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Report from Atlanta: Lightweight Championship Fight Pits Heavyweight Sponsors Floyd Mayweather Against Philanthropist Thomas J. Henry

Roger Friedman
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Report from Atlanta: Lightweight Championship Fight Pits Heavyweight Sponsors Floyd Mayweather Against Philanthropist Thomas J. Henry

Gervonta “Tank” Davis, one of the biggest stars in all of boxing, put on a career-defining performance on SHOWTIME PPV from the sold-out, award-winning State Farm Arena in Atlanta, scoring a scintillating 11th round TKO over the previously undefeated Mario “El Azteca” Barrios to capture the WBA Super Lightweight Championship in the action-packed Premier Boxing Champions event. The main event was Barrios’ first fight under his partnership and sponsorship with Texas personal injury attorney and Philanthropist, Thomas J. Henry.

The glitz and glamour of Las Vegas was brought to Atlanta for the championship boxing match between Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis and Mario ‘El Azteca’ Barrios. International Boxing Hall of Famer and promoter Floyd Mayweather adorned massive chains around his neck likely worth millions while coaching his protégé Davis from the side of the ring to ultimate victory. Thomas J. Henry and sponsor for San Antonio native Barrios pulled out all the stops for his fighter, splashing out half a million dollars on a private 737 plane to fly him and his family to Atlanta ahead of the fight.

During the grand entrances for both fighters, Barrios came out surrounded by Aztec dancers dressed in traditional garb as drums played ahead of the main event. Davis made his entrance alongside rapper Lil Baby as the arena of over 16,000 cheered. Notables at the star-studded fight included NBA legend Julius Irving, as well as NBA stars and podcast hosts for “All the Smoke,” Stephen Jackson and Matt Barnes. Other guests included Adrien Broner, and Lenny Walls.

The night before at the weigh-ins, Gervonta Davis and Mario Barrios came in just under the limit for their 140 lb fight. Davis (24-0, 23 KO) was at 139¾, with Barrios (26-0, 17 KO) at 139½. The height difference was obvious and apparent, and that’s something Tank had to deal with during the spectacular main event. Both looked in shape and ready to go, with Davis looking like he’s added some lean muscle for his first fight at junior welterweight.

While it was a thrilling back-and-forth fight, Davis won with a TKO in the 11th round. “I made it tough. I definitely could have made it easier but I went up two weight classes and I got the job done,” said the 26-year-old Baltimore native, who was headlining his second SHOWTIME PPV. “I hit him with some clean shots, but I’m the type of fighter that wants to catch you with clean shots. I don’t just want to throw any type of shot. The shots I was throwing were missing, but eventually I caught up with him.”

In a fight that lived up to its potential, Davis (25-0, 24 KOs) and Barrios (26-1, 17 KOs) combined to put on an unforgettable main event in front of a sold-out crowd of 16,570. After a slow opening four rounds in which Davis landed just 11 punches, the fight produced fireworks beginning in the fifth round. In the eighth round, “Tank” sent “El Azteca” to the canvas for both the first and second times of his career. First, Davis connected on a sweeping right hook that sent the former champion to the canvas. Moments later, a straight left hand by Davis dropped Barrios again. The brave Barrios rose to his feet, surviving Davis’ attempts to finish him in the eighth.

With Floyd Mayweather encouraging Davis in his corner, the southpaw came out rejuvenated in the eleventh round, realizing that the fight could be close on the scorecards. “Tank” dropped Barrios for the third time in the fight, this time with a left uppercut to the body. The bloodied Barrios rose again, only to be greeted with another barrage of punches from Davis. Referee Thomas Taylor stepped in to stop the fight at 2:13 of the eleventh round.

“I knew for sure if I catch him, I’m crackin,” Davis told SHOWTIME’s Jim Gray. “So I caught him, and it showed. My coach was telling me to go to a jab style but I’m a southpaw so they know I’m going to that jab side. So I would try and bait him in. I faked like I was going left, and I threw my right. And my hook over top, and that’s where I caught him.”

In the final six-and-a-half rounds, Davis landed 85 punches. He landed 45 percent of his power punches (82/182), while Barrios more than held his own, out-landing Davis in six of the ten completed rounds.

“I knew he was hurt. I just had to catch him at the right time,” Davis continued. “Floyd [Mayweather] came to me and was honest and said I was down,” continued Davis, who was actually ahead on all three judges’ scorecards at the time of the stoppage. “So he said ‘Show me that you’re great.’ And you know how we do it in the doghouse, baby!”

With the victory, Davis now holds world championships in three different divisions simultaneously, a feat only accomplished by a few other fighters in history, including Henry Armstrong and Canelo Alvarez.

“He has the potential to be one of the greatest ever,” said Mayweather. “When I first met ‘Tank’ when he was 14 or 15 years old, I told him I’d make him a world champion. And that you’ll be one of the best someday. I’m proud of him.”

“I’ve never been a hater. Congrats to ‘Tank’,” said Barrios. “He came here and did his thing. It was nothing short of an exciting fight and that’s exactly what both of us predicted. He was the better man tonight, but I’ll definitely be back.

“’Tank’ is explosive. He caught me slipping and it’s boxing. At the end of the day, one punch can change the fight. That’s exactly what I felt happened. Congrats to him.”

Here’s a Sneak Peek to New Netflix Comedy Series Starring Sandra Oh, Produced by Amanda Peet

Roger Friedman
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Here’s a Sneak Peek to New Netflix Comedy Series Starring Sandra Oh, Produced by Amanda Peet

Netflix brings us “The Chair” on August 20th. It’s six episodes, but it looks like it could become a series.

The cast includes a lot of our favorite poeple including Sandra Oh as Professor Ji-Yoon Kim; Jay Duplass as Professor Bill Dobson; Holland Taylor as Professor Joan Hambling; Bob Balaban as Professor Elliot Rentz; David Morse as Dean Paul Larson; with Nana Mensah as Professor Yaz McKay; Everly Carganilla as Ju-Hee “Ju Ju” Kim; among others.

Amanda Peet is executive producer, writer and showrunner. Joining Peet as executive producers are Sandra Oh, David Benioff, D.B. Weiss, Bernie Caulfield and Daniel Gray Longino. Writers are Peet, along with Annie Julia Wyman, Richard E. Robbins, Jennifer Kim and Andrea Troyer. Director of all episodes is Daniel Gray Longino.

I’m in!

Lifetime Horror Film Will Feature White Psycho Killer Couple Terrorizing Black Widow with Autistic Kid

Roger Friedman
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Lifetime Horror Film Will Feature White Psycho Killer Couple Terrorizing Black Widow with Autistic Kid

Here’s a new twist on Lifetime films.

That’s Lifetime, home of insipid romance and kidnap movies.

Now they’ve got talented actor Boris Kodjoe in his directing debut with a thriller called “Safe Space,” coming in 2022.

Drea DeMatteo of “The Sopranos” fame and MacKenzie Astin (great actor, brother of Sean) will play psycho killers who terrorize a Black family with an autistic son. Sounds like fun!

The crazy couple forces Kodjoe’s real life wife, actress Ari Parker, and real life autistic actor Nik Sanchez, into a panic room where they “must use all of their strength and intelligence to outsmart the intruders to save themselves.” Sanchez’s character has inadvertently recorded the couple murdering their next door neighbor, so now his recently widowed mom, Parker, has to protect him from them.

Nneka Gerstle wrote the script. This should do a lot for race relations, right? But’s a Lifetime movie, so you know Drea and Matteo will be violently killed by Parker in the, frightening minutes. Mom and son will hug, and move to a mansion.

I can’t wait for the Will Ferrell-Kristen Wiig parody of “Safe Space.” Maybe they can do it on “SNL.”

 

David Geffen Gives $150 Million Donation to Yale School of Drama, Which Will Now Be Tuition-Free and Named for Him

Roger Friedman
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David Geffen Gives $150 Million Donation to Yale School of Drama, Which Will Now Be Tuition-Free and Named for Him

Call it the David Geffen School of Drama at Yale University.

The record and movie mogul, and current co-producer of “The Music Man” on Broadway, has donated $150 million to the Yale School of Drama. They’ve renamed the school for him, and students will attend tuition free.

Geffen, who made his name in the music industry with Geffen Records, went on to become a hugely successful producer on Broadway and one third of the Dreamworks triumvirate. His name is on a lot of prestigious buildings including UCLA Medical Center and Lincoln Center’s Philharmonic Hall.

Now he’s going to be written into history at Yale, where Meryl Streep and so many other famous actors have honed their craft.

The school writes: “a loving gift of this magnitude leaves us thrice-blessed: with a jubilant observance of the power of live theater; with a humbling reminder of our responsibility for the quality of training we offer to present and future students; and with the thrilling promise of those students’ talents for making art that promotes wonder, empathy, and understanding in the world, for generations to come.”

For me, David Geffen did enough when he started Asylum Records, gave us Crosby, Stills &Nash, Joni Mitchell, and Laura Nyro, and The Eagles. And he dated Cher! Who knew there would be all this largesse? Mazel tov!

Lady Gaga Joining Tony Bennett for 95th Birthday MTV Unplugged Show Taping This Friday

Roger Friedman
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Lady Gaga Joining Tony Bennett for 95th Birthday MTV Unplugged Show Taping This Friday

Tony Bennett celebrates his 95th birthday on August 3rd. To commemorate it, he’s taping an MTV Unplugged show this Friday morning in New York with Lady Gaga.

They’ll be singing songs from their album of Cole Porter duets, coming from Columbia Records the last week of July. It was recorded before the pandemic. I first told you about it in 2014.

Tony is battling Alzheimer’s Disease, so taping a show — and early in the day — is the best way to get this pair of pals properly.

What a thrill it will be to see the two of them when the show is finished and ready for broadcast. I was lucky enough to be with them five summers ago for Tony’s 90th birthday at the Rainbow Room when Gaga entertained an all star guest list that included Stevie Wonder. It was a night I’ll never forget.

All through the pandemic, Tony’s been posting photos of his painting and cooking, his other favorite pastimes. He’s approached Alzheimer’s with a good sense of humor. But look, when you’re 95, just being alive is something. To still be able to do all those things and sing with that incredible voice– it’s not bad!

The last 30 or more years Tony’s enjoyed an unprecedented Renaissance of his career, touring the world, selling millions of albums, doing what he loves as a gift to all of us. It’s been one of the highlights of our generation to have him amongst us. And now he’s giving us a gift on his birthday! We can’t ask for more than that!

Happy Birthday, Tony! Can’t wait to hear you and Gaga together again!

 

 

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RIP The Great Stuart Damon aka Dr. Alan Quartermaine of “General Hospital,” Dies at 84

Roger Friedman
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RIP The Great Stuart Damon aka Dr. Alan Quartermaine of “General Hospital,” Dies at 84

Stuart Damon has died. The great actor who played Dr. Alan Quartermaine on “General Hospital” was much beloved. He was on the show from 1977 to 2007, when he was stupidly killed off by short sighted writers.

Damon appeared occasionally as Alan’s ghost, and then did a stint on “As the World Turns” before fully retiring.

He was well known to TV audiences before “General Hospital” for playing Prince Charming opposite Lesley Ann Warren in a 1965 TV movie remake of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “Cinderella.”

“General Hospital” was on the skids in 1977 until the then writers invented Alan Quartermaine, named for  the protagonist of H. Rider Haggard’s 1885 novel King Solomon’s Mines, and its  sequel Allan Quatermain (1887).  An English professional big game hunter and adventurer, in film and television he was portrayed by Richard Chamberlain, Sean Connery, Cedric Hardwicke, Patrick Swayze and Stewart Granger among others.

But Alan Quartermaine, with an ‘r’, was a doctor and the scion of a wealthy family that moved to Port Charles, New York. The tiny town hadn’t had really rich people before that, but the Quartermaines remain the central family on the 56 year old soap. Alan was unlucky in love. His wife, Monica, cheated on him so much he tried to kill her.

Stuart Damon always played Alan’s machinations with lots of humor and a wink to the audience that the whole thing as absurd. He will be sorely missed.

Actress Amber Tamblyn writes on Twitter:

“Broken hearted to hear of the passing of Stuart Damon. He played my adopted dad on General Hospital for 7 years and he was the most kind, wonderful, loving, supportive person. He always made me laugh and made me feel safe on set. I love you, Stewy. Rest well now, my friend.”

Hollywood Awards: Directors Guild Reinstates Theater First Mandate for New Releases

Roger Friedman
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Hollywood Awards: Directors Guild Reinstates Theater First Mandate for New Releases

Will the Motion Picture Academy return to the old rules as well? It’s the end of debuting films on streaming platforms for awards eligibility. Quite correct. Back to theaters!

From the DGA:

The Directors Guild of America National Board at its recent meeting unanimously approved reinstating its requirement of an exclusive theatrical run for the Guild’s top award.

To be eligible for the DGA’s Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Theatrical Feature Film Award, films released after June 15, 2021 must have an exclusive theatrical run of at least 7 days prior to any other exhibition.

Under the rule, which was first introduced in 2019, feature films released through other distribution platforms on the same ‘day and date’ as they premiere in theaters are not eligible for the DGA Theatrical Feature Film Award. The DGA temporarily suspended the rule for its most recent Awards due to pandemic-related theater closures. At that time, the Guild announced it would reinstate the requirement when theaters reopened.

“After over a year of darkness, theater marquees lighting up across our nation have been a welcome sight for our healing communities,” said DGA President Thomas Schlamme. “We celebrate the return of the important role that theatrical cinema plays in bringing together audiences as they collectively experience films as the filmmakers intended them to be viewed.”

The 74th Annual DGA Awards will take place on March 12, 2022, with the eligibility period running from March 1 – December 31, 2021. The first-run theatrical exhibition requirement will apply to all theatrical feature films released June 15, 2021 or later, which is when movie theaters were once again operating at full capacity in both Los Angeles and New York. For theatrical feature films released March 1 – June 14, 2021, the limited exception will still apply.

“Knives Out 2” Starts Shooting in Greece with Daniel Craig, Adds Ethan Hawke, Jada Pinkett Smith

Roger Friedman
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“Knives Out 2” Starts Shooting in Greece with Daniel Craig, Adds Ethan Hawke, Jada Pinkett Smith

Rian Johnson has started shooting “Knives Out 2” in Greece, which means his all-star cast is getting a nice summer vacation. Use your sun screen kids!

Ethan Hawke and Jada Pinkett Smith are the latest to join an eclectic group that starts with Daniel Craig as Benoit Blanc.

Already booked are Janelle Monáe, Kate Hudson , Leslie Odom Jr., Kathryn Hahn, Edward Norton, Dave Bautista, Madelyn Cline, and Jessica Henwick.

If you haven’t seen Ethan in “The Good Lord Bird” on Showtime, you must. It’s an incendiary performance, the whole mini series is terrific. Can it get Emmy Awards? Showtime has had trouble landing awards in the past, and this year “The Good Lord Bird” is up against “Mare of Easttown” and “The Undoing” on HBO. But nominations shouldn’t be hard to come by.

By the way, I was first to report the two sequels to “Knives Out.” You can read the story here.

Ratings Rumble: “Jeopardy!” Hits All Time Low with Today Show’s Savannah Guthrie as Guest Host

Roger Friedman
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Ratings Rumble: “Jeopardy!” Hits All Time Low with Today Show’s Savannah Guthrie as Guest Host

Ouch!

After recovering a little with Mayim Bialik’s second week, “Jeopardy!” tumbled to its lowest ratings ever the week of June 20th.

With Savannah Guthrie running the show, the Emmy winning game show fell to 4.7 million viewers. That’s the all time low, and lowest of all the guest hosts as well.

I don’t know why, because Savannah was terrific. She was patient and funny and engaging. But the hardcore “Jeopardy!” fans didn’t like her, obviously.

I’m using a picture here of Savannah when she was devastating with the former guy in the White House. Still a high water mark.

So “Jeopardy!” continues to suffer. LeVar Burton told the NY Times this week that he’s destined to be the permanent host. He doesn’t get his tryout for another month. We’ll see how that all works out.

CNN’s Dr. Sanjay Guptah began his two week stint last night.

 

 

 

“The Bachelorette” Without Chris Harrison Has Lost a Half Million Viewers in Four Miserable Weeks

Roger Friedman
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“The Bachelorette” Without Chris Harrison Has Lost a Half Million Viewers in Four Miserable Weeks

Whatever’s going on with “The Bachelorette” it’s not good.

In four weeks since this season began, the ABC dating show has dropped by 600,000 viewers.

The season began with 3.7 million and last night fell to around 3.1 million. And this season was already off by 25% from the last one. The poor showing pulled ABC down for the whole night, and they lost the evening to CBS in total viewers (but won in the key age group).

The absence of host Chris Harrison has to be a factor. He’s been replaced by two women, Tayshia Adams and Kaitlyn Bristowe, who are nondescript, have succeeded him unsuccessfully.

The audience departure could have to do with the audience’s overall boredom, or their unexpressed anger over Harrison’s racism flap from last season. But I doubt it.

No the week to week fall of has to do with the show as it’s produced, the players involved including the hosts and the Bachelorette herself.

The producers have mixed in a couple of villains, on purpose, to keep things interesting. But one of them seemed to me so much like a psycho, the whole thing came off as ridiculous.

It’s going to be a long summer.

 

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