I meant to share this earlier, but Brock Lesnar came across like an idiot Saturday night. It's one thing to generate hype for a fight and the UFC will thrive even more by building around a villain. That's fine, because almost every fighter talks trash and Brock comes from a world where he had to sell himself and a story along with a match. But refusing to touch gloves with Frank Mir, getting in his face after winning the bout - referee Herb Dean, despite fan objections, was correct in not standing them up; Lesnar was working - flipping off fans and dissing a sponsor made him come off as completely unlikeable.
Now here's where I defend Lesnar. First, he apologized after a good tounge-lashing from Dana White. Say what you want about it, but he did. Second, it is incredible how far he's come in only five MMA bouts (four in the UFC). Not another heavyweight comes close to his level, neither Shane Carwin nor Cain Velasquez (yet). And third, it is totally ridiculous how some people still refer him as a fake wrestler and hold his sports entertainment background against him. Lesnar's WWE days are over, he's a full-fledged Ultimate Fighter and the UFC heavyweight champion. Love him or hate him, he's a deserving champion.
Jesse Ventura said it best when he became Governor of Minnesota, citing a world where as "The Body," before he was able to win, he had to learn how to lose. The matches themselves are scripted, but what goes on behind closed doors, and the physical and emotional toll that comes from being wrestler, is more real than the ignorant can possibly imagine. If you need convincing, study the story of Chris Benoit.
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