April 28, 2011: Mastering martial arts skills foundation of fighting success
Morgan Campbell Toronto Star Wednesday is pro day at Elite Training Centre in Mississauga, and the action on the mats intensifies each time the buzzer sounds. Five weeks from this February afternoon, Joel Powell will win the first sanctioned mixed martial arts bout in Ontario; right now, he’s at the far end of the room … Continue reading
April 27, 2011: An MMA Fighter’s Daily Grind
A ragged group of Muay Thai students shuffles across the floor at Elite Training Centre in Mississauga, throwing one-twos as their instructor shouts commands. The kick-boxers are hobbyists but the guy in the nearby ring is a pro, warming up for his third workout of the day. As the students take on imaginary opponents, 30-year-old Claude (The … Continue reading
About this weekend: Three thoughts
1. THE UFC NEEDS A NEW SUPERSTAR — STAT Saturday night kickboxing ace Alistair Overeem toppled Brock Lesnar with a series of shots to the midsection, but minutes after the bout, when the WWE star-turned UFC cash cow announced his retirement from the Octagon, the folks running the world’s fastest-growing sports league probably felt like … Continue reading
Feeling GSP’s Pain
I wish I could say today marked the re-launch of my short-lived but very popular video series “Fighting Words,” but I don’t have the power to decide whether features like that live or die over at the Mother Ship. But when big names come to town I can sometimes sneak out of the office with world-class … Continue reading
Morgan Campbell: A Writer on Sports and More 