Which boxer was known as the ‘Cinderella Man’?

The boxer who became known as the ‘Cinderella Man’ was American James Braddock, who was so christened by author Damon Runyon after an unexpected victory over Max Baer in a world heavyweight title fight in 1935. Despite a series of crippling hand injuries, which threatened to end his career, Braddock returned to the ring in 1934 and, after defeating several much touted contenders, earned himself a shot at the heavyweight title. He lined up against Baer as 10/1 underdog, but despite being shaken by a short right hand in the seventh round, kept coming and eventually won the contest by unanimous decision, to complete one of the greatest ‘rags-to-riches’ stories in boxing history.

Braddock made defended his title just once, against leading contender Joe Louis two years later. Once again, he held his own, but eventually succumbed to a powerful right hand, which caught him flush on the jaw and sent him to the canvas; it was his only defeat by knockout in his 86-fight career. Braddock fought just one more, beating Tommy Farr, by split decision, the following January before retiring. Nevertheless, his contract for the Louis fight guaranteed him 10% of Louis’ earnings from future title fights, so Braddock was financially secure for the rest of his life.

From music to sports betting. Jay-Z’s world is about to get more interesting

Jay-Z is regarded as one of the biggest rappers of all time. He is married to Beyonce and is deemed as a pillar in the 2000s music scene. There are many things that we can associate with the ‘Where I’m from’ singer to music, collaborations, extravagant lifestyle and much more. But gambling definitely does not come to mind when it comes to Jay-Z. Well, think again, as the music mogul and rapper has decided that sports betting will be his next venture.

A deal between Jay-Z and Fanatics has been signed and the rest is history. Now we know what you might think, what does Fanatic have to do with sports betting? After all, the sports retailer is more invested into producing, offering and selling sports jerseys and apparels. Well think again, as earlier this year the sports retailer has announced via their social media statements that they will expand their businesses and will start offering sports wagering. The Miami based company is now taking a dip into the sports gambling world, and why not…this is the future of America after all.

For Fanatics to be able to carry sports betting and wagering, they needed someone to back them up. Financially that is, and this is where Jay-Z made a humorous appearance. The music legend pumped in a whopping 235 Million Dollars worth of investment to help Fanatics get the ball rolling. Fanatics have of course signed the deal, and used the funds and money to make sure that their business idea gets materialised, and Fanatics sports gambling was born.

Bookmaker bonus will be offered upon registration of course and this will ensure that players are rewarded for their respective registration. But will Fanatics sports be successful? This is still yet to be determined, after all the gambling scene in the US is very much still in its primitive stages.

Problems with Getting the License

One of the things that Fanatics would need to start working is acquiring a gambling license. Since Fanatics would like to start operating in New York and offering wagering on sports in the state, the team have already submitted an application to start the proceedings. Jay-Z might have funded the project in full, however without a gambling license the operation cannot kick off properly. The good news is that the application is already underway and being processed.

When it comes to licensing, of course any company that would like to operate in the sports betting niche would need to get license and approval, and as things currently stand. Fanatics are not quite there yet. Once the license gets approved, Fanatics would need to up their game and make sure that they offer a lucrative bonus to potential players. After all, their competition is quite vast with sports betting companies such as FanDuel, The Score, Fox and also Bet365. Other sports betting companies that are already established in the sports betting world include DraftKings, BetMGM and also Bally’s, companies that are very much known in the sports betting world.

Will this be a good move for Fanatics?

Many have questioned the reasoning behind Fanatics finally taking the plunge to start offering sports betting. The company is a household name in the US for sports apparel and also clothing. But do they really have what it takes to make it in a sports betting world, where companies like Bet365 have already established a player base? Truth be told, the competition out there is quite hefty and albeit many say that there is no more room for more betting companies, this could be a good move for Fanatics.

The bad news for both Jay-Z and also Fanatics is that the governing body that grants gambling licenses is only looking to grant 2 potential gambling licenses in the near future, and the competition is quite vast. Will Fanatics have an advantage now that the name Jay-Z is on their sports betting application? Money of course is no problem, but will the clothing company convince the regulator that they have what it takes to make it in the sports gambling world?

Jay-Z has already earned his stripes in the world of business, and owns successful businesses such as sports bar chains. 40/40 Clubs located in Nevada and New Jersey. Albeit Jay-Z being associated with the world of sports already, offering sports wagering is a very different ball game. All Shawn Carter’s businesses are quite successful, but he has never had any serious dealings in the betting world. Will this be it? Will this be the latest Jay-Z success story?

One thing we know for sure. If this business venture does go through and Fanatics does get granted a gambling license to start operating, Jay-Z is in for a good ride. We can already see Jay-Z’s face splashed across Time Square, being a brand ambassador for Fanatics. Will this become a reality? We would need to wait and see.

Do you think this 18 million gambling deal from the music mogul will go through? We do hope so, as the US could do with more stars endorsing gambling as a whole.

Who is Zola Budd?

Zola Budd, or Zola Pieterse, as she is now known, is a South African long-distance runner who will probably always be best remembered for (i) running barefoot and (ii) colliding with arch rival American Mary Decker-Slaney in the final of the 3,000 metres at the Los Angeles Olympics in 1984. Sport was a key consideration for the country at the time, as who doesn’t want to suceed on the international stage? Nowadays, with a shift to the virtual we’re as likely to log into online casino south africa, as have a focus on sport. Earlier that year, Budd, 18, had completed 5,000 metres in an unratified time of 15:01.83 which, had it been allowed to stand, would have smashed the world record, 15:08.26, set by Decker-Slaney in 1982. Of course, it was not, due to South African athletes being banned from international competition during the apartheid era.

Indeed, Budd circumvented the ban by applying for British citizenship, on the grounds that her paternal grandfather was British, and thus, in the eyes of many people, finagled her way onto the British Olympic team. In any event, on August 10, 1984, Budd and Decker-Slaney lined up for their highly anticipated showdown over 3,000 metres at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

As expected, the early fractions were very fast, as Decker-Slaney made the running, with Budd at her shoulder. Shortly after halfway in the seven-and-a-half lap contest, Budd took a narrow lead but, having moved towards the kerb, she was caught, twice, by Decker-Slaney’s spikes. Decker-Slaney stumbled and fell spectacularly to the ground, injuring her hip in the process, and her race was over. Bleeding and tearful, Budd continued, but faded during the final lap to finish seventh behind eventual winner Romanian Maricica Puica. Sport, and indeed real money casino games can at times have topsy turvy results. Sometimes you’re down on your luck, other times you simply can’t put a foot wrong. It’s the way of the world really.

Has anyone ever won gold medals at the Summer and Winter Olympics?

The simple answer is yes, they have.

In fact, two athletes have won gold medals at both the Summer and Winter Olympics, although the first of them, Gillis Grafström, did so in the same discipline. At the Games of the VII Olympiad in Antwerp, Belgium in 1920, in the days before the Winter Olympics, Grafström won his first gold medal in men’s figure skating. Four years later, at the first Winter Olympics, or ‘International Winter Sports Week’ as the event was originally known, in Chamonix, France in 1924, he won his second in the same event. Just for good measure, Grafström also won a third consecutive gold medal in the same event at the second Winter Olympics in St. Moritz, Switzerland in 1928. We are of course ‘going back’ a long way to find such an example. It was a different world back then, whereas today we have distractions like blockbuster movies and online pokies real money, back in the 1920’s more focus could be attributed to sports and the like.

However, in Olympic history, just one athlete has won gold medals at both the Summer and Winter Olympic Games. That athlete was Edward ‘Eddie’ Eagan who, at the 1920 Summer Olympics, defeated Norwegian opponent Sverre Sørsdal to win his first gold medal in the 175lb, light-heavyweight boxing division. Twelve years later, at the age of 34, Eagan competed as part of the USA I four-man bobsleigh team at the Winter Olympics in Lake Place, New York and duly collected his second Olympic gold medal. In the modern connected, world this combination or fortune and skill would likely be as well suited to online casinos usa, as it would an athletic endevour.

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