doubled to start Houstons ninth, a

The remarkable -- and seemingly unbelievable -- comeback journey of world champion Vinny Pazienza (now Vinny Paz) makes its way to the big screen this week in Bleed for This. Written and directed by Ben Younger, the film stars Miles Teller (Whiplash, Fantastic Four, The Divergent Series) as Pazienza, the rough-and-tumble fighter from Rhode Island who claimed titles in two divisions. The toughest fight of his career was his inspirational recovery after breaking his neck in a horrific car crash. Bleed for This takes you into the mind of one of the toughest fighters in boxing history. And its a role Teller didnt take lightly.I got the script sent to me three years ago, before Whiplash came out, Teller said. I said, yeah this is amazing! Why are you sending it to me? I felt I wasnt at that place in my career playing guys with the kind of testosterone and masculinity that Vinny has. My agent said Ben Younger, the director, wants to meet you. I thought he was just doing her a favor. I met him and I was super relaxed because I didnt think he was actually thinking of me for the role. I got the call a couple of days later. I was shocked and excited. I felt like I had won a competition, even though I hadnt done anything at that point. His story is innately an inspirational comeback.Still -- Tellers physique wasnt quite that of a boxer. Not yet.I was cast in March. I looked into the mirror and realized this was going to be a long road, Teller said. I knew boxing training would be absolutely brutal. Genetics-wise, I was never that guy who worked out and looked jacked. I really had to diet and work out harder than other people. I knew it was going to be a big challenge. I didnt eat any bread. Didnt drink. I didnt even take a cheat day. I knew I wasnt this naturally gifted visual specimen, so I didnt. I wouldnt even eat a Jolly Rancher because there was like a gram of sugar in it. I didnt want to look at myself on screen and say, Ah, remember that day when you had that pizza? I ended up losing 20 pounds and down to 6 percent body fat, 168 pounds for the first fight scene. I also knew Vinny moved up in weight and that was part of his legacy. I had to regain 15 pounds in two and a half weeks.For years, Teller dreamed of taking on the role of a boxer.If you had asked me in college what parts I wanted to play, I would have said a soldier or a boxer. I like those blue collar stories. To me, this film was about Vinnys comeback. What was going on inside of this person? Whats in his DNA where he breaks his neck and five days later, go down into the basement and work out, literally risking paralysis. He knew hed rather box than walk. And when you really tap into that psyche, I knew it would be a challenge but very rewarding. I needed something at that point in my career to really go outside of my comfort zone. I had never boxed before. I had never done an accent on camera before. I knew the Providence, Rhode Island, accent was going to be very specific.Born in 1987, Teller wasnt familiar with Pazs story or, for that matter, what kind of personality the Pazmanian Devil had. That became crystal clear when he received a package in the mail.He knew I was playing him. It was about two months into my prep, and Im listening to all these interviews with him, and I get this package in the mail. It was a signed picture of him in his boxers. The rest is NSFW but suffice it to say, it was the icebreaker Teller needed. Later, when I met him I asked him about it. He said he was cracking up while writing it. He said he wanted to let me know I wasnt playing someone like normal. He was a crazy guy. I was so intimidated by this guy. I didnt want him to see me while I was working on the accent or working on my boxing. I wanted him to see a finished product. He was the first person I met when I got to Rhode Island for filming. That was a surreal moment because here was this guy who I had watched countless hours of footage on and really being obsessed with; pretty much idolizing for the past 8 months and hes the exact same as how he was. He still has the personality that people love.Certainly one thing Teller could relate to was the car accident that nearly killed the champ. In 2007, Teller was in a near-fatal car crash himself, and the scars on his face are a constant reminder.My accident was very similar to Vinnys. The car came out of nowhere. Its very traumatic for the people around you initially, and then its just you left to pick up the pieces. I had just started auditioning and all these casting directors were saying Miles is a good actor but it doesnt make sense for this character to have scars. For a couple of months, I felt that this vision I had for my life and this career that I love so much ... is that now taken away from me? I felt it was something I would be inhibited by and had no control over. Then John Cameron Mitchell, the director for Rabbit Hole called. He just really liked my scars. I dont know if he thought they told a story and gave it a mystery, but he gave me my first full length movie role. I thought I would be just that actor with scars.And, like Teller, Vinny wouldnt give up.Vinny never counted himself out. Even when doctors said fighting again was impossible. In the hospital scene when he asked the doctor how long until I can fight again, that was just how his mind worked. Hed rather box than walk.Adding credibility to the fight scenes, the film cast former middleweight world titleholder Peter Kid Chocolate Quillin playing Roger Mayweather and super middleweight and light heavyweight contender Edwin Rodriguez as Roberto Duran.Darrel Foster, our fight coordinator, trained Sugar Ray Leonard, Teller said. With Peter, we had 5 days to choreograph the fight. With Edwin we only had about 6 hours to rehearse. There were a lot of moments of free boxing because you couldnt choreograph everything. It was really amazing. You get a first-person perspective of what it must feel like to be that close, staring into the opponents soul.Being in the ring, even for staged fights gave Teller a new perspective on boxing.That ring is small, man. Its a lot smaller than you think. It was such a thrill, though. When Vinny knocks out Gilbert Dele in the movie, I was in the moment. He knocked him out in the 2nd round while being a 10-1 underdog. I jumped on the ropes and all the extras were chanting Vinny, Vinny! It was the most surreal moment Ive ever filmed in a movie. I felt like I just won the title.Bleed for This opens in theaters Friday. Terrell Edmunds Jersey .ca NHL Power Rankings for the second straight week, ahead of the Pittsburgh Penguins and Colorado Avalanche. Benny Snell Jr. Womens Jersey . Fred Couples, captain of the U.S. side, put it all into perspective. "We know whos in charge," he said. http://www.steelersrookiestore.com/Steelers-Terrell-Edmunds-Jersey/ . -- Charlie Graham stopped 67 shots as the Belleville Bulls edged the visiting Guelph Storm 6-5 on Saturday in Ontario Hockey League action. Hines Ward Youth Jersey . -- If Henry Burris has his way, he will be the starting quarterback to lead the Hamilton Tiger-Cats back to the Grey Cup next year. Dermontti Dawson Steelers Jersey . PETERSBURG, Fla. HOUSTON -- Theres something about the sixth inning in the last week for Nelson Cruz. Hes hit game-tying home runs in the frame in three games in a week for the Texas Rangers. The latest one came on Saturday night when Cruz, Adrian Beltre and Lance Berkman all homered to back up another solid outing by Yu Darvish, and the Rangers held on for an 8-7 win over the Houston Astros. His first one came Sunday in a win over Boston, and he also did it in a victory over Houston Friday. "I wish we could play the sixth inning to start every (game)," Texas manager Ron Washington said. "That was a big hit. That was a real big hit." Cruz struggled to quantify whats been different for him lately. "I guess I get more focused," said Cruz, who has nine homers this season. "Its something you cant explain; its baseball. Its something Ive been doing all my career, late in the innings making sure I get my focus." Darvish (6-1) yielded three hits and three runs, leaving after the seventh with an 8-3 lead. In his previous outing against the Astros, he came within one out of pitching a perfect game at Houston on April 2. Matt Dominguez homered twice off Darvish. Dominguez didnt play in the first game against the Japanese star this season. "I think the only thing he struggled with today was Dominguez," Washington said. "Other than that, I thought he did a good job. He handled the rest of the lineup. He just threw two pitches to Dominguez that he didnt miss." Darvish didnt think any player had ever taken him deep more than once in a game before Saturday, but then he realized that wasnt true. "Thats what I thought, but then I recalled in high school I think I gave up two home runs to the same hitter in a game," he said through a translator. Dominguez, who didnt have a homer before Saturday, was excited to face Darvish, since he missed him the first time around. "Thats kind of big for me," he said. "I was waiting for my first home run to come, and it took a while. But to go out and face him and be able to do it off him, such a great pitcher, its a big confidence boost." Houston led 3-1 before it was done in by its bullpen during a six-run sixth inning by the Rangers. Cruz, who also homered on Friday night, got things going with his two-run homer off reliever Philip Humber (0-8) that tied it. Pinch-hitter David Murphy put the Rangers on top with an RBI double. Humber, who was moved out of the rotation this week, was rocked for five hits and five runs while getting only two outs. "Obviously that one is on me," Humber said. "I didnt execute some pitches I needed to execute, and they made me pay for it." The Astros scored three times in the ninth to cut the lead to one run, but closer Joe Nathan settled down to retire pinch-hitter Chris Carter to end it and get his 11th save.dddddddddddd Darvish fanned eight and leads the majors with 80 strikeouts. With 301 career strikeouts, he joined Dwight Gooden (319) as the only pitchers in major league history to reach at least 300 in their first 37 major league starts. Darvish improved to 3-0 with 33 strikeouts in three career starts against the Astros. The Houston bullpen trouble ruined a nice night for starter Erik Bedard, who allowed four hits and two runs with seven strikeouts in five innings. Beltre put Texas up 1-0 with a solo homer to start the second. Darvish retired the first seven batters before Dominguez launched a solo drive in the third. Marwin Gonzalez, who singled to break up Darvishs perfect game with two outs in the ninth last month, followed with an infield hit. Dominguezs two-run homer in the fifth put Houston ahead 3-1. It was the first multihomer game of his career. Berkman extended his hitting streak at Minute Maid Park to 17 games with a single to start the sixth inning that chased Bedard. Humber took over and struck out Beltre before the trouble began. Cruz tied it at 3 with a homer that landed in Houstons bullpen in right-centre field. Moreland followed with a soaring triple, which landed on Tals Hill just in front of the centre-field wall at the 436-foot mark. Murphys ground-rule double made it 4-3. Geovany Soto walked, pinch-hitter Leonys Martin hit a two-run triple and Elvis Andrus had an RBI single for a 7-3 lead, chasing Humber. Berkman hit a solo homer to left-centre field off Jose Cisnero to start the seventh inning. A sacrifice fly by Jose Altuve got Houston within 8-4 in the eighth inning. Carlos Corporan singled and Carlos Pena doubled to start Houstons ninth, and the Rangers replaced Michael Kirkman with Nathan. Trevor Crowe hit an RBI single to make it 8-6, Nathan threw a wild pitch that scored a run and Gonzalez had a sacrifice fly. Robbie Grossman walked before Carters fly ball ended the game. NOTES: Murphy was shaken up when he crashed into the wall in left field trying to catch a double by Grossman in the eighth inning, but he remained in the game and Washington said he was OK. ... Texas pitching coach Mike Maddux missed Saturdays game to attend daughter Makaylas graduation from TCU. Bullpen coach Andy Hawkins filled in for him, and minor league pitching co-ordinator Danny Clark joined the team as bullpen coach for the night. ... Houston OF Fernando Martinez cleared waivers and will be outrighted to Triple-A Oklahoma City. ... OF Rick Ankiel, who was released by Houston on Monday, has cleared unconditional release waivers and can sign with any club. ... The series wraps up on Sunday when Houstons Jordan Lyles opposes Nick Tepesch. ' ' '