Mayweather's Legacy

  Tonight is the highly anticipated match between Floyd Mayweather and Connor Mcgregor. Mayweather is considered one of the greatest if not the greatest boxer of all-time, while Connor has his own rounds of success in the UFC world. Both are brash, arrogant, love nobody like they love themselves guys. Some even consider both assholes, which they both can be.
 One thing for sure is they are both smart businessman and excellent fighters who have bought interest back into boxing that hasn't been there since Mayweather fought Pacquio. Over the past twenty years boxing has lost its popularity to mixed martial arts particularly UFC, Mayweather has been seen as the last true boxing superstar, highly skilled and talented while also having justtttt enough personality to keep fans entertained in the boxing world. Connor has had his fair share of entertaining moments and success as well.
  While This fight is considered a exhibition there is an lingering question hanging around. If Mayweather loses to Mcgregor is his legacy tarnished? Mayweather is pound for pound the best boxer over the past twenty years, his footwork, style, and patience in the ring has made him one of a kind. Tied with Rocky Marciano for a 49-0 record, a win here will put him on the top all by himself.  Mcgregor is a skilled Mma champion who is stepping into Floyd's world in boxing. The one thing Mcgregor has that can be seen as an advantage is the 8 oz gloves they’ll be using which Connor is used to, as opposed to the s 10 oz boxing gloves which are standard for the 157 weight class. That small detail shouldn't really be a hindrance to Floyd if he's trained properly using those size gloves,
   I highly doubt it will happen but let's say Mcgregor beats Floyd. That would tarnish Floyd's record, his company, even his mouth. How could a man as braggadocious as Floyd confidently talk as much shit as he does if he gets knocked out?  A man who has fought some of the best fighters boxing has ever seen and defeated all of them, a man who trains with such attention to detail and dedication.  Who retired on top as to not make a joke of himself.
   A lost to Connor I don't think he could come back from, not only Floyd but boxing in general. Floyd would be considered a joke, which in turn boxing would be considered a joke. It would lose even more popularity and interest from casual fans. A lot of people don't like Floyd’s character but respect his craft, how much respect would he lose if he suffers a knockout?
   On the other hand how much would Connor gain being seen as the guy most unlikely to defeat Mayweather, and succeeding. Right now is the perfect time for Mayweather to get the younger generation interested in boxing. This whole event is one big show for both mans egos, pockets, and get some much needed hype in the boxing world. On the flip side Floyd has to be thinking about how much more he has to lose in the grand scheme of things, should he suffer a defeat to Connor. Depending on how things go his legacy will be cemented or tarnished and we will be tuned in to find out.

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DCEU Movie Plans

     In my last blog I covered Marvel’s “MCU” and the growing concern that eventually the shared universe would become to cumbersome. Since the MCU has became wildly successful, Hollywood does what Hollywood does best and looked to create their own film universe. Universal is trying with iconic horror characters in their “Monsterverse” (Mummy, Dracula, Wolfman, Frankenstein). Paramount is creating a “Transformers” Universe and are currently filming a “Bumbleebee” standalone movie, even though they should have stopped long ago with Transformers. There’s the Godzilla, King Kong universe. Of course there is the DCEU (D.C. Extended Universe) slate of films starring D.C. Superheroes and is Marvels biggest competitor.
   Since the DCEU began with “Man Of Steel” for the most parts their films were considered failures. “Batman vs. Superman” was horrible, “Suicide Squad” while enjoyable was flawed, this year's “Wonder Woman” was the first D.C. Movie that was successful, and hopes are high for this fall’s “Justice League”, I hope Justice League is an enjoyable film. Despite the failure of most DCEU films so far and the lack of uncertainty and overall direction in the universe, DC has crafted a plan where they may get a leg up on Marvel.
   News released this week that D.C. was planning a Joker origin movie that was it’s own story and not tied at all to the DCEU. Following that was news that D.C. was planning a new line of films that are stand alone movies, this is something I think can turn the tide of superhero movies. As much I enjoy Marvel movies me being the fan I am likes to connect the dots. That can become more cumbersome than it already is. Stand alone films give fans a chance to enjoy the movies without worrying about the payoff three movies down the road in another character's film.
   These new movies also give the creators of these films reign to tell their own stories without trying to cram in the overall arc of the DCEU. The Joker movie reportedly is being developed as a crime film set in the 80’s devoid of Batman. That in itself would put a new spin on the Joker and give the actor filling that role a chance to make the Joker his own.
   This route would also open the door for D.C. to create films around characters that are second tier characters and don't fit into their overall goal of the DCEU. Characters such as Nightwing, Bumbleebee, Constantine, Swamp Thing, maybe a Legion Of Doom film, Teen Titans, Birds of Prey, Robin, Batgirl, Supergirl there's endless potential. D.C. may even opt to go the route Disney took with Star Wars and create sub anthology films. D.C. Could even go the route that the Flash tv series employed from the comics and base films on the 52 earth story. This could offer exciting and fresh takes on characters and story's. Maybe on earth 1 Lex Luthor is the mastermind criminal we all know him to be…...but in earth 38 he’s the greatest superhero in the world.
    D.C. has always had better animated films than Marvel Flashpoint Paradox, Son of Batman, Superman/Batman: Public Enemies, Justice League: Throne of Atlantis to name a few. There tv series on cw which share their own little universe Flash, Arrow, Supergirl, and Legends of Tomorrow for the most part are way better than Marvel tv shows. If D.C. is committed to taking this approach along with their DCEU they just might unsurp Marvel from their throne.

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Marvel's MCU

 Netflix released Marvel’s “The Defenders” this past weekend, an 8 part miniseries that bought together Daredevil, Luke Cage, Jessica Jones, and Iron Fist to save New York City. This series is the culmination of Marvels phase 1 of their TV shows in the MCU. This begs a question is it time for Marvel to have more stand alone TV series and movies? Or have sub universes that don't have to be binded to the overall main universe?

  Next year will be 10 years(Hard to Believe) since the MCU started with Iron Man, when Nick Fury appeared after the credits to set up the Avengers, people went nuts. Since then Marvel has had us in the palm of their hands with their connected movies, Easter eggs, and the feeling if you miss one film in their series you’ll be lost. While a well thought out innovative plan, it is starting to show cracks.

  One of the biggest complaints against Iron Man 2 and the Avengers 2 was that they spent more time setting up future films and storylines and not focusing on the current film at hand. ABC’s Agents Of Shield has both benefited and been hampered by being the first TV show included in the MCU. It took a while to find its footing trying to fit into the MCUs overall plan. It benefitted from the MCU when the fall of Shield was tied into Captain America: Winter Soldier. Since then Agents of Shield has been random at times with figuring out if the shows stories and timeline are consistent with the films. A major crack was this summers Spider Mans: Homecoming where the beginning of the film is connected to Avengers but the timeline doesn't match up. Even the individual series of the Defenders characters are in the MCU but really aren't. 

   Being on Netflix The Defenders and the respective shows before it are more adult than the mainstream marvel movies and shows. Each show in one way or another mentions the events of the first Avengers to let everyone know it's one world they're all in. In my opinion it’s cool for everything to be connected, but the Netflix shows can't really stray to far from the main Marvel agenda and cater to a different audience. There's always the fanboy question of when are the Avengers and Defenders going to team up?

    Marvel could have their main MCU they could keep a tight leash on so that it doesn't grow out of hand and become stale. Then have smaller universes that are off on their own like the Netflix shows. There have been rumors that Blade is being developed for TV, Blade is so bad ass and deadly being a half vampire, half human, do we really need him to interact with the Avengers? Would his character and story benefit from being a self contained story? Deadpool whose film rights are not owned by Marvel benefitted from having it's own vibe and playground to tell its story in.

    Hulu will be debuting “Runaways” this fall which is connected to the MCU someway, and holding reservation until the show debuts I don't see how that show can be apart of the MCU other than a nod hear and there. Same with freeforms upcoming “Cloak and Dagger”. 

Now Over on ABC “Inhumans” will be debuting and is set in the MCU. If the show is successful and has subsequent seasons it can nicely tie in to the next outer space focus of the MCU films. I have to give Marvel credit for the free publicity of their next phase.
 

The MCU is a gift and a curse, I really enjoy the films and enjoy piecing the different puzzles together, but  I also feel with the depth of characters they have to bring to life. All of them won't be a good fit and having more stand alone or secondary universes will offer more creative opportunities. 

At the same time not stifling other creators by forcing their stories to fit into this predetermined narrative. Maybe a lame argument but not all of their cartoon shows and characters are connected, so why should all their films and TV series be?

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How WWE can freshen their product

  This weekend WWE will present their second biggest event Summerslam, only behind Wrestlemania in terms of promotion, extravagance and the culmination of storylines. It’s also seen as the next reset of storylines to lead into next years Wrestlemania. There’s even rumors that there could be another superstar shakeup sometime after Summerslam.
   This is good news as often times WWE can get quite stale really fast. There’s only so many times you can see the same wrestlers lock up and the same ideas rehashed with maybe a slight variation. Also missing is a fresh presentation of their respective shows. I’d like to offer three things I think could help the product freshen up.
   First I think WWE should bring back inset promos on a consistent basis. It’s a small change that they’ve done from time from time mainly on Smackdown but I think could be more. One of the biggest knocks on today's roster no matter how talented they are is that a lot of the roster just doesn't connect with the audience. Not entirely all of the rosters fault as there's only so much tv time between Raw and Smackdown to share. Guys and gals like Apollo Crews, Baron Corbin, Cedric Alexander, Emma, Chad Gable, and more could benefit from this. A lot of the wrestlers are very athletic and talented but they have no personality that draws people to them. On the flip side if they have a little charisma and personality but not enough time to attract people, the small 30-45 second inset promos will allow them to gain a personality and confidence in cutting a promo, while in a controlled pre taped environment and hopefully becoming more connected to the audience in the process.
    Next up I believe this will really help a good deal of wrestlers out is if they bring the managerial role back. Lana did very well in her act with Rusev before she decided to become a wrestler. They have Titus O’Neil being a hybrid manager/ wrestler role but he himself is not that great of a talker. I’m talking about the Jimmy Hart, Bobby Heenan, Captain Lou, Paul Bearers of the world. Someone who has just enough personality of their own and can talk on a microphone but won't steal the spotlight away from the wrestler their working with. Managers became a lost art when attractive valets became the norm, and hey T and A sells but managers can also sell. As Paul Heyman showed this past Monday he is one of the best of the game, and when you have a manager who add’s to your act and can hype a match up and sell it bigger than it already is…..it can greatly add to the wrestlers appeal.
    Lastly The era of unpredictability really needs to make a comeback. During the Monday Night Wars on Raw and Nitro you just never knew what was going to happen to change the landscape. I’m not saying return to those times as the Attitude era was a product of its time and was a great time, however times have changed. Those shows kept you engaged and wanting more by switching things up within a blink of a eye. WWE had what I think was a golden opportunity to bring the feel of unpredictability back this past Tuesday. Baron Corbin cashed in his money in the bank and looked like a dumbass afterwards when he lost the match. Had he won..it would have made Summerslam a little more interesting. Jinder Mahal vs. Shinsuke Nakamura wouldn't be for the title any longer, and John Cena vs Baron Corbin stakes would be higher. At the last minute after some protest from Jinder and Shinsuke the two matches could've been combined into a Fatal Fourway for the title. With anyone but Cena winning, it would present a new champion/challenger dynamic and show people things can change at anytime. With all the entertainment options grasping for people's attention, doing something like this would have people thinking it’s must see tv and they have to watch it live.
     These are just a few ideas I feel would help WWE keep their product interesting, I think the same applies for Ring of Honor and TNA/GFW as well.  I know there's a lot more variables involved and times and people have changed. I'm a guy who loves wrestling and thinks if you look back at small details of the past it can help improve and freshen up the current and future product. All the while improving the overall product.
 
 

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Top 5 Hip Hop Movies

   This past weekend we celebrated 44 years since the birth of hip hop. A culture that wasn't given a chance when it was invented, is now a worldwide phenomenon that dominates the music landscape. While we all love hip hop I wanted to touch on a overlooked part of hip hop...Movies.

  We’ve all seen the biopics and the Musician focused B-movie level films (State Property, Baller Blockin, Cool as Ice, Tougher than leather, Get Rich or Die Tryin etc.) I want to give my opinion on the top 5 films that I feel embody hip hop.

  # 5 Brown Sugar starring Taye Diggs, Sanaa Lathan, and Mos Def. The movie is at it’s core a love letter to hip hop. It’s about two people meeting because of hip hop and falling in love throughout the years because of hip hop. If you’ve never seen it and can tolerate romantic comedies but love old school hip hop check it out.

  # 4 Krush Groove is one of the first mainstream films that bought hip hop to the world. Loosely based on the beginnings of Def Jam, it contains a who’s who at that time. Run Dmc, Sheila E, Kurtis Blow, Beastie Boys, LL Cool J, The Fat Boys and more. It has the classic tropes of following your dreams and being hungry but connecting with the wrong people when things go wrong, pay for the consequences in the meantime. It also shows how new found fame and money can tear apart long lasting friendships and family.

  # 3 is CB4, one of my personal favorites it’s a satire of gangsta rap of it’s time. Written and starring Chris Rock it displays his comedic genius at it’s best. Playing a aspiring rapper along with his two best friends, they live boring middle class lifes. Crafting a “gangsta” image and persona they find success, at the same time finding out how hard it is to maintain that image. Also how being yourself is usually your best bet, the parody of N.W.A.s “Straight Outta Compton”, “Straight outta Locash” is a hilarious catchy song that would have you wishing it was real.

  # 2 on my list is 8 Mile starring Eminem. Also loosely based on his life before he hit it big, Em plays Rabbit. All Rabbit wants to do is go to work, and hone his craft hoping to catch his big break. Along with his friends and fellow rappers 313rd they battle rival crews trying to make a name in the Detroit rap scene. Em’s acting is top notch here probably because he lived it. It has classic mid-90s hip hop songs, sick freestyles due to Em’s masterful delivery and lyricism and battle rapping.. Which  free styling and battle rapping are often overlooked as pillars of hip hop. The movie also contains an ambiguous ending. Definitely one of the better musician focused films, maybe even surpassing Purple Rain.

   #1 on my list is Beat Street, it gets this honor not because of it’s story, but because of it’s cultural influence. Along with Wild Style these two films helped bring hip hop to the masses nationally and internationally. Beat Street is about a group of friends in the bronx (Home of hip hop) who all are involved in hip hop, each taking a particular interest in one of the five elements of hip hop. Djing, graffiti, breakdancing, mcing, beatboxing all are shown love and appreciation in this film. Also featuring cameos by Afrika Bambaataa, Doug E fresh, Kool Herc, Treacherous Three, Grandmaster Melle and the Furious Five and more. If you love hip hop you can’t go wrong with this one. Check out this originator if you’ve never seen it.

   These are the top 5 films I feel convey hip hop and what it stands for.  There are honorable mentions such as Breakin', House Party, Fear of a Black Hat, and Hustle and Flow. Each of the films listed above show just how influential hip hop can be. Some more than others but they all do a great job. If you’ve never seen any of them I strongly encourage tracking them down and watching them. In the meantime I feel we are overdue on a new film in our current age that’s a ode to hip hop and its culture.

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Streaming Media The Future

  Streaming media especially streaming tv is a platform that has really taken off within the last few years and is only growing. With people wanting to watch what they want when they want more and more streaming services have cropped up over the years. We all know about the platforms that changed the game Netflix and Hulu, and a couple years later Amazon Prime stepped creating the big three of streaming services.
  Netflix has found their stride with original series and seemed to have found the right balance between critically acclaimed and niche appeal series. Their original movies are very much hit or miss but one thing at a time. Netflix also invented binge watching.
   Hulu has found their stride in producing quality dramas, and succeeded in their deals with major networks that make most of their programs available a day or two after original airing. Hulu also has hit the nostalgia market bringing back well loved classic series and lesser known series of yesteryear. They also made headlines when they struck a deal to bring back the classic “TGIF” block of shows such as Full House, Family Matters, Hangin with Mr. Cooper, Perfect Strangers, and Step By Step. Bring the cheesiness of the 90’s back.
   Amazon original series haven't seemed to gain much traction their most acclaimed series is The Man in the High Castle. It’s a crowded market but it’s Amazon they’ll find their way in.
    Speaking of crowded markets everyday there is some news about a new streaming service. Disney recently announced their going to severe their deal with Netflix and start their own streaming service featuring all Disney movies. It’s a risky move but with the worldwide appeal of Disney the chances of success are high.
    There's Crackle which is free and owned by Sony Studios so you can catch a lot of good movies on there. Crackle is also known for Comedians in cars.
   Kevin Hart recently jumped into the game creating Laugh Out Loud with Lionsgate designed to give up and coming talent a platform to create content. It was just released this month so we’ll see how it grows. One major draw it has starting out is every season of the classic Def Comedy Jam is available on Laugh Out Loud.
   For the crowd that can't get enough of Shaft, Superfly, Foxy Brown and other blaxploitation films there is Brown Sugar. Released late last year at $3.99 a month Brown Sugar is a pretty good deal if you love the over the top 70s film and either want to reminisce about bell bottoms and afros, or wish you were alive during that time rocking fish in your shoes.
  Horror fans have what seems to be a unlimited supply of streaming apps to choose from. There’s shudder, Screambox, Frightpix, Full Moon Streaming, and the Crypt. All these services play high brow and the good low brow b movie sometimes laughable Horror movies.
  The mushy feel good cheesy TV movie loving viewers need attention to. Hallmark has them covered with Feeln. Giving you all the same warmth movies on the Hallmark channel give you.
  WWE changed the game in my opinion with the WWE network, for a huge wrestling fan like myself to be able to watch all the old Raws, Smackdown, PPVs, and current ppvs for $9.99. You can't beat that!
   Anime breathen has CrunchyRoll to statisfy any and all anime. Gamers have Twitch which shows real life gaming tournaments.  Even video game console manufacturers have joined the bandwagon with PlayStation Vue and Xbox.
   YouTube which helped bring streaming more mainstream has started YouTube Red. A subscription service displaying original films and series. It has yet to gain a lot of traction but has me intrigued with news that their reviving the Karate Kid universe with “Cobra Kai”.
    It’s not all roses for all streaming services Yahoo tried and failed with Yahoo Screen. NBC owned Seeso which featured all comedy shows and specials failed to catch on with audiences and will be shutting down later this year. I’m sure there are other services out there that failed to catch on.
   This new platform has opened so many doors and new avenues for content. It’s only a matter of time before streaming services send cable companies and the traditional Hollywood distribution system scrambling to stay relevant. One thing is for certain streaming platforms are the present and future.
   

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August movies to check out

 I’m a little late on this post but it’s August typically the time of year when folks realize the end of summer is near. It’s also the end of the summer movie season and typically the weakest as far as the volume and anticipation of the movies released in August.
  This year is no different first up and the most anticipated film to be released this month is “Dark Tower”. Based on a series of books by Stephen King and starring Idris Elba and Matthew McConaughey. From my understanding the story has a old west meets mysticism vibe to it and has been set up to start a series of films and tv shows based on this property. I haven't heard much feedback on Dark Tower so unless it's flying under the radar I don't think that's happening.
  The other highly anticipated movie released this month is “Detroit” based on the 1967 12th Street Riot and the Algiers Motel incident. The film has received mixed reviews from what I’ve seen, but most of the reviews have been positive with several reviewers proclaiming it an oscar contender. It’s telling a very important mostly unknown story in history so let's support it.
    Next up is Halle Berrys “Kidnap” which is a mix of her previous film “The Call” and “Taken”. It’s about a mother who takes matters into her own hands when her son is kidnapped. I don't think it's one of her best and from my understanding the storyline is highly flawed. But everyone needs a paycheck.
     On the documentary front is “Step” a inspiring story about a high school step team in Baltimore. Showing young students using the step team to help them achieve their goals and fight through curveballs life has to offer. I’ve heard it’s very inspiring for young girls.
    For the horror fans coming out this Friday is “Annabelle Creation” a prequel to “Annabelle” and a part of the larger “Conjuring” universe. The film tells the story of how Annabelle came to be. “Annabelle” was mixed but if “Annabelle Creation” can create the chills and scares like the “Conjuring”. It could really provide the spark needed heading into the fall movie season, which is when most horror films are released.
   On the comedy action front is “The Hitman’s Bodyguard” starring Ryan Reynolds and legendary cool Samuel L. Jackson. Reynolds is the bodyguard who must protect his client Jackson who is a hitman. The previews took a while to grow on me but I started coming around. If the laughs are there and the action has that random zany action like the previews show this could be one of those underrated sleeper hits.
   There are a few more movies released this month but these are the biggest. If you noticed this blog is a little lighter than the May-July editions. Showing again how August is a afterthought during blockbuster movie season.

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