7/7/07 BOXING VIDEO ROUNDUP FEATURE
Posted on | July 9, 2007 | 1 Comment
[mpinpage]
DONAIRE VS. DARCHINYAN
Nonito Donaire (18-1, 11 KO’s) took charge from the outset against a cocky, sore losing Vic Darchinyan (28-1, 22 KO’s) Saturday night, handing the Armenian Australian fighter his first loss as a professional. Darchinyan, who boxes with his elbows out to his sides and often teases and baits his opponents to get them to creep into his danger zone, never looked like he had a chance in the match. Donaire absolutely picked him apart, using a longer reach, a phenomenal straight right, and a faster pace to frustrate his opponent until the inevitable occured. His brother, who had his jaw broken by Darchinyan in their fight last year, helped Nonito develop the necessary overpowering strategy it took to exact the family some revenge. The elder Donaire was bolstered by his weight advantage from coming down to fight at 112 pounds instead of his usual 115 pounds.
Though two judges had Darchinyan deadlocked with Donaire at the time of the fifth-round KO, anyone else watching could see Darchinyan’s belts in jeopardy from the opening minute of the first round until the brutal left hook that turned the vaunted bully into a stumbling sissy. Donaire danced away from every spot of trouble, cut Darchinyan early in the fight, and never fell into the traps Darchinyan set. Known for hypnotizing his previous opponents with methodical, deliberately slow movements followed up by swift, out of the blue blasts of sudden power, Darchinyan usually seizes the advantage because it is so awkward for a fighter to get around that unorthodox southpaw style.
Saturday night Donaire found a way to avoid Darchinyan’s lumbering advances and made the champion pay every time he tried to get cute. At one point Darchinyan dropped his guard and gave Donaire a clear shot at his face. Donaire wasted no time making him pay for his bravado. The risky maneuver backfired on Darchinyan, and his eyes glazed over after the resulting counter punches to the face from Donaire. It was the turning point of the fight, as Darchinyan suddenly betrayed an inkling of intimidation, the likes of which he’d probably never felt before. He grew more and more cautious as the fight went on into the fifth and final round. Loading up too long for each punch and getting clobbered by the patient, well-planned attack of his opponent, Darchinyan could never get into any kind of offensive rhythm. Every time he did land a decent shot, Donaire simply shook it off and kept firing jabs and straight rights. The speedy, snappy, and sporadic left hooks Donaire threw were not always accurate, but Darchinyan was simply begging for one to catch him off guard. Finally, one did.
Darchinyan waded in and went to throw one of his patented underhanded uppercuts to the body and dropped his right hand to his waist. Leaving his face an open target in the process, he also telegraphed what he was about to do by contorting his face into an angry grimace as he threw what would be his last punch of the night. It never hit home, because Donaire simply sat back and executed the most magnificent short left hook at the most magical moment possible.
As soon as that hook connected, all the strength leaked out of Darchinyan’s legs. He fell to the canvas as a clot of thick blood and mucus dribbled from his nostrils. For the first time in his professional career, Darchinyan was absolutely out of it. He propped himself up on all fours and tried to stand up too fast, finding his equlibrium completely out of whack once he reached his feet. He wound up swimming toward the ropes in mid air, hoping he could somehow recover before being counted out on his feet. One look into his clueless eyes from the referee led to the immediate stoppage. Darchinyan barely had the time or energy to protest. Moments laters a small crowd that included the ringside medical staff laid the former champ down on the canvas and nursed him back to complete consciousness. Though they brought a back board in to carry him out, Darchinyan’s ego simply wouldn’t allow him to suffer that kind of humiliation. He soon regained his composure and walked in on Donaire’s post-fight interview to jabber at the new champ about a rematch.
The way this fight ended gave a tremendous boost to all true boxing fans yearning for the sport to turn itself around. A virtual unknown having fought nobody of note in his entire career came in and manhandled a flyweight fighter hailed as having the kind of reputation Mike Tyson once carried in the sport. Vic Darchinyan lost to a guy coming off a win against a boxer with a 5-9 record. He had successfully defended his IBO and IBF Flyweight titles six times in a little more than two years, each time facing formidable opponents with phenomenal records. Darchinyan won the IBF title against a 30-0 Irene Pacheco in December of 2004 and also gave Luis Maldonado the first blemish on his undefeated 33-0-1 record when the two battled in June of 2006.
Darchinyan stood across from the man who took his belts in complete and utter shock, still unsure of what the heck just happened to him, begging for a rematch and doubting the referee’s decision to save him from an even more brutal beating if the fight had continued. It was just the kind of ending that any Hollywood producer would salivate over if he saw it in a script. Donaire stood there staring and grinning at Darchinyan like Daniel in The Karate Kid after just pulling off the big finish with the Crane kick to win the tournament. Older brother Glenn Donaire had prepared Nonito by having him paint the fence and the house, sand the deck, and wax the cars. All that practice paid off, and the vanquished villain had to stand there in the end and listen to the hero tell him he’d have to think about whether or not to give him another chance to win back his cherished hardware.
Darchinyan finally departed for the locker room with the help of his entourage and without those big, heavy, gold plated symbols of his years of dominance in the division. It’s been a long time since a flyweight fight garnered so much attention and such an amazing, unpredictable finish. It’s been even longer since a man so humble, grateful, and soft spoken carried the weight of two world titles on his shoulder and around his waist. If underdogs like Donaire can come in and compete like that more often, boxing will be well on the way to recovery. If more men of his caliber can ascend to the same level, champions in the sport will once again be looked upon with the kind of respect and admiration the legends of old once commanded. Congratulations to Nonito Donaire for living the impossible dream.
DARCHINYAN VS. DONAIRE HIGHLIGHTS:
SIMMS VS. ALCINE
Travis Simms (25-1, 19 KO’s) followed Darchinyan’s lead in Showtime’s main event fight against Joachim Alcine (29-0, 18 KO’s), but Simms at least went the distance in losing by a 15-point margin in a 12-round battle against the speedy Haitian-born Canadian. Simms held the WBA title for just six months and a day after coming out of a long layoff to reclaim it. Jose Antonio Rivera did his best to battle the eager, overpowering Simms in that January match-up, but in the end Simms beat him to a bloody pulp, forcing the former champ to contemplate retirement.
Saturday night, Alcine was the one doing the beating, although it wasn’t nearly as brutal and bruising for Simms as it was for Rivera. Simms soon found out how rusty he really was from spending over two years in obscurity away from the ring. Alcine’s lightning fast reflexes, stellar jab, and fierce combinations left Simms outgunned and outclassed through the latter rounds of the fight, only showing fleeting, rare flashes of excellence. After the fight he complained of an injured hand and a slip that was ruled a knockdown. Still, he gave due credit to the new champ.
“I take my hat off to Alcine. No excuses just congratulations to him. I’ll be back. He fought a good fight. Tonight was his night. I didn’t underestimate him,” said Simms after the tough loss. Again, the loser immediately downplayed the validity of his defeat and called for a quick rematch while the winner lamented about how much tougher he thought the fight would be and how the heavy hitting champ did not live up to his billing.
“He’s not a bad boxer but I thought he was a bigger puncher. I tasted his power early and knew it wouldn’t be a problem for me in the fight,” said Alcine about the way he made the fight so one-sided in the end.
It’s a well-known fact that speed kills, and regardless of whether Simms’ gripes were genuine or imagined he came up short trying to live up to all the unreal expectations. He was a whole lot less than “Tremendous” and clearly revealed what two years off can do to a championship caliber fighter. Not to say that beating Rivera was a fluke or Rivera was that much weaker than Alcine. The truth is, Travis Simms should have paced himself before waltzing right back into the spotlight and trying to reclaim and retain his old hardware. Like all fighters making a comeback, it takes time, and Simms simply hasn’t had enough to adjust yet.
At the same time, nobody can argue that Alcine is a slouch or that Simms could have easily beat him with a healthy hand and a more observant referee. The adopted Canuck put the whole package together and showed why he’s well on his way to a Hall of Fame career that may even end with a zero in the loss column if he keeps up the same pace and doesn’t suffer any serious injuries of his own. It’s not out of the realm of possibility to imagine him compiling 50 wins before hanging up the gloves.
Like Donaire’s win, Alcine’s belt-driven performance could prove to be a big boost for boxing. With Alcine’s character and composure, he could definitely unify the titles at 154 pounds if he continues to push himself. Put him in against the other title holders, and we may get one or two fights that could rival Hearns and Hagler if we’re lucky.
SIMMS vs. ALCINE HIGHLIGHTS
Lamon Brewster (33-4, 29 KO’s) was the one guy who couldn’t live up to the role of the upstart underdog Saturday night. He looked like Fat albert trying to fight The Incredible Hulk. I honestly don’t think he landed anything that even made Wladimir Klitschko (49-3, 44 KO’s) blink. The only thing that stopped Brewster from devouring a complete seven course meal of snappy jabs and stiff straight rights was the compassion of his own trainer: the venerable Buddy McGirt.
Klitschko is the great white heavyweight hope for title unification, but the time for tune up bouts is long past him. He knew coming in that Brewster was a shell of the man who scored a TKO against him in their last meeting. Yet, he still made this fight happen and made a big deal of it as if “Dr. Steelhammer” really had something to prove at this point against any fighter who doesn’t currently hold a belt. If he’s going to prove anything in any rematch, at this point it would only be done by facing Sam Peter again. “The Nigerian Nightmare” might just give him fits if they go at it again, and he’s honestly the only man out there I see as able to even rattle Klitschko at this juncture in his stellar career.
I can think of five or six better men Klitschko could have picked to test himself, but he decided to be the only party pooper Saturday night by embarassing a man for no good reason at all and giving fight fans the only totally predictable outcome of the night. I feel bad for any moron who made a bet for Brewster to win. With every thudding jab that connected I winced myself, and I couldn’t help but feel for Brewster. He just wasn’t built to battle a man like that. Klitschko has finally learned to maximize his reach and fight with his jab as his exclusive money punch, only following up with the right when it was totally wide open for the taking. Transitioning seamlessly from power to quick jabs, he made a fool of Brewster, and we all watched it wondering where Brewster’s olf fire went until Buddy stepped in and did the right and merciful thing.
Never has a trainer lived up to his first name more than Saturday night. McGirt gave Brewster a couple taps on the cheek to let him know it was over and there was no point in making it any worse, and just like that the heavyweight division produced yet another fight that made every fight fan long to return to the old days. Yup, the old time days with a primed and uncorrupted Tyson, who would have negated Klitschko’s jab by Peekabooing the crap out of him and hitting him on the inside with uppercuts and hooks.
Alas, the old days are gone and we live our lives as heavyweight fans in a perpetual Rocky IV movie that’s got the script written wrong so the Russian always wins.
IF YOU CAN BEAR TO WATCH IT AGAIN HERE’S THE END OF THE FIGHT
[/mpinpage]
Tags: belts > blasts > blemish > Board > bravado > bully > canvas > career > Champ > danger zone > ego > elbows > fight > finish > flyweight > humiliation > jabber > jeopardy > June > left hook > Maneuver > nbsp > Nobody > Nonito Donaire > occured > out of the blue > outset > punches > rematch > reputation > roundup > saturday night > script > sissy > southpaw > stoppage > time > Vic Darchinyan > weight advantage > yearning
UNDERGROUND CAGE FIGHTING DIVISION IS BORN
Posted on | July 9, 2007 | 5 Comments
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE !
July 9, 2007 (Release also attached)
SUN ANNOUNCES NEW DIVISION – UNDERGROUND CAGE FIGHTING
New MMA Brand Designed for Casinos and Regional Arenas
DALLAS, TX — (MARKET WIRE) – July 9th 2007 – SUN Sports & Entertainment Inc., (Pink Sheets: SSPE) announced today that the Company is launching a new division called “UNDERGROUND Cage Fighting ™” designed for Casinos, Arenas and regional markets interested in showcasing this new sport and the new breed of fighters across in the Country.
The UNDERGROUND Events are produced exclusively by SUN and offer a full turnkey Mobile Production that starts at $100,000 (based on fight card). The specialized model could allow SUN the ability to produce up to one Event per week on a national basis across America. The Company has received dozen’s of inquires for its UNDERGROUND Events and has already signed two contracts to produce an Event in August 2007 and another Event in November 2007.
SUN President J. Buckeye Epstein, stated, “Our UNDERGROUND brand is completely different than our ‘Art of War’ Series that is created for large arenas and world-wide audiences. The UNDERGROUND program is a raw more aggressive program specifically created to allow the venue owners the opportunity to offer Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) Sport in small regional markets. The growth of MMA and the demand for more of this type of live entertainment should prove to be a very successful financial model for SUN.” Epstein added, “We feel there is a huge market opportunity in the 1000 – 5000 seat venues to bring a professional show to their facility and have subsequently created a very unique marketing and production plan specifically for this.”
The Company will unveil its first multi city tour in a series of Events in Texas as early as September 2007 and will begin producing a national program thereafter. Epstein says ‘This program will allow the new generation of young fighters to build a track record and get exposure before they are considered to be associated with the Men’s National MMA Team. It’s our plan promote many of these UNDERGROUND events which provides the estimated 300 million fans (source: Guy Adams a Reporter with Independent News & Media) around the globe a chance to witness live or on Pay Per View the energy of what happens when two skilled athletes mixed martial arts are placed in a 24 foot steel cage!
About SUN:
SUN is a Professional Sports & Entertainment Production Company. SUN is a Certified and Licensed Combat Sports Promoter and produces World Class Mixed Martial Arts Events. The properties of SUN (www.SUNorganization.com), Art of War LIVE (www.artofwarLIVE.com) International Fighters Association (www.IFApro.com), US National Team – Team USA MMA (www.teamUSAmma.com) and UNDERGROUND Cage Fighting, are pending trademarks.
BAD BOYZ FIGHTWEAR PROFILE
Posted on | July 9, 2007 | 1 Comment
By: Rich Bergeron The Metropolis Night Club, located inside the Cincinnati Mills Mall, will host another incredible amateur MMA event this Saturday, January 27th. The doors open for ICE 25 at 7:00, and the fights begin at 8:00. Typically featuring anywhere from 12-15 fights at each event, the tickets for the show range in price from $30-55. Fight News Unlimited caught up with two of the competitors on Saturday’s card recently. Bad Boyz Fight Team members Dan Spradlin and Tom Eppens took some time out to talk about their outlook on their upcoming fights and the MMA scene in general. Dan “Cincy Bad Boy” Spradlin will be rematching Jake Rausch Saturday. Their first fight on 12/2/06 was a war, and the battle went all three rounds. Dan lost by a close decision, but he’s been putting in some major work in training to address the weaknesses that cost him the first match. Tom “Iron Man” Eppens will be on Saturday’s card, too. Tom made his MMA debut on 9/30/06, winning in 0:29 of the 1st round by submission (rear naked choke). Tom fought again on 12/2/06 and lost in round 1 (2:15), by submission (side choke). This fight marks his last entry into the cage as an amateur, as he will be headed immediately into the pro ranks. He’s scheduled to make his pro debut about a week after the fight. Tom “Iron Man” Eppens
Tom Eppens obviously enjoys fighting. Despite being only a week out from one of the most important fights of his young career, he decided to fight this weekend and put in one last amateur fight before turning pro. “I’ll be making my pro debut next weekend. This Saturday is my last amateur event,” said Eppens. “When the opportunity opens up, you gotta take it.”
He calls himself a grappler with a little boxing experience, and he said he banks a lot on his experience as a high school wrestler. “I just started fighting about a year ago,” he said. “For background training, I’ve done a lot of different things to add up to this point. I used to do grappling and MMA, but it was nothing to do really with fighting. I did wrestling in High School, and I did some security at Metropolis Night Club, and that’s how I ended up finding out about it. One of the fellow security guys I worked with actually grapples himself.”
Asked what he enjoys most about competing in MMA, he responded, “It’s gotta be the adrenaline rush, man. That’s what everyone gets in there for, and to make something outta’ your name.”
His first priority is to become a professional, and eventually he’d like to make it into PRIDE or the UFC. His favorite fighter is Andrei Arlovski. “Just for his tactics and the hard work he puts into it,” said Eppens. “Also because of where he started and where he’s at now. He’s just a well-set, goal-oriented guy.”
As for what he does before a fight to get ready, his training includes basic tactics, keeping his cardiovascular conditioning up with 12-15 mile runs every day, and “countdowns.” Countdowns are a series of jumping jacks, pushups, and sit-ups. He starts with 19 of each and counts down to zero, treating zero as the number one. “I just make sure I’m ready to perform at Grade A level,” he said. “I always give it 110 percent.”
Grappling and submissions are his number one skill in the cage. That aspect of his game has been developing since he was a toddler. “I started back when I was 4-years-old in the little kids’ club, and I haven’t stopped since,” he said. “I’ve been grappling for 18 years, and I’ve gone to Hawaii and Rome for it, and plus I’ve been boxing about four years.” He’s also trained in the Miletich Fighting Systems for about three years now.
“Overall, it’s a pretty good show,” he said about the last event he’ll be involved in as an amateur. “Next weekend my show is out in Indiana, and I only heard about it at the last minute. I was invited by one of the other pro fighters in it, and I’ll be making my pro debut at 185 pounds. I used to fight at 205, but I cut down.”
Looking to the future of MMA, he’s excited about the sport’s potential. “The way I see it, it’s already putting boxing in a nonexistent area, and it’s taking over the sports world right now,” he said. “It’s one of the highest viewed sports channels in the world right now.”
Eppens looks at his lifestyle growing up as one of the main reasons for his success. Having a father with a military mindset helped, too. He always had his father’s discipline to keep him motivated. “It’s just the way I live my life,” he said. “I’m always setting goals, getting the task completed.”
Dan “Cincy Bad Boy” Spradlin
Dan Spradlin sort of stumbled into cage fighting, having no training going into his first fight. He’s lost both of his first two matches since he began in the sport, but it hasn’t deterred him from getting back to the grind. “I’ve had 6-8 months of solid training now,” he said. “The last guy I lost to is the same guy I’m fighting Saturday. We had a match back in December that went to decision. It was a pretty good fight. I’ve been training solid since then.”
Spradlin considered himself mostly a “bar brawler” before setting foot in the cage. As a bouncer for about a year and a half he wound up tied up in a huge out of control brawl with 18 off-duty police officers. An epic battle followed pitting he and the rest of the bouncers against all the cops in an absolute free-for-all. That gave him a taste of no-holds-barred combat, and he was hooked.
“More or less all my life growing up, I was a big fighter, and I was picked on a lot, so I started wrestling in grade school,” he explained. “I went on from there, and I was a little hellion. I found out that I really like fighting, but I never really had a way to actually pursue fighting legally until I found out about MMA. I’m head over heels in love with it now.”
He’s been working out and getting some lessons in the different facets of MMA at Sacan Martial Arts and Georgia Joe’s. “Muay Thai is my main thing,” he said. “I like stand-up fighting. Other than that, I like to go for the rear naked choke. That’s one of the submissions I always try to get people in.”
Given his performance last time out and finding out his opponent had such a solid wrestling background, he’s been addressing his ground attack. “I started working on my ground game. I just wasn’t up to par last fight,” he said. “The guy was an 8-year Division One wrestler, and I just wasn’t ready for the ground game back in December. I’m definitely ready for it now.”
He’s also got his sights set on a pro debut, hoping to get there by about Semptember. “I’m gonna start fighting as much as I can, try to go maybe twice a month, get some wins under my belt, and turn pro about ¾ of the way through the year,” he said. “I already been offered to go pro, but I want to get some more fights first. Eventually I’d like to make it to the UFC. I got a baby on way now, so things are slowing down a little. It’s something I would love to make a career out of, support myself and my family at. It would be great to make a career out of it, get big, well known, and recognized.”
He calls Tito Ortiz his favorite fighter. “He just goes in there and gets it done,” he said. “He’s just kind of like a bad kid off the street. He had it rough, but he made something positive out of it, more or less.”
One thing he’s like to see change in the future is the way it’s portrayed by those who can’t seem to understand it. “The way it’s looked down upon as barbaric, it’s just not right. I look at it as two gladiators going in there and goin’ at it, putting each other to the test,” he said. “All you have to fall back on is yourself in the ring or in the cage. My girlfriend even thinks the sport is barbaric. My dad despised it in the beginning, and for my first fight he didn’t wanna go, and he didn’t wanna hear nothin’ about it. Now, he watches UFC every chance he gets, and he’s at every fight. He loves it.”
He counts his father as one of his most important role models growing up. “He was always taking on things that were hard to overcome, as far as military and police life,” said Spradlin. “He always seemed to achieve whatever he did. I started fighting, and I can see now that I’m now somebody for him to look at and be proud of as well.”
In addition to being a fighter bent on dominating opponents in the cage, Spradlin is also a budding businessman looking to crush the competition. He already has his own clothing line: Bad Boyz Fight Wear. “We’re trying to get that out there, and we sponsor Chris “The Grinch” Reedy, and we’re working on getting a few other fighters to sponsor this year,” he said. “We also have Playboy Model Jessica Renee doing an endorsement for us. And we’re doing some fighting promotions, working with Eric “The Outlaw” Hayes, and we have a radio station endorsement as well. It’s with Morning Show Central, a podcast out of Cleveland. We just started back the team back in October. We’ve got two fighters on the team now, and both of us are amateur. I also get a lot of support from a local Chiropractor, Doctor Brandon Zoller.”
Although the event itself features mainly local fighters, fighters from Michigan, Indianna, and Pennsylvania also make the trip to participate. There’s also usually a couple of pro fighters there, according to Spradlin. “Rich Franklin’s usuallly there, Sylvia’s been there before, Diesel Riggs, and a few other professional fighters from the UFC,” he said. “We probably get around 2,000 people per event, at least. It’s at a night club with three different theme rooms, and they have the Rodeo room cleared out, and they use that room for the show.”
Bad Boyz will also have a booth set up at the event for their fight wear. They have added a few new items to their inventory, including beanies and hot shorts for the ladies. MJ from Morning Show Central’s Uncensored Net Noise will also be joining them at their booth. They will even have giveaways from Cryogel, Cocaine Energy Drink and NRage Energy strips.
BAD BOYZ’ MYSPACE SITE:
BAD BOYZ FIGHTWEAR:
CHRIS REEDY: THE GRINCH IS GREEDY FOR FIGHTS
Posted on | July 9, 2007 | No Comments
Chris “The Grinch” Reedy is Ready For a Busy February
Reedy Will Fight Three Times This Month
By: Rich Bergeron
The Christmas season may be long gone, but one “Grinch” is still wreaking havoc all across the land. Chris “The Grinch” Reedy is on a rampage, scheduled to fight three times in the month of February alone. The budding MMA fighter from San Bernadino, California is primed for competition.
“Oh man, I’m just looking forward to getting some wins, getting to fight,” said Reedy about his wild schedule.
He wound up as an MMA fighter by chance after wrestling all through high school. “Once I was done that, I had nothing else to do, and when I fought my first amateur MMA fight, I wasn’t even training for it,” he said. “I got into it right out of high school as an amateur. I fought and lost, so I started training.”
He fights out of Brian Warren’s Unbreakable Gym in San Bernadino and is now sponsored by Bad Boyz Fight Wear.
As for what he loves most about the sport, he keeps it simple. “Just getting in there and getting your aggression out, man,” he said… “And the women.”
His goals beyond attracting the opposite sex are also pretty simple. “I just wanna make it to the UFC, because of how big their events are, and because of the publicity,” he said. “The pay ain’t that great, but you get noticed.”
He has been a member of the professional ranks for almost half a year now, and his total amateur and pro record stands at 5-2 and could go as high as 8-2 by March first. He said he has no particular style he favors, but he loves knockouts. “They’re the best,” he said. “That’s just the best feeling when you knock someone out.”
He counts Ed Radcliffe his toughest opponent. He fought Radcliffe at Total Combat. “He was just unorthodox,” said Reedy. “He’s a black belt in karate, and he hit me with a lot of kicks. I was never exposed to that before.”
His last amateur fight was his best so far, and his performance in that contest led to his getting hooked up with Brian Warren. He moved out to California as a result.
His greatest accomplishment so far dates back to high school wrestling when he placed 3rd at the Greco-Roman nationals.
Before a fight he said, “I just like to relax, get the fight out of my head. If I think about the fight too much, I get nervous, and that messes me up.”
He’s excited about his upcoming matches and points to a post he put out on an MMA.TV forum. He also made it known that BCMLP & Associates helped get his name out there. “A lot of promoters just got my name out there, and I can’t turn down fights,” he said. “They put out some of my fight footage and my email address out there, and a lot of promoters started emailing me.”
BADBOYZ will be cornering “The Grinch” this weekend at his first fight of the month and are right now his main sponsor.
To learn more about Chris, visit his MySpace profile at: http://www.myspace.com/chrisl2eedy
For more on BadBoyz, check out their pofile here: http://www.myspace.com/badboyzfightwear
MIKE OLIVER OPEN WORKOUT
Posted on | July 9, 2007 | No Comments
PRESS CONFERENCE:
THIS Thursday, July 12, 2007, at the L.A. BOXING GYM located at 345 New London Turnpike in Glastonbury at 4:00 p.m. a Media Day-Open Workout will be conducted with world ranked super bantamweight contender Mike (Mike-Mike) Oliver in preparation for his upcoming ESPN main event on July 18 in Boston with fellow world ranked challenger (and former WBO bantamweight champion) Cruz Carvajal.
Oliver-Cruz will be a 12 round fight that will see the winner moved into the mandatory position in the IBF rankings. In other words the winner of this bout will be fighting in his next fight for the title against IBF Champion Steve Molitor of Toronto, Canada.
Note: Since Marlon Starling retired in 1990 the only Hartford-based boxers to challenger for world title have been John Scully (1996), Pito Cardona (1999) and Eric Harding (2000).
When: Thursday, July 12 at 4:00 P.M.
Where: L.A. Boxing, 345 new London Turnpike in Glastonbury
In attendance will be USBA 122 pound champ Mike Oliver, trainer “Iceman” John Scully, manager Marc Shaefer and promoter Richie Capiello.
EMMANUEL NWODO WANTS REMATCH WITH “DIRTY” WILSON
Posted on | July 8, 2007 | 1 Comment
Former USBA Cruiserweight Champion Emmanuel “Chukwu” Nwodo was knocked out in a brave effort against Darnell Wilson June 29th on ESPN2. Nwodo suffered a serious eye injury while twice coming off the canvas to take a lead on the scorecards heading into the 11th round. The exhausted Nwodo was hit with a right hand from Wilson which stunned him. Nwodo attempted to move away from Wilson and survive the round but was caught on the ropes and was knocked out cold by a Wilson left hook before regaining consciousness and congratulating the new champion.
The Nigerian power puncher said, “First I’d like to thank ESPN for having me on, as well as my promoter Don King, and my good friend Bobby Gunn for helping me prepare for this fight. Not to take anything away from Darnell Wilson, but it was hard for me after the third round when I was head butted and cut because of it. I have never been in ring with such a dirty fighter. My friend {IBF Cruiserweight Champion} said he had never seen a fight where someone was using such dirty tactics. I fought 8 rounds with out being able to see out of my left eye. The doctor wanted to stop the fight but I showed the heart I had and refused to quit on my stool. He hit me with some good shots but most of damage was done with his head and elbows”!
Nwodo also expressed an interest in a rematch. “Darnell will not beat me again, a rematch would be great. If I never broke my eye socket, he would have not have been victorious. Everyone who watched the fight knows that Wilson can’t beat me in a clean fight! His corner was going to stop the fight after the 8th or 9th round because he was losing. I am the only Cruiserweight who can knock Darnell Wilson out. Most importantly, the fans also deserve this rematch and I want to show why Emmanuel Nwodo is the best Cruiserweight in the world so let’s make it happen”!
REFLECTING ON GREAT ADVICE FROM A LIVING LEGEND
Posted on | July 7, 2007 | No Comments
RUBIN “THE HURRICANE” CARTER’S AUTOGRAPH
STICK THE JAB!!
By: Patrick McElligot
Because my son Darren was in college for the spring semester, I was not able to be in the gym with him much as he prepared for the Golden Gloves. There were a few weekends when he traveled back to use our gym, but most of the time, he trained at school or in one of the local gyms.
I am physically disabled, due to injuries sustained in an automobile accident, and thus limited in my ability to travel. So we were generally restricted to phone conversations and e-mails.
The situation reminded me of a generation before, when Rubin “Hurricane” Carter would help me prepare for fights. He was incarcerated in New Jersey, and I was training in upstate New York. Thus, our communications were limited to letters and cassette tapes. One evening, as I looked through some of the letters from Rubin, I found something that I sent along to Darren and the athletes that he was training with. Some were boxers, and others were involved in MMA. But they all liked this, and I’ll share it here, in hopes that readers enjoy it, too. It is from a letter dated September 27, 1973, 3:35 pm.
“Get into the habit of tucking your chin into your chest. Squat. Get down low. Put your entire weight behind each punch. When you jab – shift your weight to your left foot – your right foot is only there to balance you.
“Whenever you begin your attacks, your weight should always be on your front foot. But when you retreat – always do so in a crouch, with your weight shifted to both of your feet for smoother movements. Never back straight up! Always side-to-side – always looking for that opening to start your attack again.
“Remember: the best defense is a helluva offense, and catching your opponent coming into your strength will always result in that man being hurt.
“Be relaxed – always think relaxed, and you’ll never get tired. Stick that jab – stick that jab – stick that jab – stick that jab …. Until it becomes part of your every move …. Stick that jab – stick that jab! And you’ll find that you’re doing it and don’t even know it. That’s what instincts are all about. Can you dig it?
“Even as you read this letter, the rhythm should show you what I’m talking about – stick that jab – stick that jab – stick that jab!”
10 FIGHTS MMA FANS WANT TO SEE!!
Posted on | July 6, 2007 | No Comments
#10 – TITO ORTIZ VS. FORREST GRIFFIN 2
The first time these two met, we got a crowd-pleasing clash with very good back and fourth action. Personally, I actually think his knee injury may have been a factor. But since that bout, Tito’s standup has come full circle and with Forrest’s willingness to stand and trade, I think the rematch just might exceed the back-and-fourth action of their first encounter. Depending on the outcome of Ortiz/Evans, we just might get a chance to find out.
PREDICTION: ORTIZ BY GROUND AND POUND
#9 – ANTONIO NOGUEIRA VS. GABRIEL GONZAGA
This is one of those “teacher vs. pupil” fights where we’ll either see the passing of the torch or the crowning moment of a legend. Gonzaga is a young, big and very strong kid who’s Jiu Jitsu would give anyone fits…anyone except for Nogueira. It takes a true MMA fan to really appreciate the great ground game that these two, who are at the top of their Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, bring to the table. UFC 73 will let us know just how much Nogueira has left in the tank when he takes on Heath Herring. Shortly after, Gonzaga will have his hands full with “Captain America”, Randy Couture. Don’t count this fight out down the line.
PREDICTION: NOGUEIRA BY SUBMISSION
#8 – NICK DIAZ VS. KARO PARISYAN 2
I don’t think you can say the names of Nick Diaz or Karo Parisyan and the phrase “boring fight” in the same sentence. Diaz would definitely have to get back into the good graces of Dana White if we’re ever going to get a chance to see this fight, but man it would be a barn burner. Jiu Jitsu mixed with Judo throws; Diaz’s bad boy attitude and Parisyan’s Armenian pride; not to mention the run-in that Nate had with Karo on the Ultimate Fighter Season 5. The stage is is already set for a rematch that would come down to the wire.
PREDICTION: DRAW
#7 – ANDERSON SILVA VS. DAN HENDERSON
Personally, I think we should be getting this fight instead of Jackson/Henderson. Obviously, as we saw against Wanderlei Silva, Henderson has great strikes and enough power to compete with anyone. I just think he’s more of a middleweight than a light heavyweight. Silva is also a great striker, and both men are very accurate. A great technical fight with good standup. A war of attrition.
PREDICTION: HENDERSON BY KNOCKOUT
#7 – PAULO FILHO VS. RICH FRANKLIN
A classic clash of styles between striker vs. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Can Franklin keep the powerful Filho at bay with his superious striking ability? In my opinion, Filho’s best chance is to get Franklin on the ground and to keep him there, but that’s easier said than done. Franklin has a very underrated sprawl. If he can avoid some of Filho’s takedown attempts, he‘s got the killer instinct to finish him off. I’m not so sure the same can be said about Filho, but I’d love to find out.
PREDICTION: FRANKLIN BY KNOCKOUT
#6 – MATT HUGHES VS. BJ PENN 3
I don’t we’ll ever see these two in a boring fight. BJ thinks Matt is a hillbilly and Matt thinks BJ is a spoiled brat; those type of fighting words are sure to lead to another explosive, action-packed fight (although I don’t think Matt minds being called a hillbilly too much). The two guys really just don’t like each other and their contrasting styles make for an exciting clash. I don’t think Hughes will be willing to stand toe-to-toe with Penn like he did in their rematch, so I‘d expect him to try for the takedown where he can use his bread and butter: his wrestling ability. However, Penn is so well-rounded on the ground that it could be a dangerous position for Hughes. The first two fights were very entertaining and, assuming Penn is in top shape, the third one would could surpass the excitement of the first two.
PREDICTION: PENN BY SUBMISSION
#5 – FEDOR EMELIANENKO VS. RANDY COUTURE
Most people wouldn’t give the 44 year old Couture a chance in this one, but it could turn out to be a tough fight for Mr. Emelianenko. The opponents that have given Fedor any trouble have all had strong wrestling skills, something that Randy is incredible at. Don’t throw your computers out of the window just yet Fedor maniacs. Couture himself would face a lot more dangers in this fight, including Fedor’s relentless attack and vicious ground and pound. Due to his calm demeanor, Fedor doesn’t get rattled at all and unfortunately for Randy, I think the person that gives Fedor his next loss will have to posses great submission skills as well as wrestling. Although Fedor hasn’t looked quite as spectacular in his last few outings, the guy knows how to win and that will spell trouble for just about anyone who steps up to face him, including Randy Couture.
PREDICTION: FEDOR BY GROUND AND POUND
#4 – BRANDON VERA VS. MIRKO “CRO COP” FILIPOVIC
Two very good stand-up fighters that could make for an interesting fight. When whispers of this fight were first brought up, Cro Cop fans were saying he would destroy Vera, but now that Gabriel Gonzaga has shown that Cro Cop is indeed human, a fight with Vera is extremely intriguing. Personally, I think thought of Cro Cop landing a high kick and eventually knocking out his opponent is getting old. Although he has great strikes, he’d be much slower than a younger, faster Vera. Furthermore, as we saw in the Gonzaga fight, Cro Cop’s ground game is still pretty weak. He looked like a fish out of water when Gonzaga was raining those elbows down on him. Vera is a very well-rounded fighter that can mix it up with the best of them. His Muay Tha clinch, as well as his submission skills, could give Cro Cop a lot of problems. I’m ready to get flamed for this prediction, but…
PREDICTION: VERA BY SUBMISSION
#3 – SOKOUDJOU VS. MAURICIO “SHOGUN” RUA
I think we can now consider Sokoudjou to be one of the top light heavyweights in the world. If his wins over Antonio Nogueira and Ricardo Arona were just luck, then man, I’d love to have some of that come my way. Stopping two of the top light heavyweights in Pride in less than three minutes isn’t luck..it’s just impressive. As for Shogun, you just can’t say enough about his abilities. He has great striking skills as well as a Muay Thai clinch that he knees very well out of. However, I think that his Muay Thai clinch will play right into the hands of Sokoudjou’s best asset; his judo throws. It’s hard to believe that Sokoudjou already has two great knockouts in Pride and we haven’t even seen his strength yet; his Judo. I’m not one of those people who thinks that a particular fighter is unbeatable and quite frankly, Shogun is not the same fighter he was before the Mark Coleman fight
.
PREDICTOIN: SOKOUDJOU BY KNOCKOUT
#2 – FEDOR EMELIANENKO VS. MIRKO “CRO COP” FILIPOVIC
Their first encounter was one of the most anticipated fights in MMA history. Personally, I didn’t think it lived up to the hype, but it definitely had moments of brilliance and enough action to warrant a rematch. The fight would be huge just off of their names alone. Most people would prefer to see it in a ring, but a fight of this magnitude deserves to be in the biggest organization; the UFC. Of course, the UFC would first have to acquire services Fedor, and that’s looking like it’s going to be easier than done. However, with the UFC going global, Dana could put this one in Russia and wooooooooo…the atmosphere, as well as the sales, would be through the roof.
PREDICTOIN: FEDOR BY SUBMISSION
#1 – TAKANORI GOMI VS. NICK DIAZ 2
Their first clash was one of the greatest MMA fights that I’ve ever seen. Great back and fourth action with both fighters being hurt and Diaz finishing it with a gogoplata…just amazing. Unfortunately, the outcome of this fight was tainted due to Diaz testing positive for marijuana. I thought the no contest was a bit harsh and in my opinion the series is Diaz-1, Gomi-0. I’m sure Gomi will be in much better shape for the rematch; a rematch that would have a title on the line as well as other perks. Neither fighter has been in a boring fight
_________________
PREDICTION GOMI BY KNOCKOUT
SEARCH OUR BLOGS
SEARCH THE WEB
Subscribe in a reader
US Money Reserve
Bodybuilding fitness software: Gain weight & build muscle fast.
Photographers - Boston, MA
PRO-SEBLOG.COM: EMPOWERING ORDINARY PEOPLE TO PRACTICE LAW ON THEIR OWN BEHALF
CLICK HERE TO ORDER AN AWESOME SELF-HELP LEGAL COURSE
MARKETINGBOSS.INFO: MARKETING TIPS FOR YOUR SITE & BUSINESS
Boxing Live
RING GIRLS
OUR SPONSORS
