Latest news with #Bloodsport
South China Morning Post
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
ONE Championship: Takeru must earn chance at revenge against Rodtang
When you've spent years covering fighters, you start to recognise the ones who have it. That undefinable X-factor. The kind of charisma and presence that doesn't just fill an arena – it lingers in the memory. Takeru Segawa is one of those rare fighters. Across hundreds of interviews over the years, I've noticed a common thread, particularly with many Western fighters: they got into combat sports because of films: Kickboxer, Bloodsport, Street Fighter, Mortal Kombat. These films truly helped shape a generation of combat sports icons. Takeru evokes that same energy. Whether it's his bespoke walkout kimono, movie star looks, or the sea of fans that erupts when his music hits, the man radiates the aura of a big-screen action hero. He's the kind of fighter youths would pin a poster of on their bedroom wall. But this is a brutal business, and in combat sports, action heroes don't always get fairy tale endings. Takeru Segawa has legions of fans in his native Japan. Photo: ONE Championship Now 34, recently married, and already a multi-time world champion, Takeru has lived the dream. He became a legend in K-1 and was Japan's biggest kickboxing star before signing with ONE Championship – a move driven by one goal: to fight Rodtang Jitmuangnon.
Yahoo
22-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Rick Carlisle recalls what James Johnson said about fighting in the NBA: "We don't start things, we finish them"
Rick Carlisle recalls what James Johnson said about fighting in the NBA: "We don't start things, we finish them" originally appeared on Basketball Network. In recent seasons, the Indiana Pacers have steadily climbed the NBA ranks, earning their place among the league's elite. However, with greater success comes increased competition, as rival teams now approach them with more intensity than before. Despite this, head coach Rick Carlisle remains unfazed about his team's ability to handle the pressure, particularly with veteran forward James Johnson on the roster, a veteran player suited to diffuse any heated situations and bring stability when it's needed most. Not the kind of guy an NBA player wants to test their luck with Although James is already in the twilight of his career, his reputation as the player opponents would least likely wish to fight is intact. After all, with a nickname like "Bloodsport," a black belt in karate, and a supposed perfect 20-0 record in kickboxing, it's not surprising that James exudes an aura of calm confidence on the court, especially when things become dicey. His presence alone is enough to make opposing players think twice before getting too physical or aggressive. And while he may not put up huge numbers on the stat sheet, his contributions go far beyond mere statistics. "We don't have problems because we have him sitting over there — James Johnson," Carlisle confidently declared. The veteran coach shared there was a time when an opponent began chirping at Johnson. However, Carlisle said the latter kept his cool and decided not to engage in the verbal banter. "One time I heard someone talking to him, saying, 'Hey, don't be starting stuff,' or whatever. And he said to me," Rick shared. "'Coach, in my discipline, we don't start things. We finish things.'" "That's all I really needed to hear — if I even needed to hear anything at all," he than just an enforcer Although Johnson is more popularly known for his quiet toughness, Carlisle stressed that he was a versatile player who caught his eye. He believed in the 6'7" forward so much that he traded for him in November 2020, when he was still the head coach of the Dallas Mavericks. And when Carlisle sensed the Pacers were on the verge of taking the next step in their journey towards relevancy, he knew which player he had to acquire. "Then I came to Indiana, and he was still playing somewhere — I forget where exactly — but going into our second year in Indiana, I told Kevin Pritchard and Chad Buchanan, our president and GM, 'If we're looking for a great locker room guy to help this team grow, you may not believe this, but James Johnson is one of the best I've ever seen,'" he disclosed. "James had been in a lot of different places. He had become kind of a high-level journeyman player. And they were like, 'Really?' But we ended up bringing him in." "James has been a huge part of our team's growth. He gives us a lot of substance, a lot of confidence, and strong leadership in the locker room," Rick emphasized. Johnson hasn't seen much action on the court lately. Over three seasons with Indiana, he has appeared in just 39 regular-season games, averaging a modest 1.7 points and 1.0 rebound in six minutes per game. Yet, his impact goes far beyond the stat sheet. It's no coincidence that the Pacers have reached the Eastern Conference Finals and the NBA Finals in back-to-back seasons. As a 16-year veteran, Johnson brings invaluable stability and leadership to the locker room and bench, enabling this young Indiana team to surpass expectations and compete at the highest story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jul 21, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Kenzie Paige Picked A Fight With Natalya, Says It's Much More Than A Dream Match
Kenzie Paige picked a fight for an opportunity that she believes she's earned. Paige, the current NWA Women's World Champion, spoke with WrestleZone Managing Editor Bill Pritchard ahead of the 2025 NWA Crockett Cup. There, she will face off with WWE Superstar Natalya, and she's putting 'The Burke' on the line. As if the match wasn't big enough, 7-time TNA Knockouts Champion Gail Kim will also serve as the special guest referee for the match. Advertisement Paige highlighted what the match means to her, noting she was a big fan of both women involved. However, she was quick to point out that this is more than a 'dream match' to her. 'I feel like it is still kind of a dream, right? I started wrestling when I was 14. So, I just imagine telling like, 14-year-old Kenzie, missing school every Friday and all that stuff, 'Girl, keep going. You're going to wrestle Natalya and Gail Kim is going to be your special guest ref.' I don't know if that part's really registered because I've been so… I'm not going to say in over my head, but I've been so devoted to getting that respect from Natalya and all of that. 'I've almost not even [had time] to focus on the fact that this is a dream for me. This is my job now, right? So, I've not even got to focus on the fact that this is a real-life accomplishment for me. Personally, within my heart, anyone who knows me knows Bret Hart is my favorite. Owen Hart is my favorite, I've painted a picture of Nattie in my high school art class, right? So, this really is a big dream for me. And it's almost crazy to think that now, I've not even got to focus on that part. Because it is my job. And I do have so much more on the line than just a dream match happening for me.' Kenzie Paige didn't ask for the opportunity, she made one for herself Paige was a fan of Natalya growing up, but she made sure that she created an opportunity to face the BOAT instead of asking for one. Asked if she had pitched being Natalya's opponent, Paige said she did not and took matters into her own hands. Advertisement 'I didn't really pitch anything. I kind of took things into my own hands and showed up at Bloodsport. And, if you didn't pick me, if you weren't going to come wrestle me, now you are because I picked that fight. I did that because of the fact that I look up to her and blah, blah, blah, all of that. But that plays into the part of like, I've respected you and looked up to you my whole life,' Kenzie Paige explained. 'And the one time… I'm not saying she owes it to me, but the one time I could have gotten that back from her, I didn't. So, I took it. I feel like that's another reason why that match belongs to me,' Paige added. 'Because I'm doing something different than any of the other women on the roster. I went and took it. I didn't ask for it, I didn't pitch for it, I took it for me, for myself.' Kenzie Paige attacked Natalya for herself, and for the NWA Paige further detailed her motivation in attacking Natalya at Bloodsport, feeling like she was getting the recognition she deserved. Advertisement 'I do have a chip on my shoulder because I have a whole company on my back. I'm 23 years old. Maybe I went about it the wrong way,' Paige wondered. 'But like you said, everyone was talking about it after the fact. So, I had to do what I had to do. Not only for me, but like you said, NWA [too]. If she's not going to talk about it, I'm going to give her a reason to talk about it. And that's what I had to do at Bloodsport, and that's what I had to do when I attacked her at the Dungeon.' Natalya was talking about it after Bloodsport, flat-out telling NWA owner Billy Corgan that she's going to 'beat the shit out of Kenzie and anyone else who gets in [her] way.' Paige pointed out the phrasing, speculating that it could also mean Gail Kim too. 'Well, is that a threat towards Gail Kim? Because that's what it sounded like. It kind of sounded like a threat to me,' Paige said. The 2025 NWA Crockett Cup takes place on Saturday, May 17, at the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia. Watch our full interview with Kenzie Paige below: The post Kenzie Paige Picked A Fight With Natalya, Says It's Much More Than A Dream Match appeared first on Wrestlezone.
Newsweek
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Newsweek
WWE Superstar Undergoes Dramatic Character Change
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Veteran WWE Superstar Natalya is set to unveil a dramatically transformed and aggressive persona, "Nattie Neidhart," for her highly anticipated NWA World Women's Championship match. She will challenge the reigning champion, Kenzie Paige, at the prestigious NWA Crockett Cup event this Saturday, May 17, 2025, in Philadelphia. A former SmackDown Women's Champion, Natalya re-signed with WWE last year. However, she has experienced limited television time in recent months, leading her to explore unique opportunities outside the company. She competed at Josh Barnett's Bloodsport event against Miyu Yamashita over WrestleMania week, wrestling under the name Nattie Neidhart and showcasing a raw, intense fighting style different from her WWE character, even using Rage Against The Machine for her entrance music. While this version of Neidhart has yet to appear on WWE television, she is fully embracing it for her upcoming NWA title opportunity. Natalya signaled this shift with a powerful video posted to X, where she symbolically stripped away her familiar WWE attire to reveal more legitimate-looking fight wear. In the voiceover, Natalya declared a profound change. "I am not this. I made this, I built this, I did this, to survive," she stated, referring to her long-established WWE image. "But underneath, there's a part of me that craves violence. The side that loves to leave behind the predictability and the security of my life." STAMFORD, CONNECTICUT - JANUARY 28: A WWE logo shines from the WWE wrestling world headquarters on January 28, 2024 in Stamford, Connecticut. WWE founder Vince McMahon resigned from the WWE and its parent company TKO... STAMFORD, CONNECTICUT - JANUARY 28: A WWE logo shines from the WWE wrestling world headquarters on January 28, 2024 in Stamford, Connecticut. WWE founder Vince McMahon resigned from the WWE and its parent company TKO as executive chairman and board of directors following allegations of sexual assault in a Connecticut lawsuit. A former employee Janel Grant accused McMahon, 78, of sexual assault and sexually trafficking her. More More news: WWE News: Steve Austin Reveals Real-Life Vince McMahon Confrontation Addressing her opponent, Kenzie Paige, directly, she continued her intense promo. "You see, I was born fighting, Kenzie. Somewhere along the way, I was domesticated. And that's why my life doesn't fit right now." Natalya then articulated her raw motivations. "Some people get fast cars or drugs or a piece on the side, just to feel alive. But me, I just need the taste of blood in my mouth, the feeling of bruises underneath my clothes, and the rush of 'kill or be killed'." She concluded with a chilling promise to the NWA Women's Champion. "I don't need to get something else to feel alive, Kenzie. I need to be someone else – someone who is going to come to your house and beat your a--. And smile while doing it." Stripping down to who I am is the most thrilling thing I've ever done in this business. #NWA #CrockettCup — Nattie (@NatbyNature) May 14, 2025 Accompanying the impactful video, Neidhart added a revealing caption. "Stripping down to who I am is the most thrilling thing I've ever done in this business. #NWA #CrockettCup," she wrote. This transformation adds a significant layer of intrigue to her championship challenge at the NWA Crockett Cup. The event, taking place at the historic 2300 Arena, will also feature the Crockett Cup tag team tournament and Thom Latimer defending the NWA Worlds Heavyweight Championship against fellow WWE veteran Rhino. More WWE News: For more on WWE, head to Newsweek Sports.
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Is Donald Trump's 100 Percent Tariff on Movies Even Possible?
"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links." Bloodsport is one of Donald Trump's favorite movies. He told The New Yorker in 1997 that he often returns to the late '80s action flick, which follows a United States Army Captain (played by Jean-Claude Van Damme) who travels overseas to defeat his foreign opponents in an underground martial arts tournament. Critics have already explored at length why such a film resonates with the President. But after he announced a "100 percent tariff" on films that are produced outside of the United States this past weekend, it's fair to say that Trump likely doesn't know that one of his favorite 'American' films—starring a Belgian actor—was shot entirely on location in Hong Kong. People vote against their own interests all the time. They can certainly enact policies against them as well. Per the President's latest ramblings on Truth Social: 'The Movie Industry in America is DYING a very fast death. Other Countries are offering all sorts of incentives to draw our filmmakers and studios away from the United States. Hollywood, and many other areas within the U.S.A., are being devastated. This is a concerted effort by other Nations and, therefore, a National Security threat. It is, in addition to everything else, messaging and propaganda! Therefore, I am authorizing the Department of Commerce, and the United States Trade Representative, to immediately begin the process of instituting a 100% Tariff on any and all Movies coming into our Country that are produced in Foreign Lands. WE WANT MOVIES MADE IN AMERICA, AGAIN!' As is often the case, it's difficult to say just what Trump means here. Will the tariff also affect American films that shoot overseas? Many upcoming American blockbusters including Dune: Messiah, Avatar 3, and Avengers: Doomsday, are all currently shooting in locations outside of the country. And according to The Hollywood Reporter, 'Roughly 45 percent of A Minecraft Movie's $875 million global box office haul—the $400 million it made at the U.S. box office—could theoretically be susceptible to Trump's "100 percent tariff" depending on when the President's policy goes into effect. As one might expect, a lot of Hollywood's money is made outside of Hollywood itself. So, let's break down some of the largest questions to Trump's newly proposed 100 percent movie tariff. It's no secret that filming in the U.S. is incredibly expensive. Outside of Atlanta, which has increased production due to the state's 30 percent tax break, it is far cheaper for studios to film overseas. Unless California plans to offer similar tax incentives, Trump's tariff will simply raise the cost of producing a film no matter where it chooses to shoot. It's a lose-lose situation. Without similar tax breaks at home, the tariff will only decrease the quality of films. Studios would likely adapt to other controversial cost-cutting measures such as more digital green screen shooting and AI. It seems safe to assume that the tariff would also affect series production (should it go into effect at all), including streaming services such as Netflix, Prime Video, Disney, and Max. Many of these services currently reap massive rewards from their global streaming base. Netflix's Squid Game is produced in South Korea, Disney's Andor shot in London, and HBO's The Last of Us films in British Colombia. The list goes on. Would streaming services pull their most lucrative shows off their platforms to avoid the tariffs, or would other shows simply suffer as a result by taking on even smaller budgets? According to The New York Times, a spokesman for the White House stated that "no final decisions on foreign film tariffs have been made." Furthermore, California Governor Gavin Newsom's office told Deadline that Trump has "no authority" to impose the tariffs. Per the outlet, "the initial reaction from the Governor's team is sure to take more solid form as more becomes known about what Trump really is up to and wants to see done." The real danger? Should foreign countries respond with their own 100 percent tariff to American films, I'm not certain that Hollywood could recover. According to Bloomberg, the U.S. exports nearly three times as much entertainment as it imports. If you thought Hollywood had enough of a problem recovering post-COVID, just wait until a successful film like Barbie—which grossed over $630 million in the U.S. and Canada, per BoxOffice Mojo—loses a significant chunk of the additional $810 million that the film earned in overseas box office sales. Outside of issues regarding budget cuts and a decrease in quality, retaliation is easily the largest deterrent. Worst of all? Trump could kiss any plans for another Bloodsport film goodbye. You Might Also Like Kid Cudi Is All Right 16 Best Shoe Organizers For Storing and Displaying Your Kicks
