FIGHTS: RETROSPECTIVE - Extreme Fighting Battlecade 2 was EXTREEEME!

THE WILD AND WACKY EARLY DAYS OF MMA
By
Bowie V. Ibarra

Mainstream MMA's come a long way since the days of the first UFC, where the Gracie family used slick marketing and sensational implications to bring their Gracie Jiu Jitsu system to the states and make those US dollars.  In fact, UFC led the way, but there were plenty of imitators that tried to get their hooks into that MMA market.  Extreme Fighting Battlecade was one of them.  The second event, like the first, was steeped in controversy and brutality.  Here's some of the fun things that went down.

--  'If they're both dead, we'll stop the fight.  No change in position.'

That was an actual quote from John Peretti, the promoter for the event, after Orlando Weit asked if the ref would break stalemates in the ring.  Remember, this event was 'Extreme', and Peretti was probably working the camera, but he planted that seed in 90s viewer's heads that death could occur. 

-- MONTREAL MOHAWK RESERVATION

Since the first event was kicked out of New York due to the Athletic Commission forbidding the fights, it ended up in South Carolina.  This event was scheduled to take place on the Kahnahuake Mohawk Indian Reservation just outside of Montreal.  But as you might expect, after political pressure from the government, the event was threatened to be cancelled even though it was on the sovereign land of the Mohawk Indians.  The 'extreme' angle was played up by Don Zuckerman, who claimed the worst that could happen is 'The Army shows up and stops the fights', but there's history between the Canadian Army and the Mohawks.  The cable companies could end up not showing the event, either.

It was that kind of pressure that made Orlando Weit of UFC II fame and his wife cash out of the event on their honeymoon.

-- NUMBER ONE DUDES WE'VE NEVER HEARD OF

So, we're told by Peretti that the #1 Wing Chun guy is going to be part of the event.  I imagine with no governing body in Wing Chun or promotion, perhaps Steve Faulkner was #1.  When he took on Igor Zinoviev in his fight, it took Steve Faulkner :51 seconds to use his Wing Chun to tap out to a rear naked choke from Zinoviev.

Steve Nelson was booked as the #1 Sambo guy in the US.  Nelson used his tremendous Sambo skill to tap out within the first minute of his fight against Ralph Gracie.

--  RALPH GRACIE

When Royce became the face of UFC and MMA in the 90s, he was the true 'Brazillian Jiu-Jitsu' surfer dude, a true beach bum.  You could almost call him the slacker of the Gracie's, known for going by the Gracie gym to bum money off of his brother, Rorion.

That's when you see Ralph Gracie, who looks like somebody took a shit in his Wheaties and someone told him the dude across the ring did it.  When it comes to Gracie's with bad attitudes, Renzo has nothing on Ralph, who took his victory not with his vaunted Gracie Jiu-Jitsu, but with repeated strikes to the back of his opponents head within the first minute of the fight.

--  PENTHOUSE PETS

Elizabeth Hildon, Leslie Glass, Amy Lynn, Alex Taylor, Stacy Moran, Lydia Schoen.

You go ahead Google these educational winners and have at it.

-- NO ROUNDS, NO JUDGES... NO WINNERS?

No Rounds!  No Judges!  It's EXTREEEEEME!

It also does nothing to help out when a match goes the full 15 minute time limit.  Jasan Canals vs. Nigel Scantleberry went the full 15 minutes.  And because we anticipated 'knockouts, submissions, or death' if Peretti is to be believed, we don't need no stinking judges. 

Well, it turns out we did.  Canals and Scantleberry ended in a draw.

-- DUDES THAT LOOKED LIKE YOUR P.E. COACH

In the early days, there were some older dudes that competed in MMA events that kind of seemed out of place.  When you've got young, tattooed up dudes like John Lewis and Conan Silviera, Jim Teachout looked like someone's dad having a mid-life crisis.  He looked out of place in this promo video, and looked even more out of place when John Lewis finished him with elbows to the neck and spine.
John Lewis vs. Jim Teachout

--  ELBOWS AND PUNCHES TO THE BACK OF THE HEAD

Here's a detail that looks pretty extreme now in retrospect:  Elbows and punches to the back of the head.  Attacking the spine with elbows are currently outlawed via unified rules.  Also, punches to the back of the head.  That's good sports regulation if you ask me.

--  A PRE-DRAGONBALL Z JIU-JITSU CARLOS NEWTON DEBUT

Carlos Newton gave up 60 pounds when he competed for the first time at Extreme Fighting Battlecade 2.  He took on Jean Riviere in a pretty competitive fight that went over 8 minutes until Riviere used his weight to fold up Newton and suffocate him.

--  'CONAN' SILVIERA

You just saw a dude like this back in the day who knew Jiu-Jitsu and you were like, man, this is totally not fair.  Well, Conan put that power and might as well as Jiu-Jitsu skills on display by using what I guess is jiu-jitsu punches to beat Carl Franks into submission in the first two minutes of the fight.

-- FIGHTERS GETTING HAULED OFF TO JAIL AFTER EVENTS

This tape ends with a closer to the opening segment, featuring the cops showing up and hauling off fighters to jail.  The charge:  Participating in an Illegal Prize fight.

It would seem natural that Igor Zinoviev, sitting in the back of a cop car, would be smiling as he is hauled off to get booked.  He smiles and gives a thumbs-up.  No sweat. 

If you get a chance to find this title, its a pretty good indicator of the early days of MMA.  You can definitely see how far the sport has come since then.

And if you're a true fan of UFC and MMA, you'll love both 'Pit Fighters: Baptism by Fire' and 'Pit Fighters: Double Cross'.  Both are combat sports-themed books that features fights from the early days of MMA just like this event.  Like the early days, its 'Style vs. Style' in the pits of south Texas.  You've got to check them out, and they're available on Kindle or paperback today.

BOWIE V. IBARRA is the author of the 'Down the Road' zombie horror series from Permuted Press and Simon and Schuster.  His latest story, 'Tejano Star and the Vengeance of Chaplain Skull' is a Tex-Mexploitation superhero story in the tradition of 'Machete' and 'Black Dynamite'.  It's available in paperback and kindle today.

Bowie earned a BFA in Acting and MA in Theatre History from Texas State University.  Network with Bowie for updates and news at his official website, ZombieBloodFights.com.

FIGHTS/BLOOD - REVIEW: 'Kick-Ass 2' filled with action, fights, and blood

FUN STORY, RELATABLE THEMES, AND COLORFUL HEROES AND VILLAINS MARK THE 2ND MOVIE ENTRY
By
Bowie V. Ibarra

 



I bought a ticket for 'Kick Ass 2' expecting the good-times and action I enjoyed from the first one.  What I got was the same in spades!  Check it out. 

In short, Hit Girl gets Kick Ass motivated to fight crime again before she cashes out due to a promise she made to her deceased father.  A recharged Kick-Ass ends up joining a stable of superheroes who go out and help the community and fight crime that's lead by an ex-mob heavy named Colonel Stars and Stripes.  In doing so, they attract the attention of former ally turned super-villain, Red Mist, who has taken on the new persona, Mother Fucker.  Using his family's money and a hilarious origin scene involving his mother, he recruits some of the dirtiest criminals around to get his revenge on Kick-Ass for killing his father.

And the zany hijinx begin.

I thought the movie was enjoyable.  We get a little character growth in Hit Girl.  She is prompted by her guardian, Det. Marcus Williams, to try and assimilate herself into high school culture and cut the Hit Girl act in spite of being literally haunted by the specter of her father in the form of his suit, which is prominently displayed in her lair throughout the movie.  It turns out she shows up the 'high school' popular set and is put in her place by her so-called friends.  It's also an interesting statement about the behavior of the so-called 'popular' people in western culture in the new millennium, a variation on a theme of the 'bad girls' from decades before.

Mother Fucker, played by the eternally youthful Chris Mintz-Plasse, is obnoxious, but hilarious.  His 'butler', a surprise appearance by John Leguazamo, is a great voice of reason for Mother Fucker.  He puts in a solid performance and acts as a good balance to MF.  There's a funny scene where he calls MF out on his 'racist stereotypes' when he recruits criminals to his army.

Hit Girl brings some depth in her struggle to honor her father's memory, but deal with those adolescent special feelings when exposed to pop stars and peer pressure from the bad girls.  And when she finds that balance of maturity and self-identity, its pretty hilarious how she gets her revenge on the 'bad girls'.

Jim Carrey's 'Colonel Stars and Stripes' is also very good.  He's a stern born-again who takes on the masked super hero persona to get a little measure of revenge against the people he used to work for when he was a mob enforcer. 

Kick-Ass had inspired many others to become super heroes and help out in the community, and they turn out to be helpful allies in the battle against Mother Fucker.  A couple takes on the super hero mantle in their tireless search for their missing son.  There's even a gay superhero that is played with respect, which is great to see.

The finish is also pretty hilarious.  Stay 'til the very end is all I'm saying.

All in all, it was a really enjoyable movie, with relatable themes like dealing with the challenges of adolescence, redemption, courage, helping out in your community, and the love of a father. 

I'm not sure what people were expecting when they went to see this movie and thought it was lame.  I had a good time, and highly recommend it to people who enjoy superhero movies, humor, and action/adventure. 

Seriously, who doesn't enjoy that?
And if that's the kind of movie you'd like, you should definitely look into 'Tejano Star and the Vengeance of Chaplain Skull'.  It's a south Texas-themed Tex-Mexploitation superhero story in the tradition of 'Machete' and 'Black Dynamite'.  The hero, Tejano Star, finds himself in dilemma when south Texas is hit by a plague of zombies. 

Check it out today in kindle or paperback.

 

BOWIE V. IBARRA is the author of the 'Down the Road' zombie horror series from Permuted Press and Simon and Schuster.  He earned a BFA in Acting and an MA in Theatre history from Texas State University.

 

Network with Bowie at his official website, ZombieBloodFights.com..

FIGHTS: REVIEW - War Games: WCWs Most Notorious Matches DVD

THE GREAT HIGH-STAKES MATCHES FROM EPIC EVENT FINALLY COMPILED IN ONE DVD
by
Bowie Ibarra

I don't think I'm in the minority here when I say I have been waiting for this dream DVD compilation for years since the McMahon family bought up the entire video library of the many defunct wrestling organizations he soundly crushed with his business plan.  Now, he finally put together the complete collection of every War Games: The Match Beyond events on three discs.  McMahon and HHH might be sonsabitches, but thank you for finally making this collection.

The discs are narrated by Dusty Rhodes, the man credited with conceiving the event.  He details every aspect of the shows, from creation, to construction, to his multiple participations.  He's a good 'decompress' from the intensity of each of the matches.

Disc one has the original two from the Great American Bash '87 events, featuring The Four Horsemen, JJ Dillon, The Road Warriors, Dusty Rhodes, Nikita Koloff, Paul Ellering, and War Machine.

Disc One even has the 'Tower of Doom' event, featuring the Road Warriors, Dr. Death, Ron Garvin, Jimmy Garvin against Kevin Sullivan, Mike Rotunda, Al Perez, The Russian Assassin, and Ivan Koloff.  Hell, it was the 80s, you had to have commie bastard Russians participating.

The last two on the disc are both War Games matches featuring the same names, but one of the matches includes The Midnight Express, The Freebirds, and the Samoan Swat Team.

Disc Two features a War Games match with Flair, Sid Vicious, Barry Windham, and Larry Zybysko vs. Sting, Pillman, and the Steiners.  This is the infamous one where Vicious hurt someone.  If you don't know, you need to watch it.

A really good one was next, featuring Sting, Koloff, Dustin Rhodes, Steamboat, and Windham vs. Arn Anderson, Bobby Eaton, Steve Austin (!), Larry Zybysko, and Rick Rude.

Next up is a War Games match featuring Sting, Davey Boy Smith, Dustin Rhodes, and Shockmaster, vs. Vicious, Vader, and Harlem Heat.

Then, father and son, Dusty and Dustin, join with The Nasty Boys to take on Terry Funk, Arn Anderson, Bunkhouse Buck, and Col. Robert Parker in what turns out to be a hilarious finish.

Disc Three's first War Games match features Hulk Hogan, Macho Man, Lex Luger, and Sting vs. Kamala, Zodiac, Shark, and Meng!  Yeah, I know, right?

Then we get some NWO era War Games matches.  The first features Hogan, Hall, Nash and 'Mystery Partner' vs. Flair, Anderson, Luger, and Sting.

That match is followed by the War Games match that produced the most emotion I've ever felt in a pro-wrestling event that haunts me to this day:  Nash, Bagwell, Syxx, and Konnan vs. Flair, Mongo McMicheal, Chris Benoit, and Curt Hennig.

The following year, 'Diamond' Dallas Paige joins 'Rowdy' Roddy Piper and The Warrior vs. Hogan, Stevie Ray, and Bret Hart vs. Nash, Sting, and Luger.  WTF?

Then the last one ever was garbage, sadly enough, featuring Sting, Booker T, Goldberg, and Kronik, vs. Nash, Jeff Jarrett, Scott Steiner, and the Harris Brothers.

All in all, it was completely worth the purchase.  I enjoyed every one of the matches on there, even the last one.  There's reasons to enjoy every match, that's for sure.

The WWE War Games DVD is ZombieBloodFights.com approved.

And if you like War Games, you'll love both 'Pit Fighters: Baptism by Fire' and 'Pit Fighters: Double Cross'.  Both are combat sports-themed books that feature a lucha libre star crossing over into MMA.  You've got to check them out, and they're available on Kindle or paperback today.

BOWIE V. IBARRA is the author of the 'Down the Road' zombie horror series from Permuted Press and Simon and Schuster.  His latest story, 'Tejano Star and the Vengeance of Chaplain Skull' is a Tex-Mexploitation superhero story in the tradition of 'Machete' and 'Black Dynamite'.

Bowie earned a BFA in Acting and MA in Theatre History from Texas State University.  Network with Bowie for updates and news at his official website, ZombieBloodFights.com.

BLOOD: REVIEW - Brown brings brutality in 'Bigfoot War 5: Planet Sasquatch'



FAST SET UP, VIOLENT BLOODBATH IN SPACE HIGHLIGHT 5TH IN SERIES

By

Bowie V. Ibarra

 



When you love something, you can never truly let it go.

And that's definitely what Eric S. Brown has done again with his greatest source of inspiration for unbridled mayhem. This time, he brings the fast-paced sci-fi action in Bigfoot War 5: Planet Sasquatch.

With his 'Bigfoot Wars' legacy, he has created a reputation for straight-to-the-point carnage. He sets up the dominoes and knocks them down with all the wild enthusiasm of a madman.

Planet Sasquatch is just like that. Quickly establishing the setting and the characters, the reader is then thrust into another wild battle between humans and Sasquatch as the humans encroach on their territory.

'Bigfoot War 5: Planet Sasquatch' continues in Eric S. Brown's tradition of gory mayhem and brutal battles between man and monster. Brown puts on display yet again his talent for putting together a fun story filled with action and brutality.

If you're a fan of Brown's work, this one will not let you down.

If you have not read one yet, this is a good stand-alone to get you started on Brown's body of 'Bigfoot' work.

And if you love wild action and adventure stories as well, pick up Bowie Ibarra's latest, Tejano Star and the Vengeance of Chaplain Skull in paperback or Kindle today.  It's a Tex-Mexploitation superhero story in the tradition of 'Machete' and 'Black Dynamite', that finds the hero looking to find the answers to stop a plague of the living dead from consuming south Texas.

If you enjoyed this blog entry, then support Bowie by picking up this title or many of his others today in paperback or Kindle.

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BOWIE V. IBARRA is a Texas author living in San Antonio.  He has a BFA in Acting and a MA in Theatre History.  Network with Bowie at his official website, ZombieBloodFights.com.

FIGHTS: RETROSPECTIVE - The insanity of UFC III

COMPLETE MADNESS BREAKS OUT AT CLASSIC UFC EVENT
By
Bowie V. Ibarra

So, for many of those old school MMA/NHB fans like myself might remember, the early UFC's were outstanding examples of the magic of advertising.  The whole early days of UFC were giant commercials for Gracie Jiu-Jitsu.  Like many others, I drank the Kool-Aid very early and was all about the style.  Rorion Gracie, the real mastermind behind the event along with Art Davie, put together some of the best martial arts schlubs at the time to compete in what was the THIRD (!!!) controversial event.  I was all for Gracie Jiu-Jitsu before this event changed my mind.

Here's how this crazy event went down.

Remember, when the event was originally planned, the legend of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu had already made its way around the martial arts community.  The vaunted Rickson Gracie was the martial arts

community's pick for the rep for Gracie jiu-Jitsu.  But of all the brothers with bad attitudes and rippling muscles to choose from, it was the beach bum Royce, who would show up to the Gracie gym in Cali to borrow money from his brothers, that was the pick.  The idea was that a skinny-looking dude like Royce beating muscle bound cab drivers would be the best example of the efficacy of GJJ.

And so it came to pass Royce made it through the 8-man open tournament of UFC 1, defeating Dutch Savate champ Gerard Gordeu, then making it through a 16-man tourney in UFC 2, defeating Pat Smith in the finals handily, bringing about UFC 3.

The fighting styles represented were bill as '8 deadly arts' of Tae Kwon Do, Kenpo Karate, Sumo, Jiu-Jitsu, shootfighting, Judo, Thai Kickboxing, and Karate.

One of the funny notes from the early days was the announce team.  After the infamous 'burping' incident of UFC with Bill 'Superfoot' Wallace to open the show, along with the immensely talented martial artist but horrible voice talent Kathy Long, they had to put another team together.

Ironically enough, Jim Brown was the only one that made it out from the original announce team.  He's not exactly the poster child for broadcast excellence.

So they got a dude named Brian Kilmeade.  You might recognize this twat from the Fox and Friends morning show, and believe you me, he was just as bad back in his UFC days.

There was also Ben Perry, an alleged great mixed martial artist that was as bland as sawdust-flavored ice cream.  Someone just needed to tell Ben the 80s were over.

And Jim Brown.  It's pretty sad situation when Jim fucking Brown is your best color commentator.

But remember, the promise UFC made was this:

- No rounds
- No Time Limit
- No Way Out

Ref can stop the fight, corner can stop the fight, fighters can tap out, but they must tap 'four times'.

They also put together a video segment distinguishing the two main styles and why grappling was better:  Punchers vs. Grapplers.  The video package very clearly intimated Royce would have the advantage.  Remember, these were giant GJJ commercials now.  And remember, 'the nature of combat says you can't judge if a striker or grappler would win, but person who can do both will succeed.

It's also here where Jim Brown reveals his greatest fear:  Ponytails.  That's right.  When Kilmeade brought up 'Tae Kwon Do' stylist Kimo, Jim revealed that the ponytail he wore 'scares him to death.'  If only all those defensive players back in his NFL days had known that, he might not have been one of the greatest running backs to ever step on the gridiron.

So here's how the tournament bracket played out:

Emmanual Yarbrough (Sumo) vs. Keith Hackney (White Tiger Kenpo Karate)
Ken Shamrock (Shootfighting vs. Christophe Leininger (Judo)
Roland Payne (Muay Thai) vs. Harold Howard (Karate)
Royce Gracie (GJJ) vs. Kimo (Tae Kwon Do)

So, Emmanual Yarbrough, 6'8" 616lbs out of Rahway, New Jersey, was representing Sumo.  Don't get me wrong, but New Jersey doesn't seem like a state that has a rich tradition in Sumo competition.  Football, maybe.  But Sumo?

 

This is around the time tha Kilmeade begins calling the ancient and centuries-old art of grappling 'sumu?'  WTF?  I know these guys were probably working for peanuts, but Jesus Christ, Rorion and Art!  Fork over the dough to get guys who are actually familiar with martial arts styles.

Incidentally, Don 'The Dragon' Wilson was in the crowd looking for a paycheck.  He might have ended up sounding like an over-excited high school junior in the booth in later UFCs, but at least he knew what he was talking about.  Ironically enough, so did the late Jeff Blatnick.

KEITH HACKNEY vs. EMMANUEL YARBOROUGH
KENPO vs. SUMO

So, anyway, here comes Keith Hackney, 6th degree black belt, 200lbs, fighting out of Roselle, Illinois.  Kilmeade claims Keith 'always wanted to be in UFC'.  Brother, this is UFC number 3?  How can you 'always want to be in the UFC' and its only been around two years?  I get the feeling there's plenty of places in Roselle, Illinois, or hell, Chicago, where old Keith could have found a money fight or two.  Shit, with how tight Rorion and Art were with the purse strings, Keith might have made out better in a back alley fighting cab drivers.

Anyway, so the fight goes down and within seconds, Keith clocks Emmanual and knocks the leviathan down.  He eventually gets back up and shoves Keith through the gate.  And that was a result of Emmanual's 'strength', and not the shitty slide lock you find on a puppy pen.  It was one of many firsts.  I guess that simple slide lock won't work when a combined 800+ pounds of pit fighter gets shoved against it.  And here's Kilmeade again, saying the move was reminiscent of a sumo match with an opponent getting shoved out of the ring, but still calls it, 'Ultimate sumu'.

So as you might imagine, the athletic Keith gets the jump on the obese Emmanuel and beats him down, gets $1000 for his efforts and a broken wrist.  Ben Perry ends up calling Emmanuel an 'Asset to the art'.  Hmmmm.  I wonder what Takanohana or Kaio would think about that?  When Emmanuel has gained the title of at least an ozeki, let's talk.  Shit, how about just a juryo.

KEN SHAMROCK vs. CHRISTOPHE LEININGER
SHOOTFIGHTING vs. JUDO

It's cool to watch these early shows because you can see the early days of the 'Lion's Den' camp with Jason DeLucia, Frank Shamrock, and Masa Funaki assisting Ken to his corner.  Even old Bob Shamrock, the adopted father of Ken, Frank, and about 100 other kids, too.  True story.

They also made the point that Ken was 'wearing shoes' so he 'cannot kick'.  That has been one of the dumbest rules from the beginning for dudes to not wear shoes, even into the unified rules.  Look how many champs have broken their foot or toes because of this rule, even as recently as 'Bones' Jones and Jose Aldo.

So, Christophe walked to ring looking out of his league, dazed, like reality was setting in.  'Holy shit, I'm about to be put in a cage for a money fight with some juiced up angry dude.'  And that's pretty much how it played out.  Ken smothered Christophe with ground and pound, and Christophe eventually tapped out from punches, which is frowned upon these days.  But back in the day, when dudes weren't training to counter GnP, it was common.

By the way, the announce team referred to this lopsided match of GnP as a 'Chessmatch'.  More like General Patton playing checkers with a 7th grader.

ROLAND PAYNE vs. HAROLD HOWARD
THAI KICKBOXING vs. KARATE

So, Muay Thai.  Devestating art, and the broad foundation of how MMA strikes are taught.  We've seen Tong Po in 'Kickboxer'.   Even Paco in Bloodsport.  Hell, we know Sagat in 'Street Fighter'.  Tall dude.  Long legs.

Well, look who Art Davie and Rorion Gracie book as the representative of Thai Kickboxing.  The 5'9", shortest kickboxer possible in the world, "Carolina Pain" Roland Payne.  The announcers note he is the 'Smallest man in competition'.  Way to stack the deck, Rorion, you fuck.

But the best part of this event was Harold Howard.  Harold was a Karate champion from Canada who had a great phrase from where he comes from, and here it is, backed by the dulcet tones of Eddie Money, featuring Ronnie Spector:  'If you're coming on, come on!

The fight was one of the best on the card, with Harold not quite displaying the most skillful 'Karate', but had more of a brawling style.  He even hit a very primitive suplex on Payne before putting the little guy away with a great three-punch combo.

ROYCE GRACIE vs. KIMO
GRACIE JIU-JITSU vs. 'TAE KWON DO'

I say 'Tae Kwon Do' because its pretty clear Kimo had absolutely no Tae Kwon Do training in his life.  In the lead-up video, he was seen working bizarre slo-mo hand strikes with his fingers at his cornerman's hands.  I don't know much about formal TKD, but I do know enough to know its a very kick-centric style. 

His cornerman was named Jo Son.  Jo Son was Kimo's right hand man.  An alleged 'man of God' with Kimo who eventually went to jail for shoving a pistol up a woman's vagina during a gang rape.  He also ended up killing his cell mate.  True story.  Google it.  Or Bing it, whatever you do.  I can't do all the work here.

Kimo declared he was competing in the UFC to 'spread the gospel of Jesus Christ'.  Seems there's more effective ways of spreading the word than walking to the ring carrying a giant crucifix on his back.  But he did it.

So, up to this point, Royce had 'won' up to $110,000 in prize money, which essentially means Rorion never had to pay out the money since he was basically Royce's personal banker.

So, we got the match started, and we got to see Kimo's amazing TKD-style kicks in a flurry of blurred action that kept Royce on the defensive.

Okay, not really.  He took a crappy wild swing and was immediately clinched by Royce.

And, as you might imagine, the door opened again.  Royce was given an advantage by not breaking the clinch and continued on.  With Jo Son shouting at Royce by the fence, Helio and his brothers joined the shouting match from the fenceline.  The problem the Gracie's were trying to work through was Kimo's power, who was denying Royce the takedown.  Head-butts were delivered, and Royce grabbed Kimo's ponytail that Jim Brown was so afraid of. 

Eventually, Royce gassed out Kimo and got the armbar win.  But he was clearly cashed out.

FELIX LEE MITCHELL (alternate) vs. KEN SHAMROCK
WESTERN KICKBOXING vs. SHOOTFIGHTING

So in the tradition of the early UFCs and current new MMA orgs, an alternate had 10 minutes to gear up for a fight with one of the greatest shootfighters of the time.  He came out wearing protective grappling gloves before 'Tank' Abbott popularized them three events later, but he took them off when he saw Ken was bare-knuckling it.

And then we got to see Ken Shamrock put on a clinic with his tremendous submission skill and world-class talent with a plethora of knee-bar, chokes, and arm bar attempts.

Just kidding.  It took the tired Ken Shamrock four plus minutes to get the fresh Felix down before smothering him with strikes on the ground before choking him out.  After his second fight, Ken looked gassed.

We are then treated to a video package of Harold Howard, claiming to have created a system of fighting bringing the 'karate aspect back to jiu-jitsu'.  Because there was once a karate aspect to jiu-jitsu, apparently.

And then shit falls apart....

HAROLD HOWARD vs. ROYCE GRACIE
KARATE vs. GRACIE JIU-JITSU

Here's where I totally just lost my shit.

So Royce shows up to the ring with his family in that goddamn 'Gracie Train' that Kilmeade and Perry had such a hard on for, looking like a mess, completely cashed out.  Howard shows up ready to go.  And with Royce hanging his head on the octagon padding, his brothers throw in the towel for him and literally carry him out.

Howard throws a hissy-fit and his manager at first seems happy his charge made it to the finals, then artificially shares Howard's disgust.  That is, until Howard is walking away and his manager hams it up for the camera.

Incidentally, that guy is still a part of the UFC organization, and you can see him walking to the octagon with fighters.

So, you think the chaos is over.  Nope.  Here comes Kimo and Jo Son to the ring to take credit for defeating Royce.

 

And you can't have general mayhem without Gary Busey somewhere in attendance.  Imagine that?  Gary Busey showing up at a money fight.

 

 

FINALS
HAROLD HOWARD vs. STEVE JENNUM
KARATE vs. NINJITSU

So, here's your crazy final for UFC III:  Harold Howard vs. Steve Jennum. 

Harold Howard, who beat up 'The littlest Tong Po' and got a forfeit victory over a cowardly Royce Gracie.  And Steve Jennum, a ninja from Omaha, Nebraska, who had spent the entire night watching the tournament play out from the stands and had to get ready in about ten minutes time.

Now THAT'S PPV magic!

Anyway, Harold Howard shows up keyed up, yelling and shit.  You know he was ready to go, but knew he probably was going to get hosed fighting a dude who was in the finals fresh.

But to his credit, he pulled out every trick he learned on the 'Alaskan Pipeline' as Ben Perry intimated earlier in the show, because I imagine when Ben Perry needed extra dough he'd fly to the Alaskan Pipeline for moneyfights.  So, Harold's ace in the hole was a Flip kick, but no dice.  Jennum grapples with the tired old man and takes the mount before Howard submits to punches.

So that's the big finish to the biggest and most fun fiasco in UFC history.  The alternate cashes in on 60000 dollars, Harold Howard bows to Jennum as if their 2 minute bar room brawl was some kind 'passing of the torch'. 

Art Davie signs check.  So does Rorion.  You can tell both of them are all mad that they actually had to actually pay out.

I laughed.

If you loved the early days of MMA competition, then you will enjoy the Pit Fighter series from ZombieBloodFights.com.  'Pit Fighters: Baptism by Fire' and 'Pit Fighters: Double Cross' are both loving fictional tributes to the wild 90s and the advent of mainstream MMA in the US. 

If you enjoyed this blog entry, then check it out today in paperback or Kindle.

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BOWIE V. IBARRA is a Texas author living in San Antonio.  He has a BFA in Acting and a MA in Theatre History.

 

Network with Bowie at his official website, ZombieBloodFights.com

ZOMBIES: Dynamite Comics brings back 'The Spider'

A 1930's ERA PULP CRIME FIGHTER REBORN,
FIGHTS ZOMBIE QUEEN
by
Bowie V. Ibarra

Dynamite Comics has been digging through the old relics of comic book/pulp fiction's past to bring some old properties to the new era.  With such big names as The Phantom, The Green Hornet, and The Shadow returning to shelves, its The Spider that comes across as a 'rip-off' of the Marvel title.  But that's far from the truth.  And thought I judged it at first glance, I decided to give the series a chance when I saw one of the first supervillains he was fighting was 'The Zombie Queen'.

Zombies, you say?  Count me in.

The character shares some similar costume designs as the Peter Parker 'Spider Man', but its really Spider-Man that borrows from this 1930s classic.  But the cape design and spider emblem is where the similarities end.

The gritty vigilante crime-fighter 'The Spider' is actually Richard Wentworth.  Like the original title, Wentworth is a modern war hero who returns to his hometown to fight crime as a 'freelance advisor' to the cops for the cities more 'bizarre crimes'.

Like all good superheroes, he's got allies.  Ram Singh is a lawyer who knows his secret identity, but is a valuable resource for his intelligence and fighting skill.  He's got a scientist on his team named Ezra Brownlee as well, who works at the university.

But even some of his friends run the line between ally and adversary.  The police commissioner, Stan Kirkpatrick, thinks Wentworth is The Spider but can't prove it.  There's also a love interest named Nita, yet more names straight from the classic stories, who is engaged to one of his friends.  The Spider knows it has to be that way to protect her.

At any rate, the first story arc for the series featured a madwoman named Anput, who uses an Egyptian villain gimmick with a male buddy of hers to attack the city with a poison gas.  The Spider suspects the gas might have been a project his rich father had bankrolled.  So its up to the spider to find the answers.

Noted author David Liss writes the stories, and Colton Worley provides an amazing palette of illustrations for the series.  The story is top notch, and has plenty of people affected (not infected) by the 'zombie gas' that The Spider has to decide if there's a cure for it.  Since its gas released and spread, thousands are affected before the stories end.

And how does it end, you ask?  You need to pick up the trade paperback and see for yourself.  The trade contains the full story arc and the beginning of a second arc that continues to build up the Spider Team as they face yet another villain threatening the city.

'The Spider' is a great tribute to its origins, and an outstanding series that should not be missed.  I was not disappointed in the least.  Great art, great story, great covers.  If the first story arc and art are any indication, 'The Spider' has some serious set of legs to take it into the future.

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BOWIE V. IBARRA is the author of the 'Down the Road' zombie horror series from Permuted Press and Simon and Schuster.  His latest story, 'Room 26 and the Army of Xulhutdul' is the story of a young woman who is granted superpowers while being assigned to oversee a museum in San Antonio, Texas, that holds great secrets.  The book is now available in paperback and Kindle here.

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Follow Bowie on Twitter @wingback20

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You can network with Bowie and read about his Tex-Mexploitation stories and check out his book trailers at his personal website, ZombieBloodFights.com.

FIGHTS: ZBF.com welcomes the new Doctor, Peter Capaldi

UK SCI-FI SERIES CHRISTENS NEW TIME/SPACE ICON
by
Bowie V. Ibarra

 

The landmark decision to introduce the newest Doctor took place today 8/4/2013.  The Dr. Who Universe had been waiting in anticipation for the call, and it turns out Peter Capaldi was tapped to be the next Doctor.

 

Capaldi is a Scottish actor with a great resume.  He has been in movies and television for years now.  And though he is quite good at comedy acting, he looks to bring a more sophisticated air to the role. 

Capaldi is the third Scottish actor to take the role of the Doctor.  The first was Sylvester McCoy, with the second being David Tennant. 

 

The trend for the new Doctor Who series had been to cast 'younger' men for the roles, starting with Christopher Eccleston on to David Tennant.  Both men were phenomenal actors, with Tennant carrying the series into the new era of global popularity.

 

It was almost jarring to see such a young actor like Matt Smith be cast into the role.  Though Eccleston and Tennant were youthful in their appearance, there was still a maturity and depth to their performances and interpretation of the Doctor.  Smith took some time to get used to.  He had flashes and good moments, but even as he developed on-the-job as an actor and Doctor, he could still not reach the emotional depth Tennant and Eccleston reached without seeming artificial.

 

Capaldi is a welcome addition to the Doctor who canon.  Here's hoping he ushers in a new era of fun and sophistication to the role that has been lacking in the modern era since Tennants departure and since the classic era as well.

 

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BOWIE V. IBARRA is the author of the 'Down the Road' zombie horror series from Permuted Press and Simon and Schuster.  His latest story, 'Room 26 and the Army of Xulhutdul' is the story of a young woman who is granted superpowers while being assigned to oversee a museum in San Antonio, Texas, that holds great secrets.  The book is now available in paperback and Kindle here.

Enjoy the blog?  Share it with your friends using the 'Facebook', 'Blogger' and 'Twitter' buttons below.

Leave a comment below using your Google+ or Blogger account.

Follow Bowie on Twitter @wingback20

Follow Bowie's Facebook page.

You can network with Bowie and read about his Tex-Mexploitation stories and check out his book trailers at his personal website, ZombieBloodFights.com.