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Reliving Chuck Wepner vs. Andre the Giant: The Great American Freakshow We Somehow Forgot

(Wepner was tossed out of the ring in the third round, and lost the fight by count-out. Seems legit. Video of the fight is available after the jump.)

If you happen to be a connoisseur of MMA freak show bouts, it’s likely that you recognize June 25, 1976 as the day that “The Greatest of All Time” Muhammad Ali took on Japanese wrestling legend Antonio Inoki in a mixed rules bout. The fight itself may have been an unwatchable display of bizarre kicks from Inoki – who was only allowed to kick if one of his knees was touching the mat – but it’s remembered as one of our sport’s first genuine freak show bouts.

Yet often forgotten by even the most die-hard fight fans among us is that the undercard for Ali vs. Inoki contained a match between Chuck Wepner (the boxer/liquor salesman whose bout against Ali served as the inspiration for the Rocky series) and Andre the Giant broadcast live from Shea Stadium. Before we go any further: Yes, you read that last sentence correctly, and yes, we’ll have video evidence of this after the jump.

By 1976, Andre the Giant had established himself as an unstoppable juggernaut in professional wrestling, to the point that simply getting in a few good shots in a losing effort against him could put another wrestler over. He may not have been professional wrestling’s first “unbeatable giant” character, but he was certainly the most successful and popular portrayal of it. Naturally, when Vince McMahon Sr. faced the dilemma of finding an opponent for the division killer, he got the idea of having him defeat a real fighter. Chuck Wepner – who coincidentally was considering becoming a professional wrestler by this point in his career – was the ideal opponent.

(Wepner was tossed out of the ring in the third round, and lost the fight by count-out. Seems legit. Video of the fight is available after the jump.)

As you probably figured out by reading that last paragraph, the fight itself was a blatant work. A loss to Wepner would have killed Andre the Giant’s “unbeatable” aura, and probably his career in general. There was absolutely no way that McMahon was going to let one of his biggest draws fizzle out while fans were still willing to pay to watch him (Ironically, McMahon Jr. would allow this to happen twenty years later). Meanwhile, a loss would do nothing to Wepner’s reputation; if you’re famous for losing to Muhammad Ali, a loss to The Eighth Wonder of the World isn’t exactly going to bury you.

Perhaps the worked shoot nature of the “fight” is why Wepner vs. Andre the Giant has been all but forgotten by fight fans, while Ali vs. Inoki is still regarded as one of the first mainstream MMA bouts. The match may have fooled fans from an era that still sanctioned and licensed professional wrestling as if it were a legitimate competition, but even the dimmest fight fans of today can tell that something isn’t quite right when watching the video. From professional wrestling matches filling out the rest of the undercard, to a member of the McMahon family providing the commentary, to Gorilla Monsoon being Andre the Giant’s cornerman, to the post-fight brawl in the ring, there are way too many obvious signs that the action wasn’t exactly 100% organic. The fact that Chuck Wepner has recently opened up about the “entertainment” aspect of the fight doesn’t exactly help guard the illusion, either.

Interestingly enough, the most “fake” parts of the bout – from what appears to be a botched atomic drop to Andre throwing Wepner over the top rope – were possibly the only unscripted events to take place that evening. Rumor has it that by the third round, Wepner decided he’d throw his most powerful punches at Andre the Giant. Andre – who had a reputation for shooting on wrestlers who he felt were working too stiff with him -decided that he would get behind Wepner and pick him up, just to demonstrate that he could seriously hurt Wepner if he wanted to (he allegedly did the same thing to a young Hulk Hogan). When Wepner didn’t take the hint, Andre decided to skip to the planned finish right then and there – Wepner’s compliance be damned.

For better or for worse, Chuck Wepner vs. Andre the Giant was one of the first mainstream American mixed rules bouts, which took place thirty-seven years ago today. Whether or not you can still sit through it today depends on whether or not you appreciate oldschool professional wrestling, but odds are good that if you’re a cinema buff, you have an appreciation for Stallone’s recreation of it.

@SethFalvo

Freak Show Alert: Sean “Big Sexy” McCorkle to Face Mariusz Pudzianowski at KSW 23 in June

(McCorkle’s most recent performance: A first round submission via kimura loss to Satoshi Ishii at IGF – Genome 24 via Youtube user Sohc Honda.)

Ladies and gentlemen of the Potato Nation, the creme de la creme of freak show MMA fights has just been booked. No, we’re not talking about Canseco vs. O’Neal or Zimmer vs. Martinez II (the latter of which is as elusive as the great white buffalo). We’re talking about McCorkle vs. Pudzianowski, the SHW showdown years in the making that has finally become a reality. Now, you might be asking yourself, “Danga, how is this the aforementioned pinnacle of freak show fights, you good for nothing piece of hyperbolic human garbage?” Well first ask yourself the three prerequisite questions necessary to determine any great freak show fight, you cold-hearted son of a bitch.

1. Does it feature a crossover MMA fighter who comes from a flamboyant, unknown, or completely fictitious background? Yes…yes it does.

2. Will at least one of the participants show up to the fight weighing no less than 300 pounds? You bet your fat ass!

3. How about the organization; is it shady bordering on incompetent? Brother, don’t even get me started.

(McCorkle’s most recent performance: A first round submission via kimura loss to Satoshi Ishii at IGF – Genome 24 via Youtube user Sohc Honda.)

1. Does it feature a crossover MMA fighter who comes from a flamboyant, unknown, or completely fictitious background? Yes…yes it does.

2. Will at least one of the participants show up to the fight weighing no less than 300 pounds? You bet your fat ass!

3. How about the organization; is it shady bordering on incompetent? Brother, don’t even get me started.

While a quick gander over Pudzianowski’s MMA record would give the average MMA fan freak show withdrawal (looking at you, Christos Piliafas), a fight with McCorkle would represent a significant step up in competition for the former “World’s Strongest Man,” quite honestly. McCorkle may find himself on a three fight skid, including a first round submission loss to Satoshi Ishii — who seems to have taken a shining to outclassing UFC heavyweights in the twilights of their careers — in his last appearance, but he poses a hell of a bigger threat than Bob Sapp or Butterbean ever did. At least for the first two minutes.

And on the off chance you find yourself tuning into a KSW event for reasons other than morbid curiosity, you should know that KSW 23 will also feature the likes of Kendall Grove and Maciej Jewtuszko on the card, as well as a headlining middleweight fight between Mamed Khalidov and Melvin Manhoef. As in the case of McCorkle vs. Pudz, the probability that the main event ends inside the first round is higher than Josh Rosenthal.

KSW 23 goes down from the Ergo Arena in Gdansk, Poland on June 8th.

–J. Jones

UFC 156 Fight-Picking Contest: Predict the Result of Overeem vs. Bigfoot, Win a ‘Freak Fight’ T-Shirt From Manto!

(Image via MANTOUSA.com. Buy this shirt right here for $24.50.)

There’s nothing quite like a good freak show. And though the days of absurd weight-differentials and wrestling masks have gone out of fashion in modern MMA, this weekend’s UFC 156 main card fight between Alistair Overeem and Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva at least provides the kind of thrilling immensity that qualifies it for the freak-fight category.

In honor of this must-see matchup, MANTO USA has given us a pair of their charming “Freak Fight of the Night” t-shirts, which we’re going to award to the two CagePotato readers who can most closely predict the result of Overeem vs. Silva. Please toss your guesses into the comments section of this post, in the following format…

(Image via MANTOUSA.com. Buy this shirt right here for $24.50.)

– Overeem def. Silva via TKO, 3:59 of round 1
or, perhaps
– Silva def. Overeem via submission (chin-in-eye), 2:32 of round 2

Please include the judges’ scores if you think the fight will end in a decision, in case we need them for a tie-breaker. Entries must be in by Saturday at 8 p.m. ET, and we’ll announce the winner on Monday. One entry per person, please. Any other questions, let us know. Good luck!

(“We’re here to pick up your daughter. Yes, both of us. Don’t mind my friend with the gigantism, he doesn’t talk much.”)

Two-On-Two MMA: Finally, A Freak Show I Can Believe In

(Can professional Droog-style gang-fighting be far behind?)

For almost as long as MMA has existed, there have been scheming fight promoters trying to one-up normal cage-fighting with increasingly bizarre variations. We’ve seen three-man MMA, better known as “two guys beating the shit out of another guy.” We’ve seen tag-team MMA, which makes even less sense from a logistical perspective. We’ve seen Montana-style Motocross MMA, and the abomination known as XARM, and we’ve gleefully mocked their stupidity. If two men fighting each other isn’t exciting enough for you, you probably just need better cocaine.

The latest entry in this dignified line of MMA offshoots is two-on-two MMA, which will be part of the next Desert Rage Full Contact Fighting show, October 20th at the Paradise Casino in Yuma, Arizona. As fighter-turned-promoter Chance Farrar explained to MMAJunkie, “We started trying it in the gym, and it’s been successful. It’s nothing short of controlled chaos, but exciting. You can’t predict what’s going to happen…This fight does not last. That’s why I’m bringing it to Desert Rage. I think the fans want to see it.”

Here’s how it works: Weight classes are determined by a team’s collective weight. (Lightweight is 350 pounds and below; middleweight is 425 pounds and below; and heavyweight is 500 pounds and below.) Rounds will be five minutes each, with a one-minute rest period between each round, but there will be no limit to how many rounds a fight can go. No elbows or knees will be allowed.

Two referees will do their best to control the action. When a fighter is stopped by knockout, submission, or referee stoppage, a one-minute rest is called to give officials time to remove the eliminated fighter, before the fight is re-started. If an eliminated fighter is unable to leave the cage within the one-minute period, the other team wins by forfeit. The match ends when one side loses both fighters.

(Can professional Droog-style gang-fighting be far behind?)

Here’s Farrar defending his creation: “People are trying to pawn it off as some kind of gang fight. That’s not the case. The people fighting at this time are … the lower level guys that are crazy enough to attempt it. I’m a huge MMA fan and the last thing I want to do is bring anything less than pride to this sport. But I do believe that there’s a lot of merit, and it’s definitely not a tag-team. People want to paint it as a sideshow. That’s definitely not the case. This is a serious fight, and there’s a lot of team aspects that are added that are exciting.”

Does two-on-two MMA sound crazy? Sure. But it reflects reality in a way that those other MMA variations don’t. This is basically a controlled version of you and your buddy getting into it with a couple of knuckleheads at a bar. There are no weird tag-in rules. There’s no every-man-for-himself Battle Royale element. There are no motorcycles flying above your head. It’s a normal fight. The only difference is, you have a wingman by your side, which will compel the fighters to cooperate, or occasionally come to the defense of their teammate.

So yes, you MMA purists will have to forgive me, but I want to see this thing as soon as it hits YouTube. In fact, the only hypothetical MMA variation I want to see more is 3-on-3 MMA held under King of Fighters ’94 rules. Think about it. You have a Blackzilians team composed of Rashad Evans, Tyrone Spong, and Michael Johnson, facing a Blacktalians team composed of Chris Weidman, Constantinos Philippou, and a 215-pound Matt Serra. The leadoff men from each team fight one-on-one until somebody is KO’d or submitted, and then that defeated fighter is immediately replaced by the next person in line on his team. The fight continues until all three members of a team are eliminated. Why the hell not, right? The world has already gone insane…

Dave Bautista Gets New, Incredibly Beatable Opponent For Oct. 6 MMA Debut

(Vince Lucero vs. Tim Sylvia at a 2010 CFX event. We’re not sure if we’ve ever seen a more pathetic ending to a fight in our lives. On second thought…)

Like many MMA fans out there, we are of two minds when it comes to Dave Bautista. On one hand, we should be applauding the former WWE star for having the cojones to step into the cage and give a sport as laborious and intense as MMA a try despite both his age and experience level saying that he should do just the opposite. On the other hand, he represents little more than another splash in the recent wave of professional wrestlers looking to exploit a sport they have little experience in and little desire to actually further.

More often than not, guys like Bautista, Bobby Lashley, and Brock Lesnar to a degree (TO A DEGREE) are not professional fighters in the purest sense of the word; they are opportunists who crossover to MMA looking to make a decent buck and get out before they hurt themselves too badly. For if they were seriously seeking a new career path, they would logically test themselves on the amateur circuit before diving head first into a sport in which ill preparation can lead to serious health issues in both the immediate and distant future. Although their participation in MMA in turn draws legions of new fans to the sport, it also cheapens the value of what it means to call oneself “a professional fighter.” Not to get on our soapbox here, but that is a title that should be earned through hard work and dedication, not a few months of sparring and pure name value.

So when it was announced that Bautista would be debuting against a guy who was clearly picked because his name resembled a certain former UFC champion, the world reacted with a collective “ugh.” But if you think that’s bad , just wait until you hear the story that led to Bautista’s new opponent, the 22-22 Vince Lucero you were introduced to in the above video.

(Vince Lucero vs. Tim Sylvia at a 2010 CFX event. We’re not sure if we’ve ever seen a more pathetic ending to a fight in our lives. On second thought…)

According to MMAFighting, it was revealed that Evans had not been training for Bautista in the weeks prior to the bout — unless you consider fending off knife fights in the yard and gang rape in the shower “training” – because he was in jail while the fight was being promoted. So clearly, we’re looking at a fighter and a promotion primarily focused on achieving MMA legitimacy here people. After Evans was temporarily released from his stay, it seemed as if things were back on schedule. But unfortunately for “The Animal” (as well as Evans), it turns out that when you hand pick an opponent based on their complete lack of anything resembling competence, it could end up biting you in the ass. Evans was pulled over just a few days after his release and promptly thrown back in the hoosegow for driving without a valid license and therefore violating his parole. And so the great superfight of 2012 was off.

The promotion that we have the decency not to name then decided to pair Bautista against Bruno McKee, who, like Bautista and Evans, had zero professional experience. Unfortunately, McKee would also drop out, claiming that he did not have enough time to prepare for whatever skill set Bautista apparently brings to the table (Author’s note: there seems to be a lot of that going around lately).

When the promotion was made aware that Chael Sonnen would not in fact be stepping in to fight Bautista, who Sonnen described as “a freakish, musclebound dolt who hasn’t earned the right to peruse my hamper of dirty gym shorts*,” they once again found themselves in panic mode, which is how they came upon the 40 year old Lucero to fill in on just five days notice.

And once again, we are of two minds when it comes to Bautista. On one hand, at least he’s willing to fight an incredibly experienced IFL and Bellator veteran for his professional debut. On the other, he is fighting a man whose most notable win came over Josh Haynes back in 2004 and who is 2-9-1 in his last twelve. BUT HE’S WON HIS LAST TWO, YOU GUYS.

Who are we kidding, this is going to be a shitshow.

We’ve managed to scour the Internet and find a video of Lucero’s performance against Roy Nelson, which we’ve added below. If you feel the desire to watch his performance against Ron Sparks, go here.

OK, that may have been the most pathetic ending to a fight we have ever witnessed. At least this time it wasn’t Lucero’s fault, we guess.

This sure-to-be FOTY goes down on October 6th from the Dunkin Donuts Center in Providence, R.I. To find out how to purchase tickets, first pick up a phone, dial 911, and then beat yourself over the head with that phone until the ambulance arrives.

*Chael Sonnen has never made such a statement, but we imagine he’d say something incredibly similar if given the opportunity.

–J. Jones