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TRIBUTE TO DR. KEN “DOC” COX

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By: Tony Penecale

Lock Haven Boxing

Class of 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 at the age of 88 years old, 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, this week, 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 (February 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, during, 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, family, 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, athletes, family, and friends.

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

boxing, movies, Tony Penecale

Tornado goes to the movies: rocky iV remastered review

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by: Tony “the Tornado” Penecale (above)

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.   In fact, 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.  Yes, 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 years old) 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 🌪

boxing, Las Vegas

Two-Division World Champion Michael Spinks Confirmed for Sixth Annual Box Fan Expo, During Cinco de Mayo Weekend, Saturday May 2, in Las Vegas

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Box Fan Expo – the Largest Boxing Fan Event held in the U.S – 

the Ultimate Boxing Fan Experience


Tickets On-Sale Now at EventBrite

For Immediate Release


Las Vegas (February 20, 2020) – Two-division world champion Michael Spinks has confirmed that he will appear at the sixth annual Box Fan Expo on Saturday, May 2, 2020, at the Cox Pavilion in Las Vegas from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. 


Spinks will hold a Meet & Greet with his fans at his booth during the fan event held over the Cinco De Mayo weekend.

The Box Fan Expo is an annual fan event that coincides with some of the sports’ legendary, classic fights in Las Vegas, including Mayweather vs. Maidana II, Mayweather vs. Berto, Canelo vs. Chavez Jr., Canelo vs. GGG II, and Canelo vs. Jacobs. Centered in boxing’s longtime home – Las Vegas – this year’s Expo is a must-do for fight fans coming in for this legendary weekend, with dozens of professional fighters, promoters, and companies involved in the boxing industry. The Expo is the largest and only Boxing Fan Expo held in the United States. http://boxfanexpo.com– @BoxFanExpo


Tickets to the Box Fan Expo are available online at:
https://bitly.com/BoxingExpo2020

Spinks will make his second appearance at this years’ Expo and will be signing gloves, photos, personal items and memorabilia. Spinks will also have merchandise on sale at his booth, and fans will also have an opportunity to take pictures with this boxing legend also known as “Jinx.”


About Michael Spinks
Spinks is a two-division world champion, having held the undisputed light heavyweight title from 1983 to 1985, and the lineal heavyweight title from 1985 to 1988. He was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1994. As an amateur he won a gold medal in the middleweight division at the 1976 Summer Olympics.


Spinks is the brother of former world heavyweight champion Leon Spinks, and uncle of Cory Spinks, a former welterweight and light middleweight champion.
Spinks went undefeated in his first 31 professional fights, beating such opponents as Dwight Muhammad Qawi, Eddie Mustafa Muhammad, Marvin Johnson and Eddie Davis en route to becoming the undisputed light heavyweight champion. Following ten successful title defenses, Spinks moved up to heavyweight, and as an underdog defeated long-reigning IBF heavyweight champion Larry Holmes; in doing so, Spinks became the first reigning light heavyweight world champion to win the heavyweight title. Spinks only defeat in his professional career came to the hands of Mike Tyson on June 27, 1988. The International Boxing Research Organization and BoxRec rank Spinks among the ten greatest light heavyweights of all time.


About Box Fan Expo
Box Fan Expo is the ultimate boxing fan experience event, which allows fans to meet the stars of boxing that represent the past, present and future of the sport. With hosted autograph signings, meet-and-greets with current and former boxing world champions, limited edition merchandise for sale, giveaways and more, this is the ultimate event for fans of the sport.


Past boxing stars that have participated include: Floyd Mayweather, Mike Tyson, Roberto Duran, Sugar Ray Leonard, Julio Cesar Chavez, Juan Manuel Marquez, Tommy Hearns, Roy Jones Jr, Marco Antonio Barrera, Erik Morales, Andre Ward, Mikey Garcia, Marcos Maidana, Devin Haney, David Benavidez, Errol Spence Jr, Sergio Martinez, Keith Thurman, Danny Garcia, Tim Bradley, Deontay Wilder, Amir Khan, Shawn Porter, Fernando Vargas, Abner Mares, James Toney, Jessie Vargas, Vinny Paz, Mia St.John, Leo Santa Cruz, Badou Jack, Terry Norris, Riddick Bowe, Earnie Shavers, Michael & Leon Spinks, Danny Jacobs, Claressa Shields, Teofimo Lopez, Brandon Rios, Jorge Linares, and many more.


Exhibitors include boxing promoters, gear, apparel, equipment, energy drinks, supplement products, broadcasting media, sanctioning bodies, and other companies who showcase their brand to fans and the boxing industry as a whole.


Throughout the next few months leading up to the Event, there will be weekly updates on the many stars that will commit their appearance at the Boxing Expo.


Tickets to the Box Fan Expo are available at Eventbrite –
http://boxfanexpo.eventbrite.com/
boxing, 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 world champion. 

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 “The Tornado” Penecale about this event.

Full Gallery:

boxing, DAZN, Las Vegas, Tony Penecale

Canelo ALVAREZ VS. Daniel JACOBS ** In-Depth Preview and Analysis **

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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, AND STATS
 
Alvarez:                    Age:  28 years old
                                    Record:  51-1-2 (35 Knockouts)
                                    Height:  5’9”
                                    Weight:  167   * * Weight for last bout (12-15-18)
                                    Reach:  70”
 
 
Jacobs:                    Age:  32 years old
                                    Record:  35-2 (29 Knockouts)
                                    Height:  5’11”
                                    Weight:  159   * * Weight for last bout (10-27-18)
                                    Reach:  73”
 
 
RING ACCOMPLISHMENTS
 
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: 
An aggressive, physical fighter with underrated boxing skills, Alvarez often wears opponents down with consistent pressure and heavy-handed punches.  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 has decent, but not great, defensive skills slipping and blocking 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.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
STRENGTHS
 
Alvarez:          
* Power – Alvarez carries thunder in both fists.  He has knockout power in either hand, but his most devastating weapon resides in his left hook, especially to the body.  He has three knockout-of-the-year candidates in his career.
           
* Strength – Alvarez is a physically-maturing and thickly-built fighter with uncanny strength.  He is effective in backing fighters up, even when not landing flush punches.  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 of his 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.
 
 
 
 
WEAKNESSES
 
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.  However, this is his first marquee Las Vegas Cinco-de-Mayo weekend extravaganza.
 
 
 
PREVIOUS 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, scoring four 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 BEST PERFORMANCES
 
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 and 8th rounds before ending the show with his left hook to the liver in the 9th round.
 
* 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, rendering him unconscious before he hit the mat and dealing him his only stoppage loss in a 16-year career.
 
 
 
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 and 5th rounds before opening up and dropping Mora three times in the 7th round, 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 rounds, 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 TO VICTORY
 
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
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
QUESTIONS
 
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 PREDICTION
 
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 and 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 round, 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 and 10th rounds, 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. 

boxing, mixed martial arts, MMA, Rich Bergeron, Tom Padgett, Tony Penecale, Top Rank, wrestling

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 🙂

 

Listen live here:

 

Bare Knuckle Boxing, boxing, ESPN Boxing, Fight Talk Unlimited, FNU Combat Sports Show, Fox, Keith Thurman, mixed martial arts, MMA, Rich Bergeron, Showtime, Showtime Boxing, Tom Padgett, Tony Penecale, UFC, wrestling, 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.

Bellator, boxing, mixed martial arts, MMA, Rich Bergeron, Tom Padgett, Tony Penecale, UFC, wrestling

FNU Combat Sports Show: July 19, 2018: Manny is Back! Junior Dos Santos Cruises to Win At UFC Fight Night, Event Recaps and Fight Previews

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This week on the FNU Combat Sports Show we recap last week’s multiple Bellator cards and the UFC Fight Night card from Boise, Idaho. We start off discussing boxing with an analysis of Manny Pacquiao’s one-sided beating of Lucas Matthysse. We move on to other news this week, including an online spat between Brendan Schaub and Dana White and Dominick Cruz claiming Brock Lesnar will never get through USADA testing to return to the UFC octagon. We also cover upcoming boxing and MMA bouts and discuss the eye poking incidents that occurred during the brief Stipe Micocic vs. Daniel Cormier heavyweight championship bout.

 

Listen to the whole show here:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/hx5aj4ls1y63vou/tomtonyrichradioshowjuly182018.mp3?dl=0

 

Bellator, boxing, mixed martial arts, MMA, Rich Bergeron, Tom Padgett, Tony Penecale, UFC, wrestling

FNU Combat Sports Show: Pro Boxer Anthony Laureano Interview, Brock Invades the UFC Cage, Cormier gets a Huge Win, Pacquaio Faces a Tough Boxing Test in Malaysia This Weekend

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This week on the FNU Combat Sports Show, Psychic Tom and Rabble Rousin’ Rich start off with a great interview with pro boxer Anthony Laureano. The Connecticut professional boxer is coming off a big win on the undercard of the Joe Smith Jr. fight at the end of June. We also recap last week’s boxing and MMA action, highlighted by Daniel Cormier’s monumental win over Stipe Miocic to become the first two belt holder in the UFC since McGregor. Tony joins the broadcast after the Laureano interview to give his take on Brock’s return to the UFC after going back to the WWE at the end of his first UFC stint. We also touch upon the Danny O’Connor fight being called off due to severe dehydration suffered by O’Connor. Finally, we preview upcoming events and briefly discuss a rumored rematch between Vitali Klitschko and Lennox Lewis.

 

Listen to the full show right here:

 

https://www.dropbox.com/s/9pj6fsfyhi4kmrj/tomtonyrichfnushowjuly10th2018.mp3?dl=0

Bellator, boxing, FNU Combat Sports Show, Golden Boy Promotions, mixed martial arts, MMA, Rich Bergeron, Tom Padgett, Tony Penecale, UFC, women's boxing, women's MMA

FNU Combat Sports Show: July 5th, 2018

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This week on the FNU Combat Sports Show, Tom, Tony and Rich look back at Bellator 201, a new candidate for “Round of the Year” in the Zappavigna/Saucedo fight, Golden Boy making moves in boxing and MMA, and the increasing push by streaming services to drain away the PPV dollar from sports fans. We start off discussing concussion symptoms that led to the withdrawal of Max Holloway from the co-main event of UFC 226 this week.

 

Of course we also preview a huge weekend for the UFC with The TUF Finale tonight and the long-awaited UFC 226 main event of Stipe Miocic putting his heavyweight belt on the line against Light Heavyweight Champion Daniel Cormier.

 

Listen to the full broadcast at the link below:

 

https://www.dropbox.com/s/pckwutknd1wvbm9/july5fnuradioshow.mp3?dl=0