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Hva Hulk Hogan betyr for meg

Av: Tony Penecale

Dette kommer til å bli langt. Det er det vi journalister gjør, vi skriver. Jeg skriver denne hyllestartikkelen til en barndomshelt, Hulk Hogan. Jeg skriver dette mer for meg selv. Dette er en kjendisdød som har påvirket meg som ingen andre. Jeg kan virkelig forstå hvordan folk følte da Elvis døde.

Jeg har sittet på disse tankene og ordene i en uke nå. Hvordan sier du farvel til et ikon, noe som har definert livet ditt så lenge du kan huske?  Terry Bollea, En profesjonell bryter og kulturikon kjent for verden som Hulk Hogan, døde plutselig i juli 24 Etter å ha lidd hjertestans hjemme hos ham i Florida.

Mens det er kontroverser og splittende meninger over Terry Bollea, mannen de siste årene, Jeg vil sentrere tankene mine om Hulk Hogan, bryteren og underholderen som betydde så mye for meg det siste 40 år.

I det som var som en perfekt storm, Hulk Hogan kom inn i livet mitt i 1983. Jeg hadde nettopp flyttet til et nytt nabolag da bestefaren min var dødelig syk, Og vi skulle hjelpe min bestemor med å ta vare på ham i de siste månedene hans. Jeg hadde aldri hatt kabel før. Faren min ville noen ganger se brytingsprogrammeringen hjemme hos vårt gamle hus, Og jeg ville sitte sammen med ham. På det tidspunktet WWE (deretter WWF) var et nordøstlig regionalt territorium. Mesteren var Bob Backlund, men for et barn som er begeistret med Star Wars og He-Man, Han var bare for ren og kjedelig til å fange fantasien min.

Rocky III hadde blitt utgitt i 1982 og manuset ba om en muskuløs, Bestiller som er større enn livet for å fylle rollen som Thunderlips og Hogan var det naturlige valget. Han hadde vært en hæl (dårlig fyr) Karakter tidlig i karrieren og hans prestasjoner brakte ham til mainstream anerkjennelse. Med tilgang til kabel, Det så ut til at Rocky III var på nesten hver dag, og jeg ville se det etter ettermiddagskartongen.

Den desember, Bob Backlund mistet WWE -tittelen til den onde og foraktelige jernsjiken. Jeg var ikke en stor backlund -fan, Men mitt 7 år gamle sinn kunne ikke forstå en verden med en "dårlig fyr" som brytingsmester. Verden ble balansert i januar 23, 1984, Da Hogan erstattet en "skadet" tilbakeslag og overvunnet Iron Sheik på Madison Square Garden.

Da jeg så på dette på TV, Jeg kunne føle spenningen og jubelen da Hulk vant tittelen tilbake for Amerika. I mitt sinn, Hulk Hogan var en dårlig fyr i Rocky III til Rocky "gjorde ham bra." I det øyeblikket, Jeg fant en helt, En ekte supermann, Noen som kunne møte og avvise utfordringene til alle dårlig fyrere brytere. Har kabel, Jeg kunne se de månedlige kortene fra Philadelphia Spectrum, heier hulksteren på hver måned.

Februar 1985 markerte et helt år med å være en fullverdig Hulkamaniac for meg. Det ble holdt et matinee -kort på spekteret, Og faren min bestemte meg for å ta meg for å se Hulk forsvare mot den skurke Brutus Beefcake. Jeg kan fremdeles huske den følbare spenningen da de spilte “Eye of the Tiger” da Hulk kom til ringen. Det var så spennende. Jeg tapet replayet dagen etter på TV og var overbevist om at jeg så meg selv på sendingen. Det var først år senere at jeg så på den kampen på YouTube og innså at personen jeg trodde var meg bare var en tenåring om 10 år eldre enn meg og bare ha på meg en lignende jakke.

WWE presenterte et superkort med tittelen “WrestleMania” den påfølgende måneden, og jeg prøvde å overtale faren min til å la meg se det. Dette var før du kunne bestille betal-per-visningskort for å se hjemme, og det eneste stedet vi kunne se at det var en lukket kretsløpssending på Philadelphia Spectrum. Jeg skranglet av listen over kjendiser som ville være der, inkludert Muhammad Ali. Han gikk med på å ta meg, Og jeg fikk se alle de store stjernene som Junkyard Dog og Andre the Giant. Men kampen som fikk meg til, Mr. T mens de tok på seg den forræderske duoen til Rowdy Roddy Piper og Paul “MR. Fantastisk ”Orndorff. Selvfølgelig, Heltene seiret, Og den hendelsen var det største jeg noensinne hadde sett.

Fra det øyeblikket, Jeg handlet om alt og hva som helst Hulk Hogan. Han var den største helten i verden. Jeg likte He-Man, GO, og transformatorer, Men de var bare falske leker og tegneserier. Jeg var en stor steinete fan, Men jeg visste at det bare var en film. Men Hulk Hogan ... Jeg så på ham hver uke, Og jeg trodde bryting var ekte. Jeg ønsket å vokse opp til å bli en bryter. Mitt navn skulle bli "Tornado Tony" og jeg skulle bli Hulk Hogans tag-team-partner. Vi skulle til Main Event WrestleMania som et tag -team. Jeg ville trent ved å bruke Hulkamania Workout Kit med plastdumper, Håndgrep, og en jumprope. Jeg hadde en Hulk Hogan -lunsjboks for skolen, Jeg hadde en Hulk Hogan T-skjorte, og alle LJN -handlingstallene.

Jeg fikk mange forskjellige venner på skolen som bare snakket om bryting, Noen barn som jeg trodde jeg ikke hadde noe til felles med. Som en normalt sjenert gutt, Hvis jeg så en annen gutt med noe bryting-tema, Som et brytingsklistremerke på en ryggsekk eller noen få handelskort, Jeg ville bryte ut av skallet mitt og starte en samtale. Uunngåelig, Vi ville planlegge å se den ukentlige programmeringen som ble sendt hver lørdag morgen, inkludert tegneserien Hulk Hogan-tema som var så populær. I løpet av denne tiden, Foreldrene mine ville la meg være oppe sent hvis lørdagskveldens hovedbegivenhet ble sendt. Det var en kjærkommen godbit, men også traumatisk å se den uhyrlige King Kong Bundy sende Hulk ut på en båre. Så traumatisk som det var, Det var ikke nok å hindre meg i å godta en invitasjon til bursdagsfest for å se på 2nd avdrag av WrestleMania med noen av klassekameratene mine. Vi jublet under Hogans inngang, holdt vårt kollektive pust da Bundy hadde fordelen, og deretter feiret da Hogan regjerte suverent.

Med brytingsvirksomheten på høyden av popularitet og med Hulk som leder an, De trengte noe stort, ekstraordinært stort, å fylle 93,000 Pontiac Silverdome for WrestleMania III. Det de gjorde var å matche Hogan med den største mannen i profesjonell idrett, bokstavelig og billedlig, Da de puttet ham mot sin tidligere venn i den 7 fot høye, 500 lb. Andre giganten. Giganten, frisk av hans svik mot Hogan, var sannsynligvis for stor av en utfordring for helten vår å erobre. Etter å ha holdt ut mange slag mot hans mest skarpende motstander, Hulk klarte fortsatt å Superman seg opp og erobre sin gigantiske motstander, inkludert den mest ikoniske bodyslam gjennom tidene.

Kort tid etter WrestleMania III, Horisontene mine begynte å utvide. Jeg ble interessert i sport, Spesielt boksing. Jeg så på flere filmer og spilte forskjellige videospill. Mens jeg fremdeles så på bryting, og betraktet meg som en lojal hulkamaniac, Jeg begynte å stille inn annen programmering, Spesielt under Times ville Hogan være ute av å filme filmer og TV -serier.

Da jeg kom på videregående skole, Jeg så knapt på bryting. Det var ikke den kule tingen å gjøre lenger. Noen ganger ville jeg se programmeringen og favorittene mine til å se på var The Undertaker, Razor Ramon, og Deisel. Vi hadde ikke brytefester lenger, LJN -figurene mine var pakket i en boks på loftet, Og vi hadde ikke bakgårdskamper. 80 -tallets brytningsbom hadde bleknet, og virksomheten hadde steroid- og medikamentskandaler. Det var ikke lenger den uskyldige formen for underholdning som jeg vokste opp med å se på.

Mitt andre år på college, Jeg hadde rom med en fyr som likte bryting, Og jeg begynte å se med ham. Hogan var i rival WCW, Og vi vil sammenligne begge organisasjonene, som begge fortsatt brukte utdaterte temaer og gimmicks. Mens vi så på som en gruppe, Jeg fant meg ikke og så på da jeg kom hjem til sommerferien. Det endret seg i mai 27, 1996, Da WCW droppet et bombeskall. Deres relativt intetsigende programmering fikk et løft med overraskelsen av Scott Halls ankomst (den tidligere Razor Ramon), fulgt noen uker senere av vennen Kevin Nash (den tidligere Deisel). 

WCW hadde nå en edgy følelse og interessen toppet seg for basen sin på strandkortet, Bare tilgjengelig ved å kjøpe Pay-Per-View-sendingen. Hall og Nash, med løftet fra en mysteriumpartner, kjempet mot den heroiske trioen til Randy Savage, Stikke, og Lex Luger. Gjenopprette seg etter en nylig kneoperasjon, Jeg kjøpte ikke showet. Jeg hadde ikke hørt noen resultater eller rapporter da jeg stilte inn mandag kveld programmering. Med kneet støttet opp og, i en smerteindusert stupor, Jeg så på at Hulk gikk til ringen under hovedbegivenheten. Han var der for å redde heltene og sende skurkene på flukt. Eller så tenkte jeg. Jeg husker at jeg tenkte “Angrep han bare feil fyr?”Da han droppet sin signatur legdrop på Savage.

Akkurat som han gjorde 12 år før, Hulk Hogan igjen var episenteret for brytningsrevolusjonen. Denne gangen gjorde han det ved å revolusjonere seg selv i en hælkarakter og legge monikeren “Hollywood” til navnet hans. Han endret varemerket gule og røde farger i et svart -hvitt fargevalg og merket den "nye verdensordenen" av bryting. Han brakte bryting tilbake til mainstream. Media dekket bryting igjen. Det var samtalen rundt i byen, Skoler og kontorer, Hvordan Hulk Hogan ble til en dårlig fyr. Sammen med Hall og Nash, Han gjorde det kult å være dårlig.

For å motvirke WCWs vurderingseksplosjon, WWE tilpasset et mer edgy produkt, Ledet av Stone Cold Steve Austin og Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. Mandag kveld ble rangeringskrigen mellom begge selskaper og å se på bryting var den "i" tingen å gjøre igjen.

Jeg husker at jeg gikk opp til en ung mann på campus som hadde på meg en NWO T-skjorte. Jeg så på ham og spurte “Er du?”Og ga“ for livet ”-signalet med venstre hånd. Han svarte med den" for søte "gesten. Vi har vært venner siden og hvert år på våre respektive bursdager, Vi legger ut en NWO -hilsen på den andres sosiale medieside.

For å motvirke WCWs vurderingseksplosjon, WWE tilpasset et mer edgy produkt, Ledet av Stone Cold Steve Austin og Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. Mandag kveld ble rangeringskrigen mellom begge selskaper og å se på bryting var den "i" tingen å gjøre igjen. Bryting på 80 -tallet var akkurat som tiåret, høyt, fargerik, og over-the-top. Bryting på 90 -tallet lignet på endringstidene, Grittier og mer realistisk. Den opprørske antihelten var den populære trenden og som passet til holdningen til min nettopp-vendte personlighet.

I løpet av junioråret mitt i 1997, Jeg ble valgt ut til å bokse i den prestisjetunge kollegiale East-West Classic i Reno, Nv. Dessverre, Bare en uke før kampen, Min planlagte motstander ble tvunget til å trekke seg med en skade, og en lagkamerat i en lettere vektklasse ble tatt i mitt sted. Mens du var på en permisjon i flyplassen i San Francisco, Mine boksekamerater så Hulk Hogan gå forbi, kledd i det svart -hvite NWO -plagget. De stoppet ham for et bilde, Og han forpliktet. Å være medlem av School Journalism Club, Jeg måtte sende inn det bildet for publisering i skoleavisen vår, selve bildet som jeg burde vært inkludert i. Året etter, Jeg var i stand til å ta turen til Reno, NV for å konkurrere i East-West Classic. Jeg gikk gjennom flyplassen med en annen bokser på turen, Leter etter enhver WCW -bryter som kan være på San Francisco flyplass, Selv om det egentlig bare var en som jeg var ute etter å møte.

Etter endt utdanning, Jeg holdt følge med brytingstrenden. I 2001, WWE kjøpte en vaklende WCW, Og bare et år senere, Hulk Hogan kom tilbake til Battle the Rock i en tidløs klassiker der fansen omfavnet hans retur. Hulk ville forlate og returnere til selskapet flere ganger i løpet av de neste årene, Og under hver retur, Når de første akkordene i signaturtemaet hans “Real American” skulle treffe luften, Den øredøvende reaksjonen fra mengden ville fylle arenaen med slik strøm.

På midten av 2000-tallet, Jeg innser at min mulighet til å møte favorittbryteren min og ikonet gikk tapt da den Reno-bokseren trakk seg fra vår kamp i 1997. Å være en naiv fan, Jeg var ikke klar over at Hulk virkelig var fra Tampa -området. Han ble alltid fakturert fra Venice Beach, CA og jeg tok det som sannhet. Jeg begynte å ta en årlig vårtur til Clearwater i 2008 og, Noen år senere, Min skyttelbuss passerte en bar som heter "Hogan's Beach", nær Tampa flyplass. Jeg fant ut senere at det var en bar eid av Hulk Hogan, Så jeg gjorde et poeng for å legge en dag til turen for neste år for å besøke den baren. Det var min sjanse til å få bildet jeg følte at jeg fortjente. I 2015, Jeg dro til Hogan's Beach med kameraet mitt klart, Bortsett fra at det ikke var noen Hulk Hogan på Hogan's Beach.

Med Hogans strand som stenger inn 2016, Jeg hørte at han eide en memorabilia -butikk i Clearwater Beach, og at noen ganger ville han gjøre tilfeldige opptredener. Jeg besøkte i 2016, 2017, 2018, og 2019, Alt uten hell. Noen ganger hørte jeg noe som "synd. Han var her i går." Hvert år, Jeg kjøpte en skjorte og tok et bilde som poserte utenfor butikken. Min venn og tidligere lagkamerat Jason, som var på den skjebnesvangre bokseturen i 1997, ville ribbe meg hvert år og kommentere med bildet sitt fra flyplassen to tiår før. Jeg vil alltid svare at jeg vil finne den Reno Boxer slik at vi endelig kunne ha den boksekampen og hvert år, Jeg vil legge til et nytt års interesse på toppen av julingen han skulle få 20 år før.

Til tross for min dårlige timing hvert år, Å dra til Hogans strandbutikk i Clearwater Beach var en morsom opplevelse. Da jeg var liten, Det var snakk om en brytningsbutikk som åpnet på et bondemarked i nærheten, Og barna i nabolaget mitt snakket alle om hva vi ville kjøpe, eller i virkeligheten, Be foreldrene våre kjøpe for oss. Jeg var overbevist om at jeg gikk ut med en Tearaway Hulk Hogan -skjorte, Gule badebukser, Røde kneputer, og gule støvler. Foreldrene mine tok meg endelig, og, til min skuffelse, Det var bare noen få actionfigurer som jeg allerede eide, Noen få t-skjorter, og noen handelskort. Butikken i Florida var et 80 -talls barneparadis. Det var dusinvis av skjorter å velge mellom, sammen med pannebånd, Skutt briller, Handlingsfigurer, og replikabelter. Det var gjenstander på skjermen, slik som Hulks ring slitte tittelbelter, En autentisk Ric Flair -kappe, og et par Andre de gigantiske brytingstammer. Under en av samtalene mine med Hulks venn og forretningspartner, Ron, Han spurte om jeg ville ta et bilde som holder noen av de ring slitte beltene. Jeg fikk først holde det spraymalte NWO-beltet, Noe som var fantastisk. Men det han tok frem neste knærte knærne nesten. Det var det autentiske beltet som Hulk hadde på seg til ringen på WrestleMania III da han kjempet mot Andre giganten. Det virkelige beltet fra kanskje den største kampen gjennom tidene hvilte på skulderen min. Jeg prøvde å lage et tøft ansikt for bildet, Men jeg kunne ikke motstå trangen til å bryte ut et strålende smil da jeg holdt dette ikoniske stykket i barndommen.

Endelig så jeg den gyldne muligheten for min etterlengtede fotomulighet med åpningen av Hogans hangoutbar og ukentlige karaoke-netter. Besøket mitt var planlagt for mars 14, 2022, Og jeg var klar til å imponere Hulkster vil min versjon av Sir Mix-a-Lots klassiske “Baby Got Back”. Jeg kom tidlig for å få et godt sted i baren, Og jeg hadde et annet ess opp ermet. Jeg tok med en kopi av Thunderlips Cape som han hadde på seg i Rocky III. Det var ingen måte at jeg kunne forlate uten et bilde.

Etter å ha møtt og chatte med mangeårige WWE/WCW -sjef og Hulks personlige venn, Jimmy Hart, Jeg tok igjen min plass i baren og ventet med spent forventning som jeg gjorde da jeg var liten og ventet på inngangen hans ved Philadelphia -spekteret. Kommer vanligvis mellom 8:15-8:20, Hulk kom ikke før etter 8:30 Og mens han fremdeles gjorde en inngang, Det var litt dempet. Deretter tok han mikrofonen og kunngjorde at han nettopp hadde mottatt telefonsamtalen om at vennen hans og NWO -partneren Scott Hall hadde gått bort noen minutter før etter å ha blitt fjernet fra livsstøtte etter et hjerteinfarkt. Hulk sendte deretter en runde drinker i hele baren slik at vi alle kunne dele en toast.

Etter det, Karaoke startet. Det var ikke et styre for å se hvem som var planlagt i kø, og jeg ventet utålmodig på å høre navnet mitt. Jeg hadde hørt at andre hadde sendt DJ en Venmo -bestikkelse for å sikre at de ble tilkalt. Det var for sent på den ruten. Jeg kunne ikke tenke på å forlate uten å få den fotomuligheten. Ikke bare ville jeg bli ribbet nådeløst, Men jeg visste også realiteten til strenghetene som profesjonell bryting tar på seg kroppen. Scott Hall hadde nettopp gått bort den dagen. Andre som Roddy Piper, Randy Savage, Ultimate Warrior, Og Curt Henning døde alle unge. Jeg kunne ikke ta risikoen for å vente et år til. Jeg manøvrerte meg mot fronten, Som om jeg navigerte til toalettet, Og jeg fant det perfekte stedet der Hulk ville passere på vei ut. Da han gjorde seg klar til å dra, Han så meg og ga en “yo thundelips. Stor kappe, Bror!”Kommentar. I det øyeblikket, Jeg var ikke en 45 år gammel forsikringssjef. Jeg var igjen 10 år, Og favorittbryteren min ropte meg ut. Jeg utvidet hånden, Og han aksepterte. Å vite at jeg bare hadde et sekund, Jeg hadde kameraet på selfie og fikk bildet mitt.

Noen uker før min 2023 Clearwater Trip, Jeg så at Hulk gjorde en signering på strandbutikken hans den dagen jeg planla å ankomme. Jeg hadde en morgenfly, og hvis alt gikk bra, I motsetning til den seks timers forsinkelsen året før på grunn av en drivstofflekkasje, Jeg vil kunne få et bilde og signatur. Jeg kjøpte utseendebilletten og ba om ingen forsinkelser. Etter å ha kommet uten problemer, Jeg tok plassen min i kø som var omtrent en to timers ventetid. Hvorfor så lenge?  Fordi Hulk ønsket å ta noen få øyeblikk med alle. Da det var min tur, Jeg introduserte meg som "Tony Tornado" fra Philadelphia. Han svarte “Yo Tony Tornado!  Hva skjer, bror?”Han spurte om jeg var en bryter og svarte at jeg ikke var en bryter, men en bokser. Han kastet hendene opp og sa, “Ikke slå meg, bror!”Jeg takket ham for at jeg gjorde barndommen spesiell, Spesielt den første WrestleMania med faren min, Og han signerte en rød Hulkamania -tanktopp for meg. Jeg fortalte ham at jeg ville se ham mandag kveld for karaoke.

I motsetning til året før, De hadde et elektronisk brett hvor du kunne se hvor du var i køen. Jeg ankom med noen venner og tekstet i min go-to-sang, bortsett fra at de hadde lagt tidsbegrensninger på fire minutter, sannsynligvis fordi året før, Folk valgte sanger som “Stairway to Heaven” og “Rappers Delight” (kort versjon) Det var lange sangvalg og ga ikke andre deres mulighet. Med min signatursang fra boka, Jeg valgte Run DMCs klassiske "It's Tricky" siden de hadde opptrådt på WrestleMania V. utsmykket i Thunderlips Cap og White Fedora med matchende røde fjær og ventet på Hulks inngang, Min venn pekte på sangkøbrettet som viste at jeg ble nummer to som synger. Da han endelig kom inn noen minutter etter ytelsen min, Han så Cape og Fedora og boomed “Tony Tornado!  Synger du, Bror?”Jeg fortalte ham at jeg allerede hadde sang, og han svarte på å komme opp på scenen fordi han ville ha et bilde med meg. Hvis jeg var på sky 9 året før, Dette blåste det helt ut av vannet. Noen få av vennene mine sang også, og vi ristet noen få skudd i feiringen, Et trekk som jeg angret senere, da neste dags bakrus ikke var hyggelig.

Jeg sang en gang til på Hogans hangout i 2024. Jeg kom til Clearwater Beach sent og så noen venner i baren til høyre da Hulk nettopp kom. Jeg ble med dem og tenkte på om jeg ville synge eller ikke. En gang legendariske major League -pitcher Roger Clemens og sønnen Kody underholdt med en Toby Keith hyllestang, Jeg bestemte meg for å sette navnet mitt i. Denne gangen lot de meg synge min go-to-melodi, og jeg klarte å ta en selfie med Hulk mens jeg var midt i min lyriske skanse eller Sir Mix-A-Lots klassiske melodi.

Mens natten slynget seg ned, Jeg hadde et øyeblikk til å snakke med sønnen hans, Nick. Jeg viste et bilde fra året før, Hvor jeg hadde fullført en 5K på en forstuet ankel i et fullt tordenlips kostyme, inkludert en kostymemuskeldrakt, Fedora, kappe, Kompresjonssokker gimmicked for å se ut som brytestøvler med dusker, og bære et mesterskapsbelte. Nick tok telefonen min og viste den til faren som så på meg og sa “Du løp inn det?  Fin jobb, Bror!”Det var den siste natten jeg så Hulk Hogan personlig.

De sier alltid at imitasjon er den oppriktige formen for smiger. Jeg har etterlignet Hulk Hogan for over 40 år nå, Enten det koppet hånden mot øret mitt og poserte mens jeg var på kamera på et Phillies -spill, Dressing som Hulk for vårt arbeid Halloween -fest og bringe og ekstra skjorte bare slik at jeg kunne etterligne hans riving av skjorten av under paradeinngangen min, Å gjøre Rocky Run kledd som Thunderlips mens han kaptein for et lag som heter “The Ultimate Meatballs”, eller å gjøre en Hulk Hogan -promo mens du selger juletrær.

Jeg bygde en tradisjon hvert år med nevøene mine og kjøpte dem Hulk Hogan -skjorter. Jeg kjøpte Dominic hans første skjorte, den klassiske gule, da han bare var et år gammel i 2018. Da nevøen min Matteo ble født tre måneder for tidlig, Jeg var i Clearwater. Jeg dro til butikken dagen etter og kjøpte ham en Hulkamania spedbarnshopp. Da han endelig kunne komme hjem etter måneder i NICU, Foreldrene hans kledde ham i det som forlot sykehuset. Han hadde gjort sitt første Hulk Hogan Superman -comeback i livet. I år, Jeg kjøpte våre matchende skjorter igjen, og den unge damen som driver registeret husket meg og tradisjonen min med guttene. Hun ga dem begge kostyme -bart. Da jeg ga dem skjortene og bart, De var så glade for å ta bildene sine. Matteo sovnet til og med i bilen iført skjorta og barten. Jeg følte meg som den kuleste onkelen i verden. På grunn av Hulk Hogan, Jeg var i stand til å gi disse to små guttene en tradisjon som de kunne se frem til.

Sist torsdag, Nyheten om Hulk Hogans plutselige bortgang sendte et sjokk gjennom brytnings- og underholdningssamfunnene. Det hadde gått rykter om alvorlige helsekamp etter cervikal fusjonskirurgi. Noen rapporter hadde ham på dødsleiet hans, og andre sa at han ikke lenger kunne snakke. En rapport fra Jimmy Hart kom ut torsdag morgen om at rapportene ble overdrevet, Og Hulk kom seg tilbake, saktere enn forventet, men fortsatt komme seg. Noen timer senere, Nyheten brøt om at han var borte etter å ha lidd hjertestans ved hans bolig.

Jeg var nettopp ferdig med et møte på jobben da jeg så en direkte melding fra en venn som sa “Hulk døde!”Med TMZ -lenken. Før jeg til og med kunne klikke på lenken, Jeg hadde en annen melding, Så en tekst, Da alt beveget seg i en uskarphet. Dette var Hulk Hogan. Sikkert, Han ville sparke ut en gang til ved tellingen av to, Slå opp og stirrer den dystre reaperen ned. Dessverre, Det var sant, Og vår elskede Hulk Hogan var borte. Jeg ankom treningsstudioet etter jobb den kvelden og avsluttet min siste runde på Heavybag med Hogans signatur -melodi “Real American” som ble kranglet gjennom hodetelefonene mine. Om å forlate, Jeg så en venn og gjensidig brytingsfan. Vi delte vår vantro, Og han ytret noen avsky over mennesker på sosiale medier som feiret hans død. Mens vi snakket, Virkeligheten begynte å treffe oss begge, og vi sto der som to voksne voksne, en en vektløfter og en en bokser, Begge holder tilbake tårene.

Å virkelig minnes Hulk Hogan, Du må også huske at han var et ekte menneske. Terry Bollea hadde feil og gjorde feil. Han hadde blitt beskyldt for å ha spilt politikk bak scenen og holdt tilbake andre brytere. Det var en rant hjemme hos ham som fanget en rasemessig slur som han kan ha sagt i sinne. Det som nylig skadet hans popularitet hos mange mennesker, var støtte til en polariserende politisk kandidat. Mange mennesker som hadde vært fans tilgav ham aldri for rasemessige slur og andre slo på ham for hans politiske tilknytning.

For meg å huske Hulk Hogan, bryteren, og Terry Bollea, mannen, Jeg godtar det faktum at vi alle er mennesker, Og vi har alle feil. Mange som jobber i enhver virksomhet kan beskyldes for å ha brukt clout og sladder for å videreføre sine egne karrierer mens de holder tilbake kollegene. I det som har vært den antatte helligheten i vårt eget hjem, Mange av oss har sagt ting som kan betraktes som rasistiske, sexist, eller homofob. Mange ganger, Disse ordene blir sagt i sinne og ikke en ekte refleksjon av ens sanne følelser. Med hensyn til politiske kandidater, Det er en veldig glatt skråning i denne delte kulturen. Men, En del av frihetene vi liker er stemmerett som vi ønsker og støtter enhver politisk kandidat vi velger. Å hate en person blindt, Spesielt en person du aldri har møtt, utelukkende av politiske årsaker, viser et trangsynt syn på verden. Du kan være uenig i deres holdning, Men du kan fremdeles glede deg over deres underholdningsform.

Jeg vil huske at Terry Bollea hadde feil. Han var et menneske som resten av oss. Men jeg vil også huske det gode han brakte til verden. Han revolusjonerte brytningsindustrien akkurat som Babe Ruth gjorde for baseball. Uten Hulk Hogan, Brytingsboomen på 80 -tallet ville aldri ha skjedd. Vince McMahons visjon om en global føderasjon ville sannsynligvis vaklet. Uten Hulk Hogan, Det ville ikke være noen WrestleMania, Ingen mandag kveld kriger, Ingen rock, Ingen stein kald, ikke John Cena, osv. Bortsett fra å bygge det fundamentet, Jeg vil også huske det gode han brakte til verden. Han besøkte syke barn frem til de siste ukene. Han inspirerte barna til å trene, å trene, si bønnene deres, og ta vitaminene sine. Viktigst av alt, Han fikk deg til å føle deg bra med deg selv. Han fikk deg til å tro på noe større enn livet. Han var virkelig "Babe Ruth of Wrestling." Det var baseball før Babe Ruth og baseball har blomstret i tiårene etter at han gikk bort. Spillerne er raskere, sterkere, og bedre betinget. Men det er fremdeles bare en babe Ruth. Akkurat som i bryting. Det var bryting før Hulk Hogan og dagens brytere er mer akrobatiske og mer atletiske. Men det er fortsatt og vil alltid være bare en Hulk Hogan.

Etter Hulks bortgang forrige uke, Noe av det som traff meg hardest var tanken om at noen av tradisjonene jeg hadde bygget de siste årene ikke lenger ville fortsette. Det tok meg noen dager, Men jeg bestemte meg for at jeg vil fortsette å donere tordenlips antrekk for Rocky Run, I likhet med min venn Mark som fortsetter å hedre avdøde Burt Young og hans Paulie -karakter under hans deltakelse. Jeg planlegger fortsatt å gjøre Hulk Hogan -imitasjoner mens jeg er på treområdet mens jeg prøver å underholde kundene våre. Viktigst av alt, Jeg vil beholde min årlige tradisjon med Dominic og Matteo. Indikasjoner er at butikken hans i Clearwater Beach vil forbli åpen og, i så lenge det er, Jeg vil fortsette den spesielle tradisjonen med å kjøpe oss matchende skjorter og ta bilder av oss som poserer.

Terry Bollea kan være borte. Jeg tror på Gud og livet etter livet. Jeg tror at Terry er tilgitt, Og han er nå bosatt i paradis. Mens Terry Bollea kan være borte, Legenden om Hulk Hogan vil leve nå og for alltid. Helter blir husket, men legender dør aldri. Og Hulkamania vil leve for alltid.

Hulk Hogan, Jeg vil takke deg. Takk for at du gir glede til barndommen min. Takk for at du ga meg styrken til å bryte ut av skallet mitt og få venner på den nye skolen min. Takk for at du fikk meg til å tro på kraften i trening, bønner, og vitaminer. Takk for at du fikk meg til å tro at en dødelig mann virkelig kan være en superhelt. Takk for at du viser meg at det kan være kult å være dårlig. Takk for at du ga meg noe å dele med nevøene mine. Takk for vennligheten din når jeg endelig fikk møte deg. Og mest av alt, Takk for at du brakte Hulkamania inn i livet mitt. Hvil i fred!

amatørboksing, boksing, Tony Penecale

TRIBUTE TO DR. KEN “DOC” COX

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Av: Tony Penecale

Lock Haven Boxing

Klasse av 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 i en alder av 88 år, 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, denne uka, 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 (Februar 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, under, 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, familie, 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, idrettsutøvere, familie, og venner.

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

boksing, filmer, Tony Penecale

Tornado goes to the movies: rocky iV remastered review

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av: Tony “the Tornado” Penecale (ovenfor)

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. Faktisk, 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. Ja, 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 år) 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 🌪

boksing, Las Vegas

Two-Division World Champion Michael Spinks Confirmed for Sixth Annual Box Fan Expo, During Cinco de Mayo Weekend, Saturday May 2, i 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 umiddelbar utløsning


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


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’ legendarisk, 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, arrangører, 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


Billetter til Box Fan Expo er tilgjengelig elektronisk på:
https://bitly.com/BoxingExpo2020

Spinks will make his second appearance at this years’ Expo and will be signing gloves, bilder, 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 til 1985, and the lineal heavyweight title from 1985 til 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 Sommer-OL.


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 profesjonelle kamper, 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; i å gjøre det, 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, Og mange flere.


Exhibitors include boxing promoters, utstyr, klær, 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/
boksing, Las Vegas, Tony Penecale

tony penecale’s Box Fan Expo Ringside report

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Av: 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 verdensmester.

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 “Tornado” Penecale about this event.

Full Gallery:

boksing, DAZN, Las Vegas, Tony Penecale

Canelo ALVAREZ VS. Daniel JACOBS ** In-Depth Preview og analyse **

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Av: 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?


ALDER, REKORD, OG STATISTIKK

Alvarez: Alder: 28 år
Rekord: 51-1-2 (35 Knockouts)
Høyde: 5’9”
Vekt: 167 * * Vekt for siste bout (12-15-18)
Nå: 70"


Jacobs: Alder: 32 år
Rekord: 35-2 (29 Knockouts)
Høyde: 5’11”
Vekt: 159 * * Vekt for siste bout (10-27-18)
Nå: 73"


RING prestasjoner

Alvarez:
WBC Junior mellomvekt mester (’11-’13)
WBA Junior mellomvekt mester (‘13)
Ring Magazine Junior Middleweight Champion ('1. 3)
WBC mellomvekt mester (’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)

STIL

Alvarez:
En aggressiv, physical fighter with underrated boxing skills, Alvarez bærer ofte motstandere ned med konsekvent press og hardhendte slag. 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 har anstendig, men ikke stor, defensive ferdigheter slipping og blokkerer slag.

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.








STYRKER

Alvarez:
* Power – Alvarez carries thunder in both fists. He has knockout power in either hand, men hans mest ødeleggende våpen befinner seg i sin venstre hook, especially to the body. He has three knockout-of-the-year candidates in his career.

* Styrke - Alvarez er en fysisk modning og tett-bygget fighter med uncanny styrke. He is effective in backing fighters up, selv når den ikke er landing strakt slag. 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 av 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.




SVAKHETER

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



FORRIGE 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, scoret fire 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 Beste prestasjoner

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 runde.

* 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, gjengi ham bevisstløs før han treffer matten og håndtere ham hans eneste stans tap i en 16-årig karriere.



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 runde, 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 runder, 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.




Nøkkelen til seier

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







SPØRSMÅL

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 Tippe

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 runde, 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 runder, 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.

Den 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 , “Synsk” Tom Padgett and “Rabble Rousin'” Rich Bergeron discuss the fight.


Høre på “Canelo vs.. Jacobs Preview, Lesnar Retires from MMA, MacDonald questions will to keep hurting people after Fitch Draw” på Spreaker.

boksing, mixed martial arts, MMA, Rich Bergeron, Tom Padgett, Tony Penecale, Top Rank, bryting

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 🙂

 

Hør live her:

 

Bare Knuckle Boxing, boksing, ESPN Boxing, Fight Talk Unlimited, FNU Kampsport Show, Fox, Keith Thurman, mixed martial arts, MMA, Rich Bergeron, Showtime, Showtime Boxing, Tom Padgett, Tony Penecale, UFC, bryting, WWE

FNU Combat Sports Show lanseres som Fight Talk Unlimited på SPREAKER

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Fight News Unlimiteds ukentlige Combat Sports Show er nå offisielt kjent som Fight Talk Unlimited, og vi er nå tilbake til en live plattform: Spreaker.

 

Denne uken på debutepisoden vår på Spreaker, vi diskuterer en vill uke i nyheter, fra Floyd Mayweather’s beef med 50-Cent, til Conor McGregors slag på håndleddet for å kaste en håndbil gjennom et bussvindu, til en skolelærer i Philadelphia i måneskinn som en støtende tysk karakter i pro-brytingskarrieren. Vi tar deretter opp forrige ukes store kamper, inkludert en ond KO av Anthony Smith over Shogun Rua på UFC Fight Night 135. Vi forhåndsviser også UFC på FOX 30 og Mikey Garcia vs.. Robert Easter Jr., sammen med alle de andre kampsportaksjonene i helgen.

 

Lytt live med spilleren nedenfor:

Høre på “Debutepisode: Tom, Tony og Rich Break i den nye plattformen” på Spreaker.

Bellator, boksing, mixed martial arts, MMA, Rich Bergeron, Tom Padgett, Tony Penecale, UFC, bryting

FNU Kampsport Show: Juli 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, boksing, mixed martial arts, MMA, Rich Bergeron, Tom Padgett, Tony Penecale, UFC, bryting

FNU Kampsport 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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Denne uken på 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. Endelig, 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