*Remembering RAW: The Debut of Chris Jericho

(photo courtesy of wwe.com)

As the shift in power in the Monday Night wrestling wars began to settle on the side of the WWE, Vince McMahon made a major signing that signified said shift to his competitor, and to the world. Chris Jericho was snatched up from WCW, and the wrestling world would never be the same.

Jericho made his name in WCW's cruiserweight division, but many felt that his abundant talents were being grossly underutilized. This was a condition typical of many wrestlers working for Ted Turner at the time; there was just too many guys on the roster to give everybody their fair shake (see Chris Benoit & Eddie Guerrerro).

In the WWE, Jericho would be catapulted directly into a feud with the promotion's all-time most popular character, The Rock, and would go on to also become one of the greatest WWE superstars in his own right.

On that historic night, Jerichoholics were treated to the culmination of a weeks long "countdown to the millennium", which happened abruptly in the middle of an always classic Rock promo. Jericho was met with a massive ovation, which continued even as he berated fans and the WWE itself. His promos were just that good.

Jericho claimed to be wrestling's "most charismatic showman", and that assertion was not speaking out of school; he went on to become one of the most influential wrestlers of the 2000's. He would later become the WWE's first-ever undisputed champion, defeating both The Rock, and Stone Cold Steve Austin in the same match to unify both World Championships, his first of a total six World Championship reigns. He's also held the WWE Intercontinental Championship a record nine times, and now sits second on this list of all-time Monday Night Raw appearances.

(photo courtesy of tpww.net)

At the time of Chris Jericho's jump to WWE, he was one of WCW's most recognizable faces, with his untouchable microphone skills, hilarious gimmicks (such as the classic Jericho Personal Security guard angle with "Ralphus"), and sharp, stiff, and creative in-ring skills to boot. Jericho's jump solidified the evident WWE victory of the Monday Night Wars, as they had not lost to WCW's Monday Nitro in months, and were progressively pulling away in the ratings.

As significant an event as his debut was to the world of wrestling, it was especially significant in my young adolescent eyes. At that time I was a massive wrestling fan, and an avid Jerichoholic. While I may not watch wrestling with the same wide-eyed enthusiasm as i once did, events like RAW's 1000th episode offer fans like me a chance to relive those classic an nostalgic moments that had such a resonating effect on my youth.

*Living in the Shadow of The Spider

(photo courtesy of mmahammer.net)

When Chael Sonnen lost his rematch to Anderson "The Spider" Silva at UFC 148, a statement was made. Not just in the context of a super-hyped main event, but it was a familiar story that has become a tragedy for so many middleweight fighters living in the Anderson Silva era. To compete in the UFC’s middleweight division is to compete for second place, and that is a stigma that grows more influential with every Silva victory.

One by one, world-class fighters have been handed their dreams back to them by the champ. Rich Franklin, Nate Marquardt, Demian Maia, Sonnen, and the legendary Vitor Belfort are among a laundry list of fighters who have all tried, and failed, to decipher the seemingly unstoppable Spider. Silva has even ventured up to light heavyweight and dominated former champs like Forrest Griffin, just for kicks. It’s created a desolate wasteland in the division, with a serious lack of legitimate contenders left. Many have simply jumped a weight class up or down to try their chances elsewhere (although with Jon Jones and GSP reigning at light heavy and welterweight respectively, their chances may not be much better there either).

(photo courtesy of fcfighter.com)

Chael Sonnen is a living representation of what it means to compete against a talent of Silva’s level. “The American Gangster” is easily the next best competitor at 185 lbs. He proved this by utterly dominating the champ in their first meeting, and even in round one of the rematch. Despite what were certainly his best efforts, Sonnen still couldn’t find a way to put the champ away, and that has to have a massive effect on him mentally. There are even rumblings that Sonnen may be done with the sport completely after this latest loss, and realistically, who can blame him?

At 35 years old, Sonnen, who is still widely considered the world number two, is likely another two or three fights away from earning third title shot. That’s about 18 to 24 months of training and competition just to get another crack at his arch-nemesis Silva. That’s an arduous grind for a guy his age, one that he already had some difficulty completing this time around. Sonnen barely made his way through Michael Bisping en route to his latest Silva rematch, and Bisping isn’t really considered a serious contender at the moment. Evidently the seeds of self-doubt have not just been planted in Sonnen’s mind, they’ve been cultivated, and after UFC 148, no one can blame him if that doubt is now in full bloom.

(photo courtesy of blog.betdsi.com)

It’s a culture similar to that of the PGA during Tiger Woods’ era of domination, or the NBA when the Jordan-led Bulls were reeling off multiple championships. There is just no answer to that level of brilliance. It may even be a self-fulfilling prophecy, because the more contenders Silva eats up, the less inclined anyone is going to be to think they’re going to be the one to solve him. Fighters, after all, are only human.

(photo courtesy of espncdn.com)

Just ask Rich Franklin, the man who looked so strong as title holder before the Spider came along. Franklin was knocked out twice against Silva, and has never made his way back to the title picture since. Now, at age 37, Franklin finds himself caught between two weight classes, and with little chance of ever holding UFC gold ever again. Fighting Silva sent him into MMA limbo, the same place Sonnen seems to find himself now.

(photo courtesy of herald-review.com)

The second UFC 148 came to a close with a flurry of Silva strikes, the speculation began over who would be next up to take a swing at the middleweight strap. The problem is, there isn’t really a logical answer. Are Mark Munoz, Chris Weidman, or even Strikeforce champ Luke Rockhold really legitimate contenders? None have shown the skill level of a Chael Sonnen, but there is literally no one else left.  

Rashad Evans, via Twitter, has expressed an interest in dropping down to middleweight to take on Silva. Now that would provide a tough and interesting matchup, but coming off a tough loss to Jon Jones, Evans can’t reasonably be expected to be given a title shot in his first fight at 185 lbs.

(photo courtesy of cagepotato.com)

This is life in the Anderson Silva era. The man has established a standard of utter domination that has reverberated through the sport on literally every level. His division has been completely cleaned out, contenders are rightfully afraid, and those he destroys come to question their place in the sport altogether. 

(photo courtesy of fotosnovas.org)

There will always be another fight, another matchup, and one day there will be another champ. Whether or not that champ will actually take the belt from Silva is another story altogether. One thing is for certain; there will never be another Anderson Silva. He is unequivocally the greatest UFC fighter of all-time, and it’s possible that the only opponent that may be able to beat him is time itself. 

*UFC147: Franklin vs. Silva Could be a Sleeper Hit

(photo courtesy of mmamania.com)

UFC 147 seems to have been preordained as a failure by some, with an injury-plagued card wreaking havoc on several of the intended matchups. It’s that lowered expectation that could see the thrown-together main event rematch of Wanderlei “The Axe Murderer” Silva and Rich “Ace” Franklin steal the show.

At first glance, it would seem that the stakes for either fighter couldn’t be much lower, as neither Silva nor Franklin find themselves in serious contention for a title shot in their respective divisions. Even if they were, the 190-pound catchweight format would not serve to advance them in those rankings. What makes this fight most intriguing is the setting. The intended main event of Silva vs. Vitor Belfort would have been a rematch of two hometown babyfaces, creating a potential love-in for local Brazilian fans. Franklin presents a bad guy for people to root against, especially since he edged out Silva in a hard fought decision after their first fight back in 2009. 

(photo courtesy of i4unews.com)

Rich Franklin has made a habit of taking fights on short notice, which could be dangerous for either fighter. On one hand, Franklin has not enjoyed the luxury of a full camp training for Silva. He had originally been preparing to fight Cung Le at UFC 148. On the other hand, Silva has also been preparing for a different fighter, and the short-term adjustment in training styles could easily see him get caught by surprise. 

One thing is for certain; never count Rich Franklin out. He may be coming off of a tough loss to Forest Griffin way back in February of 2011, but the former math teacher is a grizzled veteran, and always has a few tricks up his sleeve.

(photo courtesy of prommanow.com)

Silva is going to have the spirit of his entire home nation behind him, making him an even more dangerous fighter than he already is. He may not be getting the chance to avenge his 1998 loss to the Brazilian living legend Belfort, but he will still have that fire of redemption burning against Franklin. Silva fell victim to Franklin’s footwork and striking in their first matchup at UFC 99, but the long layoff for Franklin could have a negative effect on his timing. If “Ace” spends a round trying to get his rhythm back, Silva’s still-potent knockout power could very well find it’s way to Franklin’s suspect chin (four out of Franklin’s six career losses have come via KO or TKO).

(photo courtesy of mmamania.com)

What fans can be certain of is that this fight will be a war, as both men are more than happy to stand up and bang. However, if Silva does damage early, look for Franklin to shoot for a takedown; his 10 career submission wins would indicate that he's the more comfortable of the two on the ground. 

(photo courtesy of girlsandgaming.com)

The atmosphere in the building will be electric, and even though there’s no title or contendership on the line, both men certainly have a lot to prove. Franklin wants to prove that the first fight was not a fluke, Silva wants to prove that it was, and both want to show the MMA world that they’ve still got the goods to put on marketable fights beyond just their name value. 

*The Last Emperor’s Last Hurrah

(photo courtesy of fiveouncesofpain.com)

As was the storyline for most of his career, Fedor Emelianenko’s final matchup leaves fight fans with little more than another question of “what-if?” Squaring off in his final career fight versus UFC veteran Pedro Rizzo tomorrow night on a card for M-1 Global, many wonder what could have been for the once mighty Russian.

It’s no secret in the MMA world that Fedor missed the boat, failing to capitalize on his once-untouchable status as one of the pound-for-pound baddest men on the planet. He built his kingdom on the corpses of UFC throwaways, but never took the plunge into the world’s biggest fight promotion. Fedor’s management team has taken the bulk of the blame for the signing never materializing, with several negotiations with Zuffa falling apart over the years. 

(photo courtesy of steverattlemma.com)

The problem is, he held onto that formula for far too long, eventually seeing his amazing unbeaten streak ended by Fabricio Werdum, followed by two more consecutive losses to Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva and Dan Henderson, effectively putting an end to any and all mystique built around him.

So what can be gleaned from Fedor’s meteoric rise, and subsequent fall from grace? Well, if anything, his story serves as a cautionary tale for any young hotshot thinking that they are bigger than the sport. It’s an old cliché, but those who think of themselves in that light often see negative karmatic returns, as the business of sports inevitably balances it’s own moral ledgers sooner or later (see “Allen Iverson”). 

Seeing Emelianenko face off with Rizzo will be a bittersweet affair for hardcore MMA fans. While still enticing on a billboard, this fight would have the makings of an instant classic had it taken place several years ago, when both fighters were much closer to their primes. A match-up of that calibre could have, at that time, been a legitimate UFC main event, but fans will now endure a match-up of two men who are undeniably shells of their former selves.

(photo courtesy of mmaplayground.com)

During the post-PRIDE period, when Fedor was destroying lesser opponents like Tim Sylvia and Hong Man Choi, UFC fans could have been treated to fights that would have been far more intriguing, not just from a raw skill standpoint, but also in terms of sheer status. Fedor vs. Nogueira 2, Fedor vs. Randy Couture, Fedor vs. Brock Lesnar, all fights which would have had massive pay-per-view buy rates. Emelianenko could have cemented himself as a true legend of the sport by stepping onto that stage, but seemed more concerned with maintaining status quo than achieving ultimate status. His preoccupation with the preservation of his legacy will now be the defining trait that ultimately tarnishes it.

One more what-if for people to ponder: What if Emelianenko shows up in St. Petersburg and absolutely dominates Rizzo like the Fedor of old? Will the competitive bug in him seek out one more fight? And if not, is a dominant performance over a 38-year-old Rizzo enough for people to say that he left on top? As fighters like Bob Sapp have proven, there is plenty of money to made headlining on the independent circuit, and if nothing else, Fedor is a name that will put butts in seats.

If this really is the end for “The Last Emporor”, his body of work, although still truly great, will always have a stigma hanging over it; the stigma of greed, the stigma of vanity, and the stigma of never proving his greatness on the world’s biggest stage. What a sin. 

Tiger is Hitting His Stride

(photo courtesy of dailymail.co.uk)

There was a time when other golfers could only aspire to wax Tiger Woods' balls. Unfortunately for them, another age of the Tiger may be looming. Woods won convincingly today at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, beasting the next best player by 6 strokes. The impressive return comes just two weeks after a scary Achilles injury, but Tiger had his swagger on and didn't look bothered by his bum leg. It marked his first Tour win since September 2009, and maintained some important momentum heading into the Masters. He jumped from 18th to 6th in the PGA rankings, so his confidence is up, but we can't expect Tiger to produce at the same level of consistency as he used to. Jack Nicklaus is still within swinging distance though, and that's enough to make for some epic drama if Tiger catches fire.

NASCAR Bungles Johnson Penalty

(photo courtesy of SI.com)

NASCAR baffled the racing world this week by overturning a penalty handed down to racing deity Jimmie Johnson's team for allegedly illegal C-posts. Johnson was docked 25 points and lost the pole in the season-opening Daytona 500, where he did not finish. Since then he's been unconscious, finishing top 10 in the next 3 races. The reversed decision now bumps him from 34th in the chase to 11th, no small jump. The penalty was seen as excessive by many as Johnson's car passed multiple inspections before being deemed illegal. The strange part is NASCAR chose not to overturn a $100,000 fine against Johnson's crew chief, sending his team, and the league, mixed messages about whether wrongdoing actually took place. Either way, NASCAR be warned: Jimmie Johnson is pissed, and that means trouble for every other driver in the chase.

Pens Depth Could Take Them Deep

(photo courtesy of post-gazette.com)

The Pittsburgh Penguins have stolen everybody's thunder. Since Sid's return the team is going banana sandwich all over the league, i.e. last night's pond hockey game against the Jets. Crosby, Malkin, and Neal combined for 13 points as Pittsburgh pimp-smacked the 'Peg 8-4. But this was no regular blowout, it was an establishment of the boys and the men. The Penguins have all the hallmarks of a battle-hardened playoff team: Size, speed, grit, elite goaltending, savvy role players, great puck moving defensemen, intelligent coaching, and offensive skill for light years. The scariest part for the rest of the NHL is that they are JACKED that Crosby’s back. The teams that heat up at the right time of year usually do damage in the playoffs, and it’s doubtful that this will be any different. Watch out for these guys.