NEW YORK– SHOWTIME mixed martial arts commentator Bill Goldberg goes toe-to-toe with MMA stalwarts Frank Shamrock and Cung Le in the second installment of Goldberg Toe-to-Toe, now available at SHO.com.
Direct Video Link:
http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1460867964/bclid1460782779/bctid1463215402
Shamrock and Le, both world class mixed martial artists and both San Jose residents, prepare to meet in the cage when EliteXC and Strikeforce return to SHOWTIME, live on Saturday, March 29, 2008 (9 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast) from the HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif.
Goldberg Toe-to-Toe is a new, unique video series from SHOWTIME Sports and available via a variety of online outlets such as the aforementioned premium network’s website, as well as news, sports and entertainment websites, user generated sites such as YouTube, and interstitially on SHOWTIME and its multiplexes.
Created specifically for the internet, Goldberg Toe-to-Toe is fast-paced, easily accessible, brief content (each episode approximately five-minutes in length), bringing viewers behind-the-scenes and into the lives of MMA’s top athletes. Witness the astonishing training regimens and get to know the true personalities of some of today’s most feared cage fighters.
In this installment, Goldberg goes through full-day workouts with both Shamrock and Le at their respective gyms in San Jose, exposing their different fighting styles and likeable personalities. See if Goldberg can match Shamrock on the exercise ball and in a sword fighting drill. Also, catch Le overpowering the 272-pound Goldberg when the two work on San Shou throwing techniques, the cornerstone of Le’s success in martial arts fighting.
For additional content including more video, photo galleries and MMA news links, please visit http://www.sho.com/site/sports/ShamrockVSLe.do
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Friday, March 21, 2008
Henry Crawford works his way to victory!; By Mike Indri
Henry Crawford works his way to victory!
By Mike Indri
Retired Boxers Foundation
Newark, NJ - Having to wait more than 90 minutes because promoter Hilliard Edmond forgot the gloves - yes, the boxing gloves! - to be used by the boxers for the five scheduled bouts should have sent a message to the few people that actually came to the Robert Treat Hotel for this very under-publicized fight card.
After retrieving the gloves from his Maplewood home for the ten fighters and getting the debacle of a show to begin, the two hundred or so fight fans that painfully waited for some boxing action had to endure a shoddy undercard, which included six of the eight fighters making pro debuts. The hastily put together bouts did prevent another cancellation on behalf of Edmond promotions.
Luckily the eight round main event between highly regarded jr. middleweight contender Henry Crawford and Jerome Ellis, fighting out of Newark, by way of the Bahamas, somewhat salvaged the night for the new promoter.
Ellis's "Ali-shuffle" in front of Crawford during the introduction heated up the crowd, but is was Crawford who was firing up Ellis with his clean right hands, and stiff jab as the fight began.
A loser of his last three fights dating back to November of 2006, Ellis was a much better fighter than his very deceptive 11-7-1 record would lead to believe, and caught Crawford with several big punches in round two. One of the bombs actually sent Crawford's mouthpiece flying. Both fighters exchanged combinations and the fans appreciated the big time action.
Getting a "wake up call" slap from his long time trainer, Nettles Nasser, between rounds, Crawford settled down and began to box more in round three and made Ellis pay for his wide, knockout-minded swings. Each Ellis miss brought several hard body shots by the undefeated prospect.
Rounds four and five were all Crawford, and the difference was the jab and his superior boxing skill. A quick left hand caught Ellis clean on the chin and sent the stunned fighter to the canvas.
Henry Crawford and trainer Nettles Nasser
As long as Crawford kept to his fight plan of boxing smart and stinging the usually wide-open Ellis with his strong counter punching, win number nineteen was not far away.
Ellis was a good, hard test for the twenty-seven year-old Paterson fighter as there was not let up in the "Bahama Boomer" who continually was looking to make Crawford his eleventh knockout victim. Ten of the eleven Ellis victories have been by stoppage, and he was trying to catch his still learning opponent with that potent right uppercut and left hook.
Another solid Crawford left hand sent a dreary-eyed Ellis reeling into the ropes and down to the canvas for the second time in the fight late in round seven, and a questionable shot to the beaten fighter's upper back drove him back to the deck in the eighth and final round. With no quit in him, Ellis quickly bounced off the floor and gave referee Earl Brown an earful as he disputed the call. Both fighters were slugging away as the bell sounded to end the exciting bout. Judges Pierre Benoist and Lawrence Layton thought Crawford pitchout a shutout, as both scored it 80-69, while Al Bennet saw it 79-70 for the likable Crawford who remains unbeaten at 19-0-1 (8 KO's) with the unanimous decision win. The durable Ellis, who has only been stopped once, slips to 11-8-1.
On the Edmond Promotions undercard:
After the lengthy delay Passaic featherweight Victor Valenzuela started things off in a big way as the highly acclaimed former amateur champion promptly delivered some action to the patient crowd, bouncing a couple of quick left hand off the body and head of Antwon Holcomb.
Holcomb, fighting out of Indianapolis, Indiana and making his pro debut, was given the extra tough task of facing Valenzuela. Valenzuela caught the over-matched Holcomb with another nasty left to the head that dropped the stunned fighter. Obviously hurt from the blow, which knocked off the rubber band holding the dreadlocks of the Indiana fighter, Holcomb beat the count but referee Benjy Esteves wisely waved off the bout at the 1:05 mark of round one of the scheduled four round bout.
The promising Valenzuela is now 2-0 (1 KO), while Holcomb (0-1) drops his too difficult debut.
A "laugher" followed in a four rounder between two more young fighters making their pro debuts. Juan Guaman and Tawan Elman both proved they needed much more work in the amateurs as their "tough man contest-like" winging slap punches brought jeers from the sparse crowd. Guaman did connect with a right hand, which sent Elman to his canvas and looking to call it a night. After pulling himself off the deck and with Guaman looking to land again, Elman draped his arms onto the top rope and surprised referee Benjy Esteves by saying he did not want to fight on.
Credit to Guaman for his gutsy performance, as all fighters that enter the ring deserve their due - even Tawan Elman; who apparently decided against boxing as a profession, one minute and thirty-nine seconds into the first round.
Yet another four round battle of first time professionals followed!
Luckily this bout proved more entertaining, as Eddie Edmond and La-Take Williams gave it their all and scrapped out a four round draw. While Edmond appeared to land the more telling blows, the judges felt neither guy deserved to loss in this hard fought contest of novice junior middleweights.
Well trained Akima Stocks annihilated Angie Campbell in a scheduled four round female bout which served as an embarrassment to all involved in putting this match together, as well as the New Jersey State Athletic Control Board for allowing it to be sanctioned.
Stocks, fighting out of Newark, had registered knockouts in both her two wins, as well as having another fight she was in command of being stopped and ruled a no-contest; due to an accidental head butt which rendered her opponent (Michelle Garland: 06/01/07 at the legendary Blue Horizon in Philadelphia) unable to continue.
Campbell had never fought professionally, and looked like she hadn't even laced up a pair of boxing gloves before tonight's fight…she definitely had no business in the ring and that was obvious BEFORE the opening bell had even rung. Twenty-five seconds into the first round of this scheduled four round mismatch of 152-pound females it was all over; as Campbell had absorbed too much punishment from the dangerous Stocks, now 3-0 with three knockouts. Luckily Campbell did not get seriously injured.
Not one of the better run boxing shows and this type of event definitely will not get the boxing fan to return. Edmond Promotions had either make the commitment to higher quality and more evenly matched fights, or will be facing financial disaster once more.
Fortunately the Crawford-Ellis main event was an entertaining eight rounds and the fans got to see highly touted Victor Valenzuela get his first knockout win as a pro with his picture perfect left hook.
boxing entertainment fight sports mixed martial arts special events sports worldwide
By Mike Indri
Retired Boxers Foundation
Newark, NJ - Having to wait more than 90 minutes because promoter Hilliard Edmond forgot the gloves - yes, the boxing gloves! - to be used by the boxers for the five scheduled bouts should have sent a message to the few people that actually came to the Robert Treat Hotel for this very under-publicized fight card.
After retrieving the gloves from his Maplewood home for the ten fighters and getting the debacle of a show to begin, the two hundred or so fight fans that painfully waited for some boxing action had to endure a shoddy undercard, which included six of the eight fighters making pro debuts. The hastily put together bouts did prevent another cancellation on behalf of Edmond promotions.
Luckily the eight round main event between highly regarded jr. middleweight contender Henry Crawford and Jerome Ellis, fighting out of Newark, by way of the Bahamas, somewhat salvaged the night for the new promoter.
Ellis's "Ali-shuffle" in front of Crawford during the introduction heated up the crowd, but is was Crawford who was firing up Ellis with his clean right hands, and stiff jab as the fight began.
A loser of his last three fights dating back to November of 2006, Ellis was a much better fighter than his very deceptive 11-7-1 record would lead to believe, and caught Crawford with several big punches in round two. One of the bombs actually sent Crawford's mouthpiece flying. Both fighters exchanged combinations and the fans appreciated the big time action.
Getting a "wake up call" slap from his long time trainer, Nettles Nasser, between rounds, Crawford settled down and began to box more in round three and made Ellis pay for his wide, knockout-minded swings. Each Ellis miss brought several hard body shots by the undefeated prospect.
Rounds four and five were all Crawford, and the difference was the jab and his superior boxing skill. A quick left hand caught Ellis clean on the chin and sent the stunned fighter to the canvas.
Henry Crawford and trainer Nettles Nasser
As long as Crawford kept to his fight plan of boxing smart and stinging the usually wide-open Ellis with his strong counter punching, win number nineteen was not far away.
Ellis was a good, hard test for the twenty-seven year-old Paterson fighter as there was not let up in the "Bahama Boomer" who continually was looking to make Crawford his eleventh knockout victim. Ten of the eleven Ellis victories have been by stoppage, and he was trying to catch his still learning opponent with that potent right uppercut and left hook.
Another solid Crawford left hand sent a dreary-eyed Ellis reeling into the ropes and down to the canvas for the second time in the fight late in round seven, and a questionable shot to the beaten fighter's upper back drove him back to the deck in the eighth and final round. With no quit in him, Ellis quickly bounced off the floor and gave referee Earl Brown an earful as he disputed the call. Both fighters were slugging away as the bell sounded to end the exciting bout. Judges Pierre Benoist and Lawrence Layton thought Crawford pitchout a shutout, as both scored it 80-69, while Al Bennet saw it 79-70 for the likable Crawford who remains unbeaten at 19-0-1 (8 KO's) with the unanimous decision win. The durable Ellis, who has only been stopped once, slips to 11-8-1.
On the Edmond Promotions undercard:
After the lengthy delay Passaic featherweight Victor Valenzuela started things off in a big way as the highly acclaimed former amateur champion promptly delivered some action to the patient crowd, bouncing a couple of quick left hand off the body and head of Antwon Holcomb.
Holcomb, fighting out of Indianapolis, Indiana and making his pro debut, was given the extra tough task of facing Valenzuela. Valenzuela caught the over-matched Holcomb with another nasty left to the head that dropped the stunned fighter. Obviously hurt from the blow, which knocked off the rubber band holding the dreadlocks of the Indiana fighter, Holcomb beat the count but referee Benjy Esteves wisely waved off the bout at the 1:05 mark of round one of the scheduled four round bout.
The promising Valenzuela is now 2-0 (1 KO), while Holcomb (0-1) drops his too difficult debut.
A "laugher" followed in a four rounder between two more young fighters making their pro debuts. Juan Guaman and Tawan Elman both proved they needed much more work in the amateurs as their "tough man contest-like" winging slap punches brought jeers from the sparse crowd. Guaman did connect with a right hand, which sent Elman to his canvas and looking to call it a night. After pulling himself off the deck and with Guaman looking to land again, Elman draped his arms onto the top rope and surprised referee Benjy Esteves by saying he did not want to fight on.
Credit to Guaman for his gutsy performance, as all fighters that enter the ring deserve their due - even Tawan Elman; who apparently decided against boxing as a profession, one minute and thirty-nine seconds into the first round.
Yet another four round battle of first time professionals followed!
Luckily this bout proved more entertaining, as Eddie Edmond and La-Take Williams gave it their all and scrapped out a four round draw. While Edmond appeared to land the more telling blows, the judges felt neither guy deserved to loss in this hard fought contest of novice junior middleweights.
Well trained Akima Stocks annihilated Angie Campbell in a scheduled four round female bout which served as an embarrassment to all involved in putting this match together, as well as the New Jersey State Athletic Control Board for allowing it to be sanctioned.
Stocks, fighting out of Newark, had registered knockouts in both her two wins, as well as having another fight she was in command of being stopped and ruled a no-contest; due to an accidental head butt which rendered her opponent (Michelle Garland: 06/01/07 at the legendary Blue Horizon in Philadelphia) unable to continue.
Campbell had never fought professionally, and looked like she hadn't even laced up a pair of boxing gloves before tonight's fight…she definitely had no business in the ring and that was obvious BEFORE the opening bell had even rung. Twenty-five seconds into the first round of this scheduled four round mismatch of 152-pound females it was all over; as Campbell had absorbed too much punishment from the dangerous Stocks, now 3-0 with three knockouts. Luckily Campbell did not get seriously injured.
Not one of the better run boxing shows and this type of event definitely will not get the boxing fan to return. Edmond Promotions had either make the commitment to higher quality and more evenly matched fights, or will be facing financial disaster once more.
Fortunately the Crawford-Ellis main event was an entertaining eight rounds and the fans got to see highly touted Victor Valenzuela get his first knockout win as a pro with his picture perfect left hook.
boxing entertainment fight sports mixed martial arts special events sports worldwide
Former National Committeeman and YRNF Co-Chairman, Tim Kolpien, is in the news, Hockey return in Danbury not official, but close.
Former National Committeeman and YRNF Co-Chairman, Tim Kolpien, is in the news, Hockey return in Danbury not official, but close.
By Eugene Driscoll STAFF WRITER
DANBURY - It's not official, but it's darn close. Tim Kolpien, a businessman from Corning, N.Y., was in the city Tuesday talking to officials about bringing professional hockey back to the Danbury Ice Arena on Independence Way. Kolpien has a deal on the table with Floyd Hall Enterprises, the arena's owner. However, it hasn't been signed, which made Kolpien somewhat hesitant to talk publicly about his plans Tuesday.
An official announcement could come by April 1. Ideally, the team would start playing in the fall. Kolpien's plans were reported Saturday in The News-Times and have been posted on hockey fan Web sites. Meanwhile, Kolpien's general manager, Brendan Tedstone, is scheduled to meet Friday with Section 102 fans - a rowdy, rabid group of Danbury Trashers fans. The group is named after a section of the ice arena.
"We still need to cross our t's and dot our i's, but it's looking very good in Danbury," Kolpien told The News-Times. Kolpien owned the Valley Forge Freedom in Oaks, Pa. The team was affiliated with the Mid-Atlantic Hockey League, which suspended operations in February.
Kolpien said the plan is to form a new team in Danbury and a new league, the Eastern Professional Hockey League. While many look forward to a new team downtown, no hockey team has managed to stay in Danbury for more than two years. The Danbury Trashers, of the United Hockey League, packed the arena, but imploded after owner James Galante was indicted on federal racketeering charges. The New England Stars played in Danbury for a season, but the team and league folded, owing money to the city and to the arena. In general, teams and leagues in minor league sports have a tendency to come and go, which is why Mayor Mark Boughton was "cautiously optimistic" Tuesday.
"Danbury has demonstrated it will support professional hockey. The question is, can the team make money?" he asked. The mayor and Kolpien met Tuesday afternoon in City Hall to discuss the plans. "Minor league sports is a difficult business - there is no question about it," Kolpien told The News-Times. "Unfortunately, there are never any guarantees. "Having said that, we're coming in here with a very strong business plan and a very strong financial plan. Certainly we have the resources to make sure we conduct business in a transparent and honorable way." Kolpien's new league would serve as a development league for the ECHL, a hockey league that feeds players to the American Hockey League. "It's definitely going to be a higher-caliber-type hockey than the Stars," Kolpien said. "These are full-time players, for the most part. They are from all over the country. It is not going to be a team of local all-stars."
In addition to owning the now defunct Valley Forge team, Kolpien is president of Kolpien & Associates, a company that develops public relations and marketing plans for corporations and political campaigns. Kolpien's background is in politics. He served as campaign coordinator for former U.S. Rep. Amo Houghton, an upstate New York politician who served nine terms in Congress. He is also the president of the Apple Tree Group, a media and public relations firm, and was co-chairman of the Young Republican National Federation from 2005 to 2007.
http://www.newstimes.com/ci_8448994?source%253Dmost_emailed.26978592730A3B8C7F471EACE0DA4EF2.html
boxing entertainment fight sports mixed martial arts special events sports worldwide
By Eugene Driscoll STAFF WRITER
DANBURY - It's not official, but it's darn close. Tim Kolpien, a businessman from Corning, N.Y., was in the city Tuesday talking to officials about bringing professional hockey back to the Danbury Ice Arena on Independence Way. Kolpien has a deal on the table with Floyd Hall Enterprises, the arena's owner. However, it hasn't been signed, which made Kolpien somewhat hesitant to talk publicly about his plans Tuesday.
An official announcement could come by April 1. Ideally, the team would start playing in the fall. Kolpien's plans were reported Saturday in The News-Times and have been posted on hockey fan Web sites. Meanwhile, Kolpien's general manager, Brendan Tedstone, is scheduled to meet Friday with Section 102 fans - a rowdy, rabid group of Danbury Trashers fans. The group is named after a section of the ice arena.
"We still need to cross our t's and dot our i's, but it's looking very good in Danbury," Kolpien told The News-Times. Kolpien owned the Valley Forge Freedom in Oaks, Pa. The team was affiliated with the Mid-Atlantic Hockey League, which suspended operations in February.
Kolpien said the plan is to form a new team in Danbury and a new league, the Eastern Professional Hockey League. While many look forward to a new team downtown, no hockey team has managed to stay in Danbury for more than two years. The Danbury Trashers, of the United Hockey League, packed the arena, but imploded after owner James Galante was indicted on federal racketeering charges. The New England Stars played in Danbury for a season, but the team and league folded, owing money to the city and to the arena. In general, teams and leagues in minor league sports have a tendency to come and go, which is why Mayor Mark Boughton was "cautiously optimistic" Tuesday.
"Danbury has demonstrated it will support professional hockey. The question is, can the team make money?" he asked. The mayor and Kolpien met Tuesday afternoon in City Hall to discuss the plans. "Minor league sports is a difficult business - there is no question about it," Kolpien told The News-Times. "Unfortunately, there are never any guarantees. "Having said that, we're coming in here with a very strong business plan and a very strong financial plan. Certainly we have the resources to make sure we conduct business in a transparent and honorable way." Kolpien's new league would serve as a development league for the ECHL, a hockey league that feeds players to the American Hockey League. "It's definitely going to be a higher-caliber-type hockey than the Stars," Kolpien said. "These are full-time players, for the most part. They are from all over the country. It is not going to be a team of local all-stars."
In addition to owning the now defunct Valley Forge team, Kolpien is president of Kolpien & Associates, a company that develops public relations and marketing plans for corporations and political campaigns. Kolpien's background is in politics. He served as campaign coordinator for former U.S. Rep. Amo Houghton, an upstate New York politician who served nine terms in Congress. He is also the president of the Apple Tree Group, a media and public relations firm, and was co-chairman of the Young Republican National Federation from 2005 to 2007.
http://www.newstimes.com/ci_8448994?source%253Dmost_emailed.26978592730A3B8C7F471EACE0DA4EF2.html
boxing entertainment fight sports mixed martial arts special events sports worldwide
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