"King" Mo Lawal: "NCAA Champs are a dime a dozen"
by Jonathan Snowden on Dec 17, 2009 7:56 PM EST
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via assets.heavy.com
Ever wonder how supposedly world class wrestlers end up on their backs in the cage? On paper they should be unstoppable, keeping to their feet as long as they want. "King" Mo Lawal, a former wrestling champion of these United States, breaks down why that might not be true:
Heavy.com: You’ve been around wrestling so long, since you were a teenager. What did it mean for you to fight Mark Kerr? Does his pedigree and his legend cross your mind when you step in against him?
King Mo: The thing is, NCAA champions come a dime a dozen. To me NCAA champion is a joke. I don’t care about that. It’s a different level when you hit the world scene. International wrestling. That’s where you become a man. Mark Kerr was good, but he hasn’t wrestled in so long. After five years, once you stop competing and working out with world class athletes, your skills deteriorate. Look at Dan Henderson, Matt Lindland, and Randy Couture. Those guys get taken down by guys that have never wrestled before. If you haven’t trained wrestling in awhile, your skills deteriorate. Same thing with jiu jitsu and boxing.
More with the King at Heavy.com, where Mo Lawal discusses how he watches fights, Quinton Jackson, and why he can beat heavyweights.
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NCAA Champion is a joke?
He just keeps digging.. I wish this guy would shut up, at least until after he fights Whitehead.
"I’m sorry. I didn’t drink last night, so I’m not funny today."
-Sakuraba
In fairness, Lawal was an NCAA champion. If he wants to say it wasn’t a great accomplishment, well, he’s earned it.
He does wander off the reservation here, though.
Talking about great wrestlers getting taken down, as if that’s somehow indicative of their poor wrestling skills? That’s just weak.
Wrestling is about transition control, not about “defending the takedown” or “achieving the takedown.” Wrestlers that are confident enough in getting out of a particular position aren’t that gunshy about falling into said position. So if there’s the opportunity for inflicting some damage, but you open yourself to the takedown, who cares? So long as you’re confident in your ability to get to a favorable position once you’ve been taken down, what does it matter?
Seriously though, on the subject of takedowns (while I’m ranting), people need to watch about fifty collegiate wrestling matches, and learn what actually constitutes a takedown in that sport. That’s a great starting point for understanding what’s actually happening on the ground. 60% of the time you see the announcers declare there’s been a takedown, there hasn’t been anything. The position is still neutral, they just happen to be on the ground.
There is no such thing as innocence, only degrees of guilt.
by misterjonez on Dec 17, 2009 8:50 PM EST up reply actions 2 recs
I think scoring of a takedown should be diff in mma
I think your right about what constitutes a td in a wrestling match, but in mma and MA like bjj wouldnt make sense to score TDs for anything that gets the opponent to the ground W/ you being in the more dominant position. (ie pulling guard does not count, but a wrestler turning away does ala fitch’s last fight). The reason being is positions in MMA and BJJ are and should be consistenly scored based on dominant position ie a position in which you can strike your opponent or finish more easily.
oops that I think your right about what constitutes a td in a wrestling match, but in mma and MA like bjj WOULD make sense to score TDs
I hear what you're saying,
but my point was that as a base reference point, fans would do well to learn the definition of a collegiate wrestling takedown. It’s waaaaaaaaay closer to establishing who has dominant position than what the announcers tell people.
I’m not saying wrestling takedown = MMA takedown. But wrestling takedown definition > Any ringside announcer’s definition of MMA takedown.
There is no such thing as innocence, only degrees of guilt.
by misterjonez on Dec 17, 2009 10:28 PM EST up reply actions
I partially ammend that.
Bas Ruten was good at pointing out when dominant position was established, and whether or not a person was vulnerable to a reversal or ‘sweep’ as it’s commonly called.
There is no such thing as innocence, only degrees of guilt.
by misterjonez on Dec 17, 2009 10:28 PM EST up reply actions
Huh?
He earned the right to discredit every champion in NCAA history? That’s absolutely ridiculous.
"I’m sorry. I didn’t drink last night, so I’m not funny today."
-Sakuraba
by Blackout612 on Dec 17, 2009 10:12 PM EST up reply actions
I’d love to see him in a cage against Hendo, Couture, and Lindland and see how good their wrestling still is since he’s dissing their wrestling as well. King Mo is such a clown
"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" - Philippians 4:13
Even if he's saying "for MMA", wrestling doesn't mean shit
Then it’s the inverse— he hasn’t earned any right to say those things as opposed to some of the men you’ve just mentioned, in addition to the likes of GSP, Coleman, etc. He’s just far too assertive with his opinion without having done much of anything yet. He’s like some of the just-grads I get resumes from at my creative services studio— they haven’t worked a day in their lives in the field and they think they’re already the greatest artist in the world. They get fired from a couple jobs for being lacking in technical proficiency, or not being timely, and they suddenly see things as they really are.
"I’m sorry. I didn’t drink last night, so I’m not funny today."
-Sakuraba
by Blackout612 on Dec 17, 2009 10:24 PM EST up reply actions
He earned the right to discredit every champion in NCAA history
Sure. Why not? Being an NCAA champion with experience on the world stage, he knows a hell of a lot more about those two sites of competition and the difference between them than you or me.
I mean, is he wrong? Is the level of competition in the NCAA actually not lower than the level of competition internationally? If he’s right, then what’s the big deal?
by JRN on Dec 18, 2009 12:58 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs
He finished third in 2003, losing to eventual champion Damion Hahn 4-3 in the semifinals.
by Jonathan Snowden on Dec 18, 2009 1:50 PM EST up reply actions
Tis true
He won a Div II crown.
"(Brock Lesnar) is never in good spirits and he's not in good spirits now." - Dana White
Agreed. He is just so cocky for a guy who hasn’t really accomplished anything yet in MMA. I hope Whitehead serves him a nice piece of humble pie.
"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" - Philippians 4:13
Honestly
So do I. I used to think he was on his way to great things, but even watching him has been pretty underwhelming. There are a lot of guys that come from a decorated wrestling background that are working their way up, but for some reason he thinks he’s already there. We’ll see on Saturday if he’s even close to how good he seems to think he already is.
"I’m sorry. I didn’t drink last night, so I’m not funny today."
-Sakuraba
by Blackout612 on Dec 17, 2009 10:26 PM EST up reply actions
I agree, but...
unfortunately this is what the current state of MMA has wrought. Talk mad shit; get press and sell fights.
Personally I hate talk like this. I hate Ortiz, I hate Dana, I hate anyone with a big mouth. But it works. I just wrote two and a half sentences on him.
BOOSH
I think he raises a valid point, just in an acerbic manner; all he’s saying is skills don’t last forever without constant training. Jon Jones said the same thing about wrestling right before his fight with Hammil.
The classic example that we’re all sick of hearing is Koscheck/GSP. Kos was definitely the better wrestler on paper, but spent his entire camp preparing for a standup war while GSP was preparing for a wrestling match. You can see the same thing in Crocop’s career; Ivan Hyppolite remarked at one point that Crocop’s striking was suffering because Crocop put it on the back burner to learn BJJ.
I mean yeah King Mo can be sort of a dick, but dude’s definitely earned his soapbox and he makes a valid point.
by Tedd Welch on Dec 17, 2009 8:39 PM EST reply actions 1 recs
I wouldn’t think so
GSP if he competed in College wrestling would have been a beast.
'He built his whole reputation as a waffle house chef. They’ve been serving him up ham and eggs with a side of canned tomatoes' - Don Frye on Fedor Emelianenko
by Well Read Idiot on Dec 18, 2009 10:23 AM EST up reply actions
If you read the interview in its entirety you’ll see he also thinks he could beat Fedor or Lesnar. He does not lack for confidence.
by Jonathan Snowden on Dec 17, 2009 11:10 PM EST reply actions
I think his level of competition, in relation to his experience, has been just fine.
by Jonathan Snowden on Dec 18, 2009 3:26 PM EST up reply actions
Certainly
But he doesn’t speak of it as such— he’s thinks he’s already a world beater.
"I’m sorry. I didn’t drink last night, so I’m not funny today."
-Sakuraba
I like he’s cocky. Cocky fighters are more fun. They enjoy it more when they win and everyone else can enjoy it when they finally lose!
by Jonathan Snowden on Dec 18, 2009 4:50 PM EST up reply actions
I like cocky fighters, too
I like brash fighters, confident fighters— they’re good times. But there’s also crazy-cocky, like Mir and Mo. It’s like, alright man, I get it— you’re the best. Let my ears rest.
"I’m sorry. I didn’t drink last night, so I’m not funny today."
-Sakuraba
I am offended.
An MMA fighter speaking candidly and giving opinions without worrying about how I, a citizen of these mighty interwebs, might feel about it? Get that shit out of here. When referring to the sport, fighters should only use phrases from the Approved Rhetoric Handbook, such as:
“gonna be a war”
“go out there and bang, bro”
“classic striker vs. grappler”
“he’s a warrior, man”
“God”
50% more Ultimate than the leading competitor.
by Dodectagon on Dec 19, 2009 8:51 AM EST reply actions 7 recs
People aren’t comfortable with real talk.
The thing is, this was more a conversation I had with Mo, just hanging out. This is what many fighters are like when the cameras aren’t rolling. I have never met a good fighter that wasn’t insanely confident. You have to be to do their job. Can you imagine going in the cage and not feeling good about the outcome? The mental stress alone would end you.
by Jonathan Snowden on Dec 19, 2009 10:14 AM EST up reply actions
You ever talk to Diego in person without cameras/not a formal interview setting?
He’s not as loud, and is still the most disarmingly confident and authentic person I’ve ever met.
"Someone is WRONG on the internet. What do you want me to do? LEAVE? Then they'll keep being wrong!"
-Randall Munroe
WHOA WAIT A MINUTE
When was the last time you saw Dan Henderson get taken down?
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