Tim Sylvia vs Ray Mercer Moved to Alabama
by Nate Wilcox on Mar 29, 2009 3:48 PM EDT
in MMA News
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Sherdog reports that the Tim Sylvia vs Ray Mercer boxing match that New Jersey refused to sanction has been moved:
Speaking with Sherdog.com, promoter Monte Cox announced the six-round heavyweight fight would be rescheduled for June 13 in Alabama as the main event of Adrenaline III. The hybrid boxing-mixed martial arts event will be held at the 17,000-seat BJCC arena in Birmingham.
Cox confirmed that Alabama does not have a regulatory body to oversee the fight.
Pretty hinky of Monte Cox to take a fight that was turned down by one of the leading Athletic Commissions in the U.S. and move it to a venue with no regulation.
Something tells me Big Tim hasn't been paying that close attention to the boxing ranks lately, from MMA Mania:
"I didn't have an MMA fight until July in the Affliction 3 (show), and we really wanted to fight before then. This opportunity came about - and I've always wanted to try boxing at a pro level - so we decided to take it and see what happens. I'm jumping in the deep end. I never have (done things half way). Look at the heavyweight (MMA) division; I've fought about seven of the Top 10. So I might as well jump right in there and fight a guy that's ranked in the Top 20 in the world."
BE boxing guru Brent Brookhouse added this comment:
...honestly probably not since he lost back to back fights to Lewis/Holyfield in 95/96. He beat up some cans, had a brief retirement and lost to Wlad Klitschko in 2002. I guess someone may have called him a top 20 guy at that point, but even that was a stretch.
Now Mercer since his most recent comeback is 2-1 against guys who aren’t top shelf guys. So yeah, since 2007 he lost a fight, beat a scrub and won a 6 round fight by majority decision. Obviously the mark of a top 20 boxer.
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Thank you Monte Cox!
You pulled out the stops to give us the fight that the fans wanted to see. I propose that from now on March 29 be called Monte Cox Day.
Keep firing Assholes!
by Ubernoober on Mar 29, 2009 11:23 AM EDT reply actions 6 recs
this should be green
"the spirit of your average dumbass with more overblown rhetoric" OR "the self-appointed savior of MMA"
by Nate Wilcox on Mar 29, 2009 11:50 AM EDT up reply actions
I wonder if Bruno will be on this card?
If you're not submitting, you're just rolling around with another guy.
This really bothers me
Shopping commissions that will allow this freak show to go on seems above something Monte would do.
I know Monte is doing this at Tim’s request but Tim doesn’t seem the type to go against Monte’s wishes if Monte really made it clear this is a bad idea.
Ray will be 48 when this fight happens so I ask what exactly does Tim benefit from this? How does this benefit his career? He wins a boxing match against a close to 50 “name”…what then?
Tim and Kimbo shouldn’t have this much in common.
wish we had a edit button...
and I know Monte said they have no body to regulate the fight there is still a legal body in every state that allows events to happen.
If Tim wants to box more power to him…but even though the guy is goofy he is still a huge MMA star and there is countless ways to go about this with more dignity IMO.
You should be asking yourself
How Tim will benefit from getting his ass kicked by a 48 year old, former heavyweight champion, because that is what’s going to happen.
Creator of the FightMatrix rating system.
Thats my point
win or lose he gains nothing.
Also I hope Monte has called these people…
MISSOURI OFFICE OF ATHLETICS
POST OFFICE BOX 1335
JEFFERSON CITY, MO 65102
(573) 751-0243
(573) 751-5649 FAX
ATTN: TIM LUECKENHOFF, tim.lueckenhoff@pr.mo.gov
Becky Dunn, (573) 751-0812 OFFICE, becky.dunn@pr.mo.gov
HOME PAGE www.pr.mo.gov
Top 20 Heavyweight?
Nate was just asking me if Mercer has been a top 20 heavyweight anytime recently. And honestly probably not since he lost back to back fights to Lewis/Holyfield in 95/96. He beat up some cans, had a brief retirement and lost to Wlad Klitschko in 2002. I guess someone may have called him a top 20 guy at that point, but even that was a stretch.
Now Mercer since his most recent comeback is 2-1 against guys who aren’t top shelf guys. So yeah, since 2007 he lost a fight, beat a scrub and won a 6 round fight by majority decision. Obviously the mark of a top 20 boxer
Contributing Editor - BloodyElbow.com - SBNation's mixed martial arts headquarters.
by Brent Brookhouse on Mar 29, 2009 12:21 PM EDT reply actions
Win or lose he gains nothing? Win or lose, both guys are getting a paycheck. Win or lose, somebody is going to win. How is he gaining nothing? Guaranteed both guy’s will make the same or more than if Tim was fighting in a regional MMA show. Which brings up another point, we respect the guys who are willing to fight anyone anywhere, but when Timmeh gets involved that changes? Not to mention, most MMA guys didn’t start out in MMA for the money, why should it be any different in boxing. If anything boxing needs a little of that mentality injected into it. If Tim loses, back to MMA, if he wins take a bigger boxing match and work your way up. He basically turned everyone of his boring ass fights into a boxing match anyway, he just needs to change his footwork.
Totally agree bubbafat
Why all the hate for Sylvia ? This is getting absurd …it’s the dude’s boxing debut who did u expect him to take ? Do u think Arlovski will fight for the championship on his debut like Roach kept saying ? He won’t .
What I see is Sylvia taking a 48 year old former champ . Is that pathetic considering Couture is 46 and Holeyfield is about that age too and keeps fighting?
Granted , Ken Shemrock vs Sylvia was a pathetic proposal , but this ? This sounds okay to me . I’m not particularly interested in Sylvia in general or boxing , but this by no means is a freak show.
Sylvia is just hated for nothing …if he had better abs and chest like Arlovski he’d probably have ten times less haters…
New Jersey wouldn’t even sanction the fight, that’s why they are moving it, Arlovski’s move to boxing was because he wanted to try boxing, he didn’t have any problem getting a fight sanctioned and he wasn’t trying to fight some guy who’s career should of been over years ago. Tim Sylvia isn’t trying boxing he is fighting freaken Ray Mercer because of the guys name and he couldn’t find anyone else to fight that would draw at all (he couldn’t even get Ken Shamrock to fight him). Comparing Ray Mercer to Randy Couture is crazy because Randy is still fighting at a world championship level, Ray Mercer can’t even get fights sanctioned by athletic commissions in the US(Ray’s last boxing fight in the US was in 2005), he’s been fighting in Sweden. This is the very definition of a freak show fight and deserves to be treated as such.
This is the very definition of a freak show fight and deserves to be treated as such.
Wrong. Freakshow fights are supposed to be entertaining (Ha!)
Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try Again. Fail again. Fail better. -Samuel Beckett
by Scott C. Broussard on Mar 29, 2009 3:25 PM EDT up reply actions
Well...
A) Mercer is old as hell, has retired a few times already and is slurring his words much worse than he did as a young man.
B) Tim is trying to sell this like he’s fighting a top of the line boxer.
C) Couture clearly has his faculties still and can compete at a high level, Mercer is 2-1 against bad competition (and one of those wins was a 6 round majority decision) since his last comeback. Holyfield can not get sanctioned by a lot of commissions at this point.
the list goes on and on…
Contributing Editor - BloodyElbow.com - SBNation's mixed martial arts headquarters.
by Brent Brookhouse on Mar 29, 2009 6:08 PM EDT up reply actions
"Win or lose he gains nothing? Win or lose, both guys are getting a paycheck. "
Tim is still in the productive years of his career…he still has a chance for major upswings and combat sports fans are fickle. This is the type of fight someone on the down swing takes.
If Tim loses, back to MMA, if he wins take a bigger boxing match and work your way up.
Tim isn’t trying boxing he’s taking the only fight with a name guy he could get right now, even if he wins he will have no boxing future/career that anyone would care about and he says that he’s fighting on the Affliction card in July whether he wins or loses this fight. Yes he will get a paycheck but by even taking the fight he hurts his reputation and future in MMA. It’s saying that he can’t get a decent MMA fight so he is doing a freakshow just so Monte can pad out a Adrenaline card (that apparently even HDnet won’t touch).
Sylvia belongs in MMA
There are several compelling match-ups for Sylvia outside the UFC, including Barnett, Werdum and Buentello.
I believe Sylvia would beat Barnett by TKO or unanimous decision.
Doubt it – Barnett is a much faster and more dynamic striker who can also grapple (he nearly subbed Nog in the OWGP – Nog was saved by the bell). Sylvia’s stand-straight-and-jab technique wouldn’t get him very far.
Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try Again. Fail again. Fail better. -Samuel Beckett
by Scott C. Broussard on Mar 29, 2009 3:47 PM EDT up reply actions
Barnett isn't 2 foot tall Monson
whom he outstruck BADLY and whupped badly on the ground despite having reservations as they are close friends.
Timmy would get taken down quickly and would get STOMPED. Yvel probably lasted longer than Timmy would. At least Yvel has some submission defense on the ground and has some fire in his belly.
Gimme 1 round!
by ItBurnzWhenIP on Mar 29, 2009 6:32 PM EDT up reply actions
I thought Yvel was gonna knock Barnett out cold from under the mount. That would have been something. Honestly, I’ve never a worse performance from a fighter who spent most of the fight mounting his opponent.
Sylvia could easily withstand Barnett’s takedown attempts and batter him with jabs and knees.
Sylvia/Barnett is certainly a fight I’d watch.
"I see him beating Anderson Silva. I see him picking him apart. Him at a 131 years old...(trails off)." - Tito on Belfort at Affliction:DOR
by Rundownloser on Mar 29, 2009 6:54 PM EDT up reply actions
When my manager decides to have me fight in a place where it’s not regulated because everywhere in the country that regulates it says ’you’re fucking crazy’, I know he has my best interests at heart.
by Derek Suboticki on Mar 29, 2009 4:34 PM EDT reply actions
I'm sure he appreciates that you had any to begin with
Contributing Editor - BloodyElbow.com - SBNation's mixed martial arts headquarters.
by Brent Brookhouse on Mar 30, 2009 1:15 PM EDT up reply actions
Everyone starts with a little by default
until they show themselves to be idiots, scumbags, etc.
by pumaman on Apr 1, 2009 2:21 PM EDT up reply actions
Whenever I see Tim's name in the news...
… I just have to shake my head now. UFC champ to… this? Brutal.
They are who we thought they were!!!
If you're not submitting, you're just rolling around with another guy.
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