Posts Tagged ‘Celebrities’
Profiling Japan’s Mixed Martial Arts Legend Kazushi Sakuraba
March 21st, 2010
The toughest decision a boxer of MMA fighter will face in his career is deciding to hang up the gloves. Boxing history is rife with top notch fighters that hung around too long, and in a sure sign that its matured as a sport MMA is now experiencing the same phenomenon. After his punishing knockout loss to Melvin Manhoef at DREAM 4 it has become apparent that the time has come for Japanese fighting legend Kazushi Sakuraba to retire.
Despite the recent explosion in the sports popularity, the United States MMA scene doesn’t really have anyone of comparable status to Sakuraba in Japan. Hes credited for helping the nascent sport of mixed martial arts emerge from Japanese professional wrestling as well as for making MMA a major league sport in Japan. Sakuraba is also considered by many to be pound for pound the greatest Japanese MMA fighter ever, with some suggesting that he transcends the national qualifier and should be regarded as the pound for pound best fighter in the brief history of the sport. A legendary series of matches against various members of the Gracie family further elevated the status of MMA in Japan and in the process made Sakuraba a superstar. In particular the 90 minute long battle against Royce Gracie at PRIDE’s 2000 Grand Prix tournament is frequently cited as the greatest match in MMA history. Hes also considered the best box office draw in Japanese fight sports of the past decade, which is part of the reason that hes been persuaded to stick around longer than he should have. Hes not only Japans greatest MMA fighter, but one that still sells tickets.
Sakuraba’s record definitely justifies the high regard in which he’s held, but the reality is that he’s done nothing to build on his legacy for a number of years. His last really impressive win was over former UFC light heavyweight champ Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson, but he hasn’t even defeated a credible opponent of any sort since his 2003 win over Kevin Randleman.
Sakuraba is not only 38 years old, but he’s what fight experts consider an ‘old 38′ based on the number of grueling, physically and emotionally draining battles he’s competed in. His 90 minute classic with Royce Gracie alone took a toll that some suggest that Sakuraba has never recovered from. Despite this, he continued to face the best opponents in the world after that fight.
Compounding Sakuraba’s ‘ring age’ was his tendency to face much larger superstars–these ‘dream matches’ would sell tickets in Japan, but are the sort of matchup that would never get sanctioned in the better regulated US fight sport industry. The quality of opponent he faced at heavier weights is mind boggling and includes Wanderlei Silva, Mirko Cro Cop, Vitor Belfort and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. Unfortunately, the old saying that ‘a good big man will beat a good little man’ was proven true in these matchups with most ending in losses for Sakuraba by brutal KO or stoppage.
Despite his recent setbacks, Sakuraba has made no indication that hell be retiring anytime soon. Hopefully, this decision doesn’t put his long-term health and future well being at risk.
Ross Everett is a freelance writer and noted authority on sports betting odds comparison. He writing has appeared on a variety of sports sites including sportsbooks and betting odds portal sites. He lives in Las Vegas with three Jack Russell Terriers and a kangaroo. He is currently working on an autobiography of former interior secretary James Watt.
Tags: Arts and Entertainment, Advice, Fashion, Photography
Tags: Arts and Entertainment, biography, Celebrities, Entertainment, hobbies, japan, mixed martial arts, mma, Recreation, sports, UFC
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The Main 3 Reasons We Enjoy Celebrity Gossip
March 14th, 2010
Why is it that many of us are fascinated with celebrities? Come on, you know it’s true! Who has not picked up the most recent gossip magazine in the checkout line at the corner store, and gotten their fix of celeb gossip? I’m aware that I have! And you know those magazines wouldn’t be there if nobody bought them!
So why do we girls and guys have such an obsession with following the lives of folk we don’t know? Well read on for the top 3 reasons we love celebrity gossip, and especially marriage gossip!
Reason #1: It’s so much fun living vicariously thru the lives of others. I mean let’s accept it - many of us will likely never just jet off to the Caribbean to be married to a 20 something super model in a luxurious and secret wedding attended by all of the largest names in Hollywood. We adore reading about celeb’s famous and sometimes infamous weddings as it lets us pretend and imagine what it would be like to live a famous and fabulously rich life. I mean really, what would it be like getting married in an Italian castle like Tom and Katie?
Reason #2: It makes us feel happier about ourselves! It’s simply a fact of human nature that no matter how bad our own lives seem to be, there is always someone else out there who will cause you to feel better about your own situation. Sure, you may be endeavoring to pay the bills with a night stocker job at the local Wal-Mart, but at least you did not get pregnant with octuplets and then have nobody in the media care about it! Sure, you may not have been able to have 1,000,000 dollar wedding on an exotic island, but at least your marriage is still intact after a decade instead of ten mins, like a certain country music star we all know. Rhymes with Benny Lesney?
Reason #3: Because it’s there! Infrequently, stars are like a train wreck - you do not need to look at, but you can’t look away! It’s not like you need to watch Brittany going down in flames and shaving her head bald, leaving K-Fed as the responsible parent ( yikes ) but dang, how can you not watch? And if they didn’t wish their escapades splashed all over the media, then perhaps they shouldn’t be acting crazy! I mean, how many country stars do you see in the tabloids, besides the one mentioned above of course? Not that many, because they aren’t out wrecking Ferraris (cough, cough Sarah Harding).
So there you have it, the top 3 reasons we like celebrity gossip! It may be inspiring, it may be abominable, it may be superb, but celeb gossip is always entertaining! And entertainment is the spice of life!
Tags: Humanities, Movies, Fashion, General
Tags: Celebrities, celebrity, Entertainment, Fame, gossip, hollywood, ipod, itunes, magazines, Movies, Music, songs
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Oklahoma QB Bradford Looking At Season Ending Surgery
February 28th, 2010
Oklahoma’s junior quarterback Sam Bradford will likely opt for season ending shoulder surgery. The reigning Heisman Trophy winner was to announce his plans at a Wednesday night press conference, but that has been canceled with no official word from Bradford expected before Saturday. Despite the delay, unnamed sources close to the situation indicate that there is “a very good chance” that Bradford will go under the knife in hopes of insuring a better opportunity with a NFL team next season.
Despite every indication that the decision to undergo surgery to repair an injured AC joint in his throwing shoulder is to eliminate the potential perception that he is ‘damaged goods’ in advance of the NFL draft, University officials stressed that there has been no official decision in this regard.
On Wednesday, Sooners’ coach Bob Stoops addressed the media about Bradford and the canceled press conference:
“He just wasn’t ready to fully answer everything that’ll want to be asked and for sure what he wants to do just yet, until he has a few more people to visit with. That’s it. I won’t say another word about it.”
“Sam’s whole situation, he’ll have something to say when he knows what his path will be, and that isn’t right now. I’m not the one to answer it. He will. And I will once he feels he’s ready to and knows for sure what he wants to do.”
Bradford had hoped to contend for a national title this season, but that is no longer a realistic scenario with Oklahoma’s record. OU quarterbacks’ coach Josh Heupel talked about the conflicting issues that Bradford is currently dealing with as he tries to decide what the best course of action to take is:
“I think it’s extremely difficult for him, coming back for all the right reasons, wanting to have an opportunity to go compete on the football field, compete for championships and then having all those things taken away from you. There’s a lot of hard work that goes into it and when you invest that much, it’s going to be extremely disappointing. It’s not an easy situation for him, certainly.”
Despite their 3-3 record, Oklahoma has played well this year. The losses came to top level opponents BYU, Miami and Texas by a total of five points. Still, barring a cataclysmic collapse by higher ranked teams of historic proportions there’s no real hope for a return to national championship contention.
Had Bradford opted to go to the NFL last season, he could have been one of the highest players selected in the draft. He had a monumental season last year, throwing for 4,720 yards and 50 touchdowns. With his struggles this season and his injury, his future at the next level has grown somewhat more problematic. He could elect for surgery and opt for the draft this season, realizing that he’d be viewed as something of a ‘risky choice’. Otherwise he could return for his senior season in hopes of improving his stock though that is always a dicey proposition due to the risk of additional injury.
Ross Everett is a widely published widely published freelance sports writer and respected authority on World Cup betting. His writing has appeared on a variety of sports sites including sports news and sportsbook directory sites. He lives in Northern Nevada with three Jack Russell Terriers and a kangaroo. He is currently working on an autobiography of former energy secretary Donald Hodell.
Tags: Movies, Arts, Humor, Fashion
Tags: Celebrities, College Football, hobbies, Recreation, sports
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