JarryPark.com – How’s Taste My Website?

John Kolosci Doesn’t Fear Mac (The Knife)

Despite his loss to Mac Danzig on last night’s episode of The Ultimate Fighter: Team Hughes vs Team Serra, John Kolosci deserves all the credit in the world.

Clearly, Danzig is the best and most experienced fighter in the house. However, his past MMA triumphs didn’t faze the Indiana-native as Kolosci requested to fight Danzig.

Unfortunately for Kolosci, the fight didn’t go as planned and while he appears to have a bright MMA future ahead of him he hopes to someday get another shot at Danzig.

In the meantime, Kolosci will continue working at his job as a Supervisor of Enterprise Computing Services (Microsoft & Citrix Server Team) for a large health care organization while focusing on his goal to someday get signed by the UFC. Apparently, Luke Cummo and Joe Lauzon have created a computer-geek MMA revolution and I’m all for it.

I had the pleasure of speaking with Kolosci about his loss to Danzig, his experience on the show and his MMA future.

John Kolosci – 11/15/07

Posted in Interview, John Kolosci, The Ultimate Fighter | 1 Comment »

Kurt Angle Is Coming To HDNet’s ‘Inside MMA’

Friend of JarryPark.com, TNA Heavyweight Champion Kurt Angle, will appear on HDNet’s Inside MMA, this Friday, November 16 at 9:30 p.m. & 1:30 a.m ET only on HDNet.

Inside MMA is a new weekly series covering the latest news, rankings, stats and highlights from the world of Mixed Martial Arts. If you haven’t checked out the show you must do so pronto. Great discussions, great guests and Bas Rutten. What more can MMA fan ask for?

Angle will discuss the week that was in the world of MMA as well as his future in the sport.

Angle was a guest on JarryPark.com in an interview that seemingly rocked the wrestling world. He spoke candidly on his MMA future, TNA and a whole host of other subjects.

In case you missed it, here it is again:

Kurt Angle – 10/22/07

Posted in Inside MMA, Kurt Angle | 2 Comments »

Thank You

I wanted to briefly thank all those that continue to visit and support the site each and everyday. I can’t thank you enough.

As you can tell we are specializing in bringing you the best interviews from around the combat sports world. So, the only favor I ask of you (other than to visit the site every day) is if you or anyone you know is a boxer, mixed-martial-artist, pro wrestler or any other type of fighter I would love to speak with you (or them).

I don’t care if your name is Joe Frazier or Joe Schmo. If you have competed at the amateur or professional level you have a home at JarryPark.com.

Also, and this goes without saying, if you know of any combat sports fans out there that have yet to hear about the site please spread the good word.

We even started up our own Myspace page so please add us to your friends’ list. The page is in its infancy (could they make Myspace anymore confusing to navigate?) but we are working on improving it.

We have a lot of exciting plans in store for the future and are glad you are joining us for the ride.

(The above photo is our special way of saying thank you)

– Ariel

Posted in Blogroll | 1 Comment »

Battle At The Borgata

The last time boxing fans saw WBO Junior Lightweight Champion Joan Guzman (27-0, 17 KO) he was winning a unanimous decision over Antonio Davis almost one full year ago. So, needless to say, the 31-year-old Dominican is counting down the days to his title defense against veteran Humberto Soto (43-5-2, 27 KO) in what can also be billed as “The Manny Pacquiao Invitational.”

You see, the winner of this probable slugfest (HBO Boxing After Dark, 9:45 ET/PT) will likely be in line to face the PacMan (45-3, 2 KO). And while the undefeated Guzman may be favored come Saturday night, Soto (aka “Little Tyson”) is one a five-year 20-fight winning streak and appears to have a little chip on his shoulder (not to mention incredible power – hence the nickname).

“This is my second opportunity against a undefeated fighter. A lot of people didn’t expect me to beat Rocky Juarez the first time. He had Olympic credentials and no one gave me a shot but I proved everyone wrong. Maybe Guzman is the favorite for this fight but that doesn’t mean much to me because I have been scratched off before and I’ve succeeded.”

Regardless of who wins both present an interesting storyline should they fight PacMan. Soto holds a victory of Manny’s brother, Bobby Pacquiao, and the retirements of fellow Mexican legends Erik Morales and Marco Antonio Barrera following losses to Pacquiao will find him seeking to honor his homeland.

Meanwhile, Guzman is simply looking to finish the year as he did the last – undefeated:

“I know I am a dangerous fighter. No one wants to fight me either. I keep winning titles but nobody wanted to fight me at 126 (lbs) and now I move up in weight and won (the) title at 130 pounds. I won’t run away from anyone. I’ve said it time and time again that I will fight anyone, anywhere.”

Posted in Boxing, Humberto Soto, Joan Guzman, Manny Pacquiao | No Comments »

Swiss Beats

Without a doubt, Claudio Castagnoli, is one of the brightest young stars in wrestling.

The Swiss-born Castagnoli crafts his trade all over the independent wrestling scene but can be seen on a national stage through the Ring of Honor wrestling promotion.

While the 26-year-old Castagnoli has already held several world titles he has really come into his own within the last year as a main eventer in ROH.

Last year, it appeared as though all of Castagnoli’s hard work had paid off when he signed a developmental deal with World Wrestling Entertainment. However, WWE severed ties with Castagnoli just five weeks after signing him. Rumors circulated that it was because he didn’t have a proper working visa but Castagnoli has repeatedly proclaimed that he is completely legal to work in the US.

Clearly, Castagnoli has put that strange incident behind him and is enjoying arguably his best year as a pro wrestler. He signed a long-term deal with ROH and recently won their Race to the Top Tournament.

I caught up with Castagnoli to discuss his current ROH run, his relationship with WWE, the independent wrestling scene, the now-infamous San Francisco wrestling convention and whether or not wrestlers deserve an off-season.

Claudio Castagnoli – 11/14/07

Posted in Claudio Castagnoli, Interview, Ring of Honor, Wrestling | 4 Comments »

Emanuel Steward Is Coming to The Park

Later this week, I will be posting an exclusive one-on-one interview with Hall of Fame boxing trainer, Emanuel Steward.

Steward made headlines earlier this week when it was announced that he will be leaving his post as Jermain Taylor’s trainer.

There are a lot of rumors surrounding this breakup but this interview will certainly set the record straight.

Got a question for Steward? Drop us a line in the comments section and we will be sure to ask him.

Posted in Boxing, Emanuel Steward | 4 Comments »

El Guapo Grades Kimbo’s Elite XC Debut

I’m still a little surprised that more people aren’t questioning Bo Cantrell’s performance against Kimbo Slice this weekend.

I hate to ever question a fighter’s heart or ability but, gosh, that certainly looked like a tank job to me. That said, take nothing away from Kimbo. He looked like a beast in the cage and most experts, including myself (although I’m certainly no expert), are starting to take the former street-fighting legend seriously.

The next logical bout appears to be against Tank Abbott. Tank has even entered the Frank Shamrock school of marketing by creating a YouTube video mocking Kimbo (although he desperately needs to up the production value of his clips…that was beyond weak).

I spoke to Kimbo’s trainer, Bas Rutten, about Saturday’s fight, whether he thought Cantrell took a dive, and what is next for Mr. Slice.

Also, El Guapo and I discussed the IFL’s announcement of a new Featherweight Division, the IFL World Grand Prix in general and where he thinks Ben Rothwell will be fighting in ’08 (hint: some guy named Fedor just signed with them).

As always, great to have Rutten back at The Park.

(NOTE: In our interview, I said M-1 holds their fights in a cage when the correct answer is actually a ring. My apologies to Monte Cox, Marc Ecko, Vadim Finklestein and maybe Mark Cuban…still not sure about that one.)

Bas Rutten – 11/13/07

(photo credit: Michael Zamora)

Posted in Bas Rutten, IFL, Interview, Kimbo Slice, MMA | 1 Comment »

UFC 78 Is Really Not That Bad

Yesterday, we took part in the UFC 78 Conference Call in which Dana White had everyone drinking his brand of kool-aid as to why this is the greatest MMA card ever assembled. Alright, we’re all in agreement that it isn’t but a closer look shows some really intriguing fights on the card.

Today, in search of some real answers, we invited bloodyelbow.com‘s, Luke Thomas, to preview this weekend’s event from Newark, NJ. Thomas is, without a doubt, one of the most knowledgeable MMA writers around so I think everyone will really enjoy his analysis and predictions. To the audio we go.

Luke Thomas – 11/13/07

Posted in Interview, MMA, UFC | 2 Comments »

Closing The Book On Cotto vs. Mosley

The dust has settled on this weekend’s Cotto vs. Mosley bout but, still, so many questions are left unanswered (in my mind, at least).

So, we extended an invitation to Jarry Park’s Sweet Scientist, Larz from No Mas Online, to help straighten everything out.

In our interview, Larz and I discuss the fallout from MSG (undercard and main event), what lies ahead for all fighters involved and the Manny Steward-Jermain Taylor divorce. We’re kind of like two old guys sitting in a barber shop after a big fight except neither of us are old and Larz forgot more about the sport of boxing in the last five minutes than I will ever know. And that’s why I love him.

Larz – 11/12/07

Posted in Boxing, Interview, Miguel Cotto, Shane Mosley | 5 Comments »

UFC 78 Is Upon Us

The UFC has held 22 pay-per-view events since the last time they visited the Northeast but that streak ends this Saturday night in Newark, NJ.

From the moment it was announced, the UFC 78 card was met with great scrutiny. It seemed as though most fans were expecting to see a rematch between Rashad Evans and Tito Ortiz. Once that fight fell through rumors persisted that we might see Dan Henderson vs. Tito Ortiz? However, that match never materialized either.

So, we are left with Rashad Evans vs. Micheal Bisping in the battle of The Ultimate Fighter winners. While the bout is definitely an interesting one, many, including myself, continue to question if it’s “main-event” worthy. At first glance, the rest of the card may resemble more of an Ultimate Fight Night event on Spike than a PPV card. That said, there are some great fights to be seen (Fisher-Edgar and Chonan-Parisyan come to mind).

Will fans be intrigued enough by the Evans-Bisping bout as well as the return of Houston Alexander to buy the show? We shall soon find out.

The UFC held a conference call this afternoon with Dana White, Houston Alexander, Michael Bisping and Rashad Evans and you can click below to listen to it. Nothing earth shattering coming out of it but some interesting things to take note of:

– Randy Couture texted White yesterday and they are looking to sit down and talk next week.

– No word on a possible deal with CBS.

– The next UFC Fight Night on Spike will be on 1/23/08.

– White is still unsure if UFC 80 will be on PPV or on Spike.

– Joe Doerksen appears to be back in the UFC after one fight in WEC.

UFC 78 Press Conference – 11/12/07

Posted in Houston Alexander, Michael Bisping, MMA, Rashad Evans, UFC | 3 Comments »