The premiere fights on each card-Cro-Cop vs. Silva, Hughes vs. Penn, and Arce vs. Makepula-were noteworthy for the fighters’ inspiring display of expertise, as well as their sudden, breathtaking brutality.
Jorge “Travieso” Arce is a 27-year-old Mexican boxer who began fighting at 110 pounds in 1996.
Flitting between the 108 and 112 pound divisions for a decade, Arce missed his first chance at greatness in 1999, when he got knocked out by future hall-of-famer Michael Carbajal in the 11th round of a fight that Arce had been winning.
Arce, obviously an ambitious sort, took a giant step toward being less small when he moved up to a tubby 115 for September’s fight.
Makepula has had more fights at 115 than Arce, but Arce is considered a heavier hitter.
Makepula, a tough, graceful fighter with a decent punch, appeared to win the first two rounds.
Drakulich stooped down from his perch to stop the fight, with Makepula still on his feet, in the 4th round.
Appearance: He’s a white fighter from the Midwest, which could make him a popular presidential candidate, or just a popular fighter.
Excitement: Hughes is a preternaturally strong, skilled fighter who enjoys kicking ass.
As with Makepula, Penn’s skillful display of the first two rounds had established the promise of a great fight that would last long enough to have shifts in momentum and the exciting sensation of tension that accompanies such shifts.
So why did referee John McCarthy stop the fight? Penn was no longer defending himself.
O The Punishment Club: Starring Cro-Cop & Silva, & Featuring Two Big Russians There are instances when a fight is stopped even though the losing fighter is still defending himself, and his eyes are still focused on the fight, but the punishment being absorbed is gross and excessive.
On September’s superb Pride fight card, there were two fights that fit this description.
The first semi-final pitted Mirko “Cro-Cop” Filipovic, a 225 pound heavyweight, against middleweight champion Wanderlei “The Axe-Murderer” Silva, a Brazilian competing about 20 pounds above his natural fighting weight of 200.
Cro-Cop, the naturally bigger man, has grown as a fighter since their first alleged fight.
Silva, a relentless brawler, would need to take Cro-Cop deep into the fight and wear him down.
Silva’s face, which looks swollen before a fight, was now a pumpkin pinata.
In an under card fight that night between Russians Aleksander Emelianenko and Sergei Kharitonov, the latter’s face had been similarly misshapen after absorbing several knees from the former, and the fight had been stopped by the referee.
Silva is a reigning champion fighting to reach the finals of a tournament.
In hindsight, who wouldn’t wonder if the fight should had been stopped earlier? How about Silva, the Axe-Murderer himself? Up until the moment his face met Cro-Cop’s foot, Silva believed that he would prevail.
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