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Iowa newspaper calls for MMA ban (again)

By Zach Arnold | August 3, 2007

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By Zach Arnold

On Friday, the Mason City Globe Gazette newspaper published an editorial today repeating their stance on MMA — which is to ban it. They published a similar editorial last April. Since the time the newspaper published that first editorial, MMA has been (or will soon be) regulated in Michigan, Oregon, and North Carolina.

Unfortunately, the newspaper this time has an apparent incident to hang its hat on. A low-level MMA show at a bar last weekend featured a fighter getting hurt and taken out in an ambulance. This kind of story should sound familiar. BTW, has anyone heard anything at all about the fighter in question (Larry Shorman) or the promoters involved in backing that particular show? Someone actually took photos of the Oklahoma show (albums here and here). I have a feeling the photos may not stay online for long, so save them if need be.

There were attempts earlier this year to deregulate MMA in the state of Iowa.

Instead of calling for stronger pro-MMA regulation, the paper irresponsibly takes the extreme side of the argument and calls for MMA to be banned. The newspaper claims that “some say [MMA] is so dangerous that it cannot be regulated.” Which is why many of the major MMA events happen in Nevada, California, and New Jersey, three states with top regulatory standards.

If you’re interested in contacting the newspaper, here’s the contact information you need:

Switchboard – 1-800-421-0546
FAX – 641-421-0516 or 641-421-7456
Editor – Joe Buttweiler ([email protected]), 641-421-0542
Opinion – Tom Thoma ([email protected]), 641-421-0566

If you call, FAX, or e-mail any of these individuals, please post your responses and their responses here in the comments section.

Topics: Media, MMA, Zach Arnold | 6 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |

6 Responses to “Iowa newspaper calls for MMA ban (again)”

  1. Stevie J says:

    *sigh* Stories like these make me regret being born there. I don’t understand what banning accomplishes other than driving the sport underground and making it MORE dangerous, rather than at least testing the fighters for drugs and their physical condition and making sure promoters have a safe and clean working environment. Someone should invite Iowa to join the rest of the world in the year 2007.

  2. Richard Rowe says:

    The event in Oklahoma City in question that I took photos of was regulated by The Oklahoma Boxing Commission. They also had Lovelace medical on staff for this event. The fighter that got knocked out had excellent treatment, and was fine.

    By the way, thanks for posting my links.

    Richard Rowe
    TaosActionPhotos.Com

  3. FOR THOSE WANTING TO KNOW ABOUT LARRY SHORMAN – HERE IS HIS INTERVIEW TONIGHT WITH PATTI LOCKLEAR, ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER OF THE MIDCITY ADVOCATE AND CO-PUBLISHER OF THE FIGHTERS VOICE:

    “After the fight, at the hospital all they did was they took xrays of my shoulder because it was hurting a little then they did a cat scan of my head – it was fine – I didn’t have anything wrong with me at all. They put a little glue on my eye and sent me home – everything was fine,” said Shorman.

    “As far as everyone worrying about me when I got knocked out – that’s normal sometimes when you get knocked out hard – I’ve seen it a lot in fights – it’s nothing new, nothing uncommon – he’s just got a good shot …”

    “For those that want to speak for me – there shouldn’t be anybody that should be speaking for me, I’ll speak for myself … As far as people hating on MMA – get a life – stop worrying about other people and worry about yourself.”

    “I took that fight as an opportunity … And as for anybody that wants to call me a scrub, then I’ll humbly ablige you to step in the cage and compete against me and I won’t scrub – I’ll mop you up!”

    FOR THE FULL STORY ON THE LARRY SHORMAN VS JEREMIAH CONSTANT FIGHT, PLEASE SEE THE AUGUST EDITION OF THE FIGHTERS VOICE – http://WWW.MYSPACE.COM/THEFIGHTERSVOICE. FOR SUBSCRIPTIONS CALL 405-519-5763.

  4. This, unfortunately, is just another advocation of negativity from a person who knows absolutely nothing of the subject with which they are speaking on.

    First of all, said article states “A low-level MMA show at a bar last weekend featured a fighter getting hurt and taken out in an ambulance.” First of all, Warriors of the Cage is not a “low-level” MMA show. It is fully sanctioned by the Oklahoma Boxing Commission, and is run by professionals. It is made up of professional fighters, and I can tell you as a fighter for the organization, the event was as “professional” as they come. Second, the said show did not take place “at a bar”. It took place at the historic Farmer’s Market Convention center in the heart of Oklahoma City. Third, the said fighter was not “hurt.” He was merely knocked out (a regular occurence in all contact sports including boxing, kickboxing, mma, football, etc.) and was taken to the hospital by ambulence as a safety precaution. I actually witness Mr. Shorman, the afformentioned fighter, plead with the commission to let him leave on his own and that he was fine. However, due to the strict code of conduct in pertention to safety of the fighters in the state of Oklahoma, once again, he was taken to the hospital as a safety precaution.

    I was to fight on the Warriors of the Cage II card. My opponent, however, did not show up due to an injury. Because of this, I was able to witness first hand how the organization was run from a fan stand point as opposed to a fighter, but as watching it from the inside; from the weigh-ins, to the fighter’s rules meetings, to the warm ups, all the way up to the fights, the outcomes, and the payout procedures. This show was ran as professional, if not better, than any I’ve been to in the state of Oklahoma.

    The above being considered, Larry Shorman was a late replacement the week of the fight. He appeared to be about 6’4, and weighed in around 220-230 I’m assuming. His opponent, Jeremiah Constant, is about 6’1, and weighed in at 238 I believe. This was a very competitive matchup in that Shorman appeared to be a striker with long legs and a good reach, and Constant the ground fighter. Like is typical in any contact sport, a knockout occured during the fight. It was not worse than any other knockout I’ve ever seen in any sport. It was a knockout – welcome to the wonderful world of contact sports.

    When a boxer gets knocked out 4-5 times in a 12 minute round, yet is allowed 10 seconds to recover, only to be knocked out again, and then repeating the same pattern, nobody throws a fit and raises cane, nor calls for the removal of the sport. Yet, the same knockout occurs in a mixed martial arts event, in which the fighter is only knocked out ONCE, not allowed 10 seconds to recover and continue being knocked out throughout the fight, nay-sayers want to attempt to squash our great sport.

    Larry Shorman is a professional fighter. He signed a release, as well as a contractual intent stating that he realized the risks involved with the sport, and was willing to perform to the best of his ability despite those risks. That he did, and the fight just didn’t end in his favor. Straight from the mouth of Mr. Shorman as stated above, you see that he as a PROFESSIONAL realizes this is a sport with risks, just like any sport, and upon entering into the sport of MMA, we all knowingly as fighters accept those risks.

    People like Zach Arnold, the writer of this article, are one of the many who attempt to cripple our great sport of mixed martial arts. People like Mr. Arnold have no clue what level of training is required to compete in such a technical and complex sport. Fortunately for us, however, people like Mr. Arnold, despite his best efforts, will NEVER even put a small dent in our great sport. So type away sir – you only make the millions of supporters of MMA across the world snicker at your complete lack of knowledge for not ony the sport, but your credibility as a writer/reporter in that after reading my first paragraph, we can all see that Mr. Arnold does not even have his facts straight!

    – Justin McCorkle
    – Heavyweight Fighter

  5. Also about the Oklahoma City event – it was not in a bar – please get your information right before you post things of this nature on any site, all it does is make you look uninformed. If you have a problem with the matchmaker or the promter,feel free to message them on myspace at: http://www.myspace.com/warriorsofthecage or http://www.myspace.com/thefightersvoice or http://www.myspace.com/pattikathryn.

  6. Richard Rowe says:

    I have to agree that this whole fight was very badly matched. I have taken pictures of over 20 fights, and never have I seen such a gross attempt at entertainment. It was so one sided that at times I wonder why they just didn’t hire bums from down at the half way house to fight. I am posting this because I was just threatened by the MatchMaker of this fight with violence. I will leave up the pictures that show what a joke fights at The Farmers Market are. Most of these fighters are very talented, and this is not a stab at them. It was the matchMaker that was at fault at this fight. I have talked to a few people with the Boxing commission, and they also agreed. The medical staff on site, and the refree Gary Ritter were outstanding in their efforts to controll this freak show.

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