Archifau Categori: Tony Penecale

Tony Penecale, reslo, WWE

Efallai bod Hulk Hogan wedi diflannu, Ond mae Hulkamania yn byw am byth

Gadael sylw

Beth mae Hulk Hogan yn ei olygu i mi

Drwy: Tony Penecale

Mae hyn yn mynd i fod yn hir. Dyma beth rydyn ni'n newyddiadurwyr yn ei wneud, rydym yn ysgrifennu. Rwy'n ysgrifennu'r erthygl deyrnged hon i arwr plentyndod, Hulk Hogan. Rwy'n ysgrifennu hyn yn fwy i mi fy hun. Mae hon yn farwolaeth enwog sydd wedi effeithio arnaf fel dim arall. Gallaf wir ddeall sut roedd pobl yn teimlo pan fu farw Elvis.

Rydw i wedi eistedd ar y meddyliau a'r geiriau hyn ers wythnos bellach. Sut ydych chi'n ffarwelio ag eicon, rhywbeth sydd wedi diffinio'ch bywyd cyhyd ag y gallwch chi gofio?  Terry Bollea, reslwr proffesiynol ac eicon diwylliannol sy'n hysbys i'r byd fel Hulk Hogan, bu farw'n sydyn ar Orffennaf 24 Ar ôl dioddef ataliad ar y galon yn ei gartref yn Florida.

Er bod dadleuon a barn ymrannol dros Terry Bollea y dyn dros yr ychydig flynyddoedd diwethaf, Rwyf am ganoli fy meddyliau ar Hulk Hogan, y reslwr a'r diddanwr a olygai gymaint i mi dros yr olaf 40 flynyddoedd.

Yn yr hyn a oedd fel storm berffaith, Daeth Hulk Hogan i mewn i'm bywyd ym 1983. Roeddwn i newydd symud i gymdogaeth newydd gan fod fy nhaid yn derfynol wael, Ac roedden ni'n mynd i helpu fy mam -gu i ofalu amdano yn ei fisoedd olaf. Nid oeddwn erioed wedi cael cebl o'r blaen. Byddai fy nhad weithiau'n gwylio'r rhaglennu reslo yn ein hen dŷ, A byddwn yn eistedd gydag ef. Ar y pryd WWE (Yna WWF) yn diriogaeth ranbarthol i'r gogledd -ddwyrain. Y pencampwr oedd Bob Backlund ond i blentyn enamed gyda Star Wars a He-Man, Roedd ychydig yn rhy blaen a diflas i ddal fy nychymyg.

Roedd Rocky III wedi cael ei ryddhau yn 1982 a galwodd y sgript am gyhyrog, Wrestler mwy na bywyd i lenwi rôl Thunderlips a Hogan oedd y dewis naturiol. Roedd wedi bod yn sawdl (boi drwg) Daeth cymeriad yn gynnar yn ei yrfa a'i berfformiad ag ef i gydnabyddiaeth brif ffrwd. Gyda mynediad at gebl, Roedd yn ymddangos bod Rocky III ymlaen bron bob dydd a byddwn yn ei wylio ar ôl cartwnau'r prynhawn.

Y mis Rhagfyr hwnnw, Collodd Bob Backlund deitl WWE i'r Sheik Haearn drwg a dirmygus. Nid oeddwn yn gefnogwr Backlund mawr, Ond ni allai fy meddwl 7 oed fathu byd gyda “dyn drwg” fel yr hyrwyddwr reslo. Roedd y byd yn gytbwys ar fis Ionawr 23, 1984, Pan ddisodlodd Hogan backlund “anafedig” a difetha'r sheik haearn yng Ngardd Sgwâr Madison.

Pan wyliais hyn ar y teledu, Roeddwn i'n gallu teimlo'r cyffro a'r gorfoledd pan enillodd Hulk y teitl yn ôl am America. Yn fy meddwl, Roedd Hulk Hogan yn ddyn drwg yn Rocky III nes i Rocky “ei droi’n dda.” Yn y foment honno, Fe wnes i ddod o hyd i arwr, Superman bywyd go iawn, Rhywun a allai wynebu a gwrthyrru heriau pob reslwr dyn drwg. Cael cebl, Roeddwn i'n gallu gwylio'r cardiau misol o sbectrwm Philadelphia, bloeddio'r hulkster ymlaen bob mis.

Chwefror 1985 yn nodi blwyddyn lawn o fod yn Hulkamaniac llawn i mi. Roedd cerdyn matinee yn cael ei gynnal yn y sbectrwm, A phenderfynodd fy nhad fynd â mi i weld Hulk yn amddiffyn yn erbyn y cig eidion Brutus di -flewyn -ar -dafod. Rwy’n dal i gofio’r cyffro amlwg wrth iddyn nhw chwarae “Eye of the Tiger” pan ddaeth Hulk i’r cylch. Roedd mor gyffrous. Fe wnes i dapio'r ailchwarae drannoeth ar y teledu ac roeddwn i'n argyhoeddedig fy mod i wedi gweld fy hun ar y darllediad. Nid tan flynyddoedd yn ddiweddarach y gwyliais yr ornest honno ar YouTube a sylweddoli mai'r person yr oeddwn i'n meddwl oedd fi yn unig yn fy arddegau 10 blynyddoedd yn hŷn na fi a dim ond gwisgo siaced debyg.

Roedd y WWE yn cyflwyno Supercard o'r enw “WrestleMania” y mis canlynol, A cheisiais berswadio fy nhad i adael imi ei weld. Roedd hyn cyn y gallech archebu cardiau talu-i-olwg i'w gwylio gartref a'r unig le y gallem ei weld oedd yn ddarllediad cylched gaeedig yn y sbectrwm Philadelphia. Fe wnes i ruthro oddi ar y rhestr o enwogion a fyddai yno, gan gynnwys Muhammad Ali. Cytunodd i fynd â mi, a chefais weld yr holl sêr mawr fel ci junkyard ac andre y cawr. Ond yr ornest a oedd wedi i mi grynu yn fy sedd oedd y gêm grudge gyda Hulk yn ymuno â chostar Rocky III ac eicon A-Team, Mr. T Wrth iddyn nhw ymgymryd â deuawd fradwrus Rowdy Roddy Piper a Paul “Mr.. Rhyfeddol ”Orndorff. Wrth gwrs, Roedd yr arwyr yn drech, A'r digwyddiad hwnnw oedd y peth mwyaf a welais erioed.

O'r eiliad honno, Roeddwn i am bopeth ac unrhyw beth hulk hogan. Ef oedd yr arwr mwyaf yn y byd. Hoffais He-Man, Y mynd, a thrawsnewidwyr, Ond teganau a chartwnau ffug oedden nhw. Roeddwn i'n gefnogwr mawr creigiog, Ond roeddwn i'n gwybod mai ffilm yn unig ydoedd. Ond Hulk Hogan ... roeddwn i'n ei wylio bob wythnos, Ac roeddwn i'n credu bod reslo yn real. Roeddwn i eisiau tyfu i fyny i ddod yn wrestler. Roedd fy enw yn mynd i fod yn “Tornado Tony” ac roeddwn i’n mynd i fod yn bartner tîm tag Hulk Hogan. Roeddem yn mynd i'r prif ddigwyddiad WrestleMania fel tîm tag. Byddwn yn hyfforddi gan ddefnyddio pecyn Workout Hulkamania gyda dumbells plastig, gafaelion llaw, a neidio. Cefais flwch cinio Hulk Hogan ar gyfer yr ysgol, Cefais grys-T Hulk Hogan, a phob un o'r ffigurau gweithredu LJN.

Fe wnes i lawer o wahanol ffrindiau yn yr ysgol dim ond siarad am reslo, rhai plant yr oeddwn i'n meddwl nad oedd gen i unrhyw beth yn gyffredin â nhw. Fel plentyn swil fel arfer, Pe bawn i'n gweld plentyn arall gyda rhywbeth ar thema reslo, fel sticer reslo ar sach gefn neu ychydig o gardiau masnachu, Byddwn yn torri allan o fy nghragen ac yn dechrau sgwrs. Yn anochel, Byddem yn gwneud cynlluniau i wylio'r rhaglenni wythnosol a ddarlledwyd bob bore Sadwrn, gan gynnwys y cartŵn ar thema Hulk Hogan a oedd mor boblogaidd. Yn ystod yr amser hwn, Byddai fy rhieni yn gadael imi aros i fyny yn hwyr pe bai prif ddigwyddiad nos Sadwrn yn cael ei ddarlledu. Roedd yn wledd i'w chroesawu ond hefyd yn drawmatig yn gwylio'r Brenin Monstrous Kong Bundy yn anfon Hulk allan ar stretsier. Mor drawmatig â hynny, Nid oedd yn ddigon i'm hatal rhag derbyn gwahoddiad parti pen -blwydd i wylio'r 2nd Rhandaliad WrestleMania gyda rhai o fy nghyd -ddisgyblion. Fe wnaethon ni bloeddio yn ystod mynediad Hogan, dal ein hanadl ar y cyd pan oedd gan Bundy y fantais, ac yna ei ddathlu pan deyrnasodd Hogan yn oruchaf.

Gyda'r busnes reslo ar anterth poblogrwydd a gyda Hulk yn arwain y ffordd, roedd angen rhywbeth mawr arnyn nhw, Yn hynod o fawr, i lenwi'r 93,000 Pontiac Silverdome ar gyfer WrestleMania III. Yr hyn a wnaethant oedd paru Hogan â'r dyn mwyaf mewn chwaraeon proffesiynol, yn llythrennol ac yn ffigurol, Pan wnaethant ei osod yn erbyn ei gyn ffrind yn y 7 troedfedd o daldra, 500 lb. Andre y cawr. Y cawr, Yn ffres oddi ar ei frad o Hogan, yn debygol o her rhy fawr i'n harwr goncro. Ar ôl parhau â nifer o ergydion yn erbyn ei wrthwynebydd mwyaf dail, Llwyddodd Hulk i Superman ei hun i fyny a choncro ei wrthwynebydd enfawr, gan gynnwys y bodyslam mwyaf eiconig erioed.

Yn fuan ar ôl WrestleMania III, Dechreuodd fy gorwelion ehangu. Dechreuais ymddiddori mewn chwaraeon, yn enwedig bocsio. Roeddwn i'n gwylio mwy o ffilmiau ac yn chwarae gwahanol gemau fideo. Tra roeddwn i'n dal i wylio reslo, ac yn ystyried fy hun yn Hulkamaniac ffyddlon, Dechreuais diwnio i mewn i raglenni eraill, Yn enwedig yn ystod y Times byddai Hogan oddi ar ffilmio ffilmiau a sioeau teledu.

Erbyn i mi gyrraedd yr ysgol uwchradd, Prin fy mod yn gwylio reslo. Nid dyna'r peth cŵl i'w wneud bellach. Weithiau byddwn yn gwylio'r rhaglennu a fy ffefrynnau i'w gwylio oedd yr Ymgymerwr, Razor Ramon, a Deisel. Nid oedd gennym bartïon reslo mwyach, Roedd fy ffigurau LJN wedi'u pacio mewn blwch yn yr atig, Ac nid oeddem yn cael gemau iard gefn. Roedd ffyniant reslo'r 80au wedi pylu, ac roedd gan y busnes sgandalau steroid a chyffuriau. Nid oedd bellach y math diniwed o adloniant y cefais fy magu yn ei wylio.

Fy mlwyddyn sophomore yn y coleg, Roeddwn i'n ystafell gyda boi a oedd yn hoffi reslo, A dechreuais wylio gydag ef. Roedd Hogan yn WCW cystadleuol, a byddem yn cymharu'r ddau sefydliad, roedd y ddau ohonynt yn dal i ddefnyddio themâu hen ffasiwn a gimics. Wrth i ni wylio fel grŵp, Ni chefais fy hun yn gwylio pan ddychwelais adref am wyliau'r haf. Newidiodd hynny ar Fai 27, 1996, Pan ollyngodd WCW bombs. Cafodd eu rhaglenni cymharol ddi -flewyn -ar -dafod hwb gyda dyfodiad annisgwyl Scott Hall (Y cyn Razor Ramon), Dilynwyd ychydig wythnosau'n ddiweddarach gan ei ffrind Kevin Nash (y cyn deisel). 

Bellach roedd gan WCW naws a diddordeb edgy ar ei uchaf ar gyfer eu bash wrth y cerdyn traeth, Dim ond ar gael trwy brynu'r darllediad talu-i-olwg. Neuadd a nash, gyda'r addewid o bartner dirgelwch, brwydro yn erbyn triawd arwrol Randy Savage, Pinsia ’, a Lex Luger. Yn gwella ar ôl cael llawdriniaeth ddiweddar gan ben -glin, Ni brynais y sioe. Nid oeddwn wedi clywed unrhyw ganlyniadau nac adroddiadau pan wnes i diwnio i mewn i raglennu nos Lun. Gyda fy mhen -glin yn cael ei bropio i fyny a, mewn stupor a achosir gan boen, Gwyliais wrth i Hulk gerdded i'r cylch yn ystod y prif ddigwyddiad. Roedd yno i achub yr arwyr ac anfon y dihirod yn ffoi. Neu felly meddyliais. Rwy’n cofio meddwl “A wnaeth yn unig ymosod ar y boi anghywir?”Wrth iddo ollwng ei legdrop llofnod ar Savage.

Yn union fel y gwnaeth 12 Flynyddoedd cyn hynny, Hulk Hogan unwaith eto oedd uwchganolbwynt y chwyldro reslo. Y tro hwn fe wnaeth e trwy chwyldroi ei hun yn gymeriad sawdl ac ychwanegu'r moniker “Hollywood” at ei enw. Newidiodd ei liwiau melyn a choch nod masnach yn gynllun lliw du a gwyn a brandio “Gorchymyn Byd Newydd” reslo. Daeth ag reslo yn ôl i'r brif ffrwd. Roedd y cyfryngau yn ymdrin ag reslo eto. Hwn oedd y sgwrs o amgylch y dref, ysgolion a swyddfeydd, Sut y trodd Hulk Hogan yn ddyn drwg. Ynghyd â Hall a Nash, Fe’i gwnaeth yn cŵl i fod yn ddrwg.

I wrthsefyll ffrwydrad graddfeydd WCW, Addasodd y WWE gynnyrch mwy edgy, Dan arweiniad Stone Cold Steve Austin a Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. Daeth nos Lun yn rhyfel y sgôr rhwng y ddau gwmni a gwylio reslo oedd y peth “mewn” i’w wneud eto.

Rwy'n cofio cerdded i fyny at ddyn ifanc ar ein campws a oedd yn gwisgo crys-T NWO. Edrychais arno a gofyn “Ydych chi?”A rhoddodd y signal“ am oes ”gyda fy llaw chwith. Ymatebodd gyda’r ystum“ rhy felys ”. Rydyn ni wedi bod yn ffrindiau ers hynny a phob blwyddyn ar ein penblwyddi priodol, Rydym yn postio cyfarchiad NWO ar dudalen cyfryngau cymdeithasol y llall.

I wrthsefyll ffrwydrad graddfeydd WCW, Addasodd y WWE gynnyrch mwy edgy, Dan arweiniad Stone Cold Steve Austin a Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. Daeth nos Lun yn rhyfel y sgôr rhwng y ddau gwmni a gwylio reslo oedd y peth “mewn” i’w wneud eto. Roedd reslo yn yr 80au yn union fel y degawd, uchelaf, lliwgar, a dros ben llestri. Roedd reslo yn y 90au yn debyg i'r amseroedd newidiadau, Grittier a mwy realistig. Y gwrth-arwr gwrthryfelgar oedd y duedd boblogaidd ac sy'n gweddu i agwedd fy mhersonoliaeth newydd-droi-21.

Yn ystod fy mlwyddyn iau yn 1997, Cefais fy newis i focsio yn y clasur colegol dwyrain-gorllewinol mawreddog yn Reno, Nv. Anffodus, Wythnos yn unig cyn y pwl, Gorfodwyd fy ngwrthwynebydd a drefnwyd i dynnu'n ôl gydag anaf a chymerwyd cyd -dîm mewn dosbarth pwysau ysgafnach yn fy lle. Tra mewn haenen ym Maes Awyr San Francisco, Gwelodd fy nghyd -chwaraewyr bocsio Hulk Hogan yn cerdded heibio, wedi gwisgo yn ei garb nwo du a gwyn. Fe wnaethant ei rwystro am lun, ac yr oedd yn gorfodi. Bod yn aelod o'r Clwb Newyddiaduraeth Ysgol, Roedd yn rhaid i mi gyflwyno'r llun hwnnw i'w gyhoeddi ym mhapur newydd ein hysgol, yr union lun y dylwn fod wedi cael ei gynnwys ynddo. Y flwyddyn ganlynol, Roeddwn i'n gallu gwneud y daith i reno, NV i gystadlu yn y Clasur Dwyrain-Gorllewin. Cerddais i gyd trwy'r maes awyr gyda bocsiwr arall ar y daith, Chwilio am unrhyw reslwr WCW a allai fod ym Maes Awyr San Francisco, Er mai dim ond un yr oeddwn yn edrych i'w chyfarfod mewn gwirionedd.

Ar ôl graddio, Fe wnes i gadw i fyny gyda'r duedd reslo. Yn 2001, Prynodd WWE WCW Faltering, A dim ond blwyddyn yn ddiweddarach, Dychwelodd Hulk Hogan i frwydro yn erbyn y graig mewn clasur oesol lle cofleidiodd y cefnogwyr ei ddychweliad. Byddai Hulk yn gadael ac yn dychwelyd i'r cwmni sawl gwaith dros yr ychydig flynyddoedd nesaf, ac yn ystod pob dychweliad, Pan fyddai ychydig gordiau cyntaf ei thema llofnod “Americanaidd go iawn” yn taro'r awyr, Byddai adwaith byddarol y dorf yn llenwi'r arena â thrydan o'r fath.

Erbyn canol y 2000au, Rwy'n dod i sylweddoli bod fy nghyfle i gwrdd â'm hoff reslwr ac eicon erioed yn cael ei golli pan dynnodd y bocsiwr Reno hwnnw'n ôl o'n pwl ym 1997. Bod yn gefnogwr naïf, Doeddwn i ddim yn sylweddoli bod Hulk yn dod o ardal Tampa mewn gwirionedd. Roedd bob amser yn cael ei filio o Draeth Fenis, Cymerodd Ca a minnau hynny fel gwirionedd. Dechreuais wneud taith wanwyn flynyddol i Clearwater yn 2008 ac, ychydig flynyddoedd yn ddiweddarach, Pasiodd fy gwennol far o’r enw “Hogan’s Beach”, ger Maes Awyr Tampa. Fe wnes i ddarganfod yn ddiweddarach mai bar oedd yn eiddo i Hulk Hogan, Felly gwnes i bwynt i ychwanegu diwrnod at fy nhaith am y flwyddyn nesaf i ymweld â'r bar hwnnw. Roedd yn gyfle i gael y llun roeddwn i'n teimlo fy mod i'n ei haeddu. Yn 2015, Es i i draeth Hogan’s gyda fy nghamera yn barod, Ac eithrio nad oedd Hulk Hogan yn Hogan’s Beach.

Gyda thraeth Hogan yn cau i mewn 2016, Clywais ei fod yn berchen ar siop memorabilia yn Clearwater Beach ac y byddai weithiau'n ymddangos ar hap. Ymwelais yn 2016, 2017, 2018, ac 2019, Pob un heb unrhyw lwc. Weithiau byddwn yn clywed rhywbeth fel “rhy ddrwg. Roedd yma ddoe.” Bob blwyddyn, Prynais grys a chymryd llun yn posio y tu allan i'r siop. Fy ffrind a chyn gyd -dîm Jason, Pwy oedd ar y daith focsio tyngedfennol honno i mewn 1997, a fyddent yn fy asio bob blwyddyn ac yn rhoi sylwadau gyda'u llun o'r maes awyr ddau ddegawd cyn hynny. Byddwn bob amser yn ymateb yr hoffwn ddarganfod y bocsiwr reno hwnnw fel y gallem o'r diwedd gael yr ornest focsio honno a phob blwyddyn, Byddwn yn ychwanegu blwyddyn arall o ddiddordeb ar ben y curo yr oedd yn mynd i'w gael 20 Flynyddoedd cyn hynny.

Er gwaethaf fy amseriad gwael bob blwyddyn, Roedd mynd i siop Hogan’s Beach yn Clearwater Beach yn brofiad hwyliog. Pan oeddwn i'n blentyn, Bu sôn am siop reslo yn agor mewn marchnad ffermwyr gerllaw, Ac roedd y plant yn fy nghymdogaeth i gyd yn siarad am yr hyn y byddem ni'n ei brynu, neu mewn gwirionedd, erfyn ar ein rhieni i brynu i ni. Roeddwn yn argyhoeddedig fy mod yn cerdded allan gyda chrys Hulk Hogan Tearaway, boncyffion melyn, pen -glin coch, ac esgidiau melyn. Cymerodd fy rhieni fi o'r diwedd, ac, Er mawr siom i mi, dim ond ychydig o ffigurau gweithredu yr oeddwn eisoes yn berchen arnynt, ychydig o grysau-t, a rhai cardiau masnachu. Roedd y siop yn Florida yn baradwys plentyn o'r 80au. Roedd yna ddwsinau o grysau i ddewis ohonynt, ynghyd â bandiau pen, Saethu sbectol, ffigurau gweithredu, a replica gwregysau. Roedd yna eitemau yn cael eu harddangos, megis gwregysau teitl Hulk’s Ring, Robe Ric Flair dilys, a phâr o Andre y boncyffion reslo maint anferth. Yn ystod un o fy sgyrsiau gyda ffrind a phartner busnes Hulk, Ron, Gofynnodd a oeddwn am dynnu llun yn dal ychydig o'r gwregysau a wisgodd cylch. Cefais i ddal y gwregys NWO wedi'i baentio â chwistrell gyntaf, a oedd yn anhygoel. Ond roedd yr hyn a ddaeth ag ef allan nesaf bron â bwclio fy ngliniau. Y gwregys dilys a wisgodd Hulk i'r cylch yn WrestleMania III pan frwydrodd Andre the Giant. Roedd y gwregys bywyd go iawn o efallai'r gêm fwyaf erioed yn gorffwys ar fy ysgwydd. Ceisiais wneud wyneb caled ar gyfer y llun, Ond allwn i ddim gwrthsefyll yr ysfa i dorri gwên trawstio allan wrth i mi ddal y darn eiconig hwn o fy mhlentyndod.

O'r diwedd, gwelais y cyfle euraidd ar gyfer fy nghyfle hir-ddisgwyliedig â llun gydag agoriad Hogan's Hangout Bar a Nosweithiau Karaoke wythnosol. Cynlluniwyd fy ymweliad ar gyfer mis Mawrth 14, 2022, Ac roeddwn yn barod i greu argraff ar yr Hulkster a fydd fy fersiwn o glasur Syr Mix-A-Lot “Baby Got Back”. Cyrhaeddais yn gynnar i gael man da wrth y bar, A chefais ace arall i fyny fy llawes. Deuthum â replica o fantell Thunderlips a wisgodd yn Rocky III. Nid oedd unrhyw ffordd y gallwn adael heb lun.

Ar ôl cyfarfod a sgwrsio â rheolwr WWE/WCW longtime a ffrind personol Hulk’s, Jimmy Hart, Cymerais fy man yn y bar eto ac aros gyda disgwyliad cyffrous fel y gwnes i pan oeddwn i'n blentyn yn aros am ei fynedfa yn sbectrwm Philadelphia. Fel arfer yn cyrraedd rhwng 8:15-8:20, Ni chyrhaeddodd Hulk tan ar ôl 8:30 ac er ei fod yn dal i wneud mynediad, Roedd ychydig yn ddarostyngedig. Yna cymerodd y meicroffon a chyhoeddi ei fod newydd dderbyn yr alwad ffôn bod ei ffrind a phartner NWO, Scott Hall, wedi marw ychydig funudau cyn hynny ar ôl cael ei symud o gymorth bywyd yn dilyn trawiad ar y galon. Yna anfonodd Hulk rownd o ddiodydd trwy'r bar fel y gallem i gyd rannu tost.

Ar ol hynny, Dechreuodd y Karaoke. Nid oedd bwrdd i weld pwy oedd wedi'i drefnu yn y ciw ac arhosais yn ddiamynedd i glywed fy enw. Roeddwn wedi clywed bod eraill wedi anfon llwgrwobr Venmo i'r DJ i sicrhau eu bod yn cael eu galw. Roedd hi'n rhy hwyr i'r llwybr hwnnw. Ni allwn feddwl am adael heb gael y cyfle llun hwnnw. Nid yn unig y byddwn yn cael ei rubo'n ddidrugaredd, Ond roeddwn hefyd yn gwybod realiti’r trylwyredd y mae reslo proffesiynol yn eu cymryd ar y corff. Roedd Scott Hall newydd farw'r diwrnod hwnnw. Eraill fel Roddy Piper, Randy Savage, Rhyfelwr Ultimate, A bu farw Curt Henning i gyd yn ifanc. Ni allwn fentro aros blwyddyn arall. Symudais fy hun tuag at y tu blaen, fel roeddwn i'n llywio i'r ystafell orffwys, A deuthum o hyd i'r man perffaith lle byddai Hulk yn pasio ar ei ffordd allan. Gan ei fod yn paratoi i adael, gwelodd fi a rhoi “yo thundelips. Cape gwych, Brawd!”Sylw. Yn y foment honno, Nid oeddwn yn weithrediaeth yswiriant 45 oed. Roeddwn i eto 10 mlwydd oed, Ac roedd fy hoff reslwr yn fy ngalw allan. Estynnais fy llaw, a derbyniodd. Gan wybod mai dim ond eiliad oedd gen i, Cefais y camera ar hunlun a chael fy llun.

Ychydig wythnosau cyn fy 2023 Taith Clearwater, Gwelais fod Hulk yn gwneud arwyddo yn ei siop draeth ar y diwrnod yr oeddwn i fod i gyrraedd. Cefais hediad bore a phe bai popeth yn mynd yn dda, yn wahanol i'r oedi chwe awr y flwyddyn flaenorol oherwydd gollyngiad tanwydd, Byddwn yn gallu cael llun a llofnod. Prynais y tocyn ymddangosiad a gweddïais am ddim oedi. Ar ôl cyrraedd heb unrhyw broblemau, Cymerais fy lle yn unol a oedd tua aros dwy awr. Pam cyhyd?  Oherwydd bod Hulk eisiau cymryd ychydig eiliadau gyda phawb. Pan oedd yn fy nhro, Cyflwynais fy hun fel “Tony Tornado” o Philadelphia. Ymatebodd “Yo Tony Tornado!  Beth sydd i fyny, brawd?”Gofynnodd a oeddwn yn reslwr ac ymatebodd nad oeddwn yn reslwr ond yn focsiwr. Taflodd ei ddwylo i fyny gan ddweud, “Peidiwch â fy nharo, brawd!”Fe wnes i ddiolch iddo am wneud fy mhlentyndod yn arbennig, yn enwedig y WrestleMania cyntaf hwnnw gyda fy nhad, ac arwyddodd danc coch Hulkamania i mi. Dywedais wrtho y byddwn yn ei weld nos Lun ar gyfer carioci.

Yn wahanol i'r flwyddyn flaenorol, Roedd ganddyn nhw fwrdd electronig lle gallech chi weld lle roeddech chi yn y ciw. Cyrhaeddais gyda rhai ffrindiau a thecstio yn fy nghân mynd i mewn heblaw eu bod wedi rhoi cyfyngiadau terfyn amser o bedwar munud, yn debygol oherwydd y flwyddyn flaenorol, Roedd pobl yn dewis caneuon fel “Stairway to Heaven” a “Rappers Delight” (fersiwn fer) Roedd hynny'n ddewisiadau caneuon hir ac ni roddodd eu cyfle i eraill. Gyda fy nghân lofnod oddi ar y llyfr, Fe wnes i ddewis rhedeg clasur DMC “It’s Tricky” ers iddyn nhw berfformio yn WrestleMania V. wedi’i addurno yn fy nghap Thunderlips a Fedora gwyn gyda phlu coch yn cyfateb ac yn aros am fynedfa Hulk’s, Tynnodd fy ffrind sylw at y bwrdd ciw cân yn dangos fy mod yn ail i ganu. Pan aeth i mewn ychydig funudau o'r diwedd ar ôl fy mherfformiad, Gwelodd y Cape and Fedora a ffynnu “Tony Tornado!  Ydych chi'n canu, Brawd?”Dywedais wrtho fy mod eisoes wedi canu ac ymatebodd i ddod i fyny i’r llwyfan oherwydd ei fod eisiau llun gyda mi. Pe bawn i ar gwmwl 9 y flwyddyn flaenorol, Fe wnaeth hyn ei chwythu allan o'r dŵr yn llwyr. Canodd ychydig o fy ffrindiau a gwnaethom dostio ychydig o ergydion wrth ddathlu, Nid oedd symud yr oeddwn yn difaru yn ddiweddarach gan nad oedd pen mawr y diwrnod nesaf yn un dymunol.

Fe wnes i ganu un tro arall yn Hogan’s Hangout yn 2024. Fe wnes i gyrraedd Traeth Clearwater yn hwyr a gweld rhai ffrindiau wrth y bar i'r dde gan fod Hulk yn cyrraedd. Ymunais â nhw ac ystyried a fyddwn yn canu ai peidio. Unwaith y gwnaeth y piser cynghrair mawr chwedlonol Roger Clemens a'i fab Kody ddifyrru gyda chân deyrnged Toby Keith, Penderfynais roi fy enw i mewn. Y tro hwn fe wnaethant adael imi ganu fy nhiwn a llwyddais i gymryd hunlun gyda Hulk tra yng nghanol fy rampage telynegol neu alaw glasurol Syr Mix-a-Lot.

Gan fod y nos yn dirwyn i ben, Cefais eiliad i siarad â'i fab, Nick. Dangosais lun o rediad creigiog y flwyddyn flaenorol, lle roeddwn i wedi cwblhau 5k ar ffêr ysigedig mewn gwisg taranau llawn, gan gynnwys siwt cyhyrau gwisgoedd, fedora, nghapiau, sanau cywasgu gimmicked i edrych fel esgidiau reslo gyda thaselau, a chario gwregys pencampwriaeth. Cymerodd Nick fy ffôn a'i ddangos at ei dad a edrychodd arnaf a dweud “Fe wnaethoch chi redeg yn hynny?  Swydd Neis, Brawd!”Dyna oedd y noson olaf y gwelais Hulk Hogan yn bersonol.

Maen nhw bob amser yn dweud mai dynwared yw'r ffurf ddiffuant o wastadedd. Rydw i wedi bod yn dynwared Hulk Hogan am drosodd 40 blynyddoedd bellach, P'un a oedd yn cwpanu fy llaw i'm clust ac yn posio tra ar gamera mewn gêm Phillies, Gwisgo fel Hulk ar gyfer ein Parti Calan Gaeaf Gwaith a dod â chrys ychwanegol er mwyn i mi allu dynwared ei rwygo'r crys yn ystod mynedfa fy orymdaith, Gwneud y Rocky Run wedi gwisgo fel Thunderlips wrth gapten ar dîm o’r enw “The Ultimate Meatballs”, neu wneud promo Hulk Hogan wrth werthu coed Nadolig.

Fe wnes i adeiladu traddodiad bob blwyddyn gyda fy neiaint yn prynu crysau Hulk Hogan iddynt. Prynais ei grys cyntaf i Dominic, y melyn clasurol, Pan oedd yn flwydd oed yn 2018. Pan anwyd fy nai Matteo dri mis yn gynnar, Roeddwn i yn Clearwater. Es i i'r siop drannoeth a phrynu siwmper babanod Hulkamania iddo. Pan lwyddodd o'r diwedd i ddod adref ar ôl misoedd yn yr NICU, Gwisgodd ei rieni ef yn yr hyn a oedd yn gadael yr ysbyty. Roedd wedi gwneud ei Hulk Hogan Superman cyntaf yn ôl mewn bywyd. Eleni, Prynais ein crysau paru eto ac roedd y ddynes ifanc a oedd yn rhedeg y gofrestr yn fy nghofio a fy nhraddodiad gyda'r bechgyn. Mae hi'n rhoi'r ddau fwstash gwisgoedd iddyn nhw. Pan roddais eu crysau a'u mwstashis iddyn nhw, Roeddent mor gyffrous i dynnu eu lluniau. Syrthiodd Matteo hyd yn oed i gysgu yn y car gan wisgo ei grys a'i fwstas. Roeddwn i'n teimlo fel yr ewythr coolest yn y byd. Oherwydd Hulk Hogan, Roeddwn i'n gallu rhoi traddodiad i'r ddau fachgen bach hyn y gallen nhw edrych ymlaen ato.

Dydd Iau diwethaf, Anfonodd y newyddion am basio sydyn Hulk Hogan sioc trwy'r cymunedau reslo ac adloniant. Bu sibrydion am frwydrau iechyd difrifol yn dilyn llawdriniaeth ymasiad ceg y groth. Roedd gan rai adroddiadau ef ar ei wely angau a dywedodd eraill na allai siarad mwyach. Daeth adroddiad gan Jimmy Hart allan fore Iau bod yr adroddiadau wedi gorliwio, ac roedd Hulk yn gwella, arafach na'r disgwyl, ond yn dal i wella. Ychydig oriau yn ddiweddarach, Torrodd y newyddion ei fod wedi mynd ar ôl dioddef ataliad ar y galon yn ei breswylfa.

Roeddwn i newydd orffen cyfarfod yn y gwaith pan welais neges uniongyrchol gan ffrind yn dweud “Bu farw Hulk!”Gyda'r ddolen TMZ. Cyn y gallwn hyd yn oed glicio ar y ddolen, Cefais neges arall, Yna testun, Wrth i bopeth symud mewn aneglur. Hulk Hogan oedd hwn. Yn sicr, byddai'n cicio allan un tro arall wrth gyfrif dau, Pwer i fyny a syllu ar y medelwr difrifol i lawr. Dreiddiol, Roedd yn wir, Ac roedd ein hanwylyd Hulk Hogan wedi diflannu. Cyrhaeddais y gampfa ar ôl gwaith y noson honno a gorffen fy rownd olaf ar y bag trwm gyda thiwn llofnod Hogan “Real Americanaidd” wedi eu crancio trwy fy nghlustffonau. Ar fin gadael, Gwelais ffrind a ffan reslo ar y cyd. Gwnaethom rannu ein hanghrediniaeth, Ac fe draethodd ychydig o ffieidd -dod at bobl ar gyfryngau cymdeithasol yn dathlu ei farwolaeth. Gan ein bod yn siarad, Dechreuodd y realiti daro'r ddau ohonom ac fe wnaethon ni sefyll yno fel dau oedolyn sydd wedi tyfu, un yn godwr pwysau ac un yn focsiwr, y ddau yn dal dagrau yn ôl.

I goffáu Hulk Hogan yn wirioneddol, Rhaid i chi hefyd gofio ei fod yn fod dynol go iawn. Roedd gan Terry Bollea ddiffygion a gwnaeth gamgymeriadau. Roedd wedi cael ei gyhuddo o chwarae gwleidyddiaeth gefn llwyfan a dal reslwyr eraill yn ôl. Roedd rant yn ei gartref a ddaliodd slyri hiliol y gallai fod wedi ei ddweud mewn dicter. Yr hyn a frifodd ei boblogrwydd yn ddiweddar gyda llawer o bobl oedd cefnogaeth ymgeisydd gwleidyddol polareiddio. Nid oedd llawer o bobl a oedd wedi bod yn gefnogwyr byth yn ei faddau am y slyri hiliol ac roedd eraill wedi troi arno am ei gysylltiad gwleidyddol.

I mi gofio hulk hogan, y reslwr, a Terry Bollea, y dyn, Rwy'n derbyn y ffaith ein bod ni i gyd yn ddynol, Ac mae gan bob un ohonom ddiffygion. Gellir cyhuddo llawer sy'n gweithio mewn unrhyw fusnes o ddefnyddio clout a chlecs i hyrwyddo eu gyrfaoedd eu hunain wrth ddal cydweithwyr yn ôl. Yn yr hyn sydd wedi bod yn sancteiddrwydd tybiedig ein cartref ein hunain, Mae llawer ohonom wedi dweud pethau y gellid eu hystyried yn hiliol, rhywiaethol, neu homoffobig. Lawer gwaith, Dywedir y geiriau hynny mewn dicter ac nid yn wir adlewyrchiad o wir wir deimladau. O ran ymgeiswyr gwleidyddol, Mae'n llethr llithrig iawn yn y diwylliant rhanedig hwn. Ond, Rhan o'r rhyddid rydyn ni'n eu mwynhau yw'r hawl i bleidleisio fel rydyn ni'n dymuno ac yn ôl unrhyw ymgeisydd gwleidyddol rydyn ni'n ei ddewis. I gasáu person yn ddall, yn enwedig person nad ydych erioed wedi cwrdd ag ef, am resymau gwleidyddol yn unig, yn dangos golygfa gul ei meddwl o'r byd. Gallwch anghytuno â'u safiad, Ond gallwch chi fwynhau eu math o adloniant o hyd.

Byddaf yn cofio bod gan Terry Bollea ddiffygion. Roedd yn ddyn fel y gweddill ohonom. Ond byddaf hefyd yn cofio'r da a ddaeth â'r byd. Chwyldroodd y diwydiant reslo yn union fel y gwnaeth Babe Ruth ar gyfer pêl fas. Heb Hulk Hogan, Ni fyddai ffyniant reslo'r 80au erioed wedi digwydd. Byddai gweledigaeth Vince McMahon o ffederasiwn byd -eang yn debygol o fethu. Heb Hulk Hogan, ni fyddai unrhyw reslemania, dim rhyfeloedd nos Lun, dim craig, Dim carreg oerfel, Nid John Cena, ac ati ar wahân i adeiladu'r sylfaen honno, Byddaf hefyd yn cofio'r da a ddaeth â'r byd. Ymwelodd â phlant sâl hyd at ei wythnosau olaf. Ysbrydolodd blant i weithio allan, i hyfforddi, Dywedwch eu gweddïau, a chymryd eu fitaminau. Yn bwysicaf oll, Fe wnaeth i chi deimlo'n dda amdanoch chi'ch hun. Fe wnaeth i chi gredu mewn rhywbeth mwy na bywyd. Ef oedd y “Babe Ruth o reslo mewn gwirionedd.” Roedd pêl fas cyn i Babe Ruth a phêl fas ffynnu yn y degawdau ar ôl iddo basio. Mae chwaraewyr yn gyflymach, cryfach, a chyflyru gwell. Ond dim ond un babi Ruth sydd o hyd. Yn union fel wrth reslo. Roedd reslo cyn i Hulk Hogan ac mae reslwyr heddiw yn fwy acrobatig ac yn fwy athletaidd. Ond mae yna ddim ond un Hulk Hogan o hyd a bydd bob amser.

Ar ôl i Hulk’s basio yr wythnos diwethaf, Un o'r pethau a wnaeth fy nharo galetaf oedd y meddwl na fyddai rhai o'r traddodiadau yr oeddwn wedi'u hadeiladu yn ystod yr ychydig flynyddoedd diwethaf yn parhau mwyach. Cymerodd ychydig ddyddiau i mi, Ond penderfynais y byddaf yn parhau i roi gwisg Thunderlips ar gyfer y rhediad creigiog, Yn debyg i'm ffrind Mark sy'n parhau i anrhydeddu’r diweddar Burt Young a’i gymeriad Paulie yn ystod ei gyfranogiad. Rwy'n dal i gynllunio i wneud dynwarediadau Hulk Hogan tra wrth y goeden wrth geisio difyrru ein cwsmeriaid. Yn bwysicaf oll, Rwyf am gadw fy nhraddodiad blynyddol gyda Dominic a Matteo. Yr arwyddion yw y bydd ei siop yn Clearwater Beach yn aros ar agor a, cyhyd ag y mae, Byddaf yn parhau â'r traddodiad arbennig hwnnw o brynu crysau paru inni a thynnu lluniau ohonom yn posio.

Efallai bod Terry Bollea wedi diflannu. Rwy'n credu yn Nuw a'r ôl -fywyd. Credaf fod Terry wedi cael maddeuant, ac mae bellach yn byw ym Mharadwys. Tra gall Terry Bollea fod wedi diflannu, Bydd chwedl Hulk Hogan yn byw nawr ac am byth. Mae arwyr yn cael eu cofio ond nid yw chwedlau byth yn marw. A bydd Hulkamania yn byw am byth.

Hulk Hogan, Hoffwn ddiolch i chi. Diolch i chi am ddod â llawenydd i'm plentyndod. Diolch i chi am roi'r nerth i mi dorri allan o fy nghragen a gwneud ffrindiau yn fy ysgol newydd. Diolch i chi am wneud i mi gredu yng ngrym hyfforddiant, badiau, a fitaminau. Diolch i chi am wneud i mi gredu y gall dyn marwol fod yn archarwr mewn gwirionedd. Diolch i chi am ddangos i mi y gall fod yn cŵl i fod yn ddrwg. Diolch i chi am roi rhywbeth i mi ei rannu gyda fy neiaint. Diolch am eich caredigrwydd pan gyrhaeddais i o'r diwedd gwrdd â chi. Ac yn anad dim, Diolch i chi am ddod â Hulkamania yn fy mywyd. Gorffwys mewn Heddwch!

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Statig 360 yw'r Cord Gwefru Gorau y Byddwch Erioed Yn Ei Berchen

Gadael sylw

Cymerwch ef gan y bechgyn yn Fight News Unlimited. Rydyn ni'n caru'r cynnyrch hwn. Mae'n wydn, ymarferol a bydd yn cadw'ch ffwdan gyda gwefr ffôn mor isel â phosibl. Edrychwch arno:

bocsio amatur, bocsio, Tony Penecale

TRIBUTE TO DR. KEN “DOC” COX

Gadael sylw

Drwy: Tony Penecale

Lock Haven Boxing

dosbarth 1998

Dr. Ken “Doc” Cox was a legend of a man. He was a teacher, a coach, a mentor, a confidant, and a friend. He passed away on February 5, 2022 yn oed o 88 mlwydd oed, leaving a void in the hearts of all who knew him and loved him.

I’ve pondered over the last 24 hours how we are going to navigate through a world without Dr. Cox, aka “Doc”, a man who coached us, taught us, pushed us, and mentored us. He was a man that could light up a room and command attention. He could leave you hanging on every word as he shared life experiences or he could have you rolling on the floor, laughing until it physically hurt.

While his passing last night was not unexpected, it still hurt with the force of a thousand sledgehammers. I know I will likely break down and sob or flat out cry several times while I am writing this piece. There is definitely crying in boxing and tonight the Lock Haven Boxing and our extended collegiate boxing families are all in mourning.

Dr. Cox came into my life in 1994 when I was a freshman at Lock Haven University. I decided to go to Lock Haven, in truth it was my only choice, because I had become so enamored with the dream of boxing. When I found out that Lock Haven had a nationally-ranked team with a well-known coach, I set my heart on attending.

When I arrived on campus that fall semester, my first point of business was to seek out and meet Dr. Cox, armed with a list of excited questions. He agreed to meet with me a few weeks before he held the open meeting for prospective team members. I walked into the building where his academic office was located and it was then I saw a rotund man with white hair and a big smile on his round face walking towards me. I’m not sure who he was but it certainly couldn’t be this legendary coach. It was then he walked up to me and, in a voice that is so often imitated, he introduced himself. I did not realize then that I had just met a man who would so positively influence my life.

To know “Doc” was a true blessing in life. He could make you laugh or make you angry. He would call you out and put you on the spot. Being a professor, he valued education and he enforced that his student athletes, boxers at the time, and wrestlers before that, focused on their education. He would, without hesitation, withhold a competitor from a show or tournament if they were not keeping up with their academics.

He knew when to push you and exactly what buttons to push. He would bring the Lock Haven boxers to Rockview St. Penitentiary to train and spar with the inmates. The first time he brought me along, I was getting bullied and beaten up by an older and more experienced inmate. I was afraid and I kept looking over at him, in a way hoping that he would stop the sparring session. But he looked back and his eyes calmed me and I knew to throw a counter punch out of the corner. Dr. Cox believed in me at that moment when I didn’t believe in myself. A few years later, after me appointed me President of the Lock Haven Boxing Club, he asked me to submit the paperwork on which of his boxers he was selecting to compete in an upcoming show in New York. He also knew that I would see those papers so he wrote on there that I was “not nearly as talented” as another boxer on the roster. While we never spoke of it, he knew that he would ignite a fire in me to overcome my lack of natural ability through dedication and determination. It was just one of his many methods of motivation. As he would often say, he was “using a negative stimulus to produce a positive result.”

In essence, Dr. Cox was a giver. He shared his knowledge, his experience, and most importantly, his time to mold young men and women into competitive student athletes and decent human beings. He shared his family with us, including his wife Glenda, who was the driver (“the pilot”) of so many of our road trips. Those road trips, whether they were 45 minutes to Penn St. or several hours to Annapolis, were always entertaining life lessons. We were never allowed to sleep on those trips as “Doc” found this was the perfect time for education. He would discuss whatever topic hit his mind and they often came from left field. Those trips were never boring.

Dr. Cox always implored us to give back to the sport that gave us so much. He encouraged his student boxers to go into coaching and officiating, often allowing us to assist him in working the corner of one of our teammates, or setting up seminars so we could get our certification. He would, without question, gladly write a recommendation for a job or internship. He asked me to sit in his office while he wrote a letter of recommendation for me. He educated me on how to effectively communicate through the written word and focused on using “power” and “impact” words that would command attention and respect. He was always willing to be listed as a job reference because he wanted to see those who had trained and mentored become successful in life.

Since yesterday, I have been thinking a lot about my favorite “Doc” stories, the ones that I tell the most often. Of course, you can’t tell a Doc story without imitating his voice and mannerisms. Every year, when the LHU boxing alumni would gather for the annual boxing homeshow and after party, we would all tell our favorite stories while doing the Doc imitation. Sadly, the next time we gather will be for his funeral. This is a way for me to cope with his death and smile through the tears. These are in no particular order. For the most part, I will avoid using any names in the event someone doesn’t want to be called out.

  • First Roadtrip and “Barnyard Beef” – My first roadtrip with Doc and the LHU team was October 1994 to the US Naval Academy. It was the annual season kickoff meeting and a round of sparring sessions with boxers from Navy, VMI, Lock Haven, Shippensburg, and Mansfield. It was a relatively uneventful day except for one of the Haven’s novice boxers had taken a few solid punches and was now complaining how bad his jaw hurt. On our way home, we were expecting to make a quick dinner stop, likely a McDonalds, until Doc spotted a little shack-looking place on the side of the road called “Barnyard Beef.” Once he saw it, he implored Glenda to cut off the driver in the right lane so we could pull over as he boomed “Hun Hun… That’s where we need to stop. It’s called Barnyard Beef. It has to be good!” He gave us all a few dollars to order and we all went with roast beef sandwiches with Doc getting an extra-large selection which looked to be about as big as the moon. Our sulking boxer implored that his jaw was too sore to chew so he opted for a cup of soup. Doc took the first bite of his gigantic roast beef sandwich and rolled his eyes in delight “Oh My God!  This is the BEST roast beef sandwich ever” and looking over at his lone soup-eating boxer, he followed with “You gotta get one of these!  Forget about your jaw! Stop being such a pansy and get one!"
  • Mad in the Corner – As mentioned, Doc wanted to give his student boxers opportunities to learn to coach. There was a December card at Penn State my sophomore year where I and another teammate had our bouts canceled when our opponents from Buffalo were snowed in. Doc saw an opportunity to have us help in the corners with each of us taking two bouts and he would allow you to get in the ring and give the instructions. The first bout I worked with him was a clear Lock Haven victory. The second bout I worked with him did not go so well. The Lock Haven boxer was not doing well and certainly not up to his potential. Through the first round, I could tell Doc was getting angry. As the bell rang, he snarled “Let me have the ring” which was never a good thing. As I sat there, I made a vow that situation would never happen to me. Fast forward two months later, I am competing in that same PSU ring against a very sloppy and awkward opponent and the first round was going poorly, very poorly. The bell rung to end the first round and, as I started walking back to my corner, I saw Doc getting in the ring with a wild and angered look in his eyes. I almost considered walking to my opponent’s corner and asking if I could stay there for the next minute because I knew my corner was not going to be a fun place to be. In a crazy way, Doc’s unleashing on me actually forced me to refocus and allowed me to come back to win that one.
  • President’s Dinner – At the end of every year, the president of the university would have a dinner for the boxing team. As Doc had retired as a professor in 1996, they decided that year that the dinner would not just be for the current team but also for some selected alumni. After the boxing nationals had ended in April, Doc was flying to Fiji for a few weeks to participate in a boxing seminar. He was scheduled to return only a day before the dinner banquet. We were waiting for him at the gym so we could travel to the dinner as a team. When Doc walked through the doors, our collective jaws hit the floor. He was wearing a suit jacket and tie and a traditional Fijian sulu. In our eyes, he was wearing something that resembled a skirt. He just smiled back and said “These are so comfortable. I think I am going to start wearing them more often.” To say his attire was the talk of the dinner was an understatement for sure.
  • Pork & Beans – One of Doc’s defining characteristics in life was his generosity and willingness to help others. He had a close relationship with the local Salvation Army and every year, he would set up a day for the boxing team to ring the bells for the Salvation Army kettle. When Doc found out that one of his boxers was struggling financially and unable to afford food, he worked out a deal with the Salvation Army where they would donate some food for him. We were loading a box of groceries donated when this boxer who came from a Muslim family looked at the one item and declined it as it included pork. Doc picked up the can and said “Are you sure?  How can you tell?” to which he was informed that it was a can of Pork & Beans. He pondered for a moment simply said “Hmmm… You know I never knew that had pork in it?"
  • Don’t Eat the Pizza – We were traveling to New York for the annual show at the New York Athletic Center a few days before Thanksgiving. This was a rare show with the weigh-in the day before the show and the whole ride to Manhattan, Doc was talking about how we were going out to eat after the weigh-in. Since it was my first year competing on the NYAC show, he allowed me to choose the ethnic food we would be indulging in later. Of course, I picked Italian. Doc had one more very important piece of advice. After the weigh-in, there would be pizzas there. Even though we were all hungry from making weight for the show, he advised that we do not eat the pizza because we were going out to dinner. The three Lock Haven boxers made weight and, after changing, we walked over to find Doc eating his third slice of pizza. A short while later, we are seated at the famed Luna’s restaurant in Little Italy and Doc is complaining that he shouldn’t have eaten that pizza and he was too full to order a meal. The legendary Dr. Cox, the man who stories recount ate so much Chinese Food the year before, was reduced to ordering a side salad. As we were eating and laughing, Coach Ken Cooper made an astute observation. Doc had finished his salad and was now eating from his wife’s plate, all the while mentioning how he wasn’t hungry. Not missing a beat, Doc proceeded to take the extra meatballs from the one boxer’s meal.
  • Cigars and Vodka –This is one that I didn’t get to witness personally but he told it so often that I felt like I was there. As a highly-respected wrestling coach, Doc was often invited to wrestling seminars in Russia where that sport is God-like. Doc was often the recipient of many bottles of the finest Russian vodka. He would attend boxing seminars in Cuba. Before flipping truck tires became a trendy thing in most fitness centers, Doc borrowed the Cuban method and would have his fighters bounce on truck tires to increase leg strength and conditioning. He also came home from many of these trips with some authentic Cuban cigars. He would tell us how he would then go to the store and buy the cheapest cigars and vodka, only to switch the labels. He would then imitate those smoking the cheap cigars and drinking the cheap vodka thinking they were consuming the real goods. He would pantomime their sipping of the vodka and slow puffing of the cigars while commenting “how you can really taste the difference”, his whole time cackling at the knowledge that he knew they were really gushing over the lowest quality of both items.
  • Weight – It’s no secret, Doc wanted his boxers to compete in different weight classes. He also always envisioned a dominant heavyweight on his team and he would workout football players or wrestlers who had exhausted their eligibility in those respective sports. At the beginning of each school year, I would show up around 190-195 and Doc would envision me being his solution at heavyweight, despite the fact that I didn’t have the height, and once I started conditioning, the weight to sustain it. I still remember those conversations. “Ok Penecale, you weighed in at 185 for last week’s bout. What did you weigh today?” I would respond with “182” and he would shoot back “Ok, yr wythnos hon, I am going to put you in with a ‘small’ heavyweight.” When he meant “small”, it was usually anyone under 235 and I would show up to weigh-ins with rocks in my pockets. Then one day, only a few days before regionals, he decided to try another avenue. I had been between 178-180 and fully expecting to compete at 180 in the regionals when he asked “Do you think you can make 165 by Friday?” It was already Tuesday afternoon. He felt that was my best path to the National tournament so I agreed. In spring 1997, between January 30 and April 12, Doc had me compete in five separate weight classes.
  • My last homeshow – Fitting that this anniversary is tomorrow (Chwefror 7) and I will be posting the Youtube video like I do every year. The homeshow was always a big event and Doc would want everything to be perfect. As Coach Coop would say to us, Doc would be very impatient or as so eloquently described “he would be a bear with a sore ass.” The last thing you wanted to do was annoy Doc before, yn ystod, or after the homeshow. My senior year, I was taking on a boxer from Army by the name of Michael Jordan. My friends and roommates showed up with custom signs and shirts and they were seated in the bleachers close to my corner. Earlier in the card, when I was getting changed, a boxer from Kentucky had knocked out an opponent from Penn State and drew the crowd’s ire by jumping on the ropes and showboating. I was unaware of this, so as the emotion hit me at the final bell, I banged my gloves and started a run to my corner to jump on the ropes and salute my cheering section. Doc read my mind and sternly said “NO!” which forced my momentum into an awkward gallop, looking like a bucking bronco that was just hit with a cattle prod.

The last two days have been emotional and difficult, from finding out that Doc was soon-to-be transitioning to the crushing news of his passing. Being an admin on the LHU Boxing Facebook page, one of the abilities is to approve posts. I saw so many posts submitted for approval from friends, teulu, fellow alumni including so many photos. It was nearly impossible not to break down.

Dr. Cox was a coach, an educator, a mentor, and a friend. As I first said in the post after his passing, he taught me so many lessons in and out of the ring. He believed in me even when I didn’t believe in myself. He pushed me to be better, a better boxer, a better student, a better son, a better friend, and a better human. Those life lessons still impact me every day and I find myself sharing them often.

Coach Cooper added in his tribute “He who is in the hearts of so many is never truly gone”.  That is a true statement. Dr. Cox will live on through the positive impact that he has made through so many of his students, athletwyr, teulu, a ffrindiau.

You will certainly be missed, Dr. Cox. Thank you and We Love You!!!

bocsio, ffilmiau, Tony Penecale

Tornado goes to the movies: rocky iV remastered review

Gadael sylw
gan: Tony “the Tornado” Penecale (uchod)

Here is my review of the Rocky vs Drago movie plus a photo with the movie poster. Guess who walked out with it!

So I went to see the Rocky vs Drago Director’s Cut film last night.


Here are 2 spoilers that shouldn’t be spoilers. Apollo still dies and Rocky still wins.


So the movie had approximately 40 minutes of new footage. It also kept approximately the same run time so with 40 minutes of new footage, there is nearly 40 minutes of omitted footage.


Now for some spoilers. If you don’t want anything spoiled, I suggest you stop reading here.


There were two shots that I really hoped would have been edited out for this film but somehow still made it in. I’ll get to them later.


So I’ll breakdown some of the changes/additions/omissions and give my thoughts.


1) New opening. Usually, it starts with the ROCKY title scrolling across the bottom to one of the series signature songs. Then it breaks into the last round of the previous movie. This movie starts with various clips from Rocky 3 including Rocky’s loss to Clubber Lang, Apollo talking him out of retiring, and the climatic fight scene. It completely omits the Rocky and Apollo sparring session. I was not a fan of the new opening. I am used to the normal movie openings that last 2-3 minutes and set the stage for the new installment. I wasn’t a fan of the song they used “Sweetest Victory” which is on the Rocky IV soundtrack but never used in the original.


2) No robot. While this was seen as a cross between corny and creepy (Paulie’s girlfriend?), the omission of the robot, likely due to licensing agreements, meant that many scenes with Paulie or Rocky Jr had to be cut including Paulie’s birthday scene.


3) The new Drago introduction press conference explains that they tried to arrange a fight with Rocky. I thought that was good but they cut out Drago’s wife comparing him to Popeye eating spinach. Yn wir, a lot of Brigitte Nielsen’s dialogue was cut. Could it be because of her “rocky” relationship with Stallone?


4) The reasoning for Apollo to take the fight was improved. Ydw, he still shows up out of nowhere and part of the table scene had to be cut (no robot, remember) but they talked about how Rocky ignored the challenge and Apollo feeling the need to take it.


5) I thought the omission of the whole pre-fight dressing room scene with Rocky and Apollo was a mistake. Not only does it cut one of my favorite lines “I didn’t say anything about snails, I said Nails N-N-Nails” but it shows Apollo’s overconfidence and Rocky’s trepidation. The only part of the original dressing room scene that is preposterous is where Rocky was trying to convince Apollo to postpone. Seriously, who postpones 5 minutes before they are scheduled to walk to the ring?


6) The Creed-Drago fight was greatly improved. Except for the one shot they left in from the original where Apollo is clearly not wearing gloves. They missed that edit the first time. How did they miss it again? The fight was extended and Apollo got up after an early knockdown and kept trying to fight back.


7) Apollo’s funeral was extended and improved with his father-figure Duke giving a speech and Rocky giving a more emotional speech.


8) The scene with the boxing commission not sanctioning the fight between Rocky and Drago was included as it was shown in the original 1985 trailer but cut from that movie.


9) The scene of Rocky talking to his son before leaving was extended and improved.


10) The training montages were slightly changed and some edits to the scenes in Russia.


11) The final fight was still enjoyable. There were some added elements to it.


12) Two of the better movie speeches were changed to voiceovers. Apollo in the dressing room telling Rocky he would understand when it was over was changed to voiceover in Rocky’s head. The epic speech to Adrian where he said Drago would have to kill him to beat him was also changed to an inner-monologue voiceover. I definitely think that was a mistake because it takes the charm away from seeing the facial expressions of Apollo and Rocky respectively as they said those lines.


13) The moment before the final round when Drago’s manager ran from his balcony seat with the Kremlin to berate Drago in his corner. I was hoping that if any scene was cut, it would be that one. I would rather there be a scene of Paulie marrying the robot and announcing she was pregnant than this scene. I hated it in 1985 (pan oeddwn i 9 mlwydd oed) and I hate it now. There is 60 seconds between rounds of a boxing match. This man ran from the balcony, through the crowd, got to Drago’s corner, and berated him in less than one minute. Drago, for having endured 14 punishing rounds, is able to stand up and lift him with one arm before dropping him off the apron. Talk about taking some serious liberties.


14) The fight end. You get used to the way a Rocky fight ends. He scores the big knockdown, his opponent struggles to get up, and ultimately falls back down as the count reaches 10. This one, Drago goes down, makes a move to get back up, a falls flat. The referee stops with no count at all. I also hated Rocky’s leap at the end. In the original, he was lifted in the air as he stood there exhausted by triumphant. This one looks like he is able to do a leaping swan dive into a pool.


15) The speech is different. He couldn’t reference his kid because showing him would show the robot. I was glad in a way they cut the scenes of the kids watching the fight. It always posed some serious questions to me. If Rocky, Adrian, and Paulie were all in Russia, who was watching the 9 year old kid? The robot? Who is going to let an unsupervised 9 year old watch a fight where there is a fear that his father could be killed? The part of the speech that was comical was Rocky’s talk about change. He mentioned his friend (Apollo) couldn’t change and now he’s dead. Wow. Way to perk up the crowd there, Rock!


Overall it was enjoyable. The changed scenes and alternate takes threw off the cadence so you were in truth watching a new movie. There were a lot of scenes in this film that I prefer to the original (the extended Creed-Drago fight, the extended funeral, Rocky meeting with the commission). There were some scenes that I think should have been kept (Rocky and Apollo in the dressing room, Mrs. Drago talking about her husband, ac ati). There were a few things that I definitely prefer the original, most notably the superior intro scrolling logo/final round of previous movie scene.


So in my conclusion, there needs to be a Director’s Cut of the Director’s Cut and combine the best of the original and the best of the new version.


We can call this one “Rocky IV Take III: The Tornado Cut”


Tornado 🌪

bocsio, Las Vegas, Hyrwyddwyr Bocsio Premier, Tony Penecale

Wilder vs. Fury the rematch In-Depth Preview and Analysis

Gadael sylw

Drwy: Tony Penecale

The Heavyweight Championship has always been the most noteworthy prize in the sport. Over the last few years, the interest in the fistic giants has dwindled. That has changed with the exciting power of Deontay Wilder and the charismatic showmanship of Tyson Fury.

With their first encounter ending in a controversial draw, they find themselves sharing the ring again. Both men with undefeated records and only a single draw (against each other) on their ledger.

The big men are taking center stage for the undisputed prize. “The Bronze Bomber” and “The Gypsy King”…. Who will reign supreme?

OEDRAN, COFNOD, A STATS

Wilder:  Oedran:   34 mlwydd oed

Cofnod:  42-0-1 (41 Knockouts)

Uchder:  6’7”

Pwysau:  219 * * Pwysau ar gyfer bout diwethaf (11-23-19)

Cyrraedd:  83"

Fury: Oedran:  31 mlwydd oed

Cofnod:  29-0-1 (20 Knockouts)

Uchder:  6’9”

Pwysau:  254 * * Pwysau ar gyfer bout diwethaf (9-14-19)

Cyrraedd:  85"

Gorchestion RING

Wilder:

Pencampwr Pwysau Trwm CLlC (’15-Pres)

Fury:

WBA Heavyweight Champion (’15-‘16)

WBO Heavyweight Champion (’15-‘16)

IBF Heavyweight Champion (’15-‘16)

IBO Heavyweight Champion (’15-‘16)

Lineal Heavyweight Champion (’15-Pres)

ARDDULL

Wilder:  

A wild-swinging, often-sloppy fighter with long arms and fight-changing power in both fists, Wilder likes to set the range with his lead hand and follow it with a variety of power punches. He carries his power late into his fights and is capable of scoring a knockout at any time.

Fury:

A confident, self-assured, and sometimes cocky fighter, Fury has nimble moves and quickness for such a large fighter. He combines good footwork with upper-body movement and ability to box either orthodox or southpaw, keeping opponents off-balance and setting up his own offensive attack.

THEIR FIRST BOUT

Wilder-Fury I: Fury opened the bout with effective movement, keeping Wilder off balance and unable to land anything significant. Wilder was able to land several hard jabs in the 4fed rownd, trickling blood from Fury’s nose. Fury spent time in the mid rounds as a southpaw and found success. Wilder scored a knockdown in the 9fed round but his follow-up attack left him fatigued, allowed Fury to regain the momentum through the 11fed round. The memorable 12fed round saw Wilder break through and land a right hand and left hook combination. Fury fell hard to the canvas, flat on his back. He amazingly rose at the count of 9 and was outlanding Wilder as the final round concluded. Alejandro Rochin scored 115-111 Wilder, Robert Tapper scored 114-112 Fury, and Phil Edwards scored 113-113.

CRYFDERAU

Wilder:

* Power – The detonation at the end of Wilder’s fists, primarily is right hand, is of nuclear proportions. While his left hand carries substantial pop in it, it is Wilder’s right hand that is seen as maybe the most devastating punch in boxing today. He can end fights by landing his right hand straight down the middle, arcing it over the top, or splitting the guard as an uppercut.

* Conditioning – Early in his career, when he was ending all of his fights within a few rounds, there were question marks if Wilder would fade in the later rounds. He has proven that he can fight equally as hard in the late rounds and capable of a knockout until the final bell.

* Athleticism – Wilder combines a rare blend of size, cyflymder, pŵer, and athletic ability where is easy to imagine him being dominant in any type of athletic environment.

Fury: 

* Movement – For a man with the size and physique that resembles a silverback, Fury moves with the grace and agility of a ballet dancer. He is light on his feet and possesses shifty upperbody movement that is uncanny for someone so large.

* Confidence – Fury is supremely confident in himself and believes in his ability. He shows little or no fear in the ring. His self-assured charismatic nature gives him a psychological advantage.

* Resilient – Whether it was climbing off the canvas against Wilder, overcoming a horrific cut against Wallin, or battling against depression and substance abuse, Fury has shown a toughness and resiliency that are to be admired.

GWENDIDAU

Wilder:

* Sloppy – Wilder shows so much faith in his power that he is frequently wild and sloppy with his punches and footwork. He often times looks very amateurish in the ring.

* Trouble With Boxers – Fighters who use good movement and boxing ability trouble Wilder. He struggles setting his feet and is often a step behind. He was trailing Luis Ortiz in both fights and was outclassed for most of his first fight with Fury.

* Chin – The few times that Wilder was seriously chin-checked, he showed some flaws in his durability. Ortiz had him badly hurt and close to a knockout loss.

Fury:

* Distractions – Fury is loving his new-found fame and talking WWE and MMA. He split with his trainer Ben Davidson and is calling his own shots. Fury also has spells in the ring where he loses focus and he has found himself on the canvas more than once during a lapse in concentration.

* Personal Life – It is well-documented Fury’s past personal demons with depression and substance abuse, along with a weight gain to over 400 lbs. While his triumphs over those demons is admirable, the lasting physical effects cannot be denied.

* Skin– It’s only been five months since Fury suffered a terrible gash over his right eye against Otto Wallin, requiring 47 stitches. While doctors have deemed the cut sufficiently healed, his tender skin could reopen at the most inopportune time.

Bout BLAENOROL

Wilder:  (11/23/19) – Wilder again scored a come-from-behind knockout against Luis Oritz. After being outboxed for the majority of the first six rounds, Wilder set his range against a tiring Ortiz and landed a pulverizing right hand which resulted in a one-punch knockout.

Fury:

(9/14/19) – Fury survived a bloody contest with the undefeated but unknown Otto Wallin. Fury suffered a cut over his right eye in the 3ydd round and the blood clearly affected his vision. Despite the impairment, Fury still controlled the action and hurt Wallin several times en route to a decision victory.

3 PERFFORMIADAU GORAU

Wilder:

* Arthur Pin (1/16/16) – After falling behind early, Wilder took over in the 4fed round and started to settle down and control the action. A single right hand in the 9fed round sent Szpilka down and unconscious, y 2016 Knockout y Flwyddyn.

* Cwpan Aur (1/17/15) – Wilder answered questions about his stamina by going the full 12 rounds for the first time in his career and capturing the WBC title in the process. Wilder utilized his long jab and kept Stiverne at bay with his underrated skillset.

* Luis Ortiz (3/3/18) – Wilder survived some scary moments against the oft-avoided Cuban veteran before prevailing by 10fed round knockout. Wilder was troubled by Ortiz’s boxing skills early before knocking him down in the 5fed round. An Ortiz rally in the 7fed had Wilder seriously hurt but Wilder was able to regroup and score the knockout a few rounds later.

Fury:

*  Wladimir Klitschko (11/25/15) – Fury went into Klitschko’s backyard and wrested the unified and lineal heavyweight championships via unanimous decision. While the bout was a cautious affair, Fury was able to outwork Klitschko with superior footwork, symudiad, and a higher punch output.

* Derek Chisora (11/29/14) – Fury dominated the rematch with his British rival, boxing from a distance, switching between orthodox and southpaw, and punishing his adversary until the corner stopped the fight after 10 one-sided rounds.

* Deontay Wilder (12/1/18) – With the exception of two knockdowns and some curious judging, Fury was in control for most of the bout. He avoided Wilder’s punches and landed effective counters, making Wilder looked confused and off-balance in the process.

ALLWEDDI BUDDUGOLIAETH

Wilder:

* Utilize his jab and negate Fury’s awkward style

* Keep his power punches short and compact

* Don’t get mesmerized by Fury’s upperbody movement

Fury:

* Change the pace and keep Wilder guessing

* Use lateral movement to keep Wilder from setting his feet

* Do not get cocky against the ropes

CWESTIYNAU

Wilder:

* Can Wilder handle Fury’s unorthodox movement?

* Will Wilder employ a better gameplan?

*  Will Wilder become frustrated?

Fury:

* Will Fury try too hard for the knockout?

* Is Fury totally focused on boxing? 

* Is his cut eye susceptible to reinjury?

PENECALE RHAGWELD

Both combatants are exceptional showmen and their respective ring entrances will have the crowd abuzz. The electricity will be at a fever pitch at the opening bell. With their familiarity, there will be less of a feeling out process than their first encounter. Fury will be on his toes moving forward and Wilder will try to time his advances and land counter punches. At the end of the 1st rownd, Fury will taunt Wilder and there will be an exchange of words.

Fury’s constant movement and single punches will trouble Wilder as his counter punches will find mostly empty air. The following rounds will be an exciting game of cat and mouse with the smaller Wilder in the role of the cat, futility trying to corner the larger Wilder.

Wilder will find success with his jab in the 6fed ac 7fed rounds and a looping right hand will catch Fury on top of the head, knocking him off balance to the canvas. Fury will rise, wink at his corner, and come bouncing back into action. The excitement will have Wilder swinging wildly and falling to the canvas himself after missing overexaggerated right hand.

With Wilder seemingly arm-weary from his punch output the previous round, Fury will turn southpaw and land several hard right hands, then bounce out of range of any counter punches.

Fury’s movement and higher workrate will carry the action through the championship rounds, leading him again to an apparent lead going into the final round.

The decision this time will be unanimous with Dave Moretti and Glenn Feldman both scoring 115-112 and Steve Weisfeld a shade closer at 114-113, all in favor of “The Gypsy King” Tyson Fury.

bocsio, Las Vegas, Tony Penecale

tony penecale’s Box Fan Expo Ringside report

Gadael sylw

Drwy: Tony Penecale

Quick video intro here:

https://www.facebook.com/TornadoTP/videos/10156003723726436/

Last weekend’s middleweight title showdown between Canelo Alvarez and Daniel Jacobs also featured the annual Box Fan Expo, held at the Las Vegas Convention Center. The amazing memorabilia on display and live amateur boxing action complemented an array of past and present world champion fighters available for quick meet and greets.

As a lifelong boxing fan, it was a shame that I only had a little over two hours to spend at the event before heading back to the T-Mobile Arena for the start of the undercard bouts. The time I was able to spend was thoroughly enjoyable. The prices were reasonable to meet these fistic legends and have a few moments to talk and take photos. The average $20 -$25 price for a photo op was significantly less than what would have been lost at the casino in a single roulette spin.

James Toney was there in a suit, proving that he can even make plaid look stylish. For a guy known for a surly nature, he was very accommodating and mentioned he will be in Philadelphia for a live show on June 7 and hopes to see me there.

In the booth next over was Hall-of-Fame broadcaster Al Berstein, who I had the privilege of interviewing in 2011. When told of my admiration of his classy work and being a fan since his days with Barry Tompkins on ESPN’s Thursday Night Fights, he was humble and appreciative.

The line to meet Roy Jones Jr. was long but worth the wait. While the time to talk with Roy was short, I was able to mention what an honor it was to meet one of the greatest performers of my generation and how I sat only a few feet from him when he was on the Creed II set.

While the line to meet the legendary Sugar Ray Leonard was exceptionally long, you could see he was truly enjoying himself, flashing that million-dollar smile and doing his famous fists-raised photo op with fans. Unfortunately, with time running short, I did not have the opportunity to meet one of my favorite fighters growing up. I would have loved to have shown him a photo when I was four-years-old, swinging away on the Sugar Ray Leonard punching bag I was given.

A few feet away was one of Sugar Ray’s most-famous rivals, the great Thomas “Hitman” Hearns. While the Hitman has shown some slowing as he has aged, he still proves to be an imposing figure, but he now replaces that fearsome glare with a warm smile.

Also coming up to meet Thomas Hearns was current IBF Super-Featherweight Champion Tevin Farmer, a fellow Philadelphian, who I’ve had the opportunity to watch grow from a 7-4-1 journeyman boxer to a 29-4-1 bencampwr byd.

My visit wouldn’t be complete without stopping to see “The Pazmanian Devil” Vinny Paz, always one of my favorite action fighters and charismatic personalities. Instead of a handshake, he greeted me with a big hug and expressed disappointment that my dad didn’t join me at the expo.

In the short time frame, it was impossible to meet all of the great fighters there including Michael Spinks, Riddick Bowe, Errol Spence, Anthony Dirrell, and Earnie Shavers. With it being Cinco de Mayo weekend, the lines for some of the Mexican legends wrapped around the convention center floor. Mikey Garcia, Marco Antonio Barerra, Erik Morales, and Juan Manuel Marquez all proved to be exceptionally popular. But nothing compared to the roar of the pro-Mexican crowd when the great Julio Cesar Chavez was introduced.

Attending this event was a dream come true and I could only wish I had more time to spend at the event. Everything was so professionally done and those in attendance were beyond accommodating.

Kudos to Box Fan Expo for such an exceptional event.

Listen to our radio show episode from earlier this week for more insight from Tony “Y Tornado” Penecale about this event.

Full Gallery:

bocsio, DAZN, Las Vegas, Tony Penecale

Canelo ALVAREZ VS. Daniel JACOBS ** Fanwl Preview a Dadansoddi **

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Drwy: Tony Penecale

The biggest week in boxing is upon us with the annual Cinco de Mayo weekend extravaganza in Las Vegas. The Mexican marquee star Saul “Canelo” Alvarez returns to his home-away-from-home to face the challenge of fellow middleweight titlist, Daniel “Miracle Man” Jacobs, who is intent on spoiling the homecoming.

Can Canelo sprinkle some extra cinnamon on an explosive victory? Or will it be Jacobs who provides another miracle in his story-book comeback?


OEDRAN, COFNOD, A STATS

Alvarez: Oedran: 28 mlwydd oed
Cofnod: 51-1-2 (35 Knockouts)
Uchder: 5’9”
Pwysau: 167 * * Pwysau ar gyfer bout diwethaf (12-15-18)
Cyrraedd: 70"


Jacobs: Oedran: 32 mlwydd oed
Cofnod: 35-2 (29 Knockouts)
Uchder: 5’11”
Pwysau: 159 * * Pwysau ar gyfer bout diwethaf (10-27-18)
Cyrraedd: 73"


Gorchestion RING

Alvarez:
Pencampwr Canol Iau CLlC (’11-’13)
Pencampwr Canol Iau WBA (‘13)
Ring Magazine Junior Middleweight Champion ('13)
Hyrwyddwr Canol CLlC (’15-Pres)
WBA Middleweight Champion (’18-Pres)
Ring Magazine Middleweight Champion (’18-Pres)
WBA Super Middleweight Champion (’18-Pres)
Ring Magazine Pound-4-Pound #3 Boxer


Jacobs:
WBA Middleweight Champion (’14-‘17)
IBF Middleweight Champion (’18-‘Pres)

ARDDULL

Alvarez:
Mae ymosodol, physical fighter with underrated boxing skills, Alvarez yn aml yn gwisgo gwrthwynebwyr i lawr gyda phwysau cyson a punches llawdrwm. Will use feints and counters to throw is opponent’s timing off and create openings for a strength-sapping body attack. Carries fight-changing power in both hands but sometimes doesn’t throw enough punches. While he is most known for his offensive skills, Alvarez cael gweddus, ond nid yn fawr, sgiliau amddiffynnol llithro a blocio punches.

Jacobs:
A lanky, long-armed boxer with versatile skills who often fights aggressively and is not afraid to exchange punches. Jacobs couples good boxing skills and fundamentals with knockout power in both hands. Will sometimes be too offensive-minded and is susceptible to counter punches. Shows tremendous heart in the face of adversity.








CRYFDERAU

Alvarez:
* Power – Alvarez carries thunder in both fists. He has knockout power in either hand, ond mae ei arf mwyaf dinistriol yn byw yn ei bachyn chwith, especially to the body. He has three knockout-of-the-year candidates in his career.

* Cryfder - Alvarez yn ymladdwr yn gorfforol-aeddfedu ac yn drwchus-adeiladu gyda chryfder annaearol. He is effective in backing fighters up, hyd yn oed pan nad yw glanio punches fflysio. He has grown from junior-middleweight and has competed recently at super-middleweight.

* Experience – Alvarez has come a long way during his professional career and has competed against some of the biggest names in boxing. He has been in this moment numerous times and the raucous atmosphere will be second nature to him.


Jacobs:
* Character – Jacobs stood up to and defeated the most daunting adversary of his career when he overcame bone cancer in 2011. His character shows in the ring as he has handled some difficult challenges in his career.

* Power – Jacobs has registered 29 o'i 35 professional victories via stoppage. He has the power to change the fight with one punch and the killer instinct to finish a wounded opponent.


* Versatile – Jacobs possesses good boxing skills and movement, sometimes switching between orthodox and southpaw stances. If against another aggressive opponent, Jacobs will box on his back foot and seek counter-punching opportunities. He is adept at accelerating the pace when needed.




GWENDIDAU

Alvarez:
* Tactical Mistakes – Alvarez has made tactical mistakes in some previous fights, including trying to beat Floyd Mayweather Jr. by boxing with him on the outside. In other fights, he has allowed his opponents to control the pace and steal rounds.

* Easy-to-Hit – While his offensive skill is his calling card, Alvarez has a decent defense. When he loses focus or becomes overly aggressive, he is wide open for straight right hands and counter punches.

* Heavy Feet – Alvarez has good boxing ability but is often slow-footed in the ring. When matched against taller fighters with good lateral movement, he frequently struggles, as was the case in his bouts with Austin Trout and Erislandy Lara.


Jacobs:
* Suspect Chin – Jacobs is no stranger to tasting the canvas. He was knocked out in devastating fashion by Dmitry Pirog in his first professional loss. He was also on the canvas against Gennady Golovkin and Sergio Mora.

* Reckless – In his first fight against Mora, Jacobs became overly aggressive after scoring a knockdown and left himself wide open for a counter punch that put him on the canvas. He was also off-balance and reckless again when he had Peter Quillin stunned.

* Atmosphere – Jacobs has fought in Las Vegas before and main-evented in Madison Square Garden. Fodd bynnag, this is his first marquee Las Vegas Cinco-de-Mayo weekend extravaganza.



Bout BLAENOROL

Alvarez: (12/15/18) – Alvarez made a successful super-middleweight debut by destroying the game but overmatched Rocky Fielding in three rounds. Alvarez punished Fielding’s body, sgorio pedair knockdowns, and finishing him with his signature left hook to the liver.

Jacobs:
(10/27/18) – Jacobs had a tough encounter with undefeated but unknown Serhiy Derevianchenko, winning a 12-round split decision. Jacobs scored a 1st-round knockdown and landed more punches during the back-and-forth contest.



3 PERFFORMIADAU GORAU

Alvarez:
* James Kirkland (5/9/15) – The fireworks were on display from the opening bell as Kirkland engaged Alvarez with a kamikaze attack. Alvarez countered and scored a 1st-round knockdown and ended the fight in the 3ydd round with a picturesque right hand.

* Liam Smith (9/17/16) – Alvarez methodically broke down the previously-undefeated Smith, controlling the bout from the beginning. Alvarez scored knockdowns in the 7fed ac 8fed rounds before ending the show with his left hook to the liver in the 9fed rownd.

* Carlos Baldomir (9/18/10) – Alvarez was a 20-year-old prodigy facing a durable former world champion in Baldomir. Alvarez was successful boxing early and using his advantages in speed and skill to sweep the first five rounds. But it was his display in the 6th that was memorable. Alvarez rocked Baldomir before finally dropping with a left hook, rendro iddo anymwybodol cyn iddo gyrraedd y mat a delio ag ef ei unig golled rhoi'r gorau i weithio mewn gyrfa 16 mlynedd.



Jacobs:
* Sergio Mora (9/9/16) – Jacobs wiped away any controversy from their first fight, which ended with Mora injuring his ankle, by dissecting him in the rematch, culminating in an impressive 7fed round TKO. Jacobs scored a knockdown each in the 4fed ac 5fed rounds before opening up and dropping Mora three times in the 7fed rownd, forcing the stoppage.

* Peter Quillin (12/5/15) – In a battle for Brooklyn Bragging Rights, Jacobs stunned the undefeated and favored Quillin with a 1st round TKO. Jacobs landed a right hand early, sending Quilling staggering into the ropes. A follow-up flurry sent Quillin across the ring where the referee stopped the fight.

* Caleb Truax (4/24/15) – Jacobs dominated Truax with a masterful performance over 11 rowndiau, controlling the action with a heavy jab, and wearing his game opponent down. Comfortably ahead going into the final round, Jacobs unloaded on his weakened adversary until the referee saved him from further punishment.




ALLWEDDI BUDDUGOLIAETH

Alvarez:
* Start fast and don’t allow Jacobs to become confident

* Cut off the ring and force Jacobs to fight in confined spaces

* Go to the body early and often



Jacobs:
* Use a stiff jab and lateral movement to keep Alvarez off balance

* Land something to get Alvarez’s respect early

* Do not get reckless







CWESTIYNAU

Alvarez:
* Will the move back to middleweight drain Alvarez?

* Is Alvarez overlooking Jacobs?

* Will Alvarez become frustrated if Jacobs uses effective lateral movement?


Jacobs:
* Can Jacobs win a decision in Las Vegas?

* Will Jacobs be able to exploit Alvarez’s tactical shortcomings?

* How will Jacobs handle the pro-Alvarez atmosphere?



PENECALE RHAGWELD

The crowd will be buzzing at the opening bell. Alvarez will move forward, hands up, probing with his jab and trying to set his feet. Jacobs will be moving laterally, pawing a tentative jab and using head feints. The cautious 1st round will end with Alvarez stepping in and throwing a few hard body shots, causing the partisan crowd to erupt in cheers.

Alvarez will continue to apply pressure in the 2nd ac 3ydd rounds with Jacobs working to establish his jab with more authority. Jacobs will land a few heavy jabs to the face with Alvarez countering with right hands over the top. Jacobs will step to his left to avoid Alvarez’s left hook to the body.

The action will continue to intensify through the middle rounds. Jacobs will be following his jab with a straight right hand. Alvarez will be crouching and using his strength on the inside, using overhand rights and hooks to the arms and ribs.

Alvarez will sport some redness around his eyes and Jacobs will show welts across his torso. The pro-Alvarez crowd will gasp as Jacobs lands a series of hard right hands in the 6fed round but will then erupt in the 7fed when an exchange of left hooks sees Alvarez land first, sending Jacobs sprawling back to the canvas.

Jacobs will rise and affirm to referee Tony Weeks that he is okay to continue. Alvarez will attack, throwing his left hook to the body and head. Jacobs will stagger back, set his feet, and respond with a right hand and wild left hook. Alvarez will land a counter left hook to the head and Jacobs will clinch, with the bell ending the round.

The crowd will be wild with anticipation going into the 8fed rownd, sensing the Alvarez might be closing in on victory. Jacobs will use lateral movement while he clears his head, probing with his jab to keep Alvarez at bay. Alvarez will continue to look for the homerun punch, but Jacobs will stay out of range for the duration.

Throughout the 9fed ac 10fed rowndiau, Jacobs will be sufficiently recovered and willing to engage Alvarez, throwing more right hands, and increasing the tempo. Alvarez will land a series of thudding hooks to the body and Jacobs will counter with uppercuts on the inside.

Y 11fed round will continue the intense action with both fighters having their moments. Alvarez will become inactive for stretches of the round, allowing Jacobs to again control the pace.

Going into the final round, Jacobs will know that he is in danger with the bout being so close. He will initiate the pressure on Alvarez and there will be some toe-to-toe exchanges. As Alvarez takes a deep breath, Jacobs will successfully back him on his heels with a jab, followed by a straight-right hand. Alvarez will roll with the punch and counter with his own right hand. The crowd will be on its feet as the fighters exchange punches and embrace the final bell.

The decision will be unanimous with Dave Moretti and Glenn Feldman both scoring 115-112 and Steve Weisfeld with a wider margin of 117-110, all in favor of Saul “Canelo” Alvarez.

Below you can access this week’s radio show where Tony , “Psychic” Tom Padgett and “Rabble Rousin'” Rich Bergeron discuss the fight.


Listen to “Canelo vs. Jacobs Rhagolwg, Lesnar yn Ymddeol o MMA, Bydd cwestiynau MacDonald i gadw brifo pobl ar ôl Fitch Draw” on Spreaker.

Bellator, bocsio, FNU Dangos Campau Ymladd, crefft ymladd cymysg, MMA, Rich Bergeron, Tom Padgett, Tony Penecale, reslo

Fight Talk Unlimited DOUBLE Episode

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Heno, Tom, Tony and Rich recapped the last two weeks of action in combat sports. Listen to the whole broadcast to catch up on all the major news and events that you missed and what’s coming up this weekend, hefyd.

 

bocsio, crefft ymladd cymysg, MMA, Rich Bergeron, Tom Padgett, Tony Penecale, Safle Top, reslo

Fight Talk Unlimited Latest Show

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This week on Fight Talk Unlimited we discuss a wide range of topics, beginning with the death of three pro wrestlers in one day. We go on to chat about Cody Garbrandt’s biting comments about fighter pay. We touch on bareknuckle fighting’s resurgence (adding Shawne Merriman to the roster of fighters for one organization), and we recap a wild fight between Eddie Alvarez and Dustin Poirier on last weekends UFC on Fox card. We also preview Garbrandt’s second bite at the TJ Dillashaw apple this weekend at UFC 227. Tony also helps preview one of the biggest fights of the week in Kovalev vs. Alvarez, which he will be attending in Atantic City. We do a boxing roundup of results and previews, and then we end the show with an off-topic talk about nature 🙂

 

Gwrando byw yma:

 

Bare Knuckle Bocsio, bocsio, ESPN Bocsio, Ymladd Sgwrs Unlimited, FNU Dangos Campau Ymladd, Fox, Keith Thurman, crefft ymladd cymysg, MMA, Rich Bergeron, Showtime, Showtime Bocsio, Tom Padgett, Tony Penecale, UFC, reslo, WWE

The FNU Combat Sports Show Launches as Fight Talk Unlimited on SPREAKER

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Fight News Unlimited’s weekly Combat Sports Show is now officially known as Fight Talk Unlimited, and we are now back to a live platform: Spreaker.

 

This week on our debut episode on Spreaker, we discuss a wild week in news, from Floyd Mayweather’s beef with 50-Cent, to Conor McGregor’s slap on the wrist for throwing a hand truck through a bus window, to a Philadelphia area school teacher moonlighting as an offensive German character in his pro-wrestling career. We then recap last week’s major fights, including a vicious KO by Anthony Smith over Shogun Rua at UFC Fight Night 135. We also preview UFC on FOX 30 and Mikey Garcia vs. Robert Jr. Pasg, along with all the other combat sports action this weekend.

 

Listen live with the player below:

Listen to “Debut Episode: Tom, Tony and Rich Break in the New Platform” on Spreaker.