It was hot and the lightly clad babes were slutting it up in Las Vegas over the 4th of July weekend. So excuse me for missing a few days in the wide world of sports. Vegas is definitely the place to spend a holiday weekend.
Upon opening the Las Vegas Review Sunday morning, July 4th, I began to read about two gladiator battles taking place in a fighting ring approximately 100 years apart.
The one, accompanied by color photos, took place the previous night. The local sports talk on Saturday night had been all about the Brock Lesnar vs Shane Carwin UFC 116 match at the MGM Grand Garden. The stage had been set for a dramatic clash of big powerful men.
The headline of the Sunday morning sports page revealed the winner with this caption:
"Lesnar's fury foils flurry"
The color photo below this headline (see above) showed a rejoicing Lesnar with forefinger held high as he triumphantly strutted around the octagon cage as UFC Champion. In the background was Carwin lying flat-backed on the canvas with the referee knelt over him trying to encourage a response.
It had been a battle of two opposing rounds. The first round belonged to a punishing Carwin as he drove a knee to the head of Lesnar then sent him back against the cage with a straight right and a left hook. Pummeling punches from Carwin forced Lesnar to cradle the fence and the onslaught was on.
The fight was almost stopped by the referee but Lesnar blocked enough punches to hold off that decision and survive the round. The second round saw Lesnar rejuvenated and making quick work of his tiring opponent. Lesnar secured a takedown, locked Carwin in an arm triangle hold and forced a tap out at the 2:19 mark.
Shane Carwin's after fight comment describing Brock Lesnar:
"Brock's a tough son of a bitch."
As for the other battle that took place in a ring some 100 years ago, the site was Reno, Nevada and the implications were much greater. It was billed as the Fight of the Century and pitted two men of different races against one another. The outcome would spark a clash of the races nationwide which would echo through the country for years to come.
Jack Johnson knocked Jim Jeffries down three times in the 15th round of their 1910 "Fight of the Century" in Reno.- 100 years later, fight of the century resonates
- Jack Johnson shuts down Great White Hope in Fight of the Century 100 years ago
-Fight of the Century Highlighted U.S. Racial Divide (Video Footage)
- The Fight of the Century -- Really
-Fight of the Century - A Century Later
- Johnson, Jeffries Clans in Reno
