FIGHTS: Link - Borderland Beat: El Chayo confirmed killed

Welcome to Mexico:  The Wild West of the 21st Century.



El Chapo captured a few weeks ago.  Now the leader of the Caballeros Templarios is allegedly killed.  Interesting timing.



Here's hoping this transition gives the auto defensas of Michoacán the chance to take greater control of their state.



And keep an eye out for a 'Mexican Cartels vs. Zombie Apocalypse' story from ZBFbooks.com.



Borderland Beat: El Chayo confirmed killed: El Universal (3-9-14) Translated for Borderland Beat by un vato After members of the Army   asked Nazario Moreno to surrender, the T...

FIGHTS: Why Gina Carano vs. Ronda Rousey is a bad idea

RUMORED UFC MATCHUP BETWEEN CURRENT AND FORMER MMA CHAMPS WOULD DISAPPOINT
By
Bowie V. Ibarra

C'mon, folks.  Look at her.  You really thing she's going to give up the red carpet for getting punched in the face?

Gina Carano, one of the most amazing former female mixed martial artists, has gone on to bigger and better things outside of MMA.  She's had her own feature film with big names in Hollywood, and is on her way to being even bigger than one of her American martial arts predecessors, Cynthia Rothrock.

Why in the world would Gina, who hasn't had a match in years, consider stepping back into the cage like folks are speculating?  Why would she choose to go back and bust her ass in a gym, putting her body on the line when she has much better (and safer) opportunities to make money in the acting classes and auditions of Hollywood?

Why would she step back into the pit to fight this lady?

 

'Rowdy' Ronda Rousey.

 

This speculation and calls for Carano to return to the pits of MMA need to stop.  If you thought Rousey's last fight against the highly viable contender and Olympian Sara McCann was garbage, Carano/Rousey would be a massacre.

 

Folks, not taking anything away from Carano's fighting skill.  Carano on a bad day could still whip five of me all week.  Shit, five of you and five of me.  Twice on Sunday.

 

But she's been out of the cage for so long.  She's lost her edge.  Carano would not stand a chance against a hungry and sharp Rousey.  Acting classes and auditions have made Carano soft. I've been a part of many an acting class.  Trust me, there's nobody in any acting class anywhere that I've ever been in, whether they are a martial artist or not, that are going to win any MMA fights, much less a UFC-caliber fight.  Unless your name is Jeff Speakman, GTFOH.

 

To line Carano up against the best female martial artist in UFC today would be as disgusting as the Canelo/Angulo fight.  It would be totally one-sided, and a ridiculous money grab by Carano.  A massacre.

 

And truth is there's no sense in it.  There's plenty of current matchups for Rousey.  Cat Zigano lost her chance to fight her due to personal turmoil.  She earned her shot a while back.  And a McMann rematch should also take place.

 

But let's face it.  If competition gets thin, we need to petition the UFC and Dana to bring in the only woman who has been anywhere close to being as dominant as Rousey.  Perhaps even more so.  As long as she gets off the gas, it would be a great matchup.

And that woman's name is Cris 'Cyborg' Santos.

 

 

If you want to check out some books with actual competitive fights, check out the following.

'Iron Head and Other Stories' is chock full of great boxing matches and money fights by a group of very talented authors, including an entry called "Puncher's Chance" from ZBFbooks.com.  You can order it HERE.

 

Read about the fights of a Scottish pugilist making his way through MMA in the 'Pit Fighters' book series from ZBFbooks.com.  Get them HERE.

BOWIE V. IBARRA is the author of the acclaimed 'Down the Road' zombie horror series from Permuted Press.  He earned a BFA in Acting and a MA in Theatre History from Texas State University.  His latest titles explore superhero themes, including 'Codename: La Lechusa', 'Room 26 and the Army of Xulhutdul', and 'Tejano Star and the Vengeance of Chaplain Skull'. 

 

Network with Bowie at his official website, ZBFbooks.com, the leader in Tex-Mexploitation literature.

FIGHTS: Canelo commits animal abuse against 'Perro' Angulo

ANGULO IS NOWHERE TO BE FOUND IN BIG GOLDEN BOY MAIN EVENT
by
Bowie V. Ibarra

Here's hoping Animal Control didn't show up to the MGM Grand to arrest Canelo for animal abuse.  Saul Alvarez spent 10 rounds abusing Alfredo 'El Perro' Angulo in his comeback fight.  For a fight that was billed as a 'toe-to-toe' action-packed matchup amounted to animal cruelty.

Canelo came right out of the chute fast, nailing Angulo with what would be the first of hundreds of hard, fast, and solid blows to the body and head.  And from the start, Angulo looked like he didn't even want to be there.  There was no fire and no competitive spirit from Angulo, who looked bored and sad throughout.

Angulo showed moments, but had absolutely nothing that threatened Canelo.  Near the end, Canelo was even getting cocky, making Angulo look like crap.

Thankfully, the garbage matchup was ended with a solid uppercut from Canelo in the 10th that stunned Angulo, prompting the ref to mercifully step in and stop the 30 minutes of abuse Angulo sustained with severity.  Angulo was mad that the ref ended it, but it was just to save face.  Had he come to fight, it might not have ended that way.  And his trainer, Virgil Hunter, claimed to have told the ref if Canelo put together some combos, that he would stop the fight.  But he was saving face, too, as he should have not even allowed Angulo to go out in the 10th.

Canelo's brother, Ricardo Alvarez, lost a lopsided fight in the undercard against Sergio Thompson.  Leo Santa Cruz beat up Cristian Mijares in another lopsided fight.  And Nihito Arakawa had nothing against Jorge Linares.

It's been a long time since I've seen a boxing card that ended up so lopsided as this.  I want my $20 back.

If you want to check out some books with actual competitive fights, check out the following.

'Iron Head and Other Stories' is chock full of great boxing matches and money fights by a group of very talented authors, including an entry called "Puncher's Chance" from ZBFbooks.com.  You can order it HERE.

 

Read about the fights of a Scottish pugilist making his way through MMA in the 'Pit Fighters' book series from ZBFbooks.com.  Get them HERE.

BOWIE V. IBARRA is the author of the acclaimed 'Down the Road' zombie horror series from Permuted Press.  He earned a BFA in Acting and a MA in Theatre History from Texas State University.  His latest titles explore superhero themes, including 'Codename: La Lechusa', 'Room 26 and the Army of Xulhutdul', and 'Tejano Star and the Vengeance of Chaplain Skull'. 

 

Network with Bowie at his official website, ZBFbooks.com, the leader in Tex-Mexploitation literature.

FIGHTS: Review - 'I, Frankenstein' upgrades the classic story for the worst

NINJA SKILLS, WEAPON PROFICIENCIES HIGHLIGHT THE UPDATED FRANKENSTEIN LEGEND
by
Bowie V. Ibarra

If you're familiar with the 'Underworld' series, then you know how stylistically fun the vampires vs. werewolves series is.  It also means when you decided to show up for 'I, Frankenstein' because the folks that had a hand in the 'Underworld' series were at the helm of this entry, then you knew what was coming.

I knew, but then should have known better.  Check it out.

The story revolves around Frankenstein, who has been wandering the earth for years, getting recruited by a decimated team of angelic heroes based out of Notre Dame who are being overwhelmed by a demon army bent on bringing the souls of hell to earth.  The angels need Frankenstein's ninja skills (!), while the demons need Frankenstein's secret to immortality.

And so the story unfolds.

Look, as a stylized action flick, the movie works.  The problem I had was I had to ignore a lot to enjoy the movie.  I know, I know.  I give lots of movies room to work their story, and am one of the easiest people to please.  But some things were still a stretch, even in this fantasy world.

Take, for example, Frankenstein's 'ninja' fighting skills and weapon proficiencies.  I can accept that, somehow, Frankenstein has been able to survive for decades not decomposing for whatever mad science Dr. Frankenstein used to make the Monster.  But for him to have the agility, speed, and toughness of the world's greatest athletes, as well as the ability to pick up a host of melee weapons and be able to wield them with efficiency.  C'mon, man.

And for a Monster who was put together with human scraps, I'm not sure about the science that Dr. Frankenstein used to make his body invulnerable to being slammed against concrete, cars, and other hard barriers without some kind of damage.

Performancewise, the cast was alright.  The strong lead played by Aaron Eckhart was a good choice.  He stayed committed to the role and the story no matter how ridiculous it got.  Put him against the outstanding Bill Nighy as the antagonist and the movie works alright.  The supporting cast held their own on the backs of the two leads.

But man you're still going to have to ignore a loooooooot of stuff to truly enjoy it.

I was reminded of a really rude remark my friend had made when the movie 'Real Steel' came out.  I'm not going to go all out on exactly what he said, but it was words to the effect of, 'Well, children need movies to watch, too.'

This was one of those movies.

'I, Frankenstein' was great on action and story, but too over the top for me to truly enjoy it.  Recommended for fans of ridiculous action, but not ZBFbooks.com approved.

And if you're looking for a fun supernatural action/adventure story with a strong female protagonist like in 'Underworld', then pick up the sexy 'Codename: La Lechusa' today in paperback or kindle.  It's the story of a single mom who works as a secretary by day, but is an assassin by night for a clandestine government organization who gets wrapped up in a fight for security contracts at a big pharmaceutical conglomerate.  You can get that title HERE.
Below is the book trailer and the cover for the book.

 

 

BOWIE V. IBARRA is the author of the acclaimed 'Down the Road' zombie horror series from Permuted Press.  He earned a BFA in Acting and a MA in Theatre History from Texas State University.  His latest titles explore superhero themes, including 'Codename: La Lechusa', 'Room 26 and the Army of Xulhutdul', and 'Tejano Star and the Vengeance of Chaplain Skull'. 

 

Network with Bowie at his official website, ZBFbooks.com, the leader in Tex-Mexploitation literature.

The First Annual ZBFbooks.com Awards - 2014

WHO DO YOU THINK SHOULD BE CHOSEN AS AN AUTHOR WHO REPRESENTS THE SPIRIT OF ZBFBOOKS.COM
by
Bowie V. Ibarra

 

It's time for all of us to have a little fun.

 

ZBFbooks.com would like to recognize an author and one of their titles that truly represents the spirit of ZombieBloodFights.com.  So over at our official ZBFbooks.com Facebook page, we are taking nominations for the first ZBFbooks.com award winner.

 

The first round will be fielding all nominations.  Members of the page can make a suggestion for a title for the book.  This will last for a week.

 

Over the weekend, we will vote on which books we like.  You can vote multiple times.  The top three books will be in the final round where members can vote once.  Voting will be open for a week.

 

To qualify, books must adhere to the following rules:

 

-- Have any kind of theme featuring Zombies, Blood, or Fights.

 

That's about it.

 

Naturally, there are some simple guidelines:

 

-- You cannot nominate your own title.

-- No ZBFbooks.com titles are eligible for voting

-- Nominees from independent publishing are preferred

 

So what are you waiting for?  Feel like some of your favorite authors are being snubbed because they're small press?  Well let's stick it to the writing establishment and nominate our own indy stars.

 

Join our Facebook group HERE.  Only ZBFbooks Page members can vote.

 

 

FIGHTS: Preview - 'Puncher's Chance' from the 'Iron Head and Other Stories'

CHARITY ANTHOLOGY FROM 'FIGHT CARD' PUBLISHING FEATURES ZBFBOOKS.COM SHORT
by
Bowie V. Ibarra

 

It was an absolute privilege to participate in this fantastic charity anthology from Fight Card called 'Iron Head and Other Stories'.  The publishing group is just the audience I've been looking to find for my 'Pit Fighters' series.

 

At any rate, here's a preview of the ZBFbooks.com entry, 'Puncher's Chance'.  If you enjoy the excerpt below, pick up a copy today.  Proceeds go to a good cause.

 

Here's the excerpt from the short story, "Puncher's Chance".

 

PUNCHER’S CHANCE

By

BOWIE V. IBARRA

Copyright Bowie Ibarra, Fight Card Books, 2013

This story is dedicated to my late father and my uncle who shared with me the enjoyment and appreciation of boxing.

To my uncle Carlos and Uncle Martin, who both participated in amateur boxing events.

To Mike ‘Night Train’ Trejo and Roman ‘Baby’ Trejo, who taught me the fundamentals of boxing.

To every boxer that ever stepped in the ring, and for every boxer who ever will.  Thank you for honoring the sweet science that is boxing.

----

My brother’s an idiot.

I love him, but he’s an idiot.

Now, I’m not talking about him being stupid or something like that.  He’s not stupid.  Raymond’s amazing with numbers and has this almost savant-like talent to give you the exact time some event occurred, or the length of a movie.  Like, he can tell you down to the second, or pretty close, really, the hours, minutes, and seconds a movie lasted after the credits roll.  How useful that is in real life, I couldn’t tell you.  But he can do it.

Look, what I’m trying to say here is he’s not an idiot, necessarily.  He just makes bad choices.

That’s why when he came to me on the worst of the worst of days (I’d just lost my job and had rent to pay) to tell me he was in trouble, I knew his problems had nothing to do with numbers, but that he was in a bind for being an idiot. 

Wait.  Scratch that.  Not for being an idiot, but for making bad choices.

And here I was, trying to ease the pain of my day with a few brews at The Montana Bar in San Uvalde when he rolls in.

“Rafael, I, uh, I need to talk to you,” he said to me, looking like someone had just walked over his grave. 

Unfortunately, that impression was completely and totally correct.  I knew something was up by the way he shook my hand.  We always gave a jovial hand slap/grasp kind of thing before we embraced each other like brothers do.  This time he just shook my hand and hugged me, not letting me go for a while.  It was his scared hug.  He didn’t do that very often, but I could tell when he did it that things were not right.

“No, ‘Hey, Rafael.  What’s up?  How was work?’” I replied to him.

“Man, look.  I’m in trouble.  I’m in big trouble.”

“What are you talking about, Raymond?” I asked, looking at him.  He was shaking like a little Chihuahua that had pissed itself after being yelled at.  I thought for a minute he actually had.

            “I need you to come outside with me,” he said, indicating the exit to the dingy bar.

            “Cops?” I asked.

            “Worse,” he said.

I chugged the rest of my beer and placed a fiver on the bar to pay for my brew and leave a little tip before following him to the door.  “Como que worse?” I asked.

            I walked outside with him.  Yeah, it was worse alright.

            Rafael looked at me like a kid who had been caught with his hand in the cookie jar.  He gulped.  It reminded me exactly of how Tom of ‘Tom and Jerry’ fame gulped when he was in trouble, or about to get his head chopped off by Jerry in some cockamamie circumstance.

            Speaking of, we’ll get back to that ‘head chopped off cockamamie circumstance’ thing in a minute, because I recognized the dudes that were standing by the car Raymond had led me to.

            “Aguilar,” I growled at him.  “You’re in trouble with the members of the Aguilar cartel?”

            Rafael could do nothing else but nod at me.  He looked down at the ground.

            “Entrar en el coche,” the mustachioed dude in the cowboy hat, Wranglers, and straw hat snarled, waving us to enter the long white Cadillac parked next to the entrance.  I could tell the dude held a piece under his leather vest.

            “Take it easy, amigo,” I said, raising my hands up as I entered the vehicle.  “Tranquilo.  Tranquilo.”

            As I got comfortable in my seat, I was quickly followed by Raymond.  Two more dudes dressed in complete cowboy cartel chic sat in front of us.  Both of them held automatic weapons.  They smelled like cigarettes and cheap cologne.

            Raymond looked at me, and all I could do was glare right back at his dumb ass.

            “Don’t talk to me right now,” I said, turning to look out the window as the car drove off.

            Man, I got to tell you, driving down Main Street of San Uvalde never felt so depressing, so sad.  I felt like I was riding in a hearse, some kind of pall bearer that had got the word at the last minute that his brother was dead and was only moments away from putting said brother in the ground.  That’s all that I could be reminded of sitting there, watching sights pass me by that Rafael would never see again.  Hell, maybe I would never see again.  I needed more information.

            “Rafa,” I sighed.  “You got to tell me what’s going on here.  Are you in danger?”

            Rafael just nodded.

            I took a deep breath.  “Am I in danger?” I followed up.

            Rafael just nodded.

            I took another deep breath.  “Como que I’m in danger?  Huh?  What do you mean?”

            Rafael shook his head.  “Aguilar wanted to explain himself.”

            “Good Lord,” I sighed.  Aguilar is going to make me watch my brother get his head cut off.  Had to be.  “I swear to Buddha, Rafael, if he doesn’t cut your head off and we get out of this little pickle you got us into, I’ll cut your head off.”

            “There’s hope,” he whispered.  “There’s always hope.”

            “Yeah.  Sure.  Tell that to the last few idiots that messed with the Aguilar cartel,” I shot back at him.  God, Raymond could be such an idiot sometimes.  Make bad choices sometimes.  That’s my brother for you, though.  Even in the darkest circumstances, he always held out hope.

----

 

What happens next?  Pick up 'Iron Head and Other Stories' to find out what happens to the brothers as they travel to the deadly drug lord to settle a debt.  Get it HERE.

 

And if you like outstanding fight stories, then ZBFbooks.com has some picks for you.  Pick up your copy of the 'Pit Fighters' series today in paperback or kindle.  Follow the adventures of the fighters in the south Texas fight stable, San Uvalde International, in 'Baptism by Fire' and 'Double Cross'.  Get them HERE.

 

Check out the trailers and the book covers for both books below.

 



 

 

 

BOWIE V. IBARRA is the author of the acclaimed 'Down the Road' zombie horror series from Permuted Press.  He earned a BFA in Acting and a MA in Theatre History from Texas State University.  His latest titles explore superhero themes, including 'Codename: La Lechusa', 'Room 26 and the Army of Xulhutdul', and 'Tejano Star and the Vengeance of Chaplain Skull'. 

 

Network with Bowie at his official website, ZBFbooks.com, the leader in Tex-Mexploitation literature.

 

FIGHTS: Review - "Santo Diablo vs. The Albino Alligator' initiates a new pulp superhero

STEADY TONE SHIFT, DARK PROTAGONIST HIGHLIGHT THE PULP-STYLE ACTION PIECE
by
Bowie V. Ibarra

Holy crap! What a short story!

What started out as a sweet little fantasy/superhero story with a luchador as the protagonist turned into a gritty and dark story of a lost soul searching for redemption.  Andrew Crevier's 'Santo Diablo vs. The Albino Alligator' from Grind Pulp Press is a fast-paced story of a crime-fighter seeking internal peace in a violent world.

As a fan of El Santo and his crime-fighting legacy in film, this title piqued my fancy.  With a luchador as its lead, how could I go wrong?  And it ended up delivering more than I bargained for.

I was immediately drawn in to the way the story was constructed.  When it starts, you think its going to be some kind of superhero-style tale.  But as the story progresses, you come to realize things are more real than expected.  I was impressed with how the story started with a fun vibe before being skillfully transformed into a gritty crime-fighting story.

Since it's a short story, I don't want to give to much away. But just know the crusade of St. Devil against The Albino Alligator is a solid superhero story, from the disgusting location of the final fight, to the final pages that reveal the hard truth of the story and the life of Santo Diablo that will pull the readers arm behind their head before punching them in the heart.

Whether you're a fan of crime-fighting luchadors or not, get Andrew Crevier's short story now here.  Network with Grind Pulp Press at their official website here.

And if you dig masked lucha libre superstars, check out this 'lucha libre vs. zombie' themed short story from ZBFbooks.com.  'Sword of the Angel' is available now in paperback and kindle here.  If you loved the story of 'Santo Diablo', you will enjoy 'Sword of the Angel'.

Here's the book trailer and book cover:

 

BOWIE V. IBARRA is the author of the acclaimed 'Down the Road' zombie horror series from Permuted Press.  He earned a BFA in Acting and a MA in Theatre History from Texas State University.  His latest titles explore superhero themes, including 'Codename: La Lechusa', 'Room 26 and the Army of Xulhutdul', and 'Tejano Star and the Vengeance of Chaplain Skull'. 

 

Network with Bowie at his official website, ZBFbooks.com, the leader in Tex-Mexploitation literature.