Article by Mark Longden
Len Kabasinski had a childhood much like many of us – grew up loving genre movies (for him, kung-fu and sci-fi, and sci-fi-kung-fu), but unlike many of us, when he grew up he had the drive and determination to parlay that into a filmmaking career which has now lasted over a decade and gone from strength to strength.
His first film was a little gem called “Swamp Zombies!!!” (yes, three exclamation marks) While it looks a lot like the legions of other no-budget forests-based horror movies that we’ve been subjected to in recent years, it’s differentiated by two things that would become Kabasinski trademarks – oddball casting and excellent fight scenes. The latter can be explained by his being a nationally ranked martial artist and knowing lots of people who can fight well on camera; but the former is probably the first reason I became a fan,...
Len Kabasinski had a childhood much like many of us – grew up loving genre movies (for him, kung-fu and sci-fi, and sci-fi-kung-fu), but unlike many of us, when he grew up he had the drive and determination to parlay that into a filmmaking career which has now lasted over a decade and gone from strength to strength.
His first film was a little gem called “Swamp Zombies!!!” (yes, three exclamation marks) While it looks a lot like the legions of other no-budget forests-based horror movies that we’ve been subjected to in recent years, it’s differentiated by two things that would become Kabasinski trademarks – oddball casting and excellent fight scenes. The latter can be explained by his being a nationally ranked martial artist and knowing lots of people who can fight well on camera; but the former is probably the first reason I became a fan,...
- 4/13/2017
- by Movie Geeks
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
© Kc Alfred/Zuma Press/Corbis
Ken Shamrock has had a seen it all, done it all sort of career. He has been a Ufc champion, and appeared in the first ever Ufc event. He has been a Pancrase champion, wrestled in Japan, and went on to become an intercontinental champion in the WWE. As a pro wrestler, he was probably underrated. As a mixed martial artist, he was a pioneer – but time waits for no man.
Friday night at Bellator 149, Shamrock met longtime rival Royce Gracie, the man who beat him way back at Ufc 1, for the third time in their respective careers. The fifty-two year old Shamrock hadn’t won since 2010, and had recently lost to Kimbo Slice in Bellator. Gracie, however, hadn’t fought in over nine years, and at forty-nine years old himself and a decade removed from the action, it looked like Shamrock might finally get...
Ken Shamrock has had a seen it all, done it all sort of career. He has been a Ufc champion, and appeared in the first ever Ufc event. He has been a Pancrase champion, wrestled in Japan, and went on to become an intercontinental champion in the WWE. As a pro wrestler, he was probably underrated. As a mixed martial artist, he was a pioneer – but time waits for no man.
Friday night at Bellator 149, Shamrock met longtime rival Royce Gracie, the man who beat him way back at Ufc 1, for the third time in their respective careers. The fifty-two year old Shamrock hadn’t won since 2010, and had recently lost to Kimbo Slice in Bellator. Gracie, however, hadn’t fought in over nine years, and at forty-nine years old himself and a decade removed from the action, it looked like Shamrock might finally get...
- 2/20/2016
- by Jay Anderson
- Obsessed with Film
WWE.com
Kurt Angle has left Tna after nearly ten years with the promotion, and now the next step in his career has been announced. Angle will take on former adversary Rey Mysterio at Ur Fight’s March 20th event.
Ur Fight is a fledgling hybrid promotion mixing various forms of combat sports. Angle versus Mysterio (hyped as “one final match” between the two) is one quarter of a quadruple main event on the March show, to be held at Phoenix, Arizona’s Celebrity Theater. The other advertised matches include an Mma bout between legendary rivals Dan Severn and Ken Shamrock, a grappling match pitting Chael Sonnen against Michael Bisping, and boxing icon Roy Jones, Jr. taking on a fan with $100,000 on the line.
Angle and Mysterio clashed many times in WWE, with the multi-time Cruiserweight Champion taking on the Olympic Gold Medalist in Mysterio’s Pay-Per-View debut with the company.
Kurt Angle has left Tna after nearly ten years with the promotion, and now the next step in his career has been announced. Angle will take on former adversary Rey Mysterio at Ur Fight’s March 20th event.
Ur Fight is a fledgling hybrid promotion mixing various forms of combat sports. Angle versus Mysterio (hyped as “one final match” between the two) is one quarter of a quadruple main event on the March show, to be held at Phoenix, Arizona’s Celebrity Theater. The other advertised matches include an Mma bout between legendary rivals Dan Severn and Ken Shamrock, a grappling match pitting Chael Sonnen against Michael Bisping, and boxing icon Roy Jones, Jr. taking on a fan with $100,000 on the line.
Angle and Mysterio clashed many times in WWE, with the multi-time Cruiserweight Champion taking on the Olympic Gold Medalist in Mysterio’s Pay-Per-View debut with the company.
- 2/12/2016
- by Scott Fried
- Obsessed with Film
ImpactWrestling.com
Months back, during Bellator 145: Vengeance, Bellator Mma unveiled its newest big name connection to the pro wrestling world: Kurt Angle. Angle joined the Bellator Mma family that night, stepping into the broadcast booth to add his insights into the Bobby Lashley vs. James Thompson fight (the most watched bout of the evening, which Lashley handily won).
He was also immediately confronted with the obvious question: would he fight in Bellator? To make a long story short, Angle said he would consider it.
Now, he’s talking possible opponents, and he’s being pretty realistic about just who he wants to face.
Speaking to The Roman Show, Angle said he was not planning on fighting anyone in their prime (so you can probably eliminate a bout with Bobby Lashley), but was absolutely open to fighting an “Mma legend” – and he absolutely named names.
Of course, I’m not...
Months back, during Bellator 145: Vengeance, Bellator Mma unveiled its newest big name connection to the pro wrestling world: Kurt Angle. Angle joined the Bellator Mma family that night, stepping into the broadcast booth to add his insights into the Bobby Lashley vs. James Thompson fight (the most watched bout of the evening, which Lashley handily won).
He was also immediately confronted with the obvious question: would he fight in Bellator? To make a long story short, Angle said he would consider it.
Now, he’s talking possible opponents, and he’s being pretty realistic about just who he wants to face.
Speaking to The Roman Show, Angle said he was not planning on fighting anyone in their prime (so you can probably eliminate a bout with Bobby Lashley), but was absolutely open to fighting an “Mma legend” – and he absolutely named names.
Of course, I’m not...
- 1/30/2016
- by Jay Anderson
- Obsessed with Film
Kurt Angle could lay a real life smackdown on a real life fighter ... 'cause the wrestling legend says he's considering doing a real Mma fight -- and named Kimbo Slice as a possible opponent. Angle -- who's been doing commentary for Bellator -- recently appeared on "The Roman Show" and was asked if he'd ever step out from behind the media desk ... and into the ring. Angle says there's a Very Small chance he agrees...
- 1/27/2016
- by TMZ Staff
- TMZ
WWE.com
Former WCW World Heavyweight Champion Vader has reportedly been offered a fight by an unnamed mixed martial arts promotion in the U.S.
Details are vague, but the sixty year old, real name Leon White, is apparently weighing the offer, which is being reported as a $5,000 to show sort of deal (there would potentially be a win bonus on top of that). While no organization was named, rest assured it was not the Ufc, or likely even Bellator Mma – though they have shown interest in signing on pro wrestlers in the past, and have been linked to both Alberto Del Rio and Bill Goldberg at various times.
That said, it’s unlikely that any major Mma outfit would want to take on the risk inherent in having a sixty year old man compete in a cage fight, which will likely eliminate Bellator, and even the Wsof, as possibilities.
Former WCW World Heavyweight Champion Vader has reportedly been offered a fight by an unnamed mixed martial arts promotion in the U.S.
Details are vague, but the sixty year old, real name Leon White, is apparently weighing the offer, which is being reported as a $5,000 to show sort of deal (there would potentially be a win bonus on top of that). While no organization was named, rest assured it was not the Ufc, or likely even Bellator Mma – though they have shown interest in signing on pro wrestlers in the past, and have been linked to both Alberto Del Rio and Bill Goldberg at various times.
That said, it’s unlikely that any major Mma outfit would want to take on the risk inherent in having a sixty year old man compete in a cage fight, which will likely eliminate Bellator, and even the Wsof, as possibilities.
- 9/30/2015
- by Jay Anderson
- Obsessed with Film
Jae C. Hong/AP
With a record now standing at 12-0 after knocking out Bethe Correia in 34 seconds at Ufc 190, “Rowdy” Ronda Rousey is now likely well established as the biggest drawing attraction in combat sports. Yes, that’s male or female, and yes, that’s bigger than John Cena, Brock Lesnar or anyone else you’d probably care to name. Simply put, when blended, her talent and persona create a star of stars, a once in a generation talent supreme.
As a company, WWE knows a bit about working with these unique combat sport super-draws, as from the era of Dusty Rhodes being able to draw a house comparable in some ways to say, a Muhammad Ali, WWE’s always found a way to either mimic or outright borrow these talents.
Though Ronda Rousey did appear at WrestleMania 31, there’s no word as to whether or not she will...
With a record now standing at 12-0 after knocking out Bethe Correia in 34 seconds at Ufc 190, “Rowdy” Ronda Rousey is now likely well established as the biggest drawing attraction in combat sports. Yes, that’s male or female, and yes, that’s bigger than John Cena, Brock Lesnar or anyone else you’d probably care to name. Simply put, when blended, her talent and persona create a star of stars, a once in a generation talent supreme.
As a company, WWE knows a bit about working with these unique combat sport super-draws, as from the era of Dusty Rhodes being able to draw a house comparable in some ways to say, a Muhammad Ali, WWE’s always found a way to either mimic or outright borrow these talents.
Though Ronda Rousey did appear at WrestleMania 31, there’s no word as to whether or not she will...
- 8/3/2015
- by Marcus K. Dowling
- Obsessed with Film
Don Feria/AP
The legitimacy of the mainstream – of sport, celebrity and big business – is something that, for all his bluster, Vincent Kennedy McMahon has aspired to for three decades or more. All of his failed commercial ventures – the World Bodybuilding Federation, the Xfl, WWE New York and Niagara Falls, some would say WWE Studios – have been attempts to diversify his company’s business out of the niche market of professional wrestling. Now we have the Network, an online streaming service working as a foundation for control of the cable television broadcast of WWE-owned product.
In the same way, when it come to the wrestling business WWE have always been keen on hyping their performers by bigging up their sporting exploits prior to joining the company. In recent years they’ve exploited the legitimate credibility of Ken Shamrock, Dan Severn, Steve Blackman, Kurt Angle, Shelton Benjamin, Jake ‘Jack Swagger’ Hager,...
The legitimacy of the mainstream – of sport, celebrity and big business – is something that, for all his bluster, Vincent Kennedy McMahon has aspired to for three decades or more. All of his failed commercial ventures – the World Bodybuilding Federation, the Xfl, WWE New York and Niagara Falls, some would say WWE Studios – have been attempts to diversify his company’s business out of the niche market of professional wrestling. Now we have the Network, an online streaming service working as a foundation for control of the cable television broadcast of WWE-owned product.
In the same way, when it come to the wrestling business WWE have always been keen on hyping their performers by bigging up their sporting exploits prior to joining the company. In recent years they’ve exploited the legitimate credibility of Ken Shamrock, Dan Severn, Steve Blackman, Kurt Angle, Shelton Benjamin, Jake ‘Jack Swagger’ Hager,...
- 4/3/2015
- by Ben Cooke
- Obsessed with Film
WWE.com
Cm Punk, just what have you gotten yourself into?
Mixed martial arts is no walk in the park. Most fighters have years of training in multiple martial arts disciplines prior to making their professional debuts. Even then, few wind up in the big leagues, and even fewer still make it to the top of the heap, or even into the top tens of the various weight classes throughout the sport.
Yet professional wrestlers continue to try and make it in the world of mixed martial arts. For some, it’s a lifelong dream. For others, they know that, should they make it, fame and fortune await. A crossover star, after all, is bigger than a star in any one profession.
Many big names have made it. Ken Shamrock was a wrestler first. So was Dan Severn. Bobby Lashley. Brock Lesnar. Alberto del Rio. Some have gone far. Others have just dabbled.
Cm Punk, just what have you gotten yourself into?
Mixed martial arts is no walk in the park. Most fighters have years of training in multiple martial arts disciplines prior to making their professional debuts. Even then, few wind up in the big leagues, and even fewer still make it to the top of the heap, or even into the top tens of the various weight classes throughout the sport.
Yet professional wrestlers continue to try and make it in the world of mixed martial arts. For some, it’s a lifelong dream. For others, they know that, should they make it, fame and fortune await. A crossover star, after all, is bigger than a star in any one profession.
Many big names have made it. Ken Shamrock was a wrestler first. So was Dan Severn. Bobby Lashley. Brock Lesnar. Alberto del Rio. Some have gone far. Others have just dabbled.
- 3/4/2015
- by Jay Anderson
- Obsessed with Film
WWE.com
He’s pushing fifty, flopped in his WWE run, but he’s still a huge name in the wrestling world, and now he’s training with “King” Mo Lawal at American Top Team: Could Bill Goldberg, at age 48, have an Mma fight in his future?
Before you completely dismiss the idea, consider that at the same age, Herschel Walker, NFL legend, fought in Strikeforce, then the second largest Mma promotion in the world, and run by one Scott Coker. The same Scott Coker who now runs Bellator Mma, owned by Viacom. The same promotion where King Mo remains a key star, with an upcoming fight against Cheick Kongo.
And Mo thinks Bellator needs to reach out to Goldberg.
Speaking to Submission Radio, Mo had the following to say about his current training partner:
Well first of all man, he’s a fast learner. He has some crazy power,...
He’s pushing fifty, flopped in his WWE run, but he’s still a huge name in the wrestling world, and now he’s training with “King” Mo Lawal at American Top Team: Could Bill Goldberg, at age 48, have an Mma fight in his future?
Before you completely dismiss the idea, consider that at the same age, Herschel Walker, NFL legend, fought in Strikeforce, then the second largest Mma promotion in the world, and run by one Scott Coker. The same Scott Coker who now runs Bellator Mma, owned by Viacom. The same promotion where King Mo remains a key star, with an upcoming fight against Cheick Kongo.
And Mo thinks Bellator needs to reach out to Goldberg.
Speaking to Submission Radio, Mo had the following to say about his current training partner:
Well first of all man, he’s a fast learner. He has some crazy power,...
- 2/2/2015
- by Jay Anderson
- Obsessed with Film
Not everyone is going to be a beast like Brock Lesnar in multiple careers. And sometimes, pro wrestling is just more lucrative than actually fighting for a living.
Last month WhatCulture.com took a look at five WWE stars who made the transition to the Ufc, and vice versa. You know, guys like Dan Severn, Ken Shamrock, and Brock Lesnar. Well, the Mma world is more than just the Ufc, and a lot of pro wrestlers have made the jump – or tried to make the jump – into real fighting over the years, with varying levels of success.
The two sports generally require relevantly equal levels of athleticism, with differing skill sets – stamina, for example, is key in both, for both wrestlers and fighters need to be able to compete upwards of fifteen minutes at a high level (iron man matches, anyone?). While pro wrestlers need to learn how to sell moves and take bumps,...
Last month WhatCulture.com took a look at five WWE stars who made the transition to the Ufc, and vice versa. You know, guys like Dan Severn, Ken Shamrock, and Brock Lesnar. Well, the Mma world is more than just the Ufc, and a lot of pro wrestlers have made the jump – or tried to make the jump – into real fighting over the years, with varying levels of success.
The two sports generally require relevantly equal levels of athleticism, with differing skill sets – stamina, for example, is key in both, for both wrestlers and fighters need to be able to compete upwards of fifteen minutes at a high level (iron man matches, anyone?). While pro wrestlers need to learn how to sell moves and take bumps,...
- 7/3/2014
- by Jay Anderson
- Obsessed with Film
WWE.com
Professional wrestling and mixed martial arts have been somewhat married since their inceptions. As legit pro wrestling gave way to scripted pro wrestling, the same tactics and training techniques stuck around for decades. The likes of Billy Robinson, Judo Gene LeBell and Stu Hart transitioned their shoot wrestling abilities and parlayed them into success in pro wrestling.
Worked fights continued all the way up through the 1990s, but as the Ufc emerged, it became much easier to decipher a work from a shoot. That hasn’t stopped the two worlds from intersecting, as the likes of Ken Shamrock, Brock Lesnar, Dan Severn, Bob Sapp and several others have managed success in both Mma and pro wrestling.
Not every pro wrestling crossover has had the same level of success as the aforementioned stars, though. Some pro wrestlers that transitioned into the cage quite frankly had no business being involved with the sport,...
Professional wrestling and mixed martial arts have been somewhat married since their inceptions. As legit pro wrestling gave way to scripted pro wrestling, the same tactics and training techniques stuck around for decades. The likes of Billy Robinson, Judo Gene LeBell and Stu Hart transitioned their shoot wrestling abilities and parlayed them into success in pro wrestling.
Worked fights continued all the way up through the 1990s, but as the Ufc emerged, it became much easier to decipher a work from a shoot. That hasn’t stopped the two worlds from intersecting, as the likes of Ken Shamrock, Brock Lesnar, Dan Severn, Bob Sapp and several others have managed success in both Mma and pro wrestling.
Not every pro wrestling crossover has had the same level of success as the aforementioned stars, though. Some pro wrestlers that transitioned into the cage quite frankly had no business being involved with the sport,...
- 6/28/2014
- by Sean Ross Sapp
- Obsessed with Film
Nwa Wrestling is now available for free viewing on FilmOn. Wrestling fans will love this channel, which was created by the National Wrestling Alliance. Nwa Wrestling was founded in 1948 and is the world’s largest and oldest professional wrestling sanctioning body. The Nwa has produced some of the biggest wrestling stars in the world today, including Pat O’Connor, Buddy Rogers, Loy Thesz, Bobo Brazil, Jack Brisco, Ricky Steamboat, Ron Killings, Naoya Ogawa, Dan Severn, Ken Shamrock, Rob Conway, Kahagas and plenty more. Need some wrestling right now? Take a look at what Nwa Wrestling has to offer below the post. You can watch Nwa Wrestling’s channel on FilmOn as well, [ Read More ]
The post Watch Nwa Wrestling for Free on FilmOn appeared first on Shockya.com.
The post Watch Nwa Wrestling for Free on FilmOn appeared first on Shockya.com.
- 3/19/2014
- by monique
- ShockYa
A hypothetical: what if the WrestleMania showdown between Brock Lesnar and The Undertaker devolved from a “worked” pro wrestling match into a legitimate fight?
So called “shoots” are rare, especially nowadays, but not unprecedented.
Imagine, for instance, that Lesnar were secretly considering a return to mixed martial arts, and wanted to make a bold statement of his legitimate fighting prowess on wrestling’s “grandest stage.” Legitimately making The Undertaker tap out, thereby breaking the vaunted streak, would surely make headlines and raise Lesnar’s stock considerably.
Undertaker, the consummate professional, would be highly unlikely to start a “shoot,” but he’d have no choice but to defend himself and fight back if Lesnar made things real.
So who would win?
Who better to answer that question than a man intimately acquainted with both professional wrestling and mixed martial arts, Dan “The Beast” Severn.
Severn was a Ufc triple crown champ,...
So called “shoots” are rare, especially nowadays, but not unprecedented.
Imagine, for instance, that Lesnar were secretly considering a return to mixed martial arts, and wanted to make a bold statement of his legitimate fighting prowess on wrestling’s “grandest stage.” Legitimately making The Undertaker tap out, thereby breaking the vaunted streak, would surely make headlines and raise Lesnar’s stock considerably.
Undertaker, the consummate professional, would be highly unlikely to start a “shoot,” but he’d have no choice but to defend himself and fight back if Lesnar made things real.
So who would win?
Who better to answer that question than a man intimately acquainted with both professional wrestling and mixed martial arts, Dan “The Beast” Severn.
Severn was a Ufc triple crown champ,...
- 3/19/2014
- by Marshall Ward
- Obsessed with Film
World Wrestling Federation icon Jake “The Snake” Roberts is making his first foray into fictional film in College Fright Night, an all-in monster stomper from writer/director Brad Leo Lyon. The film also stars Dustin Diamond (!!), Martin Klebba, Lee Arenberg, Susan Graham, Sarah Fletcher, and fellow ex-wrestler Dan Severn. College Fright Night is currently in production and is aiming for release in 2013.
Synopsis:
“What’s college without beer, babes, and vampires?!? Campus life (or lack thereof) is about to take on a whole new meaning when the University, and potentially the rest of the world, finds itself in danger from an army of the undead. Alex and Brock are your typical small college jocks dealing with an annoying residence assistant, wacko monster obsessed professor, head case for a coach, and of course lots of drunken women. Their lives get flipped upside down when a suspension from the football team saves...
Synopsis:
“What’s college without beer, babes, and vampires?!? Campus life (or lack thereof) is about to take on a whole new meaning when the University, and potentially the rest of the world, finds itself in danger from an army of the undead. Alex and Brock are your typical small college jocks dealing with an annoying residence assistant, wacko monster obsessed professor, head case for a coach, and of course lots of drunken women. Their lives get flipped upside down when a suspension from the football team saves...
- 3/22/2012
- by Justin
- FamousMonsters of Filmland
We start with a recap of last week’s main event between Jay Lethal and El Generico, and Mike Bennett’s interference.
At the start of the show we are told that due to last week’s main event a new match has been added to Final Battle. I wonder what that could be.
Tonight’s main event will be a tag match between the Young Bucks and Future Shock (Kyle O‘Riley and Adam Cole).
We cut to Prince Nana putting over Tommasio Chiampa. Bacially a short promo about how strong he is and how he is the best, intercut with videos of his training routine. Fairly effective framing device.
Match One: Shiloh Jonze vs. Tommasio Ciampa w/ Prince Nana, Princess Mia & Ernesto Osiris
Winner: Tommasio Ciampa
Worth Watching?: Not really, it was just your standard squash match. Ciampa’s finisher is cool, though.
Next interview features the...
At the start of the show we are told that due to last week’s main event a new match has been added to Final Battle. I wonder what that could be.
Tonight’s main event will be a tag match between the Young Bucks and Future Shock (Kyle O‘Riley and Adam Cole).
We cut to Prince Nana putting over Tommasio Chiampa. Bacially a short promo about how strong he is and how he is the best, intercut with videos of his training routine. Fairly effective framing device.
Match One: Shiloh Jonze vs. Tommasio Ciampa w/ Prince Nana, Princess Mia & Ernesto Osiris
Winner: Tommasio Ciampa
Worth Watching?: Not really, it was just your standard squash match. Ciampa’s finisher is cool, though.
Next interview features the...
- 12/9/2011
- by Alex McKay
- Obsessed with Film
We begin with a recap of last week’s main event and already the presentation has improved by leaps and bounds. The production is slick and polished, but the overly dramatic music is still pretty cheesy and takes the shine off a little.
Kevin Kelly and Nigel McGuinness are standing by the entrance ramp discussing last week’s main event, and announce tonight’s main event will be Davey Richards against his training partner Kyle O’Riley
And then we have a perfect example of everything that’s wrong with wrestling by cutting to a promo of Mike Mondo, aka Biff from Back To The Future. He tells people not to crowd him “’cause I take up a lot of space”. I actually rolled my eyes at that one. Basically the whole promo is about how strong he is and Mike thinks he’s the “biggest man in town”.
Again,...
Kevin Kelly and Nigel McGuinness are standing by the entrance ramp discussing last week’s main event, and announce tonight’s main event will be Davey Richards against his training partner Kyle O’Riley
And then we have a perfect example of everything that’s wrong with wrestling by cutting to a promo of Mike Mondo, aka Biff from Back To The Future. He tells people not to crowd him “’cause I take up a lot of space”. I actually rolled my eyes at that one. Basically the whole promo is about how strong he is and Mike thinks he’s the “biggest man in town”.
Again,...
- 11/24/2011
- by Alex McKay
- Obsessed with Film
Brock Lesnar became the third pro wrestler (joining Ken Shamrock and Dan Severn) to win the Ufc Heavyweight Championship, defeating returning champion Randy Couture in the second round of Saturday’s title bout in the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Lesnar knocked Randy down with a right hand that grazed the 45-year old Couture’s ear, before finishing the fight with a barrage of punches on the ground.
- 11/18/2008
- UGO TV
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