PHIL BARONI IN PRIDE MW GP?

[Magog1]

Duce, I'm sure it would give MMA more credablility and all but there's this little thing in prowrestling called Kay fab. If everyone came to the UFC or what ever and got there teeth knocked out it would kind of ruin the illution of the sport of MMA.
Now once upon a time ago I would been annoyed to see Prowrestling going down in flames for MMA.... now I'm bored to tears with thw ww(F and yes I Know its suppose to be an E). I like MMA because I don't have to whine about anyone being held down. Sure the wrong people get the shots sometimes.. but its a big step up from Vince MC man land. I've been misserable with Vinnie mac.. so maybe you need to understand why I'm so happy and content with Dana White.
Now not to stuck up for Bill Gold bum or anything but what does he owe to MMA? The answer is nothing. No wrestler does. Will Smith Played Mahammad Ali in a movie and no ones asking him to step in a ring with a real fighter now are they? Oh sure you'd buy a ticket to go see that fight maybe, but that doesn't make it a sport it makes it a specticale.

[Magog1]

Illusion that is wrestling sorry about that slip. Sides Prowrestling in AMerica is on the decline right now and is in no position to help anyone out even itself, and be honest do you want Vince mc Man any where near MMA? Think about that for a minute. That's the kind of help this sport doens't need. Its the kind of help that even you have to see as Dana white being the better of two evils.

[DUCE]

Actually thats not the point. The point is your dogging on the Japanese pro wrestlers who are showing honor by getting into the ring with guys like "Big Daddy" Gary Goodridge, Mark Kerr, Igor Vovchanchyn, and Rickson Gracie and exposing each others fan base to other markets. These guys are crappy and by all means aren't undefeated juggernauts they are people the crowds in Japan WANT to see fight the best fighters from around the world. So all and all if it wasn't for those crappy jobbers who work so hard as professional wrestlers and swing there shifts to train for the big "real". We wouldn't be getting them at our local suncoast. We have to break down and mail order VHS or region 3 DVD player. I ordered Pride 4 on VHS back in 2000 and it was in Japanese!

[MAgog1]

Well I heard that Bam bam biggalow (if you know who that is) actaully fought in a mma style fight and lost. I hadn't heard of him after that (wrestling wise) so its not besides the piont, it is the piont. I'll conceed this method of putting wrestlers into mma works fine in japan, but in America... well then. Jobbers in american wrestling go through enough crap. I feel bad enough when I have to watch (Or rather had to watch) matt hardy, or what ever jobber get the hell beat out of them weak in and weak out. I don't need to see it on UFC or even king of the cage. There's one fighter in Pride I feel exceedingly sorry for because he has the worst win lose record ever. Otska (Doens't feel like looking his name up) he's lost to Guy mezger twice for crying out loud (heh i hate the lions den). This poor guy really had no business ever poping in MMA.

[DUCE]

Of course I know who Bam Bam is and it was who Kimo beat him down. He should have had Luna Vachon in his corner. Guy is actually a world class fighter. Did you see his match with Ricardo Arona? Otsuka had fared well against Marco Ruas and was in actually got the decision victory over him.

[CP]

Funny thing is that Bam Bam claims that fight with Kimo was a work.

[Magog1]

Well honestly maybe its just I have no respect for the lions den (and that comes from years of thinking Ken Shamrock is over rated). Yes we could stay here for ever arguing Kenny's good pionts, but the same could be said for his flaws in mma fighting (one of which was headlinning a UFC PPC fighting Kimo.... How in the hell did that deserve the main event slot? And don't blame Dana white, Prides used a few fighters past there prime trying to sqeeze the last drop of greatness out of them for profit. I blame the fighter for not gracefully stepping away. It's a touchie situation I know (specailly when you have Randy Couture runningn around) and there's no telling when father time is gonna catch his ass).
Alot fighter who've fought for years sqeek out one good win here and there. It's the law of averages.
Sure Guy isn't a total waste (blah i didn't just say that),
but if your a fighter and your biggest claim to fame is knocking out is Guy, God help you. I remember back in the day when Wanderlai Silvia was on his climb to the top one of my friends who was a huge mma fan bragged about him knocking out Guy Mezger. I remember my responce. "And?" Yeah he beat Tito back in the day but by and large he's not in the same league with that level of fighter. Not that I"m a total Tito fan or anything, I'm just saying for his weight class.. I don't see Guy making top 20. Yeah i was suprised when he made Chuck struggle with him in Pride.... nice! But as you've pionted out to me comming close... is still only close. Lets suppose Wanderlai came to the UFC and I don't know....a sub par light heavy weight came close to knocking him out... sure it would make people take notice... but this would soon pass. The sad truth is, momentum fallows the winner.
I've seen Marco do good things but I've also seen his age catch up with him in his later fights when he faught Maurice Smith. In my opinion Otska most likely caught Marco on his last fighter legs, way past his prime. Its like if KImo actaully would have beaten Ken Shamrock in his fight... or Rich Ace beating Kenny... That's still a long way from really being a top player. It's a steeping stone that a fighter has to use immmediatly to move on to something else (which thankfully Rich Ace Franklen did). Getting of topic if Ken never fighter again.. this would be a graceful bow out of MMA. He put on a good showing in that bout... as good as where ever gonna see out of him... he didn't look like a terrible time aged man who had no business in that ring.. but he did look like he had come to the top of his game.. and has no where left to go but down. Sure he could stick around... and Dana White (which I hear he isn't going to do thank fully and mercifully) could try and sqeeze every last ounce of juice they can out of Ken's name building new fighters of his defeat but there taking a higher path.
That's called character.

[DUCE]

Dana should do that. Ken Shamrock was the man in the early 90s. What happened to Mikey Burnett?

[Magog1]

Today I went back and watched Phil's second fight with Evan Tanner. I remember the first time i saw it I was to pissed ott at the fact Phil was holding back and trying to pace himself.. but now that I've seen it a second time... He honestly seemed like he was trying to pace himself and fight smart. Some people are just plain better going all out in the first round of the fight. Vitor does it, it doens't make him a bad fighter.. it just makes him one dimensional. I think I was really to willing to right Phil off after going bac and watching that fight. You get spioled by having some of your favortie fighters handing you knock out after knock out.. when he finally runs into anyone able to weather the storm you loose a little faith in him. If Phil can stay focused he can prove to be a bigger threat than Kevin Randle man in Pride. IF.

[DUCE]

or if Phil can stay off the drugs like his fellow UFC veterans

[Magog1]

duce said:

or if Phil can stay off the drugs like his fellow UFC veterans

Getting exceedingly anti UFc lately, Dana white send you a death threat ot something ;D?

[DUCE]

anti dana not anti ufc. I

[Magog1]

duce said:

anti dana not anti ufc. I

Pssst. Dana white is part and parcial of the ufc . That's like saying "hay Its' not that I dislike catholic church, but I hate the pope." Its kind of a combo deal. Sure its possible the problem will eventaully go away, but not any time soon.