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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. Brian Bellows Stars Jersey . Manuel was offered a position the day he was fired. He accepted earlier this week and the team made the announcement Friday. Jamie Benn Stars Jersey . At a news conference Tuesday where it was thought that the fiery Schallibaum may be shown the door after a dismal finish to the Major League Soccer season, team president Joey Saputo said no decision has been made on whether the Swiss Volcano will be back in 2014. http://www.thedallasstarshockey.com/mattias-janmark-hockey-jersey/ . The Masters champion and winner of last weeks Australian PGA has a three-round total of 14-under 199 at Royal Melbourne. "Im in a really good position for tomorrow," Scott said. Jon Casey Stars Jersey . John Lucas, signed as a mentor for rookie Trey Burke, showed he can score if required, scoring 12 points of his 16 points in the second quarter as Utah built an 18-point lead. Gump Worsley Stars Jersey .C. -- Todd Fiddler scored a hat trick, including the overtime goal, as the Prince George Cougars survived an 8-7 win against the Kamloops Blazers in Western Hockey League play Sunday. At a time when Australias batsmen are mired in a damaging pattern of failures, Joe Burns has returned to the Test fold with confidence derived from breaking out of his own.Until the first round of this seasons Sheffield Shield, Burns had an almost comically poor record in matches involving a pink ball. The inaugural day-night Test at the Adelaide Oval offered up scores of 14 and 11. That followed a similarly underwhelming run in floodlit Shield matches, despite Burns making extra efforts to learn - he did his own extra training against a pink ball away from the Australian side.After two poor Test matches in Sri Lanka against the spinning red ball, Burns was cast out of the national side. But, when his stocks seemed lowest, Burns was able to find a way against the pink ball. His well-struck hundred for Queensland at the Gabba against New South Wales, against an attack featuring Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood no less, means Burns will bring a much more positive vibe to Hobart than he might otherwise have.I guess it was a nice experience to make runs against the pink ball, in particular because theres a [day-night] Test match in Brisbane, Burns said. Obviously, thats a long way down the track from here, but I think as players, the more you play against the pink ball and the more confident you get against it as a batter, you certainly do feel more comfortable going into each pink-ball game.With the pink ball, the games played a little bit differently to the red ball, so just those experiences as a batter - where you can look to make your runs, where youve got to be a bit more cautions and the way the game ebbs and flows. In Brisbane anyway, its certainly a lot different from red to pink ball.The duel with the Blues was willing and vocal, placing Burns in a decent frame of mind to face South Africa at Bellerive Oval from Saturday as the replacement opener for Shaun Marsh. There wass a bit of banter there, which is fantastic.dddddddddddd You want to see guys playing the same way for their stats as you do for your country, he said. And I guess thats a strength of the Shield competition, so it was a very enjoyable challenge.When those boys are up and firing, it certainly spurs you on to bigger heights, and it was very satisfying to make some runs in that game. One of the things that you look back on and feel confident in, and know that youre hitting the ball really well against good opposition, and then, hopefully, carry that into a Test match against South Africa. But in saying that, its a new set of bowlers, new conditions, and you still have to prepare as best you can for this Test match.Burns said he learned a lot from the experience of losing his place in Sri Lanka, a perspective that will also be relevant entering a team that has just lost the first Test of a home summer for the first time in 28 years. Sri Lanka was my first Test loss and first series loss, so it was a tough tour, Burns said. It was tough because I wasnt making runs personally as well. But I guess thats part of the challenge of cricket, part of the challenge of playing for Australia.You always want to be making runs. You always want to be winning cricket games for your country, so you do everything you can to turn it around and try and get back to winning those matches. I think the experience within the group, weve had a lot of a success as a team and as individuals that theres no doubt we can turn it around.We just have to prepare well, go out and take up the challenge in that second Test match. Weve got no doubt we can certainly turn it around. Obviously, a lot of hard work will go into it, but, certainly, very confident going into the rest of the series. ' ' '