SAN FRANCISCO HISTORY

UFC

--The Sydney Morning Herald at http://wwwsmh.co.au/news/sport/cage-rage-coming-here/ has a story on the proposed UFC show on February in Sydney, Australia.  To get an idea of the piece, the cut line under the photo with the piece read, "It's madness.  If this was the animal world, the RSCA would come down on you like a ton of bricks."  It claimed the sport is banned in ten U.S. states (actually New York and West Virginia).  They noted that competitors can use vicious tactics like "pound and ground" (Michael Cole is getting that term picked up on).  It claims UFC rules explicitly ban fighters from avoiding contact, faking an injury, or throwing in the towel and there is an absence of a blood rule.  The story noted UFC in negotiations for a television deal.

Dave and Bryan,

As expected, Australian media coverage of UFC is going to be negative and of the type seen in the USA 10-15 years ago. This is just going to be the first in a series of poorly written and researched articles, I believe.

The article – which appeared in The Sun-Herald (one of the Sunday newspapers published in Sydney) – was shallow and poorly researched (despite having THREE bylines on the article).

"Human cockfighting" got a mention, of course.

There were a lot of inaccuracies. The article claimed the "first cage fighting bouts were staged in Australia in 2007". I know that's wrong, because I've seen ads and reports about MMA cards held in Australia years before that.

They also quoted some British UFC spokesman called Marshall Zelaznik as saying that UFC was in negotiations for TV rights with Foxtel (Australian cable TV), free-to-air networks and PPV.

If the journalists had bothered to check the TV listings page in their own newspaper, they'd see the latest season of The Ultimate Fighter currently screens each Sunday on Foxtel's Fuel channel (all the seasons so far have been shown in Australia), Strikeforce and Elite XC bouts are screened regularly on ESPN, there's a UFC highlights show screening each week on ONE HD free-to-air network and UFC PPVs have been shown in Australia for the past several years! Unbelievably shoddy research.

The RSPCA animals quote came from a neurologist and at least he was consistent in saying boxing should be banned, too.

There's going to be a lot of this media beat-up as the UFC show gets nearer.

Cheers,

Dann Lennard

Where at TNA can I lodge a complaint on behalf of the Motor City Machine
Guns?  I was front row for their exhibition match at the Comicon Party
this year, and not only are they amazing to watch but Shelley in
particular just bleeds charisma in the ring.  So why does TNA insist on
killing them?  Because they move ten times faster and crisper than
anyone the company wants to push, aside from maybe AJ?  Did they get
caught padding their expense accounts or something?  Why bother on
Thursday's show to give them a micropush with new entrance music and
video only to have Samoa Joe disrupt it and destroy them?  In passing! 
The next logical step would be for the Machine Guns to jump and kill Joe
next week, on the eve of his match with Lashley, but history suggests
there are much better odds on the Guns vanishing back into the woodwork
for another few months.  And then they follow it with that great IWGP Jr
title match.  What's the message TNA's trying to get across, that
Japanese wresters are so lame even TNA's lamest "stars" can clean their
clocks?  Is that why Angle had to hedge and call his and Nash' opponents
two of the greatest "Japanese" wrestlers in the world, like they're the
world's tallest midgets?
 
For dumb promos, though, I've heard few dumber lately than Dana White's
"defense" of Kimbo Slice on after his UF defeat last week.  "Don't
worry, he got murdered by a bumpkin with no punching power who sat on
him for two rounds, but after a season of training with these guys,
Kimbo will be the greatest fighter on Earth."  Everyone could see Kimbo
had next to no clue what to do in the Octagon, so it's silly to turn
around and try selling him on the spot as a great fighter, and sillier
still to bury the fighter who beat him.  Wouldn't "Roy Nelson is the
most experienced fighter here, so I'm not surprised he won, but Kimbo
showed me he has what it takes to be great, once he has some real UFC
training under his belt" have been a better save?  I used to think Dana,
whether he's aware of it or not, really wants to be Vince McMahon, but
that convinced me he really wants to be Vince Russo.  Totally illogical.
 
Steven Grant
Henderson NV
 

WWE

    Dave Meltzer,
 
    Someone sent me an e-mail about the Associated Press story.
    Just for clarification, when I spoke to Associated Press writer Dave Bauder, my comments were directed toward young fans (especially kids) and WWE's switch to a PG rating.
    Whether in-person, via e-mail, Forum or Q&A, of course people have made positive and negative comments to me about the WWE angles, the talent, the wardrobe and the hierarchy as well as the over abundance of salt on their arena popcorn. It's there to see.
    Though, when I've talked to parents and their kids at WWE events for fan stories (and there have been many), the young fans have all been positive toward the company and the show.
 
    Jim Varsallone
 

Why does John Cena continue to wear jean shorts?  I knew college freshmen who got made fun of for wearing "jorts" five years ago.  I can't imagine a grown man who is supposed to be cool wearing them in 2009.

Best,

Alex Williams
Observer subscriber
 

Dear Dave,
For the first time, I'm sending a letter to your newsletter in anger. I turn 42 this week, and I've been a wrestling nut since the mid-70's. I've shelled out plenty of dough, not to mention time, in this business. If not for your newsletter, I probably would have lost all interest this year.
To the point: Who the hell is James Varsallone, and how do I contact him? It's one thing to be shoved aside as a demographic that's not desirable, and it's another to watch the slow decay of this nutty hobby of mine. But it's another thing when some corporate shill (my guess on James' occupation) claims I don't even exist by saying he "doesn't get complaints from fans" over the new direction. I know you're a busy man, I have tons of respect for you and your great publication, but I'd really appreciate a response. It's not your fault, but I'm getting damn sick of being shoved aside. Thank you very much.
Derek Hamel
Tulsa, OK

WRESTLER OF THE YEAR

WEC

ROUNDTABLE WITH LANCE STORM

I loved the roundtable from Thursday and it made me wonder. Is it possible the WWE does not push many new wrestlers higher up the card because it fears the person will leave them for opportunities in other places? They pushed Brock Lesnar and must have had big plans for Bobby Lashley and they both quit to join other sports. They pushed Jeff Hardy as a championship calibre main eventer but he suffered from burnout and left. Could it be that the WWE are afraid to give the ball to younger talent more often because they won't be able to handle it or worse, burn out and leave at a time when the WWE needs them to provide big matches.
 
Jamie O'Doherty
Dublin, Ireland