Vigilante MMA

“There are 3 things to do; that’s go out and get laid, get drunk and beat some guys up”

-Wes’ take on living in Minden, LA.

Wes, along with Daniel and Matt, are the 3 stars of MTV’s new series Caged. Here’s a quick introduction about the show. And along with being amatuer MMA fighters, they work full time jobs, deal with girlfriends and exes, babies and just the every day stress that gets to us all.

The show is centered in Minden, LA, a small-town that takes to MMA like Texans take to football. The fighters are looked at as heroes, the young lasses want to be with said heroes, and come Saturday night, the whole town shuts down to watch their young gladiators take the cage.

The episode starts by focusing on Wes, who upon initial review looks more like a caricature of a “fighter”(e.g. broken home, lived in a car with his mom) than an actual 3 dimensional person. Yet we soon find out that A., he’s a good student (top 20 in his class), has a good job and seems to be a caring and providing father to his newborn son Jax, whom he shares with his ex-girlfriend “Red.” Wes also happens to be the only fighter out of the 3 that trains in someone’s backyard. Pro gyms be damned! Wes is all about rolling around on a piece of cardboard in his buddy’s backyard. What’s worse? Wes, in an attempt to cut 12 lbs in 5 days, decides to forgo diet and exercise and instead buys a sauna suit at WalMart and bakes inside his car in the Lousiana afternoon sun. Did he make weight? More on that later…

The episode then shifts to Daniel, aka “The Golden Boy.” He’s the guy that everyone knows that dated the prom queen, lived in the big house and is from the right family. In fact, it was Daniel’s “great, great, great, great Grandparents” that started the town of Minden many years ago. But like Wes, there’s more than meets the eye. Daniel, who doesn’t seem to embrace his entitled circumstance (in fact, it’s one of the reasons he fights), has a whole lot to deal with…a picture perfect image and unreasonable expectations, and an ex-girlfriend that died tragically 4 years ago in a car crash.

Lastly, the show focuses on Matt “Danger” who’s about as humble as apple pie, and also just happens to be the fighter with the “most potential,” this at least according to his and Daniel’s coach. They didn’t focus too much on Matt, partly because of his soft-spoken personality, but this much we know: he’s a very gifted fighter, although he thinks he’s “nothing special,” he has a sister who also happens to be a stripper, and has a father that doesn’t give a sh*t about him. Sounds fun. Matt is my pick for the “breakout” star, FYI.

Anyway, the episode ends with the good stuff…the fights. We get to see the fighter’s backstage prep and focus, and ultimately we see them exchanging blows and submissions in the cage. And for a station known primarily for it’s music videos stupid reality shows, sans this one, they do a remarkable job in matching the drama inside the cage with that of the drama outside it.

Wes, who ultimately makes weight, throws a sick arm bar from guard after some sloppy striking to win his match in round 1. Matt “Danger” also happens to find success with the same move, which he executed perfectly right after a sweet slam before the end of round 1. And Daniel…well, let’s just say he didn’t follow his coach’s advice on keeping his hands up. Daniel, who was fighting a tough kid named Quintin with KO power, get’s put out cold in round 1. I’m not gonna lie, that was a pretty graphic scene and not the best way to be introduced to the nation. What was worse, his terrified Mom looked on cage-side mere feet away from her stiff as a board son.

And with that, the end of a very entertaining show. I will admit it gets a little “Teen Mom” with all the “baby mamma drama” but it does add a little excitement to the fights, which again, MTV does a great job in showing. I also think the 3 fighters they picked are perfect. Regardless of their differences in personality, they all come off as likeable dudes that you genuinely want to root for.

So there’s my recap. Each Tuesday you’ll be greeted with the same, as we’ll continue to keep you up to speed from the happenings of the Minden MMA scene.