Editor’s Note: This interview appears in the June issue of aXis Magazine, which is dedicated to Orlando’s culture, nightlife, sports, music, drinking, ladies, etc. and so on, which means that it was focused on the idea of Ben McLemore being drafted by the Orlando Magic later this month. But I tried to make it as NBA-centric as possible so I could share it here and not make people all angry about my horrible bias. So please enjoy.

On June 27, the Cleveland Cavaliers are presumably going to select University of Kentucky freshman Nerlens Noel with the first pick of the 2013 NBA Draft. Obviously, nothing in life is certain except for death, taxes and Kate Upton restraining orders against me, so the Cavs could take good, long looks at Alex Len, Ben McLemore or Otto Porter and decide that one of them is more in line with helping Cleveland move closer to fulfilling owner Dan Gilbert’s promise to win an NBA Championship before LeBron James. *looks around awkwardly*

Meanwhile, the Orlando Magic will be waiting with the No. 2 pick – unless they trade down, which would be fun – and it is predicted that either McLemore or Michigan guard Trey Burke will be selected there. Some people believe that McLemore is not only the most underrated gem of this year’s draft, but also maybe even the guy who deserves to be taken first. So when I was asked if I’d like to speak to him about why he believes he’d be a great fit with not only the Magic but also the City Beautiful, I said yes and put on my top hat and monocle so I’d look important.

It was a phone interview, mind you, but I still like to dress the part. McLemore was quick to win me over, as he’d done his homework on the Magic and chatted with me about his hopes for the NBA, how he’ll keep the groupies in check and what he thinks of our mutual favorite baseball team, the St. Louis Cardinals.

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On October 14, 2012, the Metamoris Pro Jiu-Jitsu Invitational made its debut in San Diego, California to rave reviews. The idea behind this unique new event was to take the points out of Jiu-Jitsu and leave the results to the actual fighters. Instead of what we see in most mixed martial arts tournaments and competitions, with judges declaring winners based on scores if a result isn’t reached by the fighters, Metamoris allows fighters to focus on the art of submission by giving them 20 minutes to defeat their opponents. It is in this setting that the event’s founder, Ralek Gracie, believes that the fighters and spectators alike can truly celebrate the essence of Jiu-Jitsu.

With Metamoris II taking place on June 9 at the Pauley Pavilion in Los Angeles, I was fortunate enough to spend a few minutes talking to one of Ralek’s legendary family members about this year’s bigger and better follow-up – which will have Ed O’Neill serving as a color analyst, by the way. But imagine my surprise when I learned that I’d be speaking with UFC legend Royce Gracie, which had me unapologetically giddy. He’s the giant killer, the original icon. It was like talking to Babe Ruth.

Royce and I discussed the fight card for Metamoris II, including the main event of Shinya Aoki vs. Kron Gracie, as well as the benefits of a no-points scoring system, the rise of women in MMA and which fighters we should keep an eye on in L.A.

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For the first time in my life as a casual wrestling fan, I tuned into Monday Night RAW specifically to watch a Divas match. I say specifically because I obviously never complained about watching Trish Stratus, Stacy Keibler or Torrie Wilson battle it out back in the day, but this time I was doing it as a brand new superfan of the WWE’s Divas Champion Eve Torres.

Before I had the chance to spend some time talking with her last week, I admittedly didn’t know much about the woman who has held the Divas title more times than any of her peers in the four years since it was created (she’s also tied with four other WWE women’s champions for 4th on the all-time women’s champions list). I knew that Eve was a dancer for the Los Angeles Clippers back when they were still the laughing stock of the NBA and I knew that she had recently won the NBC reality series Stars Earn Stripes.

But after talking to her, I can say with confidence that she’s going to be a star well beyond her days in the WWE, as her combination of talent, confidence and compassion have developed her into the rare breed of entertainer that welcomes challenges and the chance to bust her ass for success. Eve gave me some insight on what it’s like to jump blindly into the WWE, how she kicked Superman’s ass, why she should be the star of the WWE’s next action movie, and how learning Jiu-Jitsu has made her one of the most influential women in the country.

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In 2008, rally car racer Ken Block used his 2006 Subaru Impreza WRX STI and a film crew to create an incredible new Internet sensation. His very first Gymkhana practice video – which was posted here by our beloved forefather Matt – introduced a lot of us to a new side of this amazing racing style, and in the process Block had himself a full-blown viral video hit with more than 20 million viewers eventually watching. A year later, Block became a superstar, as 34 million people watched Gymkhana Two: The Infomercial.

As his fans stocked up on disbelieving cries of “Oh sh*t” and “WTF” in 2010, Block dropped Gymkhana Three: Ultimate Playground, much to the delight of 44 million viewers. Last year, Block and DC Shoes outdid themselves again with Gymkhana Four: The Hollywood Megamercial, as they teamed with Zombieland director Ben Conrad to take his 2011 Ford Fiesta all over the back lots at Universal Studios in California.

And yesterday morning, as if we would even think that Block could run out of incredible ideas, he released Gymkhana Five: Ultimate Urban Playground, racking up more than 3 million hits in just 24 hours. Once again teaming with Conrad, Block took over the streets of San Francisco, and the result is simply incredible.

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I don’t write about NASCAR nearly as much as I’d like to, so I was pretty stoked when I was told that 2011 Nationwide Series Champion Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. admitted that With Leather was his favorite sports blog on the Internet and he’d love to talk to us. Granted, that’s not verbatim and it may have gone more like, “You do what with leather now?” but after speaking with NASCAR’s top up-and-comer, I’m convinced that he may one day have a giant Lobster Dog on the hood of his car.

Which car? The legendary No. 6, originally driven by Mark Martin and the debut whip of the Roush/Fenway Racing team. Those are some undoubtedly big shoes to fill, but Ricky’s resume strongly suggests that he’s up to the challenge. Tomorrow marks his first Sprint Cup run at the Daytona 500 (1 PM ET on Fox) – the Super Bowl of motor sports, as a man with a Dale Earnhardt tattoo once told me – and that’s where you, our loyal-yet-rambunctious commenters come in.

Ricky is our official driver, so that means if he finishes better than the other drivers that have been assigned to other, less spectacular sites, one of you lucky animals is going to win an all-expenses paid trip to attend the Sprint All Star race in Charlotte, N.C. on May 19. So bring your commenting A-game and let’s cheer on the No. 6 car and our boy Ricky.

In the meantime, Ricky and I spent a few minutes discussing his ambitions, celebrity status, Twitter etiquette, when he’ll start dating Kim Kardashian, and, of course, the Daytona 500’s Grand(est) Marshal… Kate Upton.

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In just four years, San Francisco 49ers linebacker Patrick Willis has already taken his place as one of the greats in the game today. When K-Swiss had their four-day shoot to restart their awesome Kenny Powers “MFCEO” campaign, With Leather’s Josh Zerkle was invited to check it out and spend time with the athletes supporting the California-based shoe brand. Willis was reached via phone and asked about his experiences with the K-Swiss campaign.  Portions of this Q&A were edited for clarity and space.

So what are you up to today?

My girlfiend is getting her nails done, and I came with her. Once a month, I try to come in and get my feet done. I know some people are like, “Man, I’m a dude,” but it really helps. I don’t my nails painted or any of that. But yeah, once a month I like to come in and get my feet done, keep my heels from busting open. That kind of thing.

Your girlfriend probably appreciates that, too.

Right, yeah. [Laughs].

So, first question. Are you best inside linebacker in football right now?

[Pause.] Yessir.

Yes! [Clapping hysterically] That’s awesome!

But I say that with some humbleness and hunger behind that, you know? You said, right now, at this point in time? That was a weird question. You asked me that question, I mean, what else am I gonna say? I believe in myself, but there are guys out there like Ray [Lewis] and Brian [Urlacher] and guys like Takeo [Spikes], those guys are the pioneers of the game and that’s who I’m chasing, to get a legacy comparable to their. You say those names, and you just think “Wow, those guys can play.” True players. That’s what I’m trying to get to.

I think it says a lot about the quality of your play that a west-coast guy that plays defense can…I mean, those aren’t the guys that get endorsements in the NFL, and now here you are doing work for K-Swiss. I think that says a lot about what you’ve done in just four years in the league.

Yeah, it has been a blessing. I don’t let it get to my head. I’m still trying to think about how I can get better. Today, I wanted to rest. I know I needed rest, I don’t feel like I can rest. What if somebody else is working today? So I gotta do something, whether it’s mentally or something physically, I gotta do something.

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