Adema or A Demise?

It is not often you see a car wreck occur right before your eyes, and when it does happen it is not something you will quickly forget. This occurred to me on Saturday night when I attended the Adema concert at Webster Theater in West Hartford, Connecticut.  While luckily I was not a part of any car crashes I did see a band crash and burn onstage in their moment of glory. Adema who is a nu-metal band from California, was supposed to be on their five piece original member reunion tour. However due to very unfortunate circumstances, on Saturday night only two of the members were left on stage. To say it was the worst reunion show I ever witnessed, would be an understatement. The original guitarist left Adema to join another band before the tour started then the lead vocalist unexplainably left mid-tour. The saying goes fool me once shame on me, fool me twice shame on you, apparently Adema never received this memo, because this is the second time the guitarist and lead singer ditched the band to go their own ways. In fact, Adema had their new guitarist and lead singer step down before the tour to put the reunion show on for the fans. Sadly, the core members of Adema made a terrible mistake, as only one guitarist, the bassist and drummer, the members who were in the band the entire time were left to perform on this “reunion “tour. However, the tour must go on and Adema decided to continue touring as a three piece with the guitarist and bassist both handling vocal duties. This seemed like a good plan, until the Hartford police arrested the bassist during the band’s sound check for public intoxication. Things could not be going any worse, since a bassist is vital for a band especially a three piece. Still the show must go on and Adema made the wonderful decision of letting their Dungeons and Dragons obese bus driver handle bass duties. Normally, I love to root for the underdog, but this guy was pathetic. He was about as un-rock and roll as you can get. His bass playing consisted of strumming the open E string and after every song he made a comment. At one point, he kept rambling on and the guitarist just stared at him with his mouth wide open and a look of disgust upon his face.  If was not wearing a “Fuck Me I’m Fat” shirt I might not have even watched the band perform, and would have went to talk to the opening band outside. In fact, when Adema first took the stage they sounded so different I did not realize it was them until the third song of their set when they played one of their hit songs “Giving In.” In fact, I first thought they ran out of songs to play and were just stealing Adema’s songs. Another reason I did not realize the band was Adema was because the floor only had twenty-five people on it. I know because I actually counted. Never in my life had I seen something so sad and pathetic at a rock concert, that I cannot blame Adema for having a very short set list. If my memory serves me correct, I believe they only played seven songs. Their time on stage was shorter than the opening bands time performing as they took stage at exactly 9:30pm and I was in my car at 10:05pm. To make matters worse, they did not even perform the one and only song I really liked from them, “Immortal.” If they played that song, I would have went home happy as a calm and this review would have been a lot nicer. However, the song was not played but at least I got to witness history as the guitarist claimed  this would be the last show on the tour and possibly forever. It was by far not the best concert I ever attended but I never will forget it, since it was the demise of Adema.  

Jacare

Strikeforce had a lot to be thankful for on Saturday night, as the promotion put on a fantastic event. The show featured two champions as Nick Diaz defended his Welterweight title in the main event and Middleweight champion Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza defended his title for the first time against perennial contender Robbie Lawler. Jacare which is Portuguese for alligator is considered to be one of the greatest ju-jitsu practitioners of all time and he demonstrated why on Saturday night, as he submitted Lawler in the third round of their five round fight. The matchup was a classic striker vs. grappler match and Robbie Lawler quickly dropped the Anderson Silva trained Jacare in the first round, but made the mistake of following him to the ground which was Jacare’s territory. This proved to be a huge mistake, because Jacare was able to nullify the rest of the attack from Lawler forcing a standup. That was all the offense Lawler provided in the fight, as Jacare dominated until the end. Jacare’s grappling game was the focus of round two, as he forced Lawler to carry his weight and left no space for Lawler to do anything productive. Jacare easily passed into side control at will and even attempted two quick arm bars but he was unable to finish. The third round was much of the same, as Jacare quickly brought Lawler back to the ground, using his patented “Jacare” takedowns, and he took Lawler’s back immediately. As soon as Jacare locked the figure four body lock on Lawler, you can sense the end was near and it was going to take a miracle for Lawler to escape. Unfortunately for Lawler, his miracle did not get the memo and he was forced to tap out to a rear naked choke.

This was a huge statement for Jacare as he cemented his place as the dominant champion in the Strikeforce division. The question now lingers on who his next opponent will be since the Strikeforce roster is not stacked with clear cut contenders. Jacare has already shunned the idea of a possible third meeting with Jason Miller, claiming he already fought him twice and did not feel he was worthy of a title shot . This leaves a shot list of contenders such as living legend Dan Henderson, Kazuo Misaki, or even Sengoku Middleweight champion Jorge Santiago. Out of the three, I am hoping Strikeforce is able to secure Santiago as the next opponent, since I believe it would be an excellent matchup and a true test for Jacare. Jorge Santiago has not competed since August 2010 and is without a named opponent, so the timing could be perfect for Strikeforce to bring him over to America and have a champion vs. champion bout. If this is not the case, then whoever Strikeforce deems worthy enough to compete next for the title, they better be prepared because the alligator is only improving every fight.

Royal Rumble and The Road to WrestleMania

The road to WrestleMania is without a doubt the best time to be a WWE fan. The quality of the WWE show during this time is flawless and leaves you excited to see how the stories progress. The scent of WrestleMania is in the air and fans want to know who will be gracing the main event of the granddaddy pay per view of the WWE. The questions to this journey begin at the Royal Rumble, where one wrestler is given the chance to fight for immortality at a championship match at WrestleMania.

Times are changing within the WWE, the youth movement is in full effect as many up and coming superstars are in the beginnings of their careers. Their characters are not fully developed and their rank is not yet determined within the machine. So the WWE had a big choice on their hands, go with experience such as having an established name win such as Randy Orton or John Cena or go with the future and promote an up and comer like John Morrison or Wade Barrett. The WWE made the right decision and went with the future but with a different name, Alberto Del Rio.  

Over the past month leading into the Royal Rumble, Del Rio had been showing up weekly on Monday night Raw interrupting matches claiming it was his “destiny” to win the Royal Rumble and headline WrestleMania. Apparently, the WWE have faith that Del Rio can grow into a huge star and this is his opportunity to shine. I predict he will choose to fight for the Heavyweight championship making him the focus point of Smackdown until WrestleMania. He will probably compete against Edge at the event, most likely gaining the title, on his road to superstardom.

The future of Raw is also at question, since the WWE can go a number of different ways. They can have The Miz defend the title at the event against John Cena or have him lose at the Elimination Chamber to someone like Randy Orton or John Cena, enabling Cena-Orton to headline WrestleMania. There is also CM Punk, who can be thrown into the mix. I highly doubt the WWE will do a fatal four way at WrestleMania and instead will have a one on one match. The way which makes sense after the Rumble is it will be The Miz vs John Cena for the WWE Championship. This is because at the Royal Rumble, The Miz who was doing commentary and not in the match jumped into the ring to eliminate Cena. This would be an interesting feud and one I hope WWE push. The Miz has established himself as a superstar and he is ready to headline the flagship show. Letting The Miz carry the championship into WrestleMania would be great for his career. More importantly, WWE has a chance to do something very special with The Miz and it looks like they are willing to test him out.

If those fights are indeed the championship fights then the undercard must be filled with the other superstars. The one person who needs to have a high profile match is CM Punk. This man is the MVP of the WWE right now. His character is perfect as a psychotic cult leader and he is one of if not the best overall talents in the WWE. His time in the Royal Rumble was the highlight of the show and provided an edgier, darker time to the event. Everything from his mannerisms of sitting Indian style in the middle of the ring to his Christ sacrifice pose was perfection. On the microphone, there is no one better since Punk speaks with such sincerity; he makes his character so unique and believable.  One opponent who could give Punk a high profile match is Randy Orton. These two have never feuded before, so this would be a fresh exciting matchup which the fans have never seen. Orton is just as dark and edgy as Punk, but the fans love him. A matchup against Punk would allow Orton to be a little more vicious and cutting edge while still getting over and retaining baby face status. The psychological story these two athletes could provide would be a great addition to WrestleMania and might even bring back some of the attitude that the WWE desperately needs.CM Punk and Randy Orton are both incredible technicians who can tell a story inside and outside the ring. If given the proper time, I believe this match could be the highlight of WrestleMania 27.

The other main attraction of WrestleMania, is of course the Undertaker. The streak is the most important accolade in the WWE and every year it is anticipated to see who will be given the opportunity to hand the Undertaker his first loss at WrestleMania. The most likely candidate to face the Undertaker this year is Season one NXT winner Wade Barrett. This match could be huge for Wade Barrett’s career, because he is a young up and coming competitor who the WWE has bright futures for. To be given the chance to fight the Undertaker is a huge honor, but Barrett has been golden so far and should provide an interesting threat. We all know the Undertaker will bring it since he is still the best in the business and will provide a fantastic show but it is Wade Barrett who really wants to shine here. This is his platform to cement his status as a main event player within the WWE, in his biggest match of his young career. Randy Orton’s career took off after his match with the Undertaker at WrestleMania 21 in 2005, so hopefully Barrett’s match provides him with the same fortunes.

There are still many big name stars such as John Morrison, and Sheamus who still need to be booked. It is believed Sheamus will have a rematch with Triple H who is set to return soon, but John Morrison remains a question. It was disappointing that Morrison was given such little time in the Royal Rumble and he came out looking very weak. I thought the WWE had bigger plans for him since he is over with the crowd and I hope he is booked in a compelling match up to help his character. I was hoping that Morrison was going to be matched up against Chris Jericho since that could have been a fantastic feud, but with Jericho not set to return that seems to be in limbo. A Morrison- Jericho feud would have benefitted Morrison’s career since Jericho excels at Morrison’s weak points. Working with Jericho would have given Morrison a chance to prove he belongs in the main event picture.  However, if that’s not the case and the event has a Money in the Bank match or something similar then Morrison would be my pick to win, but if not a match up with someone like Daniel Bryan could be interesting.  

In conclusion, the upcoming months look to be very exciting, with various twists and turns soon to occur within the WWE. The road to WrestleMaina is finally here, and the intensity is going to be picked up. Our questions will be answered in the future, but for now I suggest we just sit back and enjoy the present. WrestleMania is always a fun time and this year’s card seems to be coming along nicely with the fresh talent and matchups. We are seeing future hall of famers in the young stages of their career and we should cherish this moment very dear since history could take place right before our eyes.

Nick Diaz: Pound for Pound the Best?

Growing up my favorite video games were Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat. I loved the idea of having two warriors with certain skill sets fight each other one on one. This is one of the things that attracted me to MMA. It was just like a live version of those amazing video games. Two warriors with different fighting styles, competing to see which style was better. It was the ultimate showcase of fighting, to see which style was the best among the others. The fighters were not only fighting for themselves but for every person who practiced their discipline. Every person wanted to know what the best martial arts style was and the very first UFC’s offered that. It was like a live version of the Mortal Kombat tournament, style vs. style, fire vs. ice, Scorpion vs. Sub-Zero, Royce Gracie vs. Ken Shamrock.

Now the sport has grown up, and her combatants are so disciplined that it has become necessary for all martial artists to know every style effectively. And while every style is known, there are only few participants who are masters of a craft and on a different level than the rest. We can think of these men as the final bosses in a video game. In Ju-jitsu there are the Gracies, Muai Thai has Anderson Silva, Sambo has Fedor Emilenanko, kickboxing had Mirko Cro Cop and now features Alistair Overeem, wrestling has Georges St. Pierre and karate boasts Lyoto Machida. The one main style not mentioned is the style which America knows best: Boxing.  Boxing is a sweet science and most students who study boxing in America, end up dedicating themselves to it and become professional boxers. Now the new breed of MMA is taking over and finally boxing is being utilized in the octagon. Recently we saw Georges St. Pierre use crisp jabs to completely shut Josh Koschecks’ eye in December. The damage done by St. Pierre’s pure boxing was so effective it required Koshcheck to undergo surgery on his orbital bone.  On Saturday night we saw boxing showcased again as Nick Diaz utilized his boxing to perfection in his second round submission win over Evangilista “Cyborg” Santos.

Diaz mentioned before the fight, he would like to compete in a boxing ring soon and he showed us all why on Saturday. His boxing was so crisp that in my opinion, he made a name for himself as a master of the style.. His attack was constant with punches flying from every angle multiple times landing every time on Cyborg’s chin or body. The highlight of the fight for me was after Diaz blocked a Chute Boxe style attack from Cyborg he pushed forward backing Cyborg up to the cage and firing boxing combinations with such precision and accuracy that Cyborg had no choice but to just weather the storm and cover up. It was without a doubt the best utilization of boxing technique I have ever seen in MMA.  Diaz landed ten clean unanswered combinations from every angle to the head of Cyborg before hitting Cyborg’s body with six hooks ending the combination with a clean right hook to Cyborg’s jaw. The technique Diaz displayed was flawless and mere perfection. Diaz trains with professional boxers on a daily occasion and his hard work shined during this fight. The performance was so good that I would feel confident placing good money on Diaz if he did compete in a boxing match soon, with Fernando Vargas’ name being mentioned as a possible opponent.

               

However, Saturday nights Strikeforce event was not a boxing match it was a mixed martial arts fight, and anytime Nick Diaz is billed on the card, you can expect a real fight. Diaz is always pushing the pace, and attacking no matter what you throw at him. In the first round, Cyborg landed thunderous vicious leg kicks that almost put Diaz on the floor, but Diaz continued to be the aggressor and kept coming forward reminiscent of a zombie. It is the fact that he is willing to take punishment to hand out punishment that makes Diaz such an exciting fighter. Another reason is his pressure breaking style. On the feet he throws bunches in punches, hitting his opponent numerous times zapping their energy bar. Under this relentless pressure, his opponents usually give up and fall or make the mistake of trying to take Diaz to the ground. As amazing as Diaz’ boxing skills are, his Ju-jitsu skills are on another level. Trained under Cesar Gracie, Diaz is one of the best Ju-jitsu practitioners, and watching his ground game is a work of beauty. After another vicious Diaz combination, an exhausted Cyborg brought the fight to the ground with half a minute left in the second round. As soon as the fight went south, Diaz instantly threw his legs up over Cyborgs’ face, changed angles right away, spun underneath Cyborg coming out the backdoor. Then with his free hand Diaz hooked Cyborgs shin bone and threw his legs over, spinning Cyborg and putting him hopelessly on his back. Diaz hit him a couple times before finally flexing back and torque Cyborgs’ arm causing an immediate tap out with ten seconds remaining in the round. It was so breathtakingly fast that my jaw was left wipe open at the sheer flawlessness at the execution of the move. To make matters more impressive was that Diaz did this to a fellow highly ranked BJJ black belt. After the fight Diaz explained his style best, saying “I’m going to put punches in, you’re going to have to throw me down and I’m a Ju-jitsu fighter, a black belt under Cesar Gracie.”

Nick Diaz once again proved that he deserves much more respect than he currently receives in the MMA community. He is without a doubt a top ranked Welterweight and could arguably be considered in top five pound for pound rankings. It is the fact that he does not fight for the UFC which ultimately hurts Diaz the most. Matchups with high ranked guys such as Jon Fitch, Josh Koscheck and UFC champion Georges St. Pierre would not only be dream matchups but would also be a better indication of Diaz’ skills. However, as long as Diaz is under Strikeforce contract, which will be for the foreseeable future, these fights are impossible. Still a matchup with GSP is something I would really love to see since it would host the two best boxers in the sport against one another in my opinion. I believe the standup game would be even, possibly giving Diaz the advantage for his boxing pressure. I think, GSP would fold under the constant attack, eventually resorting to his wrestling, taking the fight to the ground. The ground game would be a whole new chess match, since GSP has never faced anyone of Diaz’ caliber and St. Pierre would have to be very careful not to get caught in one of Diaz’ crafty submissions. This is the fight I would really love to see before GSP hangs up his gloves at welterweight for new beginnings in the middleweight division. It is a shame that it most likely won’t happen in the near future, since it would clearly show who the best 170 pound fighter in the world truly is.

In conclusion, Saturday night was a clear indication that Nick Diaz is as real as it gets when it comes to cage fighting. His performance left no doubt that he was the real Strikeforce champion and a force to be reckoned with in the welterweight rankings. Diaz brings back the fun part of fighting, having no problem making the fight personal and trash talking but afterwards always being humble and respective towards his opponents. His old school approach to martial arts is something I deeply admire and it is why he is one of my personal favorite fighters in MMA today.

"The Rite" Review

Being the first movie I saw in 2011, “The Rite” set a good benchmark for the rest of the year. When I first saw the trailer, I knew I was interested since any movie about Devil’s and sin is right my alley. Plus it stared one of my favorite actors of all time: Anthony Hopkins.  Hopkins is phenomenal as Father Lucas, a renowned exorcist in Rome, who is eventually possessed by the Devil himself. The movie is based off a book about exorcisms entitled “The Making of a Modern Exorcist”, and is about the authors experience taking a seminar in the Vatican, based on exorcisms. So the movie is based more on facts than sheer imagination, and this is a positive thing. My initial concern heading into the movie was I that I was afraid there was going to be blood and gore, since it would have thrown off the psychological experience. I was also concerned it might be a copy of the original movie “The Exorcist. “ My prayers (no pun intended) were answered and my demon was free (ok pun intended  J). The scenes in which the exorcisms were preformed, the possessions were intriguing and held my interest. However, it was not until Hopkins was possessed towards the end of the movie, that my mind was grasped. Here Hopkins shines and is as excellent as ever, as he performs the role of the great deceiver himself, the devil. Hopkins trades insults and jeers lies towards his co-actors with such sincerity and eeriness that it is hard to take your eyes off him and you’re upset when the camera does not show him.  Without giving away the plot, the movie is not horror as it is more characteristic of a psychological thriller. The film did scare me into the abyss or make me lose any sleep, but it was entertaining and did make me more interested in exorcisms. If that is what the movie set out to do, than it does a good job. Overall, I would recommend it and based on five stars I would rate it 2.5.

Clashing Sensations

Oh, Mary Jane what a relationship we had,

Memories of love however some were bad.

We spent a many night together just you and I,

Saw our dreams and nightmares right before our eyes.

Times of dread and angst left me screaming mad,

Frigid shrieking abasement clasped me rigid sad.

Glowing bliss of affection reigned forever high,

Dueling seared compassion collided in the sky.

Goring swarming thoughts brewed in my brain,

Binding me forsaken to your loathsome pain.

Beaming supremacy eclipsed me in the night,

Rugged dawn nirvana brandished adorning light.

Wraith intruding voices pillaged me insane,

Hiring hubris to renounce humility with vain.

Yet dignity and honor endured the prolong fight,

Prosperous glory thrives within my sight.

With caressing lips, my soul was filled with glee,

Then ascendency shattered and I diminished fearfully.

Still our bond is potent, when we are together,

We always rise colossal, even in atrocious weather.

A banshee Judas kiss educed me to plea,

Abhorrent trepidation dropped me to my knees.

Your misty allure mimics airy as a feather,

Clairvoyant rapture makes my love for you forever.

Callous covetous schemes capsize me to wail,

Convicting me confined to this desolate jail.

An undaunting voyage in which we will prevail,

Where the spirit leads us is where we set to sail.

Lemmy

On the corner I stood, waiting for Dr. Feelgood
Time stood still, as I watched him Walk This Way
In silence we spoke since we were Breaking the Law
His product Welcomed me to straight to the Jungle
Little did I know he began my Countdown to Extinction
Still I wanted to Rock N Roll All Night.

Party in my mind as we Rock N Rolled All Night
Oh, how I praised you, Dr. Feelgood
No longer did I think of my Countdown to Extinction
I approached the demons and Walked their Way
They accepted me and Welcomed me to their Jungle
Sweet desire of Breaking the Law.

Corruption and anarchy as I was Breaking the Law
It felt too good to Rock N Roll All Night
Peace I found when I was Welcomed to the Jungle
Bless Thee Dr. Feelgood
A shadow appeared and Walked This Way
He started the clock on my Countdown to Extinction.

Time sped up on my Countdown to Extinction
I needed help, no more Breaking the Law
Someone had to help me escape this awful Jungle
My brain felt like it got hit by a Rock and Rolled All Night
Curse you Dr. Feelgood
I wish I never watched you Walk This Way.

They would not let me leave, I was trapped in this Jungle
The time ticked away on my Countdown to Extinction
It was not my fault, blame Dr. Feelgood
He was the one who really Broke the Law
All I wanted was too Rock N Roll All Night
I should have ran away when I saw him Walk This Way.

I could not leave when I watched him Walk This Way
Welcoming me to a party in the Jungle
A promise of fun, to Rock N Roll All Night
Never mentioning a time bomb known as a Countdown to Extinction
I thought it was safe and not Breaking The Law
You’re a deceitful no good liar Dr. Feelgood.

A new Way I found to initiate my Extinction
The Jungle of rush to escape the Law
A new Night begins and I long to Feelgood.

 

I Want It All

I Want It All

 “Am I ready for this?’ “Did I do everything I can?” “Maybe the critics were right, I’m not deserving of this opportunity.” These were the thoughts that ran through the young fighters mind as he entered the biggest fight of his career. In silence, the young challenger sat in the corner of the small locker room, with his mind pacing. The minutes leading up to the fight were always the hardest challenge for him. There was no more preparation to be made, and he dwelled on his whole training camp asking himself if he pushed himself hard enough in the proceeding months. He was in the main event for the first time. He dreamt his whole life of being in the main event of a championship fight, but now that he was here it was nothing like he dreamt. His anxiety increased and he knew he was thinking to much and needed to relax. Still he wished the clock would speed up so he could get out of this tiny room and into the cage. In the locker room he felt as if the walls were closing in. Inside the octagon, he felt at home. 

The fighter knew this negative thinking was bad for him and he shifted his attention elsewhere.  He closed his eyes and focused on all the critics and mixed martial arts “experts” who claimed he was undeserving of this opportunity. They said he was unworthy and not ready to go up against the best fighter to walk the face of the earth. He thought about all the internet fan boys who discredited his every accomplishment throughout his short career. Ever since the fight was announced all the young fighter heard was insults and negative feedback. These thoughts angered him, however, he used this anger as a source of motivation. When he was too tired to get out of bed in the morning to go running, he thought of the critics. When he was banged up during practice, and wanted to go easy he thought of the internet. When he felt he pushed himself to the brink, he thought of all the negativity and pushed himself further. His confidence began to grow. 

Coming into the fight, the young fighter knew he was the underdog. His opponent was the champion and considered to be one of the best fighters of all time. He defended his title on numerous occasions against all comers and challengers. He was a fierce competitor who had been through adversity and overcame all odds. The champion was a hero for the young fighter and he looked up to him very much. The fact he was even going to be locked up inside the same cage as his idol was a great honor. However, the young fighter wanted everything he had. He remembered when he first heard the champion had agreed to face him and ever since then he dedicated his life to making sure it was the worst decision of his heros life. 

Next, the young fighter tried to think of his upbringing. He had a very difficult life growing up in a rough neighborhood. His parents were immigrants and fought hard for everything they had, and were the main source of his inspiration. He never saw two people work so hard for so little. On nights they did not have enough food, he remembered his parents would give up their meals so the young fighter and his little brother were full. The mere thought of this made the young fighter ready to destroy the champion. He knew if he won this fight, his parents would not have to work anymore. Most people their age, were already retired for years, yet his parents were still struggling to pay the bills. He could not let them down, they worked their asses off so that he could achieve his dreams. It was now his turn to give back and he dedicated this fight to them.

Despite the fact, the young fighter wanted to give his parents a better life. He still wanted to do this for himself. His whole life, he struggled to find his place in the world. He knew he was not cut out for a nine to five, suit and tie job. He found his place once he was introduced to mixed martial arts. The young man new immediately he was meant to be a fighter. In times of trouble, he always counted on his martial arts discipline to help see him through. If it was not for martial arts the young fighter believed he would have spent his life in a cemetery or worse behind bars. He hated tight spaces like this locker room, and to him a small cell would have been worse than being dead. Most of his childhood friends ended up on that path and he knew he was the lucky one. His mother always told him that he was blessed and that God was watching over him and the young fighter at that moment realized what she meant. He found his calling and would not disappoint. 

Suddenly his coach, woke the young fighter out of his trance. There were only minutes left and his trainer wanted to make sure he remembered the game plan they drew up. The coach reminded him to keep his composure and work his jab. The young fighter was confident though. He knew the champion was extremely tough but he stayed cool, calm and collected. His entire life was dedicated to this moment, and he was ready. He watched and studied all the tape he could get his hands on and he had some surprises for the champion. There were some chinks in the seemingly invincible armor that the young fighter was ready to expose to the world. The champion had held the gold for too long, that belt was coming to his gym and he could not think of a better thank-you than to give that belt to his coaches and training partners. They were the ones who put their lives on hold, so they could dedicate everything to him. All the knowledge they gained over the years they willingly gave to him. It was more than just one person entering that cage, it was his whole gym behind him. To the young fighter the belt was just a toy, an extra piece of luggage to carry at the airport but he knew it meant domination to his trainers and training partners and he wanted to give them that power. 

Standing at the entrance ramp the young lion was humble as ever, he was given an opportunity to love the life he lived, the thoughts of winning and losing faded from his mind, he was only concerned with doing his best. Victory was already his, he would not be entering that cage alone. His family, friends, trainers and all his supporters, as few as they might be would be with him. How could he lose when it was fifty against one. The champion's reign was over their was a new king of the jungle and the young fighter was about to show the world what he already knew. The time for him to fulfill his destiny was now, his music hit and the words could not be more perfect as Freddie Mercury's voice screamed through the arena over screeching guitars “I Want It All, I Want It All, I Want It All, and I Want It Now.”

NYC Deserves MMA

           Mixed Martial Arts is the fastest growing sport in the world and the fact that it is not sanctioned in New York state is a damn shame. In America, forty eight states have athletic commissions, of those forty eight states, forty four legalize and host mixed martial arts events. Obviously, New York is not one of these states and to me this is mind-boggling. MMA is legalized in countries throughout the world and events have been held in various places in the past such as Montreal, Canada,  London, England, Sydney, Australia and Cologne Germany. In the upcoming year, the UFC plans to expand and host events in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil and Toronto, Canada. Most of America and the world are accepting of MMA, however for some reason New York is not on board? New York used to be home to some of the greatest fights in history such as Muhammad Ali and Joe Fraziers' first encounter which was dubbed the “Fight of the Century.”  However, with the recent demise of boxing, MMA is the gateway to restoring New York and Madison Square Garden as the place to be when it comes to hand to hand combat. The Ultimate Fighting Championship is aware of this and they are currently in a fight themselves to finally get MMA legalized in New York. 

          The main reason why MMA is not sanctioned in New York is because of numerous misconceptions. Since 1997, New York has held an active ban on this sport and many people in our government still see MMA competitors as barbarians who are bloodthirsty and are out to pummel one another to death within the cage. The misconceptions became so large that MMA competition was even labeled as “human cockfighting” by Sen. John McCain. Since that time, MMA has gone under a complete overhaul, and many rules have been put in place to display MMA as a safe sport. Various dangerous techniques such as kicking the head of a downed opponent, eye-gouging, and head-butting have been outlawed under the Unified Rules which have been in place since 2001. Referees are always the third man in the cage to oversee the fighters safety, and will stop a fight the second they feel a fighter is not intelligently defending themselves. Our government needs to do their homework, because the idea that modern MMA is no holds barred could not be further from the truth. In the twenty year history of the UFC, there has neither been a death nor a serious injury inside the octagon. Fighters who compete within any organization, wether it is the UFC or not, have to go through full government medical testing before they are allowed to compete. This is done to protect the fighters at all costs and if a fighter is not cleared, then they are not allowed to compete wether they are fighting in the nights opening fight or the main event. Precautions are al so taken immediately after the fights, with full medial staffs on hand who provide proper medial attention to all in need. With all these requirements in place, MMA is a very safe sport. There is no data to support the claim that MMA is any more dangerous than other impact sports such as football, hockey and boxing. According to a study completed by the John Hopkins University School of Medicine, it was concluded that due to the lower knockout rates in MMA compared to boxing, MMA fighters are less susceptible to brain injuries and head trauma. The UFC have acknowledged all these misconceptions and are confident that they will be able to educate the higher ups into voting approval for this sport to enter our state. 

          When Mixed Martial Arts and the UFC are finally sanctioned, the UFC plans on hosting two or more yearly events in New York. Obviously one of these events will be an annual mega show at MSG and the other will most likely be a smaller Fight Night card in Buffalo or elsewhere within the state. The economic impact this would have on our state is tremendous. According to an independent study by Jamie Springer of HR&A Advisors, with the two shows the UFC plans to put on alone, New York is looking at generating 23 million dollars on an average basis. These events would also open up and create over two hundred much needed jobs for our natives. With the economic crisis our nation is currently in, this type of revenue would be hu gely beneficial to our state. Of corse this is just the UFC, other smaller promotions would also host events, which could see an even higher increase in return profit. Since MMA is not sanctioned, New Yorkers are traveling to neighboring states to watch these events. Events are constantly held in bordering states such as New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Massachusetts, and even Canada. Why is New York denying the tax and tourism revenue that high profile MMA events could bring in to the state? Local businesses, restaurants and hotels will thrive off the new customers these events will provide. Mixed Martial Arts is in popular demand, people want to see it and will pay to see this product. Our rival cities are bidding to host these events because of the cash flow they bring in, New York needs to open their eyes and do the same. Legalizing Mixed Martial Arts, is a wonderful chance to raise revenue, and help our struggling economy. Money talks, and Mixed Martial Arts especially the UFC have the numbers to back it up. 

          With MMA getting sanctioned, it also means a job increase for fighters as well. Since the blowup of this sport, there have not been many big name fighters to come out of the New York area. The only fighters worth noting to have come from New York are Long Island's Matt Serra, Jon Jones from Rochester and Niagara Falls born fighter Rashad Evans. This is a shame because many New York based fighters are not getting the proper e xposure they deserve, because of difficulty finding fights. Young fighters are not wealthy enough to travel to different states, so their fighting market is substantially decreased then others in neighboring states. If MMA was to get sanctioned, local fighters would be able to showcase their skills to a larger audience and find the big break they need in order to make a living. Every time the UFC puts on an event, they make sure to give up and coming locals a chance to compete on the nights un-televised preliminary card. With the recent addition of the WEC, two new devisions were introduced, which means the UFC is now home to seven different weight classes. This is important because it gives fighters of any size more of a chance to make a living for themselves competing in the sport they love. The New York area is also home to some prominent and renowned MMA schools throughout the world such as Renzo Gracie's JuJitsu Academy on West 30th Street and Kru Phil Nurse's Muay Thai school “Wat” in downtown Manhattan. These schools are currently grooming local up and coming fighters to be stars. With MMA being sanctioned in New York, these fighters would have a better chance of improving and getting recognized for their talents. 

              Throughout my life, I have been lucky enough to attended many basketball, football, baseball, and hockey games. However, I have never witnessed more excitement within an arena than I did when I attended a Mixed Martial Arts event. The energy level was through the roof the minute I placed my foot inside the stadium and it only grew throughout the night. I have personally attended two Mixed Martial Arts shows, both of which were held in New Jersey and I can confidently say they were two of the best nights of my life. The first show I saw was a Strikeforce event, which I attended with three of my closest friends in a night which saw Kimbo Slice as the main attraction. The other show I attended was with my family to UFC 78. At the UFC event I attended, the weigh-ins which were held the day before and were open to the public. Because of this, I was able to meet many fighters. This was surprising to me because I just so happened to run into them inside the crowd. The fighters were fans like me and they wanted to see the show. In order to do this, they were putting themselves out there for the fans to meet and never in my life did I meet athletes who were so kind to their fans.  The live events these promotions put on are mind blowing and spectacular. Watching it on television is great fun and exciting, but there is nothing like seeing it live. It is without a doubt, the single most exciting live sporting event one could ever see and New York deserves it. 

          Now is the time for MSG to be home to some great fights. The education process seems to be working as the government is finally open and conside ring passing the bill. For to long has Mixed Martial Arts been banned in New York and the time is now to lift this ban. The evidence is clear and opponents of MMA do not have much of a leg to stand on. The facts support themselves and New York can no longer be driven by emotional reactions. The positive impact MMA would have on our local economy is evident and can no longer be denied.  The full court press the UFC is using appears to be working since MMA has recently been talked about being added to the Governor's budget. These are all positive signs that us New York fans will finally be able to witness amazing fights inside the Worlds Most Famous Arena. I can picture it now, the long awaited fight between the two pound for pound best fighters in the world headlining MSG, Georges St. Pierre vs Anderson Silva. Please, New York do the right thing and legalize MMA, lift this ridiculous ban and give yourself and the fans something to be proud about.  

Life Is Beautiful

         12:00 AM January 1st 2010, Happy New Year! That's what people say at New Years right? They share warm embracing hugs with friends, a kiss with the person they love most and enjoy the company of others around them. They're not sitting all alone with a bottle of Jack Daniel's on a cold couch with a Christmas tree piercing their shoulder, watching their holiday spirit burn up in smoke.  Their definitely not out of their minds, depressed over worst-case scenarios in dead silence with immense feelings of guilt and regret over a once productive life. I didn't speak to a single person that day, I thought “Why should I ruin their fucking New Year.”


        This was the peak of my addiction. I became so empty, lost and caught up in the darkness that I started to resemble Gollum in Lord of the Rings when it came to drugs. To me they were the best things happening in my life, they brought me to a place where I felt alive and could escape the pain I was feeling. They became my precious. At first they were a source of socialization where I would interact with others, but like the One Ring I was consumed by them and they just welcomed the negativity through my front door. They slowly and surely started taking over my dreams, my goals, my emotions and most importantly my will. I started to become addicted and was doing them not to be social but to cure boredom and convince myself I was doing something productive with my life. I was too scared to admit to my parents and to myself that my college career and life were going nowhere, so I experimented with harder substances to further hide my pain. This was by far the worst thing I could have ever done. I lost control at that moment and there was nothing I could do about it. I wasn't getting high anymore, it was the fear that was controlling me. Those little thrills I used to experience were laughable, and it was not a funny laugh. Once the fear controls you it magnifies everything wrong and brushes off everything good. You want to do good but some voice in your mind is constantly turning you in the opposite direction and lying about everything. You try not to listen, but it defeats you and you eventually give in. It stabs loved one's in the back and breaks their hearts and I was oblivious to it all. My will was broken, I was digging a deeper grave for myself, the workload was getting harder and the sweat was dripping off my face. Because once your will is defeated, you can believe anything and be dragged anywhere from whatever voices you hear and it is truly terrifying.


         I knew I needed a change. For too long, I gave up on the three things which always brought me love and happiness: music, literature and workouts. These three forms of art always gave me a sense of belonging and a high which was never duplicated and they were absent from my life. I was buried alive down in the depths of hell, looking to the heavens, begging for a way out. I honestly believe an outer-force heard my pleas for help and directed me to a place where I never thought to look: myself. I could not change and improve my health for my family, for my idols or for my friends like I had been trying too. I had to change because I deeply wanted to. The change had to be organic. Something happened to me where I started to miss my earlier levels of confidence and power. I was damn sick and tired of living like a mouse. The lion inside me had to find his roar in order to reclaim his throne as king of the jungle. However, in order to reclaim my life I had to conquer the obstacles and monsters that I let trample and disfigure me along the way which I was too frightened to face previously.


            For me, change one was eliminating the parasites who I used to call “friends.” I knew if I could weed them out, I could find the people who really do care for me and who I care for back. Rediscover that lost art of compassion. However, the change did not happen overnight. I was by myself for many nights and sometimes the loneliness got the best of me and I relapsed into old habits. But now I knew I was on the right path, cause the things that used to make me feel so good, now made me whimper and brought over a sense of shame and despise. In my mind, which I was slowly winning back, these substances were labeled as “Enemy.” I began to second guess my choices. Monster one was defeated, I was back in the drivers seat, the drugs did not control my life anymore. I saw the sun.


            I now learned how to defeat monster two which was the loneliness. I dedicated myself everyday to making smarter choices. I practiced bass guitar every morning until my fingertips were so raw and bloodied they looked disfigured. I spent the rest of my hours in the gym, building not only my physical but mental toughness and in between enjoying time with my family taking my dogs on long hikes through the woods discovering nature. At night I read as long as my eyes would stay open. The sun was rising.


       Monster three was whom I was dreading most. It was admitting to others my mistakes and opening up. Opening up, and not hiding feelings was something I struggled with since as far back as I could remember. It was not the manly thing to do. Men are supposed to hide their emotions on the inside and be tough as nails on the outside. Well, I was great at that and look where it got me, so this change was vital to my recovery. I remember taking a deep breath and telling my parents that I saw no future for myself in physical therapy and I wanted to write and explore. To my absolute astonishment, they were beyond supportive of my life decision. I could guarantee the look on my face was the definition of a Kodak moment. I have not hammered the final nail in the coffin for this monster, many of my true friends still do not know my real story and still believe the lies I fed them countless times. Nevertheless, I could see the sun.


          Life is a journey, and it is going to test you. It does not matter what background you come from, whether you were born with a silver spoon in your mouth or not. Life does not care and it will test your will and try to break it. It will throw various obstacles in your path at blinding moments to see what you are made of and how thick your skin is. Nothing is going to always be perfect, it takes work and determination to achieve your dreams. You have to strive and be willing to break your back and bleed for whatever you want to accomplish. Running away will not cure anything, it only makes things worse, because you're delaying the inevitable and building it up in your head. Every person on this earth is geared up for this long journey and you have to be sharp and on your toes at all times if you want to keep up and succeed. The most important thing in life is to wake up everyday and be proud of the person staring back at you in the mirror. Good things are not handed to us and they do not come to those who wait, you must really want them and be ready to seize them for yourself, or be left with nothing. The best things in life never come easy and like Dante Alighieri you have to go through hell in order to reach heaven. Well, I have and I can now say I realize that life is beautiful.