FRI 11/5
Those crazy ancient Romans with their gladiators and their thing for feeding
Christians to lions! Is it any wonder their glorious civilization crumbled?
What can you say about a society’s values when its citizens delight in watching
horrendous physical violence? As you ponder this socioanthropological question,
we’d like to remind you that it’s time again for Renegades Extreme Fighting
at the Verizon. For the uninitiated, it’s a mixed martial-arts show, featuring
ten four-man tourneys and one heavyweight Superfight. And lest you think this
extreme fighting is just a ring full of guys beating the crap out of each otherย
never mindย
actually, it is. But you’ll see some real skill, as participants
utilize tae kwon do, muay thai, jiu-jitsu, kickboxing and other fighting techniques.
The action is fast-paced — some of the matches last only a few minutes — as
guys unleash acrobatic high kicks and “take-downs” in a 20-foot by 20-foot steel
cage.
At this weekend’s event, fans will see undefeated extreme fighter Houstonian
Lance Ramoth take on Angel Espino (also undefeated). Saul Solis of Renegades
points out that for the price of admission, you couldn’t get two guys drunk
enough to beat the crap out of each other. “But here,” he says, “you’ve got
20 of ’em willing to do it.” 8 p.m. Friday, November 5. 520 Texas. For information,
call 713-794-0054 or visit www.verizonwirelesstheater.com.
$20-$50. — Steven Devadanam
Clawing Back
SAT 11/6
The answer to post-baseball-season blues? No, not beer — lots and lots of beer, and football. Keep your sports intake high by hitting Robertson Stadium
this weekend, where the University of Houston Cougars will take on the East
Carolina Pirates. Houston has lost five out of its first six games, which is
slightly disappointing, since last year’s explosive offense (ranked 12th in
the nation) led the Coogs to a 5-1 start. But East Carolina has been lackluster
itself, especially in their running game, which mustered a whopping negative-three
yards in a recent game against Southern Mississippi. The Coogs get home-field
advantage at 4 p.m. Saturday, November 6. John O’Quinn Field, 3800 Holman. For
information, call 713-743-9444 or visit www.uhcougars.collegesports.com.
$5 to $20. — Julia Ramey
This article appears in Nov 4-10, 2004.