I've been mulling over some things recently and have this to say:
Which is worse for the sport:
Fighters who portray an over-the-top character like Wanderlei or Rampage.
-or-
Pro Wrestlers who have no business being in the ring diminishing the validity of the sport.
Now I'm not saying all Pro Wrestlers should stay out of the sport, only the ones who clearly haven't trained enough to earn that spot. Certain MMA matches have become the Japanese eqivalent of our "celebrity boxing". I understand the need to have fights that people want to see, to put butts in the seats, similar to the recent fights with Ken Shamrock and Tank Abbott amongst others, but why is this more acceptable than somebody with a schtick?
Mike Tyson (while unstable on the whole) clearly hams it up for the camera, thus getting people interested and bringing more publicity to the sport. Bad or good, more people watch boxing because of his antics.
Now, if Rampage, or Gary Goodridge or Wanderlei want to do a little theatre, ham it up; if its good for the sport and gets more people to watch, whats so wrong with that? Rampage is like the Tank Abbott of this new generation.
For people to appreciate fighters like Jeremy Horn and Dan Henderson, fighters who just want to fight and don't want to ham it up, we first need to get the attention of people who don't know about the sport.
Yeah, I'm rambling, but there is a point or two somewhere in there.
I wholeheartedly agree on Mr. Chuck Liddell. One thing that consistently makes me sick about MMA fighters is the number of excuses they have for losses--Mark Coleman and Vernon "Tiger" White being two of the most despicable examples I can think of. Liddell has stood in front of the press and flat-out said that Randy beat him, that Randy shut down his game plan, that Randy is the greatest champion in UFC history. Respect. There's not enough of it in this sport.
Master's query:
You're looking at it from a purely American perspective. I'm the first person to tell you that Yoshihiro Takayama is a fat joke who will lose every fight he ever takes. But I'm also the first to tell you that this guy sells tickets. THOUSANDS of them. Takayama is the current New Japan IWGP Heavyweight Champion. This is the most coveted belt in Japan--more valuable than the AJPW Triple Crown, the NOAH Global Honored Crown, and god knows its more valuable than the PRIDE Heavyweight Title. To be able to put Takayama on MMA cards when he's the king of NJPW is a coup for DSE and anyone associated with MMA competition in Japan. As a fighter he sucks, but when Inoki Bom-Ba-Ye 2003 comes, I'd all but guarantee he'll be in the main event...AGAIN.
Nobuhiko Takada had never done a full-on "shoot" in his entire career when he fought Rickson Gracie at PRIDE 1. That night, the fans turned out in droves not to see Gracie, but to see Takada fight for real and they honestly thought he would win. If not for Nobuhiko Takada, PRIDE wouldn't even exist. If not for the contributions of men like Antonio Inoki and Akira Maeda, Shoot Style would never have come to pass and I doubt MMA would even take place in Japan. Japanese pro wrestlers built all this. So if a lousy wrestler like Takayama or Yasuda feels the need to step into the shoot world to try his luck and be used as a selling point for the fans, so be it. They have the right. It makes for killer highlight videos anyway--see Frye/Takayama, Filipovic/Nagata...
Silva and Jackson are free to play a role for the cameras, I personally just don't like the "I'm a belligerent, swearing, unpleasant asshole" character. The respectful, quiet, honorable fighter is who I prefer to root for.
It's one thing to have character. Muhamed Ali had character. It's quite another to show the world that you're quite comfortable being a jackass in any situation. That's not character but it's what Jackon and Tank both have, to be sure.
I don't have an opinion on the wrestlers in MMA. I know I'd watch if Lennox Lewis was fighting Fedor. Or Tyson was fighting Couture.
Speaking of which, Liddell and Couture both just rule. It was an amazing fight and although I just knew Liddell would win it, I didn't feel good actually rooting for one over the other. They're both consumate sportsmen and professionals in their field. Actually that fight was crazy. I've never seen Couture fight like that. I mean he was a badass abd it was plain for all to see. But he just leapt forward like a demon unchained. I look forward to seeing this man defend his belt.
On the whole, UFC seems to have just gotten a bunch better. Hopefully Tank and Kimo will stay home from now on though.
Cyril Abidi beat Aziz Khatou by DEC
Chalid "Die Faust" beat Pele Reid by DEC (!!!!)
Alexander Ustinov beat Gregory Tony by ???
Alexey Ignashov beat Pavel Majer by KO
Ignashov beat Ustinov by DEC
Abidi beat Chalid by TKO
Ignashov beat Abidi by TKO
Alexey Ignashov advances to the Eliminations...Apparently Le Banner leapt into the ring after the final to congratulate Ignashov and Abidi swung at him!
Ernesto Hoost beat Martin Holm by DEC
Jerome Le Banner beat Vitali Akhramenko by KO
Randy is showing himself to be quite well rounded. Tito never ever has. He has one tactic that's worked against the few fighters he's actually beaten definitively and it's called the ground and pound. I don't think it'll win him a fight against Couture.
I now hate Dana White and his pathetic MMA organization like nothing ever in history. I realize that Randy and Tito would have fought anyway, but this is disgustingly dishonorable and shows just how sorry the state of MMA in the states really is. Say what you will about the works that take place in Pride or wherever else in Japan, none of it is as despicable or underhanded as this.
I feel most sorry for Liddell in all of this. Had it been Tito Ortiz instead of Randy Couture or Hinato Babalu(sp?) Liddell'd be wearing that belt and Tito'd be hoping to get some sort of work from the WWE.
This bullshit really does sicken me. Tito has no business being the champion of anything.
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