The Most Popular Sports in eRepublik

Day 1,298, 00:12 • Published in China Croatia • by Janko Fran

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London Summer Olympics 2012 - Intro
London Summer Olympics 2012 - Intro

Inspirational Video - The Don't Quit Poem
Inspirational Video - The Don't Quit Poem

Success is failure turned inside out.

The Most Popular Sports in eRepublik


Jennifer Rish. Reminds me a bit of Lana, don't you think?

#1 Bodybuilding


Arnold Schwarzenegger

Bodybuilding is a form of body modification, involving intensive muscle hypertrophy. An individual who engages in this activity is referred to as a bodybuilder. In competitive and professional bodybuilding, bodybuilders display their physiques to a panel of judges, who assign points based on their appearance. Bodybuilders prepare for competition through a combination of fat loss, oils, and tanning (or tanning lotions) which combined with lighting make the definition of the muscle group more distinct.

Some well-known bodybuilders include Charles Atlas, Steve Reeves, Reg Park, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Lou Ferrigno. Currently, IFBB professional bodybuilder Jay Cutler from the United States holds the title of Mr. Olympia. The winner of the annual Mr. Olympia contest is generally recognized as the world's top professional bodybuilder.
Wikipedia::Bodybuilding


Lana Lee Smith - a bodybuilder

eRep Bodybuilding - Training with Lana



Pumping our muscles!

In eRepublik, we practice bodybuilding every day, pumping our muscles and training with Lana. So, I'd say this sport is the most popular one in eRepublik.







#2 Biathlon

The biathlon, which combines cross-country skiing and rifle shooting, originated in Norway as a training exercise for soldiers. The first known competition took place in 1767 between companies of guards who patrolled the border with Sweden. Late in the 19th century, local rifle and ski clubs in Norway and other Scandinavian countries practiced the sport to keep their members prepared for combat.

An early form of the biathlon, called "military ski patrol," was a demonstration sport at the first Winter Olympics in 1924, and it was a medal sport in 1928, 1936, and 1948.

Because few countries participated, and the few that did participate had trouble agreeing on the rules, the sport was dropped from the Olympics. However, the Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne et Biathlon was founded in 1948 to standardize rules for both the biathlon and the modern pentathlon.

The first world championship was held in 1957 and biathlon was added to the Winter Olympic program in 1960.


Jakov Fak, Croatian biathlonist and a bronze Winter Olympic winner.
(Currently performing for Slovenia.)


Jakov Fak, Croatian biathlonist.


Calendar Raises Funds for Canadian Biathletes

Girls wearing only guns - who wouldn't like them? Can you ask for more?



eRep Biathlon - Work and Fight

We are all eRep biatlonists; for we work and fight every day.


Working hard every day, producing 20 Q3 weapons.


Fighting and shooting to hit the target [Q5 tank] with Q2 wep rifle, just like in biathlon.



#3 Steeplechase

A footrace of usually 3,000 meters over a closed track with four hurdles and a water obstacle.

The steeplechase is an obstacle race in athletics, which derives its name from the steeplechase in horse racing.


Russia's Galkina-Samitova takes 3000m Steeplechase gold with a new WR

Steeplechase Rules

The length of the race is usually 3000 m; junior events are 2000 m, as women's events formerly were. The circuit has four ordinary barriers and one water jump. Over 3000 m, each runner must clear a total of 28 ordinary barriers and seven water jumps. This entails seven complete laps after starting with a fraction of a lap run without barriers. The water jump is located on the back turn, either inside the inner lane or outside the outer lane. If it is on the outside, then each of the seven laps is longer than the standard 400 m, and the starting point is on the home straight. If the water jump is on the inside, each lap is shorter than 400 m, the starting point is on the back straight, and the water jump is bypassed at the start.

According to IAAF rules, barrier height is 914 mm (36 in) for men and 762 mm (30 in) for women. Unlike those used in hurdling, steeplechase barriers do not fall over if hit; some runners actually step on top of them. Four barriers are spaced around the track on level ground, and a fifth barrier at the top of the second turn (fourth barrier in a complete lap from the finish line) is the water jump, which consists of a barrier followed by a pit of water which is 3.66 m (12 ft) long and slopes upward from 700 mm (27.6 in) deep at the barrier end to even with the surface of the track. This slope rewards runners with more jumping ability, because a longer jump results in a shallower landing in the water.


Brimin Kiprop Kipruto of Kenya celebrates winning the Men's 3000m Steeplechase Final

eRep Steeplechase - Earning a Hardworking Medal


Hard worker Medal after 30 work days in a row.

30 days of hard work to earn a Hardworking Medal or 3,000 meters with obstacles, isn't it similar?



Runners from around the world make tracks for Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon 2011

#4 Marathon

The marathon is a long-distance running event with an official distance of 42.195 kilometres (26 miles and 385 yards),[1] that is usually run as a road race. The event was instituted in commemoration of the fabled run of the Greek soldier Pheidippides, a messenger from the Battle of Marathon (the namesake of the race) to Athens.

The marathon was one of the original modern Olympic events in 1896, though the distance did not become standardized until 1921. More than 500 marathons are contested throughout the world each year, with the vast majority of competitors being recreational athletes. Larger marathons can have tens of thousands of participants. Wikipedia::Marathon

eRep Marathon - Super Soldier Medal

Sometimes earning the next super soldier medal really seems like running a marathon. How is it then? 250 strength points divided by 6 (or 7 if we are lucky and have NE bonus or referals) is 41,66. That means 42 days to the next SS medal. Just like running 42 kms of marathon.


Super Soldier Medal earned hard after 42 days of training.



Fish Trolling

#5 Trolling

Trolling is a method of fishing where one or more fishing lines, baited with lures or bait fish, are drawn through the water. This may be behind a moving boat, or by slowly winding the line in when fishing from a static position, or even sweeping the line from side-to-side, e.g. when fishing from a jetty. Trolling is used to catch pelagic fish such as salmon, mackerel and kingfish.

Trolling can be phonetically confused with trawling, a different method of fishing where a net (trawl) is drawn through the water instead of lines. Trolling is used both for recreational and commercial fishing whereas trawling is used mainly for commercial fishing.

Trolling from a moving boat involves moving quite slowly through the water. This can be accomplished with the use of a special trolling motor. Multiple lines are often used, and outriggers can be used to spread the lines more widely and reduce their chances of tangling. Downriggers can also be used to keep the lures or baits trailing at a desired depth. Wikipedia::Trolling_(fishing)


Nice catch, girls!

Internet Trolling


The trollface sometimes used to indicate trolling.

In Internet slang, a troll is someone who posts inflammatory, extraneous, or off-topic messages in an online community, such as an online discussion forum, chat room, or blog, with the primary intent of provoking readers into an emotional response or of otherwise disrupting normal on-topic discussion. The noun troll may refer to the provocative message itself, as in: "That was an excellent troll you posted". While the word troll and its associated verb trolling are associated with Internet discourse, media attention in recent years has made such labels subjective, with trolling describing intentionally provocative actions outside of an online context. For example, mass media uses troll to describe "a person who defaces Internet tribute sites with the aim of causing grief to families." Wikipedia::Troll (Internet)


eRep Trolling - Newspapers trolling and provoking

Have you ever seen people provoking you in eRep newspapers and shouts?
Good example of now already legendary troll article which was reaction on another troll article can be found here. That article provoked many reactions in comments and in another article. Trolling mission successfully accomplished, with excellent catch!



Don't bite that bait or you might end like that swordfish, hooked up. Stay away, don't feed a troll!

Perhaps you are the troller yourself?


Take your trolling rod, sit back and enjoy in troll fishing!

If you are interested in this eRep sport, here you can find some guides on trolling in general:
http://www.erepublik.com/en/article/-trolling-101-semester-2--1092505/1/20

Here is another good example of a trolling article with trolling guide in it for the opposite side. They really needed it. Since then they have improved much.

Do not feed the trolls! (DNFTT)



Darija and Iris Bostjančić, the first sisters who conquered Mount Everest together.

#6 Mountaineering

Mountaineering or mountain climbing is the sport, hobby or profession of hiking, skiing, and climbing mountains. While mountaineering began as attempts to reach the highest point of unclimbed mountains, it has branched into specialisations that address different aspects of the mountain and consists of three areas: rock-craft, snow-craft and skiing, depending on whether the route chosen is over rock, snow or ice. All require experience, athletic ability, and technical knowledge to maintain safety. The UIAA or Union Internationale des Associations d'Alpinisme is the world governing body in mountaineering and climbing, addressing issues like access, medical, mountain protection, safety, youth and ice climbing. Wikipedia::Alpinism

All-female Croatian climbing team and sisters Darija and Iris Bostjančić


Croatian female climbing expedition on Cho Oyu in 2007, 8201 m, just 35 km west of Mt Everest.

Two sisters from Rijeka, CROATIA conquer Mount Everest

Two members of the all-female Croatian climbing team, sisters Darija and Iris Bostjancic, in May 2009 conquered Mount Everest, the world's highest mountain.

They displayed a Croatian flag on the world's highest peak at 0940 hrs local time in Nepal. Darija and Iris Bostjancic are the first sisters to scale this height together.

The Bostjancic sisters and Vedrana Simicevic (all from Rijeka) conquered the world's sixth highest peak, Cho Oyu, on 2 October 2007. Cho Oyu is 8,201 metres high, and the three alpinists were the first Croatian women to scale a height of over 8,000 metres. It was the first time two sisters stood on this peak at the same time.

The sisters Bostjancic and Simicevic were members of the first all-female Croatian climbing team. Cho Oyu, whose name in Tibetan means "turquoise goddess", is situated in the Himalayas on the border between Tibet and Nepal, about 35 kilometres west of Mount Everest. www.opatija.net

Stipe Božić


Stipe Božić on the Summit of Everest after reaching the Summit via the true West ridge (1979)


Stipe Božić on K2 (1993)

Stipe Božić Video
Stipe Božić - from 1400 meters above the sea level to 8488 meters above it - several times!

Stipe Božić is the most successful Croatian Himalayan climber, second European, after Messner, to climb the highest peak in the world, Mount Everest, twice. In 1979 he climbed to the summit of Mount Everest via the, never climbed before, west ridge, and all the way with his camera. The South face of Lhotse was a remarkable Slovenian ascent in 1981, which Stipe has also seen through his lens. He has recorded almost all of his 11 (eleven!!) Himalayan expeditions. He stood with camera in hand on top of Everest 2x (twice!!), on K2, Kangchenjunga and Manaslu. He climbed SEVEN SUMMITS the highest peaks on all 7 continents. With an international expedition he reached the North Pole on the skis. During his expeditions he always is filming. In his films he always attempts to present all beauties and wilderness of remote mountains. Through his stories he attempts to tell to the people how we must preserve such values.

Did you know that Stipe Božić's name literally translated to English would be Stephen Christmas? 😉

ON THE HIGHEST MOUNTAINS OF THE WORLD, ON THE POLES, IN TO THE DEEPS OF UNDERGROUND AND SEAS. www.stipebozic.com


Antarctica Landscape

Stipe Božić is the only man on the planet who has filmed four times on the three highest peaks in the world. He climbed SEVEN SUMMITS - the highest peaks on all 7 continents: Mount Everest (Asia), Aconcagua (S. America), Mount McKinley (N. America), Kilimanjaro (Africa), Mount Vinson (Antarctica), Mont Blanc and Elbrus (Europe), Mount Kosciusko (Australia).



Stipe Božić descended 1395 meters deep in Lukas cave on Mount Velebit in Croatia. With its negative altitude and height of Mount Everest, he held world record.

With an international expedition he reached the North Pole on the skis.


On the way with Tuareg guide in Libyan mountains Acacus

Interview with Stipe Božić (In Croatian): Stipe Božić - Pustinjski čovjek iz Splita | (Stipe Božić - Desert man from Split)

eRep Alpinism - Gathering Experience Points

How high have you climbed up? Have you reached Mount Everest yet (8848 m) or you are already way much higher than that? How many experience points have you collected; 2 K, 4 K, 8 K, 10 K, 20 K, 50 K? There is no end, only the sky is the limit!


Croatians on top of the eWorld


Željko Mavrović - Šaka sa Srednjaka (Fist from Srednjaci)

#7 Boxing

Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists for competition. Boxing is typically supervised by a referee engaged in during a series of one- to three-minute intervals called rounds, and boxers generally of similar weight. There are four ways to win; if the opponent is knocked out and unable to get up before the referee counts to ten seconds (a knockout, or KO) or if the opponent is deemed too injured to continue (a Technical Knockout, or TKO), if an opponent is disqualified for breaking a rule, or if there is no stoppage of the fight before an agreed number of rounds, a winner is determined either by the referee's decision or by judges' scorecards.

Željko Mavrović - boxing champion of Europe 1995-1997

Mavrović was born in Zagreb, in the neighbourhood Srednjaci (which is the source of his nickname Šaka sa Srednjaka or "Fist from Srednjaci").

Amateur career

As an amateur boxer, Mavrović was the Mediterranean champion in 1991 and Croatian champion in 1991 and 1992.

Professional career

When he turned professional, he became the boxing champion of Europe (EBU) in 1995 and kept his title in 1996 and 1997 against seven opponents.


Željko Mavrović - Lenox Lewis - Željko's last fight before retirement

In 1998, he went up against Lennox Lewis for the world heavyweight champion title, but lost after twelve rounds on points. Although he was outclassed by Lewis in the fight, his daring performance pulled appreciative comments from boxing insiders. Lewis' manager Frank Maloney said that "Mavrovic must have 240lb of steel in his chin" after the fight. Lewis described the fight as the most awkward win of his career, citing sauna-like conditions in the ring, as well as Mavrović's agility, motivation and preparedness.

Mavrović never fought again after this bout. In the next years he was a few times scheduled against quality opposition (like for example against Hasim Rahman in 1999 where his late replacement Oleg Maskaev then knocked Rahman out of the ring in a well remembered fight), but he always had to pull out due to injuries and he ultimately had to finish his career due to an undisclosed illness.

Honors

His Golden Glove remains the biggest trophy in the history of Croatian heavyweight boxing, and he was named the Croatian sportsperson of the year twice. He was also distinctive for his Mohawk hairstyle, which led to a later nickname Irokez (Croatian for Iroquois).

Outside the Ring

After retirement he went into agricultural business. He opened "Eko-centar Mavrović" in Sloboština near Požega where he produces his own line of eco-friendly food.
Wikipedia::Željko Mavrović


Mate Parlov - Croatian boxer, and an Olympic gold medalist for former Yugoslavia

Mate Parlov

Mate Parlov (November 16, 1948 – July 29, 200😎 was a Croatian boxer, and an Olympic gold medalist for former Yugoslavia. As a professional, he won the European light heavyweight title in 1976 and WBC light heavyweight world title in 1978.

In 1988 and 1994 he was received a golden badge Sport award for best athlete of Yugoslavia. Parlov is universally regarded as the greatest Croatian boxer of all time, as well as one of the greatest Croatian sportspeople of the 20th century.

Professional career

Mate Parlov was born in Split, but his origins were from the village of Ričice near the town of Imotski, Croatia.

Parlov turned professional in 1974 and won the European light heavyweight champion title in 1976.

In 1976 he faced the future world champion Matthew Saad Muhammad. In their first fight, in Milan, he was defeated by an eight round decision. In a rematch with Muhammad, he and Muhammad struggled to a ten round draw.
He won the WBC light heavyweight title in 1978. He lost the WBC light heavyweight version title by defeat from Marvin Johnson with a 10th-round KO in Italy (December 2, 197😎. As a professional he had 29 fights; 24 wins, 3 losses and 2 draws.

Amateur

In his amateur career he participated in 310 matches and lost only 13. During his amateur career, Parlov was an eight-time champion of Yugoslavia in the light heavyweight category (1967-1974), five-time champion of the Balkans (1970-1974), two-time champion of Europe (1971 in Madrid, and 1973 in Belgrade) and the world champion at the inaugural 1974 World Championships in Havana, Cuba. He won the Golden Glove award two times, in 1967 and 1969. He participated in the Munich 1972 Summer Olympics and won the gold medal in the light heavyweight division.

1971 - European Championships: Gold Medal (Light Heavyweight)
1972 - Olympic Games, Munich, Germany: Gold Medal (Light Heavyweight)
1973 - European Championships: Gold Medal (Light Heavyweight)
1974 - World Championships, Havanna, Cuba: Gold Medal (Light Heavyweight)

After boxing

His final contact with boxing was in 1984 Olympics, when he was the Yugoslav coach. At those Olympics, Yugoslav boxers achieved their best results ever: one gold, one silver and two bronzes.

After he ended his active boxing career, he moved to Fažana near Pula, away from boxing and the public. He ran his coffee bar in Pula. Periodically he appeared on Croatian national TV as guest-commentator during matches of Željko Mavrović and Stipe Drviš.

Death

In March 2008, Parlov was diagnosed as having lung cancer. Four months later, he died on the way to hospital in Pula, where he had lived with his family after retiring from boxing in 1985. Wikipedia::Mate Parlov



Branko Cikatić in the ring

#8 Kick Boxing

Kickboxing refers to a group of martial arts and stand-up combat sports based on kicking and punching, historically developed from karate, Thai boxing and western boxing. Kickboxing is often practiced for self-defense, general fitness, or as a contact sport.

The true roots of kickboxing date back to Asia 2000 years ago. Japanese kickboxing originates in the 1960s, with competitions held since the 1960s. American kickboxing originates in the 1970s. Japanese kickboxing developed into K-1 in 1993. Historically, kickboxing can be considered a hybrid martial art formed from the combination of elements of various traditional styles. This approach became increasingly popular since the 1970s, and since the 1990s, kickboxing has contributed to the emergence of mixed martial arts via further hybridization with ground fighting techniques from jujutsu and professional wrestling.

There is no single international governing body. International governing bodies include World Association of Kickboxing Organizations, World Kickboxing Association, International Sport Karate Association, International Kickboxing Federation, World Kickboxing Federation, World Kickboxing Network, among others. Consequently there is no single kickboxing world championship, and champion titles are issued by individual promotions, such as K-1, It's Showtime, Lumpinee Boxing Stadium, among others.

Branko "The Croatian Tiger" Cikatić

Branko "The Croatian Tiger" Cikatić (born October 3, 1954) is a Croatian former heavyweight kickboxer, the first Croatian born fighter to achieve international success. He was the first K-1 World Grand Prix tournament champion held on April 30, 1993 in Japan.

Biography and career

Cikatić began his martial arts training at the age of 12 when he took up Taekwondo, and later Shotokan Karate at 16. He eventually earned a black belt in both of these disciplines, as well as a blue belt in Judo. When he was 18 years old, he took up boxing before switching to kickboxing.

He surprised the martial arts world by storming the 1993 K-1 Grand Prix tournament, knocking out all three of his opponents in one evening, including Ernesto Hoost in the final match. To date, Cikatić is the oldest winner of the K-1 Grand Prix at 38 years and 208 days.

He extended his athletic resume to include mixed martial arts in 1998, fighting in the Pride Fighting Championships. His PRIDE debut was fought against Ralph White under K-1 rules format. Cikatić lost via disqualification after kicking the head of the downed White. Cikatić returned at Pride 2, fighting under MMA rules and facing Mark Kerr. He was again disqualified after holding the ring ropes when Kerr attempted a takedown, refusing to let go when directed by the referee, running away through the ring ropes, and delivering several illegal elbows to the back of Kerr's head. His next fight at Pride 7 ended in a submission loss to Maurice Smith by forearm choke.

Towards the end of his sports career, Cikatić tried his hand at acting, playing a villain in a 1997 B-movie Skyscraper, starring Anna Nicole Smith. Wikipedia::Branko Cikatić


Mirko Filipović in the ring and his famous left high kick

Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipović

Mirko Filipović (Croatian pronunciation: [mîrkɔ fǐːlipɔːʋitɕ]; born September 10, 1974) is a Croatian heavyweight kickboxer, mixed martial artist, and former law enforcement officer. Filipović was a member of the Croatian Parliament from 2003 through 2007. His nickname, Cro Cop, short for "Croatian Cop", comes from his membership in the Lučko Anti-Terrorist Unit, Croatia's elite Police Special Forces tactical unit.

Filipović has been successful in both K-1 and Pride Fighting Championships. On September 10, 2006, he won the Pride 2006 Open Weight Grand Prix, and in 2007 began fighting in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Filipović is famous for his left head kicks. He has been famously quoted as describing his kicks as, "Right leg, hospital; left leg, cemetery."

Professional career

A martial arts enthusiast since his youth, Filipović started his professional career in 1996 as a kickboxer, following in the footsteps of his compatriot Branko Cikatić. Before turning pro Filipović was said to have accumulated an amateur boxing record of 40–5 (31 KO's). At the time, Filipović was working as a commando in the Croatian police anti-terrorist unit Alpha (stationed in Lučko near Zagreb), which earned him his nickname "Cro Cop". He also fought several times early in his career under the nickname "Tigar" (Croatian for "tiger"). His entrance theme song is The Wild Boys by Duran Duran.



K-1

In 1996, at the age of 22, Filipović entered the K-1 World Grand Prix elimination tournament. After defeating the previous year's finalist, Jérôme Le Banner, Filipović was stopped in the next round by Ernesto Hoost. He returned to K-1 three years later in 1999, knocking out British fighter Ricky "Tank" Nicholson, but subsequently dropped a decision against Swiss fighter, Xhavit Bajrami. Despite this, Filipović was given a wildcard into the world tournament where he shocked the kickboxing world by defeating highly regarded K-1 fighter Mike Bernardo. Filipović went on to knock out Japanese star Musashi and Australian karate fighter Sam Greco on the same night before being stopped again by Hoost. It was later revealed that Filipović actually entered the ring with a broken rib, a result of his previous fights.

Filipović continued to have successes in K-1, winning a number of matches against such top ranked opponents as Peter Aerts, Mark Hunt and Remy Bonjasky. He was the first fighter to beat then-undefeated giant, "The Beast" Bob Sapp in 86 seconds, breaking Sapp's zygomatic bone with a left punch. In 2000 he beat karate fighter Glaube Feitosa and boxer Hiromi Amada to reach the finals of the Nagoya Grand Prix, losing by first-round TKO to Mike Bernardo in a rematch. Once again, previously acquired injuries were the major factors in this loss. Filipović actually entered the ring limping on one leg due to injuries sustained in previous bouts. Bernardo repeatedly attacked Filipović's damaged leg and rendered him unable to continue due to injuries. Filipović, however, gained tremendous respect among Japanese fight enthusiasts for his courage and heart. As a finalist he progressed to the final eight for the 2000 Grand Prix, but once again dropped a decision to his nemesis Hoost.

In 2001 he was unexpectedly defeated by Canadian fighter Michael McDonald in the first round. Shortly thereafter, he began a transition to Pride, a Japanese mixed martial arts organization. He fought four more K-1 matches, however, winning each, most notably against Mark Hunt, Remy Bonjasky and Bob Sapp.

Pride FC

In 2001, Filipović began his switch to fighting in Pride, citing personal challenge as well as dissatisfaction with K-1 salaries. A year later, he also left his job at the anti-terrorist unit in order to focus fully on his martial arts career.[citation needed] Since then, Filipović maintained a comparably low kickboxing profile, but nevertheless scored some impressive K-1 victories, most notably against Mark Hunt in March 2002 (unanimous decision), Remy Bonjasky in July 2002 (second round TKO) and Bob Sapp in April 2003 (first round KO).

Following a TKO win over Kazuyuki Fujita in his MMA debut, Filipović made his Pride debut at Pride 17 against Nobuhiko Takada. The bout featured a special rule stating if it went to a decision it would be ruled a draw. Neither fighter was able to stop the other.

Filipović's next Pride fight was against then-middleweight (205 lb) champion Wanderlei Silva. This bout featured the same rules as the Takada fight and also ended in a draw. On August 28, 2002 Filipović faced Japanese superstar Kazushi Sakuraba at Pride Shockwave. Filipović won after fracturing Sakuraba's orbital bone.

His next fight was a rematch with Fujita at the Inoki Bom-Ba-Ye 2002 event where he picked up his fourth victory, this time by decision.

Filipović returned to Pride to face heavyweight contender Heath Herring at Pride 26 (June 8, 2003). Filipović defeated Herring decisively, scoring a TKO victory with a left roundhouse body kick to Herring's liver at 3:17 into the fight. His next fight was against Ukrainian striker Igor Vovchanchyn at Pride Total Elimination 2003. Following the powerful kicks of the Herring fight, this fight continued to showcase Filipović's kicking power as he knocked out Vovchanchyn with a head kick 1:29 into the fight. Filipović then defeated Mexican professional wrestler Dos Caras Jr. at Pride Bushido 1, also with a head kick knockout, in 46 seconds.

Filipović's string of Pride wins secured him a chance to fight for the interim heavyweight championship against Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira on November 9, 2003. Filipović's stand-up fighting proved effective in the first round, allowing him to control the fight from his feet while defending every takedown attempt Nogueira made, and landing a head-kick at the end of the round. Nogueira, however, prevailed in the second round after finally getting a successful takedown, forcing Filipović to submit to an armbar after being mounted. Filipović admitted to Bas Rutten in a later interview that he was overconfident against Nogueira.

In 2004 Filipović put his K-1 career on hold and recruited Fabricio Werdum (a former world champion in Brazilian jiu-jitsu) as his coach, working on improving his ground fighting skills. He went on to win his next two bouts by KO and TKO at a combined time of only 3:49, against Yoshihisa Yamamoto and 280 lb. Ron Waterman.

Filipović then participated in Pride's Heavyweight Grand Prix. In a upset, Filipović was knocked out in the first round by Kevin Randleman. Filipović later submitted Randleman in a rematch at the end of 2004.

Filipović repeatedly requested Pride to let him challenge the heavyweight champion, Fedor Emelianenko. After winning seven straight matches since his loss to Randleman, including a head-kick knockout victory against Aleksander Emelianenko (the 6'4", 255 lb (116 kg) brother of the champion) and wins over Josh Barnett, Mark Coleman and Ibragim Magomedov, Filipović received a chance to fight Emelianenko for the title on August 28, 2005 at Pride Final Conflict 2005. After three rounds, Emelianenko won by unanimous decision and retained his title. Filipović later stated on Croatian national television that he came exhausted to the match, mostly because he was not used to the time difference in Japan and he had sleeping problems. He also said many times after the match that he fought too defensively and cautiously. The champion, likewise, was not in his top form. According to Emelianenko he "could not take full advantage of his right hand during the striking exchanges and had to try to close the distance", due to a previous hand injury.

On October 23, 2005, less than two months after the loss to Emelianenko, Filipović stepped back into the ring to rematch open-weight King of Pancrase Josh Barnett. After three rounds Filipović received a unanimous judges' decision victory.

On December 31, 2005, Filipović lost his match against Mark Hunt via split decision. Hunt was the more aggressive fighter, an important criterion in Pride judging. Unusually, Filipović wore shoes for this fight, something that had no precedent. This had led to speculation and statements from his camp about Filipović having sustained injuries to his feet before the fight. Filipović himself has never confirmed these speculations. Filipović also displayed considerable problems with his cardio during his fights with Emelianenko, Barnett and Hunt leading to the speculation that he was much too active and a resting period from the ring would work to his advantage.



Pride Openweight Grand Prix Champion

Filipović re-entered the Pride ring, competing in Pride's 2006 Open-Weight Grand Prix on May 5, 2006. It was during this tournament that he came up with the quote, "Right leg, hospital; left leg, cemetery". His first match at the Pride Total Elimination Absolute event was against Ikuhisa Minowa, the lighter but highly acclaimed professional wrestler and mixed martial artist. Filipović won by TKO 1:10 into the fight. On July 1, 2006 at Pride Critical Countdown Absolute, Filipović defeated 1992 Olympic judo gold medalist Hidehiko Yoshida by technical knockout (leg kicks) in the first round to move on to the semi-finals.

On September 10, 2006, Filipović won the Open-Weight Grand Prix at Pride Final Conflict Absolute. In the semi-finals, Filipović knocked out then-Pride middleweight champion Wanderlei Silva with his trademark left high kick. In the final match, Filipović won a third victory over Josh Barnett, who submitted after sustaining an eye injury. With these two victories, Filipović became the Pride Openweight Grand Prix champion, the first widely recognized championship belt he has ever won. In a post-fight interview with Frank Trigg, Filipović stated if he had not won the tournament, it would have been his last night fighting. The night was also his birthday, and Filipović dedicated winning the tournament to his deceased father.


Mirko Cro Cop Filipović vs Fedor Emelianenko

Ultimate Fighting Championship

After his victory at the Open-Weight Grand Prix, a rematch between Filipović and Fedor Emelianenko failed to materialize and on December 12, 2006 Filipović pulled out of the New Year's Eve event, citing both a foot injury and Emelianenko's commitment to meet Mark Hunt at the card in question. Through his official website, Filipović revealed "I still can't kick like I want to. It's the best that we give more time to this injury to heal. I want to be in perfect shape for my next fights." Also in December 2006, rumors began to surface about Filipović entertaining offers from other mixed martial arts organizations; the Ultimate Fighting Championship was one of the promotions that Filipović confirmed came forward with an offer. Rumors continued to circulate about Filipović's future with the Pride FC organization and soon media websites were reporting that Filipović had chosen the UFC for his future.

UFC president Dana White and the UFC officially announced on December 30, 2006 during the post-UFC 66 press conference, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, that Filipović had signed a two-year, six-fight deal with the Las Vegas-based mixed martial arts promoter. It was also announced that Filipović would make his UFC debut on February 3, 2007 at UFC 67 in Las Vegas against Eddie Sanchez, promoting him under the name Mirko "Cro Cop" alternatively with and without quotation marks. Filipović defeated Sanchez in the first round via TKO. Filipović entered the octagon under the Pride FC theme.
On April 21, 2007, Filipović faced Gabriel Gonzaga at UFC 70 in Manchester, England. At 4:51 of round one, Gonzaga won with a head kick knockout. Filipović has stated since that the elbows on the ground confused and damaged him enough that he was disoriented after the stand up, contributing to the subsequent knock-out. During the fall to the canvas, Filipović suffered a minor injury to his ankle and a ligament was detached in his knee.

Filipović's next fight was on September 8, 2007 at UFC 75 against French kickboxer Cheick Kongo where he lost via unanimous decision. In a post-fight interview upon his return home, Filipović stated that he cracked a rib during the fight and that the three illegal knees to the groin he received also cost him some strength. Filipović trained with Remy Bonjasky and Gilbert Yvel, and 2003 Abu Dhabi Combat Club champion grappler Dean Lister for this fight. Lister joined Filipović at his home town for a month to train for this upcoming bout. Filipović's coach was Vos Gym's main trainer and muay thai practitioner Ivan "Hydro" Hippolyte. According to his home page, Marijan Žižanović is the new head coach again, since October 1, 2007. Žižanović was his K-1 trainer.

Mirko Cro Cop Filipović Highlight
Mirko Cro Cop Filipović Highlight

Dream

On February 12, 2008, Filipović announced a visit to Japan on his blog. With the foundation of the new MMA event, 'Dream', co-established by FEG running K-1 Hero's and the former Yarennoka! organizing committee members which had managed Pride FC, Filipović officiates ending his career in UFC and the participation into the new event.

After much speculation and many possible rumoured opponents, (including Yoshihiro Nakao and Dong Sik Yoon), Fight Entertainment Group confirmed on March 11, 2008 that Filipović would face Tatsuya Mizuno at Dream 1 on March 15, 2008 at Saitama Arena, in Japan.

When asked about the Croatian's current contract status with the UFC and whether it would interfere with his participation in 'Dream' events, Dream producer and front man Keiichi Sasahara said, "Though I can't share specific details about his contract, there will not be any foreseeable problems arising."

Filipović was vague in answering the question himself, qualifying his response by mentioning his intent to return to the UFC sometime in the future.

"Well, as you all know, I had a bad period in my last two fights, which I'd lost in the UFC," Filipović said. "I don't want anyone to think that I'm running away from the UFC, but I was thinking a lot about how to continue with my career, and I think in this moment, I think Dream is the right place for me."

"Another thing is that I never liked fighting in the cage. I always liked to fight in the ring. The second thing is that I liked fighting in Japan. Japan is like my second home—I feel like I'm home in Japan. All those reasons [have brought me] here, and I'm very happy that I'm going to fight here in Japan. But of course, one day, I don't know when, but definitely I'll be back in the UFC to show that it was just a bad period for me. Now I'm fully recovered, physically and mentally, most important mentally."

On March 15, 2008 he defeated Tatsuya Mizuno by TKO in the 1st round at Dream 1.

His next fight was scheduled to be against Jerome Le Banner at Dream 5, after being rescheduled once due to Filipović sustaining a minor leg injury. However, it was later announced by Filipović himself on his webpage that he would be unable to fight due to his elbow injury worsening and needing surgery. Filipović underwent successful arthroscopic elbow repair in early July.

Filipović's next fight was against Alistair Overeem at Dream 6 on September 23, 2008. After almost half of the first round saw Overeem takedown Filipović twice and the two fighters exchanging stand-up and ground strikes (with Filipović sustaining a cut) the bout was stopped and declared a no contest due to Overeem landing multiple knees to the groin of Filipović. Filipović stated after the match that he had wanted to continue to fight, as evident by his remaining in the ring, but the ringside doctor would not allow him to continue. Filipović's manager stated that the injury was not serious and that a rematch as soon as possible was sought. Filipović said that he was planning for a long fight and a KO towards the end. He expressed frustration and quoted "I'm angry it ended this way, it seemed as if he was the dominant one, however I wasn't in trouble for a second and was waiting for my opportunities. I prepared very well because I thought the match could last a while. I thought I would knock him down in the end."

Filipović defeated the 30 cm taller and 50 kg heavier opponent from Korea, Choi Hong-man, on December 31 at FieLDS Dynamite!! 2008. The winning leg kick was to the back side of his opponent's left knee and resulted in a TKO win for Filipović. After the fight, Filipović announced that he would have a medical procedure carried out on his injured knee.

Return to the UFC

Mirko Filipović defeated Patrick Barry at UFC 115.
On May 18 Filipović issued a press release on his official website and his MMAid account stating his scheduled return to the UFC. His first match upon returning was at UFC 99 in Germany against Mostapha Al-turk. During the bout, Filipović knocked down Al-Turk with punches within the first round, then allowed him to stand. The fight ended when Filipović finished Al-turk with a flurry of punches.

After the one-fight agreement with the UFC, it was announced Filipović was scheduled to return to Dream to face Siala "Mighty Mo" Siliga on July 20 at Dream.10.[18] On July 3, 2009 however, it was reported that he might have re-signed with the UFC after getting an offer "he couldn't refuse" by UFC co-owner Lorenzo Fertitta who personally flew to Filipović's residence in Zagreb. It was later confirmed at the UFC Fan Expo by Fertitta that Filipović had indeed signed a three fight contract with the UFC.
Filipović fought Junior dos Santos at UFC 103. During the third round, Filipović sustained a punch to his left eye that caused him to wave his hand at the referee saying "I can't see". The fight was stopped due to submission, giving Dos Santos the win. After the fight, Filipović showed signs of frustration, stating, "I don't feel the hunger anymore. I started playing it safe, I'm not ready to take risks." A few days later, Filipović seemed more upbeat, and looked to continue his career, saying fighting is the only life he knows, and at least wants to honour the last two fights on his UFC contract. He was quoted as saying "I did a few things wrong in training and in preparation for the Dos Santos fight, and will find the motivation and strength needed to come back".

Since then, Filipović has hired legendary former Muay Thai champion Ivan Hippolyte and revamped his whole training team. The source went on to say "After the defeat by Dos Santos, Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic has announced drastic changes in the training methods and composition of Team CroCop. Marjan Žižanovic is no longer his boxing coach. Instead, Cro Cop is now working with the Dutch Muay Thai legend Ivan Hippolyte, who these days resides in Zagreb. Filipović will combine training at his own facility with visits to the Netherlands where he can train with top-notch sparring partners. Igor Pokrajac, Cro Cop’s long-time friend and sparring partner, is also no longer in Filipović's team. Pokrajac continues his career with the UFC, but is no longer training with Filipović although the pair remain on good terms."

Filipović has stated that he plans to fight at least three times in 2010.

Filipović was scheduled to face Ben Rothwell on February 21, 2010 at UFC 110. Just days before the fight, Rothwell was forced to withdraw from the event because of an illness. Australian fighter Anthony Perosh stepped in to replace Rothwell.

During the fight, Filipović dominated for two rounds before opening a cut on Perosh's forehead which forced a doctor stoppage before the third round and awarded the TKO win to Filipović. Filipović fought despite receiving a cut in training that required stitches.

Filipović next fought against Patrick Barry at UFC 115 in Vancouver,Canada. After being knocked down twice to the canvas in the first round by Barry's strikes, he won the second round after utilizing his ground game. The third round saw Filipović open up with a head kick followed by an axe kick to Barry's head. He ended the fight with a strong flurry, dropping Barry against the cage where he continued his assault with numerous punches to the face. He then took his back and defeated Barry by rear naked choke with no hooks, earning him Submission of the Night honors which Mirko had joked to Dana White and the crowd earlier that he deserved it.



Prior to the Barry fight, Filipović was detained by Canadian officials, who threatened to deport him. He revealed that the Canadian officials had asked for details of his activities in the Lucko ATJ (anti-terrorist unit) that he had joined a few years after the Croatian War of Independence. Filipović was held for a total of six hours, across two days.


Filipović - Mir UFC Fight

Filipović faced Frank Mir on September 25, 2010 at UFC 119, replacing an injured Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira. There was a brief scare the weekend before the fight when Cro Cop suffered an eye injury in Croatia during his final day of training, but upon arrival in the U.S., was medically cleared to compete. It was a largely uneventful fight in which both fighters stayed on their feet. Neither fighter managed to deliver any significant damage to the other until Filipović was defeated by Mir at 4:02 of the third round by knockout due to a knee strike to the head. Mirko Filipović was defeated by Brendan Schaub on March 19, 2011 at UFC 128: Shogun vs. Jones by way of knockout at 3:44 of the third round. Shortly after the knockout loss to Schaub, Dana White stated that Filipović is most likely retiring. Since this time, Dana White has appeared to have had a change of heart. In a recent interview White said "This guy wants to fight again, and I owe him another fight." White also added "Do I think he should have retired? Yeah," White said. "But I don't think he's in one of these situations like Chuck Liddell, who needed to retire right then. He's a man, a grown man, and if he wants to continue to fight, that's his right. And he still has a fight with me."

Personal life

Filipović was born in the village of Privlaka in Vinkovci, Croatia, the son of Žarko and Ana Filipović. Filipović and his wife Klaudija have a son named Ivan. The couple had their second child, a son named Filip on November 22, 2010.

On his UFC profile, Filipović lists his father as his hero.

Championships and accomplishments

Mixed martial arts
Black Belt Magazine
2003 Full-Contact Fighter of the Year
PRIDE Fighting Championships
2006 PRIDE World Grand Prix Open-Weight Champion
Sherdog
2006 Knockout of the Year vs Wanderlei Silva [35]
Ultimate Fighting Championship
Submission of the Night (One time)
Wrestling Observer Newsletter
Most Outstanding Fighter of the Year (2006)
Wikipedia::Mirko Filipović

eRep Boxing and Kickboxing


eRep Boxing - Fighting barehanded

I am sure that you all know how it feels to fight barehanded against stronger opponents, we were all noobs afterall.

So, next time when you will run out of weapons, just continue fighting barehanded, and remember Mate, Željko, Branko, Mirko and other great fighters, and hit in the fight, again and again, and again, until you spend your wellness bonus of 300, 400, 500 or more HP!

Fortunately, weapons are more available and affordable then they were earlier. So, let's continue to some shooting sports.

#9 Tennis

Tennis is a sport usually played between two players (singles) or between two teams of two players each (doubles). Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all ages. The sport can be played by anyone who can hold a racket, including people in wheelchairs.

The modern game of tennis originated in Birmingham, England in the late 19th century as "lawn tennis" which has close connections to various field/lawn games as well as to the ancient game of real tennis. Up to then, "tennis" referred to the latter sport: for example, in Disraeli's novel Sybil (1845), Lord Eugene De Vere announces that he will "go down to Hampton Court and play tennis. As it is the Derby [classic horse race], nobody will be there". After its creation, lawn tennis spread throughout the upper-class English-speaking population before spreading around the world.

The rules of tennis have not changed much since the 1890s. Two exceptions are that from 1908 to 1961 the server had to keep one foot on the ground at all times, and the adoption of the tie-break in the 1970s. A recent addition to professional tennis has been the adoption of electronic review technology coupled with a point challenge system, which allows a player to challenge the line (or chair) umpire's call of a point. Players have unlimited opportunity to challenge, but once three incorrect challenges are made in a set, they cannot challenge again until the next set. If the set goes to a tie break, players are given one additional opportunity to challenge the call. This electronic review, currently called Hawk-Eye, is available at a limited number of high-level ATP and WTA tournaments.

Tennis is enjoyed by millions of recreational players and is also a hugely popular worldwide spectator sport, especially the four Grand Slam tournaments (also referred to as the "Majors"): the Australian Open played on hard courts, the French Open played on red clay courts, Wimbledon played on grass courts, and the US Open played also on hard courts. Wikipedia::Tennis

Goran Ivanišević


Goran Ivanišević after winning Wimbledon finals in 2001, after the ceremony

Goran Ivanišević (Croatian pronunciation: [ɡǒran iʋanǐːʃɛʋitɕ]; born 13 September 1971) is a Croatian professional tennis player. He is best remembered for being the only person to win the men's singles title at Wimbledon as a wildcard. He achieved this in 2001, having previously been runner-up at the championships in 1992, 1994 and 1998. Ivanišević is famous for his strong serve, which is considered among the greatest to date. His career-high singles ranking was World No. 2 (behind Pete Sampras) in 1994. He is the current reigning Legends under 45 French Open doubles Champion.

Ivanišević was born in Split, Yugoslavia (now Croatia), to Srđan and Gorana bron Škaričić. He turned professional in 1988 and later that year, with Rüdiger Haas, won his first career doubles title in Frankfurt, but he focused more on his singles career, yet had some success in doubles, winning nine titles and reaching a career high ranking of 20.

Ivanišević made his first significant impact on the tour in 1990, knocking Boris Becker out of the first round of the French Open men's singles; he went on to reach the quarter-finals. He was also, with Petr Korda, the runner-up in the French Open men's doubles. At that year's Wimbledon, Ivanišević reached the semi-finals, where he lost to Becker in four sets. Ivanišević also won his first tour singles title in 1990 at Stuttgart and helped Yugoslavia win the World Team Cup. He played in eight ties for Yugoslavia in the Davis Cup before quitting the team after the Croatian declaration of independence in 1991. Yugoslavia lost its subsequent tie against France 5–0.

Ivanišević quickly became known on the tour for his strong, attacking style of play and for an extremely powerful serve. For several years, he had more aces than anyone else on the tour. Capable of beating anyone in the world when at his very best, he was also known for occasional on-court temper tantrums—usually directed towards himself—and the volatility of the standard of his play. Ivanišević received death threats at the 1992 Australian Men's Hardcourt Championships. He went on to win the tournament.

In 1992, Ivanišević steamrolled his way to reach his first Wimbledon singles final, having defeated Ivan Lendl, Stefan Edberg, and Pete Sampras in succession. In the final he faced Andre Agassi and was heavily favored to win; both players were attempting to win their first Grand Slam title. Agassi eventually won 6–7, 6–4, 6–4, 1–6, 6–4. In the 5th set, Ivanišević had a break point on Agassi's serve at 3 all, but did not convert it. In the final game of the match, he served 2 double faults to start the game, even though he had 5 for the entire match before that. His ace count for the tournament (200+) at the time was the highest in the history of ATP. He served 39 aces that day, while Agassi had 37 for the entire tournament. It was a tough loss, but as he was only 20 years old, a bright future was predicted. Later that summer at the Olympic Games in Barcelona, Ivanišević won bronze medals in both singles and doubles representing Croatia, a state that had only recently declared independence. He also won four singles titles that year.

Ivanišević reached the Wimbledon final for the second time in 1994, where he was defeated by defending-champion Pete Sampras 7–6, 7–6, 6–0. Ivanišević reached his career-high singles ranking of World No. 2 in July that year.
In 1995, Ivanišević won the Grand Slam Cup, beating Todd Martin in the final 7–6, 6–3, 6–4. At Wimbledon, Ivanišević lost in the semi-finals to Sampras 6–7, 6–4, 3–6, 6–4, 3–6.

In 1996 he won a career-best five singles titles. He reached the Grand Slam Cup final again, but this time lost to Becker in straight sets. Ivanišević also teamed with Iva Majoli to win the 1996 Hopman Cup for Croatia. That year Ivanišević also defeated Stefan Edberg to reach the semi-finals of the U.S. Open, his first Grand Slam semi-final away from Wimbledon; the match was the last Grand Slam match of Edberg's career. In the semifinals, Ivanišević he fell again to Sampras, in four sets; Sampras would go on to defeat Michael Chang to win his fourth U.S. Open championship.
In 1998, Ivanišević reached his third Wimbledon final, facing Sampras once again. Although a heavy underdog, this time he pushed Sampras to five sets, before losing 7–6, 6–7, 4–6, 6–3, 2–6.

Ivanišević finished runner-up in the French Open men's doubles in 1999 (with Jeff Tarango). However for much of 1999, 2000, and 2001, he struggled with a shoulder injury and his performance and world ranking began to slide steadily.

By the summer of 2001, Ivanišević was ranked the World No. 125. This was not sufficient to earn him an automatic place in the main draw at Wimbledon but, given his past record as a three-time runner-up, he was awarded a wildcard for entry into the singles draw. He defeated former and future World #1 players Carlos Moyá, Andy Roddick and Marat Safin to reach the semi-final, beating home favourite Tim Henman in a five set, rain-affected semi-final, setting-up a match with the previous year's runner-up and former US Open champion Patrick Rafter. It was Ivanišević's first singles final since 1998. In a match lasting just over three hours, Ivanišević defeated Rafter 6–3, 3–6, 6–3, 2–6, 9–7. Two months shy of his 30th birthday, Ivanišević became the lowest-ranked player and the first wildcard entry to win Wimbledon. To date, he is the only male entrant to have won a Grand Slam as a wildcard. His Wimbledon success was rated sixteenth at the list of 100 Greatest Sporting Moments by a British television programme.

Goran Ivanišević wins Wimbledon, 2001
Goran Ivanišević wins Wimbledon, 2001

On 10 July 2001, Ivanišević received a hero's welcome in his home city of Split where a crowd of over 150,000 led by local and state dignitaries greeted him at the central harbor, with a parade of boats as well as fireworks, topped off by Ivanišević himself taking off his clothes and jumping into the sea. Later that year he received the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Overseas Personality Award.

Goran Ivanišević and Mario Ančić playing doubles during the 2004 Queen's Club Championships.

The 2001 Wimbledon title was the last of Ivanišević's career. He temporarily retired in 2002 due to shoulder surgery. He returned to tennis sparingly in the following years but in 2004 retired after a third-round loss to Lleyton Hewitt at Wimbledon, held on the Centre Court, the scene of his greatest triumph.

In 2005, Ivanišević was a member of the Croatian team for the Davis Cup final against Slovakia in Bratislava, although he did not play. Croatia won the final 3–2. He Received a Winner's Medal and his name was engraved on the trophy along with Mario Ančić, Ivo Karlović, Ivan Ljubičić and Captain Nikola Pilić.

In June 2006, he performed in the Calderstones Park tournament in Liverpool. In November of the same year, Ivanišević won the Merrill Lynch Tour of Champions tournament in Frankfurt, defeating John McEnroe 7–6(12), 7–6(1).
In 2007, Roger Federer, seeking his 5th consecutive Wimbledon title against Rafael Nadal in the final, practiced with Ivanišević. Federer said the practice session helped him against Nadal:

Well, I mean, it's good to have hit at least half an hour with a lefty before the finals because I've played against six right handers. So, of course, it's hard to come into a match and you play a lefty. Especially on the returns, I always feel it. The entire points are played in a different manner. Where usually you go backhand cross‑court, with Rafa I have to go backhand long line. I asked Goran yesterday if he wanted to hit with me. He said, Sure, I'm around. I was very happy he did that.

Football

Ivanišević played football for the Croatian team Hajduk Split in 2001. Goran supports English team West Bromwich Albion. He became a fan after the Midland club's escape from Premiership relegation in 2005. He wore an Albion shirt whilst warming up prior to the 2006 BlackRock Masters final.

Goran Ivanišević scores goal for Croatia
Goran Ivanisevic scores goal for Croatia

Ivanišević also participated in an exhibition match of the Croatian national team of 1998 versus the International football stars on 7 October 2002 in Zagreb. It was the last career match of Croatian midfielder and team captain Zvonimir Boban. Ivanišević scored the goal for 1–1 (the game ended 2–1 for the International stars).



Ivanišević throwing his racket away

'I still break racquets, but now I do it in a positive way.'

'I was pretty nice to the racket all last week. I was surprised how easy it broke. Maybe there is something wrong with it, or I'm too strong.'
~After breaking his racket against Kafelnikov in the 1995 Wimbledon QF

'I will donate $50 to charity for every ace I serve. I hope I serve a lot of aces. Any waythat we can raise money is good. Anything that helps kids is nice,' 'Maybe I should give another $50 for every racquet I break!'

'I think they like a little action. They like action movies, so they like me. Always something interesting going with me when I play, some aces, a little talking to the people around, a little fighting, a little throwing raquets. They like this. They don't like when somebody's too boring. They like American. I think I'm doing pretty well. I was surprised in Indianapolis, it was really nice.'
~When asked why the American public likes him so much (1996 US Open)

eRep Tennis Match



Croatia Open ATP Umag eWorld Tour
Romper - Fib 0 : 0 (6 : 6) 40 - LOVE



Goran Ivanišević on Candid Camera: Tarik Filipović and Ode to Goran
Skrivena kamera 1997.: Goran Ivanišević