by Brad Schjoth on August 26th, 2009
Combat USA, a mixed martial arts promotion put on by the National Combat Association, is slated to deliver an event to the Wausau area in just over two weeks.
The promotion, which features both amateur and professional fights in a hybrid round format, is coming to the Rothschild Pavilion on September 12th at 6:30pm. Established and originating out of Green Bay, Combat USA circulates the entire state of Wisconsin, providing competition to the booming sport on a local level. Tickets are relatively affordable ($20 for general admission), and it is a terrific opportunity for fans of the UFC, WEC and Strikeforce to enjoy some solid fights without spending the cash it would cost to buy a seat in a big arena. You can find out more information here, and it looks as if tickets are now on sale, with the event clearly announced to succeed their event this weekend in the Fox Valley.
It is the first time in quite a span that an MMA event has been held in the Wausau vicinity, and it only makes sense considering the substantial growth in popularity the sport has shown in the area. Up until now, Combat USA and other promotions similar to it (Konquer the Kage, King of the Cage, etc.) have traveled to larger metro areas hours from the Central Wisconsin landscape, or have taken advantage of the large amount of traffic to the Northwoods casinos. However, this scheduled stop is heavily warranted, as I can personally tell you, as a writer for Wisconsin Combat Sports and an avid mixed martial arts fan myself, Wausau, and the communities to all directions, are catching the fever of the sport, and recognizing it for what it truly strives to be.
Lah Thao, an accomplished mixed martial arts fighter, established Rising Son MMA in Wausau back in January. He was the top-ranked competitor in the state at 135-pounds until he took extended time off to start his adventure into teaching the skilled sport he loves. After an eighteen-month layoff, he returns to the cage September 19th in Tomahawk. But, back in July, Lah laid out to me the landscape of what has now become the Wausau area MMA scene, and how big the boom has become over the course of his career:
We usually have probably about 15-20 MMA guys that come regularly on the Monday, Wednesday, and Friday nights. And then we have about five or six grapplers that come regularly. Then we do a tae-kwon-do class and with that we have another 20 taekwondo students.
That statement, coupled with the craziness you’ll typically find at your favorite local establishment the Saturday night of a UFC event, it is instantly apparent the love and fandom for mixed martial arts that has come to rest in our community.
If you appreciate the heart and dedication put forth by any of the fighters that step into competition; if you enjoy the sheer physical power and prowess it takes to go one-on-one with an opponent; or if you are simply railed by the thrill of the action–support the sport and local fighters. I will see you September 12th.
by Tom Neal on June 5th, 2008
The other day, a WDH front page news article caught my eye — dealt with the Wisconsin Woodchucks and Wausau’s Athletic Park. Gist of the article was that the team’s contract with the city expires after next season, and unless the city agrees to step up to the plate (sorry) to pay for significant updates at the ballpark, the team might face a need to relocate. I’m thinking: Remember when there was a Milwaukee Braves team and Atlanta stole them away? Broke my 13-year-old heart. Still hurts today, Brewers and all.
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by Barry D. Liss on January 19th, 2008
Had I not lived it – I would never have believed it. This my friends is a break-out year for Granite Peak. They made it happen up there on the hill. I have been skiing a lot this year, especially with my eldest son, and the snow on the hill is fantastic. I’m not a Midwest punk when it comes to skiing. Before I took a job here I was a grad student at the University of Colorado at Boulder for seven years. My wife and I had season passes to mountains big and huge – and the ski hill here, while not comparable in size, has the right stuff to compete in terms of value and enjoyability.
The lift lines are short, the terrain is challenging, and the proximity is unbeatable. I talked to a lift operator and he said that over Christmas weekend over five thousand people skied the hill. What kind of bread is that bringing into our city? Serious bread – that’s what kind.
I talk to the folks riding the lift all the time – they come from Chicago and Milwaukee and Minneapolis just to ski at our local resort. I see UWMC students up there everyday defying gravity at the snowboarding terrain parks. One can’t really help but notice the lifers too – those elderly folks who retain their youth by steadfastly negotiating the slopes, as they have done for the past six or so decades. People who love to ski are invariably strong environmentalists – they are the first to realize that the pollution from the driving they did to get up to the hill has to be offset in other ways.
I hear this past year the hill purchased a new Snowcat plow to groom and shape the hills. We need more – larger terrain and another high-speed sixer, for starters. Who would have thought that granite could form an iridescent jewel? Well done.
by Shawn Sullivan on November 1st, 2007
This has been a pretty special year so far, being a Packer Fan. On Tuesday, virtually everyone I came into contact with looked tired, with dark circles under their eyes. As we’re engaged in meetings or other conversations, there’s very little that needs to be said about our exhaustion. We were all up late watching our beloved Packers pull it out in OT, watching Brett Favre tease us with the greatness he displays periodically.
In the interest of full disclosure, I’ve always been an over-the-top Packer Fan. Ask anyone and they will tell you about my (sometimes) unhealthy allegiance to the green and gold. In college, my Sundays would be ruined if they lost. I was in a foul mood which probably, among other reasons, contributed to my single status throughout my college years. Luckily, the losses didn’t happen much back then.
In fact, one weekend in college, I was so upset about missing a game to go to a work function, I snuck in a walkman and got busted when I couldn’t keep it to myself when Sean Jones ran back a Viking fumble to break the game open. True story; and that situation came up during a reference check for a future job (albeit in a tongue-in-cheek manner).
I’ve grown since then, and hopefully grown up. The losses drip away more quickly now, and I’ve realized I can’t take my frustrations out on the family like I could roommates and other acquaintances. But, there’s always the Monday (or Tuesday!) morning quarterbacking sessions, dissecting where things went wrong or right. There’s a certain camaraderie that goes with being a fan, being present in the moment, agonizing over the losses or celebrating the wins.
In a world where we struggle to find common ground (just look at the Daily Herald message boards) it’s nice to know that you can strike up a conversation with virtually anyone regarding “the game” and for that fleeting moment, we’re all just fans, unbound by any hang-ups or preconceived notions (or post-conceived notions, I guess).
What other things (local or otherwise) draw people together like that? I’m interested to hear what you think.
