Murray Wood: A different kind of 'Mike' drop for Edmonton
Hurt Feelings Alert: Mike Babcock is taking over the bench of the underachieving Edmonton Oilers. Murray Wood says many ...
It’s no secret that many generations — including mine — have no interest in Mixed Martial Arts. We used to have events that resembled MMA fights. They were called “Toughest Guy in Town” competitions, in which the combatants could use virtually any means possible to win the fight.
Part boxing, wrestling, kicking, gouging and biting until there was an obvious winner for the paying crowd. Toughest Guy in Town events didn’t last very long. They couldn’t get sanctioning from the real combat sports like boxing, wrestling, karate or judo. Maybe it was because somebody died in the ring. Like MMA, a death would mean, “sorry, buddy, you lost.”
I wonder about the people who watch MMA, how they can enjoy watching someone get pummeled into semi-consciousness. Not much difference between that and dog-fighting, except the MMA combatants have a choice. And why do MMA fighters choose to get into the octagon? To prove their toughness, evidently, and to earn money from people who buy tickets. Toughest Guy in Town . . . re-born.
