I voted Canseco/Choi but I think if they are going to disallow people to fight when they test positive for pain killers and such things, I think it should disqualify people who can’t even stand or strike. And yes, I watched the fight and it was despicable.

Yeah I definitely don’t hold anything against Maynard himself. Technically he should have the right to do whatever he wants but when you’re in that situation you have to think practically. A guy with no arms shouldn’t play basketball but that doesn’t mean there aren’t people who try just to say they can.

I think commissions need to be more strict about what fights are going on. They don’t even need to be that cruel (allow Mercer/Sylvia, for instance. At least they aren’t completely inexperienced at fighting in general), just prevent utterly retarded fights. To a similar degree, I think the NSAC or whoever should be saying to athletes like Hong Man Choi, “hey look, if you’re going to lower your career to fight somebody like Jose Canseco, don’t expect to be licensed to fight where most of the REAL fights are going on in the future.”

i’m kind of offended that women’s MMA was put on this list. i look at it like women’s basketball: not your cup of tea, fine. but it’s legitimate competition, Christiane Santos vs. the tiny little Japanese girl notwithstanding.

isn’t a spectacle in my opinion. He wants to prove he is an MMA fighter and can compete with the heavies in the UFC. That is fine. If he is only doing TuF to get more press then I have an issue with it.

I see the UFC/Strikefore/WEC and even Affliction to an extent as MLB. I know what I am getting in any stadium in the entire country. Professionals putting on a professional show. What does bother me is MMA bush leagues. I know at a small ballpark with kids making $400 a month, to play baseball, you will see all kinds of crazy stuff to keep the fans coming back. I think MMA promotions who promote fighters in mask as cartoon characters isn’t real MMA. The fight might be but its sold only as entertainment.

I have zero issues with fighters in Wardogs trying to earn a living and test themselves in battle. The line gets crossed when the spectacle itself out weighs the fight.

I know he talks trash, but the dude is a legit top fighter challenging himself fighting a weight class up. If I were Nick reading this I would be on the phone trying to get a hold of Kid Nate to ask him to explain it to me

To call this a spectacle is just sexist.

I like you Kid Nate but this article is awful. Lashley is trying to take a legit path to be a fighter and has worked hard training. Sapp is the perfect level opponent for him at this point in his career. Bobby is still inexperienced.

your definition of spectacle is so broad it makes your entire post meaningless…

nick diaz vs frank shamrock in the same post as canseco vs choi… come on now.
everyone took that fight seriously… EVERYONE.

catch weight does not equal spectacle.

I see what you’re attempting to ask with these polls Kid Nate, but I think you need to think through the questions and the choices if you want the results to mean anything. You’re asking here where we think the line should be drawn. The division between acceptable and unacceptable amounts of spectacle. We’re each going to have our different takes on which are the worst though, and which are acceptable. You then ask us to pick some moral middle ground from the bunch. The results you get say next to nothing. Furthermore, what if I have a high tolerance and they’re all acceptable, what do I answer then? What if I find them all horrid, and need a tamer choice.

If you asked which was the biggest spectacle, that would’ve had meaning. The question here was poorly chosen, and the results meaningless.

This following yesterday’s Brock poll with no middle ground. 0 for 2.

I’m disappointed you felt compelled to include that as an option, and that 34 people (so far) selected it.

it somehow manages to be informative:

Maynard vs Fry &
Conceco vs giant

are the two freak shows (not even a puncher’s chance of winning), others are OK.

Surprised any Akebono or Giant Silva fights weren’t included. It was sad to watch the former act as an overpaid punching bag and get KOed in front of his family.
One exception is Akebono vs Giant Silva which I don’t think was a freak show.