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JR's Blog: Gina/Cyborg Afterthoughts...Weekend Ramblings

Posted: Aug 17th 2009 By: mikeiles

Here's hoping the weekend is going well for all. We've had a really nice past few days at J.R.'s Family BBQ in Norman plus our on line orders have been steady. We will have the BIGGEST announcement we've ever had regarding our site this Friday so please keep that in mind. We are still offering FREE SHIPPING on cases of sauce and ketchup and one can even mix and match them if one chooses. Sharing a case with a friend or fellow fan is smart and easy as 12, 18 oz plastic bottles is only $47.80 and we pick up the shipping to selected areas.

But now it's kickoff time for some BBQ'ed weekend ramblings.

Showtime's presentation of the Gina Carano-Cris Cyborg contest was, by and large, nicely done from a TV production perspective. There is no doubt that this particular attraction was the "Main Event of the Evening" and for 4:59 the ladies emotionally engaged the fans as no other fight seemed to do Saturday night in San Jose.

Cyborg was simply too strong and too skilled in a variety of fighting techniques or so it seemed to me for the charismatic and gutsy Carano to handle on this night. Based on their respect MMA training as it stands today, Carano will be challenged to ever defeat Cyborg who's Brazilian culture seems to foster amazing MMA competitors.

I do personally feel that MMA would be wise to cultivate more women to compete in MMA as it certainly provides Strike Force an exclusivity at this time from UFC. I know my wife emotionally invested in the fight more than she ever has the men with the exception of Brock Lesnar who she got to know after I hired Brock in WWE out of the University of Minnesota.

Female competition in MMA is here to stay as it is marketable, promotable alternative, and can sell tickets IF the MMA world can continue to build female stars.

Building new stars....sound familiar?

Gina Carano suffered her first loss in somewhat controversial style but I do feel the official made the right call. However, just as most fans, I would have loved to have seen a 2nd round.

Carano is still a star. She's a brave, beautiful battler with only one loss and she conducted herself as a true professional and with class and dignity in the ring after her heartbreaking defeat. I hope the men were watching.

Strike Force needs to keep Gina happy as, if nothing else, she is an amazing face for Women's MMA not to mention being well spoken and knowledgeable.

Cyborg, simply from a marketing standpoint in America, may be better served to learn a little English so she can communicate. Cyborg is so good that she will likely become a huge fan favorite because she is so physically imposing and dominating which appeals to many fight fans. Cyborg, what a name BTW, genuinely "looks" like the "Baddest Woman on the Planet" while Gina looks like someone for which a man would change his will.

It was interesting to see UFC's Randy Couture in Gina's corner even though Couture was conspicuously absent from any discretionary camera shots during the almost 5 minute bout. Nonetheless, when I saw Couture on TV I immediately thought of UFC which is to whom Couture is so closely associated. If UFC has issues with Randy Couture being tied to the most popular figure in Women's MMA and getting their brand some free publicity on the alleged "rival's broadcast" then perhaps the folks at UFC need to "lighten up Francis." No harm no foul in my eyes as it relates to Randy Couture showing up on Showtime Saturday night as it only created a little media stretch for UFC.

From a marketing/promotion standpoint having nothing but a short, promo for "Fedor Is Coming" was a HUGE missed opportunity for Showtime and Strike Force. If Fedor is allegedly "The Man" then why on Earth was signing "The Man" essentially kept a secret to the TV viewers. I would have aired an informative personality profile making Fedor bigger than life and including having other fighters speak on Fedor. I would have placed it right before the Carano-Cyborg bout. Frank Shamrock and Mauro Ranallo could have embellished who Fedor is, when he is coming to TV or PPV, what he means inside the world of MMA and that Fedor is "their" guy. This was a missed opportunity that cannot be recaptured.

I think that in some way Saturday night's broadcast on Showtime of the women's bout was a throwback to another era of pro wrestling inasmuch as there was a clearly defined fan favorite (Carano) vs. the clearly defined antagonist and favorite to win (Cyborg) which put the heroine in distinct jeopardy while both competitors had something tangible for which to compete (a Title) and there was a clear cut winner and a loser. There was no "kissing one's sister" type of outcome and the outcome that did come either made one happy or not but did not make one roll one's eyes for being not reality based.

It was troubling to hear of Kurt Angle's arrest in his hometown of Pittsburgh over the weekend. I've always had a respectful repore with Kurt ever since we signed him to his first WWE contract. Without question, Kurt Angle is one of the best athletes to ever migrate to pro wrestling and "got it" as fast as any one that I can recall. Nonetheless one being arrested in one's home town is regrettable and embarrassing. From a personal point of view and speaking as someone who has enjoyed most of my business dealings with Kurt, I hope that he can recover from this matter and regroup. If regrouping requires Kurt to leave pro wrestling and moving to other endeavors such as acting full time then so be it. Perhaps the former Olympic Gold Medal winning Freestyle Wrestler in the '96 Games in Atlanta puts too much physical pressure on himself in an athletic setting and may be more relaxed and happier if movies were his focus is not being a "jock."

What has occurred lately for Angle obviously isn't working for a legitimately decent human being. It seems as if problems exist and my theory has always been that if one can't, after doing all that's humanly possible, solve a problem then the only alternative is to eliminate the problem.

There are times in everyone's life where they need to step away from what they feel that they have immersed themselves and take the time to reassess. Trust me on which I speak as, from the best that I can tell, we only pass this way once.

Obviously I have no say in the matter and speaking as a fan, but WWE obtaining Floyd Mayweather, Jr to be the guest host of Monday Night Raw in Money's home town of Las Vegas next week seems to make a great deal of sense if it happens. Plus, Floyd could well rival Shaq as the most entertaining guest host on the WWE's top TV priority and help make for a really entertaining show.

More suggestions for Raw Guest Host ops: Gene Simmons, Dog the Bounty Hunter along with Dog's wife Beth, Jane Velez-Mitchell on a couple of double espresso's, no one named "Jackson," (on second thought, Jesse Jackson might be intriguing especially when he did the obligatory opening show promo), Larry King who could orchestrate a Divas in Suspenders bout, and Memphis Mayoral Candidate Jerry Lawler which is merely a cheap plug on this site for any one who may live in Memphis who I hope votes for Jerry for Mayor. I can assure you that Lawler running for Mayor is NOT a publicity stunt. My old broadcast partner is deal serious. Funny, too, as we rarely talked politics when we traveled together as we both dislike professional politicos who like to hide behind the "public servant" moniker.

I was standing across the arena recently at a Friday Night Smackdown taping and I could have sworn I saw X-Pac, bandanna and all, talking to some guys. Well, it wasn't X-Pac but Matt Hardy. I asked a couple of the guys standing by if I was hallucinating and they told me no that they had thought the same thing. On a side note, luckily, Matt lost his "orange hew" last week. Two weeks ago, the elder Hardy brother looked like he was radio active.

Remember, that our MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENT here on the site will be on Friday as we now have it planned and I think it will be something that most will find interesting.

I got my football fix Saturday when I attended the OU Sooners, closed scrimmage which was full pads, full intensity, full go. Nice way to spend the middle part of my Saturday. There is nothing that I enjoy more at this stage of my life than Oklahoma Sooner Football and college football in general followed closely by the NFL.

Yes, I do agree that Michael Vick has earned a second chance. It's now up to Vick to make the most of his opportunity to play football for a living. It comes down to making sound, personal decisions and not hanging with bottom feeders and people with dubious character. Vick needs to surround himself with people like Tony Dungy, allow his Faith to evolve, and put God and Family first. The Good Lord blessed Vick with amazing gifts of which Michael Vick should count his blessings every day...just like the rest of us.

Our store is open....enough said....thanks for your business.

Boomer Sooner!

J.R.