Mano A Moniker

MMA is not pro wrestling but it is entertainment, so a fighter needs to pay close attention to minutia, like monikers, in order to take full advantage of sponsors. In this context a moniker is a nickname that should be relevant to the fighter and should inspire respect. Take Smokin’ Joe Frazier , the great boxer. Though he didn’t actually smoke cigarettes, he had been known to enjoy the odd cigar now and then. But who could deny that 'Smokin' was perfectly suited to his fierce fighting style? And it inspired sufficient awe.

Hollywood carefully chooses names for stars and TV shows (well, except for House) because association is important.  Charles Bronson ’s real name was Charles Buchinski,   John Denver  ‘s real name was Henry John Deutschendorf Jr., and Cary Grant ’s name was  Archibald Leach. You get the picture.  Unlike Hollywood actors, however, a fighter needn’t change his actual name, unless he's Josh Koscheck . He should just give serious thought to a nickname or decide if he even needs one.

Great monikers already spoken for are: David 'Tank' Abbot, Jon  ‘Bones’ Jones,  Anderson ‘The Spider’ Silva and Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson .  What is noticeable almost instantaneously is that all these nicknames reflect on the fighter’s look or style. Rampage is now listed as Rampage, not Quinton, the sign of a truly great nickname.

 A few good nicknames up for grabs are: The Crusher (Pronounced DA CRUSHA!) Carwin or Lesnar should pick up this Looney Tunes name; The Shropshire Slasher (also from Looney ‘Tunes . Can you tell what I did growing up?); The Lunatic (better than ‘The Carpenter ’ for Clay Guida ); Fists O’ Fury (good for almost any Irishman).

Ones that don’t instill fear but are suited to the fighter can also be good.   George ‘Rush’ St. Pierre , which seems a little lame at first glance, is so perfectly suited to GSP’s style that it carries well.  I’ve got another one: Gray ‘Lay and recite the ten stations of the Cross’ Maynard.  Not that ‘Bully’ doesn’t reflect Maynard’s style.

Really bad nicknames are: Diego ‘The Dream’ Sanchez (makes me think of motivational speakers); Kenny ‘ KenFlo’ Florian (brings to mind Liquid-Plumr); Brad ‘Hillbilly Heartthrob’ Imes (contradiction in terms, like Fox News ); Frank ‘Twinkle Toes’ Trigg (This isn’t ballet); Antoni “Mr. Wonderful’ Hardonk (need I say anything?); Josh ‘Kos’ Koscheck (which makes me think of nothing at all); Last and least is Nick ‘ The Promise’ Ring , which  takes the cake as the worst moniker ever, including the far future.

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When Ali said, “I float like a butterfly, sting like a bee,” everyone knew what he meant. It wasn’t a moniker, but a line of poetry that perfectly described the man’s style in the ring. This is the kind of meaning a fighter should be shooting for in a moniker. Like Chuck 'The Iceman' Liddell , which was fitting on so many levels. Enough said.

Here’s a free one for Paul Shine, an MMA fighter from Fort Collins, Colorado (0-0-0 according to Sherdog) who doesn’t have a moniker yet: Paul ‘Sheen’ Shine. It connects with his name and would instill fear in his opponents, who may think he’s off his rocker and that all he ever does is win-win.

Monikers that failed vetting;

Randy ‘Haute’ Couture

Forrest ‘Peter’ Griffin

Dan ‘I’ve Fought in All The Biggest Organizations Since The Late 90’s and I’ve Never Been KedTFO’ Henderson

Luiz ‘Candy’ Cane

Cheik ‘King’ Kongo

Frank ‘The International Space Station’ Mir

By Renko Styranka
ProFighting-fans.com MMA Staff Writer