Chad Griggs knocks out Bobby Lashley
The adage in mixed martial arts is that one defeat does not a career ruin. For various reasons, one loss in MMA doesn’t have the same impact as it would on a boxer’s career. And in most cases, that makes sense. But not in the case of Bobby Lashley.
Getting submitted is one thing. Getting surprised by an overlooked opponent and losing a decision is not the end of the world. But when you get knocked out by an unranked opponent and reportedly leave the arena on a stretcher, it’s a different story.
If Chad Griggs could do a hospital job on Lashley, we all know what an elite heavyweight would do to him. While it is true that anybody can get caught, everybody at the top managed to avoid getting knocked out violently by a scrub on the way up.
After this loss, it is fair to cross Bobby Lashley off the list of serious heavyweight prospects. You should always be suspicious of 34 year-old prospects to begin with, but this loss was pretty emphatic. Bobby Lashley does not look like he has what it takes to be a top MMA fighter. But that doesn’t mean he is done as a fighter, or at least as an entertainer.
Part of the problem is that Lashley had the absurd notion that he could balance an MMA and wrestling career at the same time. You can’t be hamming it up on TNA and focusing on MMA at the same time, especially as a neophyte fighter (neo-fighter?). That was a clear red flag from the moment Lashley announced his intentions.
The solution is for Strikeforce to absolutely, once and for all, embrace the “circus fight.” Stop pretending that the promotion will ever be able to compete with UFC. Dana White has too much of a well-oiled machine pumping out great fights for a rag-tag outfit like Strikeforce to ever really be the “Pepsi” to the UFC’s “Coke.” The product just isn’t there, and every promotion seems to blow up in Scott Coker’s face. Fedor is tarnished. Lashley is a lemon. And “King” Mo Lawal looks like he might be destined to always fall just short. It’s time for Coker to give it up.
But that doesn’t mean business can’t improve.
Strikeforce simply needs to offer a constant stream of enticing circus fights. Coker was already floating the idea of a Bobby Lashley/Batista fight before Lashley lost. Presumably, Coker would be selling the idea that this fight would be legit.
Why?
There is clearly a market for watching ‘roided out monsters beat the hell out of one another for the viewing pleasure of the public at large. I would have no problem admitting I would love to watch a no-holds barred, no pre-determined ending showdown between Lashley and Batista. It is time for Scott Coker admit he runs a circus, and offically assume the role of ring master.
The first step is to let most of the legitimate talent go. The relationship between legit fighters and Strikeforce doesn’t seem to be beneficial for either party at this point in time anyway. Getting rid of the real contenders will cut costs dramatically. Keep around a few has-beens for name recognition, but that’s it. No more building up guys like Jake Shields just so Dana White can hilariously chill with them Octagon-side before poaching them by offering relative chicken feed and than burying them at the bottom of the UFC roster. That can’t be good for business.
So bring on Batista! The options for insanely entertaining but absurd match-ups really are limitless. You can always count on a broke, shamed athlete or celebrity looking to cash in on a pay-per-view. Michael Vick threw two interceptions in the Eagle’s last pre-season game, so he could be an option in the future. The Situation’s situation could lend him toward taking a beating in a year or two. You already know you can get Jose Canseco to fight anyone you point at for the price of a catfish dinner. Why not just go the circus route?
It’s the only way Strikeforce will ever be taken seriously.
Mason Lerner
