The Man From Coldwater, Michigan

The Man from Coldwater, Michigan...that line just reads like a crazy action flick!

Dan "The Beast" Severn...yeah, he's kinda good

When someone mentions the name Dan Severn, my ears perk up. Not that Dan would ever need me to defend him, but I’d take anyone to task for not agreeing with me that he’s one of the hardest, toughest, meanest fighters of all time and certainly among the most underrated wrestlers in American history.

He’s also kind of a teddy bear and I once ate nachos with him while he was in his underwear.

Let that last line sink in for a minute, ha ha ha!

Back in the early 1990s MMA didn’t really exist and the UFC was a very small entity that had promoted a few shows and gained a dedicated but small following. Dan Severn had emerged as a very blue-collar, no-nonsense kind of man which fit the rough and tumble image that the UFC had during that time. His trademark grey shirt, handlebar mustache and grimace as he walked to the octagon became an image indelibly marked into the hearts and minds of the earliest generation of UFC fans.

That changed in 1995 when he joined the world of professional wrestling and became the NWA World Heavyweight Champion. The NWA had fallen on hard times and in an effort to reclaim some of the legitimacy of past generations they recruited a legitimate bad ass to hold the title. While carrying the NWA belt Dan also had a stellar run in the WWE and following his acrimonious exit there, found himself back into the world of MMA. For over 20 years he’s been active in both the world of professional wrestling and MMA, and while keeping up those careers he’s also managed to open a training center, raise a family and travel the globe teaching hand to hand combat to the world’s elite.

Wow.

His resume reads like a cross between MacGyver and Bo Jackson, he’d done it all, seen it all and yet managed to keep a smile on his face the whole time. I’ve had the pleasure of going to a seminar of his in Las Vegas one year during the annual Cauliflower Alley Club reunion and it was eye opening. In my mind the name “Dan Severn” was synonymous with Jesus, Optimus Prime and Wolverine, but it turns out that he is just a regular guy. That’s what happens when we meet our heroes, sometimes, however in this case it was oddly refreshing. Instead of being a brusque, standoffish man who clearly is superior to me in every way, he was a warm and inviting teacher who took the time to show me how properly apply a wristlock and later while in the hallway of the casino took the time to show me how to break the wrist…if I NEEDED to, not if I wanted to.

Following this man for years as I have I’ve learned that you can be in a class by yourself, which he certainly is, and remain humble. He’s won every major MMA, pro wrestling and amateur wrestling accolade one can have not to mention being in several halls of fame, yet when a small child asks him about a certain belt he’s eager to kneel down and tell him all about it, perhaps even more than they want to know.

Remaining humble despite massive success always seems to be the recurring factor among all the true greats in the world of sport. Stories about the generosity of The Rock, Joe Weider, the late Eddie Guerrero and Andre the Giant even are legendary and they're some of the biggest names in their respective endeavors. As amateur and aspiring athletes it’s just as vital to be humble and remain so, because you are constantly learning. The moment you think you can’t learn anything new is the moment you quit growing and once that happens you can kiss success goodbye.

Dan still competes at age 58

I’ve spent several hundred words extolling the virtues of this man who inspires kindness in his fans but fear in his opponents. His open palm strikes are legendary in the history of UFC and that’s to say nothing of the fact that he was a world class wrestler, but the secret truth is that he was scared to death to fight that first tournament in the UFC. He’d never fought before, only wrestled, and didn’t know if he had the skill set, but knew that he wanted the payday. A little known story about Dan is that he enlisted the help of famed pro wrestler Al Snow who actually has a strong background in shoot fighting and for a few days in Al’s gym they got Dan prepped to “at least not get killed” as Dan told me once.

Well, obviously it worked.

If Dan would have approached the situation resting on his laurels he wouldn’t have received the knowledge that Al wanted to give to him. If he let ego get in the way then he never would’ve been prepared for that first UFC tournament and on to a career that has lasted decades and he stands as one of only a handful of fighters to have over 100 wins. He came in to the world of MMA having been a part of multiple Olympic wrestling teams and holding 13 AAU national wrestling titles, but was content to train in Al Snows gym with a handful of students and a few broomsticks. He was literally one of the top wrestlers in the world and at that point one of the most dangerous international competitors of all time and he had to make the conscious decision to put that on the side and allow himself to trade sparring jabs with kids fresh out of high school. No cameras. No sponsors. No glitz and glamour. Just a man allowing himself to again become a student, knowing that his and his family's future could very well be on the line. 

Shout out to Hooters in Troy, Michigan

I remember him telling me this story well as we sat down together in the Gold Coast casino in Law Vegas and he told it with that mile-wide grin on his face. It was truly a ludicrous situation, but it was the best he could do and he was determined to make the best go of it. In a later conversation he told me that at first he did the open palm strikes to protect his hands so he could go to work, later he did it to protect his opponents when they couldn't truly defend themselves. Ask yourself if you have an ounce of that respect or self control in you? 

His story can stand as an example to all of us either breaking into a sport or in my case transitioning from one to another; your past successes don’t define your future. I had a decent little career in pro wrestling and made something of a name for myself, but when I get on the deadlift platform or harness up to a truck, well...none of that matters. I have to humble myself, remove my ego and acknowledge that I need to learn, I need to be patient and I need to practice.

The Beast and myself in Las Vegas

Let that be your mantra…

I need to learn.

I need to be patient.

I need to practice.

If it’s good enough for The Beast, then it’s good enough for you. Don’t ever think that you’re too good to ask for help and don’t ever forget that there’s probably a little kid somewhere that wants to talk to you. Making time for that kid, even if they’re a wild 25 year old with a bad haircut, might just change a life.

Stay strong and stay humble!

Oh and don't worry, I'm never going back to hair and beard combination again!