Blog #5: As I Said, Brock Lesnar is A Star

Jeff Schwartz

Blog #5: As I Said, Brock Lesnar is A Star

July 4, 2010

I’m so green when it comes to UFC, but I do know a star when I see one. Ladies and gentlemen, Brock Lesnar is in fact not just a star, he’s the star. Ultimate Fighting Championships President Dana White has the perfect headliner. Last evening I watched what I believe to be the most exciting sporting event I’ve seen in quite some time. UFC 116: Lesnar vs. Carwin was one of the most spectacular events I’ve ever seen. Early on in the main event, Shane Carwin of Denver, Colorado gave Brock Lesnar everything he had. Carwin laid in shots that no normal human being could have withstood. In fact, there’s certainly no boxer or “tough man” that could have taken those blows from Carwin and not have been forced to call it a night.

I once spoke to a former locker room mate of Brock Lesnar at WWE who wasn’t a fan Lesnar’s personality or ego but called him a “cyborg” for his ability to just keep fighting through injuries and stiff blows. Last night as Shane Carwin reigned in blows on Lesnar’s face I panicked just because I felt bad his face was being caved in. But then, as Lesnar kept on fighting I thought back to that “cyborg conversation” and the first round ended.

As the second round began, I saw exactly what I knew was coming. Lesnar snatched Carwin, a man who had yet to previously lose a fight (12-0, no fights went past the first round) out of the air, took him down and locked in a triangle arm choke. Carwin’s lights dimmed quickly, and then were shut off as The Next Big Thing tightened his grip. It was AWESOME. The crowd at the bar, stood up, screamed a mixture of cheers and boos. Lesnar kept tightening his grip; Carwin kept turning more and more white. I rose to my feet and yelled amongst the people, “Tap!” “Tap!” I just kept screaming until Carwin motioned for a submission. Referee Josh Rosenthal called for the bell and Lesnar celebrated in the exact same manner I had predicted.

For the record, I may be a tad biased when I say this, but there is no brand of people tougher than wrestlers. Wrestlers go through so much pain and suffering, they live daily in pain. Brock Lesnar’s actions last night speak to this point. Surviving a first round in which he was bloodied, beaten, and almost defeated is something that stands out for a man who has only had six professional fights. Lesnar has nothing to prove to anyone. He has already avenged his lone loss by destroying loud mouth Frank Mir. Lesnar has crushed a legend in Randy Couture, and now he’s come back from diverticulitis. Is there anyone or anything that can stop the baddest man on the planet?

Lesnar was such draw last night that UFC has already stated his next fight will be with a man named Cain Velasquez. The fight will likely take place in early November. There’s no man or beast that can stand in the way of Brock Lesnar. From the first moments I saw Lesnar, I knew he had something special to him. There is no bigger draw in professional sports for me as of this moment. Not LeBron James, not Peyton Manning, and not Albert Pujols, it’s Brock Lesnar. The way UFC is promoted, the way each individual fight is promoted, makes the sport of competitive fighting more compelling than a World Series game. There is no alternative; the UFC can go an entire year without repeating a fight. This is where sports is headed, and it’s a direction I can get with.