The best in the world at what they do
No one dominated like Cymone Bouchard./ University of Regina
These athletes just make it all seem so easy
Author: Moises Canales-Lavigne
These are the men and women who inject fear into their opponents due to sheer brilliance and greatness. These rare breeds of athletes are superb at setting records, winning championships, and becoming household names for fans all over the globe. One of the most recent dominant sports performances was at UFC 184, where Ronda Rousey defeated her opponent in just 14 seconds for the fastest win in UFC championship history. This woman is in a category of her own.
Besides Rousey, who else is dominating in the world of sports today? A few months ago, Madison Bumgarner shut down his opponents during the MLB postseason on his way to winning the 2014 World Series with the San Francisco Giants. He was named the MVP of the World Series, as well as being named the 2014 Sports Illustrated “Sportsman of the Year”, and the 2014 Associated Press “Male Athlete of the Year” – well-deserved accolades for an incredible pitching performance.
Despite his criminal history, Floyd Mayweather, Jr. deserves recognition too. He has a boxing record of 47 wins in 47 fights. That’s right, the man is perfect in the ring! Mayweather not only dominates boxing, but also sits at number one on the Forbes list of the 50 highest-paid athletes in the world. Mayweather is looking to keep that perfect streak alive when he finally faces off against long-time rival, Manny Pacquiao in what’s being described as the “Fight of the Century”.
However, in terms of dominant athletes from the past, the first name that comes to mind is Wayne Gretzky. Not only is it necessary for me as a Canadian to mention “The Great One,” but he is considered by some as the most dominant athlete ever. Gretzky collected points like he was a boy casually collecting rocks in the backyard. To give an idea of his dominance in the NHL, he is the league’s all-time points leader with 2,857. Mark Messier is second with 1,887 points, and Messier played 269 more games than Gretzky.
Of course there are other legends such as Michael Jordan, Pele, Babe Ruth, Jerry Rice, you name it. Although, there is one man that perfectly fits the definition of “dominance,” in my opinion,; Alexander Karelin. A Russian Greco-Roman wrestler that went 13 years without losing a single match, and did not give up a single point during the last six of those 13 years. Truly remarkable, if you ask me.
The University of Regina has had dominant athletes represent the school in collegiate sports too. One name that stands out (and will be familiar to you Rider fans) is Jason Clermont. The Regina product starred during his three years at the U of R, and helped the Rams reach the Vanier Cup. Clermont went on to have a successful career in the CFL, with a number of different teams including the Riders and B.C. Lions.
Cymone Bouchard was another Regina-born athlete that dominated in the green and gold. She was one of the main reasons the U of R’s women’s basketball team went on to win the program’s first national championship during the 2000-2001 season. Including the silverware, she holds many school records including most points scored with 1,439.
As sports fans, we are lucky to witness these dominant displays from these unreal athletes, and surely the next generation of dominant athletes will be even better.
