Outdoor fighting events are nothing new. Some of the best and biggest boxing matches have been outdoors; since the early 1900’s with such prominent boxing figures as Jack Johnson.

If you were to Google “Outdoor Boxing Matches” you would retrieve thousands of links from amateur outdoor fights to the history of outdoor boxing.

If outdoor boxing has been an accepted part of our culture, the question must be posed, “Why not outdoor MMA?”

To most people this question would be easily answered with a resounding “Yes!!” But there are those that feel an outdoor MMA event at a venue such as the Woodward Park Amphitheatre is wrong and should be moved. This group is lead by Christine Arbuckle, a Fresno women who feels that outdoor MMA has no place in a venue that has children present.

This strikes a chord with me on a few levels. For one, the fight will be at 7:00pm and it is highly unlikely that some children will wander into the venue and be permanently scarred by seeing a man take a kick to the face. This will probably not happen. Have you been to an event at the new Amphitheatre Mrs. Arbuckle?  Well, I was fortunate to be present with my fiance at the Paul Rodriguez show. i could say with 100% honesty that until I had given my ticket and entered the venue, the comedians and crowd were completely isolated from view.

The next issue I have with her stance is that she referenced MMA fighters as ‘cage fighters.’ MMA fighters are highly trained pugilist specialists in the same way boxers are. There is an unwaranted stigma that MMA fighting is brutal and barbaric.

History shows that boxing is more dangerous of a sport, which can be indicated by the amount of deaths and hospitalizations boxing is attributed with. Those that watched the July 17 Oscar Diaz fight have seen first hand how brutal a 12 round boxing match can be. There have been only a small handful of MMA fights that concluded with such brutal and physically detrimental outcomes.

I have said my piece. I think that this fight is progessive and I applaud Rick Mirigian for thinking of new and exciting events to bring to North Fresno.

What do you all think?

CASEY “THE UNDERDOG” OLSON vs. AARON MILLER

Cage Combat Fighting Championships
“RUMBLE AT THE PARK”
Sat. Aug. 23^rd ~ Gates open at 6:00 PM ~ Bouts begin at 7:00 PM

Event is outdoors! ~ Woodward Park ~ Fresno

(Fresno, Calif.) Fresno’s own CASEY “THE UNDERDOG” OLSON (8-2) is slated to bout with AARON MILLER (5-3) at the Cage Combat Fighting Championships’ “Rumble at the Park” on Saturday, August 23^rd. Event is outdoors. Gates open at 5:30 PM and bouts begin at 6:30 PM. Tickets to this MMA fight are now on sale. Box Office Info: (559) 924-7751. Tickets.com Call Center: (800) 225-2277.

Casey “The Underdog” Olson is a product of Clovis High, Fresno City College and Fresno State’s wrestling teams. At Clovis High, he was a 2X Team Captain, Valley Champion and State Placer. At FCC, he was 2X Team Captain, 2X All American and State Champion. And at Fresno State he was 2X Team Captain, 2X NCAA Qualifier and Northern Regional Champion.

His volunteer work includes Clovis’ Police Activities League, Cornerstone Youth Group, as well as guest clinics and motivation speaking for Clovis, Roosevelt, Fowler, Hoover and Buchanan High Schools. This past year, he has also served as an assistant wrestling coach at Buchanan.

Tickets now on sale: http://www.ticketmaster.com/venue/229600.
Save on Ticketmaster fees and purchase tickets in person @ MMA Elite Apparel in Fresno: http://www.mmaeliteapparel.com/

Official fight after party at AQUA SHI Asian Fusion Grill, 1144 E. Champlain Dr. #108, Fresno, 93720. Southwest corner of Palm and Nees Aveneus. Phone: (559) 433-9200.
Online: www.aquashi.com

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

QUOTES FROM “THE UNDERDOG”:

WHO ARE YOU FIGHTING THIS TIME?
“Aaron Miller from Submission Fight Factory in OC.”

HOW TOUGH WAS YOUR LAST FIGHT?
“Very tough. Tito Jones is no joke. He is not gonna lose very often.”

ANY NEW STRATEGIES AND/OR TRAINING TECHNIQUES?
“Nope, same ol’ stuff. Training hard, that’s my main strategy.”

ARE YOU STILL DOING THE TRUCK PULLS?
“Yep, still do the truck pushes! It works on my explosiveness.”

WHAT’S WITH ALL THE CONTROVERSY WITH MMA AT WOODWARD PARK?
“Some people just don’t understand the sport. I think they are over looking the fact of what MMA means and just looking at the word fighting. This is a sport, MIXED MARTIAL ARTS.  Professional athletes who bust their butt everyday from six hours on to train in the skills of Jiu-Jitsu,, boxing, kickboxing, wrestling, muay thai and grappling. It is not some barnyard brawl.” 

“We get routinely tested for steroids, HIV, Hep C. We have to do physicals, MRI and MRA. What other sport tests for all that to ensure that you’re healthy before you step in the ring or the cage? In fact, nobody has ever died in this sport, and yes it is much safer than boxing or football or NASCAR.”

“You’re gonna have controversy in everything, but all it does is build more recognition for it. So, I guess keep it up!”

HOW’S THE NEW SHIRT DESIGN WORKING OUT?
“Working out well, I’m told.  Everybody I have talked to loves it. You can get it from Aaron and Maria at MMA Elite Apparel in Fresno.” Online: http://www.mmaeliteapparel.com/

Fresno Fusion is the first to bring you this fresh news from our favorite downtown night life spot, the 2039 Ultra Lounge. 2039 will have two brand new themes for their Friday and Saturday line-up. The ladies who decide to go pink for the night will get in free before 11pm on Friday nights, and to go with the theme 2039 will be selling Nuvo Sparkling Vodka, “The World’s First Sparkling Liqueur that Celebrate’s The Joy of Life.”

Saturday’s will feature the new “Kamikaze”night that will see 2039 serve Kamikaze specials, and ladies will be getting in free before 10pm. Also RGM Presents will be giving away tickets to the Central Valley’s first outdoor MMA event, “Rumble in the Park.”

Check back for more Fusion Exclusive’s for 2039 Ultra Lounge………………………………

So I was thinking about this blog competition that Mr. Scharton proposed, and I think it’s fantastic. His questions about Fulton Mall and eminent domain, got me thinking of the most famous “free-land” experiment that became the American Frontier.

It’s difficult to think of the American West without thinking of the slaughter, and all the unforgivable deeds of profit seekers. However, there is something to say about the motivation that the “free land” offer gave to Americans to move westward. I did some research, and in fact, Americans seem to be most motivated when land is free to develop. Free seems to motivate the hell out of people, and gave the Frontier Families a reason to get through mud, over mountains, and across rivers.

I think with Fulton Mall development we’ve got lots of mud, mountains, and rivers to cross, AND to be successful, to have the strength to see this through, we need some motivation. That said, we should also be smart about it. We DO NOT want to gentrify culturally rich neighborhoods, and end up regretting our every move.

The exceptional American spirit, touted in the “Frontier Thesis” misses a lot of important precursors to successful, sustainable development. But just like we once thought the earth was the center of the universe, our errors are sometimes just the beginning of our journey.

To be clear I am not speaking of the “manifest destiny” theory. The “Frontier Theory” is more about how and why Americans show up in the first place, not where they are going.

The Fulton Mall, and Fresno, is our Frontier, it’s the heart of our city, and it wants to beat again.

My point in all of this … I do think that the City should use eminent domain wherever necessary in Fresno, BUT it must be well thought out and according to a plan that embraces diversity…This second point is more important than the first. Watch what you give, and who you give to! Sustainable development is the answer and that won’t happen if you build a Starbucks where an Artisan should have been.

Last point before I go back to studying: I do think that we should be able to drive, ride horses, walk, bike, and do whatever else around Fulton Mall. We don’t have the weather that Santa Monica does. When the air conditioner became standard in vehicles, we lost any chance at a walking commercial center. That’s because it’s HOT in Fresno in the summer…and all that heat makes us super sensitive to any amount of cold in the winter.

That’s it for now…Thanks to Craig for opening up the blog-frontier!!! Hope more people sign on and get the blog pot boiling. I won’t be competing or winning for that matter (my entries are sooooooooooooooo long…I know!) But, I wanted to leave everyone with a poem just for this occasion.

Warning: It’s adapted from a piece of crap!

Author’s Note: This is an adaptation of a misguided poem called “The White Man’s Burden” written at the turn of the last century by Rudyard Kipling, the guy that brought us The Jungle Book (his 1894 original work).

The Fresno Burden
by Carissa Phelps

Take up the Fresno burden–
Send forth the best ye blog –
…
Take up the Fresno burden—
…
And check the show of pride;
By open speech and simple blogging.
…
Take up the Fresno burden–
The unsung wars on poverty –
…
Take up the Fresno burden—
No tawdry rule of kings,
But toil of serf and sweeper –
The tale of common things.
The ports we long to enter,
The roads we do not tread.
…
Take up the Fresno burden–
And reap Craig’s old reward:
The $150 of prize money,
Along with free goodies that he guards–

The cry of web-hosts ye humor
(Ah, slowly!) you must write
“Why brought he from their bondage,
Our thoughts on J street nights?”

Take up the Fresno burden–
Ye dare not stoop to less–
Nor call too loud on Freedom
To cloak your weariness;
By all CAPS or whispers,
By all ye can think or write,
The not-so-silent, happy peoples
Shall weigh your words and you.

Take up the Fresno burden–
Have done with childish days–
The lightly proffered laurel,
The easy, ungrudged praise.
Blog now, to search and find your roots
Through all the blogless years
Cold, edged with high-priced wisdom,
Blogging for the judgment of your peers.

GOOD LUCK!!!

You Could Be Fresno’s Best Blogger!!>>  

Stretch out your typing fingers Fresno residents, because Fresno Fusion will be hosting the Fresno’s Best Blogger Competition! Downtown Fresno’s favorite son Craig Scharton will be the guest judge, and up for grabs for the winner is a $150 cash prize, a sponsor gift bundle, and a spot on the Fresno Fusion home page for future blog articles.

 The Rules

There will be three major topics mainly pertaining to our beloved Downtown Fresno, but if your interest lies elsewhere, please feel free to email us the topic for approval. Pretty much if it is about Fresno business, art, music, politics, it will be approved. That’s it!

Topic 1- Should Fulton Mall be Opened Up to Traffic? Yes or No

Topic 2-What is the role of eminent domain in downtown revitalization?

Topic 3-If downtown’s are a true representation of a city, then what should our downtown say about Fresno?

If you would like to compete using another topic, just shoot us an email    sloggett9@gmail.com

Point Structure

25% Clearly stated opinion

25% Opinion backed up with facts/ and or examples

25% Humor, starkiness, atitude, edginess

25% style, proper use of adverbs, brevity, voice/flow

The Prizes

The best blogger will recieve a $150 cash prize, a bundle of goodies from sponsors, and will have his/her own blog tab on the home page as a Fusion writer/blogger

What you Need to do to get started

Just go to the blog section of Fresno Fusion, scroll down a bit and you should see the “log-in” link on the left column. Click on it, create a new account by inputting a username and providing an email, and that’s it. Your password should be sent to your email shortly thereafter. It might go to your spam, so check there if your password does not appear in your normal inbox.

We can’t wait to see the great writing Fresno has to offer!!

The 2039 Ultra Lounge is now serving food through the culinary prowess of the Olive Press brass. As you may already know, The Olive Press was a popular downtown Fresno restaurant that has been out of business for about three months. The closing of the Olive Press was definitely not due to the quality of the food, but could be credited to the inefficiency of the landlord.

The Arrangement

The Olive Press will operate through 2039 and serve the same menu options that patrons are accustomed to seeing. This is mutually beneficial because 2039 recieves a proven menu and competent management with Tony Williams, and Tony can continue doing what he does great and enjoys which is preparing the items from his menu to the loyal customers of the previous Olive Press location.

Ultra Cafe’ Food

Back to the food, I stopped by 2039 today to give the food a try, and to see how the venue was set-up during the day to cater to the lunch crowds. I was very pleased with the menu options, which range from specialty salads, to gourmet brick-oven baked pizzas, and hot and cold sandwiches. There was adequate seating for those that just wanted to enjoy the food with a few 4 person tables arranged in the area near the bathrooms. Also lunch guests can choose to eat at the bar or at at the tables that had previously been arranged near the entrance.  I was fortunate enough to get the chance to request a favorite choice from former Olive Press owner Tony Williams. I had the philly cheese steak sandwich with a garden salad. I must admit that I am not a connoisseur of things Philly, but this sandwich was impressively flavorful. The meat tasted very fresh, and the roasted bell peppers and onions served as a fine balance to the overall flavor.

The final tab was a very reasonable 8 dollars. When compared to other options I would have to eat lunch at this price, I think I made a good decision.

 Name: Ultra Cafe’

Hours: Monday-Friday 11A.M-7P.M.
                   

“Legacy” at Last Call (May 17, 2008) was a Zapp’s Park benefit concert that featured three local bands at a historically popular bar and hangout in Fresno, CA. The basic aim was to raise money for renovations at Last Call and judging by the turnout, I’d say things went fairly well. The place was nearly full by show time.

The benefit, put on by D4D Entertainment (Diehardz for Diehardz), was a performance based benefit with a twist. The $10 cover charge included food (pasta w/ sides provided by Luna Pizzeria & Italian Restaurant) and two ticket vouchers for free beer or well drinks. Certain drinks were not included in the promotion, but most beers and well drinks were available by ticket.

Also, the event included an auction hosted by Pete Salazar of D4D Entertainment, which included sports and music memorabilia that was previously for sale at Pete’s now closed collectibles shop, Diehardz. The shop offered a large selection of sports and music collectibles, along with other rare and fun items and even offered consignment deals for local musicians. A devastating break-in a few months back caused the shop to close, but opened the door for D4D, Pete’s hot new entertainment promotion team.

Performing at the Legacy benefit were hard rockers Euphoria, a young acoustically driven trio called Bevage, and the Dirty Sanchez. Simona and Drastic Measures were billed to perform that night, but could not make it for undisclosed reasons. The bands that did perform were all pretty good and all had a different style of rock for the crowd. My favorite group of the evening was the last up, Dirty Sanchez. They really kept the show alive at the final stretch of the evening as their simplistically clever tunes, charismatic lead singer, and talented rhythm section showed off their skills. The crowd loved it!

Props to Last Call, one of the friendliest bars I’ve ever been to, and to Diehardz 4 Diehardz Entertainment for putting on a great show for a great cause! Here’s to many more years of live music and fun at Zapp’s Park!!!

Extra Info: the Dirty Sanchez is scheduled to play another live show at last Call on Friday, June 27, 2008. Also performing that night will be bands Down Word and Silverburst. Make sure you check it out!

Also, a word from Pete of D4D: “ZAPP’S LEGACY PART 2 IS COMING IN AUGUST!!!”

Don’t miss it!

~559rell

Arts and Entertainment Commentator, FresnoFusion.com

Has anybody noticed that most lounges in Fresno, don’t really know how to be a “lounge”? Some of this is hearsay, most is from personal experience, but I’ve noticed that what is probably a majority of the new lounges in Fresno turn out to be typical nightclubs, with fancier decor, playing most of the same music you would hear at any given dance club here in the ‘No.

I had the impression that 2039 Ultra Lounge was going for a real lounge vibe, until I heard that they were packing the house (and the dance floor) and playing music of the B95 kind.

I really like what they’ve done with the furniture and layout though. Things have really improved since they first opened and now they’re even serving what looks to be good food (haven’t tried it yet).

BUT,

If you’ve ever peeped the crowd, you’ve seen that things are getting raunchy and people are calling it “classy” and “sexy”. This is a problem elsewhere, but Fresno has it bad.

Groping, grinding, licking, rubbing, and dressing in hardly anything at all is not classy nor sexy (well, maybe sexy, in the worst way); it’s raunchy and risque. It’d be a hard lesson to teach the youth of this town/city.

What happened?

What I hear in my daytime visits is what they should be playing at night: Less mainstream, more musical, mood-setting music.

But at night, they turn into a full-on hip hop /techno dance club? Why?

Nevermind. I’m sure it’s for the money.

About Bliss:

I had high hopes for Bliss, hearing that they were going to play world music, and enforce a VERY strict dress code. They have done nice by the outside of the club and I hear that the inside looks very nice too, but…
Hearsay, MySpace bulletins from Bliss, and ClubFlys photos have proven that they are already going the dance club route and playing “top 40, hip hop, and r&b”.

What’s going on? Are these lounge-styled clubs too scared that they won’t turn a profit by being truly different? Do they feel that Fresno isn’t totally ready for the change? Are they bowing to the demands of people wanting “more of the same with fancy new walls and chairs”?

Oh, and about ClubFlys:

I really liked the idea (and the name) when I first heard about it… but now it’s become a bit cheesy, making every club out here a backdrop for MySpace photos. People are going to clubs to take pictures now. It’s kind of ridiculous.

2039 is doing a Paparazzi night, and it makes sense to have ClubFlys do their thing there, but not everywhere on every night!!! What if I just want to chill, dance, talk, and drink, without being on camera? There’s hardly a place to go anymore.

So far, I know Twist has kept their lounge a lounge… Still haven’t been to Roe, so we’ll see.

Anyway, we sure need some specialty clubs: A reggae club, a jazz club, a club for world/tribal music, a neo-soul lounge, etc.

We need clubs that are consistent and not afraid to be different.

Top 40, rap, and r&b are played everywhere by the same DJ’s -hopping spots throughout the week. Everybody shouldn’t be doing everything. I wish these clubs would specialize in one or two certain types of music and keep that vibe going for at least a year.

Try it out. It just might work.

In Fresno, you have to worry about what day of the week it is too much. Pick the wrong day at any of our clubs and you’re in for a rude awakening. It’s time to specialize.

~559rell

Arts & Entertainment Commentator, FresnoFusion.com

Hey everyone! Smog City Roller Grrls are back and ready to rumble in the SUMMER SMACKDOWN!!!!SMOG CITY ROLLER GRRLS vs. PRISON CITY DERBY DAMES!This bout is hard earned and let me tell you whY!We originally had a date with the Inland Empire Derby Divas from Riverside CA but due to injury of 3 of their girls they had to pull out.We made the call to Cali’s finest leagues and the Prison City Derby Dames from Chino CA jumped at the opportunity to bout us grrls from Fresno!!!!

We are really excited for this upcoming bout because we know we have what it takes to knock those Prison City Dames right outta their skates!

For those of you who have been to our bouts you know that roller derby is a tough sport. It is physically taxing and extreme. It is not fake and it is legitimately rough. We put our bodies through some grueling stuff and we do it for the genuine love of the game and for your entertainment. Unfortunately, the game doesnt always love us back!

We lost a few girls to injuries over the last month. Dragon Bait will no longer be skating with us due to blown out knees. We are super sad and are all rooting for a speedy recovery although we dont expect her back til next season.

Our lovely little Pookie broke her ankle last week. Ironically it was during a bout last weekend while skating with the Inland Empire girls. She volunteered to help fill their roster because of those few girls who were injured. During that bout against Bakersfield, she took a nasty fall and split her ankle in 3 places. She wont be skating for a long long time! I guess not all good deeds go unpunished!!!

Eva Abhor pulled some tendons in her ankle and will be out for this bout.

Soooo what that means is that us remaining grrls need lots of love and support because we may be skating short and we’ll need all the cheering and screaming and yelling Fresno can offer!!!

Again, those of you who have watched us skate know that those jams go quickly and we have mere minutes to catch our breath and get back onto the track. Imagine this with 3 girls less to work with!!!

So please, show up, show some love and show those Prison Dames what Fresno is made of!!!!

Saturday June 28, 2008
Ernest Valdez Hall, Fresno Convention Center
Doors open at 6:00pm
Bout begins at 7:00pm
Tickets $12 in advance, $15 at the door
Kids 10 and under FREE!!!

Tickets available at:
La Luna Loca Tattoo and Piercing
Retro Rag
SugarHill Skate Shop

For more info:

(559) 222-SCRG(7274)

www.myspace.com/fresnoderbygirls

Poetry, Dancing, and Paul Rodriguez in a two-day period…

My amazing weekend started Friday night at Cafe Corazon for the “Speak Your Heart” open mic poetry session. We arrived late at about 9:20 p.m. While walking up Fulton towards the beloved Cafe that serves as a beacon for downtown entrepreneurship and inspiring ownership, thoughts of a packed audience of creative young professionals and artists ran through my mind. I envisioned having a cup of my favorite coffee, Leo’s Mexican Mocha, and enjoying the thoughts and opinions of numerous Fresno poets. I rarely get the chance to see live poetry, so in my mind the experience would be as much fun as it looked in Mike Myer’s “So I married An Axe Murderer.”

But instead of seeing the large creative gathering I had envisioned, as Cafe Corazon came closer into view I was shocked to see only a few in attendance. My first thought is “Damn you ATT for making me work late and miss the show,” but upon entering the cafe owner Leo informed me that the night never really picked up. He attributed the lack of a solid audience to the fact that it was Father’s Day weekend and many Fresnan’s were busy heading out of town or making last minute plans.

Regardless of the lack of people in attendance, we did manage to find a salvaging diamond in the rough when meeting poet Chicago. Chicage is a poet/MC who was born and raised in Chicago, and currently a Junior at CSU Fresno. The quiet and collected young man had a very drawing aura about him. We discusses his upbringing, introduction into poetry and self-expression, and the amazing future that’s definitely in store for him (Our interview will be posted late this week).

He managed to deliver some extremely poignant and moving poems to the small audience, much to our appreciation. He gave a poem called “Black Boys Pain” which explained the extremely difficult upbringing of a young black boy, and the events in his life that lead to his eventual imprisonment. It was very moving, and those in the audience wore emotional stares while Chicago read each line. He also delivered poems about first love, politics, and the strife and struggle of minorities in America.

His work alone made the first stop during our fun and crazy weekend a 5-Star pleasure.

Our next stop of the night was 2039 Ultra Lounge, for their Las Vegas Nights. The crowd again was affected by Father’s Day Weekend, but this also made the night more enjoyable for my fiance’ and I. We were able to chat with other 2039 guests, had a few drinks with friends, and talk about business with Hector, Dennis, and owner Robert Campos. The night didn’t end there, as we headed down the street to have early morning appetizers at Club One. I have to admit that this was the first time that your downtown writer and enthusiast had ever been to Club One. This is the great thing about hanging out with new people (friends Dennis Rozadilla and his fiance’). Club One is a stop that they often make after long nights at work promoting for 2039. That night I learned that Club One is a great stop for food and appetizers, and maybe even a game of poker.

 Saturday night brought Paul Rodriguez to the all new Woodward Park Amphitheatre. Paul has been one of my favorite latin comedians for about 10 years now, and I never had the opportunity to see him perform live. Fortunately that changed Saturday night as my guests and I had the pleasure to see a great comedy show in North Fresno!! First I must say that Promoter Rick Mirigian succeeded in bringing a Save Mart Center feel to a small venue in Woodward Park. The place was packed, the lighting, sound and stage were fantastic, and of course the comedy was brilliant. Because it is Fresno, and the Central Valley has such a high percentage of Mexican-American’s, Paul opened by saying, “The promoter was on the verge of cancelling the show because a few weeks before the show he’d only a sold a hundred tickets. I told him this is Fresno, my people are great at procrastinating. And sure enough at the last minute you all bought tickets!”

For most of the show Paul Rodriguez had the crowd in uproar. One of my favorite stories was when he was a kid, he begged his father for months to get him a Schwinn bike that at the time cost $60. His father told him, ” Das Loco.” Paul said that all Mexican kids know that if you bother your parents enought for something, you would get it for Christmas.

Christmas came around and he looked under the tree and saw a small box. He said, ” I wonder how my dad got a bike to fit in that little box.” He opened it and there was a textbook about Mexican history. His father told him that he’d find something he needs inside the book. Several months went by and his father kept asking him what he’s learned. Paul would lie and say “The Aztec Indians wore feathers and ran around screaming..” Finally when his family was preparing to move he pulled the book out from under his matress and out of the book fell three $20 bills and a letter saying “We love you son, and with this money we want you to go buy your Schwinn.” When he told his dad, he told him, “Now give me the money, we need it because we’re moving now. Besides, you don’t have enough money, Schwinn’s cost 80 dollars now..”

This story was funny, emotional, and everything that is great about comedy. The Paul Rodriguez show was a great success, and a perfect way to end my weekend.

( Please check back soon to read our exclusive interview with Paul Rodriguez and Poet Chicago!!)