Mike Straka
Encyclopedia
Mike Straka is an American television host, author and journalist. He is the host of Fighting Words with Mike Straka on HDNet
which features interviews with mixed martial arts
athletes. He is also a regular contributor to FIGHT! Magazine, and has penned an MMA book based on interviews from his television show called "Fightng Words," from Triumph Books. He was a vice president and executive producer of FOX News Digital, and was a commentator on Hollywood and celebrity topics, as well as sports, for the cable net and on FOXNews.com. Straka created and was the executive producer of Strategy Room on FOXNews.com and was the host and executive producer of FOX Fight Game, a mixed martial arts features and news program. Straka also played the role of Young Minetta in the movie Analyze This
and Johnny in the hit play Tony n' Tina's Wedding
, and was a star in several television commercials in the 1990s.
to a Hungarian father who worked for UPS
and a Chilean mother who worked as a nurse's aide. He grew up in Barnegat Township, New Jersey
and graduated from Monsignor Donovan High School
, where he was a member of the wrestling team. He studied acting at Rutgers University
and wrestled for The Scarlet Knights, and moved to New York City to begin his career, where he specialized in commercials, daytime soaps and the Off-Broadway play Tony N' Tina's Wedding while continuing his studies. He was picked up by CBS to work as a page, ushering audiences through the West 57th Street studios to see talk shows like Geraldo and Joan Rivers, and giving tours and answering phones throughout the building. After a year as a page, he was hired by CBS News Radio to be a desk assistant, where he chased news on the overnight shift, working in a newsroom that included journalists like Bill Lynch, Bill Whitney, Mitchell Kraus and esteemed news director Larry McCoy.
Straka moonlighted as an actor during this time, and studied with both Robert Neff Williams of the Juilliard School and Tony Greco of The Actor's Studio, and was represented by Don Buchwald and Associates for TV commercials, eventually booking spots for Healthy Choice Pasta Sauce, Target Stores, the Powerpuff Girls and Papa Gino's Pizza.
Straka joined Fox News Channel just prior to the network launch in 1996, and served as a tape operator, writer, associate producer, producer, and director of operations and special projects for FOXNews.com, and ended his career there in 2010 as Vice President and Executive Producer for FOX News Digital. Straka wore many hats at FNC, and contributed on-air as a regular features reporter on FOX Magazine, hosted by Laurie Dhue. Assignments included the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, UT, the 78th annual Academy Awards, Super Bowls, American Idol finales, and behind the scenes with The Rolling Stones, as well as various newsmaker and entertainment headliners. Mike also assisted in FNC's coverage of the September 11th, 2001 terror attacks at the World Trade Center as a field producer and reporter.
In 2001 Straka began covering Mixed Martial Arts, and created FOX Fight Game, an MMA news and entertainment digital program that was carried weekly on Foxnews.com, Hulu, Youtube, and Comcast VOD. Today, Straka is amongst the foremost Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) reporters in the mainstream media and has been credited by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) as one of the first to give the sport of MMA balanced coverage among major journalists long before the sport gained in popularity.
Straka studies MMA in NJ with trainer Alex Tarrago and holds a 2nd degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do. During the course of his TKD training, he trained with Olympic gold medalist Herb Perez and Olympic team captain Kevin Padilla.
HDNet
HDNet is a men's interest television channel in the United States, broadcasting exclusively in high-definition format and available via cable and satellite television...
which features interviews with mixed martial arts
Mixed martial arts
Mixed Martial Arts is a full contact combat sport that allows the use of both striking and grappling techniques, both standing and on the ground, including boxing, wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, muay Thai, kickboxing, karate, judo and other styles. The roots of modern mixed martial arts can be...
athletes. He is also a regular contributor to FIGHT! Magazine, and has penned an MMA book based on interviews from his television show called "Fightng Words," from Triumph Books. He was a vice president and executive producer of FOX News Digital, and was a commentator on Hollywood and celebrity topics, as well as sports, for the cable net and on FOXNews.com. Straka created and was the executive producer of Strategy Room on FOXNews.com and was the host and executive producer of FOX Fight Game, a mixed martial arts features and news program. Straka also played the role of Young Minetta in the movie Analyze This
Analyze This
Analyze This is a 1999 gangster comedy film directed by Harold Ramis, who co-wrote the screenplay with playwright Kenneth Lonergan and Peter Tolan. The film stars Robert De Niro as a mafioso and Billy Crystal as a psychiatrist...
and Johnny in the hit play Tony n' Tina's Wedding
Tony n' Tina's Wedding
-Film adaptation:The play was "freely" adapted for film by writer-director Roger Paradiso— "filmed primarily from the point of view of a lisping videographer"—with Joey McIntyre and Mila Kunis playing the title characters...
, and was a star in several television commercials in the 1990s.
Biography
Straka was born in Newark, New JerseyNewark, New Jersey
Newark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...
to a Hungarian father who worked for UPS
United Parcel Service
United Parcel Service, Inc. , typically referred to by the acronym UPS, is a package delivery company. Headquartered in Sandy Springs, Georgia, United States, UPS delivers more than 15 million packages a day to 6.1 million customers in more than 220 countries and territories around the...
and a Chilean mother who worked as a nurse's aide. He grew up in Barnegat Township, New Jersey
Barnegat Township, New Jersey
-History:Barnegat gets its name from nearby Barnegat Bay and Barnegat Inlet. The inlet was originally "Barendegat," or "Inlet of the Breakers," and was named by Dutch settlers in 1614 for the waterway's turbulent channel.-Demographics:...
and graduated from Monsignor Donovan High School
Monsignor Donovan High School
Monsignor Donovan High School is the only Roman Catholic High School in Ocean County, New Jersey, United States, and operates under the supervision of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Trenton. Located in the coastal community of Toms River Township, the school originally opened in 1962 as St. Joseph...
, where he was a member of the wrestling team. He studied acting at Rutgers University
Rutgers University
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey , is the largest institution for higher education in New Jersey, United States. It was originally chartered as Queen's College in 1766. It is the eighth-oldest college in the United States and one of the nine Colonial colleges founded before the American...
and wrestled for The Scarlet Knights, and moved to New York City to begin his career, where he specialized in commercials, daytime soaps and the Off-Broadway play Tony N' Tina's Wedding while continuing his studies. He was picked up by CBS to work as a page, ushering audiences through the West 57th Street studios to see talk shows like Geraldo and Joan Rivers, and giving tours and answering phones throughout the building. After a year as a page, he was hired by CBS News Radio to be a desk assistant, where he chased news on the overnight shift, working in a newsroom that included journalists like Bill Lynch, Bill Whitney, Mitchell Kraus and esteemed news director Larry McCoy.
Straka moonlighted as an actor during this time, and studied with both Robert Neff Williams of the Juilliard School and Tony Greco of The Actor's Studio, and was represented by Don Buchwald and Associates for TV commercials, eventually booking spots for Healthy Choice Pasta Sauce, Target Stores, the Powerpuff Girls and Papa Gino's Pizza.
Straka joined Fox News Channel just prior to the network launch in 1996, and served as a tape operator, writer, associate producer, producer, and director of operations and special projects for FOXNews.com, and ended his career there in 2010 as Vice President and Executive Producer for FOX News Digital. Straka wore many hats at FNC, and contributed on-air as a regular features reporter on FOX Magazine, hosted by Laurie Dhue. Assignments included the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, UT, the 78th annual Academy Awards, Super Bowls, American Idol finales, and behind the scenes with The Rolling Stones, as well as various newsmaker and entertainment headliners. Mike also assisted in FNC's coverage of the September 11th, 2001 terror attacks at the World Trade Center as a field producer and reporter.
In 2001 Straka began covering Mixed Martial Arts, and created FOX Fight Game, an MMA news and entertainment digital program that was carried weekly on Foxnews.com, Hulu, Youtube, and Comcast VOD. Today, Straka is amongst the foremost Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) reporters in the mainstream media and has been credited by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) as one of the first to give the sport of MMA balanced coverage among major journalists long before the sport gained in popularity.
Straka studies MMA in NJ with trainer Alex Tarrago and holds a 2nd degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do. During the course of his TKD training, he trained with Olympic gold medalist Herb Perez and Olympic team captain Kevin Padilla.
Publications
Mike has one book to date on mixed martial arts fighters and personalities, Fighting Words w/Mike Straka, from Triumph Sports. His first book, "GRRR! Celebs And Other Reasons Why We're All In Trouble, discusses celebrity obsessed culture and the phenomenon of "Oblivions" (people who so oblivious to their surroundings they are rude without knowing) --External links
- Chicago Sun Times Review of Fighting Words
- Bloody Elbow Review of Fighting Words
- Big Lead Sports Interview
- Vigilante MMA interview with Straka
- Straka interview on The Sports Courier
- Interview with Mike Straka on MMArecap
- Mike Straka bio on Fox News website
- Mike Straka bio on imdb.com
- NY Times article on Strategy Room
- Parcbench article on Strategy Room