Seeking the Ultimate title; swapping Celtics
THEY CAN'T KILL KENNY He was the smallest of 16 fighters battling for a $350,000 contract. But Kenny Florian of Dover will soon head to Las Vegas for the fight of his life. Florian came up big on this week's episode of the Spike TV reality show ''Ultimate Fighter." Taped last fall, the series features 16 mixed-martial-arts fighters living together in a house and fighting one another in an octagon-shaped cage in pursuit of stardom; four of them will go to Las Vegas (the other three haven't been announced yet). On April 9, Florian, 28, a Boston College alum, will fight in the live televised middleweight championship bout. The winner gets a three-fight contract with Ultimate Fighting Championship, the premiere mixed-martial-arts organization in the United States. ''It's an amazing, amazing feeling," Florian said after a training session in South Boston this week. ''I was kind of the kid who wasn't supposed to be there." Florian quit his job translating financial documents two years ago to focus on fighting. His specialty is Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, a grappling skill he didn't get to tap in his win over Chris Leben, a heavy-hitting, trash-talking Oregonian who had 30 pounds on him. ''I was lucky I was able to get an elbow in. I got one that connected, and it opened up a 30-stitch cut over his eye, and the referee had to stop [the fight]." By design, Florian said, viewers didn't see much of him in the three months the show has been on the air. ''They wanted me to be the guy that came out of nowhere."
ROSTER MOVES The peeps at Perry Ellis should start reading the sports pages more closely. This week, a flack for the clothing line announced that ''Celtics forward" Walter McCarty will be signing autographs at Filene's in a few weeks. When we replied that Walter doesn't play here anymore -- he was shipped to Phoenix more than a month ago -- Perry's publicist hastily issued a second press release with current Celtics: ''Perry Ellis will host NBA stars Mark Blount and Tony Allen."
MOM'S ENTOURAGE The latest edition of People magazine reports that the second season of ''Entourage," which has Mark Wahlberg among its executive producers, will feature a number of celeb guest stars, including Mandy Moore, Amanda Peet, and James Cameron. Even Wahlberg's mom, Alma, is getting in on the action. Wahlberg's brother Donnie tells the weekly magazine, which hits newsstands today, their mom's ''excited but really nervous." As for what his mom might do on the show, Donnie says: ''[Mark will] have her doing some crazy things."
MORE DRAMA OFF SCREEN Another blow was struck in the ongoing bout between the state's official film bureau, the nonprofit Massachusetts Sports & Entertainment Commission and its honcho Mark Drago, and the nonprofit Massachusetts Film Bureau, headed by Robin Dawson. Yesterday word came that Dawson's organization will be getting public relations help from uber-PR guy George Regan. One interesting twist is that Drago's spokesman is Keith Gainsboro, who was a lead account manager for Regan for nine years. Reached yesterday, Gainsboro said: ''In the end, this effort is about bringing films and entertainment to the state and creating jobs, not about publicists."
RACONTEUR RETURNS Elaine Stritch, who brought her one-woman show to the Wilbur Theatre last fall, will be the guest of honor at the Boston Theater Critics awards at the Cutler Majestic Theatre on May 23. Tickets are available at BosTix booths, the Cutler Majestic Theatre, and Telecharge, 800-233-3123.
Ed Siegel of the Globe staff and Globe correspondent Jack Encarnacao contributed. Names can be reached at names@globe.com or at 617-929-8253.
