June 1, 2008
Mixed Martial Arts
Pulling No Punches, Brawler Wins His Prime-Time Debut By JOSHUA ROBINSON
NEWARK — At 9 p.m. on a wet Saturday, mixed martial arts opened its case to join the mainstream. The CBS announcer Gus Johnson looked into the camera and proclaimed the evening — the sport’s live debut on network television — “the dawn of an era in American sports.”
The collaboration between CBS and the Elite XC fight league culminated in the main event, a heavyweight bout featuring the former street brawler, bouncer and bodyguard turned YouTube sensation Kimbo Slice. Slice’s fight against James Thompson was scheduled for three five-minute rounds of few-holds-barred action designed to grip the crowd of 8,033 at the Prudential Center and, more important, the prime time TV audience.
Slice, 6 feet 2 inches and 235.5 pounds, gave the fans and the organizers what they had hoped for in the third organized bout of his career, although he had to work harder to win than in his previous fights. The bout was ended by a disputed decision, with the referee calling a technical knockout in favor of Slice. Thompson was bleeding from his ear, and the bout was stopped 38 seconds into the third round.
“I got him pretty good on the ear,” Slice said. “And I felt confident after that.”
In one of the night’s middleweight fights, Phil Baroni of Long Island, a former all-American wrestler at Central Michigan, was dispatched in 1 minute 11 seconds by Joe Villasenor, who was undefeated as an amateur boxer.
Gina Carano, a regular on “American Gladiators,” remained undefeated by pummeling Kaitlin Young in the only women’s bout, a vicious match decided by technical knockout after the second round.
The next bout, between Robbie Lawler and Scott Smith, was a dull affair. The officials stopped it in the third round after what they deemed an accidental foul — Smith took a thumb in his right eye — and the bout was declared a no contest. But that fight was quickly forgotten when Slice stole the show.
