AS I SEE IT
Bob Magee
Pro Wrestling: Between the Sheets
PWBTS.com
“RAW Combat” is a book from Kensington Publishers. It explores the underground MMA scene in New York state. Right now, its the only MMA that exists in New York, due to the ludicrous ban on MMA by the New York State Legislature. The ban has less to do with any professed concern about safety of the fighters (as is claimed publicly….see the large volume of boxing records in the state for 80 years) and far more to do with a political battle between the Culinary Workers Union and the Fertitta Brothers, UFC owners…and owners of the non-union Station Casinos chain in Nevada.
“RAW Combat” describes Mixed Martial Arts as it exists in New York state…right out of the movie “Fight Club”. It’s an underground sport, using vale tudo (anything goes) rules. Locations for the fights are known only to a few hardcore fans who receive text messages as to locations for fights, to avoid prosecution by local and State police. This is Fight Club style MMA at its hardest core. There are no paydays in these matches, except for the pride of craft, and proof of the ability to endure.
This world has produced such maintream MMA personalities as Kimbo Slice, but RAW Combat features the personal stories of many more remain involved in unlicensed MMA simply for the love of the art.
The book also discussed the licensed semi-pro and amateur MMA scene, inclduing Ring of Combat and Asylum Fight League, a MMA promotion in New Jersey and Pennsylvania which has current naming rights for the ECW Arena.
The book’s author Jim Genia has been an MMA fan for almost 20 years. He has covered MMA at ringside in aevery type of venue imaginable, with his work appearing in Newsday, the New York Press, and Full Contact Fighter magazine as well as MMA websites.
The book will be available on October 25. For more information on RAW Combat, go to Kensington Books.com. 
Another update on for this year’s Toys for Tots events at The Arena in Philadelphia. Arena management, as they have for the last seven years, has offered to possibly have the collections done at more events during the Holiday season than in the past. CHIKARA will feature collections at their Sunday, November 13 iPPV show, as well as their Joshi Mania show on December 2. featuring Joshi legends Aja Kong and Manami Toyota, as well as talent from Japanese women’s promotions Osaka Women’s Pro, JWP, Sendai Girls, WAVE and Union Pro.
The next day, Cage of Death 13 will be a doubleheader featuring an international mix of Combat Zone Wrestling, Big Japan Pro Wrestling, K-DOJO, and Freedoms.
The afternoon show on Cage of Death Saturday will feature Kaientai Dojo (K-Dojo), Dramatic Dream Team (DDT), FREEDOMS, and Big Japan Wrestling as part of the International announcing Ryuji Ito and Jaki Numazawa.
For attending the events organized this year, we ask that you please bring an unwrapped toy to the Asylum Arena; and donate it to the Toys or Tots program, who will have collection bins at the entrance of the Arena. The mission and goal of the Toys for Tots program is to collect new, unwrapped toys and distribute those toys as Christmas gifts to needy children in the community. Though a new toy at Christmas, a message of hope is delivered to less fortunate children that will assist them in becoming responsible, productive, patriotic citizens.
Until next time…
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