Tom Erikson - Definitely some good times back in the day.when I was fighting and properly training I felt I was a bad match-up for anyone no matter their or back ground.First of all, huuuuggeee fan, so no disrespect at all meant.
Big Cat
tryonmytoupee -I remember him answering that before if im not wrong. Something to do with hard to find willing opponents in mma.Tom Erikson - Definitely some good times back in the day.when I was fighting and properly training I felt I was a bad match-up for anyone no matter their or back ground.First of all, huuuuggeee fan, so no disrespect at all meant.
Big Cat
Something ive wondered for a while, and never saw it addressed anywhere. What prompted the change to K1?
More money?
Wanted to work purely on striking?
Just felt like mixing it up?
.,.
Hell yes the Big Cat shows up! The UG still rocks ! I would've loved to see TE against any of those guys also and I'll bet he could've taken them down and smashed most of them.
Tom Erikson - Definitely some good times back in the day.when I was fighting and properly training I felt I was a bad match-up for anyone no matter their or back ground.sigh
Big Cat
Tom Erikson -I love this place sometimesJim_Kelly -Dominique Robinson -Sean McCorkle - You guys have no idea. A near 50 year old Erikson not only used to beat the shit out of me and Mitrione on a daily basis, he once beat us both up at the same time when we decided to jump him. And it wasn't even closeWhat is he up to nowadays?
Assistant wrestling coach at Purdue.
I am the Head Wrestling Coach at Lyon College in Batesville Arkansas.
Big Cat
TTT for The Big Cat
I was extremely hyped when Heath landed that knee on Toms face
He was an absolute nightmare .... for everyone..
One of the best HWY talents to ever compete in mma. I wish mma was bigger and more lucrative back then...
keithws2 - Erickson was a beast. Plain and simple.Tom basically had to turn to K-1 and fight in kickboxing to get fights. He was pretty much avoided in MMA back then.
A tremendous wrestler. Size, strength and moved very well for such a big dude. Would have been cool to see him fight with different MMA training.
Word was, he always had difficulties getting fights back in the day.
Stern - http://www.mixedmartialarts.com/news/When-We-Were-Bouncers-Tom-Erikson-440520
Sean McCorkle - You guys have no idea. A near 50 year old Erikson not only used to beat the shit out of me and Mitrione on a daily basis, he once beat us both up at the same time when we decided to jump him. And it wasn't even closeWas that up at Purdue? Hook said he could take him...
Awesome thread! Big Cat in the house!
In complete agreement with OP
VU
Always awesome to see a legend posting here
Awesome
I thought Tom was going to be a 280 pound Matt Hughes but i don't think he took mma seriously enough, they he got old. That was the first time i saw Randleman nervous before a fight, i knew he was gonna lose.
TFK_MrSmiff - Awesome
Anek -Thanks man.Stern - http://www.mixedmartialarts.com/news/When-We-Were-Bouncers-Tom-Erikson-440520
http://www.mixedmartialarts.com/news/When-We-Were-Bouncers-Tom-Erikson-440520
DURING THE LATE 80s I was wrestling for Oklahoma State University and running the security staff at a place called The Fox in Stillwater, Oklahoma. The guys who owned The Fox were pretty industrious guys, and eventually they bought a club down in Norman [Oklahoma] and called it "The Fox" as well.
The University of Oklahoma was down there, and their football team was on fire -- I believe they played Penn State for the national title that year. Barry Switzer was running things, and they had Keith Jackson, Brian Bosworth, Jamelle Holieway, Charles Thompson... they had a whole crew down there. Needless to say, that town REALLY catered to their football players.
It wasn't long before the new Fox was doing really well, but it also had a problem with the football players kinda taking over the place. Bossing people around and such, it was becoming a little bit of an issue. One of the owners started saying to the football players, "Hey, I've got a guy up in Stillwater who will take care of you guys. [If] you don't calm down, I'm gonna bring him down here." But the players were cocky -- they were like, "Yeah, right! You're not bringing anybody here who we can't handle."
So the owner eventually did have me come down there, at first just to take a night off and have a good time while he showed off his big, bad wrestler. I met the football players and they were actually really good guys, but they were also... I don't wanna say "bullies"... they were just knocking guys around and being very self-confident in a bad sort of way, you know? When they got rowdy I would joke around with 'em, saying, "You guys are lucky I don't work here", but they weren't believing it. "So what if you did? What are you gonna do?" I just smiled and told 'em, "You'll see if they ever bring me down here. You'll find out." After the bar closed that night, we went to some party and I ended up hanging out with a guy named Mark Hutson, a two-time All-American offensive lineman. Big ol' dude and a good guy, too. Had a great time that night.
But a couple of weeks later, the boss called me up and said, "Come on out -- the guys are still being a$$holes and I need you to set the tone", so I got my work shirt and headed down there. All the players rolled in and said, "You're not drinking with us?" and I said, "No, tonight I'm working -- I gotta babysit you a$$holes." And once again they all laughed, saying, "What are you gonna do?"
They congregated around a pool table at the back of the bar, and it didn't take long before they were a problem. Knocked one of our waitresses over and spilled her drinks all over the place. That came out of the waitress's pay so of course she was a little upset, and the boss said to me, "You gotta go talk to those guys". I went back there to tell 'em to knock it off, and as always, they weren't hearin' it.
So I said, "I'll tell you what. There's a whole bunch of you guys, and together you can definitely kick my ass. That's a given. But here's the thing -- one of you is gonna get his ass kicked twice as bad as I get it. The first guy I get my hands on is the guy who's gonna get it the worst, I can make that promise. I will get mine, but I'm gonna get one of you the worst." They still laughed it off -- after all, it was just me against ten of them -- and about an hour later they pulled some more shit, and that was it.
I went back over there and said, "Enough. Somebody's gotta go." Now, I'm old school, so I was already sighting on the biggest and baddest dude in the group. If you've been around the block, you know that [if] you take out the big dog in any group, the rest will all lay down. In theory, anyway. (laughs)
In this case, the biggest, baddest dude was Mark Hutson, the guy I'd been drinking with the last time I was in there. He was drunk and out of control, just acting ridiculously stupid, and I tapped him on the shoulder and said, "You gotta go." All his boys started chirping in his ear about how he wasn't going anywhere, how I couldn't do a thing. But I could, and I did. I took Hutson's arm -- one hand on his wrist and the other on his shoulder -- and started turning him toward the door. But he yanked himself away and squared up like he was gonna hit me, and everybody was like, "uh oh" as if it was the gunfight at the OK Corral.
Hutson clenched his fist and threw this big ol' haymaker of a right, but I saw it coming and did a level change, ducking underneath it while throwing a right of my own. I wasn't trying to punch him, just trying to get my arm up around his neck. His punch went over my head and I came up with my head behind his shoulder and my arm on his neck, then jumped up onto the side of his body and wrapped my legs around him. Almost like a rear naked choke, but more of a side choke. I locked my hands together and clamped down TIGHT, riding him all the way to the floor. He dropped to a knee but I wasn't lettin' go -- I was determined to choke him all the way out. He eventually passed out and collapsed, and everybody who was watching was losing it. Back then most people weren't familiar with chokes, so they all thought that I killed 'im!
After I eventually let go, I put Hutson on his back, planted my knee in his chest and started slapping him in the face, "Wake up! Wake up!" When he opened his eyes I said, "I told you! I told you sonsabitches what I was gonna do, but you didn't listen! You do it again and I'm gonna drag your ass right outta here!"
After that, the problem was over and we were the best of friends from then on! (laughs) In fact I created about twenty new bouncers that night, because after watching me choke out one of their big, bad dudes right in front of 'em, they all knew the ass-beating they were gonna get if I REALLY got pissed off.