Remember This Story

It was, certainly, a head kick heard around the world.  Holly Holm knocked out erstwhile unbeaten Ronda Rousey to win the UFC World Women's Bantamweight Championship.  As referee Herb Dean stopped the fight, the world reacted with shock, disbelief, inspiration and "I told you so's," but here's the thing.

It's not a story of the perils of living a rockstar life.  Yes, Rousey had movie and commercial shoots, TV guestings and events, but she's always been a strong woman who could multi-task. there was never an occasion where she didn't train enough.  People love to bring out this story to any fighting champion with crossover personality, but there was never an occasion where she didn't train enough.  Rousey is a training junkie. She made weight and didn't look dehydrated.

It's not a story of hubris or good vs evil either.  Yes, Rousey had the scowl, the fighting words, the weigh in snafu and the refusal to touch gloves while Holm was gracious and mostly silent. But to infer that one protagonist is good while the other is bad makes no real observation other than the commenter is a casual fight fan.  Fights are fought outside the ring as much as in it and fighters build and cultivate the personas that help them win.  Holm projects the "I'm silent but I am a killer" vibe; Rousey projects the "I will get on you and destroy you" vibe.  Neither lady is as simple as just the persona they project.

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Fifty Peso Shots: February 2011

     Some shots from the cheap seats:

• Kudos must go to the "Filipino Wrecking Machine" Mark Munoz, who scored an impressive KO of CB Dolloway in UFC Live on Versus 3.  Munoz, who was once known as too one dimensional a wrestler, showed of his new-found striking skills learned from Black House.  How about a fight with Michael Bisping next?

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11 for '11 (Part 1)

   The start of the new year is always the best time to hope, since there is a ton of time to get things done.  The start of 2011, then, is where I will post the 11 things I hope will happen in the sports world in 2011.  Pleas enote that I used the word HOPE and not WISH, so I cannot put "Peping Cojuanco resigns from POC as one of the 11, since it's impossible"  I've also ranked the 11 based on my level of desire to see it happen and on each item's feasibility.

11.  New weight divisions prosper in the UFC

     Folding the WEC into the UFC was big news, but we have yet to see how well it really goes for the UFC.  This year, the UFC will feature Bantam and Featherweight Divisions, and finally top dogs like Jose Aldo, Urijah Faber and Anthony Pettis will get their chance to shine on the big stage.  I think it will be interesting to see the lighter weight divisions fight MMA and I hope early fights bring exciting stoppages to get the casual fans to buy into the lighter weight divisions.  

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Fifty Peso Shots: October 2010

First of all, I'd like to invite everyone to watch my cooking demos daily on the Lifestyle Network or online on this link and on this one as well. Help make me Lifestyle Network's 1st Star Chef by voting for me.  Send an email to lifestylenetwork@thelifeyoulive.tv and type VOTE SHARWIN on the subject box.  You can vote as many times as you want as voting is unlimited, even from one email account!


Now, some shots (good and bad) from the cheap seats:


The Good:

• Kudos to the new UFC Heavyweight Champ Cain Velasquez.  I was among millions who doubted him, but he sure proved us wrong.  He showed tremendous quickness and cardio which allowed him to move well and escape from his back.  I think that was his key to defeating Brock Lesnar.

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Fleeting Dominance

     With the next two UFC pay-per-views featuring exciting, but nonetheless non-title matches for  main events, the five UFC titles are all safe for now.  Over a year ago, I wrote about how dominant all UFC champions were and how it might get boring if no one could defeat them.  Well, what a difference a year makes.  

     This year, four of the five dominant, god-like champions have all been revealed to be actually human.  Lyoto "Dragon" Machida, who was the fighter that was hit the least in UFC history, slipped and then got pummeled by Mauricio "Shogun" Rua.  Then, coming back from a debilitating bout with diverculitis, Brock Lesnar successfully retained his Heavyweight Championship, but not before he was pummeled in the first round by challenger Shane Carwin. Then, pound-for-pound king Anderson SIlva, was taken down, grounded and pounded by Chael Sonnen for four and a half rounds, before escaping with a "Hail Mary" submission less than 2 minutes before the final bell.  Finally, B.J. Penn, who had been barely challenged in the lightweight division since winning the title several years ago, lost not once but twice(!) to the diminutive Frank "Answer" Edgar.


      The question now becomes, "Why the sudden decline?"  Have those previously dominant champs lost something due to age or injury or is it a matter of the challengers figuring out how to defeat the champs?  

     Although champs like Silva and Penn are getting on in age, Lesnar possibly not fully recovered, and Machida finally encountering someone who wouldn't chase him, the two questions probably are the wrong ones to ask.  As Joe Rogan has constantly said, "Styles make fights," and I believe that was the case with all those four champions.  Each of them faced a challenger whose greatest skill posed as the champ's greatest threat.  Machida was a counter puncher, but so was Rua.  Silva may be the world's greatest striker, but Sonnen was the ultimate wrestler with excellent takedowns.  Lesnar is simple an intimidating powerhouse, but Carwin had unreal striking power.  Penn was a dominant force both with power and jiu jitsu, but Edgar was a whirlwind of a striker who Penn couldn't catch.

     Whether my theory is accurate or not will be known in the coming months, with each of the four champions mentioned getting significant tests.  Lesnar will meet fellow athletic wrestler Cain Velasquez, Silva will have his rematch with Sonnen, Rua will test his skills against former champ "Sugar" Rashad Evans and Penn attempts a welterweight comeback against Matt Hughes.  If they all come back and go back to their dominant ways, then the "Style Theory" holds true.  If not, then the UFC may be deeper than people think.  Either way, it will be good times for the UFC and fans like me. 

Fifty Peso Shots: August 2010

Some shots from the cheap seats:

• It's a good thing no one seriously considered the James Toney vs Randy Couture fight as a true "Boxing vs MMA" fight.  While Toney insulted not only MMA fans but boxing fans as well by coming into the fight out of shape, it was still obvious boxers would stand no chance against take downs, no matter their level of fitness.  Perhaps it's time people stopped trying to pit the two sports against each other and accept them as two different genres.

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Taking (Second) Chances

     On Sunday, UFC Middleweight and MMA Pound-for-Pound Champ Anderson Silva gets yet another main event fight, despite his last three being inexplicable head scratchers.  In his last three main event fights, SIlva toyed around with his clearly overmatched opponents, namely Patrick Cote, Thales Leites and Damian Maia, refusing to engage them in any serious exchanges.  It was clear he could knock out any of the three at any time he wanted, but he instead chose to dance around, doing for talking and running than anyone cared for.  This Sunday represents a new beginning for him, his second and last chance, according to UFC President Dana White.  Before he gets anymore ideas to again dance around and waste his second chance against challenger Chael Sonnen, I have some cautionary tales for him.  

Delonte West - Despite being drafted with high hopes by the then rebuilding Boston Celtics, West was quite a disappointment for Beantown fans and his name slowly began fading into oblivion.  The Cleveland Cavaliers, seeking to fit pieces to help Lebron James win a championship, gave West a second chance.  Instead of rising to the challenge, West continued to be an inconsistent scorer, missed games due to a battle with clinical depression and got arrested by carrying not just a handgun, but a shotgun on his all terrain vehicle.  (Plus, there is a rumor that he was having an affair with James' mom.  Okay, so that's not verified. Sorry.) Now, West's appeal for teams have so plummeted that one of the NBA's worst teams, the Minnesota Timberwolves, traded for him, just so they can waive him and save money.  If you get waived by the Wolves?  Ouch.

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Fifty Peso Shots: July 2010

Some shots from the cheap seats:

• A long-awaited light heavyweight match ups has been set up in the UFC.  Lyoto "The Dragon" Machida will face Quinton "Rampage" Jackson  The Dragon vs Rampage match should be a slam bang affair with both looking to rebound after big losses.  I'm looking forward to Machida bouncing back with renewed energy.  Rampage actually nixed this match up earlier to shoot the A Team movie, he can only hope his performance will be miles better than his impression of B.A. Barracus.

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Giving Thanks

     While Thanksgiving is an occasion celebrated in North America, I thought it would be nice to do a thanksgiving special.  After all, our family already had our turkey this week.  This time, I list down some of the more popular sports figures and what they have to be thankful for, or at least what they should be thankful for.

Michelle Wie (Golf) - Thankful for her first LPGA win.  Maybe after this, detractors will finally ease up on her.  Despite showing plenty of promise and talent, nobody has eased up on the pressure for this young golfer to win a title.  Maybe this time, she can compete under less scrutiny.

Steve Nash (NBA) - Thankful for Coach Alvin Gentry.  The Suns have looked like the Suns of old, scoring over 100 points every game and Nash averaging over 9 assists a game.  Currently, the Suns have the NBA's best record.

Rico Maierhoffer (PBA) - Thankful for Smart Gilas Philippine National Team.  With Gilas hoarding this present batch of young basketball players, Rico has more than a good chance of winning Rookie of the Year Honors.

John Cena (WWE) - Thankful for young WWE fans.  While most older and die hard wrestling fans have tired of Cena and his antics, young fans aged around 8 to 12, have been solidly behind Cena.  This has kept Cena one of the WWE's more popular stars.

Dana White (UFC) - Thankful for old hands.  With an unprecedented epidemic of injuries to the UFC's top stars, president Dana White had to dig deep to find main event-worthy performers.  He was fortunate (or talented?) to find old hands like Randy Couture and Tito Ortiz to give him consecutive heart-thumping main event matches in sold out arenas.   

Boxing (in General) - Thankful for Manny Pacquiao.  The old sport usually referred to as the, "Sweet Science" was slowly losing its popularity with casual and mainstream sports fans due to spoiled fighters often too pampered to provide any exciting fights.  Enter Pacman, a literal human dynamo, who has captivated the world, not only boxing fans.  With his attacking brand of boxing, mainstream media who have often neglected boxing like Time Magazine, New York Times and Jimmy Kimmel show have all taken notice.

Stephen Jackson (NBA) - Thankful for inefficient General Managers.  Despite his constant disruptive behavior, expensive contract and erratic play, Jackson still found a team (a GM) foolhardy enough to take him  on to make him a franchise player.  Bobcats Managing Partner Michael Jordan has continued to add on to his litany of questionable moves by trading away Raja Bell's expiring contract to take on Stephen Jackson's terribly expensive one.

     As for me, I am thankful for my students, both in my culinary class and my varsity bowling team.  They have so far given me their best efforts and I am glad that they are seeing the benefits of their efforts.  Hopefully they keep working.

photos courtesy of sports illustrated and mmaroot.com

Too Good For Their Own Good?

     With any sports organization, the champion is the embodiment of the organization's character and spirit.  That's why it's always nice to have a great champion because the organization is only as good as its champion.  The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), then, should be mighty proud of themselves at this point.  After all, each of their champions have dominated their divisions, almost too well.  This led me to think, "Are the UFC Champions too good for the UFC's good?"  

     First, a look at the UFC's Champions' Fraternity.

Lightweight (155 lbs) - B.J "The Prodigy" Penn

Record: 14 wins, 5 losses, 1 draw

Last Fight: Defeated Kenny Florian via submission

     Despite being thoroughly dominated by George St. Pierre in their welterweight bout, Penn reminded everyone that he is human only in

 a division higher than 

lightweight.  With his domination of a game Florian, Penn has defeated all challengers deemed to have a chance against him, save for one.  With Penn's scary knockout power and his underrated Brazilian Jiu Jitsu skills, even the threat of Diego "Nightmare" Sanchez is not enough to sway the people's confidence that "The Prodigy" will remain atop the lightweight division for quite awhile. 

Welterweight (175 lbs) - George "Rush" St. Pierre

Record: 19 wins, 2 losses

Last Fight: Defeated Thiago Alves via unanimous decision

     Considered by many as one of the world's top pound for pound fighters, GSP had defeated every single challenger to his belt.  Currently on a 6-match win streak, "Rush" has made sure of defeating his legendary rivals (Penn, Matt Hughes) twice for good measure.  While an interesting fight between Martin Kampman and Mike Swick will d

etermine his next probable challenger, no one on this planet believes either would give GSP any trouble whatsoever.  His wrestling skills are bordering on legendary and his striking is not shabby either.  He is simply too skilled, too well rounded and too hard working to be challenged right now.

Middleweight (185 lbs) - Anderson "Spider" Silva

Record: 24 wins, 4 losses

Last Fight: Defeated Forrest Griffin via knockout

     The world's top pound for pound fighter as voted in by Yahoo! Sports, Silva has a

stounded everyone not only with his devastating striking but also his current UFC record of 10 straight wins.  What was supposed to be a challenge in a light heavyweight bout against Forrest Griffin turned out to be another piece of evidence supporting "The Spider's" greatness.  In fact, he has become so good that he has never had to resort to fighting a ground game (he is also a black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu) in all but one round of his 10 UFC wins.  While another bout with Dan Henderson would make a good main event, UFC President Dana White and Silva himself are contemplating on a move to the light heavyweight division just to find Silva a challenge.

Light Heavy Weight (205 lbs) - Lyoto "The Dragon" Machida

Record: 15 wins, 0 losses

Last Fight: Defeated Rashad Evans via knockout

     Possessing an unorthodox fighting stance and style, Machida has befuddled all of his opponents, even those who are supposedly tough and dangerous.  Big names like Tito Ortiz, Thiago Silva and Rashad Evans have all fallen victim to Machida Karate and they have been utterly dominated.  Machida moves well, is hard to hit and lately, has shown tremendously accurate and sudden knockout power.  His own karate style combined with his study on sumo wrestling has made it tough for opponents to take him to the ground and if the fight remains a stand up one, it can only mean bad things for fighter not named Machida.  His skill has even Quinton J

ackson passing up a title shot, leaving Mauricio Rua the task of trying to solve the mystery of this Japanese Brazilian martial artist.

Heavy Weight (220 lbs) - Brock Lesnar

Record: 4 wins, 1 loss

Last Fight: Defeated Frank Mir via knockout

    

 Love him or hate him, the former WWE Superstar has proven he can fight the real fights.  People consider him largely untested with just 5 fights to his credit, but considering the quality of his last two opponents and the way he dominated them, Lesnar is for real.  A freakishly large but amazingly quick athlete, Lesnar is a difficult match up for most heavyweights.  

He has power in his hands and his wrestling skills in the octagon show why he was an NCAA National Wrestling Champion.  Perhaps his next opponent, Shane Carwin, could give him trouble with his knockout power, but Lesnar has shown he can win on the ground as well and he will have a significant advantage over Carwin there.  Perhaps the only thing Lesnar can't do in the UFC is perform an "F5" on his opponent in the octagon.

     

     With a list of dominating champions like that, it's easy to think that the UFC could get in trouble, pay per view wise.  If the champs continue to dominate their opponents with ease just like what they've been doing, then PPV buys could go down, as promotions become predictable.

     I, however, beg to differ.  Each of these fighters bring excitement to the table, despite being seemingly too good for their opponents.  From Penn's and GSP's overall skills showcase, to Machida's unorthodox movements, to Silva's creative and devastating striking, to Lesnar's quickness and power game, each of their fights promises to be worth watching.  Furthermore, despite their past domination, fights are won in the octagon, not on paper or web blogs.  A slip here, a mistake there, and any one of these champs could be taken down a notch. 

     That's why I plan on continuing to watch the UFC despite the high probability of all their champions retaining their belts.  Who knows? I'd hate to miss a historical fight.  

photos from bjpenn.com and mmajunkie.com

Foregoing Dinner

     Much has been said about President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's expensive dinners at Le Cirque and Bobby Van's Steakhouse.  While people keep showing their outrage, her apologizers (aka freeloaders) keep hammering that nothing is wrong because the president a) is entitled to eat in first class establishments (rather than a hotdog stand) and b) it was personal money and not government money.  I think the problem the people have is not as much as where she ate or whose money was used, but more of how much was spent.

     All in all, it was approximated that she spent around $ 35,000 or approximately PhP 1.75 million, and that ladies and gentlemen, is a lot of money.  Perhaps the apologizers have yet to see the light because they can't see how much $ 35,000 really is.  That's why I'm doing them a favor by helping them see how much, in sports terms of course.

Being Smart About It

     In order to lock up the country's top collegiate stars to the national team development program, Manny Pangilinan and Smart Communications offered young stars like Chris Tiu and JV Casio three year salaries that would match whatever they would receive as rookies in the PBA.  Currently, PBA rookies can receive a maximum of PhP 150,000 a month.  That being the case, GMA's two dinners would be enough to pay the monthly salary of all 11 local players (naturalized recruit C.J. Giles not included).

Putting Up a Fight

     In the historic UFC 100, one of the preliminary matches featured a fight between two tough up and comers C.B Dolloway and Tom Lawlor.  The fight pay for both fighters, including the victory bonus was $ 30,000 (Lawlor had $ 16,000 icluding the $ 8,000 win bonus and Dolloway received $ 14,000), well within the $35,000 GMA and her party spent to stuff themselves silly.

Pac Man Watch

     Due to Manny Pacquiao's popularity, ringside tickets to his next fight in Las Vegas against welterweight champion Miguel Cotto has reportedly inflated by as much as 22 times.  As last reported by Top Rank officials, ringside seats are now available from scalpers for $ 22,000.  Counting in airfare which is approximately $ 1,000, two-night villa stay at Caesar's Palace for $ 5,000, and $ 2,000 for gambling money at the black jack tables, that is a complete luxury weekend at the cost of two lovely dinners.    

Developing the Next Superstar

     In his book, Adam Copeland on Edge, the wrestling superstar revealed that the first paycheck he received from World Wrestling Entertainment was a weekly one worth $ 210.  Suppose you adjust for inflation, the weekly wrestling development contract could have doubled to $ 410 weekly.  President GMA's two dinners?  They could have paid for a developing wrestler for over one and half years! If she's not down with that, I've got two words for her...

Got Balls?

     One of the Philippine Bowling Teams greatest needs has always been equipment, especially bowling balls.  High performance balls cost around $ 220 (retail) right now.  With a national bowler's salary pegged at around $ 204 dollars a month, it's almost impossible to build a six-ball arsenal.  With GMA's dinner, though, it will be child's play to accumulate 159 bowling balls.  That number means a total of 26 six-ball arsenals.  That would mean new six-ball arsenals for our 6 person senior men's team and their two alternates, our 6 person senior women's team and their two alternates, the 4 person youth boy's team and their alternate and 4 person youth girl's team and their alternate!  Now foregoing dinner to provide our four national bowling teams with the equipment needed to compete?  That takes balls.

Enjoying the Rivalry

     Ateneo vs La Salle in UAAP basketball is always an event and tickets, even scalped ones, are hard to come by.  That's why according to reports, ringside seats have gone up to over a thousand pesos.  Supposing your scalper is a real tool and he sells you tickets at PhP 1,750, using the money that paid for GMA's two dinners would enable you to buy 1,000 tickets.  That's the number of graduates in my graduating batch of 2000.  Now that would be a sea of blue at ringside.

     I'm not really a Math wizard, but I'm pretty sure I've made my point.  The next time President GMA wants to bring her entourage over for dinner, she might want to try the hotdog stand.  Sabrett dogs? They're great with relish and mustard. 

Rise of the "Villains"

     Over the weekend, the public was treated to big and entertaining fights, with the victors suddenly turning from hero to villains, from "babyface" to "heel."  I'm not even talking about the WWE Smackdown and ECW Live in Manila show (where I ahem, ahem, held hands with Melina).  I'm talking about the UFC 100 show.  What turned the UFC into a bigger and more outrageous than the WWE?  It's really just two people.  UFC 100 victors, Dan "Hendo" Henderson and UFC Heavyweight Champ (and former WWE champ) Brock Lesnar turned the already landmark and memorable show into a spectacle to be discussed for weeks to come.  Unfortunately for them, they are now being condemned for their actions.  Well, I've decided that before they hang, we ought to give them a trial first.

Case # 1  People vs Dan Henderson

Plaintiffs (Critics) say: Attacking an already knocked out Michael Bisping with a vicious flying forearm/elbow and later saying, "that (elbow/forearm) was just to shut him up a little."  It was poor sportsmanship on Hendo's part and it was very dangerous.  It was fortunate that Bisping was able to leave on his own power.  

Defense (Supporters) says: In a fighting sport, especially MMA, there are plenty of flash knockdowns, where the victim goes down as if they were out but then are capable of standing up and fighting again.  This is why most fighters instinctively keep attacking until the referees stop them.  While Henderson attacked an unconscious Bisping, it was more of an automatic habit rather than a malicious attack.

Judgement (Mine): On the charge of maliciously attacking Bisping, I think Henderson is not guilty.  It's too much of a risk not to keep attacking your opponent in mma as any second of let up could mean your opponent gathering his/her wits, recovering and fighting back.  To his credit, he immediately stepped away when the ref touched him.  Henderson has been known as a classy guy and endangering an opponent by wantonly attacking them while incapacitated doesn't seem to be his style.  I've seen more malicious attacks than this.  "Babalu" Sobral was kicked out of the UFC because he wouldn't let go of his choke hold on an unconscious opponent even after the referee stopped the fight.  "Rampage" Jackson's fight with Wanderlei Silva ended worse that Bisping-Henderson when he landed two or three extra punches on an incapacitated Silva while the referee was pushing Jackson away. 

     What Henderson is guilty of is probably bad taste.  Bisping's brash words all throughout the Ultimate Fighter Season 9 probably wore on Henderson, as he promised to shut him up in behalf of Team USA.  That's probably why he thought it would be funny to joke about having the last elbow/forearm "shut him up."  Henderson has never been an outspoken guy, and maybe he should stay that way.

Case No. 2     People vs Brock Lesnar

Plaintiffs (Critics) Say:  After defeating Frank Mir to become undisputed Heavyweight Champion, Brock Lesnar confronted Mir saying, "Talk all the (expletive) you want now."  Then, responding to the boos of the pro-Mir crowd, Lesnar decided to flip the finger(s) at the mammoth Nevada crowd. As if this display wasn't enough, Lesnar then ragged on Bud Light (UFC sponsor) by claiming he would drink Coors Light since, "Budweiser's not paying me nothing."  The icing on the cake was when Lesnar announced that he would celebrate with friends and then, "get on top of my wife (former WWE diva Sable)."

Defense (Supporters) Says: Frank Mir had the trash talk coming since he kept attacking Lesnar with his own set of trash talk leading up to the fight.  He took great pride in, "poking the bear," comparing Lesnar's ground and pound attack to girl's pulling hair.  Lesnar's giving the finger to the crowd was his response to the unfair public who keeps questioning his skills despite defeating Hall of Famer Randy Couture and then Champion Frank Mir.  Meanwhile, his Bud Light comment and comments about his wife were nothing more than a funny jokes that not all people appreciate.

Judgement (Mine):  After seeing and hearing Frank Mir's trash talking about Brock and even his very entertaining Echo Unlimited ad, I do agree that Mir had it coming.  Mir was hyping up the fight, but attacking your opponents skills and agility is not the classy way to go.  Besides, Lesnar's comments still seem tame compared to other UFC post fight altercations.  Tito Ortiz proceeded to play act digging a grave after defeating a Lion's Den fighter just to piss Ken Shamrock off.  As for his comments about Bud Light, I'm willing to bet that not only do the Bud Light people not care about that comment, they're probably secretly happy about the comments, as they still bring added publicity to their product.  In their minds, those comments actually made their money's worth.

     As for the middle finger response, I think Brock is guilty here.  Fans can get irritating oftentimes, and while they are human, pro athletes have a responsibility to refrain from attacking fans.  Such an obscene gesture is like attacking the fans and Lesnar has to remember that fans are what keeps professional sports alive.  As for his comment about his wife, Brock is guilty a second time.  No matter how hot your wife looked in leather cat suits during her WWE days, it's not classy to make comment like that with any person other than the couple in the room, let alone the thousands in attendance and the millions watching on pay-per-view.  That comment was just boorish and uncalled for. 

     People on the internet are quick to condemn these two victorious fighters, calling for their heads.  I think that's a bit of an overreaction.  What these guys are guilty of is a lack of proper training to deal with high profile public situations with class.  What Hendo and Brock need are PR people helping them speak and act properly in public.  As for the people threatening to ditch the UFC because of the two's boorish behavior?  Please.  When Henderson has his rematch with Anderson SIlva and Brock faces Fedor Emelianenko, these naysayers will be first in line to buy tickets. 

Sports' Best Monickers

      A lot of sports figures have become household names throughout the world.  No doubt, their unique and astounding skills have a lot to do with their enviable fame, but sometimes, their monickers or nicknames help tremendously too.  Here are some of my favorite sports monickers, names that are not only effective for name recall, but also quite fun too.

UFC/MMA - While names like "The Natural", "Rush" and "The Spider" dominate the win column and the, "Who is the greatest?" debate, my all time favorite monicker still belongs to Ultimate Fighter Alum Keith Jardine.  The bald mixed martial artist who defeated big names like Brandon Vera and Chuck Lidell is now called the "Dean of Mean."  Imagine that.  "The Dean of Mean" Keith Jardine.  What's cooler than that?

Runner ups - Huntington Beach Bad Boy, The Irish Hand Grenade, The World's Most Dangerous Man

Boxing - "Pacman" Pacquiao and "Money" Mayweather are certainly atop the pound for pound rankings, but in terms of monickers?  In my mind, nobody tops rising Filipino boxing star Donnie Nietes.  The boxer will soon be fighting at the Araneta Coliseum is known simply as, "Ahas."  Yeah, many boxers have been called reptiles before, but the name sounds so much cooler in Filipino.  Besides, Ahas actually brings a live one wrapped around him as he enters the ring.

Runner ups - Hands of Stone, El Terrible

NBA - Many NBA players simply use their initials or a few syllables of their name as their monickers, but some players have some great monickers as well.  Tops on that list would have to be Pete Maravich's.  One of the greatest players to ever play, this point guard revolutionized basketball, dribbling and passing, in particular.  Along with his trademark loose gray socks, is his monicker, "Pistol." Now that's a name.

Runner ups - Magic, Glyde, Mailman

PBA - In the PBA, dozens of players have monickers, thanks to our highly-imaginative commentators.  Of course, with a huge selection, there still has to be a clear winner.  For me, the coolest would still have to be Ricardo Brown's.  The original Fil-Am guard, could play both guard positions and most importantly could shoot from everywhere on the court.  He moved so well on the court that it was only fitting that he be called, "The Quick Brown Fox."  Yeah, it's a mouthful, but it's way cool, huh?

Runner ups - Captain Marbel, The Ninja, Skywalker, Robocop

WWE - Of course, I would have to end the article on wrestling.  Sports entertainment would never be the same with the monickers.  In fact, it would be reduced to half with them.  While most monickers are creative, some are just plain better.  Number one on my list would be "Stone Cold" Steve Austin.  I mean how else could you explain his meteoric rise into stardom with his limited physical skills? The Texas Rattlesnake certainly owes a lot to his estranged wife, wh is credited for helping him come up with his enduring monicker.

Runner ups - Demon of Death Valley, Heartbreak Kid, Nature Boy  

     Almost everyone loves monickers, but I'm pretty sure everyone will have their own favorites.  So what are your favorites?  Write in your comments or send me an email at plated_thrills@yahoo.com  

New Year's Resolutions For Sports

     Everyone makes new year's resolutions lists  or wish lists during the new year, and those lists are usually left undone or unrealized.  In any case, making a list for sports is not just wishful thinking, but also great fun as well.  So here are my new year's resolutions if I were these prominent sports figures.  

Roger Federer (Tennis) - To show more emotion in matches and finding a way to defeat Rafael Nadal.

Jose "Peping" Cojuangco (POC)  - To not meddle in sports anymore and just retire NOW.

Stephon Marbury (NBA) - To quit whining and cooperate with a buyout that helps the New York Knicks move on.

Baron Davis (NBA) - To get in better shape and start working harder to help the Clippers.

Jeff Hardy (WWE) - To stay out of trouble and maintain the status of being the WWE's most popular superstar.

Manny Pacquiao (Boxing) - To concentrate on defeating Ricky Hatton and Floyd Mayweather this year.

Brock Lesnar (UFC) - To learn submission defense in preparation for either Nogueira or Mir.

Chot Reyes (PBA) - To give Ren Ren Ritualo more playing time.

Chris Tiu - To play more basketball, either in the national team or the PBA, and do less TV.

Steve Hontiveros (POC) - To either grow a pair and actually work for the betterment of sports or retire permanently for the betterment of sports.

John "Bradshaw" Layfield (WWE) - To get in better shape because flab doesn't invoke fear or hatred.

Brandon Vera (UFC) - To bring back the fire in the heart and the firepower in the fists and knees lest he fade into obscurity.

Floyd Mayweather Jr. (Boxing) - To put up or shut up regarding Manny Pacquiao.

Floyd Mayweather Sr. (Boxing) - To just plain shut up.

Marlou Aquino (PBA) - To actually earn my paycheck.

Kenneth Duremdes (PBA) - To give up plans for playig and just concentrate on coaching.

     Like I mentioned earlier, resolution lists are usually left undone, but new year's day is also a great time to hope and wish, right?

  

Brock Lesnar: Real Thing?

Brock Lesnar, former pro wrestling champion for the World Wrestling Entertainment, caused a lot of controversy by signing on with the Ultimate Fighting Championship. His entry piqued the interest of fight fans everywhere, with everyone wanting to see how a "fake" wrestler would do in a real fight. His detractors hated that he was getting all this exposure and vocally rooted for his complete and utter failure. Last February 2, Lesnar fought his first fight against former UFC Champion Frank Mir, with all the pressure in the world hanging on his shoulders. While he lost that fight via a knee bar in the first round, Lesnar made some believers out of his numerous detractors.

The UFC, though, like all fighting sports, is all about winning, so when he stepped back into the octagon against Heath "the Texas Crazy Horse" Herring last August 10, he knew he had to win. He had to put up a win to show his much ballyhooed speed and power. He had to win to show everyone all that potential he was supposed to have. He knew he had to win to prove he was the proverbial, "Real Thing."

Last Sunday, he did just that. Right off the opening, Lesnar absolutely crushed Herring with a powerful right hand, sending the UFC and Pride veteran to the ground. After that, the rest of the fight was all Lesnar, as he dominated the fight completely en route to a 30-26 unanimous decision victory. Lesnar showed his great amateur wrestling skills, which he developed as an NCAA All American during his college days. He also showed a much improved striking game, not only with that huge punch, but also some devastating knee strikes, one of which caused Herring to double over in the second round. However, what was most impressive about Lesnar's domination Sunday morning was that he showed more patience and restraint, which was sorely lacking in his debut fight against Mir. He never rushed his attacks on Herring, carefully setting himself with side or back control before doing any striking. What Lesnar showed was a lot of that potential he was supposed to have.

Make no mistake about it. Herring is not a lemon. Herring is a powerful striker himself, and was actually a few punches away from beating current UFC Heavweight Champion Antonio Nogueira before. Last Sunday, however, he wasn't able to showcase any of his power. He wasn't given much of an opportunity because of Lesnar's constant takedowns and pressure, and when he did get stand up opportunities, his strikes were rendered useless by Lesnar's size and speed. Besides, eating that first right hand from Lesnar really took a lot out of him.

So is Lesnar the real thing? Yes. Is Lesnar good enough to be heavyweight champion? Not yet. While he was indeed dominating, he has not shown much capability to defend against Jiu Jitsu holds and and he never got the chance to show any defense against stand up strikes either. (Then again, Herring never really got to attack him all that much) Furthermore, Lesnar got numerous opportunities to finish Herring with a choke as Herring showed his back at various points of the fight, but Lesnar seemed hesitant to try a choke hold. Obviously, Lesnar still has a lot of technique and styles to work on, and it seems working on new things is not something Lesnar is against doing. In this fight, he already enlisted the help of Rodrigo Medeiros, a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu World Champion, to work on his defense. With months of additional training, Lesnar will no doubt be able to plug all the holes in his game.  

The smart thing to do for both Lesnar and the UFC is to line up Cheick Kongo for his next fight. Kongo has made a bit of a name for himself (he won a first round TKO in the same card), but he is predominantly a striker as well. He will be a good match for Lesnar, as he can take on Kongo while still learning the ropes on grappling and submission techniques because Kongo isn't going to beat anybody with grappling anytime soon. That would give Lesnar more time to work on his game and maybe in 8 or 10 months time, Lesnar would be ready to take on the "big names" in the UFC heavyweight division, Werdum, Nogueira and Mir(again).

One thing is for sure though. After his domination of Herring last week, Lesnar has announced his big presence (literally) into the UFC. He has become the "Real Thing" others claimed he would never be. I don't imagine too many heavyweights are getting too excited to face him in the octagon.