ESPN Radio talks about Ken Shamrock failing CSAC drug test
By Zach Arnold | March 14, 2009
Jay Harris, Sportscenter anchor, discussed the story in this radio segment.
“The world’s most fraudulent man,” quipped Harris. The radio segment ran on the AM news cycle during various ESPN Radio shows yesterday (Friday).
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Man charged with three criminal counts in death of Tapout’s co-founder
By Zach Arnold | March 14, 2009
The LA Times reports that 51-year old Jeffrey Kirby has been charged by local authorities on three criminal counts in relation to the death of Charles “Mask” Lewis (Tapout co-founder): Felony vehicular manslaughter, drunk driving, and fleeing from he scene of the crash. The Times article further details the conditions for Kirby’s bail (set at $500,000 USD) and concerns by the defense attorney that there will be retributions by MMA fans against his client. Mugshots of the defendant are widely available online already. Here is a CBS 2 Los Angeles report on Friday’s court hearing.
According to the Times:
Kirby was speeding in his 1977 Porsche early Wednesday morning on Jamboree Road in Newport Beach when he lost control and crashed into Lewis’ 2004 Ferrari, which caused the sports car to veer into the light pole, authorities said.
The Orange County Register reports that the woman in Mask’s car who was injured in the accident was dating him and had worked for Tapout. The Register also reports this item regarding whether or not street racing took place:
Prosecutors could also later add a street-racing enhancement to the charges if the investigation reveals that the two drivers were dueling as they sped northbound on Jamboree Road near Bison Avenue.
Baez said that skid marks at the scene and other evidence indicate that both drivers were traveling at high speeds when the initial contact took place.
“It appears that Mr. Kirby lost control of his Porsche and collided into the Ferrari, causing Mr. Lewis to also lose control and crash into the pole,” Baez said. “If the first contact hadn’t happened, the Ferrari would not have lost control.”
Josh Gross of Sports Illustrated has an article detailing Mask’s involvement in the MMA scene (along with comments from various fighters).
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Strikeforce plans for April & May
By Zach Arnold | March 12, 2009
- Frank Shamrock vs. Nick Diaz on 4/11 in San Jose at the HP Pavilion (San Jose Arena) at a catchweight of 179 pounds, semi-main of Gilbert Melendez vs. Josh Thomson at 155 pounds, plus discussion of Phil Baroni vs. Joe Riggs
- Robbie Lawler vs. Jake Shields in May at 185 pounds (Shields is moving up a weight class from 170 pounds), venue TBD (to be determined)
You can always count on Nick Diaz to make a wacky challenge, as he did to fight Frank Shamrock’s son who is in college. Here are some quotes from today’s presser in Southern California.
UFC will answer the Strikeforce 4/11 San Jose show by airing the UFC January 31st event (Georges St. Pierre vs. BJ Penn) on Spike TV.
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Need to add RSS feeds to sidebar
By Zach Arnold | March 12, 2009
Give me some direct RSS links for suggestions to add MMA-related news content. I can make the adds within 15 minutes. Help me help you out.
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Tapout founder’s death has the MMA world stunned
By Zach Arnold | March 12, 2009
Update (3/13): The LA Times reports that police and the district DA may not press charges against the other driver in the incident. The Orange County Register has a very detailed article about the reaction from Tapout employees to Mask’s death and comments from other MMA shirt makers who competed with Tapout for market share.
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On a day that saw Ken Shamrock failing a CSAC drug test, BJ Penn filing a formal complaint with the Nevada State Athletic Commission, and UFC preparing to announce Evans vs. Machida for UFC 98, one story has captured the attention of everyone inside the MMA industry — the death of Tapout founder Charles “Mask” Lewis in Southern California on Wednesday in a car crash involving his Ferrari.
Tapout release a statement on Mask’s death. Fox News has an AP photo of the Ferrari cut in two. The Orange County Register also had a photo from the scene of the accident. More details on the crash scene can be found here.
As one of the biggest sponsors of fighters in MMA, the importance of Tapout and the men who founded the company certainly is not lost on anyone in the industry. UFC printed a Tapout press release on Mask’s death. The Press-Enterprise in Southern California has an article on the impact of his death and just how big Tapout is as a local company in Grand Terrace (where they are located).
The LA Times addresses speculation as to whether or not street racing was the cause for the accident. The other driver in the accident reportedly tried to flee the scene. The OC Register reports that the person arrested in the case has a prior DUI conviction.
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California State Athletic Commission suspends Ken Shamrock for failing steroids test
By Zach Arnold | March 11, 2009
The drugs he is accused of taking: Norandrosterone, Noretiocholanolone, and Stanozolol. This failed steroids test came after Shamrock faced 370-pound Ross Clifton in Fresno, California last February.
Undoubtedly, the scheduled March 21st fight against Bobby Lashley is up in the air. This fight was going to be a big opportunity for Lashley to possibly get a win against a major name.
Luke Thomas comments:
What is abundantly clear is that what’s happening in Shamrock’s career is no longer punchline worthy. Aside from the farrago of humiliating moments that’s half-lifed whatever polish his name has had, we now have what appears to be evidence that at an age where fighter safety concerns are at their peak Shamrock was potentially jeopardizing his health and breaking the law. The steroid issue is blown grossly out of proportion, but something also tells me if Shamrock is using he is likely doing so without any responsible risk management. What reason can you have for confidence?
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One nightmarish TV rating for DREAM 7
By Zach Arnold | March 11, 2009
Update (3/11): DREAM defenders come out. If New Japan consistently drew a 2.5 for their 2 AM slot, they might not survive at this point in 2009. There was a reason they wanted Keiji Mutoh as their champion — because he brought their TV ratings back to pre-Japanese MMA boom levels (1997-1998ish numbers in the 4’s).
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There was little or no PR buzz in Japan for DREAM 7, and rightly so. The reported attendance of over 19,000 is… interesting. At least K-1 will throw out a number, legitimate or not, whereas Sengoku never has ever mentioned an attendance figure for one of their Saitama Super Arena events.
Usually, when a fight promotion draws a low TV rating, the Japanese media ignores it and won’t report it. However, when it’s as low as this, even Sports Navigator (Yahoo Japan) can’t keep their eyes closed.
Network: TBS (Tokyo Broadcasting System)
Rating: 2.4% overall average, 4.0% peak rating for Shin’ya Aoki vs. David Gardner
Air time: Tape-delayed (aired Midnight same night of show, on 3/8)
Who knew that when the MMA boom went kaput in Japan that MMA programming would draw lower ratings than New Japan on TV-Asahi? There’s a certain karmic justice in all of this if you know how the history of the Japanese fight scene has played out over the last 10-12 years, given that it was pro-wrestling’s star power that carried the major Japanese shows. Once the pro-wrestling star factory dried up and got damaged by MMA, it soon became a self-fulfilling prophecy.
The mainstream fight scene is now down to one major operation in each sector – New Japan on TV-Asahi (pro-wrestling) and K-1 on TBS/Fuji TV (kickboxing). That’s it. NOAH’s done on Nippon TV.
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Quick hits for March 11th (grab bag)
By Zach Arnold | March 11, 2009
- MMA Junkie: Dale Hartt and Denis Siver to fight at UFC 99 in Germany
- The Shreveport Times (Louisiana): Benton’s Christian Fulgium lands on next season of The Ultimate Fighter
- The Canadian Press: Matt Hughes can’t put his hands on people any more
- MMA Memories: Will the WEC succeed on PPV?
- Sherdog: Ian Freeman avoids jail time for tax evasion
- WSAZ-TV: Barbie Ban delegate proposes MMA legislation for West Virginia
- Contact Music: Nick Nolte to play MMA expert in new ‘Wrestler’ movie
- Kung Fu Cinema: Nick Nolte and Tom Hardy to star in MMA drama
- Total MMA: Bellator fighting championships: You were warned
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It’s come to this: Penn camp files formal complaint with the NSAC over GSP & vaseline
By Zach Arnold | March 11, 2009
Read the MMA Weekly report here.
Previously related posts:
Archive of posts on this situation
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Max Kellerman gone from ESPN 1050 — is he headed to WFAN?
By Zach Arnold | March 10, 2009
Max Kellerman, who sometimes worked with Brian Kenny on ESPN 1050 Radio in New York, is gone from the station. Sadly, the rumors were true that ESPN Radio was going to cut some of Kellerman’s radio show in favor of airing Colin Cowherd.
The hot talk in New York media circles is that he is heading to WFAN to possibly team up with Mike Francesa. Channeling the spirit of Imus (don’t ask me to ever do that again)… Fatso and Fruit Loops v2.0?
Addendum: I wrote this post because Kellerman works with HBO on their boxing coverage and not only talks about boxing but also MMA on his show. If he gets a slot next to Francesa on WFAN, there will be coverage of the fight game on New York’s powerhouse sports radio station.
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UFC media notebook (March 10th)
By Zach Arnold | March 10, 2009
Rashad Evans thinks he’s facing Machida on May 23rd in Las Vegas. I like the fight and it makes the most sense, as Rampage can face Evans no matter what happens on 5/23.
Quote of the Day
From The Columbus Dispatch newspaper in Ohio:
A friend who attended his first Ultimate Fighting Championship event Saturday night in Nationwide Arena wasn’t impressed with the brawling (“90 percent of it is boxing, and they’re bad boxers”) and said it will never go mainstream unless they clean it up. That works for me. I’m not sure we want head kicks in the mainstream. It moves us that much closer to Rollerball.
Reading Material
- Jonathan Snowden: UFC’s false advertising of Mir-Lesnar II
- Setanta Sports: The Rampage Jackson epic continues
- The London Telegraph: Jacob “Stitch” Duran is the ‘father’ of UFC cutmen
- The Sudsbury Star (Ontario, Canada): Referee Yves Lavigne admits to making mistake during Pete Sell fight
- MMA Weekly: Respect to Rampage, Keith Jardine upset with loss at UFC 96
- MMA Analyst (Leland Roling): Referees under fire once again in the aftermath of UFC 96
- MMA HQ: UFC 96 fighter payouts
- Total MMA: UFC 96 and ‘weak cards’ in MMA
- Fightlinker: Should Rampage fight at UFC 98 on May 23rd?
Coverage of the next season of The Ultimate Fighter, starting April 1st
- Spike TV PR: Michael Bisping and Dan Henderson ready to launch US vs. UK battle
- MMA Junkie: TUF 9 full case revealed – meet the season’s 32 fighters
- The Salt Lake Tribune: Meet DaMarques Johnson
- The London Telegraph: Meet Bisping’s Brit boys for TUF 9
- Kevin Iole: TUF 9 casts pit U.S. vs. U.K. fighters
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Quote of the Day: Canadian writer on vaseline in MMA
By Zach Arnold | March 9, 2009
It’s fun watching the UFC types get all squirmy about Georges St-Pierre getting nailed for cheating by greasing up his body with Vaseline. And this is the guy that Sportsnet viewers picked as Canada’s athlete of the year? How I long for the days of real wrestling, when Mean Gene Okerlund would scream about somebody “pulling a foreign object out of their shorts.” Prediction: as the economy goes in the crapper, mixed martial arts joins the scrap heap of sports.
He must be reading all those Bleacher Report articles that are invading Google News, CBS Sports, and Fox Sports RSS feeds.
Topics: Canada, Media, MMA, UFC, Zach Arnold | 8 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
PR: Robert Drysdale hosts all-star BJJ camp in Las Vegas
By Zach Arnold | March 9, 2009
Press Release
Special Guests Include UFC Fighters: Joe Stevenson, Kevin Randleman, Phil Baroni, Martin Kapman and Frank Mir.
Ultimate Fighter Assistant Coach Robert Drysdale announces the first annual Drysdale Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu All-Star Camp to take place March 16th- March 26th at the Robert Drysdale Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Academy in Las Vegas, Nevada. The camp will be open to the public and consists of ten days of intense BJJ training aimed at sharpening the skills of BJJ and MMA competitors.
The camp will feature some of the best Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) instructors in the world including: Rodrigo “Comprido” Medeiros, Andre Galvao, Bruno Frazzato, Abmar Barbosa, Cameron Diffley, Ramon Lemos, Rafael and Guilherme Mendes, Gilbert Durinho, Sonny Nohara and Michelle Nicolini. In addition to world class instructors, the camp will also feature UFC Fighters: Joe Stevenson, Martin Kapman, Kevin Randleman, Phil Baroni and Frank Mir participating in the camp.
Robert Drysdale is a Black Belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, the 2007 ADCC Submission Grappling World Champion in the Absolute division, Six time World Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Champion, Assistant Coach on the hit TV series “The Ultimate Fighter: Team Nogueira vs. Team Mir”, and a Mixed Martial Arts Fighter currently training at the Xtreme Couture gym in Las Vegas.
WHERE: Robert Drysdale Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Academy, 1234 S. Rainbow Blvd., Las Vegas, NV 89146
WHEN: March 16th – March 26th 2009.
Special Guests Expected in Attendance: UFC Fighters: Joe Stevenson, Martin Kapman, Kevin Randleman, Phil Baroni and Frank Mir.
For information on how to sign up for the camp visit http://www.robertdrysdale.net, e-mail [email protected], or call 877-BJJ-MMA-1.
For media inquiries including interviews, photo passes, seminars, etc. please contact Sal Carrillo at [email protected].
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