Flokkur Archives: Tony Penecale

Tony Penecale, glíma, WWE

Hulk Hogan gæti verið horfinn, En Hulkamania lifir að eilífu

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Hvað Hulk Hogan þýðir fyrir mig

By: Tony Penecale

Þetta verður langt. Það er það sem við blaðamenn gerum, Við skrifum. Ég er að skrifa þessa skattagrein til barnæsku hetju, Hulk Hogan. Ég er að skrifa þetta meira fyrir sjálfan mig. Þetta er fræga dauði sem hefur haft áhrif á mig eins og enginn annar. Ég get sannarlega skilið hvernig fólki leið þegar Elvis dó.

Ég hef setið á þessum hugsunum og orðum í viku núna. Hvernig segirðu bless við táknmynd, eitthvað sem hefur skilgreint líf þitt svo lengi sem þú manst?  Terry Bollea, faglegur glímumaður og menningartákn þekkt fyrir heiminn sem Hulk Hogan, lést skyndilega í júlí 24 Eftir að hafa orðið fyrir hjartastoppi heima hjá sér í Flórída.

Þó að það séu deilur og deilandi skoðanir á Terry Bollea manninum síðustu árin, Ég vil miðju hugsanir mínar um Hulk Hogan, glímumaðurinn og skemmtikrafturinn sem þýddi svo mikið fyrir mig síðustu 40 ár.

Í því sem var eins og fullkominn stormur, Hulk Hogan kom inn í líf mitt árið 1983. Ég var nýflutt í nýtt hverfi þar sem afi minn var veikur, Og við ætluðum að hjálpa ömmu að sjá um hann á síðustu mánuðum sínum. Ég hafði aldrei haft kapal áður. Pabbi minn myndi stundum horfa á glímuforritunina í gamla húsinu okkar, Og ég myndi sitja með honum. Á þeim tíma WWE (Þá WWF) var svæðisbundið landsvæði í Norðausturlandi. Meistarinn var Bob Backlund en fyrir barn sem var hrifinn af Star Wars og He-Man, Hann var bara of látlaus og leiðinlegur til að fanga ímyndunaraflið.

Rocky III hafði verið sleppt í 1982 og handritið kallaði eftir vöðvastælta, Stærri glímumaður en lífið til að fylla hlutverk Thunderlips og Hogan var náttúrulega valið. Hann hafði verið hæl (Slæmur strákur) Persóna snemma á ferlinum og frammistaða hans færði hann til almennra viðurkenningar. Með aðgang að snúru, það virtist sem Rocky III væri næstum á hverjum degi og ég myndi horfa á það eftir síðdegis teiknimyndir.

Þessi desember, Bob Backlund missti WWE titilinn fyrir hinum illu og fyrirlitlegu járnsjeik. Ég var ekki mikill aðdáandi Backlund, En 7 ára hugur minn gat ekki átt við heim með „slæmum gaur“ sem glímumeistari. Heimurinn var í jafnvægi í janúar 23, 1984, Þegar Hogan kom í stað „slasaðs“ bakslags og sigraði Iron Sheik í Madison Square Garden.

Þegar ég horfði á þetta í sjónvarpinu, Ég gat fundið fyrir spennunni og fagnaðarerindinu þegar Hulk vann titilinn aftur fyrir Ameríku. Í mínum huga, Hulk Hogan var vondur strákur í Rocky III þar til Rocky „sneri honum vel.“ Á því augnabliki, Ég fann hetju, raunverulegur ofurmaður, Einhver sem gæti staðið frammi fyrir og hrundið áskorunum allra slæmra glímumanna. Með kapal, Ég gæti horft á mánaðarleg kort frá Philadelphia litrófinu, Hressi Hulkster í hverjum mánuði.

Febrúar 1985 merkti heilt ár af því að vera fullur hulkamaniac fyrir mig. Það var verið að vera í nágrannakorti á litrófinu, Og pabbi minn ákvað að fara með mig til að sjá Hulk verja gegn illmenni Brutus Beefcake. Ég man samt eftir áþreifanlegu spennunni þegar þeir spiluðu „Eye of the Tiger“ þegar Hulk kom að hringnum. Það var svo spennandi. Ég teipaði endurspilun daginn eftir í sjónvarpinu og var sannfærður um að ég sá mig í útsendingunni. Það var ekki fyrr en árum seinna sem ég horfði á þann leik á YouTube og áttaði mig á því að manneskjan sem ég hélt að væri ég væri bara unglingur um 10 árum eldri en ég og bara vera með svipaðan jakka.

WWE var að kynna ofurkort sem bar heitið „Wrestlemania“ næsta mánuðinn, Og ég reyndi að sannfæra pabba minn um að láta mig sjá það. Þetta var áður en þú gast pantað kort fyrir útsýni til að horfa á heima og eini staðurinn sem við gátum séð að það var lokað hringrás útvarpað á Philadelphia litrófinu. Ég skrölti af listanum yfir frægt fólk sem væri þar, þar á meðal Muhammad Ali. Hann samþykkti að taka mig, Og ég fékk að sjá allar stóru stjörnurnar eins og Junkyard Dog og Andre The Giant. En viðureignin sem lét mig skjálfta í sætinu mínu var Grudge leikurinn með Hulk í samvinnu við Rocky III Costar og A-Team tákn, Mr. T þegar þeir tóku á sig sviksamlega dúettinn af Rowdy Roddy Piper og Paul „Mr. Dásamlegt “Orndorff. Að sjálfsögðu, hetjurnar ríktu, Og sá atburður var það mesta sem ég hafði séð.

Frá því augnabliki, Ég var um allt og hvað sem er Hulk Hogan. Hann var stærsta hetja í heimi. Mér leist vel á He-Man, Farinn, og spennir, En þetta voru bara fölsuð leikföng og teiknimyndir. Ég var mikill grýttur aðdáandi, En ég vissi að þetta var bara kvikmynd. En Hulk Hogan… ég horfði á hann í hverri viku, Og ég taldi að glímu væri raunveruleg. Mig langaði til að vaxa upp til að verða glímumaður. Nafn mitt ætlaði að vera „Tornado Tony“ og ég ætlaði að vera Tag-Team félagi Hulk Hogan. Við ætluðum í aðalviðburðinn Wrestlemania sem merkjasveit. Ég myndi þjálfa með því að nota Hulkamania líkamsþjálfunarbúnaðinn með plasti, Hand grip, og Jumprope. Ég var með Hulk Hogan hádegismatskassa í skólanum, Ég var með Hulk Hogan stuttermabol, og allar LJN aðgerðartölur.

Ég eignaðist marga mismunandi vini í skólanum bara að tala um glímu, Sum börn sem ég hélt að ég ætti ekki neitt sameiginlegt með. Sem venjulega feiminn krakki, Ef ég sá annan barn með eitthvað glímu með þema, Eins og glímu límmiði á bakpoka eða nokkur viðskiptakort, Ég myndi brjótast út úr skelinni minni og hefja samtal. Óhjákvæmilega, Við myndum gera áætlanir um að horfa á vikulega dagskrárgerðina sem fór í loftið á hverjum laugardagsmorgni, þar á meðal teiknimyndin með Hulk Hogan sem var svo vinsæl. Á þessum tíma, Foreldrar mínir myndu láta mig vera seint ef aðalviðburðurinn á laugardagskvöldið fór í loftið. Þetta var kærkomin skemmtun en einnig áföll að horfa á hina monstrous konung Kong Bundy senda Hulk út á bandi. Eins áverka og það var, Það var ekki nóg til að hindra mig í að samþykkja afmælisveisluboð að horfa á 2ND afborgun Wrestlemania með nokkrum bekkjarfélögum mínum. Við fögnuðum við inngang Hogans, hélt sameiginlegu andardrætti okkar þegar Bundy hafði yfirburði, og fagnaði síðan þegar Hogan ríkti æðsta.

Með glímuviðskiptum á hátign vinsælda og með Hulk í fararbroddi, Þeir þurftu eitthvað stórt, óvenju stórt, að fylla 93,000 Pontiac Silverdome fyrir WrestleMania III. Það sem þeir gerðu var að passa Hogan við stærsta manninn í atvinnuíþróttum, bókstaflega og óeiginlega, Þegar þeir pöntuðu hann gegn fyrrum vinkonu hans í 7 feta hæðinni, 500 £. Andre risinn. Risinn, ferskur af svikum hans af Hogan, var líklega of stór áskorun fyrir hetjuna okkar að sigra. Eftir að hafa þolað fjölmörg högg gegn andstæðingi hans, Hulk náði enn að Superman sjálfur upp og sigra risa andstæðing sinn, þar á meðal helgimynda bodyslam allra tíma.

Stuttu eftir Wrestlemania III, Sjóndeildarhringinn minn byrjaði að stækka. Ég fékk áhuga á íþróttum, sérstaklega hnefaleika. Ég var að horfa á fleiri kvikmyndir og spila mismunandi tölvuleiki. Meðan ég var enn að horfa á glímu, og taldi mig dygga hulkamaniac, Ég byrjaði að stilla inn í aðra forritun, Sérstaklega á The Times væri Hogan að taka kvikmyndir og sjónvarpsþætti.

Þegar ég kom í menntaskóla, Ég var varla að horfa á glímu. Það var ekki það flott að gera lengur. Stundum myndi ég horfa á forritunina og uppáhaldið mitt til að horfa á voru Undertaker, Razor Ramon, og Deisel. Við áttum ekki glímuveislur lengur, LJN tölur mínar voru pakkaðar í kassa á háaloftinu, Og við áttum ekki leiki í bakgarði. 80s glímuuppsveifla hafði dofnað, Og viðskiptin voru með stera og eiturlyfjahneyksli. Það var ekki lengur saklausa skemmtunarform sem ég ólst upp.

Annað árið mitt í háskóla, Ég var í herbergi með gaur sem líkaði við að glíma, Og ég byrjaði að fylgjast með honum. Hogan var í keppinaut WCW, Og við myndum bera saman báðar stofnanirnar, Báðir voru enn að nota gamaldags þemu og brella. Meðan við horfðum á sem hóp, Mér fannst ég ekki horfa á þegar ég kom heim í sumarfríið. Það breyttist í maí 27, 1996, Þegar WCW féll frá sprengju. Tiltölulega blíður forritun þeirra fékk uppörvun með óvart komu Scott Hall (Fyrrum rakvélin Ramon), fylgdi nokkrum vikum síðar af vini sínum Kevin Nash (fyrrum Deisel). 

WCW hafði nú krítandi tilfinningu og áhugi náði hámarki fyrir bash þeirra á strandkortinu, Aðeins fáanlegt með því að kaupa útsendingu greiðslu fyrir hverja útsýni. Hall og Nash, Með loforð um leyndardómsfélaga, barðist við hetju tríóið af Randy Savage, Sting, og Lex Luger. Að jafna sig eftir nýlega hnéaðgerð, Ég keypti ekki sýninguna. Ég hafði ekki heyrt neinar niðurstöður eða skýrslur þegar ég lagði mig inn í dagskrárgerð mánudagskvöldsins. Með hnéð mitt stungið upp og, í sársauka af völdum, Ég horfði á þegar Hulk gekk að hringnum á aðalviðburðinum. Hann var þar til að bjarga hetjunum og senda illmenni á flótta. Eða svo hugsaði ég. Ég man að ég hugsaði „?”Þegar hann sleppti undirskrift sinni Legdrop á Savage.

Alveg eins og hann gerði 12 árum áður, Hulk Hogan var aftur skjálftamiðstöð glímubyltingarinnar. Að þessu sinni gerði hann það með því að gjörbylta sér í hælpersónu og bæta moniker „Hollywood“ við nafn sitt. Hann breytti vörumerki gulum og rauðum litum í svart og hvítt litasamsetningu og vörumerki „nýja heimsmyndina“ glímu. Hann færði glímu aftur að almennum straumi. Fjölmiðlar náðu aftur glímu. Það var talið um bæinn, Skólar og skrifstofur, Hvernig Hulk Hogan breyttist í slæman gaur. Ásamt Hall og Nash, Hann gerði það svalt að vera slæmt.

Til að vinna gegn matsástæðum WCW, WWE lagaði vönduðri vöru, Stýrt af Stone Cold Steve Austin og Dwayne „The Rock“ Johnson. Mánudagskvöld urðu matstríðið milli beggja fyrirtækja og að horfa á glímu var „inn“ hlutinn að gera aftur.

Ég man að ég gekk upp að ungum manni á háskólasvæðinu okkar sem klæddist NWO stuttermabol. Ég leit á hann og spurði „Ert þú?“Og gaf„ fyrir lífið “merki með vinstri hendi minni. Hann svaraði með„ of sætu “látbragði. Við höfum verið vinir síðan og á hverju ári á afmælisdögum okkar, Við sendum NWO -kveðju á samfélagsmiðlasíðu hinna.

Til að vinna gegn matsástæðum WCW, WWE lagaði vönduðri vöru, Stýrt af Stone Cold Steve Austin og Dwayne „The Rock“ Johnson. Mánudagskvöld urðu matstríðið milli beggja fyrirtækja og að horfa á glímu var „inn“ hlutinn að gera aftur. Glíma á níunda áratugnum var alveg eins og áratuginn, hávær, litrík, og of-toppur. Glíma á níunda áratugnum líktist breytingatímunum, Gripier og raunsærri. Hin uppreisnargjarna andhetju var vinsæl þróun og það passaði við afstöðu persónuleika minnar sem var snúið.

Á yngri ári mínu í 1997, Ég var valinn til að kassa í hinni virtu framhaldsskólaklassík í Reno, Nv. Því miður, Aðeins viku fyrir baráttuna, Áætlaður andstæðingur minn neyddist til að draga sig út með meiðslum og liðsfélagi í léttari þyngdarflokki var tekinn í mínum stað. Meðan hann var á skipulagi á flugvellinum í San Francisco, Hnefaleikafélagar mínir sáu Hulk Hogan ganga hjá, Klæddur í svarthvíta NWO klæði hans. Þeir stoppuðu hann fyrir ljósmynd, Og hann skyldi. Að vera meðlimur í blaðamannaklúbbnum í skólanum, Ég þurfti að leggja fram þá mynd fyrir útgáfu í skólablaðinu okkar, mjög myndin sem ég hefði átt að vera með í. Árið eftir, Mér tókst að fara til Reno, NV að keppa í Austur-Vestur-klassíkinni. Ég gekk allt um flugvöllinn með öðrum hnefaleikara í ferðinni, að leita að öllum WCW glímumanni sem gæti verið á San Francisco flugvellinum, Jafnvel þó að það væri í raun aðeins einn sem ég var að leita að.

Eftir útskrift, Ég hélt áfram með glímuþróunina. In 2001, WWE keypti sig á WCW, Og aðeins ári seinna, Hulk Hogan kom aftur til að berjast við klettinn í Ageless klassík þar sem aðdáendurnir tóku aftur heim. Hulk myndi fara og snúa aftur til fyrirtækisins nokkrum sinnum á næstu árum, Og við hverja endurkomu, Þegar fyrstu strengirnir í undirskrift þema hans „Real American“ myndu koma í loftið, Heyrnarlaus viðbrögð mannfjöldans myndu fylla vettvanginn með slíku rafmagni.

Um miðjan 2000s, Ég geri mér grein fyrir því að tækifæri mitt til að hitta uppáhalds glímumanninn minn allan tímann týndist þegar sá reno hnefaleikari dró sig úr baráttunni okkar árið 1997. Að vera barnalegur aðdáandi, Ég áttaði mig ekki á því að Hulk var í raun frá Tampa svæðinu. Hann var alltaf innheimtur frá Feneyjarströndinni, CA og ég tókum það sem sannleika. Ég byrjaði að gera árlega vorferð til Clearwater í 2008 og, Nokkrum árum síðar, Skutlan mín fór framhjá bar sem heitir „Hogan Beach“, Nálægt Tampa flugvellinum. Ég komst að því seinna að þetta var bar í eigu Hulk Hogan, Svo ég lagði áherslu á að bæta dag við ferðina mína næsta ár til að heimsækja þann bar. Það var tækifæri mitt að fá myndina sem mér fannst ég eiga skilið. In 2015, Ég fór á Hogan's Beach með myndavélina mína tilbúna, Nema að það væri enginn Hulk Hogan á Hogan's Beach.

Með því að ströndin í Hogan lokast 2016, Ég heyrði að hann ætti minnisbækur í Clearwater Beach og að stundum myndi hann koma til handahófi. Ég fór í heimsóknir í 2016, 2017, 2018, og 2019, allir án heppni. Stundum heyrði ég eitthvað eins og „of slæmt. Hann var hér í gær.“ Á hverju ári, Ég keypti skyrtu og tók mynd sem stóð fyrir utan búðina. Vinur minn og fyrrum liðsfélagi Jason, Hver var í þeirri örlagaríka hnefaleikaferð í 1997, myndi rifja mig á hverju ári og tjá sig með mynd sinni frá flugvellinum tveimur áratugum áður. Ég myndi alltaf svara því að ég myndi vilja finna þennan reno hnefaleikara svo við gætum loksins átt þann hnefaleikakeppni og á hverju ári, Ég myndi bæta við öðru ári sem vekur áhuga ofan á höggið sem hann ætlaði að fá 20 árum áður.

Þrátt fyrir slæma tímasetningu mína á hverju ári, Að fara í Hogan's Beach Shop í Clearwater Beach var skemmtileg upplifun. Þegar ég var barn, Það var talað um glímubúð sem opnaði á markaði í nágrenninu, Og börnin í hverfinu mínu töluðu öll um það sem við myndum kaupa, eða í raun og veru, Bið foreldra okkar að kaupa fyrir okkur. Ég var sannfærður um að ég var að labba út með tearaway hulk hogan skyrtu, gulir ferðakoffort, Rauðir hné, og gular stígvélar. Foreldrar mínir tóku mig loksins, og, til vonbrigða minna, Þetta voru aðeins nokkrar aðgerðir sem ég átti þegar, Nokkrir stuttermabolir, Og nokkur viðskiptakort. Verslunin í Flórída var paradís á 80s krakka. Það voru tugir skyrta til að velja úr, ásamt höfuðböndum, Skot gleraugu, Aðgerðartölur, og eftirmynd belti. Það voru hlutir til sýnis, svo sem Hulk-borin titilbelti Hulk, ekta Ric Flair skikkja, og par af Andre glímubifreiðum risastórra stórra. Í einni af viðræðum mínum við vinkonu og viðskiptafélaga Hulks, Ron, Hann spurði hvort ég vildi taka mynd sem hélt nokkrum af hringnefndum beltum. Ég fékk fyrst að halda úðmáluðu NWO belti, Sem var ótrúlegt. En það sem hann kom út næst náði næstum hnén á mér. Það var ekta beltið sem Hulk klæddist hringnum í WrestleMania III þegar hann barðist við Andre The Giant. Raunverulegt belti frá kannski stærsta leik allra tíma hvíldi á öxlinni á mér. Ég reyndi að búa til erfitt andlit fyrir myndina, En ég gat ekki staðist hvöt til að brjótast út geislandi bros þegar ég hélt þessu helgimynda stykki af bernsku minni.

Ég sá loksins gullna tækifærið fyrir langþráða ljósmyndatækifæri mitt með opnun á Hangout Bar og vikulegum karaoke kvöldum. Fyrirhuguð var heimsókn mín í mars 14, 2022, Og ég var tilbúinn að vekja hrifningu Hulkster mun útgáfan mín af klassískum „Baby Got Back“ frá Sir Mix-Lot. Ég kom snemma til að fá góðan stað á barnum, Og ég var með aðra ás upp ermina. Ég kom með eftirmynd af Thunderlips Cape sem hann klæddist í Rocky III. Það var engin leið að ég gæti farið án ljósmyndar.

Eftir að hafa hitt og spjallað við langvarandi WWE/WCW knattspyrnustjóra og persónulegan vin Hulk, Jimmy Hart, Ég tók aftur blettinn minn á barnum og beið eftir spennt eftirvæntingu eins og ég gerði þegar ég var barn sem beið eftir inngangi hans í Philadelphia litrófinu. Venjulega að koma á milli 8:15-8:20, Hulk kom ekki fyrr en eftir 8:30 Og meðan hann gerði enn inngang, Það var svolítið lægra. Hann tók síðan hljóðnemann og tilkynnti að hann hefði nýlega fengið símtalið sem vinur hans og félagi NWO, Scott Hall, væru látnir nokkrum mínútum áður en hann var fjarlægður úr lífstuðningi í kjölfar hjartaáfalls. Hulk sendi síðan umferð af drykkjum allan barinn svo við gætum öll deilt ristuðu brauði.

Eftir það, Karaoke byrjaði. Það var ekki stjórn til að sjá hver var áætlaður í biðröð og ég beið óþreyjufullur eftir að heyra nafnið mitt. Ég hafði heyrt að aðrir hefðu sent plötusnúðurinn Venmo mútur til að tryggja að þeir væru kallaðir. Það var of seint fyrir þá leið. Ég gat ekki hugsað mér að fara án þess að fá það ljósmyndatækifæri. Ég myndi ekki aðeins láta rifbeina miskunnarlaust, En ég þekkti líka raunveruleika hinna hörku sem fagleg glímu tekur á sig líkamann. Scott Hall var nýkominn um daginn. Aðrir eins og Roddy Piper, Randy Savage, Ultimate Warrior, og Curt Henning dóu allir ungir. Ég gat ekki tekið áhættuna á því að bíða í eitt ár í viðbót. Ég stjórnaði mér að framan, Eins og ég væri að sigla í salernið, Og ég fann hinn fullkomna stað þar sem Hulk myndi fara á leið út. Þegar hann var að verða tilbúinn að fara, Hann sá mig og gaf „yo thundelips. Frábært kápa, Bróðir!”Athugasemd. Á því augnabliki, Ég var ekki 45 ára vátryggingastjóri. Ég var aftur 10 ára, Og uppáhalds glímumaðurinn minn var að kalla mig út. Ég rétti fram höndina, Og hann samþykkti. Vitandi að ég átti aðeins sekúndu, Ég var með myndavélina á selfie og fékk myndina mína.

Nokkrum vikum áður en ég 2023 Clearwater ferð, Ég sá að Hulk var að gera undirritun í strandbúð sinni daginn sem ég átti að koma. Ég fékk morgunflug og ef allt gekk vel, Ólíkt sex klukkustunda seinkun árið áður vegna eldsneytisleka, Ég myndi geta fengið ljósmynd og undirskrift. Ég keypti útlitsmiða og bað fyrir engar tafir. Eftir að hafa komið án vandræða, Ég tók sæti mitt í röð sem var um tveggja tíma bið. Af hverju svona lengi?  Vegna þess að Hulk vildi taka smá stund með öllum. Þegar það var komið að mér, Ég kynnti mig sem „Tony Tornado“ frá Fíladelfíu. Hann svaraði „Yo Tony Tornado!  Hvað er upp, bróðir?„Hann spurði hvort ég væri glímumaður og svaraði því að ég væri ekki glímumaður heldur hnefaleikari. Hann kastaði höndunum upp, „Ekki lemja mig, bróðir!”Ég þakkaði honum fyrir að gera barnæsku mína sérstaka, sérstaklega þessi fyrsta Wrestlemania með pabba, Og hann skrifaði undir rauða Hulkamania tanktop fyrir mig. Ég sagði honum að ég myndi sjá hann á mánudagskvöldið fyrir karaoke.

Ólíkt fyrra ári, Þeir voru með rafrænt borð þar sem þú gætir séð hvar þú varst í biðröð. Ég kom með nokkrum vinum og sendi texta í laginu mínu nema þeir höfðu sett tímamörk takmarkanir á fjórar mínútur, Líklegt vegna þess að árið á undan, Fólk var að velja lög eins og „Stairway to Heaven“ og „rapparar gleðja“ (Stutt útgáfa) Þetta voru langir lagakostir og gáfu öðrum ekki tækifæri. Með undirskriftasöngnum mínum af bókinni, Ég valdi klassískt klassík DMC „Það er erfiður“ þar sem þeir höfðu komið fram á Wrestlemania V. Skreyttir í Thunderlips hettunni minni og hvítum fedora með samsvarandi rauðum fjöðrum og beið inngangs Hulks, Vinur minn benti á borðið í biðröðinni sem sýndi að ég væri í öðru sæti. Þegar hann loksins kom inn nokkrum mínútum eftir frammistöðu mína, Hann sá kápuna og fedora og fór „Tony Tornado!  Ertu að syngja, Bróðir?„Ég sagði honum að ég hefði þegar sungið og hann svaraði því að koma upp á sviðið vegna þess að hann vildi fá ljósmynd með mér. Ef ég væri á skýi 9 árið á undan, Þetta sprengdi það algerlega upp úr vatninu. Nokkrir af vinum mínum sungu líka og við ristuðum nokkur skot í hátíðarhöldunum, hreyfing sem ég harma seinna þar sem timburmenn næsta dags var ekki notalegur.

Ég sungið enn einu sinni á Hogan's Hangout árið 2024. Ég kom seint til Clearwater Beach og sá nokkra vini á barnum rétt þar sem Hulk var nýkominn. Ég gekk til liðs við þá og hugleiddi hvort ég myndi syngja eða ekki. Einu sinni goðsagnakenndu Major League könnu Roger Clemens og sonur hans Kody skemmtu sér með Toby Keith skattlag, Ég ákvað að setja nafnið mitt inn. Í þetta skiptið létu þeir mig syngja um lagið mitt og ég gat tekið selfie með Hulk meðan ég var í miðju ljóðrænu Rampage mínum eða klassískum lag Sir-a-Lot.

Þegar nóttin var að vinda niður, Ég hafði stund til að tala við son hans, Nick. Ég sýndi mynd frá Rocky Run árið áður, þar sem ég hafði lokið 5K á úðaðri ökkla í fullum þrumubúningi, þar á meðal búningavöðvaföt, Fedora, Höfða, Samþjöppunarsokkar brenna að líta út eins og glímustígvélar með skúfum, og bera meistarabelti. Nick tók símann minn og sýndi föður sínum það sem horfði á mig og sagði „Þú hljópst inn í það?  Fínt starf, Bróðir!“Þetta var í gærkvöldi sem ég sá Hulk Hogan í eigin persónu.

Þeir segja alltaf að eftirlíking sé einlægasta form smjaðar. Ég hef hermt eftir Hulk Hogan fyrir yfir 40 ár núna, Hvort, Að klæða mig sem hulk fyrir vinnuna okkar Halloween partý og koma með og auka bol bara svo ég gæti líkt eftir því að rífa treyjuna af meðan á skrúðgöngunni stóð, Að gera Rocky Run klæddur eins og þrumur á meðan hann var fyrirliði lið að nafni „The Ultimate Meatballs“, Eða að gera Hulk Hogan kynningu á meðan þú selur jólatré.

Ég byggði hefð á hverju ári með frændsystkinum mínum og keypti þá Hulk Hogan bolir. Ég keypti Dominic hans fyrsta bol, klassíska gulan, Þegar hann var aðeins árs gamall árið 2018. Þegar Matteo frændi minn fæddist þremur mánuðum snemma, Ég var í Clearwater. Ég fór í búð daginn eftir og keypti honum Hulkamania ungbarna stökkvari. Þegar hann var loksins fær um að koma heim eftir mánuði í NICU, Foreldrar hans klæddu hann í það að yfirgefa sjúkrahúsið. Hann hafði gert sitt fyrsta Hulk Hogan Superman endurkomu í lífinu. Í ár, Ég keypti samsvörunarskyrtur okkar aftur og unga konan sem rekur skrána minntist mín og hefð mín með strákunum. Hún gaf þeim báða búninga yfirvaraskegg. Þegar ég gaf þeim skyrtur og yfirvaraskegg, Þeir voru svo spenntir að taka myndirnar sínar. Matteo sofnaði meira að segja í bílnum í skyrtu sinni og yfirvaraskegg. Mér leið eins og flottasti frændi í heimi. Vegna Hulk Hogan, Mér tókst að gefa þessum tveimur litlu strákum hefð sem þeir gátu hlakkað til.

Síðastliðinn fimmtudag, Fréttin um skyndilega framhjá Hulk Hogan sendi áfall í gegnum glímu- og skemmtasamfélögin. Sögusagnir höfðu verið um alvarlega heilsubaráttu í kjölfar samrunaaðgerðar í leghálsi. Sumar skýrslur höfðu hann á dánarbeði sínu og aðrar sögðust ekki lengur geta talað. Skýrsla frá Jimmy Hart kom út á fimmtudagsmorgun um að skýrslurnar væru ýktar, og Hulk var að jafna sig, Hægari en búist var við, en samt að jafna sig. Nokkrum klukkustundum síðar, Fréttin braust út um að hann væri horfinn eftir að hafa orðið fyrir hjartastoppi í búsetu sinni.

Ég var nýbúinn að klára fund í vinnunni þegar ég sá bein skilaboð frá vini sem sagði „Hulk dó!”Með TMZ hlekknum. Áður en ég gat jafnvel smellt á hlekkinn, Ég hafði önnur skilaboð, þá texti, Þegar allt hreyfðist í óskýrleika. Þetta var Hulk Hogan. Vissulega, Hann myndi sparka út einu sinni í viðbót með talningu tveggja, Snúðu upp og stara svakalegan reipar niður. Því miður, það var satt, Og ástvinur okkar Hulk Hogan var horfinn. Ég kom í ræktina eftir vinnu um kvöldið og kláraði síðustu umferðina mína á þungarpokanum með undirskriftar lag Hogans „Real American“ sveif upp í gegnum heyrnartólin mín. Um það bil að fara, Ég sá vinkonu og gagnkvæman glímuaðdáanda. Við deildum vantrú okkar, Og hann kvað nokkra viðbjóð á fólki á samfélagsmiðlum sem fagnaði andláti sínu. Eins og við vorum að tala, Raunveruleikinn byrjaði að lemja okkur báða og við stóðum þar sem tveir fullorðnir fullorðnir, einn þyngdarlyftari og einn hnefaleikari, Báðir halda aftur af tárum.

Að sannarlega minnast Hulk Hogan, Þú verður líka að muna að hann var raunveruleg manneskja. Terry Bollea átti galla og gerði mistök. Hann hafði verið sakaður um að hafa spilað stjórnmál á baksviðinu og haldið aftur af öðrum glímumönnum. Það var gífuryrði heima hjá honum sem náði kynþáttabrún sem hann gæti hafa sagt í reiði. Það sem særði nýlega vinsældir hans hjá mörgum var stuðningur við pólitískan stjórnmálalegan frambjóðanda. Margir sem höfðu verið aðdáendur fyrirgaf honum aldrei fyrir kynþáttakonuna og aðrir kveiktu á honum vegna pólitísks tengsla hans.

Fyrir mig að muna Hulk Hogan, glímumaðurinn, og Terry Bollea, Maðurinn, Ég tek undir þá staðreynd að við erum öll mannleg, Og við höfum öll galla. Margir sem vinna í hvaða fyrirtæki sem er geta verið sakaðir um að nota trúnaðarmál og slúðra til að efla eigin starfsferil meðan þeir halda aftur af samstarfsmönnum. Í því sem hefur verið ætluð heilagleiki okkar eigin, Mörg okkar hafa sagt hluti sem gætu talist rasistar, Sexist, eða homophobic. Margoft, Þessi orð eru sögð í reiði og ekki sönn endurspeglun á raunverulegum tilfinningum manns. Með tilliti til pólitískra frambjóðenda, Það er mjög hálku í þessari skiptu menningu. En, Hluti af frelsinu sem við njótum er kosningaréttur eins og við þráum og styðjum við hvaða pólitískum frambjóðanda sem við veljum. Að hata mann í blindni, sérstaklega manneskja sem þú hefur aldrei kynnst, eingöngu af pólitískum ástæðum, sýnir þröngsýna sýn á heiminn. Þú getur verið ósammála afstöðu þeirra, En þú getur samt notið skemmtunar þeirra.

Ég mun muna að Terry Bollea var með galla. Hann var manneskja eins og við hin. En ég mun líka muna það góða sem hann færði í heiminn. Hann gjörbylti glímuiðnaðinum rétt eins og Babe Ruth gerði fyrir hafnabolta. Án Hulk Hogan, glímu uppsveiflu níunda áratugarins hefði aldrei átt sér stað. Framtíðarsýn Vince McMahon um alþjóðlegt samband hefði líklega brotnað. Án Hulk Hogan, það væri engin Wrestlemania, Engin mánudagskvöldstríð, ekkert klettur, Enginn steinkaldur, Ekki John Cena, o.fl. fyrir utan að byggja þann grunn, Ég mun líka muna það góða sem hann færði í heiminn. Hann heimsótti veik börn fram á síðustu vikur sínar. Hann hvatti krakka til að æfa sig, að þjálfa, Segðu bænir sínar, og taktu vítamín þeirra. Mikilvægast er, Hann lét þér líða vel með sjálfan þig. Hann lét þig trúa á eitthvað stærra en lífið. Hann var í raun „Babe Ruth of Wrestling.“ Það var hafnabolti áður en Babe Ruth og hafnabolti hefur blómstrað á áratugunum eftir að hann lést. Leikmenn eru hraðari, sterkari, og betur skilyrt. En það er samt aðeins ein elskan Ruth. Rétt eins og í glímu. Það var glímu fyrir Hulk Hogan og glímumenn í dag eru fimleika og íþróttamenn. En það er enn og verður alltaf aðeins einn Hulk Hogan.

Eftir að Hulk fór í síðustu viku, Eitt af því sem sló mig erfiðasta var sú hugsun að sumar hefðirnar sem ég hafði byggt síðustu árin myndu ekki lengur halda áfram. Það tók mig nokkra daga, En ég ákvað að ég myndi halda áfram að gefa Thunderlips búninginn fyrir Rocky Run, Svipað og Mark vinkonu minnar sem heldur áfram að heiðra seint Burt Young og Paulie persónu hans meðan á þátttöku hans stóð. Ég ætla samt að gera Hulk Hogan eftirlíkingar meðan ég er á trjálóðinni meðan ég reyni að skemmta viðskiptavinum okkar. Mikilvægast er, Ég vil halda árlegri hefð minni með Dominic og Matteo. Vísbendingar eru um að verslun hans í Clearwater Beach verði áfram opin og, Svo lengi sem það er, Ég mun halda áfram þeirri sérstöku hefð fyrir því að kaupa okkur samsvarandi skyrtur og taka myndir af okkur.

Terry Bollea gæti verið horfinn. Ég trúi á Guð og lífið á eftir. Ég tel að Terry hafi verið fyrirgefið, Og hann er nú búsettur í paradís. Þó að Terry Bollea gæti verið horfinn, Goðsögnin um Hulk Hogan mun lifa núna og að eilífu. Hetjur verða minnst en þjóðsögur deyja aldrei. Og Hulkamania mun lifa að eilífu.

Hulk Hogan, Ég vil þakka þér. Þakka þér fyrir að vekja gleði í bernsku minni. Þakka þér fyrir að gefa mér styrk til að brjótast út úr skelinni minni og eignast vini í nýja skólanum mínum. Þakka þér fyrir að láta mig trúa á kraft þjálfunarinnar, bænir, og vítamín. Þakka þér fyrir að láta mig trúa því að dauðlegur maður geti raunverulega verið ofurhetja. Þakka þér fyrir að sýna mér að það getur verið svalt að vera slæmt. Þakka þér fyrir að gefa mér eitthvað til að deila með frændum mínum. Þakka þér fyrir góðvildina þegar ég loksins fékk að hitta þig. Og mest af öllu, Þakka þér fyrir að koma Hulkamania inn í líf mitt. Hvíldu í friði!

559 Berst, áhugamaður box, amateur mixed martial arts, Amateur MMA, armur glíma, BAMMA, Aðeins hnúi Boxing, BBC, Bellator, BET Network, Big Knockout Boxing, BKFC, Bounce TV, Boxcino, box, Búr Warriors Fighting Championship, CBS Boxing, CBS Sports Network, Champions TKO Boxing Gym, charity, Combat Zone MMA, Combate Americas, Gamanleikur, DAZN, ESPN Boxing, ESPN föstudagskvöldið berst, Aðdáandi aðdáenda, ímyndunarafl íþróttir, FDNY Boxing, FFC, Fight Network, Fight Talk Ótakmarkað, FIGHTNIGHT LIVE, FITETV, líkamsrækt, FNU Bardagaíþróttir Sýna, Fox, Fox Sports 1, Föstudagur Night Knockout, GFL.TV, Gleason er Gym, Global sanna Ground, GLORY, Golden Boy Promotions, Golden Gloves, Goodwin Boxing, Granítkinn, Grappling, HBO Boxing, Heilsa og fegurð, IBA, ICB, ICBL, iKon bardagasambandið, Júdó, Keith Thurman, kickboxing, Lane Brothers Boxing, Las Vegas, Skulum fá það á Kynningar, LFA, LGM Promotions, M-1, M-1 Challenge, Bardagalistir, Mayweather Kynningar, blönduð bardagalistir, MMA, MMA Pro League, MMAPRO, kvikmyndir, Muay Thai, Murphys hnefaleika, NBC, New England Berst, NFL, næring, Oktagon, Olympics, Einn Championship, Paramount Network, PBC á ESPN, PFL, Premier Boxing Champions, Probox kynningar, Vöruumsagnir, Ofsafenginn Babe, Randy Couture, Reyes hnefaleikar, RFA, Rich Bergeron, Ring 8, Ringstar Sports, Rivera kynningar, Rizin FF, Robert Guerrero, Roc Nation, Rússland, Shinobi MMA Fighting Championships, Shinobi War, ShoBox, Showtime, Showtime Boxing, Spike TV, Ofurás, Super Fight League, fæðubótarefni, Takedown glíma Radio, Team Fight til Walk, Háskóli MMA, Tom Padgett, Tony Penecale, Top Rank, Total Combat Boxing, TruTV Boxing, Tuff-N-Uff, UFC, UK Boxing, Háskólinn í MMA, USA Boxing, Glíma í Bandaríkjunum, Valor Bare Knuckle, Warriors Boxing, WFF, WMMAA, box kvenna, MMA kvenna, Heimur Boxing Super Series, World Series of Fighting, Títlamynd um allan heim, glíma, WWE

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áhugamaður box, box, Tony Penecale

TRIBUTE TO DR. KEN “DOC” COX

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By: Tony Penecale

Lock Haven Boxing

Flokkur 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 á aldrinum 88 ára, 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, og síðast en ekki síst, 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, í þessari viku, 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 (Febrúar 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, á, 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, fjölskylda, 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, íþróttamenn, fjölskylda, og vinir.

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

box, kvikmyndir, Tony Penecale

Tornado goes to the movies: rocky iV remastered review

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með: Tony “the Tornado” Penecale (ofan)

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. Í raun, 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. Já, 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 (when I was 9 ára) 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, etc). 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 🌪

box, Las Vegas, Premier Boxing Champions, Tony Penecale

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

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By: 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?

AGE, RECORD, Og tölfræði

Wilder:  Aldur:   34 ára

Record:  42-0-1 (41 Knockouts)

Hæð:  6’7”

Þyngd:  219 * * Þyngd fyrir síðasta bardaga (11-23-19)

Ná:  83"

Fury: Aldur:  31 ára

Record:  29-0-1 (20 Knockouts)

Hæð:  6’9”

Þyngd:  254 * * Þyngd fyrir síðasta bardaga (9-14-19)

Ná:  85"

RING afreka

Wilder:

WBC Heavyweight Champion (’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)

STYLE

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 4th umferð, 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 9th round but his follow-up attack left him fatigued, allowed Fury to regain the momentum through the 11th round. The memorable 12th 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.

STYRKLEIKAR

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, hraði, máttur, 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.

Veikleikar

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.

FYRRI Bout

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 3Rd 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 Bestu sýningar

Wilder:

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

* Gold Cup (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 10th round knockout. Wilder was troubled by Ortiz’s boxing skills early before knocking him down in the 5th round. An Ortiz rally in the 7th 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, hreyfing, 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.

KEYS til sigurs

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

SPURNINGAR

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 spá

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 umferð, 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 6th og 7th 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.

box, Las Vegas, Tony Penecale

tony penecale’s Box Fan Expo Ringside report

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By: 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 heimsmeistari.

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 Kassa aðdáandi Expo for such an exceptional event.

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

Full Gallery:

box, DAZN, Las Vegas, Tony Penecale

Canelo ALVAREZ VS. Daniel JACOBS ** Í ítarlegum Forskoða og greining **

1 Athugasemd


By: 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?


AGE, RECORD, Og tölfræði

Alvarez: Aldur: 28 ára
Record: 51-1-2 (35 Knockouts)
Hæð: 5’9”
Þyngd: 167 * * Þyngd fyrir síðasta bardaga (12-15-18)
Ná: 70"


Jacobs: Aldur: 32 ára
Record: 35-2 (29 Knockouts)
Hæð: 5’11”
Þyngd: 159 * * Þyngd fyrir síðasta bardaga (10-27-18)
Ná: 73"


RING afreka

Alvarez:
WBC Junior Middleweight Champion (’11-’13)
WBA Junior Middleweight Champion (‘13)
Ring Magazine Junior Middleweight Champion ('13)
WBC Middleweight Champion (’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)

STYLE

Alvarez:
Árásargjarn, physical fighter with underrated boxing skills, Alvarez líður oft andstæðinga niður með samræmdum þrýstingi og þungur-hönd kýla. 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 hafa ágætis, en ekki mikill, varnar færni renni og sljór högg.

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.








STYRKLEIKAR

Alvarez:
* Power – Alvarez carries thunder in both fists. He has knockout power in either hand, en mest hrikalegt vopn hans býr í vinstri krók hans, especially to the body. He has three knockout-of-the-year candidates in his career.

* Styrkur - Alvarez er líkamlega-gjalddaga og thickly byggð bardagamaður með uncanny styrk. He is effective in backing fighters up, jafnvel þegar ekki lendingu skola högg. 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 hans 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.




Veikleikar

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. Hins, this is his first marquee Las Vegas Cinco-de-Mayo weekend extravaganza.



FYRRI Bout

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, skoraði fjögur 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 Bestu sýningar

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 3Rd 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 7th og 8th rounds before ending the show with his left hook to the liver in the 9th umferð.

* 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, flutningur hann meðvitundarlaus áður en hann lenti á mottuna og ærit aðeins uppbótartíma tap hans á 16 ára feril.



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 7th round TKO. Jacobs scored a knockdown each in the 4th og 5th rounds before opening up and dropping Mora three times in the 7th umferð, 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 umferðir, 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.




KEYS til sigurs

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







SPURNINGAR

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 spá

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 og 3Rd 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 6th round but will then erupt in the 7th 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 8th umferð, 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 9th og 10th umferðir, 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.

The 11th 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 Preview, Lesnar Retires from MMA, MacDonald questions will to keep hurting people after Fitch Draw” on Spreaker.

Bellator, box, FNU Bardagaíþróttir Sýna, blönduð bardagalistir, MMA, Rich Bergeron, Tom Padgett, Tony Penecale, glíma

Fight Talk Unlimited DOUBLE Episode

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Kvöld, 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, of.

 

box, blönduð bardagalistir, MMA, Rich Bergeron, Tom Padgett, Tony Penecale, Top Rank, glíma

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 🙂

 

Hlusta í beinni hér:

 

Aðeins hnúi Boxing, box, ESPN Boxing, Fight Talk Ótakmarkað, FNU Bardagaíþróttir Sýna, Fox, Keith Thurman, blönduð bardagalistir, MMA, Rich Bergeron, Showtime, Showtime Boxing, Tom Padgett, Tony Penecale, UFC, glíma, 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 Easter Jr., 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.