Smokin’ Joe Carnahan (Narc, Smokin’ Aces) is getting ready to start filming The A-Team remake in Vancouver, and he’s finally found the perfect man to play Mr. T.’s B.A. Baracus — former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Quinton “Rampage” Jackson. After the rumor was initially denied, The Vancouver Sun verified over the Holiday weekend that Rampage will indeed appear in the film alongside Hollywood “it” boy Bradley Cooper and Liam Neeson. If you saw the hits Cooper put on Vince Vaughn in The Wedding Crashers, and witnessed Neeson’s overall badassery in Taken, then you know they can hold their own co-starring in an action film with Rampage.
But back to Rampage. This is “picture perfect” casting. He’s such a better fit than the other rumored actors — Michael Clarke Duncan, The Game, Tyrese Gibson and Ving Rhames. They could even change Mr. T’s patented gold chains to Rampage’s patented chain. I bet he’d would even rock a mohawk. Mr. T was a fighter and Rampage is a fighter — it’s perfect. And you know Rampage would do all of his own stunts. Plus, he’s funny and you actually believe it when he whoops some ass. What more could you want for the role of B.A. Baracus?
Joe Carnahan is happy. The studio is happy. Rampage is happy, as he embarks on his journey into Hollywood while MMA is still lending him fame. The fans seem to be happy. Everybody’s happy. Well, everybody except Dana White. Here’s what the UFC frontman had to say about Rampage skipping a planned UFC 107 main event bout against Rashad Evans — one that will have to be be postponed and rescheduled — for the flick.
“Guess what Rashad Evans is thinking about right now,” White said. “He’s thinking about beating your f**king ass. He’s not sitting around thinking about how him and his mom used to watch the f**king Love Boat together and he wants to get the role of Isaac the bartender.’”
Gotta call Dana on his B.S. here. First of all, these fighters make him rich and famous. Can he deny them the same opportunity when it arises? He shouldn’t, especially when he isn’t the one whose career has a limited shelf life.
Besides, this will make Rampage a bigger star than any fight ever could. Same with Chuck Liddell appearing on Dancing with the Stars and Roger Huerta starring in Tekken. This is not bad for the sport at all, and it was an inevitable part of the UFC’s growth process. Does White seriously think that showman/Heavyweight Champ Brock Lesnar isn’t going to do Ah-nold-type action flicks when he gets bored with the competition, or lack thereof? This is a new trend, as evidenced by Gina Carano landing the starring role in Steven Soderbergh’s upcoming Knockout.
Along with Carano and Lesnar, I think Rampage is the other fighter who was seemingly born to be a Hollywood action star, a la Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. As great of a fighter as he is, he might be an even better entertainer. He’s kind of like the Chad Ochocinco of the MMA world. This has me fired up about the A-Team remake, even if Smokin’ Aces did absolutely blow.
If you wondered what Rampage would look like if he went full-blown Mr. T, we’ve got an image for you after the jump. And just because you’ve made it this far, we’ll also hook you up with the 80s-riffic video of The A-Team intro…
(Adam Best is the senior editor of the FanSided.com Sports Network and the twisted mind behind The Best View. Follow him on Twitter. And for more MMA coverage, check out Rear Naked Joke!)
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