Calling The Shots: Anderson Silva vs. Nick Diaz

Anderson Silva vs. Nick Diaz main event at UFC 183 is a fight that was never supposed to be made. A middleweight that walks around at 220 lbs. and a thinly framed welterweight doesn’t make sense in the combative sphere of the MMA. However, a gruesome injury, along with the eclectic desire to only vie for a high valued prize, suddenly made this bout go from impractical to something that makes complete sense.

Silva is coming off a thirteen-month layoff after recovering from a broken leg he suffered in his bout with Chris Weidman. Diaz emerges from a 22-month retirement where a seven-figure payday in a loss to Georges St. Pierre made him very selective on who he does business with inside the confines of the Octagon. Continue reading “Calling The Shots: Anderson Silva vs. Nick Diaz” →

Rocket Raccoon #7 Review

The creativity of Skottie Young and the hijinks of Rocket Raccoon are a perfect match that can’t be denied.

The diversity of this series is produced like a variety show that has something for everyone. In this particular outing,

Rocket and Groot and stranded on the dreaded Winter Planet. Groot is angry at Rocket for breaking off a piece of his body to use as firewood.

Sure, the furry Guardian didn’t ask permission, but that’s ok, they need to stay warm. Ice giants looking to clobber the two outlanders halts the humorous banter.

Fun action turns into a grave situation for Groot. Young seamlessly tears away Rocket’s tough exterior as bravado is replaced with gut-wrenching concern for his best friend.

“I don’t need no stupid ice ninja’s help” is a spit in the face of adversity when the locals try to convince Rocket that Groot will not survive.

Filipe Andrade’s artwork is fun to examine and works extremely well with the stories multi toned approach due to his expressive style. This is a pivotal stop on Rocket’s journey towards a redemption of sorts.

The thought of losing the one constant in his life after discovering he is the last of his kind drives him to new heroic heights.

Score: 3.5 out of 5

Star Wars #1 Review

I was barely five years old when my father came home with a VHS tape that said Star Wars on the cover.

This unfamiliar title sparked a resounding sense of curiosity because there was no explanation or synopsis as to what I about to witness or how it would change my life.

Five minutes before my bedtime, I was told to sit down, stare at the TV, press play and prepare to be transported into a galaxy far, far away. Continue reading “Star Wars #1 Review” →

Ant-Man #1 Review

Marvel timed the release of this book perfectly as the teaser trailer for this summer’s Ant-Man film recently debuted. More people are talking about the micro-hero than ever before. Hank Pym is the predecessor of this insect mantel, but this new generation will predominately associate the name Scott Lang with the character. Continue reading “Ant-Man #1 Review” →

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Movie Review: A Fun Experience

I watched the newest Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie, and I was thoroughly entertained from beginning to end. The 9-year-old me who saw the original 1990 film on opening weekend would have had his mind blown by this silver screen incarnation of turtle power.

Most believed this movie was doomed to fail when Michael Bay’s name was attached to the project. In fact, his name was mentioned so often that people thought he was the director when he was only a producer. Directing duties went to Jonathan Liebesman.

Continue reading →

Secret Six #1 Review

One of the disappointing causalities of DC Comics New 52 was the Secret Six series. Once again, the talented Gail Simone is at the helm of this clandestine awakening. Continue reading “Secret Six #1 Review” →

UFC 181: Thank You

UFC 181 - Hendricks v Lawler — Past and Present Welterweight Kings

I almost hate admitting this, but I have been bored with MMA as of late. The UFC’s overwhelming slate of shows has given me little cause for excitement. While I understand their business strategy is to create new stars, appealing content extends beyond merely two people fighting in a cage.

We’ve been spoiled for so long with a plethora of intriguing personalities. Gladiators like Royce Gracie, Ken Shamrock, Dan Severn, and Tank Abbott introduced us to this combative spectacle. At the same time, warriors such as Chuck Liddell, Randy Couture, BJ Penn, and Matt Hughes ushered in the sports boom period.

The new generation of fighters have evolved quite nicely, but besides Ronda Rousey, no one else has mass appeal. People want to like Jon Jones, but his Ill-mannered and disingenuous personality is a turnoff. Cain Velasquez, Demetrious Johnson, and Chris Weidman seem like the type of athletes you’d want your kids to look up to. Unfortunately, they lack that larger-than-life persona.

UFC 181 rejuvenated my excitement for Mixed Martial Arts. The event had everything you could ask for and then some, and I wrote a column about it at What Culture.com titled 5 Things We Learned From UFC 181.

Thoughts On CM Punk Signing With UFC

This past Saturday at UFC 181 in Las Vegas, it was announced that former WWE Superstar CM Punk has signed to fight in UFC and will make his Octagon debut sometime in 2015.

Punk was interviewed at cage side by Joe Rogan and said he is done with professional wrestling and that MMA is his full-time career now because it’s now or never for him.

Punk said that the weight class he will fight at is up in the air, but he is looking at middleweight (185 lbs), but welterweight (170 lbs) is a possibility. He also said that he will not fight at light heavyweight (205 lbs)

When asked who he was going to train with, Punk said he didn’t want to tip his hat just yet and that he is making inquires with a few camps. Continue reading “Thoughts On CM Punk Signing With UFC” →

Calling The Shots Of UFC 181: Hendricks vs. Lawler II

UFC 181 features two championship bouts to close out the promotion’s pay-per-view calendar for the year. With an unprecedented 45 events scheduled for 2015, this card will go a long way in bringing clarity at the top of the welterweight and lightweight divisions. From top to bottom, this looks to be the most intriguing and action-packed card of the year.

– Tony Ferguson vs. Abel Trujillo

This is a fight of technique versus raw aggression. Ferguson is very skilled, and Abel Trujillo made some serious noise with his win over Jamie Varner, which turned into a violent slugfest. Ferguson cannot win a firefight and has to dictate the pace with takedowns. I believe that Trujillo will land big shots, thus forcing Ferguson out of his wheelhouse.

The Pick: Abel Trujillo Continue reading “Calling The Shots Of UFC 181: Hendricks vs. Lawler II” →

X-O Manowar #30 Review

In 1996, I was introduced to X-O Manowar via his crossover video game with Iron Man titled Heavy Metal. Years later, Valiant has done a marvelous job of fleshing out the character in this vast comic universe that has been created. Continue reading “X-O Manowar #30 Review” →