Miller takes on Hiromitsu in Las Vegas
FORMER ICON Sport middleweight champion
Jason "Mayhem" Miller was back in the ring last weekend, taking on Japan's
Hiromitsu Miura in the co-main event of a World Extreme Cagefighting event in Las Vegas.
After walking to the cage in a suit and tie, Miller spent three rounds grappling with Miura, almost submitting him numerous times before having to settle for the unanimous decision victory. Miller's performance only served to help cement his growing reputation as one of the top MMA middleweights in the world.
And someone at MTV, Spike TV or the Fuel Network needs to bring "The Mayhem Miller Show" to the big screen. I've only seen two episodes on YouTube, but they both had me laughing like a madman at Miller's antics ...
CONGRATS TO Waiakea High School graduate Jewelyn Iwabuchi and Mid-Pacific Institute student China West, who were recently crowned Miss Aloha Tower 2007 and Miss Teen Aloha Tower 2007, respectively.
The newly created pageant wrapped up on Saturday at Aloha Tower Marketplace with the swimsuit and evening gown portions, following an interview phase the weekend before. According to pageant director Alicia Michioka Jones, Iwabuchi and West will represent Aloha Tower later this year during the annual Miss Hawaii USA and Miss Hawaii Teen USA pageants.
This columnist spent Saturday afternoon judging the event with Miss Hawaii 1998 Jennifer Hera Pimentel, 2005 Cherry Blossom Festival queen Brooke Hasegawa, Kathy Mueller Agency's Joy Kam and MidWeek columnist Joji Yoshida. It was inspiring to see how poised and confident these young women were, including 5-year-old Siwell Askeland, 6-year-old Kamalani Manner, who were in the Little Miss Aloha Tower competition, and 8-year-old Anuhea Char in the Young Miss contest.
Congrats also to Miss Jr. Teen Aloha Tower Tayler Inafuku, Miss Pre-Teen Aloha Tower Ashlenn Galdeira and Kalani High School's Cassie Sumimoto, who took home awards for "Miss Congeniality" and "Most Photogenic" ...
NICE TO SEE Hawaii getting national shine for something other than its beaches.
Esquire Magazine's June issue names the Halekulani's Lewers Lounge as the "Best Bar in Honolulu," comparing the room to the heyday of Waikiki when it "drew only the better class of tourists."
Never mind that the Oahu's cocktail landscape has become incredibly diversified over the past five years -- and never mind that the magazine suggests just a traditional mai tai in a bar with a fantastic drink menu designed by the legendary Dale DeGroff. The honor is still a nice feather in the cap for the staff at Lewers Lounge ...
MORE DETAILS on the June 16 E-40 concert at the Blaisdell Arena: Pre-sale tickets are available now for $30 at all Ticketmaster outlets. They'll cost $40 at the door.
Special VIP after-party tickets are also for sale; call B Hood Entertainment at 953-9962 for info ...