Local fight game…
By Robert Przybylo
BPrzybylo@opubco.com
There is a lot going on here in Oklahoma in the next month. Brief rundown.
Showtime boxing in Tulsa
Two undefeated featherweights headline a nine-bout card Friday night at the Osage Million Dollar Elm Casino.
The main event features Leonilo Miranda (30-0, 28 knockouts), ranked seventh by the WBC, taking on 2000 Puerto Rican Olympian, Orlando Cruz (15-0, 8 knockouts).
The card starts at 8:30 p.m. and Showtime will broadcast live at 10 as part of its ShoBox series.
“ShoBox is in large part about giving young talented, unknown and untested fighters opportunities to take center stage,” said Gordon Hall, executive producer of the series.
In other bouts, Oklahoma City junior middleweight Carson Jones (17-6-1) and Lawton super middleweight George “Comanche Boy” Tahdooahnippah (15-0-1) will be featured.
The bouts are being promoted by Holden Productions and Gary Shaw Productions. Tickets start at $35 and can be purchased at the Osage Event Box Office. For more information, call (918) 699-7667.
(In a perfect world, I could attend this. I would love to pick the brains of ShoBox announcers Steve Farhood and Nick Charles. I would also love to see the environment. Alas, because of other commitments, no can do.)
Charity event next week
OKC Charity Fight Night is Jan. 22. Sugar Ray Leonard will serve as special guest host while Sean O’Grady will be the emcee. All proceeds benefit the Oklahoma City Police Athletic League. For more information, call (405) 706-7484.
(Leonard and O’Grady in the same place at the same time? I’m there. Looking forward to writing something about the Police Athletic League. It’s a great organization.)
Zuhdi, Sherman highlight Remington card
Boxing returns to Remington Park on Feb. 13. Oklahoma lightweight champion Noah Zuhdi, Oklahoma City welterweight Kyle Sherman and former Oklahoma City Blazers enforcer Ron Aubrey are among the fighters competing. For more information, call (405) 408-3599 or visit www.catboxentertainment.com.
(This is the first Friday for the Remington Park cards. It will be interesting to see if that hurts or helps the attendance.)
MMA back at Lucky Star
Mixed Martial Arts returns to Lucky Star Casino in Clinton on Friday, Jan. 30. The card will feature Ultimate Fighting Championship alums Drew Fickett and Gerald Harris and local product Brandon Shelton.
Tickets are available at both casino locations, at tickets.com and zooamp.com or by phone at (800) 511-1552 or (405) 364-3700.
(Won’t be able to make it to this one, but David Beerley and Howard Pollock have consistently been bringing MMA to Oklahoma. You have to start somewhere.)
Rosholt’s debut in UFC less than a month away
Former Oklahoma State wrestler Jake Rosholt will make his Ultimate Fighting Championship debut on UFC’s Fight Night: Lauzon vs. Franca on Feb. 7 in Florida. Rosholt (5-0-0) will take on Alessio Sakara (17-7-1) in a bout, that depending on time restrictions, may be televised by Spike. Joe Lauzon fights Hermes Franca in the main event.
(Definitely be watching on TV. Hope it makes Spike, but if not, sure we’ll see it pop up elsewhere.)
Collected Wisdom: Sugar Ray Leonard…
By Robert Przybylo
BPrzybylo@opubco.com
(those were the days, huh? boxing on the cover of Sports Illustrated)
Recently had the pleasure of talking with Sugar Ray Leonard in preparation for Leonard coming to Oklahoma City on Jan. 22. For those who didn’t grab a Sunday paper, here is the transcript.
Ray Leonard had no dreams of becoming a boxing legend. In fact, he didn’t even have thoughts about turning professional after the 1976 Olympics in Montreal. But 36 wins and championships in five divisions later, that’s exactly what he became. Leonard has become one of the most recognizable faces in boxing in the last 30 years and will be in Oklahoma City on Jan. 22 as the special guest host for the OKC Charity Fight Night at the Coca-Cola Bricktown Events Center.
I was a real quiet kid, a real introvert. When I was 14, I went to the gym with my older brother, Roger, and boxing found me. I didn’t find boxing. My family saw a huge difference in me and boxing gave me confidence.
My favorite accomplishment will always be the gold medal (he won at the 1976 Olympics). As a professional, it’s all about you, but with the Olympics, you’re representing your country. You’re showing you’re the best in the world.
I never wanted to go pro, but my dad was ill. He was diagnosed with tuberculosis. So I figured I would go pro, make a few dollars and pay his hospital bills.
Winning my first world championship against Wilfred Benitez was great, but I think my most defining moment was against Tommy Hearns. That first fight was all about bragging rights, and it’s a night I’ll never forget. We really pushed that envelope and showed people cared about fighters other than heavyweights.
It’s a fighter’s mentality to want that one last day in the sun. If you don’t fight or have never fought, you can’t understand. Nothing gives you that high of being out there. I understand what Roy Jones Jr. and Oscar De La Hoya are going through. You can’t be a part-time boxer. You can’t lose your edge. Once you do, time to move on.
I really enjoy watching Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather. They’re above the rest right now. With Floyd, people either want to see him win or see him lose. But people want to see him, and that’s important.
Now I spend a lot of time as a motivational speaker. Any time I can use my celebrity to help out, I will. It’s all about giving back. I’ve had a very complete life, and life is wonderful.
I was brought in to The Contender (TV show) to bring some credibility. I didn’t know what it was at first, but I loved the show. It was amazing. It allowed people to see what life is like as a fighter. It’s unfortunate because even though it was a great show, I don’t think it ever got the support that most new shows get from the networks.
This will be my second time in Oklahoma City. I went there right after the Olympics with my wife and sister. I remember it being real peaceful, full of nice people. I’ve got pictures of the memories. I’m looking forward to coming back.
There is an audience for everything. I really enjoy watching MMA (mixed martial arts). There is a lot of skill, and it’s real exciting. They just have to keep building stars just like boxing has to do. There’s no reason you can’t like both.
For a good cause…
By Robert Przybylo
BPrzybylo@opubco.com
If you get a chance, not a bad way to spend a Sunday. PAL does great things for young kids and helping them stay out of trouble.
WHAT: Oklahoma County District Attorney David Prater will discuss Youth Crime Prevention and efforts by the Oklahoma City Police Athletic League (PAL) to knockout juvenile crime during a discussion and photo opportunity at the PAL boxing gym.
WHO: OK County District Attorney David Prater; National PAL Boxing Silver Medalist and 14-year old Capitol Hill student Juan “Alex” Saucedo demonstrating some of his footwork in the ring. Saucedo’s boxing coach, Pat Pouder will also be present.
WHEN: Sunday, January 11th at 1:00 p.m.
WHERE: Azteca Gym located at 330 SW Hudson, 1 block south of 25th & SW Hudson. Enter through alley, above Capitol Hill Graphics. Look for the Police truck.
WHY: Juvenile crime is a growing concern for every citizen but few know of the important roll the Oklahoma City Police Athletic League plays in reducing crime. “Cops Helping Kids Succeed”.
HOW: Support this important local program by attending OKC Charity Fight Night on January 22nd. All proceeds benefit PAL. Contact (405) 706-7484 or Nicole@okcfightnight.com for ticket information.
MORE: Don’t Miss the Main Event! OKC Charity Fight Night benefiting the Oklahoma City Police Athletic League. Join heavyweights of business and legends of boxing, Sugar Ray Leonard and Sean O’Grady, for a black tie night of Dinner, Cocktails, Stogies, Boxing, Auctions and Entertainment.
Taking words out of my mouth…
By Robert Przybylo
BPrzybylo@opubco.com
Here is the best story of the year so far. OK, it’s only nine days but this might still hold up after 365 as well.
Noted boxing writer/historian Thomas Hauser and his piece about what is wrong with HBO boxing.
I said it takes the words right out of my mouth. Um, that’s not true. I can’t write to Hauser’s ability in any way, shape or form. But man, he said what a lot of us are thinking. I’d paste the whole article from maxboxing.com, but it’s more than 6,000 words.
Get a nice snack and drink and have fun. It’s a good one.
Walker off card…
By Robert Przybylo
BPrzybylo@opubco.com
(Travis Walker, 28-2 with 22 KOs is off the Oklahoma City card Jan. 22)
Heavyweight contender off card
Heavyweight boxing contender Travis Walker has been removed from the scheduled OKC Charity Fight Night card Jan. 22 at the Coca-Cola Bricktown Events Center.
Walker is coming off a knockout loss in November and was hoping to get back on the winning track.
Sugar Ray Leonard and Sean O’Grady are among some of the names who will be on hand for the event that will benefit the Oklahoma City Police Athletic League.
For more information, call (405) 706-7484 or visit www.okcfightnight.com.
This is a huge blow for boxing fans. Walker is on the cusp of becoming something in the pugilistic world, and selfishly, it would have been fun to see someone of his caliber come through Oklahoma City.
Hopefully, it doesn’t deter people from coming out as anything to help out the PAL is a cause worth giving to.
Tough month for boxing as Walker is off this card, a proposed card Jan. 24 on the border of Missouri and Oklahoma has been postponed and on HBO, Joe Greene has pulled out of his fight with Sergio Martinez because of kidney stones.
I spoke with promoter Buck Smith today about the card. And he said he is hopeful Walker will still attend the event, just not fight. And for selfish reasons again, that would be fine with me. Wouldn’t mind digging into the brain of a heavyweight contender.
Not the start to 2009 we were hoping for. What’s next, BALCO stuff keeps Shane Mosley from fighting Antonio Margarito? Wait, that actually maybe should happen at this point. I’ve been a huge Mosley fan, but if he really did what Victor Conte is claiming, that hurts.
I’ll have my interview with Sugar Ray Leonard posted Sunday.
Gus Johnson to replace Albert
By Robert Przybylo
BPrzybylo@opubco.com
(one thing’s for sure: there will never be a dull moment on Showtime Championship Boxing anymore)
Here is the release, courtesy of fightnews.com.
Dynamic play-by-play broadcast veteran Gus Johnson of CBS Sports signed with Showtime Networks Inc. to host and call the action on the premium network’s flagship sports series SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING, it was announced today by Ken Hershman, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Showtime Sports & Event Programming. Johnson replaces Steve Albert, who has served as the play-by-play voice of SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING since 1987. Johnson will work alongside color analyst Al Bernstein on the monthly series.
“SHOWTIME has been on fire for several years—televising some of the most important and evenly matched world title fights in boxing, breaking ground by televising mixed martial arts and adding INSIDE THE NFL to the line up,” said Johnson, who has called boxing for CBS Sports and Madison Square Garden Network. “I am thrilled to join the SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING team. And as a division of CBS, my work with SHOWTIME will be complementary to that of CBS Sports.”
Man am I torn on this. I love Johnson and think he makes every college basketball game great, but there was nothing wrong with Albert. And Albert and Bernstein had great chemistry.
Dems the breaks, I guess. It’ll be interesting if the age difference renders its ugly head. Just like I could never imagine Max Kellerman and Larry Merchant talking boxing together, I don’t see Gus Johnson and Al Bernstein hanging out together when the fights are done.
That doesn’t mean they won’t, but that would be interesting. And that doesn’t mean Johnson doesn’t have the passion/knowledge of the sport that Bernstein has. It’s just going to be different. For the record, I hope Bernstein is kept on. When Bernstein and Merchant talk, us young people should listen 
The complete history of MMA…
By Robert Przybylo
BPrzybylo@opubco.com
(the strongest Boneman recommendation I can give. what are you waiting for?)
I recently had a chance to get a copy of Total MMA by Jonathan Snowden. It is the best mixed martial arts book EVER.
OK, I know that’s not saying much because there are not too many of its kind. However, it’ll take a massive effort by someone to try to top this historical look back at how MMA developed and has evolved.
This book helps people like me. People, who when MMA was going through its dark days (think late ’90s) and had no access to anything. You finally get to hear the whole story. You always hear bits and pieces about what happened.
What separates this from a lot of of other books is the extensive research Snowden does. I’m not even sure how he did it. There are so many notations, but it’s not just him piecing together past interviews. He gives insight and a fresh look at things.
The book ends right as Brock Lesnar and Randy Couture was signed even has the infamous Lesnar rant on Fedor during the conference call with f-bombs a-plenty.
It’s also a chance to stroll down memory lane with the Shamrock family, Dan Severn, Don Frye, etc. And anything that brings up how good Bruce Beck and Jeff Blatnick were will always get praise from me. Never would have imagined how much Mike Goldberg and Joe Rogan would do for the sport, though.
It’s not the history of UFC, it’s MMA. It’s not catered to Dana White or Zuffa. He talks about PRIDE, Elite XC, the early days in Japan. No stone is left unturned.
I’m not one to take notes while reading (although I probably should have for this one), so this isn’t the best-written review. All I know is the more I read, the more I wanted to keep reading.
The book is just about 400 pages but as you get closer to the end, you’re disappointed because there are no more stories 
It was released in December, and I’m not sure how it is doing commercially, but I hope Snowden realizes how much his work is appreciated by the MMA community.
Once again, the book is Total MMA by Jonathan Snowden. Sorry for the gratuitous plug, but this book deserves it, IMO.
Early January is always a slow month in the fight game, so not much to talk about. However, I will have an interview with Sugar Ray Leonard posted in the next week. And let me tell you, that was a treat.
Uncle Pennybags is laughing…
By Robert Przybylo
BPrzybylo@opubco.com
(so who is Dana White more like, Uncle Pennybags or C. Montgomery Burns?)
If I had any artistic skill at all, there would be a picture of the famous Monopoly guy with UFC President Dana White’s face superimposed in there.
Alas, I’ve never had one iota of artistic talent but “lucky” for you, I believe I can write. And the story of mixed martial arts in 2008 is this: It was a crazy good year for the UFC, not MMA.
White has said repeatedly that no one has the intelligence to compete with Zuffa in the fight game and 2008 proved it…again.
The year saw the final nail in the coffin of the once-promising International Fight League and saw the rise and fall of Elite XC in the span of the same summer.
But UFC continues to do what it does best. They’ve got the talent, they hold all the cards right now.
Here’s to hoping Affliction can make a dent in the MMA world, but I’m not counting on it.
To make a professional wrestling analogy, I hated WCW when it was around. I was always a WWF guy. But the competition brought out the best. Now as a single entity, WWE, there’s no pressure to be creative. You can rest on your laurels because there’s nothing there to stop you or make you get off your butt and get innovative.
If a fighter doesn’t want to work with the UFC, it’s no biggie to White. He’ll just find the 10 guys who would do anything just to get a shot with the UFC.
Elite XC was doomed before the Kimbo Slice knockout, but that sealed its fate. Pro Elite was losing millions and millions of dollars and the hope that having the first ever primetime MMA network broadcast would save things didn’t pan out.
There are always going to be your minor organizations (like Strikeforce). They have their niche, but that’s it. No mainstream, national appeal.
Thankfully as of right now, the UFC is still looking to promote the best fights possible. Stellar matches were made all through 2008 and the start of 2009 doesn’t look to be any different.
Don’t get me wrong. White is great for MMA. And what he has done is truly remarkable. I guess this is more of “hey, get your stuff together” to some of the other groups. White doesn’t have to change and shouldn’t change. As long as he doesn’t get complacent, he’s set and the UFC has a great future.
I may be a little peeved at the amount of PPVs right now, but I get it. You need to cash in when the going is good. But I don’t have that type of money.
So 2008, well, you were great to the UFC, but not the best year for MMA.
Wish List
- That Brock Lesnar officially become the Next Big Thing by getting revenge on Frank Mir. The sooner the label “former WWE wrestler” goes away for Lesnar, the better for everyone.
- That my boy, Urijah Faber, get back on the winning track. He got caught, hey, it happens.
- That Rampage Jackson and Rashad Evans mix it up for the light heavyweight title. Jackson has said he wants a rematch with Forrest Griffin first, but this is the fight I want to see.
- Speaking of Griffin, that his career not stall at this point. He is a tremendous success story for the UFC. I’d hate to see him falter at this point.
- That Wanderlei Silva and Nogueira (among others) call it a day. You had great careers, no shame in getting out while you can still function.
- That Kimbo Slice and Gina Carano appear on my TV again. Carano is easily one the best female fighters while Slice deserves a second chance (remember that Lesnar lost, too).
- That Anderson Silva fight someone who legitimately has a shot at beating him. I love Spider and want to see him be challenged so we know how good he is.
- That Affliction continues and prospers. It has its superstar in Fedor. Hopefully, more will be on the horizon.
- That the meaningless deaths stop occurring. No one is dying in the cage, but this year saw the passing of way too many young MMA fighters.
- That everyone get a chance to read Total MMA by Jonathan Snowden. If you’ve ever wanted the entire history of MMA, this is the book.
- And a selfish one, that the UFC makes it way to Oklahoma City. One can hope, right?
That concludes the boxing and MMA awards. Now that the lousy year that was 2008 is over, let 2009 begin.
Awards: Best of the Rest…
By Robert Przybylo
BPrzybylo@opubco.com
(wait, this guy knocked out Kimbo Slice? Photo by David Mandel)
We’ve had our fight of the year. We’ve had our fighter of the year. Now let’s see what other moments made MMA in 2008 arguably the most successful year.
KO of the Year: Too many to choose, so let’s put it to three. Rashad Evans’ KO of Chuck Liddell is highlight-worthy. Rampage Jackson’s left hook KO of Wanderlei Silva was fantastic. But for my money, I’m going with Junior Dos Santos’ amazing uppercut on Fabricio Werdum. That was good stuff.
Submission of the Year: Not one, but a fighter. Let Dustin Hazelett fight and enjoy the ride. Something about the wild beard he has, but he had two dynamic submissions this year. I wouldn’t get on the ground with Hazelett.
Upset of the Year: It’s tough to classify an upset in MMA because all it takes is one shot, but there are two that stand out. Mike Brown beating Urijah Faber was a dramatic upset in WEC. As you know, Faber is one of the Boneman’s favorites. Brown caught him and was just so much naturally bigger than Faber. It’ll be interesting if there is a rematch.
The other one, of course, is Seth Petruzelli knocking out Kimbo Slice in a matter of seconds in Elite XC. Who could have seen that coming? Kimbo was supposed to be fighting Ken Shamrock. A freak day-of-injury had Shamrock out and in stepped Petruzelli.
And then with what looked like a six-inch punch, dropped Slice. Speculation of the fight being fixed has irked me, and I don’t buy it. The best shot is a short, compact shot you never see coming.
Event of the Year: I’m going with UFC 91 in November. On perhaps the biggest stage MMA has ever had, there were no disappointments. Which leads me to…
Boneman’s 2008 MMA Moment of the Year: Brock Lesnar knocks out Randy Couture to win the UFC heavyweight championship.
I’m a Lesnar mark. Always have been, always will be. I loved him in the WWE, and I’m glad he has found something in life he loves.
After losing to Frank Mir, it looked like his life could have gone downhill. But after a win against the durable but limited Heath Herring, Lesnar was given the shot of a lifetime.
He made the most of it. Couture will always be an MMA/UFC legend, and this was exactly the type of fight Lesnar needed to validate himself.
After an even first round, Lesnar hurt Couture bad with an elbow in round two. Two minutes later, it was a right hand and some hammer fists, and we had a new heavyweight champion.
I hate to see Couture lose, but if he had to, glad it was to Lesnar. His time in the WWE has given Lesnar the natural ability to sell himself and sell a fight. He makes you want to watch him, either to see him get messed up or to KO the other guy.
Lesnar gets a chance to avenge his sole defeat when he takes on interim champion Frank Mir sometime in 2009 to unify the belt once again.
That will be one hot ticket, and you best believe I’ll find someway to watch that one. The best is yet to come as the Next Big Thing has officially arrived.
Friday: 2008 thoughts and Wish List for 2009.
