You’re welcome. I’ll be honest, it has been difficult for me to get back into the regular routine, but I’m hoping it will improve tomorrow night when I’m covering Manny Pacquiao’s fight.  As for my story, all I can say is it isn’t for everyone. I don’t travel so I basically use technology to my advantage, but I do take pride in that my philosophy is if you can get access to something no matter what day or time, cover it.  It’s not the philosophy for everyone depending on the circumstances, but it works for me and it’s a good work ethic to have.  Hopefully, it won’t take me long to get back into my routine.

Thank you for the kind words, they are encouraging and to be honest I need more of it. Far as Boxing, I’ve never been in the ring, but have covered it most of my life. It definitely is not an easy sport to participate in much less cover because there is no “Off-Season” and the sport runs year round. 

I think sometimes people who criticize the sport for things like a bad decision and or other issues that plague Boxing lose sight of just how difficult the sport is. Pro Wrestling and MMA also deal with a lot of the same misconceptions. People have asked me over the course of my career why I would want to cover a sport that is subject to constant ridicule and questions of potential corruption. Beyond my love of Boxing and by extension all combat sports like the other ones I’ve referenced which I have also covered, people also lose sight sometimes that for those of us who cover it in any capacity, Journalism (My level), Broadcaster, and/or other capacities, it takes a very high level of dedication and like I said it’s basically a year round job that can at times be 24/7.  I have for example thanks to technology, have covered as many as four to eight cards in a week at times. One such day back in I want to say 2008, maybe a little earlier, I covered four cards in four different countries in the same day from early morning around 2AM when the first card started overseas until almost 6AM the next day when I finally finished up. It’s not for everyone, but I love it,

I’m managing. It’s been rough the last year and a half mostly due to other things that have happened which I prefer to keep private, but I’m glad things will be picking back up this week as far as covering stuff.  I’m probably the only writer/journalist in the world that doesn’t necessarily like taking time off.  It’s not the idea of resting that bothers me, but what does is not having material prepared in advance that will be used during said downtime so I can stay active.  Covering Boxing, it’s not always easy because things tend to happen day to day to pre-plan material ahead and not have to worry about said material not being current when it’s published to the public.  What is a bit more stressful now is I’ve been building my own platform/outlet so it’s one of those things where if I don’t release content, nothing gets done.  

Hi Eniitan,

I do remember you. Don’t feel bad, I’m a writer and have been writing over 20 yrs (close to 21 yrs as I write this) for various websites and a couple of magazines. In that time especially since I have written for outlets all over the world including a magazine that was based in Australia for several years before it was sold and shut down, I have come across a lot of people whom were either colleagues of mine at one point and/or were/are regular readers that I forget names of from time to time probably because when things are normal, I am writing material constantly and don’t really take much time for myself and when you have been at it as long as I have, you tend to remember what you cover a lot more clearly than some people you may come across during that time. It happens to the best of us.

As for me, things have changed for me since I was last active, but not in the best way. I am doing what I can to get through it and I’m still writing pretty much on a full-time basis though the last month or so has seen a lot of downtime due to cancellations/postponements (I’m a sports writer who primarily covers Boxing, but have also covered Pro Wrestling and Mixed Martial Arts over the years), which is something that rarely happens especially during this time of year that I get a window of 3-5 weeks where I don’t have much to cover. Normally, I go from the beginning of the year, right on through the last two weeks of the year (Christmas holidays) with very few breaks in between so I was glad on one hand that I could take a breathier over the last month, but on the other hand,  I didn’t want to take the downtime because I am used to going almost non-stop and as often happens when I want to take downtime I really don’t have material prepared for those days so I can stay active while giving myself time off.  What happened over the last few weeks were a few cancellations (Fight cards) came seemingly in succession and they were all linked to each other in some way so material that I did have planned for the downtime got put aside.

I am happy though that things are starting to pick back up again and it also looks like I will be covering stuff well into next year already so it shouldn’t take me too long to get back in my groove.  It does look like things have changed on the site, but I am still taking periodic glances around. Hopefully, I will be up to speed on things soon.

 Pokemonfan1000 :  

To be honest most of the time I just interact on the board, but I have played games on here too from time to time.  I can’t remember the last time I played a game on here though as most of the time now I use a laptop, which isn’t really the best for gaming as compared to a desktop that has more features, etc.

I do know that I saw a video on one of my streaming devices (I spend a lot of time using OTT technology) that a mini original Nintendo console is being released for the holidays that has an HDMI port that has some classic NES games built into the console with a wireless version of the classic NES controller that I think is going on the market for $60-$70 or thereabouts.  I haven’t been able to play a console in a few years since my last PS3 HDD went due to a botched firmware update that was coincidentally released during the same week that Sony released the new superslim model of the console.  It lead me to believe that the botched firmware update, which crashed thousands of consoles, including mine (It was my third PS3 console), that it was done deliberately in an attempt to boost holiday sales, though I can’t prove that.

I have been thinking of buying a PS4 at some point, but other priorities come before my luxury.  It is my hope though that if/when I buy a PS4 that the problems I had with the PS3, Botched firmware, Disc drive going bye, bye, and the Yellow Light of Death issue won’t happen.  When my last PS3 fat model got the YLOD, I had to take it to a repair shop to open it up where I could plug it in and do a data transfer when I got a PS3 slim model. Obviously, the absence of backwards compatibility rubbed me the wrong way and you can understand how once I got going again and took measures to ensure there would be no YLOD issue with the slim console, that when Sony released that botched firmware update, it soured me on getting a superslim.  I’ve been a gamer all my life so it hasn’t been enjoyable the last couple of years not playing games as much, but I have made up for it by really becoming familiar with OTT (Over The Top) digital streaming technology and I have spent time investing in various streaming devices and subscribe to several streaming services. If I get to a point where I can learn more about the technical aspect of OTT technology, I wouldn’t be against covering it so long as I knew what I was talking about in a technical sense.

Thanks, it seems like things have changed a bit.  I don’t remember exactly when I was last active on the board prior to having to deal with some things, but I would feel safe in guessing that it has been a year, maybe a little more.  It will take me a bit to get back in the swing of things, but I’m looking forward to it.

It feels a little odd as this is the first time in a long while that I have visited the forum and have been inactive for some time.  The forum has been a part of my routine over the years and I have enjoyed my time on the forum discussing various topics and offering advice.  Unfortunately, I had to take a hiatus from Vizzed as I had to deal with some hard times. Although those hard times are not over yet, I think the time is right for me to resume my presence on the forum. I just wanted to sort of reintroduce myself to those who are familiar with me and to say hello to members I may not know.  I look forward to joining the discussions again. It’s been too long. Here’s to hoping better times are on the horizon. At least, I sure hope so.

This is something that can vary depending on situation, but for me I have been going through a rough time over the last year. When one goes through a rough time like I have been going through, you tend to be searching and/or praying for any semblance of a period of calm if nothing else to collect your thoughts and digest/recoup from everything that has happened. In my case, one thing that I can personally do without especially when you’ve been dealing with a lot of negative stuff is the feeling that whenever you get up from resting/sleeping that something else negative either has happened or will happen.  It’s been very difficult for me. 

I’m a writer who covers combat sports, (Primarily Boxing, but have also covered Pro Wrestling and MMA as well.) I have been writing for most of the last 20 yrs, but didn’t start pursuing it as a career option until I left school.  Although writing for one’s vocation in rewarding in the form of recognition you might receive and establishing a reader base that can far exceed where you might be located, it is often one of the most difficult ways to make a living.  Even after all these years (I started writing shortly before I became a teenager) it’s still a struggle for me to make money. What motivates me is that I know I have the talent and eventually perseverance will pay off once the right opportunity comes along, which is why even when it has been trying and a source of stress for me, I haven’t given up and I don’t intend to. 

One reason I chose writing as my profession was I discovered that I was good at it at an early age literally by accident and it’s just something I stuck with after stumbling upon what I consider to be a god given gift.  Seeing as I have vast knowledge of combat sports as well, even when I was younger, it seemed like a natural thing for me.  If I wasn’t physically challenged, I probably would have tried my hand at one of the sports (Most likely Boxing), but being involved with the sport in terms of covering it and hopefully one day getting into the broadcasting end of it somehow (I’ve done radio appearances and even a TV appearance in the UK before), was the next best thing beyond being physically involved since I can’t physically compete.  

I guess my goals/resolutions are pretty simple.  From a professional standpoint my goal is to keep working and keep building on the progress I have made in recent years.  I hope that eventually the work I have put in will start to pay off, but I don’t expect things to happen overnight and believe that when it comes to anything worthwhile in life you need to put the work in.  In terms of other aspects I should try to become more active (I’m pretty much a hermit, when I’m not doing my work I’m usually trying to rest) and try to meet some people.  I know these are probably modest goals, but that’s what I want to at least attempt to do.  

Well it feels good to be in a better position as this year begins as compared to this time last year.  Things are going in a good direction and I am very grateful and appreciative for that.  I guess the one obvious thing I learned last year is I need to learn how to pace myself a little better. 

In regard to my vocation I have spent the last two years doing my own thing and focusing mostly on that.  As I increased the volume of my work last year as compared to the previous year, I found myself dealing with the effects of burn out. Although I am pleased with what I was able to accomplish last year in that I exceeded what I was able to do the previous year, and even though I definitely want to maintain and try to exceed what I accomplished last year, the biggest lesson I’ve learned is I need to take a step back from time to time and allow myself adequate time to rest.  Though I will be the first to admit that it’s a task that’s easier said than done. 

As is typical for me during the Christmas/New Year’s holidays, I took most of the holidays off and it’s basically the only time of year that I commit to taking time off.  The problem is this time I was more tired than usual and spent most of my time resting.  I’m hoping that this year I will be able to get some downtime before the Christmas/New Year’s holidays.  Other than that I’m looking forward to what 2015 will have in store and look forward to getting back into my regular routine.

Happy New Year to everyone in the Vizzed community.  

I lost my dog two years ago.  He was almost seventeen years old.  I didn’t deal with it very well. I was very hurt and angry over losing him and it took me a while to cope with it.  Pets are family and my dog has been there for me through a lot of stuff so it was/is very difficult for me because of the bond I shared with him. I have lost a couple of pets in my lifetime, but my dog was with me for the longest period of time so it hit me really hard.   It is a difficult thing to deal with when someone you love passes, but it’s good to remember the good times and the memories you shared. It is also good to talk to someone about your feelings.   

He never held an official WWF/E title.  He was a WCW tag champion with Chuck Palumbo before AOL/Time Warner sold the company to the McMahon family in 2001.  He and Palumbo dropped the titles in the WWF/E to the Undertaker and Kane on an episode of Smackdown if memory serves me.  It will be a lot easier for me to remember exact days of non-pay-per-view television as those shows appear on WWE Network.  If memory serves me correctly if I remember what I was covering at the time it was right in the middle of the invasion angle that the company was running and shortly after the invasion pay-per-view in July 2001, where O’Haire and Palumbo dropped the titles to Undertaker and Kane, meanwhile whomever the WWF/E tag champions were at the time dropped those titles to Diamond Dallas Page and Chris Kanyon and that set up the steel cage unification match at Summerslam the next month. 

Shortly after O’Haire and Palumbo dropped the WCW titles to Undertaker and Kane O’Haire was sent down to Ohio Valley Wrestling, (OVW) which was WWE’s top developmental territory back then for more seasoning.  About a year and a half later he resurfaced with a new character and was paired with Piper, but as I said he never really got the chance to show what he could do.  He got injured and was waiting to start up again, but was released.  In essence he had the rug yanked out from under him.  Unfortunately, a lot of talents have had similar experiences.  It unfortunately happens when there is only one company.  I said this when I was still covering the business fulltime, but I have always felt that WWE blew a big opportunity by failing to run two completely separate promotions simultaneously and thus perhaps there would have been more spots available for workers. 

I know they tried to turn their weekly TV shows into “Brands”, but I was never really in favor of that and it never really got over the way the company thought it would.  Ironically after that failed they tried to re-launch ECW, another failure simply because they tried to incorporate it with the WWE product, now had they run it as a separate entity it would probably be successful.  Do I think it would be the type of product that ECW produced when it was a separate company?  Probably not, but at least they would have had a chance to be successful if they were run from a business perspective as a corporate division of WWE, thus theoretically allowing the company over all to have another potential revenue stream by running things separately and not incorporating with each other.  I see it as two missed opportunities and that could be pointed to as a reason, but not the main reason why the business overall is in the shape it’s in.  Just one man’s opinion.