Tonight, I met one of the greatest heavyweight boxers of all time in Larry Holmes at New York City’s ‘Rumble on the River‘. It may have been 30 years since the peak of the Easton Assassin’s career, but even today, dropping a line like ‘I knocked out Muhammad Ali in his prime‘ will still get you a free drink and any girl you want at a bar. What it won’t get you is a congratulatory pat on the back from Vadim Finkelstein, especially when it comes to giving props to the folks in UFC’s heavyweight division. Here’s what he had to say about the UFC’s most recent heavyweight title fight:
“I am surprised that such a powerful organization like the UFC, presents the viewer second-rate product in the guise of the fight for the championship in the heavyweight division. The ‘aging by leaps and bounds’ Carwin against the ‘runner’ Lesnar. I personally have no interest in this fight. Lesnar won in their usual manner, due to the physical power, crushed and strangled his opponent.”
To me, equally as impressive as Shane Carwin’s offensive onslaught was Lesnar’s ability to curl up into a ball and pray for dear life while two office-printer sized fists are bashing him into the canvas. Perhaps introducing Lesnar as the “Baddest Man on the Planet” fresh off a dark-sided victory like that didn’t resonate with all MMA fans. Personally, I thought the main event of UFC 116 was one of the most exciting heavyweight fights of all-time, but Vadim was so unimpressed with their performance that he vomited all over his plasma screen and wishes he never dropped $54.99 on the PPV. We’ve all been there Vadim. Maybe this weekend will be different? Please give Zuffa another chance; some of us still want to see Fedor in the UFC. [Source]