NEU » een there just yet, GBM isnt shy abo

A former IBF flyweight champion from Thailand and a French-Cameroonian middleweight contender are the most prominent professional boxers attempting to win berths in the Rio de Janeiro Olympics during the final qualifying tournament.The International Boxing Association (AIBA) announced the entrants Saturday for the tournament beginning Sunday in Vargas, Venezuela.AIBA decided earlier this year to allow professional boxers to compete for an Olympic berth, but Amnat Ruenroeng and Hassan NDam are the most prominent fighters to seize the opportunity.AIBAs decision sparked renewed interest in the often-overlooked Olympic sport and drew tentative interest from some pros. The gambit also received widespread condemnation from boxers and coaches concerned about the safety and sanctity of the amateur sport.After so much drama, its increasingly likely that no prominent professional fighters will be in the Rio tournament.Ruenroeng and NDam are both former Olympians who fell one victory shy of a medal in their first trips to the Games.The 36-year-old Ruenroeng is competing at the 60-kilogram lightweight limit in Venezuela. He is most famous for taking up boxing while serving a 15-year jail sentence for robbery.Ruenroeng fought for Thailand at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, losing to Mongolias Purevdorjiin Serdamba in the quarterfinals.He didnt turn pro until 2012, but he won the IBF flyweight title in January 2014 and defended it five times, including a unanimous decision over Chinese star Zou Shiming, a two-time Olympic gold medalist.Ruenroeng lost his title on May 25, getting stopped by John Riel Casimero. Less than six weeks later, he will attempt to win a spot in the Rio Olympics.The 32-year-old NDam is competing for Cameroon at the 81-kilogram light heavyweight limit in Venezuela. He also fought for Cameroon at the Athens Games in 2004, losing in the quarterfinals to Russias eventual gold medalist Gaydarbek Gaydarbekov.NDam won his first 27 pro fights, mostly in France. He briefly held interim middleweight titles with the WBO and WBA, but Peter Quillin beat NDam by unanimous decision in October 2012 for the first loss of his career. NDam then was battered by Canadas David Lemieux in June 2015 in a bout for the IBF middleweight title.AIBAs Olympic invitations to pros drew scathing condemnation from professional boxings sanctioning bodies, who have obvious reasons to protect their own position in the sport. Yet their questions about the safety of matching seasoned fighters against frequently youthful amateurs were echoed by dozens of prominent boxers, including Lennox Lewis and Ricky Hatton.The Mexico-based WBC announced it will ban any of its top-15 boxers for two years for competing in the Olympics, while the IBF said it would strip a champions title or level a one-year banishment from its rankings. While the governing bodies hold little power to prevent pros from fighting, their imprimatur is often a major factor in a professional boxers financial success.Many pros, including Amir Khan and Wladimir Klitschko, showed initial interest in Rio before backing away, citing numerous reasons.Two-time Olympic gold medalist Vasyl Lomachenko believes pros would need more time to adjust to the daily weigh-ins, three-round bouts and intensive tournaments in the Olympics-style sport. While Rio appears to be a bust for AIBA in attracting top pros, Lomachenko believes bigger names will attempt to fight at the 2020 Games in Tokyo. Swell Cyber Monday Sale . Their 38th instalment is arguably their biggest fight card to date, including three-title fights and a main event which was selected by the fans. The promotion boasts 14-straight years of business and is operated by MFC president Mark Pavelich, who is often overlooked in this country for the foundation hes established for MMA in Canada. Swell Cyber Monday . - Goaltender Philippe Desrosiers of the Rimouski Oceanic has broken a shutout record that was only three months old in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. http://www.waterbottleblackfriday.com/ .S District Court against Major League Baseball, the Office of the Commissioner and his own union, the MLBPA. Hydro Flask Black Friday .com) - Following a late-game loss to the reigning NBA champs, the Toronto Raptors will look to sustain their recent high-level play as they travel to Indiana to take on the Pacers. Hydro Flask Black Friday Sale . LOUIS -- St. At a 4-10 overall record for the split following a win over sinking rookies from Team Envy (6-7 after starting 5-1), NRG Esports is not having the kind of season it envisioned. A postseason slide last split before falling to Team Liquid in the quarterfinals, the revamped NRG lineup for this split with South Korean import AD carry Oh Ohq Gyu-min was supposed to take the club to the next level.Alternatively, it has been a struggle throughout; the transitioning pieces on the squad have found it difficult to be on the same page. With only four games to go in the regular season and 2.5 games behind in the chase for the final playoff slot, the odds are firmly against it advancing to the knockout rounds.Ace mid laner Lee GBM Chang-suk, though, shares enough optimism and confidence for the entire team.Because I was ... God, GBM replied when asked how NRG were able to blow past Envy in a must-win match to keep the teams playoff hopes alive.You were God? I asked.I was God today, he said. Thank you.Charismatic, fun loving and an aura of carefreeness around him, GBM is a one-of-a-kind player in the world of League of Legends. A top mid laner in 2015 on the Jin Air Green Wings, the veteran moved over to North America at the start of the year with the newly founded NRG Esports. After falling in a sweep in the first round vs. Team Liquid last split in the playoffs, the entire starting five but GBM was overhauled, and it has been an uphill battle since for the self-proclaimed American God to find his footing overseas.We have to get on the same page, GBM explained. In particular, he stressed the need for himself, jungler Lucas Santorin Larsen and Alan KiWiKiD Nguyen to start finding synergy together when it came to making decisive calls for the team. We need to get on the same page, and we need to practice. [Us three] need to bbe on the same page.ddddddddddddFor NRG, coming together has been the most difficult obstacle. This is a team of five skilled players who have never before played on the same professional team; there have been occasions when things have clicked, like those fleeting moments in which NRG appear to be a top-four (maybe even top-three) club in the league. But then, like it was a mirage. The facade washes away and were left with the true NRG Esports: a team filled with a lot of shiny parts, but nothing to truly connect them.I talked to GBM about his time with the Jin Air organization and how his old club has also struggled this season to find any sort of consistent play.Theyre always afraid to play confident, GBM said about the Green Wings. They dont have confidence. They need more seasoning, more play, because Jin Air coaching style is always super safe [and] dont like risky. I was Jin Air, so I know why thats the problem. They have to play more risky, be more confident and more aggressive.Although the results havent been there just yet, GBM isnt shy about discussing his love of America. He prefers the weather, views and atmosphere over his time in Korea. His personal preference for room temperature is around 85 degrees, and he remarked how the cold air in South Korea often got him sick due to the conditions. In the bright skies and sunny weather of Los Angeles, GBM feels as if he has found a place he can thrive in.Ending the interview, we played a game of word association. I ran down members of his team and asked him what were the first words to come to mind.Santorin? I asked.Strong.Quas?Spear.Kiwikid?Sword and shield.Ohq?Crossbow.Finally, I inquired, So what does that make GBM?Christ. ' ' '