Issue 104
August 2013
Former Fighters Only World MMA Awards ‘Journalist of the Year’ John Morgan looks back over the career of heavyweight Shane Carwin.
Shane Carwin’s May retirement was surprising, but it wasn’t necessarily unexpected. After all, the one-time UFC heavyweight title challenger hadn’t stepped into the Octagon in nearly two years, and lingering injuries weren’t healing as he may have hoped.
At 38 years old, Carwin realized the risks associated with returning to action simply weren’t worth the potential reward. For that, I must admit, I admire his decision.
I remember vividly a conversation I had with him following his 2010 neck surgery in which I asked what his plan was for getting back to action. At the time, he was just a few months removed from losing a thrilling heavyweight title fight with then-champion Brock Lesnar and was still considered one of the UFC’s most dangerous contenders.
Carwin looked right at me and said, to paraphrase: “I’ll make it back whenever I can, but I’m in no rush. Being able to walk my daughter down the aisle someday is far more important than getting back in the cage.”
At the time, I heard it, but I didn’t get it. After all, from my middle-class lifestyle outside of the cage, the chance to step in the Octagon and wrap a UFC title around my waist, not to mention cash a million-dollar paycheck, seemed worth a few hitches in my stride later in life. That was before my own son was born.
While I won’t ever be asked to walk my son down the aisle, I can’t wait to play catch with him, kick a ball around and just be a part of his youth. I can’t imagine being forced to miss out on those opportunities because of a bum knee or neck or whatever else compelled me to stay inside. It took a few years, but I finally understand Carwin’s seeming lack of desire to push through the physical challenges of his recovery.
Carwin’s legacy is an interesting one. His entire UFC career totals just under 30 minutes of cage time. He briefly held the UFC interim heavyweight title, but he never really seemed to view that as an actual prize. His UFC 116 bout with Lesnar will always be one of the most memorable contests I’ve ever seen, even if he did wind up on the losing end of that incredible affair.
There was certainly some controversy along the way. Carwin was named in a 2010 investigation into steroid distribution as a recipient of the performance enhancer. He was never charged with any crime but also never openly commented on his involvement.
Perhaps that will change now he has no fighting career to protect. But whether or not he ever elects to clear the air on the topic, I’ll always respect Carwin’s decision to walk away from a sport to ensure his future value to his family.
Carwin will likely continue his career as an engineer – a profession I imagine is a little less exhilarating than standing in a cage with 20,000 screaming fans going wild. But by all accounts, he did it to ensure he’ll fully enjoy his life as a father, a pursuit that now seems to me far more important than any sporting endeavor.
AWOL Anderson's fair reprimand
When UFC president Dana White elected to fine middleweight champion Anderson Silva $50,000 for skipping a series of planned media appearances, he set an important precedent that has been greeted with mixed reviews.
While it’s hard for me to say I applaud White’s decision – after all, if my employer took any of my income away, I certainly wouldn’t appreciate anybody electing to cheer the choice – I must say I completely understand why the company acted as it did.
Media obligations aren’t fun for most fighters (outside of Chael Sonnen, perhaps), but they are a necessary part of doing business in combat sports. While the technical aspect of fighting is intriguing for many MMA fans, one of the biggest reasons people tune into the sport is because of an emotional connection to an athlete.
You either want to see a fighter kick ass, or you want to see the fighter get his ass kicked. Either way is fine, as long as you have some sort of vested interest in the result. It’s hard to develop that connection to someone who’s not speaking to the public.
Ultimately, $50,000 isn’t an incredible amount of money to someone with Silva’s wealth, though I’m sure he found the fine very frustrating. But the UFC’s decision to punish one of their biggest superstars, the man widely accepted as being the greatest fighter in the history of the sport, proves they intend on making sure this policy has teeth.
I’m sure Anderson would always prefer to train over doing interviews, but challenger Chris Weidman can’t be expected to handle the entirety of the promotional duties for their UFC 162 fight.
Perhaps Silva was just playing a mind game with his upcoming foe. Or maybe his disdain for media interaction really is that strong. Either way, the UFC sent a strong yet fair message to every fighter on the roster: If you’re going to use this platform to make money, you’re going to help us do the same.
