It seems to be a tradition in the world of sports journalism to make ridiculously grandiose comparisons of up-and-comers who are doing extremely well to legends of the sport.? How many times have you heard someone will be the ?Next Michael Jordan??? And yet, after twenty years since His Airness led the Chicago Bulls to the first of six NBA Championships, nobody has come close to achieving similar greatness.? This begs the question:? why do we do this?? Why do we feel the need to rush an athlete?s career, to project an unfair light onto a still-developing career?? Perhaps it?s because we miss the greats who have gone on.? Perhaps it?s because we see glimpses of that same greatness in certain newcomers and we want to be the first to acknowledge it.? Or perhaps it?s simply an easy out for something relevant to say in an article.
That said; is Yoel Romero the next Randy Couture??
Yoel Romero Palacio is an Olympic medalist in wrestling.? He has been fighting in Germany and demolishing his opponents ? two in a row simply gave up from his overwhelming assault.? He fights in his first Strikeforce event this coming September against former Light Heavyweight Champion Rafael ?Feij?o? Cavalcante.
So why the comparison?? Well first there?s the obvious wrestling background.? Though slightly different styles of wrestling, you can?t deny that both fighters share the same specialty.? While Couture never actually won a medal, he was an Olympic alternate.? The former NCAA Division 1 Champ all but invented wrestling when it came to MMA.? He made wrestling look brutal in a sport that features head kicks and elbows.? He took people down at will.? He really was a pioneer.
However, even though when you think of Randy Couture you think of wrestling, let?s not forget his spectacular boxing.? Two out of three of his very first professional fights ended in TKO?s.? He stopped Chuck Liddell in his prime.? He pummeled Kevin Randleman and Gabriel Gonzaga.? But how did he get there?? Wrestling.? And that?s the true comparison.? Nobody could use wrestling as a means to strike like Randy Couture.? In an era in MMA where lay and pray seems to be all too prevalent, it?s refreshing to see someone like Romero bring back the Couture-style combination of wrestling then striking.? Here?s to hoping this will be one over-the-top, too-soon-to-tell comparison that actually becomes a reality.
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Source: http://www.ultimatesportstalk.com/MMA/2011/07/23/the-next-randy-couture/
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