Pros and Cons of being a number one title contender

If you're a professional mixed martial arts fighter competing in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, the major league of the sport, and you've worked your way into being the number one title contender, everything should be just about perfect. "Not so fast my friend," as ESPN College Football Analyst Lee Corso is known to say. Sometimes being in the driver's seat doesn't necessarily mean you have all the right answers; you still have to choose whether to turn left or right at the next intersection. Just ask Josh 'The Punk' Thomson. (Pictured above)

Thomson was on top of the world in terms of his MMA career, a long and illustrious one, and in the matter of 25 minutes, it all came screeching to a halt. Thomson, a former Strikeforce lightweight (155 lbs.) champion, had recently made a surprising and successful return to the UFC with a stoppage win over perennial top contender Nate Diaz. That performance, coinciding with the transition of the title from former champion Benson 'Smooth' Henderson to Anthony Pettis and an unfortunate injury to number contender TJ Grant, catapulted Thomson to replace Grant as the title contender; perfect scenario right?

Unfortunately, the real world of MMA does not always allow for such dream endings. Just as Grant had suffered an injury, killing his current opportunity at the title, the current champion Pettis also endured one. That injury would force him to be on the shelf for an extended period, so now Thomson was faced with a dilemma that often confronts title contenders; do you sit and wait for your promised shot or do you keep fighting and potentially risk losing it?

I know it seems simple enough, but for fighters who have an unbelievable thirst for competition and challenge, the decision often is to keep fighting. This was the case for Thomson who more than willingly agreed to take on former titleholder Henderson. What was in it for him? Well, the exposure of being in the main event of a card on the FOX network in front of millions could only catapult his career even further. However, you have to win first and as I stated previously, MMA doesn't always allow for the fairy tale finish.

Enter 'Murphy's Law', "Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong." In Thomson's case, his fight against number one ranked Henderson couldn't have gotten off to a better start. He dropped the champion immediately in the first round and eventually maneuvered his way on the ground to Henderson's back and into a body lock position. Looking good so far, but inevitably Henderson worked his way out of the position, back to his feet and the fight continued. No problem as Thomson was looking as comfortable standing and striking as he was on the ground; that was until his right hand broke.

At some point in the second round 'The Punk' breaks his hand and now his whole game plan goes out the window, turn to plan B and C, kick and continue to take Henderson down. Surprisingly he was able to do that, with relative success at times too, but Henderson now had his moments as well. Nonetheless, while he never hurt Henderson the rest of the way, nor had him in any danger, I thought he did enough to win the fight. Problem is, what I think doesn't matter.

Two of three judges saw it for Henderson, so now Thomson loses his title shot, breaks his hand and suddenly is even pondering retirement. If only he had decided to sit and wait for Pettis to heal; that's what featherweight (145 lbs.) title contender Ricardo Lamas did. Winner of his last four fights he became the next title challenger for champion Jose Aldo. However, ironically enough, Aldo sustained an injury which put him out of commission for a while.

Lamas, whose last fight was exactly one year ago today, decided to turn right instead of left though; he decided to wait it out. Sure it cost him exposure, money and everything else, but it did not cost him his shot; which he will take next week, during Super Bowl weekend on a Pay-Per-View. Lucky for Lamas right; not really, these are just pros and cons of being a number one title contender.

'Grudge Match' + Sam's Top Five Boxing Films

After being stuck indoors for two weeks due to surgery, I finally got out yesterday for a little while and went to the movies. I was even well enough to catch a comedy, where I was previously avoiding any laughter at all costs after post abdominal hernia surgery. I went to see 'Grudge Match' starring Sylvester Stallone and Robert DeNiro, which I enjoyed very much.

As I was watching it, I suddenly began to think of all the boxing movies made over time that I have seen. There are quite a few and I instantly began to rate them. Thus, the following is a quick review of 'Grudge Match' followed by my top five choices for best boxing movies to watch. Note that my top five picks is not an all-time list, but rather my personal choices; however, first up is a look back at the movie pictured at left.

The movie' Grudge Match', as the title suggests, is a score to settle rubber match between two over the hill retired professional boxers from the blue collar steel city of Pittsburgh, PA. Billy 'The Kid' McDonnan played by DeNiro and Henry 'Razor' Sharp' played by Stallone, are both responsible for the lone loss on each other's pro records. However, what has driven them all these years to settle the score isn't their hatred for one another or even so much the blemish on their records; it was a woman.

However, unlike your typical love triangle, there are a few twists and turns involved, which makes it more like an octagon. Ironically, the UFC's octagon makes a memorable appearance in this film, thanks to a great cameo by none other than UFC fighter Chael Sonnen. The twists and turns in the form of a female love interest, her son and grandson, an old trainer and a want to be Don King boxing promoter all make for interesting scenarios and lots of laughs.

Co-starring Kim Basinger, who has aged quite gracefully, Alan Arkin, Kevin Hart and Jon Bernthal, 'Grudge Match', was better and funnier than I had expected. Though it won't make my top five list, it was very entertaining and definitely worth two hours of your time. Besides, though it doesn't make my list, not surprisingly, its stars Stallone and DeNiro do.

Now onto my top five boxing films that you should see and please remember that these are my choices, not necessarily an all-time list; though I would argue that four of my five would easily make any all-time list. Nonetheless, I put that disclaimer out there for anyone who wants to scream at me for leaving off such noteworthy films such as 'The Hurricane' or 'The Cinderella Man'; both excellent movies.

5.) 'Streets of Gold' (1986) -

This movie may be unknown to many, but not to me. I actually went to see this movie in the theater when it was released and have enjoyed it ever since. A little known film starring Klaus Maria Brandauer and two young talented actors at that start of their careers in Wesley Snipes and Adrian Pasdar, this movie is about a former amateur boxer from the Soviet Union who was not allowed to compete on the national team because of his Jewish descent.

He later migrates to the largely Russian populated Brighton Beach section of Brooklyn, NY where he comes upon two promising club fighters, which he eventually coaches and turns into U.S. National team members. This movie may not stand up to the other four on this list in terms of caliber, but for heartwarming storyline and pure amateur boxing, it should be viewed. Try it, you may like it.

4.) 'Million Dollar Baby' (2004) -

The first of three Academy Award winners on this list, this movie won four Oscars in total including Best Picture, Best Actress and Best Supporting Actor. Starring Hillary Swank as a humble girl with aspirations of pursuing a boxing dream, along with Clint Eastwood and Morgan Freeman as gruff old boxing trainers, this film is an emotional roller coaster.

Eastwood, who won an Oscar for his directing, masterfully takes you on a ride which puts you on the highest of highs, only to drop you into the lowest of lows in an instant. Whether you're a fan of boxing, let alone women in boxing, you owe it to yourself to see this movie.

3.) 'Requiem for a Heavyweight' (1962) -

As a fan of Anthony Quinn, old black and white films and boxing, 'Requiem' is a match made in heaven. Starring the aforementioned Quinn as Mountain Rivera, a once ranked, but now washed up journeyman fighter, this movie does for boxing what 'The Wrestler' did for wrestling; show you the sad, but true side of the sport.

Also starring Jackie Gleason as Rivera's shady manager and Mickey Rooney as his loyal trainer, this is a must see for any true boxing fan. I just happen to come upon this movie as a kid and it has stuck with me ever since. A definite all-time classic!

2.) 'Raging Bull' (1980) -

For many this should be number one on the list and for good reason. Starring Best Actor winner Robert DeNiro in his memorable performance as the legendary Jake LaMotta, 'Raging Bull' is another true, but tragic portrayal of the life of a boxer. A champion's life is not all glitz and glamour and DeNiro gives his usual star turn in showing us as much.

Also starring Cathy Moriarty and a couple of young soon to be well known fixtures in the film industry, especially in the mob movie genre, Joe Pesci and Frank Vincent, this could easily be number one on this list. How it lost to 'Ordinary People' in the Best Picture category is extraordinary.

1.) 'Rocky' (1976) -

Flip a coin and 'Raging Bull' along with 'Rocky' are at the top of any boxing movie list; so why do I go with 'Rocky' here? Well, I could argue that 'Rocky' won the Best Picture Oscar, where 'Bull' didn't. However, it's even simpler than that; this movie touches me in a way that the other doesn't. I don't know if it's the underdog theme or the Philadelphia background, but 'Rocky' still resonates with me personally whenever I see it.

This is the one that made Stallone a star and actually proved he can act. Burgess Meredith's turn as an old time trainer is the standard all other's will follow and the performances by Talia Shire and Burt Young are noteworthy. Let's face it, 'Raging Bull' is a classic, but 'Rocky' is a part of America's lexicon and for that, along with its great picture value, it is number one on my list.

If you love boxing the way I do, you owe it to yourself to see these movies. However, if you love movies, but don't necessarily love boxing, you still owe it to yourself to watch these movies.

UFC 168: 'Shattered' Dreams

Alas and unfortunately, the image seen at left will most likely be the last one we see of arguably the greatest fighter ever in the history of mixed martial arts inside the cage. The fighter is of course the great Anderson 'The Spider' Silva and sadly the image is of the seemingly invincible Silva clutching his broken left leg after Saturday night's rematch with UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman.

In a night where two of the most anticipated rematches in MMA history were to take place and the first four bouts on the main card delivered nothing but fireworks and electricity in the air, all that was put out in an instant with the flick of one swift kick; a kick Silva (33-6, 20 KO's 6 subs) probably has thrown a thousand times in his life of competition, but this one time it failed him at no fault of his own. A left round kick thrown with his shin, intended to catch the inside part of Weidman's plant leg, instead caught Weidman's bent knee right at the most exact point of its vulnerability.

The result, as you can imagine, is the same result you would get if you whacked a broom stick against a fire hydrant. Some may think that is an unfair analogy, but if you stop to think about it for a minute, the tibia or shin bone is no thicker or wider than a broom stick handle. By the same token the knee bone is one of the strongest in the human body and when bent is multiplied in strength. However, let's look at it from another perspective; the perspective of the kick itself.

As a Taekwondo practitioner for 13+ years and a black belt for the last seven, I feel I may know a little something about throwing kicks to the body. That said, taekwondo fighters are taught to use the ball of the foot as its preferred weapon, versus the shin bone. Thus, a taekwondo round kick, for explanation sake, is being thrown with the head of the hammer as its point of impact. A Muay Thai round kick, which is what most MMA fighters use and is what Silva used on Saturday night, is thrown with the handle of the hammer. Sure the handle of a hammer is strong, but given a choice, which would you rather hammer a nail with?

I am in no way trying to correct Anderson Silva's form or question his or any other MMA fighter's methods. However, for argument sake, this is not the first time we have witnessed this same scenario inside the octagon. Five years ago to the month, Corey Hill suffered the same exact injury in the same manner when he threw a Muay Thai round kick to Dale Hartt's leg. At the time, and for good reason, it was considered a freak accident. However, when it happens again, this time to the greatest fighter to ever grace the cage, one has to wonder is this just a freak accident or an accident waiting to happen?

All that said, Weidman (11-0, 5 KO's 3 subs) retains his title and Silva, sadly appears to have ended an illustrious career on the most down of notes. Yet, isn't it pretty much the way it always ends for the truly great ones; as they hardly ever go out on top. The only other fighter in MMA history who can actually be in the argument for greatest of all-time, Fedor Emelianenko, though he ended his career with a couple of wins, had already been brought down to human reality with three straight losses before that. Nonetheless, this should never take away from their greatness.

Besides the actual injury to Silva, the saddest part about the whole thing is it took away the shine from the best fight of the night, which was the rematch between UFC Women's bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey (8-0, 8 subs) and Meisha Tate (13-5, 3 KO's 6 subs). These ladies were not only the stars of the night for the UFC, but the stars of the year for the company. They reinvigorated a previously stale 'Ultimate Fighter' reality series and carried that momentum and disdain for one another into the octagon.

After two and a half rough and tumble rounds, where Rousey literally threw Tate around like a rag doll at times, it was the 'Rowdy' champion who went on to win with her signature arm bar submission. All respects due to Tate though as she did all she could to avoid the eventual outcome and at times had her own moments throughout. However, I and many others will forever question her continued willingness to attempt to clinch and take down the former Olympic Judo Bronze medalist. I'm sure she herself has to be asking, "What was I thinking?"

Regardless, it was an exciting fight to the finish, one that had the entire MGM Grand Arena resounding along with everyone else who watched. As was the entire card as a whole, which included three first round KO finishes before these two main event fights. On a positive note, the UFC ended the year with a blast and a shocking finish that was actually the lead story on ESPN Sportscenter afterwards. Yet, on the other side of the spectrum, for Anderson Silva and Meisha Tate, UFC 168 will most likely be remembered as a night of shattered dreams.

Finally, sweet justice for many reasons

Just when you think there isn't any justice in boxing, Marcos Maidana comes along and disproves that theory. The hard hitting Argentinean (35-3, 31 KO's) put on a beautiful display of boxing and power punching as he defeated the previously undefeated brash talking Adrien Broner (27-1, 22 KO's) for the WBA welterweight championship. Maidana (pictured at left respectively against Broner), who has been the victim of a couple of previous injustices within the ring actually pulled off this feat in the State of Texas; the Mecca for robberies and outlandish decisions in the world of boxing.

Broner, who is a fast punching boxer with a Floyd Mayweather, Jr. type defensive stance, looked nothing like Floyd as Maidana had his number from the opening bell. It wasn't a shutout by any means as Broner had some moments in the middle rounds when it looked as the ghost of Maidana's past, his gas tank, was going on empty, but a few unexpected circumstances kept stalling any momentum Broner attempted to build. The biggest problem for 'The Problem' however, was Maidana's powerful left hook to both the body and head which Broner had no answer for.

Let's not get it twisted though; Maidana put on a boxing clinic against the supposed superior boxer, by pressuring the mentally weak Broner and throwing punches in bunches from all angles including overhand rights and vicious uppercuts. The reason I refer to Broner as mentally weak is you could see it in his face and more importantly his corner as he was put in a situation he's never been in before; coming back from being knocked down from legitimate power punches on more than one occasion. Maidana nearly knocked the previously untouchable Broner through the ropes as early as the second round.

Able to survive the round, when Broner got back to his corner it was nothing but chaos, as he had no concern for what his trainer had to say. He in essence pretty much talked back in distain for what his corner had to say, which includes his own father as his assistant trainer. This is where I say Broner is mentally weak at 24 years old. He has basically been coddled as a boxing prodigy since the age of nine, always hearing nothing but praise by those close to him. This includes his entourage who was fairly large during his in-ring entrance, but was nowhere to be found as he shown exiting the arena only flanked by security.

Was that by design, or did Broner just push everyone away like a spoiled child when he doesn't get what he wants? Things that make you go hmmmmm? Everything is honky dory when you're winning; it's easy to have people brush you hair for you in the ring and stroke your ego when you're on top. However as soon as you lose and that mystique goes out the window, reality sets in. Broner got a dose of reality last night as he may idolize Floyd Mayweather, Jr, but he's no Floyd Mayweather, Jr.

Maidana on the other hand, as great as he looked, wasn't a lock to earn a decision at the end. First off Maidana, whose only three losses were all questionable decisions, two in previous world title fights, is the poster boy for bad outcomes. Second, the fight was in San Antonio, Texas. The Texas boxing commission for years has been under serious and justified scrutiny for horrendous decisions; Native son Juan Diaz over Paulie Malignaggi on HBO comes to mind right away. Finally though, it was Maidana himself who almost threw it all away by getting a point taken in round 8.

After knocking Broner down a second time in the fight and having him in serious trouble again, 'El Chino' made a serious error in judgment. As Broner clinched to stop the onslaught, Maidana threw an obvious head butt to Broner's chin; right in front of the referee no less. Broner, who was hurt at the time and in desperate need of a break, fell to the ground in a poor acting performance and milked it for all it was worth.

You would have thought he was hit in the jaw with a hammer the way he reacted as it was an obvious delayed reaction. Regardless, he used it to get his legs back under him; but what he failed to realize is that it also afforded Maidana a much needed rest who was clearly slowing down in the middle rounds. Funny how things work in the end; karma is a bitch!

At the end, Maidana won a well earned unanimous decision en route to winning back the WBA world title he had lost previously to Devon Alexander. Only time will tell if Broner will grow from this experience; if he will humble and dedicate himself to being a professional fighter instead of a showman. The fact that Broner was humbled, along with Maidana coming out on the positive end of a decision for once, in Texas of all places, just shows that finally, sweet justice for many reasons.

Ingredients for an instant classic

We as fans of combat sports are luckier than ever in the generation we're currently living in. Just about every weekend it seems we are treated to some form of combat, whether it is mixed martial arts or boxing and many times both. On top of that, many of these fights, especially a/o late, have been offered to us for free on television. Just last night for example you had the World Series of Fighting showing four fights on NBC Sports network and HBO serving up three fights of a boxing card on their channel.

Yet, with all these fights going on, only a few turn out to be truly entertaining. Then, every so often, one stands out above the rest and is immediately considered an all-timer or one for the ages. That happened this past Friday night when Mark Hunt 'The Super Samoan' and Antonio 'Big Foot' Silva (Pictured above respectively) stepped in the cage in Australia and unleashed on one another. After five rounds of a furious back and forth main event, the fans in the arena and even the broadcast team of Jon Anik and Kenny Florian were deafening in their enthusiasm.

I myself was at home on the edge of my recliner glued to the action as I listened to Kenny Florian rave about how this was one of the greatest fights in UFC history. Considering all the fights that have taken place inside the octagon over 20 years, that is rarified air. It made begin to compare it to other great fights I've seen over the years, including this year, and I immediately began to ask myself, "What are the ingredients for an instant classic?"

I've often talked about how the word 'great' is tossed around way too loosely in its usage. However, sometimes it is quite just in its use and this fight was one of them; but why was that? Here's my recipe for a fight to end up being part of that exclusive club of all-time classics.

Ingredients:

Matchmaking - The pairing of two fighters doesn't necessarily mean instant action, a lot goes into it; but at least the pairing of two opponents that are pretty much on a level playing field will at least offer the solace that one opponent won't necessarily run through the other. UFC matchmaker Joe Silva is universally regarded as one of the best in the business for this and many other reasons.

Style - There's a phrase in boxing that says, "Styles make fights." Nowhere is that more prevalent than in MMA where so many different styles come into play. It is important to know how two fighters will mesh with each other to not only provide action, but to bring the best out in one another. Unfortunately, things don't always work out and even the best made plans don't live up to the hype; example, Demian Maia vs. Jake Shields a couple of months ago. Two jiu-jitsu aces going at it, I for one was salivating at seeing the action on the ground. What happened is their skills neutralized each other so much, we ended up having a relative snooze fest.

Home field - When one of the fighters is literally fighting on his home turf, it makes for an interesting dynamic; especially when it is a foreign country involved. Hunt, who is from nearby New Zealand, is recognized as a living legend in Australia. Thus, the Aussies were going crazy with every punch he threw. Another reason this ingredient is important is because it can be an equalizer for an underdog going into a fight, which Hunt was on Friday.

Heart - It is hard to imagine that anyone who steps into a cage or a ring doesn't have any heart; that is not in question. However, it is safe to say that some fighters just have more heart than others. That shouldn't be so hard to understand, especially once you remember that with people in general, some just have bigger hearts than others emotionally. When you get two fighters who have huge hearts, the sky's the limit. Anyone who saw Hunt and Silva barely standing at the end, totally spent, with nothing left to give, yet trying, will not question their heart.

Will - Finally, all the above ingredients, including heart, are for naught if the will to lay it on the line and give it all you got isn't there. The determination to not be stopped regardless of the punishment and to push forward even when your body says no, but your mind says yes. That is a rare quality that is difficult to understand unless you've ever been pushed to the limits both physically and mentally. When that happens, it is something special to behold.

It is fair to say that Friday nights fight between Mark Hunt and Antonio Silva had all these ingredients. Thus, as you can imagine, the fight was an instant classic. Just like the best tasting cake or dish you've ever had, this fight compares favorably to Liddell/Silva, Couture/Nogueira, Shogun/Henderson, Chandler/Alvarez I and any others that are in that special club of excellence. In the words of Big Daddy Kane, "'Nuff respect due."

Bellator celebrates Thanksgiving in the Christmas City

With less than one week to Thanksgiving, the toughest tournament in sports celebrated the holiday in the Christmas City as Bellator MMA came to the Sands Event Center in Bethlehem, PA. With a 10 bout card that included the middleweight championship of the world, electricity was in the air and fists were flying as the Lehigh Valley came out strong and represented with a sold out arena.

As stated, the 185 lbs. title was up for grabs as champion Alexander 'Storm' Shlemenko (48-7, 29 KO's 7 subs) was defending his title against this season's middleweight tournament winner Doug 'Rhino' Marshall (18-7, 12 KO's 4 subs). It was expected that this one wouldn't last long and it held true to form as it ended within the first five minutes.

A spirited Marshall, the former World Extreme Cagefighting titleholder, took it right to Shlemenko and the champ was all too willing to oblige. As the two traded shots back and forth, Shlemenko secured two takedowns; however, Marshall was able to get back to his feet with relative ease. Rhino expected to get the better of the two standing, however to his surprise a Shlemenko liver shot wobbled the challenger.

Though Marshall fought back valiantly and appeared to briefly recover, it was the beginning of the end. A left hook from the champion to the challenger's mid-section appeared to pick up where the liver shot left off as it dropped Marshall immediately. The pain etched across his face, was enough to tell the referee that was it. The time was 4:28 of the first round.

The co-main event was the final of this season's welterweight (170 lbs.) tournament and it featured Ron Keslar (11-4, 1 KO, 5 subs) taking on former tournament finalist, title challenger and Olympian Rick Hawn (18-2, 11 KO's). In a high energy battle that was anybody's fight going into the third, Hawn finally cemented the tournament victory by finishing Keslar with a brutal right hand to the jaw.

Early on you would have never expected it to finish that way, or even get to that point, as Keslar started fast and furious, taking the fight to Hawn and knocking him to the ground within the first minute with a knee strike to the mid-section. However, he appeared to have punched himself out as Hawn rebounded in the second round with crisp combinations, which were connecting as Keslar was clearly tiring.

In the third, it was more of the same only this time Hawn finished what he started by landing at will until the finishing blow that caused referee Dan Miragliotta to step in and wave his hands. I asked Keslar at the post-fight press conference if he had expended himself trying to finish it in the first. He told me, "No; the truth is I didn't listen to my corner and execute our game plan going into that last round. In the end, he was just too fast for me tonight." Up next for Hawn is Douglas Lima as they will battle it out for the vacant welterweight title.

The featured bout on the main card was the season's lightweight (155 lbs.) tourney final between American Top Team's 'Ill' Will Brooks (13-1, 4 KO's 4 subs) and Shlemenko protégé Tiger Sarnavsky (25-2, 6 KO's 15 subs). In what was expected to be a competitive match up between two of Bellator's rising stars, was pretty much a one-sided affair as Brooks surprisingly dominated Sarnavasky from the opening bell. Using a nice combination of stand-up strikes to set up his takedowns, Brooks tamed the Tiger over three rounds controlling him with an effective ground and pound attack.

In his post fight interview inside the cage, Brooks said, "Michael Chandler and Eddie Alvarez can keep beating each other up if they want to, they're just holding onto my belt." I asked Bjorn Rebney in the post fight presser, what happens if he does the Chandler/Alvarez rematch; where does that leave Brooks and is Dave Jansen, last season's tournament winner who is on the mend from an ACL tear, still in the mix?

Bjorn's response was, "Chandler/Alvarez 3 is definitely the next lightweight championship; that one is a no-brainer. I spoke with Jansen last week and he's far from ready; he hasn't even gotten into the rehab phase yet. Thus, most likely, Brooks will get the winner of Chandler and Alvarez." Brooks meanwhile made life easy for Rebney by grabbing the microphone and saying, "I'll fight Jansen; I said it before, I don't care how I get to that belt, I'll do whatever I have to."

Getting things started on Spike TV was a lightweight tilt between Patrick Cenoble (9-3-1, 8 KO's) and UFC veteran Terry Etim (16-5, 2 KO's 12 subs). Etim, making his debut inside the Bellator cage, showed there was an obvious difference in class of opposition faced as he manhandled Cenoble on the ground throughout. Other than the start of each round, and a few seconds here and there in between, the fight was pretty much contested on the mat with Etim controlling his opponent throughout; he ended up winning a lackluster unanimous decision much to the dismay of the sellout crowd.

One of the featured fighters on the preliminary card was highly touted prospect Bubba Jenkins (5-1, 2 KO's 3 subs) who took on veteran Ian Rammel (5-6, 1 KO, 2 subs). A former All-American wrestler, Jenkins used his superior grappling to take down and control Rammel every round, until the third where he finally unleashed some ground and pound, which ended in a TKO finish. Jenkins obviously has potential, but is clearly a work in progress.

Highlight of the undercard was provided by Brazil's highly touted Goiti Yamauchi (16-1, 1 KO, 13 subs) as it took him all of (2:04) to knockout Saul Almeida (13-5, 3 subs) The fight was supposed to be contested in the featherweight (145 lbs.) class, but was moved to a catchweight of (153 lbs.) after Yamauchi came in seven pounds overweight. As they stood toe to toe in the center of the cage trading blows, it was obvious that extra seven pounds didn't hurt Yamauchi's cause.

In the post fight scrum, Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney said of The Sands and Bethlehem, "This was great; we have everything we need under one roof here. We had a sellout tonight and the crowd was electric. We'll definitely be back as soon as they can have us." For a writer who is based in Bethlehem, that's just fine by me.

Boxing is bustling in Bethlehem

On a night when the UFC was celebrating their 20 year anniversary and pound for pound contender Andre Ward was doing his thing in California, a busy night of boxing was being had in the new hotbed for boxing on the east coast, Bethlehem, PA. You did not read it wrong as this old steel town an hour north of Philadelphia and less than two hours from Atlantic City is slowly, but surely, becoming the place to be for fights. To put it mildly, boxing is bustling in Bethlehem.

The main event featured the man who is pretty much responsible for this explosion of fisticuffs in The Christmas City, welterweight contender and Bethlehem native Ronald Cruz (20-2, 15 KO's). Cruz (pictured above with trainer Lemuel 'Indio' Rodriguez), who lives less than a mile from The Sands Event Center where the fight took place, took on rugged Hector 'El Hurricane' Munoz (22-12, 14 KO's) from Albuquerque, New Mexico. Cruz came into the bout riding a two fight win streak, both via knockout, while Munoz was coming off a huge decision win over former contender Hector Camacho, Jr.

A notorious slow starter who likes to feel out his opponents, Cruz was content to let Munoz come at him aggressively early while he felt his power and slowly began working his game. After two rounds he had felt enough as he caught Munoz with a beautiful over hand right in the third that dropped him where he stood. To Munoz's credit he got up, but with over two minutes left in the round, he left Cruz with too much time to attack. After a couple more power shots, a brutal left hook to the body knocked Munoz down again.

I thought for sure that one had finished him, but somehow he beat the count of 10 and although he was clearly wobbled, referee Steve Smoger let it go on. All Cruz needed was one more clear shot to the head to drop Munoz a third time and force Smoger to finally call a halt. The time was (1:43) of the third round.

In his dressing room afterwards, a jubilant Team Cruz was happy as they discussed with me what their impressions were. I said to Cruz that from press row he looked to be more relaxed than usual in there. His manager Jimmy Deoria told me, "Composed, that's what he was; more composed than ever." Ronald Cruz then said, "I truly believe the experience of 22 fights is now starting to kick in. I could feel it as I was in there."

On the undercard, a battle straight off the Garden State Parkway that took the wrong exit as Camden, New Jersey's Jason Sosa (11-1-3, 7 KO's) took on fellow New Jerseyian Bryne Green (7-8-1, 3 KO's) of Vineland in a six round lightweight tilt. After a few workmanlike rounds, Sosa, who I've seen in the past finish opponents with body shots, did it again as he dropped Green with a left to the ribs that had him down for the full count of 10 and then some; the official time was (2:34) of the fourth round. Though he's from Jersey, Sosa is becoming a fan favorite here in Bethlehem with the large Puerto Rican community.

Cruz's stablemate, junior welterweight Jerome Rodriguez (6-0-2, 2 KO's) of Allentown PA is quickly making his own mark as a fighter to watch out for in the Lehigh Valley. Rodriguez, a slick southpaw with fast hands, used that speed and agility to effectively box with a tough Darnell Jiles (9-3-1, 3 KO's) from Rochester, NY over six rounds. Staying on the outside and using the entire ring to pick his shots, Rodriguez threw punches in bunches with pinpoint accuracy, much to the delight of the hometown crowd. However, Jiles had his moments as well in between and in the end all three judges had it with identical scores of 57-57 for a draw.

After the fight I spoke with Rodriguez who acknowledged it was a close one, but felt he had clearly won a decision. In a display of pure class though, before the decision was read Rodriguez had his four year old daughter hand Jiles a gift bag as a gesture of true sportsmanship. In an equal display of class, Jiles then proceeded to hug the young girl and hoisted her on his shoulder as he walked her around the ring.

Knockout of the night goes to another local favorite, welterweight Arturo 'Tully' Trujillo of Easton, PA, as he upped his record to (4-0, 2 KO's)in quick fashion. It took him all of (1:48) to finish Pablo Sanchez (1-1, 1 KO) of Indianapolis, Indiana. Trujillo caught Sanchez with a straight left that dropped him dead in his tracks and although Sanchez was able to get back to his feet, it was the beginning of the end. Trujillo jumped on his hurt opponent with a barrage of punches that inevitably caused Sanchez to fall again, prompting the referee to wave his hands and stop the fight.

The opening bout featured yet another teammate of Cruz's making his pro debut, Ismael 'Speedy' Serrano also from Bethlehem. In an entertaining four round junior welterweight bout, Serrano battled it out with 19 year old Jean Hernandez from The Bronx, NY, also making his pro debut. While both fighters had their moments throughout, exhibiting good boxing skills, in the end the maturity of the 26 year old Serrano proved too much for the youthful Hernandez as he won a well earned unanimous decision.

Hall of Fame promoter Russell Peltz of Peltz Promotions in Philadelphia appears to have found a niche and created a nice buzz here in The Christmas City. With frequent entertaining cards at The Sands Casino that feature a mixture of up and coming local talent, sprinkled with top notch contenders, it's safe to say boxing is bustling in Bethlehem.