ProphetFighting

EliteXC: Petruzelli shocks Kimbo Slice

Seth Petruzelli subbed for an injured Ken Shamrock and shocked the MMA world with his TKO victory over Kimbo Slice…

ELITE XC: Petruzelli slices Kimbo @ The Savage Science

Evening at The Improv with Bas Rutten…

First the backstory–there’s this conspiracy theory that Kimbo Slice’s “grown ass man” beard is an unfair advantage since it “absorbs punches”. Kimbo’s trainer, Bas Rutten, responded to this today on his website and its one of the funniest things I’ve read all week. I can’t read that “glue hair on air bags” blast without laughing….

Hey guys! First I thought that it was a joke, but now I read that people actually really believe that the beard absorbs punches? Man, I couldn’t write this message for about 5 minutes, I was laughing so uncontrollably hard, its really one of the dumbest things I have ever heard!

A person that I work with got an email from somebody saying that I shouldn’t train N******, yep the N word, more dumb stuff that goes along with people like that, and also that Kimbo cheated because his beard would absorb the punches. I told my friend not to react on it because obviously it was an 8 year old kid or somebody on the same brain level, I mean, the beard absorbs the shock?

I wish that we had to do the Nat Geo episode MMA science again. We cut of a bunch of hair of Kimbo’s beard and glue it on the head of the crash test dummy (you must see by now that if you “picture this” that it really is unbelievably dumb right?) than let Tito elbow, and me hit the head, measure the impact, take the hair of and do it again.
Do you really think that will be making a difference? If you think that, you probably also think that Superman is real (his hair is really strong), because that’s where it probably comes from, people who think that comics are real.

This is a beard from hair for crying out loud. If you believe this than you have to believe also that Kimbo has also less speed because the beard is not aerodynamic and will slow his head movement down, so that will make up for the impact absorbing BS, hahaha, man, they should glue some hair on air bags, people now will survive the crash because the one layer of beard took the impact away.

I picked up my family late yesterday evening from the airport; they had a later flight than me coming back from Miami. I asked my wife and my 11 year old if Kimbo was cheating because the beard would take away the impact of a punch (I REALLY didn’t make any judgments, just asked them point blanc), they asked me if I was serious and I told them that I read it on the internet, the reaction was a big laugh, not even an answer yes or no. Just to mention one more time, my daughter is 11 years old.

But, if you want to be right, OK, there will be of course a miniscule difference, if they have the equipment to measure such small differences on such great impact, I think it will be about the same as hitting something, than put a plastic bag over it and hit it again.

Bas Rutten LOL’s at the “Kimbo beard” conspiracy theorists @ BasRutten.TV

It did get me thinking about another way to disprove the theory that hair is the “impenetrable shield” necessary to absorb the impact of punches, kicks,etc: consider the career of pro wrestler (and current TNA booker) Dutch Mantell. For those of you not familiar with Mantell, he’s a hairy dude. One of the few funny comments I’ve read on YouTube was for a match featuring a “young Dutch Mantell” to which a poster responded that he was “shocked to find out that Mantell had ever been young” and that he assumed that he’d “popped from his mother’s womb with a full beard and hairy back”. Mantell had a very good career in pro wrestling, primarily in the Memphis area–he was solid in the ring and very good on the mic back when wrestling interviews were a product of a legit quick wit and not repetitive, banal catch phrases. He was one of the rare performers in the business who was believable in whatever role he was in and much like Harley Race or Johnny Valentine gave of the vibe that he could kick some ass in real life–an essential quality during the pre “sports entertainment” era.

Based on his body hair, however, were it the kevlar like substance theorized by the “Kimbo’s beard” conspiracy theorists he–and not Ali–would have been known as “The Greatest” since there would be no way to inflict pain upon Mantell’s head or body.

Scott Bowden, who’s as good (and funny) a wrestling writer as you’ll find, remembers Mantell’s heyday here

Here’s a pic of “Dirty Dutch” back in the day followed by a YouTube clip of a great Mantell promo followed by a heel turn on “Superstar” Bill Dundee. Dundee wasn’t assigned the role of an Australian circa early 1970′s Elvis impersonator it just worked out that way. It was Memphis after all…the video also features the great Lance Russell on commentary. This is one of my personal favorite Mantell interviews, but there’s plenty of others out there which go a long way toward explaining of how the Memphis promotion put thousands of butts in the seats of Mid South Coliseum week after week after week for so many years:

[tags]MMA, mixed martial arts, Bas Rutten, Kimbo Slice, pro wrestling, Memphis, USWA, Bill Dundee, Dutch Mantell, Lance Russell[/tags]

No EliteXC play by play tonight..results

Due to some cable TV issues here on my end we weren’t able to bring you the Elite XC play by play tonight. Sorry for the inconvenience. In the main event Kimbo KO’d Tank Abbott in under a minute of the first round…basically the two fighters stood and traded with Kimbo getting the best of it and Tank looking like a truck had hit him by the end of it..

In the other televised fights tonight:

–Brett Rogers KO’d James Thompson @ 2:24 of the first round. That was a +181 winner for our BetWWX readers.
–Yves Edwards by KO over Edson Berton @ 4:56 of the first. That was our other BetWWX play–this -100 loss puts us at +81 for the night
–Scott Smith by KO over Kyle Noke at :08 of round 2
–Antonio Silva by 3 round split decision over Ricco Rodriguez
–Kimbo beats Tank Abbott by KO at :43 of round one

Kimbo v. Tank Elite XC preview at BetWWX

I’ve got another preview up at BetWWX, this one on the EliteXC main event featuring Kimbo Slice v. Tank Abbott:

Many casual MMA fans—at least here in the US—have a strange perspective on self proclaimed “street fighter” Tank Abbott. More specifically, they have the erroneous concept that he’s somehow one of the baddest dudes on the planet. It’s similar to how the casual Mike Tyson fan insists that in his prime “Iron Mike” could have whipped Muhammad Ali and Joe Louis at the same time with one hand tied behind his back. You’d be amazed how much time I spend responding to suggestions that Ali would fall victim to a early Tyson KO (despite never being KO’d in his entire career) or that “The Greatest” never tasted power like “Iron Mike’s” (ignoring the names Liston, Shavers, Foreman and Frazier on Ali’s resume). Ever since the Kimbo Slice vs. Tank Abbott fight was first proposed last June I’ve heard all sorts of crazy talk suggesting that Kimbo is somehow in over his head here. How casual fans could react with a yawn when Kimbo stopped a legit former world’s heavyweight boxing champion in Ray Mercer in just over a minute, but think he’s “stepping up in class” with Tank Abbott is beyond me.

And you know you’ll have to go over there to read the whole thing…

EliteXC Street Certified: Kimbo vs Tank Final Thoughts @ BetWWX

[tags]sports betting, MMA betting, Kimbo Slice, Tank Abbott, BetWWX, EliteXC, MMA, mixed martial arts, Showtime[/tags]

Tank Abbott disses Bas Rutten?

Tank Abbott disses Bas Rutten–by suggesting he’s not a real fighter? Here’s a quote from the Tank v. Kimbo presser:

“I think it’s funny that he’s got Bas Rutten to train him; this is a real fight and not a slap-fest,” Abbott said of the submission specialist. “He should have gotten a real fighter to train him. Training with Bas is better than nothing, but you either have it or you don’t.“

Obviously a lot of this is just typical gum-flapping to promote a fight, but I’m afraid that Tank might actually believe what he’s saying. First, lets compare Tank’s fighting resume:

Career MMA record: 9-13
Notable Wins: Beat Steve Jennum and Wesley “Cabbage” Correira, John Favreau in an episode of “Friends”
Titles Held: None, though he was Todd Bridges cornerman for “Celebrity Boxing”
Martial Arts background: None

CORRECTION: Not that it really changes the point I was making, but I’ve been informed that Tank was the cornerman for Todd Bridges *opponent*, Vanilla Ice. I regret the error. At least I *think* I do…

Tank does have balls–in addition to dissing Rutten he publicly stated to a UFC interviewer that he didn’t respect Don Frye as a fighter or a man. That was before Frye forced him to submit to a rear naked choke just over a minute into their 1996 fight I would assume…

Now, here’s Bas Rutten’s career resume:

Career MMA record: 28-4-1. After a 1995 loss to Ken Shamrock he went 21-0-1 during the rest of his career
Notable Wins: Beat Frank Shamrock (twice), Kevin Randleman, Maurice Smith, Masa Funaki, Guy Metzger
Titles Held: UFC heavyweight championship, King of Pancrase (3 times)
Martial Arts background: 5th degree black belt in Kyokushin Karate, 2nd degree black belt in Tae Kwan Do, certified MTBN Thai Boxing instructor, certified Pancrase instructor

In other words, Tank saying that Bas Rutten isn’t a “real fighter” is just as absurd as Butterbean calling out a legit champion like Larry Holmes. Which, come to think of it, he did.

Though Rutten is officially retired and focused on training Tank should note well that its not like he’s disrespecting an octogenarian like Carmen Basillio (though the tough-as-nails Basillio could likely still lay an ass whoopin’ on Tank even at the age of 80). Rutten is only two months older than Tank and appears to be in significantly better shape. He should probably focus on Kimbo Slice lest Kimbo’s trainer decide to kick his ass.

Tank’s blast about this “not being a slap fest” is a reference to the Pancrase rule against closed fist strikes. Tank should also keep in mind that his opponent on Saturday night isn’t exactly known for “open handed slaps”

[tags]MMA, mixed martial arts, EliteXC, ProphetFighting, Tank Abbott, Kimbo Slice, Showtime, Bas Rutten[/tags]

More EliteXC MMA betting advice at BetWWX

I’ve got another underdog play on Saturday’s EliteXC card with analysis up at BetWWX :

Like virtually all serious sports wagering, betting MMA is all about finding value. If you bet on “undervalued” fighters and against “overvalued” fighters over the long run you’ll make money. The biggest mistake that neophyte sports gamblers make is thinking that serious handicapping is all about teams, players, injuries and matchups. The reality is that those are simply components of what serious sports handicapping is really about: it’s all about numbers.

The beautiful thing about betting moneyline underdogs is that you drastically lower the breakeven percentage you need to surpass in order to show a profit. Most people understand the basics of the breakeven percentage—at +100 (even money) if you win more than 50% of your wagers you’ll show a profit. If you’re laying the 11/10 (-110) required for most pointspread wagers you need to win more than 52.4% of the time to stay in the black. Nevertheless, its funny how many “chalk eaters” who’ll gladly throw down -200 or more on what they perceive to be a “sure thing” don’t understand this concept. If you’re betting a -200 favorite you have to win more than 66.7% of the time to turn a profit. That’s why when you make the decision to “lay the wood” you need to make damn sure you’re getting quality for the “high price” you’re paying.

Go to BetWWX to read the rest…

Jim’s MMA Plays on Saturday Night’s Elite XC MMA Part 2 @ BetWWX.com

[tags]MMA, mixed martial arts, EliteXC, BetWWX, sports betting, MMA betting, free plays, sports betting tips, betting advice, ProphetFighting[/tags]

EliteXC MMA betting advice at BetWWX

I’ve got a preview of Saturday’s EliteXC event to be broadcast on Showtime here in the US along with a nice underdog wager up now at BetWWX:

MMA wagering frequently offers good value opportunities—in fact, there may be more “bad lines” posted on MMA than any other sport at the moment. The reasons for this are fairly obvious in that linesmakers are not only dealing with a “new” sport but very chaotic new sport at that. Upsets abound in mixed martial arts, making it more difficult to set an accurate line on fights. Additionally, once you get below the top 20 or so fighters in the world there’s a lot of parity. This is compounded by the fact that there’s not a clear cut “career path” for young fighters to take as they work their way up the ranks. Top tier MMA fighters have come from traditional martial arts, amateur wrestling, pro wrestling and—in the case of Kimbo Slice, one of the headliners on this weekend’s EliteXC event to be broadcast on Showtime in the US—videotaped street fights that became an Internet phenomenon on YouTube.

MMA Betting: EliteXC Preview and Picks @ BetWWX.com

[tags]MMA, mixed martial arts, sports betting, MMA betting, Elite XC, Kimbo Slice, BetWWX, ProphetFighting[/tags]

Phil Baroni signs with Elite XC

Dave Meltzer is reporting that the “New York Bad Ass” Phil Baroni has signed a multi-year deal with Elite XC. When we last saw the “NYBA” he was getting choked into unconsciousness by Frank Shamrock. Baroni might be on the downside of his career, but for whatever reason he’s one of those guys who the casual MMA fan perceives as a “top guy”. This makes his signing a bigger deal from a PR standpoint than anything else…

Baroni signs with Elite XC @ The Wrestling Observer

[tags]Elite XC, MMA, mixed martial arts, Phil Baroni, Frank Shamrock[/tags]

Sherdog picks 2007 MMA turkeys

Josh Gross, who along with Jake Rossen is one of my favorite writers over at Sherdog, has a funny column up where he picks the 2007 MMA turkeys. And two of them come as no surprise–Nick Diaz, whom Gross glosses the ‘Ricky Williams’ of MMA, and a fighter who has been a turkey since the days when dinosaurs like Royce Gracie and Dan Severen roamed the MMA plains, Frank “The Legend” Shamrock”.

On Diaz:

If you thought Ricky Williams had a chronic problem, you should meet Nick Diaz. More importantly, you should ask yourself what’s the longest stretch this year that news of a fighter testing positive for pot — never mind steroids — didn’t make headlines.

With widespread regulation of MMA came widespread drug testing. In California alone, 33 mixed martial artists tested positive for drugs in a six-month period. Those kinds of numbers in the NFL or Major League Baseball would cause a firestorm.

Diaz lost the biggest win of his career when he tested positive for such a high concentration of marijuana that Nevada State Athletic Commission officials speculated the Stockton, Calif., fighter sparked up just prior to his fight against Takanori Gomi

Also worthy of mention is a move slightly less impressive than the gogoplata he used to beat Gomi, the two handed one fingered salute he hoisted toward the cage after losing due to a nasty cut on a recent Elite XC show. I almost expected Kevin Nash, Scott Hall and the rest of the NWO to join him…

On Shamrock:

Now onto the ridiculous. Frank Shamrock knows how to drive people mad.

After a lackluster opening round in the main event of Showtime’s first televised MMA card, Shamrock illegally kneed Renzo Gracie to the head, prompting his disqualification. While it’s difficult to fault the actions of a fighter in the heat of battle, it was the calculating Shamrock’s reaction that incited MMA fans into a frenzy.

Post-fight, Shamrock claimed Gracie, a man who once failed to let out a whimper despite having his arm snapped in two, had looked for a way out — this despite the Brazilian dominating in the clinch and getting takedowns as he pleased.

My personal highlights of that incident were Shamrock’s amazing range of patronizing facial expressions where he mocked shame and disgrace at the DQ loss. One such expression can be seen in the photo of Shamrock accompanying the article…

Sherdog.com’s 2007 Turkeys @ Sherdog

[tags]MMA, mixed martial arts, Nick Diaz, Frank Shamrock[/tags]

More Kimbo-mania at Epic Carnival…

I make a funny re: the Kimbo beatdown of Bo Cantrell over at the Epic Carnival:

So once again I’m ahead of the curve but I’m giving you the opportunity to hop on the Kimbo Slice bandwagon now. If he continues to progress as a legit fighter he very well could become the Mike Tyson of MMA and be the catalyst for even more mainstream acceptance for the sport. He didn’t get to show his skills tonight–he ended things early with a devastating uppercut that actually LEFT AN IMPRINT OF HIS FIST ON HIS OPPONENT’S FOREHEAD. His hapless opponent, Bo Cantrell, was out cold and the ref mercifully stepped in before Kimbo could administer more punishment and likely tea bag the fallen fighter. Cantrell looked terrified from the get-go, but to his credit didn’t lay prone on the mat at the sight of Kimbo which is what I would have done.

Read the full thing at the link below:

Kimbo Slice destroys opponent on Showtime @ Epic Carnival

[tags]Epic Carnival, Kimbo Slice, The Prophet, Prophet Fighting, MMA, Showtime, Elite XC, tea bagging[/tags]