The New Pro-Wrestling

Yesterday, Randy Couture and Dana White had dueling pressers. Randy had his press conference covered by HDNet and ProElite.com while Dana had his phone conference held on Yahoo. While I heard about how it wasn't about the money for Randy, it was about respect and then spout off figures or read about how Dana was drooling over Brock Lesnar's "tremendous wrestling ability" from second hand sources, I had this question wiggling around the back of my head.

Where's the coverage from ESPN? ESPN 2? The Ocho?

Was there any coverage from anywhere but niche media on these two events?

There's nothing. Not even anything on ESPN's MMA section. Then again, it's run by Sherdog and we all know how Dana like to play Jerry Millen with that connection.

The only big source that did actual coverage was Yahoo and right now they're not looking too good. If you take Dave Meltzer out of the section, it pretty much resembles an Apter Mag circa 1993. Kevin Iole is UFC's own Vince Russo...or Mean Gene Okerland. Depending on how you take your "insider information". Wait...I take that back. yeah, Kevin Iole is Bill Apter. No way is he on the UFC payroll....yet.

So what does this mean?

Welcome to the new pro-wrestling.

Now before anyone jumps on me, I'm not saying that MMA is fake and/or predetermined. What I am saying is that the Sports jurnos are giving MMA the same "Who gives a fuck" attitude that they give pro wrestlers.

"But we got coverage on ESPN"

News. ESPN News. And on the day before a fight. And then maybe fifteen seconds on the Sporstcenter loop at night.

You can state till your face turns blue that MMA has coverage on TV, it's still being held back by the Kornhiesers and Mariatis of the network. Why? Because to them, stick and ball sports have more integrity. To them, Randy Couture vs. Dana White is just another Vince vs. Steve Austin.

So they laugh that horrid laugh and act like they're cool, but the end of the day they rather smoke crack then watch MMA. "Who wants to watch a bunch of lunkheads in a cage" they think.

You want it changed, send letters and more letters. Get major coverage and demand it from real jurnos and not office temps they send when they don't want to do it.

Stick and ball media are spoiled brats. Order them to do better.

Scatterbrains AKA This Is A Shoot!!

Once Upon A Time In Michigan AKA The Jihad Needs To Mobilize.

Zach Arnold of Fight Opinion fame has put out an interesting article about the bill being formed to legitimize MMA in the state of Michigan.

From the Grand Rapids Press...

The most troubling aspect of the bill: Promoters of mixed martial arts would be required to provide each contestant with minimum insurance coverages of $5,000 for medical and hospitalization, and $10,000 for accidental death, just three years after the legislature approved new minimums of $50,000 each for boxing.

Until boxing was overhauled in 2004, its insurance minimums, set in 1952, were $5,000.

Given that backdrop, why pass a law providing mixed martial artists with one-tenth the medical coverage, and one-fifth the loss-of-life coverage, of pro boxers?

For those who don't don't have the time to read both articles, here's the summery....

The MMA Bill that being mulled around at the moment has an outrageously high license fee and outrageously low insurance premiums.

This will tremendously hurt the MMA community economically, physically and technically.

Everybody and their mom knows that an average sized dojo or MMA school isn't going to have that much bread on them to get a licence and if they put out a loan, they're going to have to pray to their gods that they get a miraculous sellout crowd just to pay it back. Even if there was booster clubs formed, there's no way grassroots promotions is going to get the cash for just a license.

So who's going to be benefiting from this bill?

Why pro organizations and money marks. That's who.

This same bill that's trying to stifle illegal activity is a wide open door with keys for the likes of "The King of Bay City" Art Dore, Neil "The Knife" Helmkay and all of their associates. The economic opportunities I talked about happening once we regulated the sport....not happening. Events sponsored by local businesses will not happen. None will be created. The only things you'll see behind these events is the business ventures of both men which are doing pretty well as it is. All that possible revenue will be pocketed by the people who need it less and the "Know Nothing" Gangs reign triumphant.

If that isn't a piss in the pants, think of the fighters. Without the grassroot support of the schools, they're all under the shadow of the marks. It would totally be worthless to fight in Michigan if this bill passes because you'll never be able to build a quality record here. Quality fighters would be at the mercy of the mark's matchmaker AKA the marks themselves. Forget that your opponent is 15 to 50 pounds heavier then you or that his skill and technique is on the level of a JV high school wrestler or that his cardio will fall out a minute into the match. never mind if the dude a) is big b) can make the bag bend when he hits it and c) his head is far up the mark's ass, you're fighting him or you won't get paid your $200 dollars. You could be a super quality fighter, but the semi-pros will never know it because of all the cans the mark throws at you. Without quality opponents, no one will know the whole picture of the fighter and therefore the fighter will have to retire or move to greener pastures in Ohio or Illinois. This will in turn, create a desolate community without a fanbase and another lost cause in economic growth and communal pride. Sure, some of our fighters will go on to make it big, but who will really know about them.

It's a very frustrating time for the Michigan MMA community.

The Grunts Are Dying While The Generals Have Their Breakfast.

While we're on the subject of fighting money marks, where in the hell is our major media sources on the subject? Yes I'm looking at you Sherdog and MMA Weekly. You went to cover the Tommy Morrison debacle, yet done nothing to expose the promoter as the failed money mark he is. Sure you can crow about "this wasn't regulated" and "It was on an Indian reservation so it wasn't regulated", but anyway you angle it, you dropped the ball. It is your job, nay, your duty to stop marks from being the scum they are and help real MMA promoters grow. You did none of this.

And you expect everyone to take this sport seriously?

How can it do this when the sport's own media hasn't dropped it balls yet and gone for the jugular on these creeps?

Why is it me and others busting our asses to try to make this sport, our sport, safe as possible and to make sure none of this falls to the wayside and become another pro-wrestling while you guys can't even report on allegations of yakuza activity within the halls of DSE and PRIDE, leading to it's inevitable demise?

You guys are supposed to be the masthead of MMA Journalism. You're the be all end all of MMA information. You're supposed to be exposing money marks and teaching a thing or two to the Stick And Ball media about the sport. In the words of George Clooney in From Dusk Till Dawn, you're supposed to be "A motherfucking servant of God".

But you decide to rest on your laurels.

Congratulations. You won. We made it.

Now pretty please, with sugar on top, do your fucking job.

If you don't want to, that's fine. We'll be grateful to pick up the slack and actually try to make something of this sport.

A Worked Fight In PRIDE!? Unpossible!!

I got to laugh at people who got shocked when Rampage to the media that his fight with Sakuraba was supposed to be worked. That has got to be the funniest thing I head the whole day. We're talking about a time frame where the organization was still under the shadow of Antonio Inoki and Nobuhiko Takada was trying to still pas himself of as a "credible" Mixed Martial Artist. if anything, it just makes that whole period of PRIDE a bit more ridiculous.

Now if PRIDE told CroCop to dive for Dos Caras. Then...I'll be shocked.

My Dog Knows Judo

I've got a great mutt at home. He's a Lab. Sometimes, when the day is nice and the day is boring, I take my dog outside for a long run. I also wrestle with my dog sometimes. He's great with his skills on the bottom. He knows how to defend from the choke, he's got a mean spider guard and an equally mean upkick. He does need to work on his top position though. I can easily tie up his head and arms with one arm. He also tends to want to go for the groin shots now and again. That's a big no-no Fido.

So you're wondering why am I talking about my dog's ground skills. Well, I'm thinking of signing him up to do amateur MMA. I'll train him to do a couple leg locks, maybe the anaconda choke, have him run a few ground and pound drills and then set him off. Watch out Rampage! Here comes Poochie!!

You realize how ridiculous that statement was?

Here's another one.

Dogfighting is just like the UFC because both are brutal sports.

Ok. Ok. So if Dogfighting is just like the UFC...where's the athletic commission in this?

What are the rules?

Do dogs get one minute breaks between rounds?

Are there any rounds?

Is there any weight divisions?

Say that we should support both sports because one wants to perceive itself as on the level of the other is really retarded. It's so retarded that even the retards say it's retarded.

I mean, do you see fighters getting shot in the back for having a broken limb and then buried in the back yard? I don't think so.

Saying that dog fighting is on the same level as the UFC is saying that high school wrestling is promoting unmitigated violence.

Yes, you little Jimmy will grow up a killer because he's a state wrestling champ.

I think what it all melts down to is that, when it comes to competitive violence, the US hasn't a clue what that is. We've conditioned ourselves into excepting the hocus pocus of violence and not come to real grasp with the fact that no matter how much you dress it up, competitive violence is just that. Violence.

The UFC brings in that harsh realization and people don't know how to take it. A lot go with the flow. A whole bunch of others slam the hell out of it.

It's this confusion that allows the pro-dog fight lobby to hook on with this petty and silly notion and has the media giving them that leeway and not calling them on their bullshit.

This needs to stop and needs to stop now.

Sports Media! Stop Putting Your Mouth On The Water Fountain Of Boxing!

Boxing.

The Sweet Science.

It's been all over the media all week. Mainly because of the De La Hoya/Mayweather fight. While this has been important news, the Sports media has been taking this story in a whole different and wrong direction. So, instead of wasting paragraphs of flowery language and colorful metaphors upon a sports media that chooses to be willful ignorant unless the almighty dollar is involved, I will do the rest of this post as a question and answer post. Because I'm a gentleman of restraint and I'm doing it for you, my lovely fans. You don't deserve my hate. You just deserve the facts.

Here we go.

What is the Sports media doing?

They are pretty much taking this great match and creating this glorious myth of being "The Match That Saves Boxing" and then are using this as some sort of metaphysical "Dutch Courage" to strike back on MMA with what ever they got.

Really? I haven't seen much of that. Is there anyone specific?

So far from what I've seen, most of the ESPN "lunch crew" (Jim Rome Is Burning, PTI), Wally Matthews from the Vs. Network (which is home to the WEC) and some actor posing as a journalist on CBS Sportsline (you're going to have to google that one.). Expect a steady flow happening today and tomorrow and depending on the fight, a large blow up next week of orgasmic magnitude. Wear a raincoat and bring an umbrella.

Does Boxing need to be saved?

Not really. It's doing fine and well around the world. Anyone who think it needs to be saved is either weird or on drugs. I think it could be a possible end of the way...boxing is marketed. Also it could be the possible end of the current format that boxing uses at the moment. But, the end of Boxing as a whole? I doubt it.

Ok. But let's say for kids and giggles that the sport of Boxing does need to be saved. Will this fight save it?

Not really. How is one boxing match going to erase the mistakes of the past? It's like your brother constantly being the ass of the family for years and then he joins a church custodial staff just to make you forget that he's the ass of the family. If anything, this is a steadily hyped boxing match. And it will breed interest in more steadily hyped boxing matches involving Mayweather and De La Hoya. You can't actually believe that one match will make anything better. It has to start to be and remain consistent to be taken seriously again. It has to be cleaned up, start following a beneficial agenda and have an actual format to rely on.

If Boxing is relying on this match on saving them, it really shows how much brains makes up the higher ups in this particular promotion.

What does MMA have to do with any of this?

Absolutely nothing.

Then why is the Sports media so adamant about attacking it?

I don't know. Other then Caligarian mesmerism, the only explanation I can give is that they can't come to terms with the problems in Boxing and instead of doing their jobs and talk about these problems, they pretty much lash out at the newest popular thing in denial. MMA was just passing through the neighborhood at the time.

Is MMA killing Boxing?

Hell no. And if it is, it's not intentional. Sure you have Dana White saying that the UFC is killing boxing, after De La Hoya retires boxing is over, blah blah blah. This is the same guy who got in an F-bomb war with Pride's two bit guppy on satellite radio. His words don't mean crap.

What I find interesting is that those who are still hanging off Boxing's sac are saying that it's mostly the young (21-35) that is watching MMA. Am I disputing that? Absolutely not. There have been facts and figures who state this is a fact. What's really silly is that the Sports media thinks that it's ONLY the young that is growing the sport of MMA. They're totally wrong on this. It's not only the young growing this sport, it's Boxing's future neighbors, the Traditional Martial Arts community that has put some effort in growing this sport as well. To totally ignore this fact is what shows the true base of Boxing's arrogance. A sport whose basis is a mix of other highly technical combat sports that get little to no coverage or props from the mainstream save clips for the Olympics is being bashed by the so called Sports media as a "bar room brawl" over the fact that a less technical combat sport that has many variations of one focal point of attack is losing fans because they're turned off by the constant scandal that combat sport is plagued with and are starting to enjoy advanced styles of striking and new ideas of ground technique.

In short?

Because Sports media doesn't understand the gogoplata, they're gonna hate on the gogoplata.

De La Hoya or Mayweather?

De La Hoya. He's more into the fight then Mayweather is.

PS: If your Sports media is spending more time covering the length of Jarrod Saltalamacchia's name more then a UFC card, you know you're in trouble.

So UFC is on Sportscenter. So what?

First of all, I'd like to say great job to Zuffa for getting some semblance of MMA on ESPN. It must have been hard for them to get this far. They totally deserved props.

With that said, I think ESPN and Zuffa could have gone a lot farther with coverage, but with the Powers That Be at ESPN like they are, it's going to be a long time before we see a bit more content to future reports.

I know. I know. "Stop being a pessimist!" "You'll jinx us!" "Don't you want MMA to succeed?" The answer is Yes, I would love to see MMA succeed. But hear me out.

To me...that Sportscenter piece...was really lackluster. It did nothing to promote, it did nothing to inform and it did nothing to validate. It was nothing. In fact, I can do the whole segment in a couple sentences. Here we go:

Ultimate Fighting is the combination of all aspect of martial arts combat put together in a display of unarmed combat.

A reality star who won a chance at a title fight with the UFC Welterweight Champion surprised everyone by winning said championship.

That was the whole gist of the segment. Pitiful ain't it?

First off, they didn't promote Matt Serra as a "veteran fighter". They promoted him as a "reality star". While he did win his chance at the title on The Ultimate Fighter reality show, they made it sound like he was this chump off the street. Like anyone can get a title shot. I hope they do a little more research next time.

Another thing that irked me was that they only shown the title fight, like it was the only fight that mattered. That was very "Boxing" of them to do so. This was an awesome card that did needed some highlighting. If I was given say, thirty secs. to a minute for a package, I would not only put in the title fight, but some highlights of the Cummo/Haynes KO, Garcia/Huerta and also Swick/Okami. They I'd follow it up with some post fight quips. Not only am I showing every aspect of MMA, I'm also getting people to know the fighters as well. One of Boxing's hurting points is that you don't know much about the fighters. This is due to, yes, media outlets just showing title fights. More coverage means more knowledgeable people and also means more profit for everyone. It also dispels the "unpopular" myth. You give it time and effort, sports won't be "not popular enough". They'll be just "sports".

While it was a valiant first effort, I won't be convinced that ESPN is committed to "ultimate fighting" until we see it covered consistently. UFC 70 will be the tipping point as to whether or not ESPN will cover it as "sport" or cover it as "Boxing". If it is covered as "Sport" then all as well. If it's covered as "Boxing", then Zuffa really needs to sit them down and talk to them about the sport. And I mean heart to heart.

But for now, The segment was hype. No substance.

US Sports Media: MacMahon's Best Friend.

*WARNING! Harsh Language! Viewer discretion is advised!*

Zach Arnold of Fight Opinion has been covering the media barrage over the SI.com article. Most of has been your run of the mill negative connotations about pro wrestling.

"They're not athletes."
"They're all on the sauce."

"Pro-wrestling isn't a sport"

"Thug this. Brain dead moron that."

"This is for yokels and mild retards."

"Should we care that pro wrestlers are on steroids?"

I think I can answer that question perfectly.

Yes, you fucking assholes. You really should.

If this was the Big three sports you cover constantly to the fucking hilt (and speaking of mild retards...), you be all over this like stink to shit. Yet if who wins and loses is faked or predetermined, who gives a shit, right.

It is because of the US Sports Media that there is an air of indifference about pro-wrestling that allows the worse elements of pro-wrestling to permeate.

It is because of the US Sports Media that the industry of pro-wrestling in N. America has become an unwieldy and unchecked monopoly as of late.

It is because of the US Sports Media that allows Vince MacMahon to pull any shit he wants to.

I think it was Bob Costas who called him on his bullshit. Only Bob Costas. Where are the rest of you? I know! You're making cheap fucking jokes about how pro-wrestlers are idiots.

Lyle Alzado dies, you honor him.

Eddie Guerrero dies, you make him a fucking joke.

How many more human lives are going to be lost until it's no longer a laughing matter?

What really worries me is that this so called "sports media" has the same reservations on MMA as well. Do we need the same shit being said about a Randy Couture or a Fedor?

If you're serious about defeating steroid abuse, start taking the matter seriously and start attacking Vince MacMahon with the truth. If you don't, you're nothing more then the chief enabler of a paranoid sycophant throwback and deserve to be discredited at every turn.

The choice is yours.