:anime: The Mystery Press Release of the Mysterious Shows...

Ever since starting HardDoor, I've managed to amass a decent list of contacts who keep me up on the latest happenings on the anime scene. This press release hails from the good folks at a distributor who wants to keep their name--and their acquistions--a secret for the time being. In the coming days, more info, as well as the identities of the company and the titles, will be revealed, though in the meantime, they would like to play a bit of a "guessing game" with the community as far as what will soon be in store!

:anime: GONZO Goes (More) Gonzo for Digital Distribution

If anyone's been keeping their ears close to the North American anime industry, there has been much a clamor concerning the state of how business is being conducted and the growth of digital distribution there. The Japanese side has grown more privy of what is going on across the Pacific, as more companies have looked towards there for production financing and licensing deals and more have become aware of the presence, and influence, of fansubs on the market.

:boxing: Before, After...and Now:: Pacquiao vs Marquez II

About four years ago, a young, hot upstart named Manny Pacquiao was riding on the wave of his big upset over Mexican boxing legend Marco Antonio Barrera less than half a year prior. A relative unknown, another fighter hailing from the country with three parts to his name, was set to be the proverbial lamb led to the slaughter--a simple snack for the hungry warrior to have on his road to championship glory. The first round only served to reinforce this sentiment, as the person went down three times in those fateful opening minutes. It looked as if the "Pacman" was going to devour another victim, as he bounced around the ring with his signature rambunctiousness. However, the tide changed as the "inevitable" victor was beginning to get beaten to the punch and outgunned for most of the fight afterwards. A few late-round improvements in tactics perhaps saved Pacquiao from a belittling loss, as the fight ended in a draw, but it also raised the profile of one Juan Manuel Marquez, who made a name for himself in a similar fashion that he had just the year before.

:anime & boxing: Anime 'n' Boxing Kibbles & Bits ::03.09.08:: Belts, Blames, and Big Guys

:Sat.02.23.08: Klitschko Claims The First Stake in the Heavyweight Unification Race
Wladimir Klitschko started off the apparent road towards unification of the heavyweight titles with a non-crowd-pleasing performance at the vaunted Madison Square Garden in New York City in dethroning then-undefeated Sultan Ibragimov. He stands the best chance out of everyone (including his older brother, Vitali) in reaching the end of that path as the undisputed champion and he could feasibly be marketed well to represent the division to the public--given he fights better matches than what was reported that night.

Updates Galore! The Not-So-Long Period... February 2008 Edition

Yeesh... I really hate leaving HardDoor so fallow for nearly a month (one post & an update). There were a few things I had wanted to do, such as the "Decade's Best" boxing list and a Black History Month-related post, but that'll have to wait until a later time, as I hit a busy patch during the end of the month and parts before.