In a stateside version of the typical Japanese procrastination associated with last-minute match-up announcements, it looks as if TUF 10 competitor "Big" Wes Sims may serve as the foe for new Strikeforce leviathan Bobby Lashley for January 30th's "Strikeforce: Miami" event. The report stems from WrestlingInc.com via OctagonBuzz.
To speak frankly, this is weird and a little disappointing. It's not that Sims is an atrocious opponent for Lashley by any means, but the fact that pro-wrestler Lashley is a high-profile acquisition for Strikeforce and the event takes place in 9 days means that Scott Coker and company are walking a fine line. Strikeforce must cram-in an opponent that is not dangerous enough to upset Lashley in his promotional debut, but one that presents an interesting test that fans and viewers will tune-in for.
I think Sims fits that bill. He's rather experienced, with 35 fights total on his 22-12-1 record, and he has a tangible fighting spirit and willingness to scrap that has earned him a decent following among the hardcore MMA crowd. That being said, he doesn't quite possess the polished and advanced submission game that may present a big threat to Lashley, and he's not what I would call a bonafide power-puncher either.
His record is both impressive and deceiving at the same time: 90% of his wins come by way of either TKO (40%) or submission (50%), the latter being almost unheard of for a Hammer House fighter, he has wins over old school legends "Conan" Silveira and Kimo Leopoldo, he's faced solid oppostion, and you may have seen a quick UFC clip of him stomping Frank Mir's head against the cage like a curly haired speed-bag. The harsh reality is that the gist of his resume is conglomerated by, let's say, "less than admirable" competition, and most of the formidable fighters he's faced have had their way with him.
However, I'm a Big Wes fan, and he's one of the nicer guys you'll ever meet. He's improved his game over the years, and is not an easy fight for someone as green to MMA as Lashley. I'm not confident that Sims will have an answer when buried under the chiseled mass of Lashley, but Wes has a tendency to make things exciting.
"Strikeforce: Miami" expected card:
Nick Diaz vs. Marius Zaromskis
Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos vs. Marloes Coenen
Robbie Lawler vs. Melvin Manhoef
Herschel Walker vs. Greg Nagy
Bobby Lashley vs. Wes Sims (rumored)
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