Friday, September 4, 2009

Former UFC Fighter 'Throws' Fight?

No, it doesn't just happen in Boxing! For any Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fans who might have missed it, Sean Salmon penned a very interesting article on MMA Junkie's website earlier this week.

And if I was a fan at the North American Allied Fight Series on June 6th 2009, I'd feel pissed off!


Whether it's Gary Sheffield admitting that his hate for Brewers' manager Harry Dalton (1992) was so great during his rookie season that there were many nights when he gave it a little less than than the 'ole college try',

"I was a crazy man, " Sheffield said. "I hated (Dalton) so much that I wanted to hurt the man. I hated everything about that place. I didn't even want to come to the ballpark. If I missed a ball or something, so what?"

or whether it's more pandemic like the 1951 CCNY 'point-shaving' scandal- The scandal was so pervasive that when the investigation was completed it concluded that organized crime had greased the palms of 33 different players from 7 different teams including the defending NCAA and NIT champion CCNY team. It left such a black mark on the NY college basketball scene that it took 45 years for the NCAA to return to the NY area for it's yearly tournament (1996).

The list of known sporting events that have been besmirched by dubious intentions is no small matter. You can find an example in just about every sport. While solo sports like Boxing, Horse Racing, MMA, Golf, and Tennis might be more prone to fixing because there are less people who control the outcome, there are many ways to fix an event.

If you think these incidents only happen once every blue moon like the 1919 Black Sox scandal, think again!

Tim Donaghy Scandal- Basketball Referee (2007)


"The Fix" by Declan Hill (2008) claims that the 2006 World Cup had at least three games fixed by a group of Asian gambling syndicates. He alleges that the Group game between Ghana and Italy, the Round of 16 game between Ghana and Brazil, and the Quarterfinal game between Italy and Ukraine, were all fixed!

The alchemy for this equation is simple: Gambling + Greed + Need= Prone to Fixing. Whether it's buying the daily lottery ticket, dropping a dime at OTB, checking out your neighborhood pit-bull fight or opening a dubious account with Bodog, gambling is part and parcel to most of the world's sporting culture. Mix in a crime syndicate or two with an athlete or official in need of some cash and VIOLA! The mix is now ready for 'the fix'.

As for Sean Salmon, and his dubious loss to Allan Wieckert on June 6th, 2009, he's created quite a stink with his latest article, and the fishy smell is coming directly from his mouth.

Maybe, Sean Salmon letting Wieckert submit him with an armbar was just him trying to save himself for a more lucrative sparring contract with Wolfslair like he says. Maybe, what he did is not as sinister as the CCNY or the Tim Donaghy scandals. Maybe, Salmon should be given credit for coming clean on his own with no outside pressure forcing him to squeal on himself. And maybe he should even be forgiven.

But, no matter how one spins it, no matter how sympathetic to the offense one might be, it still leaves a nasty stench in the nostrils of every tried and true sports fan that has ever followed a sport. Yes, folks it does happen and not just in Boxing!

Remember to Check out MMA OUTLOUD Radio

Every Wed. at 9 PM EST!