Reuters
Oh, brother. (See what we did there?)Jose Canseco, a former Major League Baseball player ranked number 32 on the all-time home run hitters list and a current contestant on this season of Celebrity Apprentice — or at least we think that’s him — has been dabbling in reality TV, mixed martial arts and boxing since his retirement. He was scheduled to compete at a celebrity boxing tournament at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Fla. on Saturday. Instead, it seems that he sent his identical twin brother in his place, according to the Miami Herald.
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Sources say Ozzie Canseco, who never hit a home run during his brief, unsuccessful stint in the MLB, showed up to the match and demanded the $5000 “he” was guaranteed before the bout. When celebrity boxing promoter Damon Feldman said he could only pay by check (addressed to Jose Canseco, of course), Ozzie Canseco threw a fit and demanded to be paid in cash. We wonder why.
But, it was die-hard fans who spotted something was amiss. While the twins on The Parent Trap were able to fool their parents, fans pointed out that the boxer at the match was missing the tattoos that Jose sports on his biceps. See, whoever was at the weigh-in the day before conveniently kept their shirt on so authorities weren’t able to spot the impostor until right before the match. The fight was canceled, and now Feldman and his team are working to get the $5000 advance back.
Jose Canseco denied the whole thing, claiming on his Twitter, “Be very careful with Damon Feldman who runs celebrity boxing he will not pay you if you fight for him,” and “Damon Feldman will not fulfil (sp) his part of the bargain.”
“By the way E S P N is owned by major league baseball of course they are going to lie,” he tweeted.
Normally we would believe Jose Canseco — after all, does anyone over the age of eight actually think they can pull off this trick? — but it’s not the first time the two brothers have impersonated each other. Ozzie Canseco appeared on the fifth season of The Surreal Life… as his brother’s impersonator. He’s also reportedly appeared at numerous autograph signings in lieu of his brother.
“I’ve worked with him before,” Feldman said to ESPN. “Except now I’ve got to look back at the pictures at the time and look if I ever really met Jose Canseco.” (via Miami Herald)
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