A young Tom Erickson, just about as big, superior wrestler, probably functionally stronger, OK hands.... but also without the bodybuilder physique & with a chest full of hair, & without the hype.
Is this what he could have been if he had bigger traps, could make a mean face & wrestled in the WWF for a few years?
brock should call himself "big scat"
If my memory is correct Erickson was older when he started, I only saw him in 1 or 2 fights, but I don't remember him having any striking skills?
I think Brock is a much better athlete than Tom.
Granted this is 1/3 troll...but he has a point. Had Erikson been exposed to the game and had Brock's training partners, he had many of the same tools.
The thing is, Brock's got a much higher profile and MMA has come a long way from fighting on a tiny show called MARS at the Birmingham Fairgrounds. He can afford the best trainers and he also has the hype to get him the high profile fights without dealing with gatekeeper opponents for years.
Erikson shouldn't be mentioned on the same thread as Brock. Big Cat was unmarketable. He lacked charisma and was boring as hell to watch. Every fight Tom had in Pride he looked like he spent his training time in a denny's. I love his bio on the Purdue website, they pretend his mma career never happened.
Brock = unstoppable frate train
Big Cat = slow and unathletic