Gomez looks to make ultimate step up…
By Robert Przybylo
BPrzybylo@opubco.com
I plum forgot what we have going on this weekend. In boxing, there is a crucial (well, I think so) heavyweight bout between Vitali Klitschko and Juan Carlos Gomez for the WBC heavyweight championship.
Always been a fan of Vitali (not so much Wladimir). But for argument’s sake, it would be refreshing if Gomez could pull out the win.
The Cuban dominated the cruiserweight scene after winning the belt in 1998. He made 11 straight defenses with 10 of them ending via KO or TKO.
Then he moved up to heavyweight. So far against some of the fringe contenders, his power hasn’t carried. He’s been winning comfortable-margin decisions but hasn’t knocked out anybody.
We know Vitali can punch, so can Gomez take a real heavyweight shot?
Gomez is 44-1 and at a time when all we’re really looking for is some new blood to be infused in the heavyweights, why not a 35-year-old Cuban?
There has been a late schedule change to the bout. It was originally supposed to be on ESPN live from Germany at 5 p.m. CST.
It’s now going to be on ESPN Classic Live and then shown quickly on ESPN2 at 6 p.m. CST. I won’t be home for either viewing, so rest assured, the VCR will be in full use.
But just for the record, I think Klitschko takes care of business. Think Gomez would have had better shot vs. Wladimir than Vitali.
Zuhdi, Tahdooahnippah fight through adversity
It was a wild ride for Oklahoma lightweight champion Noah Zuhdi last week.
His opponent changed four times in less than a week heading into last Friday’s bout at the First Council Casino in Newkirk.
Eventually, Zuhdi knocked out James McClure in the sixth round. Zuhdi, a lightweight, agreed to fight McClure even though McClure weighed in as a welterweight, a 12-pound difference.
All of Zuhdi’s previous six fights ended in the first round, but he said he was very pleased with his performance despite injuring his left hand in the second round.
Lawton middleweight George “Comanche Boy” Tahdooahnippah also went six rounds and also scored a knockout. Tahdooahnippah injured his shoulder during the bout but persevered to win his third fight of the year and improve to 18-0-1.
Jones bounces back
Oklahoma City welterweight Carson Jones has come off losses before. But his latest loss should have given him confidence, a decision against Jesus Soto-Karass in February.
In his first fight back, he displayed that confidence. Jones easily knocked out Mike McGuire in the second round to up his record to 19-7-1, also on the Newkirk card.
Former Oklahoma City Blazers enforcer Ron Aubrey earned a second-round TKO on the card as well.
Lawal’s popularity growing
While some former Oklahoma State wrestlers are fighting in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, Mo Lawal has found another outlet: Japan.
So far, so good. Lawal has found success in his first three MMA bouts for the World Victory Road promotion and his unique training videos are becoming very popular among MMA fans.
He has won all three of his fights by knockout and fights Friday against Ryo Kawamura. The event will be televised by HDNet.
Lawal was a national champion at Central Oklahoma in 2002 and placed third at Oklahoma State in 2003.
(I’ll be doing what I can to try to get coverage of this. I remembered Lawal vaguely from my college days at Oklahoma. But his videos definitely give him that certain something to help him stand out.)
Slow times in the fight game…
By Robert Przybylo
BPrzybylo@opubco.com
Realize it’s been more than a week since my last post, but there is not much going on right now as things keep falling through one after another.
Saturday was supposed to be the Chad Dawson-Antonio Tarver rematch (that nobody wants to see), but that’s been pushed back.
This Saturday was supposed to be the huge MMA/boxing joint event with Roy Jones Jr. vs. Omar Sheika and Ken Shamrock vs. Bobby Lashley.
Well, Shamrock got busted for three steroids, so he’s out. An undercard bout with Seth Petruzelli fell through. Petruzelli knocked out Kimbo Slice late last year, so it would have been interesting to see how he responded to his new-found fame.
As much as I love writing about Evander Holyfield and all his comeback attempts. For some reason, don’t have the same love for Jones or Marco Antonio Barrera.
Barrera lost a five-round technical decision to Amir Khan on Saturday. Color me unimpressed by that. There was a bad cut over his eye early in the fight, and it seems as though they milked it so it could be a decision instead of a no-contest. If anyone saw the fight, would like to hear your opinion.
I hate to think of Barrera and Jones fighting in these lower-level bouts, especially MAB. After all Barrera has given to the sport, don’t want to see him go out this way. But I can guarantee you we’ll see him again because he’s not going out like that, that’s for sure.
In MMA, we’re a month away from UFC 97, which I think is a good thing. Give it a little time, build it up properly, and you’ve got something. With heavyweight Cheick Kongo, a light heavyweight bout between Shogun Rua and Chuck Liddell and of course, Anderson Silva in the main event, there’s something out there for everybody.
Frank Mir had to pull out of UFC 98 vs. Brock Lesnar because of a knee surgery. That’s fine as now the two will meet in UFC 100, which should/better be one of the best-stacked cards in MMA history.
In local news, the usual suspects picked up wins Friday at the First Council Casino in Newkirk.
Oklahoma lightweight champion Noah Zuhdi won via sixth-round TKO as did Lawton middleweight George Tahdooahnippah.
Welterweight Carson Jones got back on the right track with a nice win as well. Was interested to hear how things went for him coming back after a good loss (if there is such a thing).
And things won’t get too much busier here in the next couple of weeks. Promoters aren’t dumb, and there won’t be too much head-to-head with the NCAA Tournament. For the record, Boneman’s pick is Pittsburgh. But not nearly as in love with that pick like I was last year with Kansas.
Kirkland no longer a prospect…
By Robert Przybylo
BPrzybylo@opubco.com
By the third round of his bout with Joel Julio, I was ready to write-off James Kirkland as just another product of the hype machine.
Someone who everybody wanted to be special but really isn’t. He was quickly becoming the next Edison Miranda to me.
But then something happened. Kirkland, in the midst of furious back-and-forth exchanges, adapt and had a real game plan.
He started to slip punches, he worked the body well. He was, no, check that, is a complete fighter. It’s just so far he hasn’t had anyone to bring it out in him.
Julio came close before the fight was stopped at the end of the sixth round. Wasn’t sure if it was the corner or the ref, frankly, didn’t matter. Kirkland was beating Julio around the ring as Julio was retreating for nearly every minute of every round and had a bad cut above his right eye.
I’m not proclaiming Kirkland as the second-coming or an all-time great, but I’ll say I’ll no longer dismiss him as just a one-dimensional fighter.
Kirkland fights like somebody who is going after the kid that stole his lunch money he was younger. It’s almost scary looking at his non-stop intensity for every second of every round.
It’s also refreshing to see in this day of so many safety first boxers. I appreciate the slick boxers, but there are some (not naming names) that nobody will ever pay a dime to see fight again.
I would pay a dime (or two) to see Kirkland fight live. Ann Wolfe has done a fabulous job with Kirkland. She gave great advice between rounds and more importantly, he followed her words.
The other bouts didn’t do much for me on the HBO triple-header. Robert Guererro’s bout was ruled a no-contest while Victor Ortiz blasted Mike Arnaoutis in two rounds.
Not sold on Ortiz. Arnaouits’ best days are behind them. He’s still tough and rugged but if he’s the best name on the record, eh, still going to be skeptical.
I like what I see from Ortiz, but it’s time to step up the competition.
***
Boneman, eat your words about Gabriel Gonzaga. Oy, my heavyweight was knocked out in less than a round Saturday at UFC 96 against Shane Carwin.
In the main event, Rampage Jackson won a unanimous decision against Keith Jardine. Logic would tell you it should be Jackson vs. Rashad Evans for the middleweight championship, but I’m not so sure it’s going to happen.
Jackson used superior striking to get the best of Jardine after having some issues in round one. Scores were 29-28 (twice) and 30-27.
Doesn’t feel like I missed much, and that’s a big problem about having the monthly PPVs. How do you differentiate between just a stay-busy PPV and one that is worth forking over the $50 for? It’s my only real issue right now with MMA.
UFC 97 looks to be a loaded card headlined by arguably the best fighter in the world, Anderson Silva. I don’t know, something about the way the cards are being booked is irking me. Can’t quite articulate it yet.
All ‘n all, not a bad weekend of fights.
The Natural is back…
By Robert Przybylo
BPrzybylo@Oklahoman.com
We are one step closer to finding out who the real MMA heavyweight champion is. Randy Couture is coming back to the UFC.
I wasn’t sure this day would ever come. Couture and UFC President Dana White’s relationship seemed so strained that I was skeptical about a reunion.
But for the betterment of the sport, the sides have reunited once again. All legal trouble is resolved by both parties. Couture has signed a three-fight deal that starts with his first fight Nov. 15.
So, who is he fighting? My boy, Brock Lesnar, at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas for the UFC heavyweight title.
Now I’m torn. Got nothing but love for Couture, but I’ve been on record saying how much I dig Lesnar.
Elite XC’s announcement of Shamrock-Slice all the sudden just went to the back page. How can you top Brock vs. Randy?
Well, there’s one way, of course. If you add Fedor to the mix, uh oh, now you’ve got some combustible elements.
Listening in on the official conference call, you could tell Lesnar didn’t care for half of the questions being asked about Fedor.
I understand both sides. Obviously, as a fighter, you just want concentrate on the next fight. But also like to look at the bigger picture.
And sad to say that no matter how great we think Couture-Lesnar is, the winner of that against Fedor is EVEN bigger.
When the fight gets closer, I’ll have a much more detailed take on everything. First glance says this is Brock’s time to shine.
Couture, the former stud at Oklahoma State, hasn’t fought in over a year. He’s 45 years old and giving up 60-70 pounds.
Then you have Lesnar, also a stud at Minnesota, who is just now reaching his physical peak, IMO. It could be as simple as aggression vs. experience, but who knows?
On a personal note, Nov. 15 is a bye week for OU, so the chances of me missing this fight are slim to none.
White was quick to pronounce this as “the biggest fight in UFC history.” And maybe it is. There have been so many legendary battles in the Octagon that it’s tough for me to say the same thing at this point.
I’m just throwing it out there, but is this the fight that officially takes MMA from a niche sport to the mainstream? How much can be gained from a great fight? On the flip side, how much could be loss from a disappointment?
This fight is going to do monster numbers. White talked about having something akin to HBO’s 24/7 series in building up the bout. I’m digging that. You can safely promote this fight because I know it will deliver.
This isn’t a sideshow attraction. This is a battle of one of the greatest fighters EVER in Couture and one up-and-coming beast in Lesnar.
Another personal note. Man, this has awakened me. I’ve been home in bed sick the last couple of days. I sprung up when hearing about this. Nothing like a good fight to get the body moving again.
I know it’s early, but who you got, Lesnar or Couture?
Blockbuster announcements (or are they?)…
By Robert Przybylo
BPrzybylo@Oklahoman.com
Some people are looking at the announcements of Kimbo Slice vs. Ken Shamrock and Oscar de La Hoya vs. Manny Pacquiao are just business ventures.
Not me. I know I’m going to get reamed for this, but I actually like both of these fights. One definitely more than the other, but I’m intrigued by both. And it’s four recognizable names. That’s going to help with the common man.
First, Slice and Shamrock has been confirmed for the Oct. 4 edition of Elite XC on CBS. It’s the third card of the four being promised for the MMA group on CBS.
A lot of MMA experts see this as a step down for Slice. Once upon a time, the name Ken Shamrock sent chills down spines. But now, well, it’s not the case.
He’s lost five straight MMA bouts and has rarely looked like the fighter he was in the mid ’90s. So why do I still care?
It’s the same reason I still get jacked up for an Evander Holyfield fight (I don’t know any better). I hold out that hope that they can turn back the clock to their primes and shock everyone.
I’ve got nothing against Slice. I know a lot of MMA purists have real issues with the guy. I don’t, he’s just trying to make a living, and he’s found a way.
I still don’t see him as a top guy, and I won’t view him much differently if/when he demolishes Ken. But man oh man, I’m hoping Shamrock’s got one last ankle lock in him.
For the fight itself, Ken must avoid being on his feet as Slice will simply overpower him. But it will be real interesting to see if Kimbo has worked on his ground game. He’s a lot like Brock Lesnar in that regard. Can the two behemoths become all-around fighters?
Where I never worry for Holyfield’s safety, I am concerned for Shamrock. Who knows what one more devastating knockout will do to him, long term. The referee will play a pretty big role in the bout.
I’m not sure if this is what Elite XC was hoping for, but I think there are worse options than this. It’s crucial to get Kimbo back on TV.
Local MMA alert: Freestyle Cage Fighting comes to the State Fair Grandstand on Sept. 13. FCF is a fixture in Shawnee, so it will be interesting to see how the OKC crowd embraces the event. The big deal, to me, is that a father and son will be fighting on the same card as Tuttle’s Scott Landis (father) and son Garrick will compete.
Do we have a prodigy in our midst?
By Robert Przybylo
BPrzybylo@Oklahoman.com
We’ve all heard of kids who are raised from birth to be sports stars. Tiger Woods is the No. 1 example everyone loves to throw around right now.
Golf and basketball are pretty popular sports for this type of thing to happen in. There’s not much contact, so there’s no real risk of injury.
But what about MMA or boxing? Would a parent ever steer their kid into that arena? That’s not a hypothetical. The Boneman is asking for your help. Do you have or know a kid who we could consider a “fight prodigy?” Off the top of my head, I think Oscar de La Hoya is the last born to fight fighter. His father, Joel, didn’t let him do anything else.
I read a story somewhere while on vacation about this 11-year-old who was already learning everything there is about UFC. He’s learning the submissions and Brazilian jiu-jitsu, the ground and pound, etc. I’m just wondering if there are any people here in Oklahoma who qualify in that same respect?
So if you do know someone, drop me a line. It makes for a great story.
Blatant plug alert: Saturday is UFC 87. I know I’ve hyped Brock Lesnar’s return to the UFC, but the real main event is Georges St. Pierre against Jon Fitch (welterweights). Also on the card will be Roger Huerta vs. Kenny Florian (lightweights). Short and to the point, I like Brock, Georges and Roger. Have to continue my streak after Joshua Clottey did beat Zab Judah by unanimous decision. Anyway, UFC 87 can be watched at the Warren Theatre in Moore. Yep, that new ginormous theatre will let you watch your MMA there. I’m looking forward to it.
You’ve made it happen…
By Robert Przybylo
BPrzybylo@Oklahoman.com
Boneman’s Bout Blog? There’s nothing like a little alliteration in a blog title. Anyway, I had been pining for some sort of fight blog the last couple of months, but you never know if the interest is going to be there.
But on May 31, YOU showed the interest was there. The OKC market produced the highest rating of any CBS affiliate during the main event of the EliteXC bout featuring Kimbo Slice and James Thompson (and his ear).
With numerical proof in the bag, this blog has been created for everything that involves fighting in one way or another.
My interest in mixed martial arts began in 1997 with Ken Shamrock and the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Remember back in the day when there were no rounds in the UFC?
Through the years I’ve had my favorites (Vitor Belfort and Mark Coleman come to mind), and I’ve had my, umm, let’s say not favorites (looking at you, Tank Abbott and Chuck Liddell). It’s been exciting to see the sport expand and even cooler because of the interest in MMA with former OU and OSU wrestlers.
So, we’ll dabble a little in the MMA world and try to sift through the vast amount of organizations to find the legit ones (including our very own C3 program).
Boxing is hands down my favorite sport. My love affair began on Dec. 19, 1998, with a doubleheader on HBO featuring David Tua vs. Hasim Rahman and a little known youngster named Floyd Mayweather against Angel Manfredy.
I remember being scared Floyd would lose. Ha, nine years later, it still hasn’t even come close to happening (save for one Jose Luis Castillo fight).
The OKC fight scene is trying to make a comeback. We still have “The Champ” Sean O’Grady. As long as we have a strong boxing mind like that in our back pockets, there’s always hope for bigger and better things.
And finally, with the Olympics coming up, I’ll be voicing my wrestling opinions. I’ll try to let my man-crush on both Teyon Ware and Sam Hazewinkel, former Sooners, not distract me, but I had a blast covering those two at OU. And yeah, you’ll probably hear a little WWE talk, especially when I head out to Raw at the Ford Center on June 30.
It’s The Boneman’s Bout Blog, the greatest thing to hit NewsOK since…uhh, well, we’ll come back to that later. How about I start putting up some entries first, and we’ll gauge it from there?
