Tag: Bernard Hopkins

Awesome Fight Documentary Film Watch: Eddie Alvarez’s ‘No Plan B’

By Elias Cepeda

We may be in a golden age, or at least an incredibly good season for new fight docs, taters.

There’s “Like Water,” on Anderson Silva, “I am Bruce Lee,”  and soon, an interesting-looking doc on lightweight Eddie Alvarez (22-3).

In addition to being a GOP policy stance, “No Plan B,” is a new film by David Klayman that chronicles Alvarez in the lead-up to what may still be his most high profile to date: his bout with former Sports Illustrated cover boy Roger Huerta back in 2010.

The trailer for the movie shows Alvarez at home with family, as well as training and consulting with champion/east coast colleagues Bernard Hopkins and Frankie Edgar. The title of the film is derived from a quote and apparent philosophy of Alvarez’. “…I’m not much of a planner,” he says. “I set a goal and there really is nothing else. So, there is no ‘plan b.'”

Although Alvarez suffered a rare loss in his last fight to Michael Chandler, he will have a chance to avenge a prior defeat when he takes on Shinya Aoki (30-5) at the Bellator card on April 20 in Cleveland, Ohio.

Check out the trailer for “No Plan B” after the jump, and stay tuned for reviews of this and other docs coming soon to CagePotato.

By Elias Cepeda

We may be in a golden age, or at least an incredibly good season for new fight docs, taters.

There’s “Like Water,” on Anderson Silva, “I am Bruce Lee,”  and soon, an interesting-looking doc on lightweight Eddie Alvarez (22-3).

In addition to being a GOP policy stance, “No Plan B,” is a new film by David Klayman that chronicles Alvarez in the lead-up to what may still be his most high profile to date: his bout with former Sports Illustrated cover boy Roger Huerta back in 2010.

The trailer for the movie shows Alvarez at home with family, as well as training and consulting with champion/east coast colleagues Bernard Hopkins and Frankie Edgar. The title of the film is derived from a quote and apparent philosophy of Alvarez’. “…I’m not much of a planner,” he says. “I set a goal and there really is nothing else. So, there is no ‘plan b.’”

Although Alvarez suffered a rare loss in his last fight to Michael Chandler, he will have a chance to avenge a prior defeat when he takes on Shinya Aoki (30-5) at the Bellator card on April 20 in Cleveland, Ohio.

Check out the trailer for “No Plan B” and stay tuned for reviews of this and other docs coming soon to CagePotato.


(Video courtesy of YouTube/PalmTreeStatus)

12 Boxers We’d Love to See Inside the Octagon

Since MMA went mainstream, one of the debates with regards to boxing is how would a prizefighter fare inside a steel cage with a fighter whom at the best of times also has the sweet science incorporated into their skill set? Well it has happened on mor…

Since MMA went mainstream, one of the debates with regards to boxing is how would a prizefighter fare inside a steel cage with a fighter whom at the best of times also has the sweet science incorporated into their skill set?

Well it has happened on more than one occasion, and with mixed results.

Former Olympic Gold medalist and WBO heavyweight champion Ray “Merciless” Mercer made his first foray into the mixed martial arts world, his opponent was former UFC employee and street fighting Internet sensation Kimbo Slice.

That said, Mercer lost the bout via Guillotine choke.

His second and last fight in an MMA capacity was a nine-second knockout of former UFC heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia (MMA rules weren’t applied).

Though, the highest profile boxer to set foot into a steel cage, in this instance the Octagon, was none other than three-division world champion James “Lights Out” Toney.

It was a disaster in the making or better yet, a disaster waiting to happen. With little or no MMA experience, Toney was clinically and systematically put to sleep via arm triangle choke, courtesy of Randy “The Natural” Couture at UFC 118.

Shocking as it might seem, Lights Out presently harbours thoughts of throwing down with Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and a certain Frank Shamrock.

With bated breath we wait, I think not.                             

Still, despite the shortcomings of the professional pugilist vis-à-vis everything MMA, some fans still entertain the idea of seeing the pugilist vs. the mixed martial artist.

Let’s take a look at some of those from the persuasion of the sweet science we’d love to see in the UFC’s Octagon.

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Feel Good Story of the Day: Dewey Bozella Comes Full Circle and Wins Boxing Debut at 52

(Video courtesy of YouTube/ESPN)

If you haven’t been following the amazing story of Dewey Bozella, take 12 minutes and get caught up on backstory above and come back and we’ll discuss it.

Okay, now that we’re all up to speed, if you missed it, on October 15 Bozella, who amazingly says he holds no grudge for being incarcerated for nearly 30 years for a crime he didn’t commit even though the police in the case actually buried evidence, made his professional boxing debut on the Bernard Hopkins vs. Chad Dawson undercard.


(Video courtesy of YouTube/ESPN)

If you haven’t been following the amazing story of Dewey Bozella, take 12 minutes and get caught up on backstory above and come back and we’ll discuss it.

Okay, now that we’re all up to speed, if you missed it, on October 15 Bozella, who amazingly says he holds no grudge for being incarcerated for nearly 30 years for a crime he didn’t commit even though the police in the case actually buried evidence, made his professional boxing debut on the Bernard Hopkins vs. Chad Dawson undercard.


(Video courtesy of YouTube/fbbcvideos)

Bozella, who has maintained his innocence since his arrest, rejecting an Alford plea that would have seen him released on probation a decade ago for admitting he had slain an elderly woman, only had one dream besides being exonerated and that was to compete in at least one professional boxing match before he died. He made that dream a reality against 30-year-old cruiserweight Larry Hopkins at Staples Center.

Bozella won the bout by unanimous decision after an outmatched Hopkins repeatedly spit out his mouthguard in an effort to have the referee disqualify him. Instead, the official made Hopkins gut out the fight and take his punishment like a man rather than offering him an easy way out of the bout, paralleling Bozella’s path the past 30 years.

For Bozella, who used boxing as an outlet for his anger and resentment while in prision, the bout represented the culmination of his lifelong fight to prove he wasn’t a killer. Definitely a feel good story of forgiveness,moving forward and not dwelling on the negatives in life for a Monday afternoon.

Dewey’s story makes most of our day-to-day problems seem trivial by comparison.

Bozella won the 2011 ESPN Arthur Ashe Award for Courage in July.


(Video courtesy of YouTube/ESPN)

 

Bellator 54 Fight Card: 5 Things You Need to Know About Saturday’s Card

Bellator Fighting Championships prides itself on being an organization where title shots are earned and not handed out. This Saturday’s Bellator 54 card is no different.Alexander Shlemenko hopes to earn his rematch with Hector Lombard, current Bellator…

Bellator Fighting Championships prides itself on being an organization where title shots are earned and not handed out. This Saturday’s Bellator 54 card is no different.

Alexander Shlemenko hopes to earn his rematch with Hector Lombard, current Bellator middleweight “Iron Fist,” for lack of a sugar coated label like “champion.” But his road runs through Brian Rogers, who is looking to make his own waves in the 185-pound division.

Vitor Vianna hopes to make his own waves as well, but like Rogers, the Wand Fight Team warrior is staring down a Season Two finalist also, and former WEC middleweight Bryan “The Beast” Baker has no plans on laying down for one of UFC 139 co-headliner Wanderlei Silva’s young proteges.

In addition to the Bellator Season Five Middleweight Semifinals, Bellator bantamweight kingpin Zack Makovsky will rest easy knowing Bellator featherweight champion Joe Warren will be nowhere near his peripheral vision in the title picture.

But his own status as top bantamweight material is on the line as veteran Ryan Roberts looks to break through at the expense of a current Bellator World Champion.

Live on MTV2 and Epix in HD, Bellator 54 comes at you this Saturday. For anyone who needs their void filled until UFC 137 in two weeks, here’s what you all need to know about Saturday’s card.

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