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Trevor Prangley Prepares For His First Title Defense

The front door at Jarry Park is always open to title holders and Trevor Prangley is just that. The last time we heard of the current BodogFight Middleweight champion he was fighting in the Strikeforce middleweight tournament in November. Unfortunately, he lost in the finals to Jorge Santiago and after six fights in 13 months the South African fighter decided to take a few months off to regroup. He told us that he plans on defending his title in April and also spoke about:

* Where and when his next fight will take plae

* Potential opponents being discussed

* His controversial victory over Falaniko Vitale

* His thoughts on fighting twice in one night

* His current contract situation with BodogFight and Strikeforce

* His transition from amateur wrestling to mixed martial arts

Trevor Prangley – 02/06/08

Posted in BodogFight, Interview, MMA, Trevor Prangley | 1 Comment »

The Leader Of The AOTF Speaks

It’s been a while since we spoke to one of Ring of Honor’s finest so what better way to get back in the ROH groove than to speak with Jimmy Jacobs (right). The leader of the Age of the Fall is without out a doubt one of the brightest young stars in professional and appears to be finally hitting his stride with the AOTF. Some of the topics Jacobs addressed were:

* His injury-plagued 2007

* His current health situation

* The genesis of The Project 161 viral campaign

* The brains behind The Age of the Fall

* The Age of the Fall’s tag title victory over the Briscoe Brothers and subsequent loss to the No Remorse Corps

* What the future holds for the faction

* The addition of Joey Matthews to the team

* His time in Wrestle Society X

* Any interest from WWE or TNA?

Jimmy Jacobs – 02/05/08

Posted in Interview, Jimmy Jacobs, Ring of Honor, Wrestling | 1 Comment »

What’s Next For Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou?

A year ago, most of us had heard very little (if not nothing) of Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou. Obviously, all that quickly changed once he knocked out Antonio Rogerio Nogueira and Ricardo Arona in a span of two months.

Then, everything really changed for The African Assassin. Pride FC was purchased by Zuffa and all of sudden Sokoudjou became one of the hottest free agents in mixed martial arts. First, he was rumored to sign with Elite XC and then K-1 Hero’s. Both those deals fell through and, voila, he became the latest in a long line of former Pride stars to sign with the UFC. And, much like many of those former Pride stars, he faltered in his Octagon debut.

I hadn’t heard much from the 23-year-old since his UFC 79 loss to Lyoto Machida so I called him up and basically asked: “what happened against Machida and when are you fighting next?”(By the looks of that photo he appears to be in deep contemplation mode, eh?) I also asked a couple of other things, such as:

* The difference between fighting in the UFC as opposed to competing in Pride

* His thoughts on Machida’s post-fight comments

* Why he didn’t sign with Elite XC or K-1

* What’s up with his parents not knowing that he is a mixed martial artist

* Whether he plans on ever letting the cat out of the bag

* How his life has changed in the last year

* His budding movie career

Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou – 02/04/08

Posted in Interview, Mirko Cro Cop, Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou, UFC | 8 Comments »

What To Watch During Halftime

As chronicled here, I’m a lifelong Buffalo Bills fan. So, you can understand why I have been kind down on the NFL lately. Nevertheless, there is nothing like the Super Bowl.

Obviously, it’s always a good time when the game lives up to the hype but, in reality, no one truly cares. We just like to get together with friends and rate the commercials anyways. Oh, and also talk about how crappy the halftime is show, right?

Well, remember Super Bowl XXXIII in 1999? John Elway and the Broncos won their second consecutive title after dismantling the Falcons. Of course you don’t because the game was putrid. But it didn’t really matter because that was the best halftime show in Super Bowl history. That year marked the debut of Halftime Heat – the special episode of WWF Sunday Night Heat highlighted by Mankind’s victory over The Rock to capture the WWF title in their infamous empty arena match. Great idea by the Federation (except for the campy finish) and I suggest they do it again next year.

Incredibly, its been nine years since this match and if you aren’t a big Tom Petty fan I suggest you whip out your computer during halftime and watch the video below. You know, for old-time sake.

Posted in Hafltime Heat, Wrestling, WWE | 5 Comments »

Saturday In The Park: Here Comes The Pain

I touched on this in our UFC 81 preview with John Chandler (found below) but, again, I really do get the feeling that MMA purists are hoping Brock Lesnar loses to Frank Mir tonight and quietly goes back to the “fake stuff.” I have even read some people contemplating whether tonight’s fight will be a work. I guess it makes sense. This wrestler with a weird tattoo is coming into THEIR world? How dare he! Forget the fact that the man was an amateur wrestling standout. The guy wrestled for Vince McMahon and there’s nothing else to it.

Listen, I don’t know Lesnar and was never even a huge fan of his when he did work for World Wrestling Entertainment. But that said, I do find it a little annoying to read these snarky remarks about his MMA abilities and his time in WWE. So, despite the fact that I think Mir deserves a high-profile victory after everything he has been forced to overcome, I am hoping Lesnar wipes the floor with him and then beats every heavyweight contender. Then, I pray he holds that title for approximately 10-15 years. Yeah, that’s right. 10 to 15 years of having to watch this former fake wrestler guy hold the crown jewel of the UFC. What a beautiful sight that would be.

Anyhow, to celebrate Lesnar’s long-awaited UFC debut, The Park presents his top 3 moments as a member of the WWE roster. And away we go…

3. The Debut – 2002: There I was, sitting in the Molson Centre (now known as the Bell Centre) in Montreal enjoying a good old fashioned hardcore match when this behometh jumps into the ring and starts annhilating everyone in sight. To make matters even cooler, he was accompanied by Paul Heyman. What a brilliant pairing that was.

2. The Loss – 2004: Sure, this match was highlighted by the fact that Lesnar lost his WWE title to the late Eddie Guerrero but, nevertheless, I thought it was Lesnar’s best performance in the ring mainly because he helped make us believe that a former Cruiserweight champion was worthy enough of holding that Heavyweight title. (By the way, isn’t it kind of eerie how this clip starts with Lesnar screaming “just die Eddie”? Sheesh.)

1. The Collapse – 2003: Brock Lesnar superplexes Big Show from the top rope. They land simultaneously. The ring collapses. The ring was gimmicked, I know, but it was a tremendous site.

Posted in Brock Lesnar, UFC, WWE | 11 Comments »

Breaking Down ‘Breaking Point’

The very talented and knowledgeable John Chandler of MMAontap.com stopped by The Park to break down the UFC 81 card. Some of the topics we discussed included:

* Why this is the most expensive PPV in UFC history

* The reasons behind the price increase

* The marketing buzz surrounding Brock Lesnar’s debut

* The underappreciated Tim Sylvia

* Minotauro’s UFC destiny

* The return of Jeremy Horn

* Tyson Griffin’s rise up the Lightweight rankings

We also spoke about the rest of the card and what to expect from some of the key fighters in the future. Take a listen.

John Chandler Previews UFC 81 – 02/01/08

Posted in Interview, John Chandler, MMA, UFC | 4 Comments »

One Year Later, The Beastman Returns To The UFC

Marvin “The Beastman” Eastman’s last fight in the UFC was at UFC 67 against then-newcomer Quinton Jackson. Twelve months later, Jackson holds the Light Heavyweight title while Eastman prepares to make his Middleweight debut this Saturday night against Terry Martin. Needless to say, he is in desperate need of a victory.

Following a devasting loss to Travis Lutter at UFC 50, it took Eastman (14-7-1) more than three years to get a another fight with the company. Should he fall short against Martin it might be four strikes and you’re out for the North Las Vegas Detention Center corrections officer (Eastman lost his UFC debut to Vitor Belfort). He will head into Saturday night with one fight left on his current contract and looking to break his “UFC curse.”

The former Calgary Stampeder was actually supposed to make his Middleweight debut at UFC 77 against Damian Maia but was forced to pull out of the bout after electing to undergo eye surgery to fix a tear in his retina last September. That decision came two months following a victory over Rob Kimmons at an IFO event.

The fully-healed Eastman talked to The Park about his fight against Martin, his injury, the reasons behind his move to 185 and his future in the UFC.

Marvin Eastman – 01/31/08

Posted in Interview, Marvin Eastman, MMA, UFC | 2 Comments »

The Rosholt Revolution Will Now Be Televised

When it comes to mixed martial arts, remember the name Jake Rosholt. Why, you ask? Well, first consider his amateur wrestling background:

* Three-time NCAA champion. He won the 184-lbs title in 2003 and 2005 and 197 in 2006.

* Four-time All American at Oklahoma State University

* A Big XII champion

* Three-time state champion in high school

Then, consider the fact that he finished his rookie year a perfect 3-0 after winning two fights via TKO and one by submission. Finally, consider that the 25-year-old Stillwater, OK, native currently trains at Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas. Mix that all together and you have, without a doubt, one of the brightest young Middleweights in MMA.

And here’s some good news: The Team Takedown member will look to continue his winning ways on March 15 in Tulsa, OK, when he faces Chad Jay (7-1) in one of the top matches on Dale Cook’s Extreme Fighting League event. If you can’t make it to Tulsa don’t fret as that card will air live on HDNet.

Rosholt stopped by The Park to talk about his affiliation with Team Takedown, why he entered the world of MMA, his upcoming bout and Brock Lesnar’s chances come Saturday night.

Jake Rosholt – 01/30/08

Posted in HDNet Fights, Interview, Jake Rosholt, MMA | 4 Comments »

For Better Or Worse, The Spirit Of Ali-Inoki Lives

When Muhammad Ali and Antonio Inoki met on June 25, 1976 in Tokyo, Japan, to finally settle the wrestler vs. boxer debate they, well, didn’t settle anything. As everyone knows, that match turned out to be a total farce. Not surprisingly, it wasn’t the first time a promoter booked a wrestler vs. boxer match and it certainly won’t be the last. Naturally, every one of these bouts proved to be less exciting than a Great Khali vs. Kane match but, nevertheless, the New York State Wrestling Federation is hoping April 5th will turn out to be a little different.

That night in New Rochelle, NY, the NYSWF will present the latest boxer vs. wrestler matchup when they pit former light middleweight Larry Barnes (44-3-0) against Ring Of Honor star Larry Sweeney. Obviously, the JarryPark faithful have all heard of Sweeney but here is the skinny on Barnes: His biggest claim to fame was a fourth round TKO loss to Felix Trinidad in 1995 and his last fight was on the undercard of Oscar De La Hoya vs. Julio Cesar Chavez in 1998 when he lost to Luis Ramon Campas via TKO in the third round.

Ten years later, he steps back into the ring for the first time to face one of the true rising stars in professional wrestling. I am always intrigued when a promoter takes a gamble and signs a match like this one so I invited NYSWF’s John Miele to talk about how this match came about and what fans can expect come April 5th. An interesting listen.

John Miele – 01/29/08

For more information on this match check out the NYSWF’s official website. 

Posted in Boxing, Interview, Larry Sweeney, NYSWF, Wrestling | 3 Comments »

Tyson Griffin Is Mr. Fight Of The Night

Forget about the Super Bowl, it’s time to focus our attention on this weekend’s UFC 81 and, needless to say, I am really looking forward to this one.

Basically, whenever a former WWE champion makes his UFC debut it’s cause for excitement in my world. Of course, I am talking about Brock Lesnar versus Frank Mir. That said, I am not expecting a great MMA fight from these two. And while Nogueira-Sylvia and Marquardt-Horn should be fairly entertaining my prediction for fight of the night rests on Tyson Griffin (10-1) vs. Gleison Tibau (15-4).

One can make a case that, win or lose, no fighter had a better 2007 than Xtreme Couture’s Tyson Griffin (10-1). When you consider the fact that all three of his bouts (wins over Clay Guida and Thiago Tavares and, of course, his unbelievable loss to Frankie Edgar) were the best ones on their respective cards you would be foolish to expect anything less against Tibau. The American Top Team Member has won four in a row and is one of the more underrated Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioners in the UFC.

Oh, and in case you were as surprised as I was when you looked at the official card on UFC.com and noticed the Griffin-Tibau tilt would not air live on pay-per-view, fear not as Griffin confirmed his bout would be shown on the main portion of the telecast.

Anyhow, I caught up with Griffin to break down his bout against Tibau, his string of great fights and why he thinks Urijah Faber has no interest in ever fighting him again.

Tyson Griffin – 01/28/08

Posted in Interview, MMA, Tyson Griffin, UFC | 4 Comments »