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http://www.mmatycoon.com/images/company/logo/1361817591itfl2.png INTERNATIONAL TEAM FIGHTING LEAGUE SEASON 2 PREVIEW Steel Penn *I was back in Hilo, picked up by one of the many Steel Penn lackeys and off to the Steel Peen Towers, a new hotel chain that Steel Penn has been working on. Along with the ICON project, Steel Penn is very well known for his attempts at globalization, successful and unsuccessful. Steel Penn just may be the most polarizing man in all of MMA right now, and for good measure. He has been surrounded by controversy ever since he arrived on the Hilo MMA scene and has remained controversial ever since...from accusations of fraudulent supplements, to his wild ideas of globalization. The idea of globalized MMA started back with Johnny Sepulveda, or Johnny Sep as most people knew him. Sepulveda owned a very successful org in Montreal known as Combat Pro. While running a Grand Prix-style tournament, 'Sep' started mulling the idea of true world champions of a true world tournament. The first thing he did though, was branding. Branding came very natural to the charismatic Sepulveda. He convinced several managers and owners, from all over the world, to join his Combat Pro "empire". Mostly fight orgs at first, obviously for the world tournament aspect but he soon branched into supplements, clothing and eventually gyms. With the branding in place, it was time to work on the actual tournament part, when Sepulveda mysteriously disappeared. For weeks, no one knew what had happened, the MMA scene was in shock as those close to Sepulveda searched high and low, to no avail. During this time, Mac McNulty had just branched out from St. Petersburg to Los Angeles. He didn't have the branding expertise like Sepulveda but he did have the world tournament format in place. After meeting with the remaining heads of the Combat Pro companies, they all decided to pick up the pieces and move on. The first thing they did, was change the name, and the Combat Pro Empire became "ICON". ICON succeeded where Combat Pro had failed, the world tournament and Combat Pro had succeeded where ICON failed, branding, unity, solidarity. ICON did keep enough of the main members to successfully run a world tournament and eventually crowning 2 world champions, Neo Nova and Emile Hainesberg at Featherweight and Lightweight, respectively. McNulty and ICON were not immune to controversy as Matty Blayze and several others criticized McNulty's use of the Openweight Division for his world tournament and the skewed rankings as a result of it. This eventually lead to a complete overhaul of the ranking system to include a separate Openweight rank. The controversy eventually took it's toll on McNulty and forced him into retirement. ICON could not continue to operate without it's leader and no one wanted to step up and take the wheel. ICON and it's world tournament eventually crumbled, even though it had gotten one step further than it's predecessor, Combat Pro. The idea virtually remained dormant, until Steel Penn realized the dream, studied the pro and con and revived the idea of not only a world tournament but branding as well, with the majority of his alliance using the Steel Penn name within their own companies. One group, with one common goal... The verdict is still out so far. The Steel Penn ICON project goes relatively unheralded. Many of the fighters and champions are unnoticed by the public. They are very love/hate, about as much as their fearless leader, and he is fearless. Steel Penn shies away from no one and is not afraid to discuss or debate his controversial doings. Nevertheless, he is doing what he is doing and he remains as influential as anyone in the world, recruiting here and there to add to his ever growing alliance. We arrived at the hotel...* http://www.ascendcollection.com/media/eBrochure/ebrochure/SC/SC474/SC474A1.JPG *My stay was excellent as always here in Hilo. The food and service at the hotel was top notch. I drank my Starbucks in the lobby as I waited for my ride. He showed up promptly and loaded my bags. We exchanged no words, even when I asked him questions. We just drove. I put my headphones on to cure the boredom. We drove to the outskirts of the city and soon realized we weren't in Hilo anymore but driving towards some small hills. The driver then got on his walkie-talkie, something I hadn't seen in years, and spoke a language I have never heard before. We then went off-road and as we drove down a muddy road, I began to fear for my safety. I texted JBomb, just to let someone know where I was and what was happening. He didn't reply. I remembered to stay calm and breathe. We came to a dead end, a cliff that looked like the side of a lavaflow. as we curved to the left, I realized it was an illusion. The road didn't end, it went into the lavaflow and we came up to a gate, the kind of gate you would see in a kung-fu movie except slightly modernized with a sophisticated video camera system and razorwire. The driver showed the armed guards his badge and we drove inside. It was an amazing campus...part military compound, part farm, part Shaolin Temple. As we drove, I looked to my right and there were men dressed like monks, working in a garden. To my left, there were several outdoor octagons set up with fighters sparring. As we moved forward, we came upon a group of uniformed soldiers practicing maneuvers and hoards of kids, all in ranks, practicing punches and kicks like some sort of midget kung-fu army. We continued on and passed more gardens and beautiful ponds with some of the most superb landscaping I had ever seen. Concrete bridges over tiny streams running from pond to pond. Bonsai trees and sculpted bushes everywhere, Steel Penn had quite the set-up here. We made our way up through the compound and through another gate. I could see the main building from here. There was only one way to describe it and it sounded so cliche...redundant...it was a steel temple, Steel Penn's Steel Temple, go figure. We got out of the car and the driver grabbed my bags. He made his way to a side door and as I started to follow, the two huge doors swung open and a man came out. I recognized him from photos...it was Steel Penn.* Penn: "How was the trip? Good I hope..." Reporter: "It's been great so far. The hotel was great and..." Penn: "Please...come inside..." *We went inside and it was a lot more empty than I thought it would be. I'm not sure what I expected, maybe servants running this way and that or suited men on cell phones coordinating and planning. We did pass a small office with 3 men in suits inside. They shut the door as we past as if I had seen something I shouldn't have. The place was more modern, too. Very clean, minimal, spacious. We walked past a kitchen, living room area and dining area before we got to the big office. It was fairly standard with the exception of a heavy bag and a Muk Yan Jong, or Wing Chun wooden dummy, in the far left corner. This room had more wall decor and a few more plants than all the other rooms we had seen so far. On one side of the massive rectangular table, sat Klatz Matz, Umberts Doofenshmirtz, Karl DeGroot and Damien Washington. Charles Lee Ray, AJ Hearts, Arnie Ironz and Rodrigo Costa all sat on the other side. Upon our entrance, and introductions, all of the men left except Matz, Umberts and Rodrigo...and obviously Steel Penn.* Reporter: "So, Mr. Steel, Penn...what should I call you?" Penn: "Just Penn or Mr. Penn is fine." Reporter: "Okeedokee...So what drew your interest to the ITFL? I mean, with your hand in so many global operations, what got you into this?" Penn: "We heard about last years event in our gym, it was all anyone could talk about for a while. I decided to ask about it and as they explained it to me, all of my sparring partners felt I might be a good fit for this years competition. They felt we could put together a really good team for it. I looked into it more and decided with Klatz to make it happen, although I do feel a bit out of my league with all of these famous fighters being involved...but I will make the best of it." Reporter: "Pencil?" Pencil: "..." Reporter: "Alrighty then...So can you describe the team for me?" Penn: "Well, we..."...*receives phone call*..."So sorry, we'l talk later, I have to take this. Please finish here though."...*exits the room*... Reporter:...*sighs*..."Klatz?" Matz: "Mostly alliance, we replace Donovon with Costa due to absence. Ezekel is in Las Vegas awaiting your arrival." Reporter: "Okay then...where are all your ITFL fighters at? Shouldn't I be asking them..." Matz: "They train." Reporter: "I get that but is there ever a time where they don't...train?...maybe?" Matz: "They focus very hard." Reporter: "I see...Umberts? Would you like to add anything?" Matz: "He doesn't like to speak English." Reporter: "Hmmm...okay, good talk. I'm hungry, what's for dinner?" Matz:...*stands up*..."Dinner will begin shortly."...*exits the room with Costa and Umberts*... *I sat there, alone...thinking about how I could be at the beach right now but no, I was in some Twilight Zone, MMA, Farmcamp. Not to mention, I was starving and kind of tired. I contemplated just leaving but wasn't sure if I could get past the guards, or the gate. I wondered why Matz was so...odd. Why Umberts doesn't like to speak English? I mean, I can see it if you just flat out can't because you never learned it but Matz said he didn't like to...meaning he could speak it, but chose not to. Why was a professional hockey player fighting in an MMA league? He made more playing hockey, no doubt. Maybe Malkin just didn't get enough rush from one sport? He definitely wouldn't be the first 2 sport athlete...but Deion? Bo? They didn't do MMA and hockey is plenty physical. Why would a man name someone Wooden Pencil? Was it a Penn thing or was it a zen thing? Or Magnetic Symphony for that matter? I've heard some major hippie-type names but Magnetic Symphony...well, I guess he has nothing on Golden Glory, Sunny Disposition or several other past fighters. Was this the actual son or grandson or legendary Lou Thesz? The man who got re-popularized in the mid-90's by professional wrestler "Stone Cold'' Steve Austin, who modified a move that was named after him, the "Lou Thesz Press"? These guys were weirdos and I was feeling a bit uneasy being here. Just as I was ready to freak out, Arnie Ironz came back and told me to follow him to dinner. Okay, maybe this wasn't so bad, things were lookin' up. I reached the dining room, not the one we passed earlier, this one was much more elaborate.* http://www.3dhousedownload.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Classical-Chinese-banquet-hall-design.jpg *This place was great. So beautiful, a lot different than the rest of the place I had seen earlier. Slowly, the place started filling up and I think this was the first time I realized just how large the Steel Penn organization really was. I didn't even know how many of his crew wasn't here, and they still filled this room. Granted, there were plenty of women around, entertainers like bellydancers, firebreathers, some Shaolin monks that were jumping all over the place with live steel and cinder blocks. We sat at our tables just watching and before I knew it, the food was being brought to the tables. This stuff looked absolutely amazing and I wasn' sure if there was a type of food that wasn't represented. These guys have everything from Cantonese to Mexican, from pizza and burgers, to lobster and shrimp...they had it all, and I was determined to try all of it. After I gorged myself and watched some lovely entertainment, Steel Penn came over to my table and asked me to walk with him. We got up and walked out to the south side of the building. We walked along a wooden deck and then turned the corner. There was a stream, a beautiful stream between two buildings...* http://img.travel.rakuten.co.jp/share/image_up/67818/LARGE/cLz5Vx.jpeg Reporter: "What are those two buildings right there?" Penn: "Sleeping quarters and a supply house. I don't go to Hilo much for anything other than business. We like it here." ; Reporter: "I don't blame u one bit, man. it's so peaceful here. Who are those guys?" *I saw 4 uniformed men hauling a large container with yellow and black stripes on it, almost like some sort of warning or biohazard style markings. They had hardhats on and it was pretty clear that they weren't wait staff or businessmen.* Penn:...*ushers inside*..."Come in, come in...that's nothing, just some experimental things we are working on with our supplements." Reporter: "The fake ones?" Penn:...*scoff*..."Absolutely not! Our supplements are of the highest quality and have been in compliance for some time. If you're here to drudge up false accusations and wicked lies, the door is that way."...*points to the left*... Reporter: "Naw, man...we're cool. It was just a question. You know, you never described your team to me." Penn:...*calmly begins walking*..."My team has been very supportive and helpful with my preparations, trying to give me all the tips they have experience with already. I am very lucky to be around these guys and will gain so much from them at this point in my career. Live like you will die tomorrow but learn like you will live forever." Reporter: "I like that, that's cool. Okay so, is there any fighter in the ITFL that you're scared of? I mean, not so much physically scared but you know, a bad matchup or just someone you can't see your guy beating?" Penn: ''This would be better answered by my fighter, Wooden Pencil, since he is the one who will be doing the actual fighting. Every matchup can be difficult if you let it be." *Wooden Pencil appears around the corner not even 10ft. in front of us, very creepily I might add.* Pencil: "I fear no fighter in the cage. The cage is my world and I play by my own rules. I am a god in my world."...*disappears back around the corner*... Reporter: "What the..." Penn: "He does that. He only speaks when needed, or when he feels it is needed, as do all of my fighters." Reporter: "Weird..." Penn: "Come, it's getting late, let me show you to your room." Reporter: "Okay..." *We walked for quite a while. This main building was massive. As we exited the main building and made our way across a small stream, I looked to the right and saw more men in helmets with those same containers I saw earlier. I noticed they were heading to the same building. This piqued my curiosity quite a bit. What were they doing and why did those containers look so hazardous? Something was going on here and I wanted to find out. We arrived at my room and it was every bit as nice as the hotel from the night before.* Penn: "Shall I send a meal? or a woman over?" Reporter: "How about a woman and a meal?" Penn: "Most excellent."...*turns to leave*... Reporter: "Wait!"...*pauses*..."is there any manager you would least like to face in this thing? Like someone that's in your kitchen or just seems to have your number?" Penn:...*pensively*..."I fear old school vets who know my weaknesses...Captain Lou, he was on our team and I had to boot him since we had 5 already when he accepted my invitation, so I feel very bad about that...and I feel that when the time comes, karma will be on his side. Rest up, you have an early flight tomorrow."...*walks out of the room and locks the door*... *Why did he lock the door? Really? I'm locked in? This was getting weirder by the second. I needed a plan and I did not want to wait until my flight in the morning. I wanted to get out of here now. I texted JBomb again but he did not respond. I figured my best bet was to wait until the woman showed up with the meal and make my move, whatever that was gonna be. I've been in some strange predicaments before and each time I've had this same exact same feeling. The only difference was, I was already in those situations, but this time, I was getting ready to be in one of those situations. I wondered if this is what goes through the head of JBomb or Karter right before they do something completely crazy? Like they have this feeling, this almost knowing that something bad is going to happen, and yet they do it anyway...like they can relax in their confidence to get out of any situation. I felt that, at this very moment i felt that confidence. I needed to know what was going on here and I had full confidence that I was going to find out...and not only find out but get away with it. There was a knock on the door, followed by a jiggle of the handle and the door opened. A beautiful Hawaiian woman walked into the room with a silver platter on a cart. She had amazing black hair to her mid-back and big brown eyes. Her skin was magnificent and it was as if she didn't walk, she glided across the room. * Woman: "Aloha, the food you ordered?" Reporter: "Hello..." Woman: "..." Reporter: "Oh yes, the food...over there please."...*points near the door*... *The woman turned and walked back toward the door. I knew this was my chance and I grabbed her from behind, just enough for her to let out a small scream. As I expected, a guard came running in with a weapon. I wheeled as he threw the butt of his rifle. It drilled the woman square in her beautiful face, I was definitely going to have to apologize for that one...on my way to hell. The guard cracked a shocked look and that was my opening. I punched him in the nose with a left and grabbed at the rifle with my right, knocking it to the floor. As he grabbed for his nose, i kicked him in the shin and he went on to one leg. I rushed him, knocking him to the ground and just like so many of the MMA fighters I cover, I was in full mount and just wailing away. His arms went limp and I knew he was out. I hurried up and looked out in the hall to see if any more were coming but it was dead quiet. I went back in and gagged them both. then used the guard's zip ties to tie them to door handle. I grabbed the rifle, a card key and his walkie-talkie. I locked the door behind me and made my way to that building I saw earlier. I stayed in the shadows mostly, avoiding any of the lighted areas while moving as quickly as possible. I only saw two guards on my way to the building and they seemed pretty caught up in whatever it was they were talking about. The building was right in front of me. I just needed to watch it for a little bit and make sure I knew the guard's patterns, if there were any guards. I waited for quite a while and didn't see any. Suddenly, with no warning, I felt cold steel on the back of my head. Chills went down my spine and the hair on the back of my neck stood up. Before I really had a chance to be scared, a familiar voice whispered to me...* JBomb: "Dude, chill, it's me...shhhh..." Reporter:...*turns slowly and whispers*..."JBomb? What the fuck are you doing here? Why'd you put the gun to my neck?" JBomb:...*whispers*..."Got that text n' flew out. Thought you might need some help. Oh...and it's dark as fuck out here." *I couldn't believe JBomb showed up. This dude was as crazy as it gets, and he wasn't alone. He had Martin Cristos and Felipe Calderon with him, two former fighters, two dangerous former fighters. These two got out of MMA because it wasn't gangsta enough. They actually make more money doing this sort of thing than being legit. In other words, my safety level just multiplied by 3. JBomb whispered to Felipe and Martin and they both took off, one in each direction. When they secured the corners of the building and gave the signal, we made our move toward the building. JBomb went to Felipe and he stayed behind to cover our backs. Martin went in first, followed by J, then me. There was too much light to be very sneaky, but Martin was very good at what he does. We came across a guard with his back to us and without hesitation or noise, Martin just dismantled him. He crumbled to the floor like a sack of spuds. Cristos dragged him into a closet of some kind and we moved on. We never saw another guard as we made our way to a large garage that had some of those containers stacked towards the back. I told them that this is what we were looking for and we had to see what was inside them. We made our way over to them without any resistance. It took some time, and a little bit of muscle to get one op\en but it was empty.* JBomb: "What the fuck...what's going on here, dude?" Reporter: "I don't know but this shit is just weird. I get this feelin, ya know?" Cristos: "Si, ese...Me too, creepy." JBomb: "Seriously? I got nothin'...but if you wanna scope more shit, let's go before the sun comes up, or the next watch comes in." Reporter: "Okay, gimme a second here..." *I searched all over for anything, any type of clue that would lead me further along this wild goose chase...then I saw it, all the containers had the same numbers on them, like a room number or lab number. Suddenly, I wanted to go back into the building but to the other side.* Reporter: "I bet there's a lab in this bitch." JBomb: "What!? Are you fucking crazy, man..." Reporter: "No, man...I'm not. It's a hunch...a strong one. Let's go back in." *Before J had a chance to say anything, Martin took off. We had to follow at that point. J called Felipe and told him to move to the other side and keep his eyes peeled. When we got back in the building, We used the card key I got from the foolish guard. He had to be waking up by now. There was no time to waste. We found what I had suspected...labs. Lots of them, lots of labs and lab equipment...everything from syringes to vials to beakers and burners, but nothing that had anything to do with the containers. Martin let out a short "ssss" and we headed towards him. He found stairs and an elevator.* JBomb: "Fuck that elevator, we usin' the stairs..." *We all agreed and slowly went down the stairs, not making a sound. After what seemed like 8 flights, I saw a number by the door. It was the same number on the side of the containers.* Reporter: "This is it!" Cristos: "Let's go, ey." * JBomb checked the door for an alarm but it was clean and we entered the building. This part of the building was very dark, almost too dark but all the way at the end of the hall we could see a glow, a soft yellowish green. JBomb and MArtin pointed towards it and nodded their heads. Just as we were about to start, we heard voices, one of them familiar...it was Steel Penn. We couldn't make out what was being said, just that he seemed a bit angry. The glass went the distance of the hallway so we decided we were going to have to crawl or belly scoot the entire way, hoping there were no silent alarms or triggers of any kind. This was going to be sketchy, but I was confident. As we slid our way down the hall, I kept imagining all those movies I had seen and what those people did. I wondered if their hearts were beating as intensely as mine was. I wondered how they looked so calm in the movie and how come the director didn't make them look a bit more shaken...that would be more believable because while I was excited and confident, I was also scared to death. I was literally fearing for my life and for the first time, it was a situation I actually put myself into. What was I doing? Before I could answer myself, I heard a horrifying sound...an alarm. We all looked at each other, immediately stood up and ran for the glow. We didn't care if anyone saw us at this point, they knew we were here. Martin was the first to round the corner and then JBomb. As I rounded the corner, they were both right in front of me, stopped dead in their tracks...* Cristos: "What the fuck is that, holmes?" JBomb: "No fuckin' way..." Reporter: "Holy shit...I knew somethin' fucked up was going on but not this..." *Before us was a huge room with huge ceilings and tubes, hundreds of tubes, big tubes filled with fluid...and bodies inside of them. They each had a control panel at the foot of the tube with mostly yellow and green lights, hence the glow. I slowly walked toward the closest tube, to see who or what was in it, and I couldn't believe my eyes...it looked just like Steel Penn. I looked over at the others...they all looked like Steel Penn.* JBomb: ''Yo dude, why the fuck they all look the same?" *Only one word came out of my mouth and it was the only word going through my head, over and over...* Reporter: "Clones..." to be continued...

http://www.mmatycoon.com/images/company/logo/1361817591itfl2.png INTERNATIONAL TEAM FIGHTING LEAGUE Team Kaiser http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/02500/londonview_2500920b.jpg *I hadn't been to London in quite some time. I never liked it there much, just not my sort of place. Dean Sutherland insisted that I meet him, along with Roger Kint, out there and sent his private jet. As I flew out, I contacted Manuel Tosen and set up a meeting down in Rio directly after this flight to London. I loved the the sun, beach, the tropical areas and London was none of those things. I knew that I was going to want to hit a beach as soon as I left the UK. I arrived in London, much to my dismay. Surprisingly, Vitali Kersikov picked me up, and he did it in style with a beautiful custom Bentley.* http://www.carid.com/images/asanti/wheels/asanti-afc403-custom-painted-bentley-continental-gt.jpg Reporter: "This your ride or a rental?" Kersikov:...*grunts and throws bags in the trunk*... Reporter: "..." *Kersikov did not look happy. He didn't say a word the entire drive. I couldn't blame him though, I hated it here also. We drove through London and arrived at a run down building that looked like a gym. Finally, Kersikov spoke...* Reporter: "What is this place?" Kersikov: "Old Don Frye Fight Club. Abandoned by the fight team most 1 year ago. No one takes care of anymore. Let's go..."...*reaches for the trunk*... Reporter: "So how ya been?" Kersikov: "Good." Reporter: "You like the ITFL format?" Kersikov: "Yes...i am due to get a few fights under my belt now. It will either make me or break me. I am hoping that i win and win with style." Reporter: "You seem like a stylish dude." Kersikov: "As a child in poor area of Ukraine, we had rough life, our entire Kersikov clan. My brother, Vlad, he is wanted in 3 different country. We are all banned from Helsinki after the EPL bust up."...*grabs the bags*... Reporter: "That's crazy! So what led you to London?" Kersikov: "I have been cleared of all charges. Come, let's go inside..." Reporter: "Charges? So you were here before?" Kersikov: "Yes..." Reporter: "So what happened?" Kersikov: "Was huge nightclub fight. After the smoke clear, there were 5 people dead. We had to flee the country very quickly. Come, let's go inside..." Reporter:...*walking*..."So is there anyone you're not looking forward to facing, manager or fighter?" Kersikov: "No one...I don't really fear anyone or anyone in this league. I think all are good fighters but it's my time to shine." Reporter: "Yeah...so why do you feel it's your time to shine? Anything in particular?" Kersikov:...*opens the door*..."I want more than anyone else. I have had to watch Kersikov after Kersikov dominate fights. Now it is my time to do so. To follow in Marko and Vlad's footstep and become a top fighter in the world." *We walked into the once great gym and it was an absolute wreck. Busted up windows, dirt and broken glass all over the ground. Ripped up posters and broken brick on the walls...two run dilapidated rings and 1 cage. I don't have any idea why Dean wanted to meet here. Maybe it was to torture me and make my stay in London that much worse, just because he knows I hate London...bastard. Vitali made his way over to the stairs. Before he went up, he looked back at me, as if to tell me to follow. I waited a few seconds and then followed up the stairs. We got upstairs and after the Steel Penn incident, and the secret room in Chicago, I half expected it be some immaculate suite completely opposite of the downstairs...but I was mistaken, it was just as beaten down upstirs as well. Time had not been kind to the vacated Don Frye Fight Club. Dean was standing by the window, looking out over the city. Kersikov went to him and mumbled, Roger Kint flipped through a magazine as he sat in a crusty chair off to the side of the room.* Reporter: "Alright Dean, let's get this over with so I can get out of this god forsaken city." Sutherland: "Oh really? Where to next then? Where is it you would rather be?" Reporter: "Well, I'm gonna meet Manuel and Ethan out in Rio right after this and those sunny beaches are callin' my name, so let's get to it, huh?" Sutherland:...*looks over to Kint*..."Rio, eh? Why are we here then? Let's just go to Rio?" Kint: "Sounds good to me, mate."...*gets out of the chair*... Kersikov: "I love beaches..." Sutherland:...*laughs*..."Me too, Vitali...me too." *We all laugh and left the decrepit builing. I never did get to ask Dean why he wanted to meet there. I was too busy thinking about how long it had been since I was in Rio. On the way to the airport, I called Captain Lou and set up a meeting over at TFP Graphics while I was there. I hadn't seen Lou in quite a while either. I asked where Kenta Kobashi was and Roger told me that he doesn't like to fly. He assured me an interview at a later date. I was glad to hear that, Kenta is now 9-0 and definitely interview worthy. We boarded the plane and after a few drinks, I sat with Dean and Roger. Vitali slept on the bench seats towards the back of the plane. A server brought us something to eat and we began to talk...* http://www.wired.com/images_blogs/autopia/images/2008/04/21/ocean.jpg Reporter: "So what got you guys interested in the ITFL?" Kint: "My store KAISER took part in Season One already and i also did the ITFL artwork. In the preparation time, Sean contacted me and I was in love with the idea right away, especially because I knew he had the network, the motivation to fill the league with elite managers and the ability to make it unique. As the underdog team, KAISER pulled off an upset and faced the favorite, Team Reaper in the final. So, long story short...I can't let the opportunity slip away and this time, I will take part in it not as team captain but with one of my fighters, a position I feel a lot more comfortable with." Sutherland: "I got asked to do it as a favor to Mr Kint here. Since he and I go way back, i decided to do it. Besides, Team Kaiser already has two of my Convicted buddies in it, Ethan and Manuel so i thought we would have a good shot at winning." Reporter: "How would you describe the team?" Sutherland:...*smiles*..."A merry band of men?"...*takes a drink*... Kint:...*laughs*..."Indeed we are. I'd say...elite...plus, Roger Kint!"...*laughs*..."Ethan brings the tournament karma..." Reporter: "Yeah, JBomb said that Ethan is 'the greatest tournament manager to ever walk the Earth.'..." Kint: "Exactly! We also got Manuel Tosen, Dean 'The Buzz' and keep an eye on Hunter Jones, a man with scientifical approach who is about to break into the elite echelon with his new generation of fighters. I don't have the reputation these guys have, but I'm on my way up and have the confidence to survive on this level...and to maybe pull off a few upsets along the way, mate." Reporter: "Where is Hunter anyway?" Sutherland: "Being a scientist! Hahaha! He's in the lab with his fighters, cooking up some glorious shit for the MMA masses!"...*laughs*... Reporter: "Is there any fighter in this thing that you guys don't want to face? Anyone that scares ya a bit?" Kint: "I'm not really scared and I'd love to get a shot at him, but without any research, Matt Cave looks ultra impressive this year and his boy Colin Croft has the potential to have his big breakout in this tournament. We do need to see more of him though, he's just 1-0-0, so far." Sutherland: "Vitali! He is a scary mofo with good power and a great chin. He's been sitting, brewing...waiting for this chance. Now it's finally here for him. I'm still hungry...anyone else stillhungry?"...*asks the stewardess to get the big meals ready*... Kersikov: "Yes!" Kint: "Sure, I could eat more!" Reporter: "I'm good. Anyways...what about managers? Anyone there that you guys aren't really looking forward to facing?" Kint: "ITFL's Season 2 is a chance to step up for me, so the more reputation the opponent's manager has, the better. I'm a quite boring "can't we all just get along" guy, so I say Stu Pidasol, because I suck at talking trash...big time, and I can't even fuck with that crazy Aussie there, mate." Sutherland: "I would say Sean McDonnel. I'm fed up with losing to that guy." Reporter: "Alright, I need a nap soon, hahaha! One last question, why is Team Kaiser going to dominate Season 2?" Sutherland:...*takes a drink*..."Because we have the best fighters in the league. We shall cherry pick and win! Its the Convicted way! The boys from Evo will do there thing also but the boys from Convicted are gonna cherry pick there way to victory! Hahaha!"...*walks to the front of the plane*... Reporter: "Not sure who Evo is, and that's sarcastically redundant, but whatever...Kint?" Kint: "Easy...we have the looks, the karma, the slider fu, the badass projects and the manly facial hair for that type of domination. Simple as that, mate. Now let's have a drink while we wait for the food huh?" Reporter: "Absolutely..." *We had a couple of glasses of Cognac and then our meal. I'm not sure what it was, some type of meat from the baby version of whatever animal it was...absolutely delicious. I had a couple more drinks as I talked to Kint about Kobashi. Once we decided that Kobashi would have to be a separate interview at some point, I decided to take a nap because we were going to be landing in Rio soon, and there's no sleeping allowed in Rio...especially when Manuel Tosen is around.* to be continued...

http://mmatycoon.com/images/company/logo/1361817591itfl2.png Season 2 - Week 1 *I was back in Vegas and not super happy about it. I really enjoyed the tropical locales and have been contemplating a move for some time now. This latest project, the ITFL has not been helping. Whisking me away to various places, beaches, cultures...honestly, I loved the travel and at least for now, it was all on hold. Jbomb called and told me to meet him at Denny's...* Reporter: "So what's goin' on, man?" JBomb:...*chomping on breakfast*..."Not much, dude. You okay?" Reporter: "Yeah, man...just busy as hell." JBomb: "I feel ya. I'm tryin' to get this new company off the ground, manage these fucks and start a new alliance. It's..." Reporter: "Wait...new alliance?" JBomb: "Yeah, dude...no biggie." Reporter: "You left Convicted?" JBomb: "Yeah...why?" Reporter: "That's what I'd like to know..." JBomb: "Don't worry about that shit...it's nothing personal. Whatchu busy with?" Reporter:...*hesitates*..."Okay, my preview for the ITFL." JBomb: "The team deal? I thought you were flyin' all over fuck for that shit?" Reporter: "No, man...well, yeah but this is the event preview. Two events for Week 1 of the season." JBomb: "Ah...nice. So what, like 20 fights?" Reporter: "Yeah..." JBomb: "That ain't shit...what's your problem?" Reporter:...*stares at coffee*..."I miss the travelling..." JBomb: "Is that it? Fuck, man...knock this shit out real quick n' hit the fuckin' road again, man. What the fuck?" Reporter: "Well..." JBomb:...*grabs the notes*..."Okay dude, check this out...Lazarus/Kobashi. That's Rage's guy against Kint's, Steel Peen against Kaiser. Lazarus is huge but Kobashi is undefeated and fairly proven. Both got good skills and both managers are great guys...but I give the edge to Rage cuz he's TFP." Reporter: "That's your criteria? His alliance?" JBomb: "Yeah...fuck you. Alrite, what else...Warfist/Smith, BHP versus Reaper. I mean, you could go with Reaper easily...they defending champs, BUT...I'm goin' with Smith for obvious reasons." Reporter: "Let me guess...his last name?" JBomb: "Correctomundo! Give the man a cigar!..."...*holds coffee cup in the air for a refill*..."Okay, this is gettin' fun. Who else you got? Shoznes/Pencil?...who the fuck names their kid Wooden Pencil? Seriously, that's just rude. Anyways...you got another Kaiser/Steel Penn matchup here. Shoznes dwarfs the Pencil and his skills are through the roof. He's virtually untested and Pencil is undefeated but has he fought anybody nice? We'll find out real quick if the Pencil can hang." Reporter: "He's not 'the' Pencil...it's just Pencil, like his name." JBomb: "Yeah, fuck all that. Griever/Menzies?..." Reporter: "You're going out of order." JBomb: "Fuck you mean?" Reporter: "At first you were jumping back and forth in proper order and now you just stayed on the same card going right down the line..." JBomb: "Man, fuck that too. There's rules to this? Griever just has this one, man. He's just better all the way around. I'd like to pick Cus, we go way back and I don't even know who the hell Tom Violence is...although I dig the name, but Tom's guy has this one. Mango will be down a fight in this one. Now, Badoyan/Vincent...goin' with Badoyan. He's fuckin' massive and better standing up. Obviously, Vincent's black belt is a plus but he's so small, I just don't see how he can get this thing to the ground and utilize that advantage but I think FFN will even it out with Garavito/Doomsday. Again, TFP will edge out APEX in this one, I mean PBR's guy is 9-0 and definitely outclasses Chuck's. Love 'em both but someone's gotta lose, right?" Reporter:...*sighs*... JBomb: "have some coffee, pussy. I'm on a roll. I could do this all day." Reporter: "Of course you can, anyone can, you're not even breaking down the..." JBomb: "Fuck oooooofff. Hear this...I'm killin' it right now! Angel/Blane will be a massacre. Blane's gonna kill that weird lookin' mu'fuckin' Angel." Reporter: "He's never even had a fight yet, how do you know..." JBomb: "Shhh...Okay, Malkin/Kersikov is kind of tough to call. I mean, Malkin is a world champion...hockey player and Kersikov comes from a long line of, well...Kersikov's. Steel Penn against Convicted? Steel Penn against Kaiser? I'm going with Dean on this one...he's on a roll lately. Dude's been killin' with big time power. Am I reading this right? Magnetic Symphony? What the fu...OH! Check out his manager's name! HAHAHA! Fuckin' crazy shit, dude...alrite, this one is easy. Drogo has this shit in the bag. No one...and I mean no one is a better 'Tournament Manager" than Downs, dude." Reporter: "Jesus, man...this isn't a tournament. It's a league..." JBomb: "So it's like a multi-loss tournament, fucker. Back off, Ethan's tearing this shit up, watch!" Reporter: "Whatever..." JBomb: "Okay, now it's the guy everyone has been waitin' to see, mu'fuckin' Colin Croft against Jared Wild! Seriously, Croft looks damn near unbeatable but we all know that everyone is beatable...at some point. I mean, honestly, it's possible for Croft to run through everyone in this shit unbeaten. Streaks that long have happened in the past, runs like that have happened in the past. Will we be seeing the next one? If anyone can derail it right off the bat, it's Soyster. That dude is still a bit underrated and it's not like Wild is a fuckin' chump. I personally cannot wait for this one. I wanna see if this Croft kid can hang in this format. Big Boss and Bawon are up before that with Daba/Urahara...clever names. A Kid Rock song and a dickhole..." Reporter: "You mean, urethra?" JBomb: "Are you still here? Jesus, dude...you should eat somethin', have more coffee, fuck a waitress or some shit, dude. You're tryin' to bring me down but it just ain't gonna fuckin' happen. Besides, Daba's gonna win that one and the oh-so mysterioso Linekar will kill Clint Hook. This will be a great kickoff for Event 2! Aaaaaaaand...now we're over halfway BUT...I wanna drive, let's split!" *We walked out of Denny's and people surrounded JBomb's white Cadillac.* http://photos.aaca.org/files/6/0/3/3/4/1963_cadillac_coupe_deville_-_white_-_fvr.jpg JBomb: "It's cool, this shit happens all the time, dude." *JBomb shooed away the spectators like pigeons and off we went. I have to admit, this cheered me up a bit. Such a classic, smooth ride could not be ignored. The next thing I know, we were out in the desert, just miles of highway in front of us...* Reporter: "Where we headed!?" JBomb: "Bat country!" ...*laughter*... JBomb: "Feelin' better mu'fucka!?" Reporter: "Not gonna lie, I do, I do feel a bit better!" JBomb: "It's the coffee kickin' in! HAHAHA!" Reporter: "Must be..." JBomb: "Hey, so Kramer/Zahran! I'm takin' Zahran but mostly because them Middle Eastern fuckers are gettin' to be some serious badasses these days! Not to mention, That sneaky fuck might have some bullshit up his sleeve!" Reporter: "They get searched before they go into the cage, man..." JBomb: "Am I an MMA manager? Do I know anything about MMA? Do I only do this shit for a job? C'mon, man...you're gonna tell me shit I been knowin' half my fuckin' life!?" Reporter: "Well..." JBomb: "Shut it down...Oh hey! You know I re-signed Tito Hopkins!? Yeah, dude...pulled him off waivers after Burns dropped him from the roster!" Reporter: "No shit! You gonna fight him!?" JBomb: "Naw, man...I thought I'd have him wash my clothes n' be my maid n' shit...man, get the fuck outta here! Of course he's gonna be fightin'! Fuck!" Reporter: "Fuckin' sorry, man..." JBomb: "Nevermind..." Reporter: "I think Maubee Away is gonna destroy Pintos!" JBomb: "Oh yeah!? Whay's that!?" Reporter: "Not sure...somethin' about the look in his eyes when I interviewed him. Dude looks vicious!" JBomb: "You like the look in his eyes!?" Reporter: "Why do you make it sound so..." JBomb: "Gay!? HAHAHA!" Reporter: "Well, yeah, man...what the fuck!?'' JBomb: "Shut the fuck up...quit bein' such a damn homo!..."...*laughs*..."Okay, man. Develutian made me laugh so damn hard in that interview, I think i gotta go with him in Develutian/Beckett!" Reporter: "Yeah, he was hilarious and fun to party with for sure! I'm gonna go with Beckett though...he just has the experience and his manager , from what I've heard so far, is batshit crazy!" JBomb: "For real!? Like what!?" Reporter: "Well I still need to go out to Hilo and meet the guy but he's just known for saying some really odd shit to his fighters in between rounds...like telling them to unconventional stuff!" JBomb: "Nice! He thinks outside the box, I like that! I'm still goin' with D though!" Reporter: "This is an odd one also. Threypont Wonforr...PI!" JBomb: "Clever! His parents must be major douchebags...or maybe he changed his own name to be a major douchebag!? Either way, I hate him and am takin' the other guy!" Reporter: "Just like that!? Did you even look to see who he's fighting!?" JBomb: "Don't need to, dude...fuck that guy!" Reporter: "Well it's Fathy, anyways!" JBomb: "Ah...my man Blunts! Yep, PI is fucked! HAHAHA!" Reporter: "Maybe YOU'RE the one who's the douchebag, you ever think of that!?" JBomb: "Daily...who else you got, c'mon let's get this over with!" Reporter: "Whatever...Fatu/Burke!" JBomb: "Fatu with the Muay Thai win!" Reporter: "I agree! Burke will have issues unless he can get to the ground!" JBomb: "Yeah! Taphorn, your favorite! HAHAHA! I think he gets Cecere on the mat and just humps the fuck outta him!" Reporter: "Gawd, I hope not!" JBomb: "HAHAHA! You gotta deal with that guy all season, dude! You're fucked!"...*more laughter as we pull into a gas station*... Reporter: "Dude...are we in Barstow?" JBomb: "Yeah...I think. Hope so anyway..." Reporter: "What the fuck are we doing in..." JBomb:...*watching the gas pump*..."Genius...we're goin' to L.A.!" Reporter: "L.A.! What!? Why the..." JBomb: "You need to get outta town and Herb Green is fightin' the first round of TWGC." Reporter: "..." JBomb: "Besides, you're almost done with work, 'cause right now, we're at the two best trash talkers of the whole thing so far...Sackett versus Stu, BHP versus Reaper, Killkenny/Knight!" Reporter: "Oh man...and Knight is a goddamn maniac...literally!" JBomb: "No shit but if I know Sackett, he has a plan...and power on his side. He don't sign chumps to his squad, dude." Reporter: "This might be my most anticipated fight of the first week. I'm getting goosebumps just thinkin' about it!" JBomb: "Yeah!? It's definitely one of many but given what's been said...I gotta agree with ya. Anyways, I'm goin' with my old friend Barnabas in this one." Reporter: "Alright then, I'm takin' that psychotic-silence of the lambs-motherfucking-Australian, Knight!" JBomb: "Winner buys gas on the way home?" Reporter: "Deal...thanks, man. I needed this." JBomb:...*finishes pumping gas*..."I know, dude...it's what I do. Now go get me a green Monster, pussy." *We made it to L.A. in record time...and smoothly, I might add. We met up with Herb Green, Ben Stone, Chris Karter, Bong Toe and Rolen Spliffs and hit the town. Man, what a night! JBomb might not be with Convicted anymore but he still knew how to party with them. Some things never change...bitches, booze, blunts, beer and brawls. This night had it all.*

http://www.mmatycoon.com/images/company/logo/1361817591itfl2.png INTERNATIONAL TEAM FIGHTING LEAGUE SEASON 2 PREVIEW TEAM MANGO *I flew out of Hilo and all I wanted was to go back. To be back on those soothing beaches without a care in the world. Unfortunately, I had a job to do and there's only one way to do it. I enjoyed being in Tokyo, not the flight there though. Way too long to be on a plane. However, I was pleased to hear that Cus Damato and Gio Vitale would be joining me at Big Boss's place during my stay...that will cut down on a lot of travel time. He wasn't sure if Lyoto Rua Julio or Bruno Leonardo could make it due to prior obligations, but that was fine. I could probably talk to them during the season at some point. Right now, the goal was to get to Tokyo, do the interview and survive Boss's driving. When Big Boss met me at the airport, it was the usual...slander and sarcasm. He had toned it down a bit this time, children have a way of doing that, and I was hoping it would translate to his driving also...* http://wowpic.info/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/custom-nissan-skyline-r34.jpg Reporter: "Damn dude...what happened to the other car?" Boss: "Wrecked, so I won this pile in a drift contest." Reporter: "Another Skyline?" Boss: "Fuck yeah, bro. What the fuck?" Reporter: "You just don't slow down, do ya?" Boss: "Fuck is that supposed to mean? Get in..."...*enters the car and slams the door*... *Reluctantly, I got in the car. As expected, we sped off at a very unsafe speed, well...unsafe to me. This is what I always dread when I come out to Tokyo...this 'Fast and Furious' bastard known as Big Boss. I'm not gonna lie, my hole was clenched the entire time but Boss showed amazing skill with his driving...always has, really. I just wish it wasn't so damn fast. Instead of going out to the outskirts of the city, we drove right to the heart of downtown Tokyo and out of nowhere, an island appeared with, what looked like, a fortress in the middle. How did someone get this built inside the city? Why was this here? Suddenly, I realized we were crossing this 'moat' and on our way to this fortress.* http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/02093/im_2093706b.jpg Reporter: "This your joint?" Boss: "Sure is, bro. Bought it last year." Reporter: "How the hell did..." Boss: "It's always been here but without the water. I had that brought in. You know there's live Coi out there? Awesome huh?" Reporter: "Interesting..." Boss: "I've always wanted a moat, bro. I can't swim for shit so I always thought it would be cool for security reasons." Reporter: "From yourself? From leaving?" Boss: "Naw, bro...get with it." Reporter: "..." *We pulled into the garage and went inside. It was a beautiful place, lots of traditional Japanese design mixed with new age technology...Big Boss had been busy and had it going on. Cus Damato and Gio Vitale met us, with drinks, in the lounge.* Boss: "Welcome to Outer Heavens Compound!" Reporter: "Nice...how's it going, guys?" Damato: "Good, mate." Vitale: "Great..."...*holds out his drink*... *We were joined by Kisuke Urahara, Maubee Away and Scott Menzies while Matt Sabre made drinks and Will Dearborn, Brynden Tully and John Lineker all sat up at the bar talking amongst themselves and watching baseball.* Boss: "So what was with the Mr. T guy, bro?" Reporter: "Who?...OH!...dude...Badoyan! Hahaha! Yeah, dude...that guy cracked me up so damn bad. He just sat there rambling, like he was scared to let me talk and was ready to beat me down if I did. At the end of his little tirade, he actually says...'and pity any fool that faces him!'...HAHAHAHA!" Boss: "OH MY GOD! HAHAHA! THAT IS FUCKING AWESOME!" *We all share a laugh and for the next few minutes, there were about 14 different Mr. T impersonations along the way...it became the theme of the night.* Reporter: "So what first interested you guys in the ITFL?" Boss:...*lights a joint and takes a drink*..."Winnig it for The Fighter's Pit!"...*exhales*... Vitale: "It's a different type of competetive...edge." Damato:...*takes a drink*..."I had a fighter in Season One and he didn't do so well. I just had to have another go, mate." Reporter: "Describe Team Mango for me?" Damato: "The only other person I know on my team, at the moment, is Big Boss..."...*takes a drink*..."but looking at the other managers and fighters, and getting to hang out here with Gio, i think we have a real solid team." Vitale: "I'm leaving this one for our Captain..." Boss:...*exhales a plume of smoke*..."A rag tag group that I only joined because of Cus Damato?"...*laughs*... Vitale:...*looks over and holds hands out*..."..." Damato:...*begins laughing like crazy*... Boss: "I just don't know you that well, bro...that's all." Reporter: "Is there any manager's you guys would NOT like to face? Better yet, a manager you least want to face." Boss: "No one...I'll fight anybody. Skills pay these bills."...*holds hands out*... Damato: "The only manager I wouldn't want to face would be Soyster, since we are in the same alliance. Other than that..." Vitale: "I want to face everyone, especially the tops! It’s a challenge to me!"...*takes a drink*... Reporter: "okaaaaay...so is there any fighter in this thing that scares you?" Vitale: "No one scares me! All fighters are very ugly, I think they only scares children…" Boss: "What the fuck!? Anyways...I ain't scared of shit, bro." Damato: "Colin Croft looks like the scariest guy I have come across, so far in ITFL 2. Great skills, followed up with that granite chin of his and that's a tough combination to beat, mate." Reporter: "Gio, what can you tell me about Away?" Vitale: "Maubee were born in small and lost island in Central America. He had a poor childhood, and always tried to take advantage of all things through illicit means. He almost got caught for several times, but always manage escape, becoming a big brawler in the streets. Over time, Away realized he had a talent for fighting on the ground, so he decide to try the Mixed Martial Arts and migrated to Brazil to learned the Jiu-Jitsu. Unlike most fighters, he doesn’t try to change personality to suit media." Reporter: "Away! Maubee!..." Away:...*walks over with a blunt in his hand*..."Yes?" Reporter: "How do you like the league format?" Away: "I like, mon! Is good chance to face a lot of opponent, at once, from some of the best managers in the world, mon." Reporter: "Do you have to do that?" Away:...*takes a huge hit from the blunt*..."Do what, mon?"...*exhales drawing praise from Boss*... Reporter: "Guess so...anyways, Away, is there any fighter that scares you?" Away: "I want to face...and beat...anyone!" Reporter: "...okay, why will you dominate this league?" Away:...*exhales another hit*..."Easy, mon...'coz I am the better, mon! HAHAHA!"...*gets up and walks off, yelling at Lineker to smoke with him*... Reporter: "Boss, Cus, why will you guys dominate this league, especially with Team Reaper actually looking improved right now?" Boss: "Because I'm Big Boss and I don't give a fuck!"...*stands up and starts laughing with Tully*... Damato:...*laughs*... Vitale: "We are all outsiders and no one believes in us! So we are going to show our force to the world! Hahaha!" Boss: "Show our force all over your face!" Vitale:...*stands up and raises fist*..."YES!" Damato:...*takes a hit from Boss's discarded joint and laughs*... Reporter:...*sighs..."Kisuke, how do you feel about the league format?" Urahara:...*stops watching TV*..."Going to be grueling but a good learning experience to test my skills." Reporter: "Any fighter that scares you?" Urahara: "No."...*takes a drink*... Reporter: "Why will you dominate?" Urahara: "I'm very dangerous on the feet and people underestimate me on the ground all the time." Reporter: "Thanks...what about you Scott? You've been very quiet so far." Menzies: "Well.." Reporter: "..." Menzies:...*angrily*..."I am going to dominate this tournament because i think i am coming in under the radar and being a little overlooked at the moment! No one's showing me any respect in this...it's bullshit!" Reporter: "Whoa...okay, dude. Is there any fighter in this that you don't want to face?" Menzies: "Colin Croft, he looks like one of the scariest fighters i have ever seen for his age and i think he will be a tough man to beat for sure. Have you seen that guy!? He should be tested, ya know!? Seriously! He should..." Reporter: "Whoa, dude just take it easy...calm down...why does he need to be tested?" Menzies: "He just does! No one is that damn good, that damn young! Something crazy is going on here!" Reporter: "Sure is..." Menzies: "What!?" Reporter: "Nothing...what do you think of the league format." Menzies: "I really like the league format, you don't have to win every fight so it gives you a chance to find your feet and get into your groove. You really know you're in for the long haul, ya know!?" Reporter: "Absolutely...so what about Julio, or Lineker...or what about Bruno?" Boss: "Brazilians!..."...*takes a hit and passes to Cus*..."They ain't here but they'll be ready for league fights, bro...believe that!" *These guys were starting to get crazy and then when Sabre came in with the women...it started getting crazier. Since the other guys weren't here, I needed a bit more for my story and then I could party, and if I know Boss...he'll have some nice ladies just waiting for me. I stayed and talked to Menzies. He seemed very angry and quite paranoid. I found out that he spent most of his younger years living on the streets and was well known for his street fighting abilites. At the age of 16 he was deemed to be insane by a local shrink and spent the next two years in a mental institution. After being released at the age of 18, he began training MMA for the next 3 years before making his MMA debut that he won against a 34 year old aging fighter. He barely acknowledges the win, due to his insane paranoia. After we talked for a bit, I had to get away from this guy. He was off his rocker but not in an overt way...very subtle, hardly noticeable at first. I rejoined the festivities and was having a great time. Eventually, the booze had taken it's hold and I knew it was time to get my room. As I expected, Boss brought over two women for me to take to my room. It was times like this, I really appreciated our friendship. On my way back to the room, girl on each arm, someone jumped out and scared us...it was Vitale. He screamed out...* Vitale: "SHOW OUR FORCE ALL OVER YOUR FACE! HAHAHA!" *Then he ran off into the other room for more party time...Tokyo may be in trouble tonight.*

http://www.mmatycoon.com/images/company/logo/1361817591itfl2.png INTERNATIONAL TEAM FIGHTING LEAGUE SEASON 2 PREVIEW: TEAM HELL'S BALLS NUTRITION *I woke up to the beautiful tones of my binaural alarm clock and the smell of fresh brewed coffee. As I laid there, I thought about how great technology was. Having all of my morning's rituals already up and roaring before I even step foot out of my bed. Getting the best sleep I've ever had due to scientific...beats. Life was great. As I walked through my house, I checked my phone. Nothing out of the ordinary, just a few messages and a bunch of Facebook and Twitter notifications. I immersed myself into my coffee and began to check my messages. It was the usual stuff for the most part, then I saw one from "Fuse" aka Sean McDonnel...* *via text message... *That looked interesting. Sean has been running the ITFL and if I recall, the first season just ended. I got a bit excited at the idea of covering the new season. That would keep me busy and paid for quite a while, and I needed the cash. I sipped my coffee, trying not to get my hopes up, but was having a hard time not texting back. I read my Twitter feed and found out some other interesting news. Sonny Muchacho had answered JBomb's call and decided to come out of hiding. It seemed that Hellbent was back in his hands and getting some attention. He hired Chuck back and got the shop restocked. I'd have to remember to call JBomb about that a bit later, I had to see what Fuse wanted...the suspense was killing me.* *via cellphone... McDonnel: "Hey man, you gotta fly out to Hilo as soon as you can." Reporter: "You mind tellin' me what this is all about?" McDonnel: "ITFL...wanna cover it!?" *I tried very hard to hide my excitement* Reporter: "Absolutely!" McDonnel: "Great! Fly out here and we'll go through all the details. I'll have a ticket for ya at McCarran." Reporter: "I'm on my way!" ...*hangs up phone*... *During my flight out to Hilo, I managed to get in touch with Kelly McGrady of Team Syndicate Nutrition. She's an odd duck but assured me that she would be around while I was out on the island. I also got a hold of The Antidote, another odd one, and tried to set up a meeting but he was very secretive. I'm not entirely sure what we just talked about but I would try my hardest to get to him while out here. No sense in flying back out when I can just do it all in one shot and fly out to Tokyo to see my old friend...Big Boss. I landed and surprisingly, Eric Legion was there to pick me up. We walk to his immaculate Audi R8 * http://s1.cdn.autoevolution.com/images/news/audi-r8-gets-custom-concave-vossen-wheels-photo-gallery-53127-7.jpg Reporter: "Still out here huh?" Legion: "Can you think of a better place?"...*throws luggage in the trunk*... Reporter: "Damn this ride is nice. I need to get out here more often." Legion: "She sure is, if ya need a place, I can set you up. We got a nice little..." Reporter: "Quit selling and drive, man. I got shit to do." Legion: "Right..."...*hits the gas pedal*..."So...how ya been?" Reporter: "Good. What's new?" Legion: "You hear about JBomb?" Reporter: "You mean the Takeover?" Legion:...*driving*..."Naw, man...Sonny's back." Reporter: "Well yeah...What's J gonna do?" Legion: "He's gonna open a new joint. Start brand new." Reporter: "Huh...I definitely better call him soon." Legion: "Yep."...*continues driving*... Reporter: "So who you like in this second season, man?" Legion: "ITFL?...kinda hard not to go with Team Reaper isn't it? I mean all those guys are top notch." Reporter: "Yeah, they look pretty good right now." Legion: "We're almost there..." *After about 10 minutes, we arrive at Sean McDonnel's mansion. Legion drops me off, leaves my bags and has to take off. Sean meets me at the door and gives me a quick tour of the grounds...* http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y217/j666/18184014-0_zps6e138b44.jpg Reporter: "This is great, man! Yeah...real nice out here. Can't believe Legion picked me up. I haven't seen him in years." McDonnel: "Thanks. Yeah, I called JBomb and asked if he would Ask Eric to go get ya. I know you guys go way back. Actually, he sold me this place..."...*extends arms out*..."Most guys get into MMA and want to make millions while this guy is the only guy I know who LEFT MMA to go make millions...dude's rollin' in it! HAHAHA! Come out back and meet everybody...it's grillin' time!" Reporter: "Everybody's out here already?" McDonnel: "Well, not yet but they will be soon enough. In the meantime, we'll have some drinks and bullshit, huh? C'mon..." *We walked farther through the backyard and came upon a nice pavillion where Chad Kaufman had the grill already started. Chuck W, Danny Power, Shavo Odin and Devin Styles had a game of dominoes going on one of the tables. The brothers, Tony Albrecht and Chris Partridge were relaxing, sipping drinks overlooking the beach with two beautiful women. Chuck Grace was on the phone, pacing as always while James Lowich, Dane Ford and Andy Mugler were taking bets on an impromptu arm wrestling match between Kyle Carlton and Harold Howard. It looked like Howard was going to be victorious when Evander Holyshit walked over, flipped the table and began laughing hysterically. Lowich was calling for a rematch when Tom Ryan came walking out of the smokehouse with a full pig. This barbecue was about to get good. After we ate, Sean brought me a drink and we discussed what exactly I was being hired for. We also discussed my favorite topic, money...and Sean had plenty. The thought of taking on such a daunting task like this can only be quelled by cash. Interviews with all of the teams, managers and fighters, event previews and a few picks here and there. My frequent flyer miles were going to spike for the first time since the King of the Playground fiasco...* Reporter: "How about we start right now, Sean?" McDonnel:...*sips his drink*..."Cool with me." Reporter: "So how did the ITFL come about?" McDonnel: "I first got the idea to create ITFL when Ryan Minard decided to start the 5th Round Fight Team. I really liked the concept of clothing companies sponsoring guys and building a team around their brand and it reminded me of the old org IFL. Johnny Lee Paris and I discussed a few different formats and settled on the one currently instituted." Reporter: "Do you like it so far? I mean, once things got ironed out and all?" McDonnel: "Yeah, the first season was a little bit of a clusterfuck!"...*laughs*... Reporter: "How so?" McDonnel: "Well, my hand was forced a bit by Max McRiot, who I felt was going to steal my concept after I wouldn’t let him run events over at NFC." Reporter: "You didn't want any help then?" McDonnel: "No. I'm a grown man and that bastard was just trying to hijack the entire thing. I know better than that shit!"...*takes another sip off his drink and coughs a bit*... Reporter: "What do you think of your team so far?" McDonnel: "My team has 4 legit heavyweight prospects on it. The two guys entering from my camp, Fatu and Badoyan, are 2 of the most skilled prospects I have ever had the pleasure of coaching and I expect big things from both of those guys. We also have a fighter out of the Blunts camp who is one scary motherfucker..." Reporter: "Who's that?" McDonnel: "Sherif Fathy." Reporter: "Ah yes, that dude is a knock out machine." McDonnel: "Fuck yes, he is! Also on our team is a good young wrestling prospect from Tony Albrecht. He has yet to make his professional debut but from what I have seen of him in the gym, I think guys will have a lot to worry about if they’re matched up against him. He should be here a bit later." Reporter: "Excellent..." McDonnel: "Last but not least is a featherweight coming from the Chuck W camp. He’s primarily a boxer from what I have seen but I can’t wait to see more." Reporter: "Sabah Nur, correct?" McDonnel: "You did your homework..."...*raises his glass*..."Yep, that's the guy."...*takes a drink*... Reporter: "Out of everyone in the ITFL, which fighter scares you the most?" McDonnel: "I don’t fear anybody, really. There are a lot of great fighters taking part in this season, as well as a lot of terrific managers. Most of the teams look like they’ll be pretty competitive, so I expect a great season, but let’s be honest here for a second...everyone else is here for 2nd place."...*empties his glass and raises it for a refill*... Reporter: "IS there any manager you least want to face? You know, not necessarily someone you fear but maybe someone you don't do so well against or haven't done well against in the past?" McDonnel: "Well that’s the easiest question you’ve asked me all day..."...*receives his new drink from a beautiful Hawaiian woman, grass skirt and all*..."Ethan Downs."...*takes a drink*... Reporter: "Really...explain..." McDonnel: "Hands DOWN...HAHAHA!"...*Evander Holyshit and a couple other fighters all share a laugh*..."Seriously though, that dude’s fighters have owned mine EVERYTIME I have been matched up against him...fuck!" Reporter: "Dude's in your kitchen." McDonnel: "My kitchen?" Reporter: "It's a figure of speech, nevermind...tell me why you guys are going to dominate this tournament. Why is everyone else fighting for 2nd place?" McDonnel:...*takes a drink and yells for Tony Albrecht to come over*..."Dude...we have no weakness at all. We have a great mixture of wrestlers and strikers on our team. In fact, several of our guys are very strong in both aspects of the fight..."...*Albrecht walks over and McDonnel starts asking about Jonas Blane. Albrecht assures Sean that Blane is on his way*..."All of our guys have been working out with some of the elite fighters in MMA and you can really see the growth in a short time. Combine that with the excellent managers I have brought together here, to form this team and I think we’re definitely one of the favorites to walk away with both team and individual championships." Reporter: "That's a bold statement. Some might even say it's quite cocky..." McDonnel: "Call it what you want..." *Vaimaa Fatu walks by and Sean calls him over. Fatu grabs a drink and takes a seat as McDonnel gets up* McDonnel: "I gotta go see a man about a horse..."...*stumbles off*... Reporter: "Vaimaa, how's it going?" Fatu: "Good." Reporter: "So how do you feel about the league format?" Fatu: "I don’t really concern myself with those kinds of details. It’s really not important to me because once the cage door closes, it does not matter who is standing across from me...the fight is going to ending the same way." Reporter: "And that is?" Fatu: "Them out cold." Reporter: "I see. Who is the fighter you least want to face?" Fatu: "How about, I will give you the fighter I MOST want to face instead?" Reporter: "Okay, that works..." Fatu: "It is Colin Croft. Everything I hear about this guy...'he’s a real bad ass in the gym' and 'he comes from a camp that’s pretty well respected by most guys'. All those shit, you know? For such a bad ass in the gym, I am wondering why the pussy only has 1 fight? Only 1 fight, huh?..."...*stands up*..."Maybe he is too afraid of getting hit, so he likes to just play pretend fighter in gym! When he steps in the cage across from me, there is going to be no timeouts and no place to run! My fist is going to hit his face and then he is going to hit the mat!" Reporter: "Your family has a rich history with professional wrestling. Why did you choose MMA over something like the WWE?" Fatu:...*still standing*..."I wish to make my people proud by becoming the first Samoan MMA Champion! Other Samoans have made good in WWE and other professional wrestling but none have dominated MMA!"...*walks away as he smacks fists off of his chest and begins to yell into the night*... *After i had another plate, Tony Albrecht approached me and told me that Jonas Blane, his fighter for the ITFL, would not be able to show up due to his "plane being delayed". There was something suspicious in the way he said "plane being delayed" so I had to dig a little bit deeper. Tony is a very laid back and modest manager so it was nice to actually get him to talk...and he had some great stories to tell about Blane. As it turns out, Blane is one hell of an individual... Blane is a former Ranger and Special Forces-qualified senior NCO, leading Alpha Team of the 1st Special Actions Group. He is competent in Arabic, French, German, Persian, Portuguese, and Spanish. He lives in Montreal with his wife, Molly and daughter, Betsy. Once, while in the Balkans, a war criminal who Blane's team is to apprehend gets a good look at Blane's face. When the criminal escapes from UN custody, he tracks Blane back to Fort Griffith, the 303rd's Headquarters. When Alpha Team leaves the post to celebrate the marriage of unit commander Colonel Tom Ryan, the war criminal kills a few workers and injures Mrs. Ryan and Blane. A few months later, after being assigned to active duty once again, while in Pakistan, Blane and his team prevented the spread of weaponized smallpox by members of al-Qaeda. His team is also responsible for the downfall of the world's foremost illegal weapons dealer. A member of his team, Hector Williams was killed during a mission to Beirut. Jonas conducted an unauthorized mission of personal vengeance on those he held responsible. He is also ahard taskmaster. He effortlessly commands the respect of his men and is extremely patriotic, pushing himself hardest of all. However this self-centeredness sometimes alienates people outside his unit in a detrimental manner. He is also very ruthless, never hesitating to kill in cold blood and nearly always puts the mission first. On three occasions, he has tortured enemies for information by shooting them in the kneecap. His medal ribbons include a Bronze Star and Purple Heart, although they were, presumably, awarded before he joined his unit, whose members do not seem to receive decorations for their heroism. Albrecht was about to continue but the beautiful woman he was sitting with earlier came back and led him off towards the beach. I was going to go talk to Tigran Badoyan but he was very drunk and ready to hit the hay. I guess that was my cue and I decided to grab a few drinks with Danny Power and Chauncey Silvestre. We partied well into the night...there's plenty for me to do tomorrow, but for right now, I was falling back in love with Hilo.* ...to be continued

http://www.mmatycoon.com/images/company/logo/1361817591itfl2.png INTERNATIONAL TEAM FIGHTING LEAGUE SEASON 2 PREVIEW: TEAM REAPER *via cellphone... *After I my talk with Chuck on the way to the airport, I got a text from Johnny Lee Paris. I knew eventually it had to come to this and honestly, I was kind of dreading it. I remember what happened the last time I was at his place and let's just say it was not a highlight of my life. It may just be one of the weirdest moments I have ever had...but I had a job to do and he assured me that Ruphus Duphus would be in town as well, so I could 'two bird, one stone' my way through Chicago. There was one thing that kind of bothered me though...something in his tone when he told me he had a "great surprise" and that it was "something I would like"...anytime JLP gets that tone, I get a bit worried. I slept the entire way back to San Francisco and then quickly ran to my connecting flight. The layover in Denver wasn't long enough to do anything so I just slept there as well, since I didn't have to change planes. While in flight, I got confirmation from Duphus that he would be available. Thank hell... I also talked to JBomb while in flight and he promised he'd have one of his old fighters pick me up at the airport. I hate renting cars and J always sets me up. I was assuming one of the Osiris brothers would be here soon. After I grabbed my bags from the baggage claim, I walked outside and stood at the curb. I watched shuttle after shuttle come and go, taxi after taxi...turning them all down, waiting for my ride. Finally, after about 20 minutes, I heard a honk and saw a familiar face...Ray Osiris.* http://www.tuningsuv.com/albums/userpics/10001/Lincoln_Navigator_Custom_25422.jpg *Osiris was one of the first KT fighters in the world. He copped a pretty nasty knee injury in his second fight though and his career was over, just like that. He put all his energy into rehabilitating his leg and coaching his younger brother, Eric, who JBomb also signed. Eric became a great wrestler. Most of that due to Ray's displeasure with the one sided nature of kickboxing. So Ray employed some of the best wrestling coaches money could buy and brought them to Chicago. If he couldn't get them to come to Chicago, he'd send Eric to them. Ray still coaches to this day...* Reporter: "Nice ride! How ya been Ray?" Osiris:...*shaking hands*..."Thanks. I'm doin' alright, blood. What aboutchyu?" Reporter: "Well, other than this JLP thing, I'm doin' great. Let's hope this goes smoothly huh?" Osiris: "Ay, blood...if anything crazy go down, we gotcha!"...*opens the back door to the Navigator revealing 3 heavily armed, black men, clad in black leather and very serious looks*..."We don't fuck aroun' 'roun here." Reporter: "Well let's hope this is all unneeded, right? So how's Eric been?"...*throws bags in the back and walks around front*... Osiris: "Dropped 6 of his last 7, ain't been fightin' much lately though..."...*starts the SUV*... Reporter: "Huh...wonder why? So you're still coachin' right?" Osiris: "Yeah..." Reporter: "You ever think about coaching over at JBomb's new gym?" Osiris: "In Vegas? Sheeeeeit...hell naw. Too mu'fuckin' hot out there, blood."...*cranks up the stereo*... *We drive for about a half hour, now words, only music...when we finally hit the familiar looking industrial area known as "Back of the Yards". Instantly, I get creeped out. I knew that soon, I would be in the depths of the ether dungeon that Johnny Lee Paris calls home. As we rounded the corner, Osiris turned down the stereo and slowed to a crawl.* Osiris: "This it?"...*begins to park on the side of the road*... Reporter:...*gulps*..."Yep...I'll be back a bit later." Osiris: "Cool...we here, blood." Reporter: "Thanks..." *As I walked up to the compound, I noticed that the dirty brick wall, topped with razorwire and security cameras, was still there even though the graffiti was a bit different. The gates began to open automatically, as they did before, and there stood Paris...same paramilitary clothing, still obese but with one glaring difference...he had a different ether-wielding crackwhore on his side, this one was a lot better looking, in a 'Mallory Knox-on-crank' type of way. It was apparent that the ether was getting to Paris. Even though his set up was the same, we walked by the same Laotian refugees that were betting on rat fights but this time, the rats were dressed in Barbie clothes. As we walked, Paris tried to convince me that the clothes were to appease "The God of Concrete". I'm no genius, but I was pretty sure the rocker that Paris was off, had gotten a lot farther away.* Paris: "Would you like a huff?" Reporter:...*freaks out*..."GODDAMN IT JOHNNY LEE, I'M NOT FALLING FOR IT AGAIN! LAST TIME YOU HAD ME SO FUCKED UP IN HERE, I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT THE FUCK HAPPENED! WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU DO TO ME, FUCKER!? WHAT DID YOU FUCKING DOOOO!?" Paris:...*calmly*..."Settle down, I did nothing. You slept on the floor..."...*points*..."right over there. You woke before I and drove off into the morningrise. I know this because I watch my security cameras with my daily huff." Reporter:...*panting*... Paris: "Sit...have a drink, relax..." Reporter: "No fuckin' drinks either Johnny!" Paris: "Have it your way...but please, sit down." Reporter:...*sits down*... Paris: "Ask your questions..." Reporter:...*pauses and regains composure*..."Um...well...shit, I forgot my notebook. Tell me about Taphorn." Paris: "Peter Taphorn is a sexually ambiguous rodeo clown. Reporter: "Excuse me?" Paris: "A sexually ambiguous rodeo clown...well, was...obviously, he is an MMA fighter now but he is a former rodeo clown. Kind of loopy in the head, but very tough. Also, he came to train at my gym when he started using bath salts. That definitely adds to the loopiness I mentioned before..."...*crackwhore gives Paris a huff and he pauses for about 3 minutes*..."his favorite porno is videos of Cus Damato extracting semen from kangaroos and koalas." Reporter: "What the fu..."...*shakes head*..."okay...what interested you in the ITFL?" Paris: "Sean McDonnel came to me and asked for my help in devising a new way to approach running a fight organization. We did a lot of brainstorming, him drinking and me huffing, and came up with the ITFL format. Of course we made a few mistakes with the first run but overall, Season One has been a great success." Reporter: "What did you like best about Season One?" Paris: "Season One will be remembered because it put a few unknowns on the map." Reporter: "Like?" Paris: "Like Tweedle Dee and Dragon Slayer." Reporter: "Oh...good choices. Describe your team for me." Paris:...*staring off into the corner*..."Team Reaper is a dedicated malignant mass of malcontents. Stu is in charge of matchmaking in Season Two because...he brings the heat."...*jaw drops*... Reporter: "Ay dude...dude...DUDE!...PARIIIIS!..."...*snaps fingers and waves arms*..."PARIS! PARIS!" Paris: "I want a toaster that reads emails and changes oil..." Reporter: "What!? Dude...your getting weird on me again. Let's get this over with so I can split. Which fighter do you fear the most?" Paris:...*white begins forming at the corners of his mouth*..."Colin Croft...I'm glad he is on my squad." Reporter: "Reaper won Season One. Why will Reaper dominate Season Two?" Paris:...*starting to nod off*..."Reaper dominated Season...One...with two young projects, two...cans..."...*snores himself awake*..."and...oh! one decent fighter. Sorry, man...Stu and I schooled the other captains with our superior matchmaking skills..."...*wipes corners of the mouth*..."easily the best strategic minds in Season One. Do you want to sleep in one of the rooms upstairs?" Reporter: "No, man...thanks. I gotta get going. Gotta meet up with Duphus on the other side of town tomorrow, plus my ride is waiting out..." Paris: "No need for lies. You're under no obligation. Would you like an Oreo?" Reporter: "No dude...I need to leave...now." Paris: "Okay, okay...thanks for coming by." *The crackwhore showed me to the door. On my way out, I dropped a $5 on a Bikini Barbie rat and he won! Brought me $250 off that bet. Had Paris not been so ethered and Osiris waiting, I might have stayed and made a few more bets. I got back in the car and we cruised to Osiris' gym. He had a room upstairs I could use and did I ever need it. Even sober, that damn JLP is just a mindbender if I ever saw one...* to be continued...