants, only his Mom was there during his younger days. His drive to succeed came from his desire and his family’s situation of living in poverty in several cities along the West Coast of the United States. The hardships of his childhood days were key motivating factors for him to immerse himself in athletics to get his mind off his living situation. It was his brother, Angel, who introduced Henry to wrestling; unbeknownst to Angel, his brother would soon make U.S. Olympic history. But before he was on the verge of becoming the youngest Olympic champion in U.S. history, one has to understand how he put himself in this opportune position. 

Henry Cejudo Won 2008 Wrestling Olympic Gold 

It all started when he opted not to finish high school and attend college rather he enlisted at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado.  When Henry Cejudo arrived, he was an accomplished high school wrestler who also set records for his accomplishments -4x State Champion (2 in Arizona, 2 in Colorado), First High School wrestler to win the U.S. Nationals since USA Wrestling became the sport's national governing body in 1983 and defeating one of the sports’ legend, Stephan Abas, which then prompted Abas to retire.  At the U.S. training facility, Henry had a head coach that oozes hard work and intensity, and who demands it to be reciprocated by his wrestlers. He was two-time world freestyle champion Terry Brands. But as the wrestling community knows, where one Brands brother is at, his twin brother, Tom Brands, isn’t that far away. Terry Brands did not accept mediocrity from Henry; thus, he pushed every single ounce of energy out of him, in order for Henry to be optimally prepared for the Olympics. Consequently, he’s said “Angel and Terry Brands were the reasons why he won the Olympics.” For four years, from the age of 17 years old till 21, Henry did not have a normal young-adults life. All he did was eat, train, sleep, and repeat for those grueling and intense years; as a result, he’s said “after the 2008 Olympics were over, I wanted to live the life I had never lived.”

Henry Cejudo Will Attempt Another Olympic Gold Medal

With the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London looming, Henry Cejudo decided to put on his “sweat suit again” and go through the grind that a champion endures, in order to defend his gold medal.  He will be coming off a nearly three-year layoff from his gold medal performance in Beijing. He’s been said that he’s kept doing his conditioning to be up to par with the competition but as the wrestling community knows very well, that does not mean he’s in ‘wrestling shape.’ “People think I’ve just been sitting around and doing book signings, but I’ve been working out and staying in shape. I’m just not in wrestling shape yet,” admitted Henry in an interview with The USA Wrestler. It was evident in his most recent performance against Rasul Mashezov of Russia at the Beat the Streets Gala held at ‘The Crossroads of the World’ aka New York City’s Time Square that he wasn’t in ‘wrestling shape’. Yet, Henry defeated the Russian – 2 to 0 in the first round and 4 to 3 in the second, to take the bout; but there’s more blood and sweat to endure to repeat Beijing. The USA Wrestler asked Henry Cejudo if he missed wrestling and he responded:

  “I didn’t really miss it that much until last September (2010). What really drove me to come back was when I looked at the results from last year’s World Championships and saw how the U.S. struggled. That’s when I got the itch to come back. I felt like I could have been out there helping out country. I take a lot of pride winning for the United States. I feel like I can still be the best in the World.” 

Come the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, England, the whole world will see if Henry Cejudo’s drive is what it was in 2008 and prove to the world that he is still the best in the World in his weight class 121lbs (55Kilos)!!

NFL Lockout = What To Do On Sunday & Monday Night?!?!?

National Football League (American Football)

 

For the fans of the National Football League (NFL), all-day Sunday and Monday Night (for the fans outside of the U.S., Tuesday Morning) is a haven of excitement, from the grueling work days.  These days are when life’s problems magically disappear and when one can be a sloven without repercussion. In addition, these days are when significant others become sullen with their partner, for the lack of attention given and the laconic replies on the stuff that are asked of them. In other words, all-day Sunday and Monday Night are times that the avid American Football fan sits down and has their eyes glued on the TV to watch their favorite team play; the only thing that is asked is to not interrupt them when the Football game is on, that’s all.  The thought that all-day Sunday and Monday Night would no longer be 'American Football days'  is somewhat inane. However, the NFL has been locked out for a few months because; both the players and owners are acting like curmudgeons. Both sides of the fence harangue the fans about how they want to lift the lock out but one side doesn’t and vice versa, leaving the fans in limbo especially on Sunday and Monday Night. 

National Football League Teams

The fans have sanguine expectations that the lock out will be lifted before the season starts (1^st week of September), but if it doesn’t, they will ask themselves; what to do? Well Sundays, is a great day to spend with the family and friends over brunch, lunch or dinner. Another alternative is to start a workout regimen every Sunday or take the dog out for a long walk, in hopes that when the walk is over, American Football will be going on. If exercising isn’t the cup of tea of choice, then one can get connected with the community by attending the community church services, usually held on Sundays. Although finding something to do on Sunday and Monday Night is similar to disarming a highly-integrated IED (Improvised Exploding Device) in terms of difficulty level, but if looked hard enough, one can find a solution; maybe to disarming an IED but to think of doing something else on Sunday and Monday Night other than to watch one’s favorite American Football team is unfathomable. 

Just like the fans are in limbo, the players are, as well. Since the lock out prohibits any player from working out at the team’s facility, they are finding alternative methods to stay in shape and keep busy; some use conventional ones and other use unconventional ones. Most notable are the activities that Chad OchoCinco has been participating in. He tried out for the Sporting Kansas City, but was unable to make the team. He also, tried his luck in a Bull Riding event; he lasted only 1.5 seconds on a “PBR professional level bull.” Pittsburg Steelers, Hines Ward is participating in “Dancing With The Stars”, Baltimore Raven’s safety –Tim Zbikowski-is participating in pro-boxing bouts. The likes of Reggie Bush of the New Orleans Sains and DeAngelo Hall of the Washington Redskins are simply enjoying the time off to relax and heal their bodies. Troy Polamalu decided to go back to his alma-mater, University of Southern California (USC) and graduate with a history degree. 

Only time will tell, how long this lock out will last. Once both sides of the fence decide how they can split 9 billion USD amongst each other, then American Football will be played in 2011. If splitting such a high amount of money is very difficult to do, then both parties should have an arbitrator to it for them. Until then, the fans and players alike will have to be creative on how they will spend all-day Sunday and Monday Night.

There Will Be A New Champ!!

NBA's Most Historic Team

The Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers have terrorized all of the NBA without mercy, since the NBA’s inception. Their rivalry was so fierce that it became a spectacle in both cities, all over the country and all over the world. As a result, they were a catalyst in bringing the NBA to prominence besides ‘some’ player who played for the Chicago Bulls. These two teams are so rich in history and championships that if they were to monetize it, they probably would relieve the United States, Portugal, Ireland and other countries out of their national debt with money & gold to spare. Ever since the first championships of BAA and NBA in 1947, 63 teams have been crowned champions (from 1947 till 2010); and, between the Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers, they’ve won 33 Championships and have been to the NBA finals 52 times. In other words, they became a fixture in the NBA finals, and when they are not, people become flummoxed as to why. Most of the players from both teams are in the NBA Hall of Fame, not because they were part of extraordinary teams, but because they were and are (Those playing in the present Celtics' and Lakers' team such as Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett, and The Laker Kobe Bryant; once they retire, will be) extraordinary players. From the likes of Oscar Robertson, Erving “Magic” Johnson, Larry Bird, Kareem Abdul-Jabaar and the list goes on and on. However, in the 2011 season, to a crowds cheer, the Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers will not be in the finals, for they have been eliminated in their conference semi-final playoff game series.

Many people, other than their fans have been screaming for joy; yelling “There will be a new champ, There will be a new champ”, signifying they’ve become desensitized to the NBA playoffs cause they know the Lakers or the Celtics will eventually win it.  However, in the 2011 season that will not be the case; and, now those people can tune in to see which team will capitalize on both teams’ demise. The teams that defeated the Lakers and Celtics, have a history between them that one player has said “it’s kept him up all night, thinking how that opportunity passed him by.” This was Dirk Nowitzki of the Dallas Mavericks recalling the 2006 NBA Finals against the Miami Heat, which the Mavericks won the first two games but ended losing the series in six games.  The Dallas Mavericks swept the reigning two time champions – four games to none ( out of a seven game series); and, the ‘Big 3’ of the Miami Heat defeated the aging ‘Big 3’ of the Boston Celtics, four games to one.  The look on the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics bench, knowing they will not be in the NBA Finals, can be paralleled to the look of a bystander looking at macabre scene on the street.  However, the Celtics handled defeat with more class and dignity than the Lakers, especially that of Lamar Odom and Andrew Bynum.

Dirk Nowitzki vs LeBron James

Now that the two most storied franchises are not in title contention, which team will step up and take their rightful place as 2011 NBA Finals champ? Representing the Eastern Conference, and after the Miami Heat’s performance, all signs point to their 2^nd title in five years. Will the Chicago Bulls return to the glory days of Michael Jordan, with their now leader and League MVP, Derrick Rose at the helm? Representing the Western Conference, and after the Dallas Mavericks sweep of the two time reigning NBA Finals Champions, all signs point to their first championship on franchise history. Will the “Daruntala” (Kevin Durant) of the Oklahoma City Thunder spin his web of dazzling shooting range ability to the NBA finals? Will the Memphis Grizzlies and the ‘neighborhood bully’ known as Z-Bo (Zach Randolph), ruin Oklahoma City’s festivities? However, both signs from the East and the West, point to the two teams that met in the 2006 NBA Finals – Miami Heat vs. Dallas Mavericks to meet five years later in the 2011 NBA Finals!

"The Freak" - Tim Lincecum

Tim "The Freak" Lincecum

With a nickname like "The Freak", one would conjure up an image of something grotesque, odd or how some people put it, "simply not right." When someone is considered a freak, they most likely are using the term in a negative light, and are usually forlorn from society due to their abnormal appearance. However, in this case, freak is used to describe a pitcher that has fervent pitching mechanics and an attitude to match it, a pitcher who is obdurate to the lack of hits of the opposition, and a pitcher who makes professional baseball players look puerile; he is also known as "The Franchise", but his name is Tim Lincecum. The moniker is attributed to his small frame, 5'11 and 172lbs (78Kilos). What is so befuddling about his stature was his ability, during his college days and rookie years, to reach in the high 90mph's (56kph's) and 100mph's (63kph's) range; reason being, his long stride, and his unconventional mechanics that call upon every inch of his body to generate an optimal output in every throw. Watch his pitching mechanics in slow motion, and it will become evident that he uses his whole body to generate so much velocity in his throws. Consequently, "Timmy" as the San Francisco Giants fans call him, has accrued a copious amount of achievements in his relative infantile career. To name a few - back to back Cy Young Winner in his first two full seasons in the Majors, National League All-Star participant, MLB record in most strikeouts in four seasons, World Series Champion and recently, Franchise record for more games with 10+ strikeouts, surpassing the baseball great, Christy Mathewson.

Hit That!

"The Freak" is a name, given to a man that can do freakish things, when on the mound. He eclipsed Christy Mathewson's franchise record by almost 400 games fewer and around 40 games fewer than who was in second at the time, Jason Schmidt. The irony of the situation is Christy played for the New York Giants, when the Giants were in the east coast, before they moved out to San Francisco; and Timmy broke the record of more games with 10+ strikeouts in New York against the New York Mets by strikeing out 12. What made this day even more remarkable for Timmy was that his pitch count was over than what pitching coach, Dave Righetti, allots him - over 120. He overcame a bad start to the inning, and with his pitching coach counting each and every pitch before he calls on a replacement, Tim struck out the side and gave himself a big '*expletive* yeah', when he came off the mound.

World Series Champion

To further validate the "The Freak" moniker that was bestowed upon Tim Lincecum; after each outing that he has for the 2010 World Series Champions, he does not ice that cannon, in what doctors call an arm. The practice of not icing the pitching arm after an evening of 'fireballs' thrown at the opposition is simply unheard of. If  team managers, team owners, and the fans did not know that Tim Lincecum is a special breed of pitcher whom can only be paralleled to the claims of one Uncle Rico from Napolean Dynamite (in which he states, he can throw a steak over a mountain) than everyone would be worried, but everyone knows, so its nothing to be worried about. The San Francisco Giants fans have a special player on their team that not only is a "Freak" on the mound but a good hearted man, who gave 20,000 USD to the Bryan Stow Foundation; a fan that was critically beaten after a game in Los Angeles against the heated rivals, Dodgers. Every time, Tim Lincecum steps on the mound, the city of San Francisco and the fans feel invincible that their ace will negate any offense that the opposing team might have, and can anticipate to see strikeout after strikeout after strikeout, for that is what "The Freak" is known for. Who would have thought that a man who is 5'11 and 172lbs (78Kilos) would be the anchor to a World Series Club, especially when everyone - the critics, baseball fans, simply everyone, except for the Giants fan base, wrote them off for dead. But what the San Francisco Giants and Tim Lincecum can show them is this (see picture above).

Manny "Pac-Man" Pacquiao V. Shane "Sugar" Mosley Recap

Weigh-Ins (A Day Before Fight Night)

Events starting from the Showtime boxing show, Fight Camp 360, leading till the main event, the hype for Manny 'Pac-Man' Pacquiao V. Shane 'Sugar' Mosely was tremendous. Every sports bar, every combat sports fan, everybody with Filipino roots, every pro-Mayweather fan, and every other 'every (insert here)', had their eyes glued to what could be Pac-Man's toughest bout. Both camps have stated "that this was their best camp ever, the fighters are in the best shape they have EVER been", and etc. Boxing fans and the world, know that fighters and their camp make these vapid proclamations to sell as many fights as possible, even when many people think otherwise. Let's see if what both camps told the public media is true; if actions speak louder than words, then the weigh-ins would speak volumes to how good this fight will be. The Pac-Man weighed in at 145lbs (66 Kilos) and Sugar weigh in at 147 (67 Kilos). As seen from the picture above, both Pac-Man and Sugar passed the 'eye-ball test.' From the appearance of the fighter's physique, both fighters do, in fact, look like they are in the best shape, they have EVER been. One proclamation that was to be seen and highly-anticipated came from the Mosely camp - "I got this!", said Mosely; signifying that he will be the man to dethrone the 8 time world champ-well, did he?

Before the bout started, 'Sugar' Shane came out to the likes of LL Cool J's -Momma Said Knock You Out, whereas Manny decided to let the people know that in this fight, he had the "Eye of the Tiger" and will once again, make his Filipino brethren proud. As he sung in the last episode of his Fight Camp 360 - "My fight, your fight, its all our fight for Filipinos." With this being said, it was evident that the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA was a pro-Manny crowd, and it seemed that the only pro-'Sugar' fans were his camp and his stunningly beautiful girlfriend, Bella Gonzalez. A Filipino singer, Charice Pempengco, performed the Filipino anthem with such grace that a grown man could have cried, singer/actor, Tyrese performed the National Anthem, and Jamie Foxx performed "America The Beautiful". Once the referee, Richard Bayless, addressed both fighters in the middle of the ring and once that bell rang, the itch that many fans endured all throughout the Showtime series, the media coverage and etc, was about to be scratched.

In the first round, no one would have expected that the fighting pride of the Philippines would look human against an aging boxer, but that is exactly how the champ looked. Both fighters did the usual, 'feeling each other out' to see what they would do; it was evident, from round one that they both were trying to establish their jab. Nothing special happened; only that Mosley still had his confidence. Round two, brought a similar fate to each fighter, only difference is that Manny was starting to realize that he is no mortal. Round three was a round that would have had Vernon Forrest angry at Manny because Mosley went down, after a straight left connected to the side of his head; this was the second time in Mosley's legendary career that he's hit the canvas, Vernon being the first. Not only was Mosley's pride hurt but all hope was hurt, abandoned, lost, 'insert adjective' here, because after round 3, the boxing bout became a cat and mouse chase. Rounds 4,5,6,7,8,9 can be summed up as Manny was the cat and Mosley was the mouse; all that was displayed was Mosley's boxing IQ is high, not because he can parry punches and tactfully evade Manny's assaults but because he kept clinching, circling and not engaging. On the opposite end, Manny was the aggressor, chasing Mosley around the ring, throwing those punches that had the pro-Manny crowd in a frenzy, in hope of a knock out but to no avail.

"Sugar" Shane phantom Knockdown

However in round 10, both fighters were clinched after a flurry from Manny, and when they disengaged Mosley pushed Manny off him which led to him falling, but Richard Bayless saw that as a knocked down. It was clearly a push, how Bayless saw that as a knocked down will go down in the annals of mystery. Just as the saying goes, "everything happens for a reason", well one can say this happened to lite a spark under Manny's feet because after the missed call, Manny came out with a vengeance. Round 11 and 12 was the pace that every Manny fan has known to love. He fought those rounds as if someone had stolen his money and he wanted it back, and was willing to do anything to get it back.

Manny's Powerful Punches

To put this bout in perspective, two judges scored this bout 120 to 108, and how one judge scored it 119 to 108 is beyond logic. That simply means that Manny won all 11 rounds with 1 round being a draw. Maybe the 1st round, in which both fighter were 'feeling each other out' was seen as a tie, but nonetheless, Manny Pacquiao continued his pummeling of world-class boxers to 5 in row. Will Floyd Mayweather finally step up and take on the champ or will there be another world-class boxer other than Floyd Mayweather to fight the pound-for-pound king?

Who's Left for The 'Pac-Man?'

Hi, I am Manny Pacquiao

One after another keep falling as if it were the domino effect without any dominoes present; just world class boxers. Every time this boxer enters the ring, the fans know one thing that the opponent seems to deny himself, out of professional pride, which is they are about to be knocked down. Not only has this boxer look unbeatable in his previous four bouts, he actually looks like the game character 'Pac-Man' on 'power pellets' eating his way through stages with tremendous velocity and nothing stopping him. Everyone knows of this boxer, whether or not, they are boxing fans but because he is a man that carries a small pacific island on his sleeve every time he fights or attends an event; he is no other than Manny Pacquiao, short for Emmanuel Dapidran Pacquiao, but known as the moniker- 'Pac-Man.' The past four bouts have been described by boxing experts, pundits, hardcore fans or just someone who came over to watch the fight, with one word - WOW!! He has fought Ricky Hatton, Miguel Cotto, Joshua Clottey and Antonio Margarito, and the results have been the same - by utter domination.

"Sugar" Shane Mosely

However, on May 7 2011, he will face his stiffest opponent; even though the opponent is not from out of this world, which would only be logical, since the previous bouts can only make one think that only some boxer out of this world would be able to defeat Manny, but because his name is 'Sugar' Shane Mosely. Shane brings a lot of different elements that the other fighters did not bring on fight night - world class speed, high-boxing IQ, never been knocked out and, most important the confidence of a fighter knowing that he will come as the victor.  As his former trainer and dad, Jack Mosely, said, "Shane’s got the tools to beat this guy. He knows what he has to do and he has the ability to go out there and do it.” Although Shane brings these elements, according to Las Vegas odds makers, he is an 8-to-1 underdog. The reason behind such odds can be contributed to his age, 39 on the verge of being 40, a one-sided loss to the defensive wizard, Floyd Mayweather Jr., and a draw against, Sergio Mora. For some boxers, especially after their previous lackluster performances, would not be so convinced that they will defeat a man, who can be paralleled to a freight-train, on fight night but Shane isn't some boxer. Referring to his previous bouts, “I don’t think they will have anything to do with what I do against Pacquiao because styles make fights,” Mosley said. “But if it wasn’t for those two fights, I probably wouldn’t be here today. So those fights were needed.”

Battle of Legends

One thing is for certain on May 7, 2011; and that is Manny will fight till the very last second, for himself and the whole Filipino population watching back in the Philippines and all over the world. He is a world-class boxer with a world-class attitude. For instance, the fight he completely dominated Antonio Margarito, in which he mutilated his face with power and precise punches, he stopped for a second to give the referee a look of "hey, he is taking useless punishment, stop the fight"; the referee did not stop it, but Manny toned down his onslaught on Margarito because he knew he had won the fight and doing more damage will serve no purpose. On the other side of the ring, 'Sugar' Shane Mosely will also bring the fight to Manny because his style is to go after his opponent, and so is Pacquiao's, meaning that his fight will be non-stop action. For the price of 55 USD (standard definition) and 65 USD (high-definition), one can see this battle between legends. Will the fighting pride of the Philippines have a sweet-tooth and make it five world-class boxers in a row or will the "Sugar", Shane is going to bring to table, be too sweet for a man known to decimate anything in his path? Will Shane Mosely reprise the role of Ricky Hatton (see picture below) or will the tables be turned? Come fight night, will you be watching Pacquiao V. Mosely?

KO'd Ricky Hatton for the IBO title

The Most - H(e)ated Team in the NBA

L to R: Chris Bosh, Dwayne Wade & LeBron James

Ask any NBA fan, this question: Who do you want to win the 2011 NBA championship? The fan would most likely, unless they are a fan or a resident of the city, will say the Miami Heat. Before the 2011 season started, the Miami Heat acquired two of the most sought after free agents in all the NBA. One of the two free agents was Lebron James. The media coverage on what team he'll play for can be paralleled to that of a major world event. A one hour ESPN show, aptly titled "The Decision" was produced, solely for that reason. The other free agent, whom many fans, to a certain degree, would say 'thank you' for not displaying a pompous attitude toward his decision, was Chris Bosh. Already on the Miami Heat was  2006 NBA Champion Dwayne Wade. Now that Lebron James, Chris Bosh and Dwayne Wade are teammates (calling themselves The Big 3), and for the ride that Lebron took everyone on, on top of that, their WWE style introduction to the city of Miami, most fans think, rightfully so, that the Heat are paying for championships. As a result, NBA fans dislike them and are rooting against them, but which team can defeat the self-proclaimed - Big 3, in the playoffs? 

L to R: Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett & Ray Allen

The team, most fans, have faith in accomplishing this task of defeating these giants, is the team that had their number in the regular season - The Boston Celtics.  The Celtics won the 2008 NBA Championships and were defeated by the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2010 NBA Finals. The Celtics came back to prominence when they added two players to their roster, which already boasted a superstar, thus, creating the Boston Celtics Big 3 - Ray Allen, Kevin Garnet and Paul Pierce. One can say that the Celtics' Big 3 are no match for the Heats' younger, more athletic Big 3, but that argument won't have that much validity, because the Celtics beat the Heat, three out of four times in the regular season. In addition, the Celtics have what the Miami Heat want, and that is, team chemistry. Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett were acquired in 2007, whereas Lebron James and Chris Bosh were acquired by the Heat in 2010, giving the Celtic teammates four years of playing with each other as oppose to almost a year for the Heat's new acquisitions. Not only do they have chemistry, they have tremendous talent with a lot of playoff experience under their belt, during that four year span. With that said, the NBA fans put their hope on the Celtics to slay this new three headed dragon that is the Miami Heat's Big 3.

The Boston Celtics defeated the New York Knicks in four games in the first round, and the Miami Heat defeated the Philadelphia 76ers in five games in the first round. The two teams next match up? You guessed it, with each other. The twist is, since the Heat were a higher seed (2) than the Celtics seed (3), they get home field advantage, even though the Celtics beat them three out of four times. So far, only two games of a best of seven series have been played between these two teams; Sunday - May 1st and Tuesday - May 3rd, and the results are not what those NBA fans want, which is the Heat winning both in Miami. Now the series heads north to Boston, where they will play (guaranteed two more) three games and upon completion, will head back to Miami for the final two games. With the Heat up by two games, will the Celtics pull off a comeback to give all those NBA fans what they want or will the Heat show them that a new 'Big 3' has arrived? However, do not count out the Boston Celtics because the NBA is "where amazing happens."

UFC 129 - Recap

UFC In Toronto

Rogers Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada on April 30, 2011 was the biggest UFC event in North American History with an attendance of 55,000 fans. The UFC declared April 24-30 "fight week"; and, they brought everything including the kitchen sink to Toronto. They had Q&A with the UFC president, announcers, former fighters, Fan Expos, Grappling Events, and even brought all seven champions, aptly called the Super 7, for a Q&A session. Mega screens were constructed inside the venue to give the fans that were seated at the very top a fight-view, a lot more speakers were installed to give the fans a loud experience and other perks that are not available in regular shows. In other words, this was the UFC's first super show. 

Was the hype backed up by the performances of the fighters inside the 'Octagon?' Did the television audience feel like this was the biggest North American event in Mixed Martial Arts history? 

Here's the breakdown:

UFC 129 opened up with a light-weight bout between Ben Henderson and Canada's own, Mark Bocek. The fight went back-and-forth with submission attempts by Bocek and a whole barrage of striking from Henderson. However, in the end, Henderson won via unanimous decision. 

The second fight was a bout between Jason Brillz and Vladimir Matyushenko. This bout ended lightning quick, with Vladimir getting the knockout in 20 seconds. Vladimir Matyushenko threw an upper-cut and a left, that dropped Jason. Since, this was a very short fight, another fight was shown to take up time which, also, ended in a fast knock out.

Machida's "Crane" Kick

Now onto to the fights that everyone wanted to see. It started between Lyoto Machida V. Randy Couture. Randy had stated that a fight against Machida intrigued him for many reasons especially since no one had been able to solve "The Machida Puzzle" (His unorthodox fighting style). Did Randy solve the puzzle? Not at all. The fight, from the start, was dominated by Machida, although Randy landed some punches. As the fight progressed, Randy kept moving foward, Machida kept his lateral movement going until the last minutes of the 1st round, where they both were in the center and BAM!!!  Machida utilized the famed "Crane Kick" to Randy's chin, which knocked him out instantly. After the bout, both fighters showed each other good sportsmanship and when asked; Randy said, he no longer is going to fight.

Jose Aldo punishing Mark Homnick

After the Randy Couture V. Lyoto Machida fight, it was the co-main event between Jose Aldo and the native Canadian, Mark Hominick. This was the most exciting match of the entire event, and some can argue that it was worth price of admission. This was a battle between a man with a tremendous skill set, Jose Aldo, and a man that truly has a lion's heart, Mark Hominick. From the start of the bout, Jose Aldo was the aggressor - throwing kicks, punches and even taking him down. However, all this action caused Jose to become exhausted, which Mark and his camp felt, resulting in Mark to 'open up.' As the fight progressed, Jose started to become less aggressive and Mark started to land punches until Jose took him down and started to 'ground-and-pound.' As a result of one elbow thrown to Mark's forehead, it created a massive hematoma (as the picture above illustrates). The damage caused by the elbow look so grotesque that the referee, 'Big" John McCarthy, stopped the fight so that a doctor can inspect it to see if it was safe for Mark to return, which he was. This inspection did not happen only once, but happened often and when asked "want to continue?", Mark replied "expletive yea, hell yea." Most fighter's would probably have been 'broken' mentally by such a beating, but Mark did not, and when it came to the fifth and last round, he took Jose down and commenced, his 'ground-and-pound.' However, one round was not enough unless a knockout were to happen or a referee stoppage but none of that happen, resulting in Jose Aldo being the victor. 

Jake Shields taking a GSP Sidekick

 Now to the main event between Jake Shields and 'Captain Canada', Georges St-Pierre. Among many fight fans, this fight did not live up to the hype, not because no one was submitted or knocked out rather no one pressed the action. However, this was the 1st fight that GSP lost a round in his previous thirty rounds. As with many 1st rounds in a championship bout, it was used to see what each fighter will do, but it seemed that Jake had five first rounds because it seemed like he was waiting to see what GSP will do. Jake never gave the impression that this was a championship fight because it seemed like he had no sense of urgency to defeat him. One can sum up what Jake did the whole bout - nothing, with the exception of a few jabs, petty kicks and 'shots' (take down attempt). However, the few punches that landed on GSP, were effective enough to 'bloody-him-up.'  On the other hand, GSP was most effective with his kicks, not so much punches. He had a vicious spinning back kick to Jake's ribs to end a round, and later, a kick to Jake's head that stunned him for a second. GSP did have the occasional explosive take downs that he is known for (it has been said he is 'best MMA wrestler') but was evident that he did not want to enter the grappling game with Jake. In the end, GSP came away with a bloody face, with his eye suffering damage, and the belt, and Jake came away knowing that he probably should have done a lot more. 

The event as a whole did have that super show feel, with the fights, for the most part, living up to the hype. The UFC has now proven that they can host a extraordinary event with some fights that can only be described by one word - WOW!!! 

Only the people that had the privilege to attend can describe the experience from within the event but for those who weren't fortunate enough to attend, can say that it was a spectacle, sort of like a Wrestlemania. 

The highlights of the event were: 

• The "crane kick' executed to perfection by Lyoto, and the significance of that fight - Randy Couture's last.
•  The incredible display of heart by Mark Hominick, in the face of a far superior fighter, in Jose Aldo.  

Although the main event wasn't as amazing as the UFC marketing campaign, it did attract a lot of people, and was an economic boost for the local economy. One can only wonder, which city will be next and which fights will be on the card?