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Alex Reid: Help or Hindrance?
21 Apr 2010
By Jamie Kennedy
We've all seen the TV adverts, "Join me for the fight of my life". A series that documents Alex Reid's adventure across the globe, to explore the more exotic martial arts, in his preparation for the now cancelled bout with Tom 'Kong' Watson. While this series is great for Alex's career as a celebrity, it's hardly the ideal fight camp for a warrior like Watson; who's been training with world class athletes and Trainers such a GSP and Firas Zahabi in Montreal and Daves Gym in Amsterdam, with the likes of Paul Daley and Melvin Manhoef. It's these questionable training methods that lead to doubts about Alex' commitment to the Fight.
Leading up to the fight MMA forums, Celebrity Gossip pages and The Tabloids had been a wash with rumours that Reid was going to pull out of the fight, so when the inevitable happened it was with very little shock, although eyes brow's were raised and smug grin's from doubters were worn. With just shy of a month before The BAMMA event takes place it leaves Watson in the precarious position of: Being without an opponent, without the PR the fight would have brought and more worryingly without the pay packet; the reward for months of blood, sweat, tears and finance from the grueling training camp. (Matt Horwich has stepped into replace Reid, although less profile in the UK, in the scheme of things it's a bigger fight in World Wide MMA rankings.)
I'm not going to speculate whether or not Alex had any intention of pulling out of the fight the whole time which seems to be the consensus opinion, as he's already been in the ring with Lee Murray, Phalares, Jorge Rivera and Ninja Rua to name but a few. So he's no stranger to facing world class talent; even if some say there was about as much chance of him winning this fight as there is the Devil sledging to work. (after all he did only beat a snowman by split decision in the Big Brother house.)
It's just the whole circus surrounding Reid since he left the Big Brother house victorious has lead some to believe that's he's made a mockery of MMA in this country. I guess there's arguments for and against the influence his newly found fame has. He's certainly raised the profile of the Sport which great but the media prefers paint a picture of a brutal blood sport of cage fighting rather than an array professional athletes with world class talent in abundance. Which is not Alex Reid's fault, although his antics doesn't help dissuade doubters and nay sayers!
In America they have a similar situation with Kevin 'Kimbo Slice' Ferguson, who like Reid is now more famous than far superior fighters. 'Kimbo' shot to fame from street fights aired on You Tube and was thrust into main events with former UFC rivals EliteXC as MMA legend Bass Rutten's protégé. Also like Reid, 'Kimbo's' celebrity was cemented by a stint on a reality TV show (The Ultimate Fighter series 10) and also like Reid he won the viewers over with his genuine nice guy attitude.
The comparisons however seem to come to an abrupt end here as unlike Alex, 'Kimbo' is a true fighter who just wants to improve and carry on competing at the highest level. Alex it seems, has lost the fire in his belly and his passion for fighting has died at the same rate that his lust for fame has increased. Over the years he's become more concerned with Hello magazine and the News of The World than he is with Fighters Only magazine. This why it's damaging to the Sport that the media holds Reid as the Ambassador of MMA and the face of "Cage Fighting" in this country, especially when genuine World class talent such Michael Bisping, Dan Hardy, Paul Daley, Brad Pickett etc are so competitive on the world stage.
"Nothing makes one so Vain as being told one is a sinner, conscience makes egotists of us all" ~ Oscar Wilde
Reid has become synonymous with "Cage Fighting" and his antics and debauchery with his scandal magnet wife do nothing to dispel the negative perception the media has. A perfect example of this is a recent article in The Times-
"When I wanted to get behind the cage-fighting scenes, Alex seemed the ideal place to begin. A cross-dressing, Celebrity Big Brother-winning, Peter Andre nemesis, I was pretty sure he'd be representative" - Katie Glass writes
(Yes he's the quintessential Mixed Martial Artist, the Sport has a myriad of Fighters who in their spare time love nothing more than donning suspenders and high heels for a night on the Town, in fact 'Rampage' is bringing out his own brand of laced French underwear this autumn.)- Sarcasm aside: This paints a picture of a less than mentally acute staple of fighters if we're to believe what Katie Glass appears to be implying.
The article continues in the same manner, highlighting the rules and regulations of MMA in such away that even though these rules are in place to protect the safety of participants, they're used in such a context that they help add to the horror story the writer wants to portray-
"There are 31 rules in cage fighting. They read like a medieval torture table mixed with tips from my brother. No eye gouging, no biting, no hair pulling, no groin attacks. No grabbing the clavicle or trachea, clawing, twisting or pinching the flesh. No putting your fingers in opponents’ orifices, cuts or lacerations. And so they go on…
And no fear. Yes, it’s a rule. “No timidity.”." Continues the horrified Katie Glass
This article obviously attempts to show as reason view from both angles but the authors own feelings on the sport become apparent, expressing that the crowd at UCMMA were bored by the nights event and offers very little about the bouts taking place. When The Times Writer Katie Glass describes The Academy of Mixed Martial Arts in Leicester (The home of Leicester Shoot fighters, where the likes of Dan Hardy, Paul Daley, Andre Winner, Dean Amasinger, Jim Wallhead and Nick Osipczak to name but a few train under the tutorship of Nathan Levington), she mockingly states-
"If you close your eyes in Dan’s gym you can’t tell if you’re in an S&M dungeon or a gay nightclub. Clicking chains whipping together from fists pounding leather punchbags. Iron weights slamming to the floor. Orgasmic grunts of sparring martial artists, punching boxers and pumping weights. “Uh, uh, huh, huh, huh, yeah, yeah, yeah,” laid over a backing track of Ghostbusters mixed with Eye of the Tiger. And there’s the trainer. “Move, you f***ing pussies!”."
While I'm not in a position to either deny or confirm this having not being there as well as not having any experience of S&M dungeons and gay night clubs, this did raise a chuckle or two but as amusing as it is, it hardly shows the athletes the respect they deserve and takes us father away from viewing fighters as professional athletes and deeper into the viewpoint that Alex Reid is a typical "Cage-fighter", cross-dresser and implies a homo-erotic nature of the Sport. (I wonder if Katie Glass googled Boxers opinions of Mixed Martial Arts?)
The main thing I find frustrating about the perception the media conjures with articles like this is that MMA is a Sport Britons are having genuine success and usually we're so patriotic as a Nation it can actually become nothing short of ridiculous, around World Cup time "England fever" can create pandemonium, yet instead of highlighting our Athletes accomplishments the media prefers to dismiss the Sport and concentrate on Mr Jordan.
There's so much happening now that gives me great optimism for the future of UK MMA: The return of Cage Warriors, BAMMA and Strike and Submit acquiring TV deals, Team England having so much success in the M1 challenge and a plethora or exciting fighters from our ever expanding talent pool.
Whether you subscribe to the theory that no publicity is bad publicity and Alex Reid is helping to raise the awareness of an otherwise ignored Sport or that his Celebrity "naffness" sets the Sport back several years and ruins all the hard work Websites like this one have done to legitimise the Sport. The truth is our Sport isn't going to be truly accepted by the mainstream in the United Kingdom until it's showcased on Sky Sports, such is sky's monopoly of Sport programming. On a Saturday Morning you can see the likes of Karl Froch, Ricky Hatton and David Haye sat next to Footballers and Indie twerps on the Soccer AM sofa. The PR this generates is massive for fighters as many impressionable youngsters and teenagers watch this show religiously up and down the country.
The PR machine Sky have is so powerful that since David Haye switched his fights from Setanta his profile has been raised dramatically to the point that he's become a house hold name. I've seen him on Chris Moyles' Tv show as well as camp comic, Alan Carr's chat show, this would not have been possible if it were not for Sky's influence. (of course a World title also helped) If the charismatic Dan Hardy were to appear on one of these shows it would do wonders for the Sport and help the general public realise it's not all Psychotic leather clad Hell's Angels bludgeoning each other in a fight to the death.
This is not to say we're not beginning to change opinions and gain positive comments from the media; The Telegraph have been covering MMA for a while now and Gareth A Davis, writes about the Sport alongside Boxing as an equal, helping bridge the divide for both sets of fans, "A fight fan, is a fan of fighting." he often states. It's Journalists like Gareth that are as rare as they are precious to our Sport. We also have a few of The Tabloids covering MMA on their websites now, although it's often palmed off with Pro Wrestling rather than Boxing, Football, Rugby and Cricket. Another positive article came from a surprising source in the Guardian, in a very reasoned article by Rachel Dixon who uses the line- "Cage Fighting: Are you tough enough?" to draw the readers attention and then explains the correct name for the Sport is Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) and refers to it as such through out the piece. She talks about Women participating in the Sport, the Training involved and the need for mental toughness.
Speaking of Women's MMA, this is most definitely on the rise. The likes of Gina Carano and Christine Cyborg being household names among MMA fans all over the globe. Here in England we have the brilliant Rosi Sexton who is fighting at the next Cage Warriors event on May 22nd at the NEC Birmingham. Rosi Sexton along with the likes of Dan Hardy, Michael Bisping and Paul Daley are the true ambassadors of the Sport. My hope is that Alex does go on to become a TV Presenter or whatever celebrity role he's aiming for and that the rightful owners of this responsibility are allowed to help sail the good Ship MMA on it's voyage into the 21st century. Perhaps even into the Olympic games?.
We all have dreams.
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