Tag Archives: boxing

Apr 16 2013
13 Comments
funny names in tv

Chi McBride

The last time I talked about a boy on this blog, I will admit that, yes, I may have gotten perhaps just a tiny bit carried away. I can assure you that this won’t be happening today, my friends. Not because I’ve suddenly and mysteriously matured in some way (perish the thought!) but because today’s funny-named actor has one of the most marvelously mellifluous voices on television. Everyone sit back, relax, and enjoy the oh-so-smooth stylings of Mr. Chi McBride:

Have his dulcet tones drawn you in to the drama? Do you not want to keep watching this show, just to hear Chi tell the rest of the story? You should; “Golden Boy” is, at least according to this particular culture vulture, one of the best new dramas of the season. But that’s another Favourite Television Show You’ve Never Heard Of  for another time; today’s post is all about Chi. Which, by the way, is pronounced “shy” (as in, the opposite of Amber) and not “chi” (as in, tai-chi).
Chi McBride with a daisy

“Pushing Daisies” may have gotten cancelled, but this picture of a very big Chi with a very tiny flower is forever

I wasn’t kidding when I said his stylings were smooth: although he’s best known for his roles on long running television drama series like “House” and “The Practice”, Chi grew up singing with gospel choirs in his native Chicago, and his first success in show business came with the song “He’s the Champ”, which parodied the marriage of boxer Mike Tyson and actress Robin Givens. I’ll leave it up to Dave to make some boxing jokes in the comments, and will just say that the tune was a knock out hit. (*groan* I know. I’m sorry Dave – deceased paleontologist references I can handle; but boxing puns are way out of my weight-class). Anyway, based on the tune’s success, McBride was signed by Esquire Records and he joined the rhythm and blues band Covert.

Once he hit the ripe old age of thirty, Chi decided that it was time to make the switch from reading sheet music to reading scripts, so he headed to L.A. His distinctive look and voice quickly earned him guest spots on popular shows like “In Living Color” and “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” and he’s worked steadily in TV and film ever since. In fact, “steadily” might be an understatement: my showbiz sources tell me that Chi has played the same character (Steven Harper) in three different television series spanning from 1997 to 2004: “The Practice”, “Boston Public” and “Boston Legal”.

“Golden Boy” airs Tuesday nights on CBS; if you’ve already googled “funny names blog + amb” and are looking for a way to fill your Tuesday evenings, might I suggest mellowing out with Chi?

love amb
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Mar 04 2013
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Nonito Donaire

Howdy everyone! Today we’ll make a little return to normalcy after one of the craziest weeks in this blog’s history. Seriously, every day had something unusual. Some days more than others :)

Monday – Arto forgets to write his post, so Amb fills in instead
Tuesday – Arto then posts an Oscars update, pushing Fannie back to Wednesday
Wednesday – Fannie posts a delightful Ethel Merman post, and Rob decides to pre-empt himself this week, and then we post a rare “special feature” telling you to vote for Hankybook
Thursday – Mailman returns!
Friday – I had an exam (to cap off a crazy week in the non-funny-names world), and so the night before, I enlisted Amb and Liz to write this week’s FNITN. And they return with this delightful, off-the-wall recap.

I was considering posting about one of my all-time favorite loons, but decided that one can wait until my next post, so everyone has a chance to breathe :) Instead, I’m posting someone with a funny name who I admire tremendously instead. I hope you enjoy. – Dave

Seriously, look at that face!

Seriously, look at that face!

Nonito Donaire.

5’6″ tall.

122 pounds.

This face:

His hobbies include photography and anti-bullying activism, and his wife includes sitting on the beach and reading as one of her favorite things to do.

Nonito is a sweet and sensitive fellow – polite, friendly, humble, and extremely well-adjusted.

If I were to have you guess what that guy did for a living, I bet “knocking out people with his fists” would not have ranked in the top 5.  (Unless you’re an astute follower of our blog.)

But “top 5″ “knocking out people with his fists” and “Nonito Donaire” have a lot in common, because he’s one of the top five pound-for-pound boxers in the world today, and he’s notable for other reasons.

Nonito is the leading voice for clean boxing, speaking out against all forms of blood doping and becoming the poster child for VADA, the voluntary anti-doping association. He is reportedly the only boxer to follow ongoing, 24/7/365 (and 366 on leap years) randomized blood testing protocol, and has now mandated that all of his opponents enroll in a similar anti-doping program in order to fight him.

The best thing: he is such a big name in the lower weight divisions that they often do. This list includes his upcoming opponent, Guillermo Rigondeaux who reluctantly agreed to the tests after weeks of contractual brinksmanship, and then posted a video of himself just before getting his blood drawn, while a member of his camp called Donaire “un rata de laboratorio” (a lab rat).

But lest anyone think Donaire is a “protected fighter” (one of the biggest insults in boxing… meaning someone who only fights tomato cans…which might be the biggest insult in boxing), he isn’t. The Filipino Flash fought four times last year, en route to the 2012 Sugar Ray Robinson Award – the Boxing Writers Association of America’s annual “fighter of the year” award.

Oh, and in case any of his opponents get caught doping anyway, Donaire has said that he’d be willing to make sure they learn the error of their ways.

“I believe that people who try to enhance themselves in that way should be punished in every way. But at the same time I’m still willing to fight, I’m a fighter. I want to fight guys who are on it because it gives me a better challenge. I’m crazy like that.” – Nonito Donaire

Admire me all you like... just don't call me "cute." (I prefer the term "adorable")

Alright Dave, admire me all you like… just don’t call me “cute.” Have I made myself clear?!

No, apparently I have not.

No, apparently I have not.

 

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Jul 06 2012
2 Comments
Funny Names In The News

A Cornelius Sighting and Zoard Action! It Must Be Funny Names In The News – Week IV

Another week, another update on Funny Names in the News! Wear your finest suspenders and dust off that sponsored baseball cap from an obscure local business (I love my Dusty’s Hydroponics hat) because it’s time to dress up in style and honor the more accomplished silly-named individuals of the week.

NBA Champion Dexter Pittman, showing off his pits, man.

My Esteemed Colleague® Dave tells me Adele Laurie Blue Adkins, better known as just Adele, or “that voice in my head for the past two years”, has broken her barren streak in the news by announcing she’s having a baby. Here’s hoping it’s a Cornelius!

In more celebrity baby news, Twilight “star” Cam Joslin Gigandet and fiancee Dominique Geisendorff are expecting another child. Their first child was named Everleigh, which is kind of like Ever Gabo, except not nearly as good.

In the sports section, an amusing story tells us NBA champion LeBron Raymone James almost lost his Playoff MVP Award moments after winning it. It should be a win enough to have that name, and to get to play with people named Dwyane Wade, Udonis Haslem, and Dexter Pittman.

Elsewhere in sports, The University of Massachusetts hockey program has hired the excellently named Rand Pecknold, who was previously employed by Quinnipiac. He replaces Don Cahoon, according to this story in the College Hockey News, which looks legitimate, but is so filled with funny names it almost seems fake.

Beginning our sure-to-be-acclaimed series “This Week In Legal Threat- Inspired Nonsense“, a lifeguard in Florida was fired for saving a man’s life because the man was drowning outside of his work zone. This is relevant to our blog because one of the man’s co-workers who later resigned in protest and talked to the Globe and Mail is called Zoard Janko. Hey, if there’s one place you’ll find a guy named Zoard, it’s probably at the beach. Zoard!

Elsewhere in sports, Cornelius “K9″ Bundrage prevailed in a boxing match against Cory Spinks last Saturday, resulting in him barking like a dog on live television. I’m told this is perfectly normal, and perhaps should expected from someone named Cornelius Bundrage.

It can’t be easy being a kicker called Blewitt. That kid was just set up for abuse.

Jinky Llamanzares knows anyone named Jinky is an automatic badass.

And while this is technically not from this week, I can’t pass up the opportunity to share someone with the name Jinky, so here goes. The venerable stage performer Jinky Llamanzares is currently performing on stage in Rock of Ages in Toronto. We recommend you make the trip, or if you’re one of our regular readers in that fine city, do take the opportunity to see Jinky in action. (Dave’s Note: Manny Pacquiao’s wife Jinkee agrees!)

That’s it for this week! Happy Travels!

P.S We hope to see someone named Happy Travels in next week’s edition.

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Jun 18 2012
2 Comments
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Jubjang Lookmakarmwan

Believe it or not, this is the first Asian name we have ever featured on the Funny Names Blog, but what a name it is!

Naruemol “Jubjang Lookmakarmwan” Ubuabon is the most recent member in the illustrious line of hilariously named boxers from Thailand – a list that also includes former pound-for-pound stalwart Pongsaklek Wonjongkam. Another member of this list, Pornsawan Kratingdaenggym, apparently decided that his name was too complicated and recently changed it to Pornsawan Porpramook. Once again, it’s the little things that count, folks!

Good old Jubjang isn’t actually all that old – she was born in 1990 and has already fought for two world titles.

Unfortunately, she came up short both times, but it seems there’s still a lot of fight left in the super bantamweight boxer.

Jubjang Lookmakarmwan (left) in a stare-down with champion Alesia Graf. Why don’t any other fields employ this awesome photo-op strategy?

Longtime Funny Names Blog readers may know we have a boxing fan among our three writers. For the newer readers, that person is Dave. Other things to know about Dave are that he enjoys wearing red jackets, having pictures taken of him holding brains, and writing about himself in third person. Them’s the facts!

Does it seem like I’m stalling in this post? Well, I am.

This is because I could hardly find any English-language coverage of this young lady. The only two things I know are that she’s the first Google search recommendation that appears when you type “Jubjang” (oddly enough, Google stopped giving me recommendations four letters into the name “Pornsawan Kratingdaenggym”) and that her birth name is Naruemol Ubuabon. I’m not sure why she decided to change her name, but whatever the reason, we appreciate it. We hope to hear more about Jubjang in the near future!

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Apr 06 2012
13 Comments
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Kermit “The Killer” Cintron

Perhaps it’s a “Boy Named Sue” kind of thing – where a guy with a funny name learns how to fight to keep away from bullies – but the first name Kermit has yielded not only famous NBA puncher Kermit Washington, but also today’s Funny Names Blog entry, Kermit “The Killer” Cintron.

A Puerto Rican-American boxer and former world welterweight champion, Cintron sports an anthropomorphic Puerto Rican dog tattoo on his back, and was undefeated in his first 24 fights before running into notorious cheater Antonio Margarito. You may know Margarito as the guy who was banned from the sport a few years later for putting a plaster-like substance in his hand wraps. Unfortunately, Margarito’s antics weren’t yet known, and he ended both of Kermit’s world title reigns.

One of boxing’s nice guys, Cintron saw his career stalled by these two suspicious losses to Margarito. However, like all great champions, Cintron came back swinging won an impressive bout against the hilariously-named Lovemore N’dou. (This might have been the most interestingly-named fight card since Ras-I Alujah “Livingstone” Bramble fought Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini in the 1980′s).

Ras-I Alujah Abuja Livingstone Bramble - seriously the weirdest guy in a sport full of wackadoodles. Did I mention he practiced voodoo and used to walk around his hometown with snakes around his neck?

This earned him another title bout where he fought to a draw with Sergio “Maravilla” Martinez, another good guy in boxing who had only lost once – to none other than Antonio “El Cheato” Margarito.

Martinez would go on to have a string of incredible fights that made him one of the top three fighters in the sport today, while Cintron would follow it up with a gritty victory over undefeated pasta-inspired-name guy Alfredo Angulo, before hitting a rough stretch.

Since the Angulo bout, Cintron has had two title matches, but lost the first one in bizarre fight against Paul Williams when Cintron “fell” (it kind of looked like a dive) through the ropes and hit his head on one of the commentators’ TV monitors. After some wins over quality opponents, he recently lost a title bout against red-headed Mexican (and Archie comics lookalike) Saul “Canelo” Alvarez.

Nonetheless, at just 32, there’s no question Cintron has some fight left in him, and any man who can convincingly pull off the name Kermit “The Killer” Cintron – let alone become a 2-time world champ – deserves massive props. Here’s hoping for more future success for Kermit, if for no other reason than the delight of once again seeing his name in the marquee lights.

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