THE GOLDEN AGE
By Bobby Hart (Metro Magazine)

Caleb Truax spent most of his life as a team player. A 2002 Osseo High School graduate, he played football and baseball for the Orioles, and even played Division II college football for Virginia State University before deciding to hang up his cleats due to a knee injury. But when he put on a pair of boxing gloves and stepped into the ring for the first time as a 20-year old at a Toughman Contest, Caleb was all by himself staring at an opponent who desperately wanted to lay him out. “Just one on one, it doesn’t get any better,” says Truax, now 26. “When you win, it’s all you. There’s not a better feeling in any sport that I’ve been in than once you get your hand raised at the end.”
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POUNDER A SPEEDY WIN OVER DEZEE
Written by Ben Pherson

If there was any area "Suga" Shane DeZee figured to have an advantage over Logan "The Pink Pounder" Clark, it was on the ground.
But that's where Clark proved most dangerous Saturday night during Havoc at the Hyatt.
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(All photos from mnmmanews.com)

" The Marine" To Headline On Feb 27th

Combat sports athletes have long been of a different breed; strong, athletic, and fearless. To compete in mixed martial arts an athlete must possess God given qualities, but even in this rare breed Mike Richman stands at a different level.

Volunteering to fight for his country at the tender age of 18, Mike Richman has served three tours of Iraq, so it goes without saying that a fighting spirit comes naturally to this Minnesota native.
Richman has shown the ability to do just about everything inside of a cage. Training under the tutelage of famed Brazilian trainer Sergio Cunha, Richman has emerged as a major prospect on the Minnesota MMA scene, and a constant fan favorite. Since turning pro less than two years ago, Richman has compiled a record of 8-0, all by submission. Richman's name has surfaced as one to watch, and has been noted as a fighter with the crossover appeal to become a major star in the sport.

Making his debut in April of 2008, Richman burst onto the Minnesota MMA scene in style, submitting Jason Trett in round one. Richman's rookie year would only become sweeter as he picked up four additional wins in 2008, culminating in a first round submission win over veteran gatekeeper Deryck Ripley in December. Richman has continued his success through 2009, picking up submission victories over Wes Ronchi and Derick Getzel.

Although a young man, Richman's maturity in and out of the cage is visibly evident. Residing in Rosemount, Minnesota, Richman is married with one child. He prides himself in his "Marine" alias, and carries that persona with him into each and every fight.

Upon meeting Richman it is evident that he is no stranger to competing, and rising to the occasion. Watching him fight that notion becomes even more clear. Before any mixed martial arts event there are bound to be questions, but whether or not Mike Richman is ready is doubtful to be one of them. The only thing regarding the "Marine" that needs questioning is whether or not the world is ready for him.

 

Jon Schmidt: Ring the nurse
By Judd Spicer

In last year's box office-topping Batman film, "The Dark Knight," undoubtedly lost for many a' youngster -- buried behind the masks like a pro poker bluffer, beneath the makeup, and between the myriad effects -- was the thematic luster of Aaron Eckhart's character, District Attorney Harvey Dent. Of course, that is simply one element of Eckhart's performance. The other, of course, is the scarred and disfigured character that is his alter-ego, Two-Face. Such duality of self has long been of staple of film and literature, but never is the thesis more powerful than when viewed in reality.

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