(Mayweather vs. Canelo All Access Episode 1 | All Access Videos via ShoSports Youtube)
Friday we brought you the fourth and final episode of the Showtime documentary mini-series, Mayweather vs. Canelo: All Access yesterday but it occurred to us that some of you might not yet be caught up on the prior episodes so, here ya go. Get ready for the biggest boxing match of the year tonight by getting inside the lives and training camps of Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez.
Chances are, whomever you are rooting for, you’ll walk away from this doc series with some admiration for both men. Some of our favorite things that we learned about each fighter from All Access:
The private “Canelo” refuses to let his daughter be seen on television. Respect.
Mayweather hires women to be around he and his friends. Respect?
Want more tidbits? Watch the show.
Parts 2-4 after the jump.
(Mayweather vs. Canelo All Access Episode 1 | All Access Videos via ShoSports Youtube)
Friday we brought you the fourth and final episode of the Showtime documentary mini-series, Mayweather vs. Canelo: All Access yesterday but it occurred to us that some of you might not yet be caught up on the prior episodes so, here ya go. Get ready for the biggest boxing match of the year tonight by getting inside the lives and training camps of Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez.
Chances are, whomever you are rooting for, you’ll walk away from this doc series with some admiration for both men. Some of our favorite things that we learned about each fighter from All Access:
The private “Canelo” refuses to let his daughter be seen on television. Respect.
Mayweather hires women to be around he and his friends. Respect?
Floyd Mayweather Jr., boxing’s pound-for-pound king, is scheduled to fight rising Mexican boxing champion Saul “Canelo” Alvarez in Las Vegas this Saturday. The bout, which has been officially deemed “The One,” is being promoted as not only one of the b…
Floyd Mayweather Jr., boxing’s pound-for-pound king, is scheduled to fight rising Mexican boxing champion Saul “Canelo” Alvarez in Las Vegas this Saturday. The bout, which has been officially deemed “The One,” is being promoted as not only one of the biggest boxing fights in history, but also as one of the biggest fights ever.
However, according to many in the MMA community, boxing is not fighting, it is a sport. MMA, as several fans and journalists have written, is the true test of a man or woman’s fighting ability, as it incorporates all combative styles.
And this stance, or “challenge” as perceived by some boxers, has been the catalyst for some strange and interesting moments in fight history.
What’s that, you say? An arrogant, classless boxer trashing MMA using the logic of a medieval squire? Surely you must be mistaken.
When we last checked in on undefeated boxer Adrien Broner, he was casually flushing 20 dollar bills down a Popeye’s toilet. So clearly, the man is a well-studied, soft-spoken individual whose opinion should carry a lot of weight in this world. Take for instance, the argument he presented when recently questioned about whether or not he interacts with MMA fighters.
“No. It’s just, I really don’t look at it as a real sport,” said Broner through his double set of platinum grills, “Cause anybody can come into MMA and learn that. You can’t just come over in boxing and be a world champion. You gotta be born with it.”
Broner then told the interviewer that, “You right now can go to MMA and learn all the submission moves and be a world champion. It don’t matter how long it would take. I don’t give a fuck what you do, you could try to come over here in boxing and you won’t EVER be a world champion.”
What’s that, you say? An arrogant, classless boxer trashing MMA using the logic of a medieval squire? Surely you must be mistaken.
When we last checked in on undefeated boxer Adrien Broner, he was casually flushing 20 dollar bills down a Popeye’s toilet. So clearly, the man is a well-studied, soft-spoken individual whose opinion should carry a lot of weight in this world. Take for instance, the argument he presented when recently questioned about whether or not he interacts with MMA fighters.
“No. It’s just, I really don’t look at it as a real sport,” said Broner through his double set of platinum grills, “Cause anybody can come into MMA and learn that. You can’t just come over in boxing and be a world champion. You gotta be born with it.”
Broner then told the interviewer that, “You right now can go to MMA and learn all the submission moves and be a world champion. It don’t matter how long it would take. I don’t give a fuck what you do, you could try to come over here in boxing and you won’t EVER be a world champion.”
Hey guys, at least Broner attacked our sport using some solid reasoning (and refrained from calling us “a bunch of skinhead homosexuals“). We all know that MMA is really a single-discipline sport and once you learn all the moves of said discipline, becoming a world champion is as easy as pie. Just ask third degree BJJ black belt and Pan American black belt champion Giva Santana, who recently retired from MMA with an undefeated record and 14 straight UFC title defenses.
Becoming a boxing champion, on the other hand, is a matter of birthright, not a combination of commitment, training and heart like every other sport. It’s like Broner has never even *seen* A Knight’s Tale, you guys.
If you will excuse me, I’m going to go trane some UFC on my lunch break real quick. See you soon, Dana!
[UPDATED]
Broner has since apologized for hurting our feelings/brains via his Twitter:
To me, the war between Boxing and MMA is kind of like the one between South Park and Family Guy-HEAR ME OUT FOR A SECOND. In one corner, you have the (for the sake of argument) original, more highly-praised and universally accepted sport/show (Boxing/SP). In the other, you have the offshoot, the outcast, the bastard amalgamation of the former and several other entities (MMA/FG). While the latter often praises the former for its longevity and grace, the former has a seemingly endless supply of haterade to dump on the latter for being a cheap knockoff performed/written by hacks, jobbers and bums. But what the majority of the former and a decent percentage of the latter fail to realize is that one can coexist (and even co-promote, in some cases) with the other. Both have their positive and negative aspects, both are unique to some degree and both can be viewed by the same person without their brain imploding due to a conflict of interest.
Man, this Alabama Trampoline is having some interesting effects on my mind. To summarize: WHY CAN’T WE ALL JUST GET ALONG?!
As is tradition, Showtime has previewed the upcoming blockbuster fight with a series of “All Access” specials giving us a behind the scenes look at both men’s training camps. You will hear Mayweather touch on all the bullet points he’s become known for — his fame, his fortune, “I am boxing,” me, me, ME! — while battling an opponent he has been unable to defeat his entire life: Third person self-narrative. You will also hear Alvarez dish on respect and roosters with Golden Boy President, Oscar De La Hoya, who insists that Alvarez will finish Mayweather inside of eight rounds. We’d love to believe him, but many a man have made such a claim (or something similar to it) only to be outgunned by the WBC welterweight and WBA (Super) Light Middleweight champion.
Check out part 1 of “All Access” above. Parts 2 and 3 are after the jump.
As is tradition, Showtime has previewed the upcoming blockbuster fight with a series of “All Access” specials giving us a behind the scenes look at both men’s training camps. You will hear Mayweather touch on all the bullet points he’s become known for — his fame, his fortune, “I am boxing,” me, me, ME! — while battling an opponent he has been unable to defeat his entire life: Third person self-narrative. You will also hear Alvarez dish on respect and roosters with Golden Boy President, Oscar De La Hoya, who insists that Alvarez will finish Mayweather inside of eight rounds. We’d love to believe him, but many a man have made such a claim (or something similar to it) only to be outgunned by the WBC welterweight and WBA (Super) Light Middleweight champion.
Check out part 1 of “All Access” above. Parts 2 and 3 are after the jump.
(Morrison celebrating after winning the WBO heavyweight championship in 1993 | Photo via Getty)
Tommy Morrison (48-3-1) was a boxing sensation, a cautionary tale and a controversial figure. He won the WBO heavyweight title in a 1993 fight against George Foreman, starred in Rocky V and earned millions of dollars. In 1996, he signed a multi-fight deal that was supposed to earn him nearly $40 million more.
Then, hours before a fight, he discovered that he had tested positive for HIV. Morrison retired from boxing but would later make a brief comeback, winning two more boxing bouts after denying the existence of HIV or AIDS, not only in his own body but in general, and testing negative multiple times for the HIV virus.
Morrison became ill again after complications from a chest surgery two years ago. Late Sunday night, the 44-year-old former champion died in an Omaha, Nebraska hospital with his wife Trisha by his side. We do not yet know an official cause of death.
A recent ESPN profile of Morrison gave a rare glimpse into his strange and secretive later life. It paints Morrison as troubled, to be sure, but also as a loving partner, son and caring friend who was, perhaps, too generous at times.
Morrison’s fight reels paint a picture of masterful violence — a skilled heavyweight boxer with speed and knockout power to spare. As Morrison’s family mourns his passing, let us fight fans enjoy some of the champ’s work in the sport he loved…
(Morrison celebrating after winning the WBO heavyweight championship in 1993 | Photo via Getty)
Tommy Morrison (48-3-1) was a boxing sensation, a cautionary tale and a controversial figure. He won the WBO heavyweight title in a 1993 fight against George Foreman, starred in Rocky V and earned millions of dollars. In 1996, he signed a multi-fight deal that was supposed to earn him nearly $40 million more.
Then, hours before a fight, he discovered that he had tested positive for HIV. Morrison retired from boxing but would later make a brief comeback, winning two more boxing bouts after denying the existence of HIV or AIDS, not only in his own body but in general, and testing negative multiple times for the HIV virus.
Morrison became ill again after complications from a chest surgery two years ago. Late Sunday night, the 44-year-old former champion died in an Omaha, Nebraska hospital with his wife Trisha by his side. We do not yet know an official cause of death.
A recent ESPN profile of Morrison gave a rare glimpse into his strange and secretive later life. It paints Morrison as troubled, to be sure, but also as a loving partner, son and caring friend who was, perhaps, too generous at times.
Morrison’s fight reels paint a picture of masterful violence — a skilled heavyweight boxer with speed and knockout power to spare. As Morrison’s family mourns his passing, let us fight fans enjoy some of the champ’s work in the sport he loved…
Mike Tyson’s latest press conference may not have inspired a lot of faith in his abilities as a boxing promoter, but this two minute clip from it might be the most touching moment in the outspoken and oft controversial boxing great’s long career.
As was the case with Tyson’s first conference as a promoter, the above clip is equal parts sincerity, remorse and honest-to-God hope. Treating the media crew present at The Turning Stone Casino as if they were his personal therapists, Tyson nearly broke down describing his ongoing battle with drugs and alcohol, an admission that seemed to shock even him:
I’m a bad guy sometimes. I did a lot of bad things, and I want to be forgiven. So in order for me to be forgiven, I hope they can forgive me. I wanna change my life, I wanna live a different life now. I wanna live my sober life. I don’t wanna die. I’m on the verge of dying, because I’m a vicious alcoholic.
I haven’t drank or took drugs in six days, and for me that’s a miracle. I’ve been lying to everybody else that think I was sober, but I’m not. This is my sixth day. I’m never gonna use again.
Tyson’s past troubles — both professionally and personally — have been documented ad nauseum, but the former champion has made somewhat of a turnaround in the public eye as of late. Once the most reviled figure in boxing, Iron Mike has slowly rebuilt his reputation as one of the most genuinely heartfelt individuals in the combat sports community. We honestly hope that his newfound sobriety will ensure that he hangs around for as long as humanely possible, because we’ll be damned if he isn’t an interesting person to listen to (you know what we mean, you shallow sonsabitches).
In case you were wondering what exactly Tyson was referring to when discussing his beef with Teddy Atlas, join us after the jump for the full scoop.
Mike Tyson’s latest press conference may not have inspired a lot of faith in his abilities as a boxing promoter, but this two minute clip from it might be the most touching moment in the outspoken and oft controversial boxing great’s long career.
As was the case with Tyson’s first conference as a promoter, the above clip is equal parts sincerity, remorse and honest-to-God hope. Treating the media crew present at The Turning Stone Casino as if they were his personal therapists, Tyson nearly broke down describing his ongoing battle with drugs and alcohol, an admission that seemed to shock even him:
I’m a bad guy sometimes. I did a lot of bad things, and I want to be forgiven. So in order for me to be forgiven, I hope they can forgive me. I wanna change my life, I wanna live a different life now. I wanna live my sober life. I don’t wanna die. I’m on the verge of dying, because I’m a vicious alcoholic.
I haven’t drank or took drugs in six days, and for me that’s a miracle. I’ve been lying to everybody else that think I was sober, but I’m not. This is my sixth day. I’m never gonna use again.
Tyson’s past troubles — both professionally and personally — have been documented ad nauseum, but the former champion has made somewhat of a turnaround in the public eye as of late. Once the most reviled figure in boxing, Iron Mike has slowly rebuilt his reputation as one of the most genuinely heartfelt individuals in the combat sports community. We honestly hope that his newfound sobriety will ensure that he hangs around for as long as humanely possible, because we’ll be damned if he isn’t an interesting person to listen to (you know what we mean, you shallow sonsabitches).
In case you were wondering what exactly Tyson was referring to when discussing his beef with Teddy Atlas, join us after the jump for the full scoop.
Those of you unfamiliar with Tyson’s rough upbringing should know that, after being deserted by his father, losing his mother and being arrested some 38 times by the age of 13, Mike wound up at the Tryon School for Boys in Johnstown, NY (less than 10 minutes from my childhood home, BTW). It was there that Tyson caught the attention of counselor Bobby Stewart and later, International Boxing Hall of Fame trainer/manager Cus D’Amato. Under D’Amato, Teddy Atlas and Kevin Rooney helped train Tyson in the early 1980′s. ESPN.com recaps the infamous incident that lead to their falling out:
Atlas and Tyson had a falling out following an incident in which Atlas has said Tyson approached a young girl, who was a relative of Atlas’ wife, in a crude manner. In his biography, Atlas recalled borrowing a .38 from a friend, tracking down Tyson one night in 1982, telling him to smarten up and firing the gun, deliberately missing.
“Mike has always been looking for an escape, a trap door,” Atlas said of Tyson in 2003. “He always lacked one essential ingredient in [situations of] building character: the ability to confront himself.”
Tyson said Atlas was extremely important to him back then. “I was wrong,” Tyson admitted Friday.
When asked what made him think he would be a good promoter, Tyson added, “I want to be here and I want be in the best interests of the fighters. I don’t know where it’s going to lead me. It’s just my first event and I’m just very grateful. And that’s just what I’m trying to convey is gratitude.”
