Shamrock, Watson, Anthony, Bornstein and Ortiz

halfsie or fullsie

wed 8/13/2008

 
halfsie-or-fullsie-shamrock-watson-anthony-bornstein-and-ortiz MMA fighter Tito Ortiz in a suit and tie.

You may have wondered: are they? A little?
Well, yes. Yes, they are.

Frank ShamrockFrank Shamrock

Age: 35

MMA fighter known for successfully defending the UFC Middleweight title five times before eventually retiring in 1999.

Halfsie or Fullsie?

Fullsie: Mexican-American.

 
Earl WatsonEarl Watson

Age: 29

Point guard for the NBA's yet-to-be-named Oklahoma City team. Plans on attending law school after he retires.

Halfsie or Fullsie?

Halfsie: African-American father and Mexican mother.

 
Carmelo AnthonyCarmelo Anthony

Age: 24

Small forward for the NBA's Denver Nuggets. Nicknamed "Melo." Married to TV personality Alani "LaLa" Vasquez.

Halfsie or Fullsie?

Halfsie: Puerto Rican father and African-American mother.

 
Jonathan BornsteinJonathan Bornstein

Age: 23

Defender for MLS's Chivas USA and the U.S. national team. Named Rookie of the Year in 2006.

Halfsie or Fullsie?

Halfsie: Mexican mother.

 
Tito OritzTito Oritz

Age: 33

Former UFC Light Heavyweight champion. Fired on NBC's Celebrity Apprentice. Dating adult film star Jenna Jameson.

Halfsie or Fullsie?

Halfsie: Mexican-American father.

 
 
 

Roger Huerta

whodat

fri 4/25/2008

 
El Matador UFC fighter Roger "El Matador" Huerta raises his fist.

(image by bry241173 via flickr)

Roger Huerta says he should be dead by now. But the 24-year-old isn't talking about his career as a professional fighter, he's thinking back to his years growing up.

Born in Los Angeles and raised in Texas, Huerta's parents divorced when he was five. Huerta stayed with his mother, Lydia, until his teachers found bruises all over his body and he was sent to a foster home. Although a court then gave his father, Rogelio, custody, Huerta's mom had other ideas. She fled the country with her son to El Salvador – right in the middle of that country's violent civil war. Huerta's mother eventually sent him back to his father who had moved to San Juan de los Lagos, México – and become a violent drug addict. Roger, now only slightly more protected than a street kid, began selling chewing gum and rosaries to tourists in front of La Basilica de San Juan de los Lagos.

As he was entering his teens, Huerta and his father returned to Texas, settling in Dallas. With his father still battling drug addiction, Huerta began staying with friends and attending school daily for a free breakfast and lunch. Huerta recalls: "I loved school because I got to eat!" In 1998, at 15, he moved to Austin, Texas with the family of a friend where he became a star athlete in both football and wrestling at Crockett High. Afternoons, Huerta worked at places like Blockbuster Video and Taco Bell to earn "survival money." His English teacher, Ms. Jo Ramirez, became his college tutor, mentor and later his adopted mother.

In 2002, Huerta began wrestling at Augsburg College in Minneapolis but dropped out of school after his freshman year. By then he was already hooked on mixed martial arts, a combination of boxing, martial arts and wrestling. By 2006, Huerta had made his Ultimate Fighting Championship debut in front of nearly 18,000 spectators at the Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim. Just one year later, he had become a star. With a five-match winning streak, good looks and a strong Latino fan base, Huerta who often wears green, white and red trunks during fights, became the first MMA fighter to grace the cover of Sports Illustrated.

Huerta, who says he neither drinks nor smokes, is now based in St. Paul, Minnesota, where he lives and trains with a tight-knit group of fellow MMA fighters. Nicknamed "El Matador" for his methodical style in the ring, Huerta insists his foray into mixed martial arts is not about taking out childhood frustrations on opponents: "I think it's just that I've found something I'm good at doing."

 
 

WWE vs. UFC

versus

wed 4/9/2008

 
WWE vs. UFC A collage of the WWE logo and the UFC logo.
full name World Wrestling Entertainment. Ultimate Fighting Championship.
discipline Professional wrestling. Mixed martial arts.
started in 1952. 1993.
founded by Vincent J. McMahon. Art Davis and Rorion Gracie.
homebase Stamford, Connecticut. Las Vegas, Nevada.
current catchphrase "The power is back." ''As real as it gets."
big cheese Chairman Vince McMahon, Jr. President Dana White.
a family affair Vince McMahon's wife, Linda McMahon, is CEO. Son Shane McMahon and daughter Stephanie McMahon-Levesque are executive vice presidents. Owned by brothers Frank Fertitta III and Lorenzo Fertitta.
battleground The "squared circle." The octagon.
signature event WrestleMania. UFC tournament.
old guard André the Giant, Hulk Hogan, "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, "Macho Man" Randy Savage, Ultimate Warrior, Bret "The Hitman" Hart, Shawn Michaels, The Undertaker, The Rock, Stone Cold Steve Austin, Triple H. Royce Gracie, Bas Rutten, Dan Severn, Ken Shamrock, Randy Couture, Chuck Liddell, Tito Ortiz, Dan Shamrock, Mark Coleman, Vitor Belfort, Tank Abbott.
new blood John Cena, Randy Orton, MVP, Shelton Benjamin, Jaime Noble. Anderson Silva, Matt Serra, BJ Penn, John Alessio, George St. Pierre, Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira.
charismatic champion Randy "The Legend Killer" Orton. Quinton "Rampage" Jackson.
high-profile defections Former WWE Champ Brock Lesnar now fights for UFC. UFC fighters Ken Shamrock and Dan Severn became WWE Superstars.
Latino stars Tito Santana, Eddie Guerrero, Rey Mysterio, Jr., Batista, Carlito. Tito Ortiz, Ricco Rodriguez, Wanderlei Silva, Roger Huerta.
crossing over Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson has appeared in nine movies, including The Scorpion King, Walking Tall and Gridiron Gang. Tito Ortiz has appeared in the move Cradle 2 the Grave and the TV show "Celebrity Apprentice."
making moves Purchased rival promotions WCW and ECW. Purchased rival promotion PRIDE.
the critics Phil Mushnick, New York Post: "Pro wrestling manufactures death. And the guy who owns and operates the biggest factory, the boss who sets the standards, is Vince McMahon." Phil Mushnick, New York Post: "[Ultimate fighting] would not have been on TV in the past because it was inappropriate. Now, it's on TV because it's inappropriate."
controversy Scrutiny over steroid abuse increased after the sudden death of Eddie Guerrero and the Chris Benoit murders. In 1996, before weight classes and new safety rules were established, Arizona Senator John McCain sent letters to every state asking them to ban ultimate fighting because it was "barbaric."
bet you didn't know WrestleMania I did not feature a WWE Championship match. The original promoters of UFC reportedly considered installing an electric fence around the ring.