Sports Notes SHAQ's New Deal - K-9 in The Contender's Final 4 - September 2006

James Loving - National Radio Text Service - Monday September 25, 2006 -

SHAQUILLE O'NEAL signs new deal - The scorned K-9 Brundridge reaches THE CONTENDER FINAL 4 - FIFA TOP 10

SHAQUILLE O'NEAL SIGNS NEW DEAL

Shaquille O'Neal is known for many things such as being a four-time member of an NBA championship team, actor and a rap singing recording artist. BUT… DID YOU KNOW… Shaquille O'Neal Launches 'The O'Neal Group', A Real Estate and Development Concern? FULL STORY

K-9 BITES HIS WAY INTO THE CONTENDER's FINAL FOUR

He was NOT picked of the 16 entrants in this the second season of reality boxing TV show 'The Contender.' We're talking about Cornelius (K-9) Bundrage a man on a mission to win in life and gain the respect of his colleagues.

K-9 was the ONLY fighter of the 16 THAT WASN'T CHOSEN TO BE ON A TEAM. WHEN ALL OF THE PICKS WERE DONE HE WAS THE LAST ONE REMAINING AND WAS DESIGNATED TO THE TEAM THAT HAD THE LAST CHOICE. EMBARRASSING??? YOU BETCHA.

After several months of living together and fighting against each other K-9 is one of the final four boxers to fight for a half-million US dollar prize and a future in one of the world's toughest sports.

"The question always remains how much do you give to win," said former Olympic and professional boxing champion Sugar Ray Leonard who functions as the shows host.

Leonard was referring to the commitment and effort a person makes in order to accomplish their goal to be successful.

"I wanna (want to) be the boss not the employee," said K-9 who overcame disrespect and ridicule from the very first episode of the show.

K-9 was called out (challenged) by one of the captains that chose his team of fighters. It was as if he were calling K-9 a PUNK. The captain ridiculed K-9 from the beginning and chose to take him on in this season's first fight.

Prior to the fight in the shows feature segments the big tough talking captain told his teammates how he was going to eliminate K-9.

K-9 listened and listened.... AND LISTENED... to all of the ill will and ridicule. He was alone in his situation with know one wanting to be his friend and associate with him. It was as if he had some communicable disease and was being avoided scorned. The fighter used the negativity as fuel to motivate and inspire him to prove his detractors wrong.

The result being the Contender BIG talker lost overwhelmingly to K-9. The talker proved himself to be another person in life that can't walk the walk of his talk. He talked too much and performed too little. The talker was eliminated and sent home.

Other loud mouths on the show that were talking about how tough and bad they were also lost their fights and were sent home. One was eliminated again by K-9 Brundridge.

The defeated talkers inherited the time to reflect on decisions to quit the fight game, brood and lick their wounds or learn from their experience and do something about it.

All of the Contender fighters have the same thing in common they came from nothing and are trying to be a winner in life to earn enough money to support their families.

"I had to borrow money from my friends to buy diapers for my kids," said the oldest of the competitor's 35-year-old Grady Brewer from Lawton, Oklahoma.

The final four matches will pit K-9 against Steve Forbes of Las Vegas, Nevada an experienced fighter who has been the favorite from the beginning to win the competition.

Forbes has the most career success in the group. He is considered the most skilled of the contenders.

Brewer has experience but has suffered losses in his career that he attributes to not being in shape. He will face Roberto Bravo from Tucson, Arizona a fighter that has two teenage sons and has the will to win for his own pride and family.

The half million-dollar prize for winning is a lot of money for fighters that have been caught up in low paying bouts in what has been portrayed as a corrupt sport.

Sylvester Stallone the shows former executive producer played the part of "Rocky" in the self-titled films. Stallone departed the show when there was a problem with the NBC TV network and the show was moved to the ESPN network in the USA.

The question is who will be next Rocky that comes from nothing to be the next "Contender" champion. This isn't a movie this is for REAL.

The double-header semifinal fights is scheduled to be televised on the AXN channel in Southeast Asia Thursday night September 28, 9 pm in the Singapore and Hong Kong and 8 pm Cambodia and Thailand time zones.

Repeat shows are 1 am that evening (considered Friday morning or midnight in Cambodia - Thailand).

Also noon Friday Singapore - Hong Kong (11am Cambodia - Thailand) and

Saturday 8pm Hong Kong - Singapore (7 pm Cambodia - Thailand).

CHECK YOU LOCAL LISTINGS IN YOUR AREA FOR TIME AND DATES

Who will be the next 'Contender' champion? Tune in and see.

Notes:

The first season of the Contender a US one million dollar prize was given…

ULTIMATE FIGHTER BEGINS SECOND SEASON

The second season of the Ultimate Fighter mixed martial arts REALITY TV show will begin being televised in Southeast Asia on the AXN channel this Monday night September 25th at 8pm Singapore - Hong Kong time zones and 7pm Cambodia Thailand.

Rank/Team/Points

1. Brazil - 1574 -75 from 1649

2. France - 1534 +72 from 1462

3. Argentina - 1492 +13 from 1479

4. England - 1477 +43 from 1434

5. Italy - 1474 -76 from 1550

6. Netherlands - 1327 +5 from 1322

7. Czech Republic - 1312 +89 from 1223

8. Germany - 1291 +62 from 1229

9. Portugal - 1272 -29 from 1301

10. Spain - 1255 from 1309 -54

FULL STORY

FIFA TOP 10 for AUGUST 2006

Rank/Team/Points

1. Brazil - 1649

2. Italy - 1550

3. Argentina - 1479

4. France - 1462 -

5. England - 1434

6. Netherlands - 1322

7. Spain - 1309

8. Portugal - 1301

9. Germany - 1229

10. Czech Republic - 1223

WORLD CUP CHAMPIONS

2006 Italy

2002 Brazil

1998 France

1994 Brazil

1990 West Germany

1986 Argentina

1982 Italy

1978 Argentina

1974 West Germany

1970 Brazil

1966 England

1962 Brazil

1958 Brazil

1954 West Germany

1950 Uruguay

1938 Italy

1934 Italy

1930 Uruguay

Ronaldinho Makes Deal... Full story

BRAZIL - QUE PASSA? COMING

The next FIFA World Ranking will be published on July 12, 2006.

FIFA TOP TEN

Rank/Team/Points

1. Brazil - 827

2. Czech Republic - 772

3. Netherlands - 768

4. Mexico 758 -

5. USA - 756

5. Spain - 756

7. Portugal - 750

8. France - 749

9. Argentina - 746

10. England - 741

(FIFA)

1. JIM MURRAY - 2. Kobe Bryant & NBA Trivia - 3. Zico Leads Japan To World Cup. Who is Zico? - 4. Cambodia's Royal Palace - 5. Teerathep Leads Thailand to SEA Games Title - Singapore' Coach Movia - 6. Thailand Impressive against Premiere Club Sides and Real Madrid - 7. Fox Searchlight Pictures Promotes Zola Mashariki to Vice President of Production - 8. Jerome Bettis of Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers - Kobe Bryant - 9. Cambodia's ANGKOR TEMPLES - 10. Grammy Music Awards Show

Full Story NR Top 20 for May * Note - New entries in RED

© Copyright: National Radio. Any use of these materials, whole or in part, is prohibited unless authorized in writing by National Radio. Contact: nationalradio@yahoo.com