Ringside Report

Robbery, Retirement, and the Manny Pacquiao Buzz

February 24th, 2010

Bad Brad

By Geno McGahee

Manny Pacquiao – Joshua Clottey Creating Buzz

There are very few fighters that can capture the imagination of the public and create the excitement that Manny Pacquiao does. On March 13^th, he will square off against Floyd Mayweather, JR., replacement, former IBF Welterweight Champion, Joshua Clottey in a 12 round WBO Title showdown. The steroid scandal has died down and now it’s back to business.

Joshua Clottey, 35-3, 20 KO’s, has never been stopped in his career, facing power-punchers like Miguel Cotto, Diego Corrales, and “Hands of Plaster” Antonio Margarito. His tight defense and consistency proves problematic for his opponents and if he keeps his head inside the ropes, Manny is going to have some serious problems. That is the intrigue here.

Pacquiao has to be favored and the game plan has to be to use straight punches to infiltrate the defense of Clottey. Clottey does very well fending off hooks, but the straight down the middle punches seem to be the weakness, and Manny is very good up the middle. Considering what Pacquiao did to Cotto, Ricky Hatton, and many other before them, it is likely that he has the power to hurt Clottey if he lands, but make no mistake, he’s in a real fight here on the 13^th, and Clottey will be ready for the incoming.

The Pacquiao-Clottey PPV collision may give us some surprises or further cement the Filipino powerhouse as the best fighter in the game. Whatever happens, the world will be watching this fight, with the hopes that Manny pulls through and will eventually meet Floyd Mayweather, JR., inside the ring.

Robbery in Mexico

Former WBA Light Welterweight Champion, Vivian Harris had a battle with the undefeated Lucas Martin Mattheysse this past weekend. The result was a fourth round stoppage defeat for the former champion, and more evidence that his career has reached its end, but there was a protest made. Harris claimed it was a fast stoppage.

After viewing the fight on youtube, it was not just a fast stoppage, but evidence of corruption in boxing. It appears that Mattheysse, was going to win no matter what. I am not saying that the boxer or his corner was in on this, but the referee, Perez Huerta, had an agenda.

After three rounds of boxing with both men trading shots and fighting well, they would enter the fourth round. Mattheysse, the knockout puncher became more aggressive and with 2 and a half minutes gone in the round, landed a good right hand that seemed to slightly buckled Harris. Harris came forward to continue fighting and the referee jumped in the middle and began grabbing for the mouthpiece of Harris. It seemed that both fighters were confused, until Huerta waved his hands and pushed the fighter back to his corner. Mattheysse celebrated and the fight was over at 2:44 of the fourth round.

This fight should be turned into a no contest considering the flagrant misbehavior of the referee. Huerta should be banned from boxing. This is Harris’s livelihood and this fight was a joke.

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Wrestling: C’mon, It’s for the Kids!

February 24th, 2010

Bad Brad

By John Pitroff

With the birth of my nephew over two years ago, I was faced with the dilemma of whether or not to bring wrestling into his life. Does he really need to hear about The Boogeyman at this young of an age? I’m not talking about the one hiding under his bed, I’m talking about the one also known as Marty Wright. What is scarier: the idea of The Boogeyman, or just how great Mr. Wright was at getting into that character? I knew my sister wasn’t going to be the one to share wrestling with her son. She was only a fan of wrestling when I dragged her to WrestleMania X8 with me. Her biggest opinion on wrestling: “Batista is hot.” My younger sister’s? “Kane is hot.” And, that was when he still wore the mask! Mine? “Stacy Keibler is hot.”

I felt that since she wasn’t going to supply into his life the great thing known as pro wrestling, perhaps I would have to be the one to do it. Not all of wrestling is great, I mean, I really don’t want to subject him to a 2010 era Bret Hart promo, but I wouldn’t mind if he were to see a Shawn Michaels mat classic. But, since I have made it my motivation to inject into his life the same love that I had for wrestling I had in my childhood years, I have been struggling with the idea.

Is it my place to attempt to make him like something? No, it isn’t. I have never been one to believe that it is proper to push or shove something onto your children, or even the children of your loved ones:

“Son, you are going to be a wrestling star when you grow up!”

“But, Daddy, I don’t want to”

“It doesn’t matter, you will be, and we will call you…The Rock.”

(A young Dwayne Johnson thinking to himself): “Yeah, but then I’ll show you…I’ll just be in the movies instead.”

I still feel some sort of obligation to share wrestling with my nephew because of the joy it brought me. I at least want to keep him open-minded to the fact that he might like it. The time I spent with wrestling as a kid and the amount of fun I had with it is beyond description, and I never wanted to leave anyone I love out of that. I never wanted to force it onto anyone, but I wanted it to at least be an option. You know, pretty much the opposite of the way that Vince McMahon feels about John Cena.

Mind you, he is not my child and I do not have to deal with him when he gets angry and decides to freak out more than Ken Shamrock. Just the other night my nephew was “in the zone” for a good ten minutes. But, I can simply run out of there like Shawn Michaels back in Montreal. It makes it easy being the wacky uncle who comes home for a few days, throws around a few clotheslines, power bombs, and razor edges, and then goes on my way like I am a Scott Hall TNA stint. My sister has to be with him afterward and deal with the consequences. I come in for a few days, have some fun, while she has made it her life to raise him the way she feels is best. It is as if I am the main event. I have all the fun, get all the credit, and am the focus of the show. She is the ring crew. She actually does all the work, sets up the ring (or bed, in this case) that I wrestle in, and puts in the long hours without getting the recognition.

Her and I have had debates about this, albeit, short ones. I see it as, “wrestling to me as a kid was awesome, and I don’t want to see him miss out on that.” She sees it as him being young and simply noticing the violence in it instead of the art. I like to give children a lot of credit and tell her that he can realize it is all a show. She is a realist and knows that when he pushes a girl down at play group for no reason, perhaps is a heel move brought on by wrestling. Seriously, if the next time he extends his hand in a show of respect while looking around the room for the approval of the “audience”, and as he is shaking, he kicks her in the ribs, I will have no qualms about turning off the wrestling. If he stays in character the entire time and tells the audience to shove it, I know that wrestling has found it is next great heel.

The whole debate comes down to my love versus her realism. I like to pretend that wrestling doesn’t have negative attributes that rub off on the young. She doesn’t feel the love I have for wrestling so she therefore cannot see the joy that I have and therefore want to share with my nephew. See, this is when being a wrestling fan versus being a non wrestling fan makes it tough. How can I attempt to explain to her how cool wrestling is to me when she sees it as nearly the opposite? The whole debate we have over letting her son watch wrestling is an entire issue that can be questioned for all children and their parents worldwide.

At what age is it appropriate to let your kids watch wrestling? For some kids, perhaps never. I see many adults who shouldn’t be watching it themselves because they still can’t discern the difference between fantasy and reality. Now, that might be because they are always drunk, but that is no excuse. I really don’t think any alcoholic slob sitting in “his” chair yelling at the television screen, “get that fruity looking gay one!” is a positive role model for his child, wrestling or not.

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CEO/Publisher "Bad" Brad Berkwitt to Appear on Sports Talk TV Show Thursday, February 25th

February 23rd, 2010

Bad Brad

Our very own CEO/Publisher “Bad” Brad Berkwitt will be making his monthly guest appearance on the highly rated show Sports Talk with Host Glenn Harris that appears on News Channel 8 viewed in Virginia, West Virginia, District of Columbia and Maryland. Tune in live from 8:00 – 8:30 PM, Thursday, February 25th for a night full of great talk about our beloved sport of Boxing.

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Brian's Boxing Mailbag (UFC Heavyweights, Mythical Match-ups, Manny Pacquiao's All Time Greatness, And More)

February 23rd, 2010

Bad Brad

Hosted by Brian Wilbur

Greetings readers, I hope you are ready for another action packed boxing mailbag of the Ringside Report variety. I have a great mixed bag of questions this week, ranging from Manny Pacquiao, to mythical match ups, to Vitali Klitschko, and more.

Boxing is on a bit of a hiatus at the moment. There has not been a major fight in a couple of months now. The first quality fight of the year was supposed to be Shane Mosley vs. Andre Berto, but that was scrapped due to the earthquake in Haiti. We will not have a major bout until Manny Pacquiao and Joshua Clottey square off on March 13th.

In the absence of notable boxing matches, the UFC has dominated the fighting headlines. Last Saturday, rising young heavyweight Cain Velasquez knocked out the veteran fighter most commonly referred to as Nog. With the win, Velasquez surpassed Shane Carwin as the heir apparent in the UFC heavyweight division while Brock Lesnar is on the mend from a stomach ailment. The emergence of Velasquez as a serious opponent brings more credibility to the UFC heavyweight division.

The legitimacy of the heavyweight division, and the heavyweight title, in the UFC has faced scrutiny. The UFC is clearly the pinnacle of MMA, with most of the upper echelon fighters under one roof. However, the number one MMA heavyweight, Fedor Emelianenko, is not signed to the UFC. Since the UFC champion is not the best MMA heavyweight in the world, the UFC heavyweight belt is less prestigious than the UFC belt in the other weight classes, and the division itself not as credible.

Aside from Brock Lesnar, the best MMA heavyweights, including Fedor, Alistair Overeem, Brett Rogers, Josh Barnett, and others, are not signed to the UFC. Finally Cain Velasquez brings a little shred of respectability to the UFC, as does the winner of Frank Mir vs. Shane Carwin. Still, the fight that all MMA fans should clamor for is Brock Lesnar vs. Fedor Emelianenko.

Enough about the UFC, let’s move on to the mailbag, which is 100% boxing this week. Enjoy and remember to send me your feedback!

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From Timothy Bradley to Manny Pacquiao: The Targets of Edwin Valero

February 22nd, 2010

Bad Brad

By Daniel “Tex” Cohen

Edwin “Dinamita” Valero, 27-0, 27 KO’s, has been on the boxing scene long enough for many of the “mainstream” fans of the sport to finally develop some sort of opinion on him. Valero has become a somewhat polarizing figure for ironic reasons. You would think he would garner mixed reviews for his DUI charge, aggressive past, somewhat questionable medical history and support for Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.

Instead, in a twist of pleasantly logical events, Valero is judged as a boxer. The debate is at least fitting; you should always be judged by what you do professionally, right? Valero is not your role model or your teacher, but your resident Venezuelan knockout artist. The boxing public is judging him on that basis.

Valero’s claim to fame is his unanimous knockout record. Others have tried to substantiate their worth by racking up such accomplishments, but those same men achieved their feats against weak opponents and fell apart as soon as anyone with the least bit of pop or skill stepped into the ring. Valero once held the record for consecutive first round knockouts, but that margin was surpassed by Tyrone Brunson when Brunson ran through nineteen consecutive bums. Brunson’s fate? He fell in three rounds this past December to Carson Jones, a man that will likely serve as fodder for Antonio Margarito’s comeback fight on the under card of the Manny Pacquiao-Joshua Clottey super-bout at the Cowboys Stadium in March. Similarly, Victor “The Destroyer” Oganov began his career with 23 straight knockouts before going 4-3, 2 KO’s, against actual opposition rather than career opponents. Oganov has been knocked out in his only two fights against tough opponents, falling to Fulgencio Zuniga by nine round stoppage in September of 2007 and Super Middleweight Tournament Contender Andre Dirrell by six round stoppage in November of 2008.

These examples serve as distinction for Valero. Where others have failed, he has (at least modestly) succeeded. Valero has gradually stepped up his opposition over the last three years. Since 2006, he has faced Vicente Mosquera, Nobuhito Honmo, Antonio Pitalua, Hector Velazquez, and Antonio DeMarco. That list may consist of B-Level also-rans, but it also has shown a consistent increase in the level of difficulty he has faced. Additionally, the type of fighter that Valero has faced were similar to the types of fighters that knocked out the likes of Brunson and Oganov. Since winning the Super Featherweight Title (and subsequently winning a lightweight belt), Valero’s opposition has a not-too-shabby combined record of 233-30.

Then again, critics have stated respectable cases against the knockout artist, pointing partially to his competition as a critique. That argument has begun to weaken with Valero’s recent domination of the tough and somewhat battle-tested DeMarco. It may also continue to weaken as Valero fights bigger and bigger names. The Boxing blogosphere is abuzz with possible future showdowns, and Gary Shaw has thrown out the concept of matching Valero with the fearless, proven Timothy Bradley in a junior welterweight matchup that would most certainly garner top-notch ratings. Bob Arum has even whispered about pairing Valero with the legendary Manny Pacquiao in the future.

Arum’s dream is not going to be a reality any time soon. However, Shaw’s idea might be more realistic than you think. Bradley, in a single year, faced down Kendall Holt, Nate Campbell, and Lamont Peterson. Without an odd bit of politics following the Campbell bout, Bradley would have been credited with having bested all three and showing tremendous courage and skill in each of the fights. Facing a certified tough guy would hardly be a new trick for one of the more solid champions in the sport.

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RSR Weekly Message Board Update

February 22nd, 2010

Bad Brad

By Mike “Rubber Warrior” Plunkett

Change is in the air and by that I mean more than just the pending seasonal change that so many of us in the northern hemisphere anticipate. Shortly change will be the reality for the Ringside Report message boards. The recent update to our site profile was in fact a precursor to the soon to be realized new look the various forums will have, and trust that this will be more than just a shave, shoe-shine and a haircut. Updated features will enable you the user, to tap into our sports pipeline in quicker, more trick fashion. Watch for our new discussion forums along with some of the old favorites such as our General and Classic Boxing. Keep an eye open for our updated forums. We’re sure that the new features and layout will enhance your ringside experience like never before.

A quiet week in boxing only underlined the standings for the RSR February Prediction League established in my last update. Still leading the pack, OKMike need only pray that over the remaining twelve bouts listed on this month’s roster, those that are only but a few points behind and poised for a late surge, peter like the late-career variant of Oscar De La Hoya, thus enabling him to follow-through on a win that right now looks to be a lock. For those of you that are not currently a member of RSR and would like to take part in the various forums and fight polls, or put your powers of pugilistic prognostication to the test in the soon to be posted March 2010 Prediction League, act now using the link to submit your request.

Contact Mike “Rubber Warrior” Plunkett To Sign Up For The RSR Message Board and Join In On The Fun

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The Candy Slim Story

February 21st, 2010

Bad Brad

By Geno McGahee

“Remember the name ‘Candy Slim!’ Champ next year! Don’t bring us mortal men. We want to fight giants!” – Don King

Boxing has a lot of tragedies and it also is a stage for redemption. There is no wonder why people are attracted to the sport of boxing. It’s not merely the thrill of the knockout or the epic battles that men go through inside of the ropes. It’s the storyline and the personal nature of the sport. In other sports, it’s a team effort and often the individuality is lost. In boxing, you are alone, and you are also risking your life in hopes of making a good living. The world of boxing is an escape for the impoverished and a chance for the no-hoper to become rich and famous. The crowds cheer for that. We love underdogs and to see a man defy the odds and escape the rough past is inspirational.

The story leading up to the fight is as important as the fight itself. It is the promoter’s job to sell the event and there has been no better salesman than Don King. King was able to push Chuck Wepner as the “everyday man” looking for a chance to hit the lottery against Muhammad Ali. It was a mismatch that should have drawn no press, but it was all over the news and is still talked about to this day. Don King has a flare for promoting heavyweights. He has pushed many of them into the publics’ eye. Earnie Shavers, Larry Holmes, Mike Tyson, George Foreman, and many more have been showcased by King. One fighter early on was a man named Jeff Merritt. He went by the nickname of “Candy Slim.”

In the beginning stages of Don King’s boxing journey, he eyed the heavyweight division. He wanted to own all of the top heavyweights because that is where the money was and the more money, the more heavyweights, the more power that he had. Three heavyweights appealed to him in 1973: Earnie Shavers, Ray Anderson, and Jeff Merritt.

Don King, being an ex-con, could easily relate to Merritt, a man that had been arrested for rape, burglaries, and had drug charges. Merritt had a much more important battle going on outside the ring with heroin, and King knew that if he could control that portion of his life, then he may have a world champion on his hands. King quickly removed Merritt from all other managers and assumed the role, now guiding the career, and getting the story out to the world. He was representing a flawed human, battling inner demons, and hoping to conquer heavyweight boxing.

In 1973, Merritt had a record of 21-1, 16 KO’s. He stood 6 feet, 5 inches, and had broken the jaw of Earnie Shavers in sparring. He had dynamite in his hands and had the size to make some serious waves in the division. The first minor wave occurred on September 10, 1973, in New York City.

Many of the fans in New York that night were there to see the closed circuit broadcast of the rematch between Muhammad Ali and Ken Norton, but they would also be seeing a glimpse of the potential future of the division in Merritt, a man that sparred with Muhammad Ali and gave him all he could handle.

The opponent chosen for Merritt on this night was former WBA Heavyweight Champion, Ernie Terrell. Terrell has an impressive record of, 45-8, 21 KO’s, and had only been knocked out on one occasion. Older former champions are usually the building blocks for up and coming prospects. Most former champions leave the sport on their backs. Terrell was a warrior, taking on some of the biggest names of the time. He held victories over Zora Folley, Cleveland Williams, Bob Foster, George Chuvalo, and Doug Jones, the man he defeated for the title. He would lose a decision to Muhammad Ali, but held strong for 15 rounds. Unfortunately, most of his best bouts were ten years old before he stepped into the ring in New York in 1973. He was coming off a decision loss to Chuck Wepner, a clear sign that he should hang up the gloves, but the money was right and he was back in the ring, attempting to stop the rise of Don King’s heavyweight.

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RSR Boxing Results: ESPN2’s Friday Night Fights

February 20th, 2010

Bad Brad

By Geno McGahee

Light middleweight knockout artist, Shawn “Showtime” Porter, 13-0, 10 KO’s, struggled to outpoint Russell Jordan, 15-7, 10 KO’s, by scores of 97-92 (twice) and 100-89. Porter picked up the vacant WBO NABO Light Middleweight Title and got some valuable experience against the tough and determined Jordan.

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The Dr. Phil Solution: Evander Holyfield and Wife Decide to go on Show

February 19th, 2010

Bad Brad

By Geno McGahee

Evander Holyfield vs. Dr. Phil

Is “The Real Deal” starving for attention this much? As reported last week, Holyfield roughed up his wife over a religious dispute. She filed a restraining order against him and quickly backed away from it, and now we have Evander trying to capitalize on it.

There are some fighters that just cannot live without the limelight. Holyfield is a great example. He keeps fighting, keeps jumping at opportunities to go on TV, and here is another one, and the most pathetic to date.

Dr. Phil is a television show host with a degree in psychology and has a large following, mostly housewives that watch religiously while buying his weight loss products and nodding after his every statement. His show isn’t much better than Jerry Springer or Maury, but it’s popular with the demographic that Holyfield wants to make nice with and it’s another chance for him to get into the news…this time on a positive note.

His wife Candi is apparently interested too and they will appear next week on the program if they can agree on the terms. Why would ANY couple want to go on this show and air their dirty laundry to the world? Holyfield is doing it for the attention and to convince the women out there that he’s a nice guy, and we will see many sway that way. Expect Dr. Phil to give Holyfield a thumbs up, a high five, and big hug as the audience erupts with applause, rather than handling the situation realistically.

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Twilight Zone: A Nice Place to Visit (1960)

February 19th, 2010

Bad Brad

Reviewed by Geno McGahee

Rocky Valentine (Larry Blyden) is a career criminal, robbing, killing, and calling cops “screws.” I have never been tempted to screw a cop. Unfortunately for Rocky, he gets the bad end of a shoot out and after he is shot about ten or so times, he is helped to his feet by a portly man named Mr. Pip (Sebastian Cabot). Valentine is not a nice guy by any means and constantly refers to Pip as “fatso.” Pip’s got some meat on his bones, but not enough to merit fatso. Chubber would have sufficed.

Pip makes all sorts of promises to Rocky and delivers and before he knows it, he is in paradise. He is in a beautiful hotel suite, has pretty girls all over the place, and cannot lose a bet in the casino. For a while, he is on top of the world and comes to the conclusion that he is in heaven. Mr. Pip does not do anything to convince him that he is not.

As time passes, boredom consumes Rocky. He’s not even interested in getting it on with the three hot chicks that are in his bedroom. He kicks them out and invites Mr. Pip in. Don’t worry people. This isn’t going where you think it’s going.

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Amir Khan’s On Line Battle: The Pros and Cons Are Using Twitter

February 18th, 2010

Bad Brad

By Eoin Redahan

In Oz, The Wicked Witch of the West had her flying monkeys. She may have needed her magical golden hat to control them, but they did manage to bring Dorothy to her.

Light welterweight Paulie “Magic Man” Malignaggi may have a golden hat somewhere, but he probably doesn’t have a winged troop at his behest (blame the current economic climate); nevertheless, with the electronic wings of his twitter followers, he has managed to bring Bolton’s Amir Khan to his attention from thousands of miles away.

So, just how does a boxer go about getting inside his rival’s head over an electronic medium, and how can the attacked boxer save face without making a proposed fight happen? (P.S. Everything is quoted verbatim. RSR cannot yet claim to have mastered such adventurous spelling and grammar.)

Using twitter to peck away:

1. The Publicity Stunt

Any twitter publicity stunt should really contain CAPITAL LETTERS to make it more conspicuous. It should also make plentiful use of exclamation marks, which denote emotional intensity. Malignaggi is careful to use both:

(Feb. 2nd, 8:59) “ALRIGHT EVERYONE! EVERYONE LOVES “CON”TROVERSY SO HERE IT IS! RETWEET THIS TO AMIR KHAN TO AGREE THE CO-PROMOTION SO HE CAN GET HIS ASS KICKED! WE WILL NOT FIGHT ON SHOWS CONTROLLED BY GOLDEN BOY PROMOTIONS.”

A good twitter publicity stunt will also keep the public constantly posted. Of course, it is advisable to pave a moral high ground:

“(Feb 3rd, 10:39) “DIBELLA TALKED TO GBOY PROMOTIONS. THEY WOULD LOVE AMIR CON VS MALIGNAGGI…. ALL AMIR HAS TO DO IS AGREE!! BALLS IN HIS COURT.”

2. Name and shame

George Foreman was labeled a mummy, and Ricky swelled into a Fatton. In this instance, Malignaggi prefers to make use of the written gibe (as opposed to gibe talking). Note the use of repetition of the word “con” for reinforcement, just in case you didn’t get it the first time:

(Feb 2nd, 10:19) DIBELLA SPOKE WITH SCHAEFER TO SET UP A FIGHT WITH AMIR CON…. NOW ITS TIME FOR CON TO STEP UP TO THE PLATE! WE THREW THE FIRST PITCH!”

There are times, however, when a more wounding snipe is more effective. Puns are wonderful devices, but sometimes they detract from the barbarous nature of a taunt. The exposure of insecurity is often a better tack:

(Feb. 2nd, 9:18) “You shouldn’t throw stones if you live in a glass house and got a glass jaw, you should watch your mouth cuz I’ll break your face.”

3. Subtle use of the grapevine

The best boxers have myriad methods of hurting opponents. Similarly, a good goading twitterer must also make use of oblique taunting techniques. The selective use of critical opinion – by use of the “retweet” – is one such tactic:

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Bob Sapp: A Threat to the Klitschko Brothers

February 18th, 2010

Bad Brad

By SJ Jarapa

What if Bob Sapp were to be purely a boxer?

Think of the buzz he’s very capable of generating. His radiant star in other sporting fields alone is enough to stimulate a certain degree of excitement in today’s boring heavyweight boxing. Given that there would be quite an absence of the many weapons which have all demonstrated to be anything but friendly to his hackneyed style of fighting, his recent losses wouldn’t matter all that much as he would, with a little work here and there, one might infer, feel a class above even with his predictable in-ring routine versus the C and D classes that comprises much of boxing heavyweights’ current compilation of elites.

So loved has Mr. Robert Malcolm Sapp had been in Japan that his appeal pulled in a boat-load of money-making endeavors throughout this decade. He was made a commercial model, a fascinating artist with a music CD entitled “Sapp Time,” indeed he was an ultra-popular icon who appeared in endless streams of Japanese TV programs, Hollywood Blockbusters, and many other forms of broadcasting mediums – he wasn’t just the biggest brute to ever grace the sport of pugilism but a phenomenon larger than his own 350+ pounds of hulking mass and supplements.

Despite his moniker “The Beast” he was somewhat of an Aw Guy. Once when asked if he has a girlfriend, his answer could not have been more heart-wrenching. “No, I don’t have a girlfriend. But that’s probably why they call me a beast.”

You could just feel the planet going “Aww…” with it.

Bob “The Beast” Sapp at that point was no doubt bigger than life itself.

He enjoyed the sheen of being one of two most-popular Americans in Japan, sharing the spotlight with the then U.S. President George W. Bush. Bob was so alluring that he was able to transform the most inconsequential of affairs into a festival talked about for what could seem ages by the simple breath of his appearance, whether that be in the rings of K-1 and PRIDE or in the very stage of pop culture. He was the guy to call for the ratings game.

His athletic career began on the walk of promise, having been a standout offensive lineman for the University of Washington, where he annexed the Morris Award. His football’ing was to proceed and burgeon on to the turfs of the NFL but spun towards an unexpected alley after showing in just one regular season despite being signed under oath for a few more terms with the league when he elected to take on the scrupulous profession of fighting.

His first mission: Toughman Boxing, where he fought and beat William “The Refrigerator” Perry.

PRIDE then came, Japan’s premiere MMA sanctioning body – at the time deemed worldwide as being many levels better than the UFC. The association shelled out a million more than its rivals were willing to pay to hook in the finest talents in the world, therefore festooning its arenas with exhilarating battles between the best in legions and the best in nations. It offered the paramount of thrill by routinely enforcing the best matches possible.

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The Boxing Weekend: ESPN2’s Friday Night Fights

February 18th, 2010

Bad Brad

By Geno McGahee

Light middleweight knockout specialist, Shawn “Showtime” Porter, 12-0, 10 KO’s, will come to ESPN2’s Friday Night Fights against Russell Jordan, 15-6, 10 KO’s, in a 12 round WBO NABO Light Middleweight Title Bout.

Porter has been tearing through his opposition, but they boxers across the ring from him, typically, have not been very good, and that’s being kind. One of his victims, Toris Smith had a record of 2 wins, 28 losses, and Phillip Hammac brought in a record of 4 wins 22 defeats. Sammy Sparkman was a step up, having a decent record by comparison: 21 wins, 18 losses, and a draw. In his last fight, he stopped Jamar Patter, a fighter with an impressive 8-0 record, but when you examine his competition, they are less established and successful foes than Porter has faced.

Jordan has been in the ring with some notable fighters like Luis Collazo and Sergio Martinez, but he has been stopped nearly every time he has stepped up. Five of his six defeats were by stoppage. Porter’s punch may make this one a very quick night and we may not learn a whole lot about the prospect.

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Said Skouma: RSR Talks with the Two-Time World Title Challenger and Former EBU Light Middleweight Champion

February 17th, 2010

Bad Brad

Interview by Mike “Rubber Warrior” Plunkett

“Boxing has made me independent and autonomous. It taught me how to talk and how to assert myself” – Said Skouma

Boxing is the one profession that at some given point ultimately demands the truth. It’s awe-inspiring and glorious, sometimes even artful at the highest levels when the combatants are in a groove and the stars and moment are in complete alignment, but rarely is it a pursuit that allows one to hide his soul from those observing intently, or does it permit one to avoid looking into himself during the lonely, oft painful moments of pure enlightenment. It’s often hell on wheels, and unlike today’s more celebrated and popular professional team sports, the fighter is left alone in the dark shadows surrounded by deafening silence to reflect on the fleeting moments of hope, the missed opportunities and the mortal limitations of his design. It offers each and every man the same chance the first time he walks into a dank dingy gym despite the overwhelming odds against him; a hard upward road laden with sudden curves, sometimes bottomless potholes and quite possibly a lifetime’s worth of pain compacted into a relative season of one’s existence. Few make it to the big dance and fewer still to the very summit of their profession, but the one constant it does hand out as a sort of guaranteed consolation prize is the truth, and in many cases the setbacks and disappointments of a mostly thankless field of endeavor allow one to walk away better prepared for the hard and fast realities of life.

Said Skouma is an example of a man that travelled the hard road under no illusion, fully aware of his abilities and limitations and in the size of the world around him. His earnest approach to boxing saw him reach the rare moment every fighter works toward on two separate occasions, center stage and under the most intense of spotlights with celebrated world champions in search of the sport’s highest honor, episodes in a fine run book-ended by national and international prominence. In the end the truth of his career played out like a fine twilight jazz riff; he gave his all, bared his soul and came away an enlightened man, better prepared to live out the days of his life.

MP: What initially drew you to the sport of boxing and who, if any, were your earliest influences?

Ali, Ali, Ali! To me, boxing was attitude, gesture. I saw the Joe Frazier versus Muhammad Ali fight and watching Ali boxing I didn’t even realize that kicks would hurt!

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Evander Holyfield & Oliver McCall: Legal Hot Water for Former Champs

February 17th, 2010

Bad Brad

By Geno McGahee

Wife Beater

The former Undisputed Heavyweight Champion, Evander “Real Deal” Holyfield was recently accused of beating his wife after a religious dispute. According to reports, Holyfield’s wife was unhappy about the home heat being turned off and was concerned about her children, which led to an argument, and brought Holyfield to his favorite topic: God.

Evander allegedly demanded to see the checkbook to make sure that his wife was donating enough money to the church because God apparently needs a lot of money, and when she refused, he hit her numerous times. She had reportedly applied for a restraining order, but has since dropped it.

This is not out of the ordinary behavior for Holyfield. He is one of the dirtiest fighters ever to lace up the gloves, yet he continuously shoves this religious nonsense down the throats of the viewer. Thank God he got rid of Hammer. I could only hear the song “Pray” 10 dozen times before I lost my lunch as he walked his buddy to the ring.

You really have to question the character of Holyfield. His actions alone prior to this lend credibility. His refusal to pay child support, until he was force to by threat of imprisonment and his continual and flagrant fouls inside the ring tell me all I need to know about him. Many point to Mike Tyson as the problem when they faced each other in the rematch during that “ear bite heard around the world” incident, but people gloss over the fact that Tyson was getting head butted over and over and over again. It was justified.

Money talks and now Holyfield is out of the hot water. Unfortunately, this seems to be the common path of many beaten women. They file and then recant and that is yet again the case here. There aren’t many things worse than a wife beater.

Drugs

Former WBC Heavyweight Champion, Oliver “Atomic Bull” McCall has been picked up again for drugs. He was scheduled to take on Zuri Lawrence in his next fight, a bout that has been called off due to the circumstances, and now he has a bigger fight ahead of him.

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Random Wrestling Recap

February 17th, 2010

Bad Brad

By John Pitroff

Sheamus at WrestleMania: I realize that I rip on Sheamus all the time, but it is necessary. Not so much because I dislike him or his gimmick (which I actually can’t stand), but more for the fact that he is WWE champion for no apparent reason. This fact is bad enough, but things only seem to get worse when one is to look at the time frame of which he is holding that belt. WrestleMania is soon approaching. I would say it is forgivable to have such a terrible WWE Champion, but it isn’t. But, for the love of Vince McMahon, please get that belt off of him before WrestleMania arrives. It is one thing to have him walking around with the title on some of these PPVs that seem to happen every week, it is another when he is the main champion heading into the biggest show of the year.

WrestleMania is supposed to be reserved for the best. For the biggest. For the most amazing. So, having Sheamus head into the biggest show of the year with the biggest championship wrestling has to offer is just another insult to not only the title itself, but the fans, wrestling in general, and just as importantly, WrestleMania itself. WrestleMania used to mean something, and it still does. I am not saying all of them have been perfect, but this would be the biggest stain on WrestleMania, right up there with having Mark Henry fight the Undertaker.

Having Sheamus as WWE champion makes WWE look worse and makes the product seem nearly bush league. Although that is bad in its own right, there is no need to add insult to injury and taint the image and name of WrestleMania along the way. There has been enough damage done with Sheamus as the champion both for the record books and for the overall respect of the title. Please, get that thing off of him before the biggest show of the year happens. WWE cannot properly sell WrestleMania as the biggest show of the year if Sheamus is the headlining WWE Champion.

Ted Dibiase announced for Hall Of Fame: I realize that the Hall of Fame is about as serious an award or accolade as winning an MTV movie award, but good for him. I always felt as though The Million Dollar man was one of WWF’s most recognizable faces, and one of the best characters to ever enter the ring. He was great on the mic, and had a charisma that few have matched since. In addition, he had a great entrance music; one of the best ever. He was one of the first wrestlers to be recognized solely for his music. I realize he didn’t actually write the music, but that “Money, money, money, money, money” line accompanied by his sinister laugh still brings joy to my ears. There was never a gimmick like his, and there will never be (perhaps, more on that in a moment).

Some of the inductees into the HOF are odd choices, but it is the right time for respect to be shown to this legend of wrestling.

Ted Dibiase’s son: Now that we are on the subject of The Million Dollar man…why didn’t he pass any of that charisma onto his son? Being, “Ted Dibiase’s son” is not a gimmick worthy of caring about. Seriously, I think his dad took all the charisma for himself and never shared any of it with his son. How does it become such an opposite over one generation? I cannot believe how charismatic he was, how over he was, and how his son is the biggest black hole of charisma I have ever seen step foot inside a ring. Well, except for Cody Rhodes, he is even worse. How these guys never learned from their father’s about how to play a character, how to make people care, and how to actually put something into the theatrical side of wrestling is beyond me.

I learned how to be a character watching Dusty and The Million Dollar man. How did their own sons not pick up on any of that? Attempting to slide by just because you are sons of former WWF stars is not a good gimmick any way you cut it. It has yet to work so far, and that is all while being surrounded by one of the most over characters in the business right now, Randy Orton. These boys need to look at those they are associated with and learn something.

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Twilight Zone: The Howling Man (1960)

February 17th, 2010

Bad Brad

Reviewed by Geno McGahee

I had to see this episode for a few reasons. Mostly because my friend Crazy Carl Robinson recommended it, making his top 10, but there is the cool storyline. Monks have a man imprisoned that they claim to be the devil. The title of the episode is “The Howling Man” and it refers to the prisoner howling, which is not uncommon with inmates, especially the newbies. They usually get them in the prison shower…a whole bunch of them. They call it a “train” I think. As far as I know the monks do not run a train on the Howling Man, but then again, I never saw the “uncut” version of this one. Maybe they did.

We begin with David Ellington (H.M. Wyant) stumbling through a horrible thunderstorm and discovers a castle with a bunch of weird dudes with beards and big staffs. Ellington is really impressed with their big staffs. Their beards, not so much.

The monks are very apprehensive about allowing Ellington to remain in the castle, but the storm is bad enough to merit it. Ellington is curious about the howling that he is hearing, but when you get a bunch of guys in robes hanging out, you will hear a lot of moaning and howling. So I’m sure that Ellington was probably just assuming that there was some Brokeback Twilight Zone action going on. That’s what I would assume.

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Manny Pacquiao Vs Julio Cesar Chavez: Tackling Invincibility

February 16th, 2010

Bad Brad

By Jeff Stoyanoff

What if Pacquiao had met Julio Cesar Chavez at 135 pounds? First, the fight would almost certainly have not fallen through at the negotiating table, so that’s a plus. However, the fight itself would have been compelling in so many other ways. My first reaction was to think that there is simply no way that Chavez could have handled the other worldly combination of speed and power that Pacquiao brought to the table. Chavez struggled with Meldrick Taylor, particularly in the first half of their classic fight in 1990. Taylor had ridiculous hand speed, but Pacquiao has the same kind of speed. Which fighter was faster is interesting but hardly the issue; the similarity of that speed is undeniable. Admittedly, Chavez came on in the second half of that fight and delivered a fearsome beating to Taylor which highlights some of the problems that Pacquiao would have faced even if things went well early on. However, my initial take was that Chavez would be hard pressed to wear down Pacquiao like he did Taylor. Pacquiao seemed too strong for that to take place. And there it was, my first question came to mind.

Which Pacquiao?

There may not be a fighter in the world that has undergone a greater metamorphosis in a single career than Manny Pacquiao. Pacquiao began his career at the astoundingly low weight of 106 pounds. Since then, Pacquiao has moved up seven divisions and, incredibly, he has only become more dominating as he has moved up. The scary thing about Pacquiao is that he may only now be reaching the weights where he can truly fight his best. In order to deal with Chavez, Pacquiao would have to be strong. That is not a problem because apparently he is.

Pacquiao just weathered a strong offensive assault by a hard punching welterweight in Miguel Cotto. The astounding thing is that Pacquiao not only took the punches, but he never appeared close to being dazed or hurt in the fight. Miguel Cotto has world class power at 147 pounds, how in the world could little Julio Cesar Chavez hurt that Manny Pacquiao? He most likely couldn’t, but that is not necessarily the Manny Pacquiao he would face.

The Manny Pacquiao that fought at 126 and 130 pounds was the same man that is now devastating the welterweight division. As such, Pacquiao had to drain himself to make that weight. Consider the following; Pacquiao has been stopped twice in his career. Both stoppages took place south of 126 pounds. Pacquiao was young and inexperienced and those dynamics probably played a part in his demise. However, at least one of the stoppages came on a body shot. That kind of result is only more likely if a fighter is a little weakened by trying to make an unnatural weight. The last time Pacquiao was noticeably stunned came in his second fight with Juan Manuel Marquez. Marquez caught Pacquiao with a perfect counter left hook as Pac closed in and the after effect was startling. Pacquiao wobbled and nearly went down. Of course, Pac gamely held on and stayed on his feet. Granted, that fight came at 130 pounds, but Pacquiao was also older. As Pacquiao aged, it no doubt became increasingly important that he not continue to drain himself to make weight. Since Pacquiao has moved up, what has been most striking is his increased ability to take punishment; obviously he is much stronger at the higher weights. Manny at 126 pounds at Manny at 145 pounds are equally tough, but not equally strong and just how strong Pacquiao would be at 135 pounds is hard to say definitively.

Punching Power

Still, the increased ability to withstand punches is only part of the story. At the lower weight classes, Pacquiao was incredibly fast, a little awkward, and a strong puncher. However, his power was still cumulative. In his big fights against top competition, he was dominating, but he often wore down his top opponents. In his first fight with Barrera, Pacquiao dominated from the outset, but still did not gain the stoppage until the 11^th round with Barrera still on his feet. In his first fight with Marquez, Pacquiao stunned Marquez and the entire boxing world by dropping him three times in the first round. Yet, in the rounds that followed, Marquez was not only able to survive but in fact turned things around. The point is, Pacquiao had more than enough power to gain your respect at featherweight, but he didn’t possess the kind of power to put out the lights on top opponents early on. As it turned out, that kind of power only came later. Pacquiao had his first early stoppage in a big fight in his initial foray into the Junior Welterweight Division. Pacquiao devastated Ricky Hatton with a picture perfect left hook in the second round. It was the single most impressive knockout of his entire career given the stage and opponent.

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Amir Khan: World Beater?

February 16th, 2010

Bad Brad

By Geoff “The Professor” Poundes

When Britain’s Amir Khan, 22-1, 16 KO’s, blew away in less than a round the unbeaten Dmitriy Salita just before Christmas, there was a certain amount of ooh-ing and coo-ing from both sides of the Atlantic at the young man’s future prospects.

At just twenty-two years of age Khan is the WBA Light Welterweight Champion, and is now firmly ensconced in the thriving surroundings of Freddie Roach’s Wild Card gym in Los Angeles. He has Marco Antonio Barrera’s scalp on his resume, and a string of top contenders lining up to knock him off his perch.

Yet just over a year ago, Khan’s career appeared to be in tatters after he was blasted out in less than a minute by puncher Breidis Prescott. He swore after the fight that the defeat was attributable to a gung-ho attitude in the ring, whilst on-lookers shook their head and muttered that he was fragile around the whiskers and would be knocked out again should he share a ring with anyone possessing anything more than a feather-duster punch.

Even before the Prescott debacle, Khan’s relationship with the British public was somewhat love/hate. Perceived by many to be a fighter who had been gifted a route to the top by virtue of an Olympic silver medal and a canny promoter in Frank Warren, Khan’s often superlative ring performances seemed to be over-shadowed by a stubborn reluctance on the part of the fight-going public to give him his due. Before the Salita fight Khan made the mistake of attributing that reluctance to the color of his skin, when in truth it’s simply that the British expect our sportspeople to come up the hard way, perform creditably, and lose graciously.

So it has been a minor miracle that Frank Warren has managed to re-draw Khan’s battle lines and maneuver him into his current position. A couple of weeks ago Warren was rewarded by being ditched in favor of Oscar’s Golden Boy outfit, ostensibly so that Khan can take advantage of the lucrative US market, but also, one suspects, in view of the fact that Ricky Hatton has announced his return to the ring, and there are megabucks in the offing for Khan and Hatton to get together later in the year. Warren’s fractious relationship with Hatton would have precluded that fight from happening.

Doubtless when the time is right Warren will shout loud and long about the sterling job he’s done for Khan, before and after the youngster unraveled under Prescott’s powerful assault, but for the moment he’s keeping his counsel. Meanwhile Khan’s new representatives at Golden Boy cast about for an opponent who will excite his new American audience, whilst keeping his title intact.

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Hector Camacho, SR Returns to the Ring Against Allan Vester

February 15th, 2010

Bad Brad

“Macho-Time” is coming to Denmark. 47-year-old three-division world champion Hector “Macho” Camacho (79-5-3, 5 KOs) will face former world title challenger Allan Vester (28-6-1, 5 KOs) for the vacant WPBF (World Professional Boxing Federation) middleweight title on March 26 at the Arena Midt in Kjellerup, Denmark. “Héctor Camacho is a fantastic boxer, one of the greatest in history and the biggest boxing names who have visited Denmark since Mike Tyson in 2001,” says promoter Anders Vester.

In the co-main event, hometown hero former WBA/WBC/WIBA/WIBF women’s bantamweight champion Anita Christensen (24-1) goes against Kaliesha West(11-1-1) for the vacant WPBF women’s bantamweight title.

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Brian's Boxing Mailbag (Pinoy Power, Edwin Valero vs. Manny Pacquiao, And More!)

February 15th, 2010

Bad Brad

Hosted by Brian Wilbur

Welcome to the mailbag readers. I hope that all of you survived Valentine’s Day, the most stressful holiday of the year for men in relationships. As a present to my sweetheart this year I told her that I would change my underpants every day for a whole week. I was thinking about changing my underwear everyday for a month but decided against that because it sounded like too big of a commitment.

In boxing action over the weekend, Eric Morel won a debatable decision over Gerry Penalosa in a non-title bantamweight fight. Gerry Penalosa was a top notch boxer when he was at his best. His current record of 54-8-2 should be even more impressive that it is. Penalosa, like Glen Johnson, is notable for the number of close or controversial decisions that have gone against him. Gerry can’t seem to get a break, seeing another decision go against him last Saturday in a fight that a majority of observers felt he won.

Not that Eric Morel vs. Gerry Penalosa was a significant fight. It was a battle between two faded former champs hopelessly struggling to remain relevant despite their declining skill. Morel vs. Penalosa was buried on the under card of your typical Nonito Donaire vs. TBA (insert over-matched Latino opponent here) Top Rank Pay Per View. You know, the type of PPV where the main event isn’t good enough to be shown on a major TV network so Top Rank has to televise it themselves.

Despite Penalosa being past due for retirement in a fight where the stakes are low, you still hate to see a decision go against a guy like that, especially since he has been a victim of so many questionable verdicts in the past. The one constant in Penalosa’s long distinguished career has been getting screwed by the judges; from the beginning of his championship reign to the possible end of his career last Saturday.

You’d think that karma would be working against Eric Morel, the convicted rapist.

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WWE & TNA: Random Wrestling Recap

February 15th, 2010

Bad Brad

By John Pitroff

Recently, I did a new type of column which overviewed the bigger pieces of wrestling news. I thought it worked well because it covered a wide variety of subjects that I otherwise might miss in some of my longer, essay type articles that I also enjoy writing. These are all opinion pieces, and with the new RSR site and the ability for you, the reader, to make comments, I feel as though this will work well as an interactive piece for those who both agree and disagree with what I have to say. So, I decided to do it again. Comments, suggestions, agreements, disagreements, complaints, and random opinions are always welcome…

TNA’s Ring Pt. 2: TNA went through and decided to change their six sided ring back to the four sided ring, something I mentioned in a previous column that they should do. It didn’t come without some trouble, however. The TNA fans at the Genesis PPV chanted “We want six sides” while Hogan and Bischoff gave their promo. Hogan gave his response, to a lot of boos from the fans. I still agree with Hogan on this one. I don’t see it as TNA not giving the fans what they want, because you can’t please all the fans, all the time. And, honestly, the TNA audience in the Impact Zone, especially the night of PPVs are the biggest TNA marks in the world. They are a small minority of people that don’t really represent that landscape of the wrestling audience. I understand that fans got used to the six sides, but TNA fans seem to forget that they had the normal four sided ring for years before that.

The six sides got stale, it was quite meaningless, and it made the product look extremely minor league. This is pro wrestling, not a jungle gym or play ground. Those few fans who did like it were loud and voiced their opinion, and a lot of internet wrestling fans were quick to say that TNA wasn’t listening to their fans, or turning their back on those that made them. I don’t see it like that. As I said, that small, loud minority of fans screaming for six sides are most likely the same fans who think that X division wrestlers with no character or depth to who they are can sell PPV matches. These are the same fans who think spotfests are five star classics.

Perhaps Hogan & Bischoff could have went about announcing it in a different way better explaining their reasoning. Fans that went to the show that night didn’t expect anything any different but they showed up to a totally new ring. A sit down interview stating all the great reasons for changing the ring, meaning no disrespect to fans, would have helped tremendously. I’m not surprised at the backlash the first few weeks of changing the ring back. I have read online at a number of online sources where people were complaining about the move, but it will die down and perhaps people will smarten up and realize that if TNA wants to become a top wrestling company and remain there, their ring is one of the smaller issues that needed tending to. That is out of the way, now, onto making AJ Styles heel turn wore…more on that later.

TNA’s Live Events Change: Hulk Hogan said in a radio interview that he was looking to end house shows until the television aspect of the company was worked out first. In addition, Hogan & Bischoff want to hold only two PPVs outside of the Impact Zone this year. These are both smart decisions. Many wondered what the big changes were that Hogan kept mentioning in interviews leading up to his debut. He made it sound like not only creatively, but as a business venture, he was going to change the way things had been done before. Here are a few of the business decisions he was mentioning.

These are two great examples of him stepping in and using his prior wrestling knowledge to do what needs to be done at the time. I have been to TNA house shows, they were a lot of fun, and I had a blast. However, the audience is just not there yet to be touring doing house shows. All the arenas I went to were not even close to full. More empty than full, actually. I’m sure a lot of the diehard, hardcore fans won’t be happy with this move, but for the time being, it is the right move.

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RSR Weekly Message Board Update

February 15th, 2010

Bad Brad

Update by Mike “Rubber Warrior” Plunkett

This time a year ago our message boards were periodically abuzz concerning rumors of Floyd Mayweather JR’s expected return to active duty given all of the variables surrounding his sudden retirement less than a year before. A year later much of the chatter still revolves around “Pretty Boy”, so much so that a thread from last fall simply seemed to reincarnate based on the soap opera that has become his comeback. “Is Floyd Back as Good as Ever?” by yours truly is one of those threads that may vanish off into the ether sometime after each Mayweather ring appearance, and we’ve all dissected the subtleties of his most recent showing, only to rematerialize whenever a new fight date or opponent is announced. Such is the compelling nature of the larger than life character he exudes when behind the mike or in front of the camera, Floyd demands attention, but certainly in this case the topic is relevant given his next challenge against pound per pound entrant, “Sugar” Shane Mosley.

The RSR February Prediction League is now firmly in top gear and proving to be a very competitive exercise given the recent shift in the scores to date. Holding onto the lead by an uncomfortably slim margin, OKMike looks to do the type of work that Jakeameyers typically specializes in; stealing the carrot early and forcing the rest of the pack back to the drawing board. However, edging ever closer is Remeanors followed not too far behind by yours truly. The next round of activity features four key bouts with fourteen in total remaining for the month. Expect the unexpected. For those of you that are not currently a member of RSR and would like to take part in the various forums and fight polls, or put your powers of pugilistic prognostication to the test in the soon to be posted March 2010 Prediction League, act now using the link to submit your request.

Contact Mike “Rubber Warrior” Plunkett To Sign Up For The RSR Message Board and Join In On The Fun

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Tony Grano Out to Avenge Only Career Loss in “Brace For Impact” Headliner

February 15th, 2010

Bad Brad

Popular heavyweight prospect Tony “TNT” Grano values avenging his lone pro loss more than money and fame, which is precisely why he desperately wanted a rematch against Mark “Oak Tree” Brown, headlining the March 12^th “Brace For Impact” card, presented by Jimmy Burchfield’s Classic Entertainment & Sports, Inc. (CES), in Fox Theater at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Conn.

Grano (16-1-1, 13 KOs), a 2005 U.S. National Championships winner and National Golden Gloves Tournament runner-up, has won two in a row since losing to Brown (15-2, 7 KOs), who overcame two knockdowns to stop Grano in the eighth round of their WBF All-Americas title bout Sept. 27, 2008.

Coming off his sensational, nationally-televised knockout of previously-undefeated prospect Travis Kaufman (18-0) last September, Grano had clearly targeted Brown, rather than a top 20 rated opponent, and CES gave him the opportunity for revenge.

“For me, personally,” Grano explained, “I wanted this rematch more than any fight. Ranking-wise, I don’t need it because I’ve already surpassed him (Brown), and my fight on ShoBox (vs. Kaufman) showed everybody it (fight vs. Brown) was a fluke. No excuses, though, I’m not like that. I had a bad night and he had a good night. Negotiations for bigger fights for me were held – (Brian) Minto, (Hasim) Rahman and (Evander) Holyfield – were mentioned. But beating Brown means a lot to me and after I do, I’ll be looking for a fight against a top 10 guy to get me in position, hopefully, for a world title shot.

“Anybody who has watched me knows I put on exciting fights and a lot of people are coming to watch me fight March 12. I’m not going to brawl; I’m going to show my boxing ability and pick him apart. I won’t be looking for a knockout, but if it comes, it comes. I just want to connect and get in some good hits. He’s tough but I don’t see him going the full 10 rounds. It’s going to be a great fight.”

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Twilight Zone: Nick of Time (1960)

February 14th, 2010

Bad Brad

Reviewed by Melissa McGahee

“Every answer seems to fit.” – Don (William Shatner)

As Don S Carter (William Shatner) and his young wife Pat (Patricia Breslin) drives through Ridgefield Ohio their car breaks down. The local mechanic informs them it will be a four hour wait for the necessary fuel pump to fix the vehicle. The newlyweds decide to grab lunch at a local diner while waiting.

They enter the small restaurant and place a dime in the jukebox. When the duo walk to the nearest table they quickly notice a fortune telling machine called “The Mystic Seer” sitting upon it. The odd looking device is nothing more than a small metal box with stars covering the front and a face of the devil that sways back and forth continuously staring back at whomever sits in front of it. The eyes themselves are a bit frightening. It appears as though the devil is winking, as one of his eyes are closed. The other however appears to be a diamond-like stone. There is something so abnormal about the face that it easily adds apprehension in the viewer.

Don, who is traditionally superstitious, is instantly drawn to “The Mystic Seer” and reads the instructions quickly. Simply put, one places a coin in the device, a question is asked, the knob is pressed down and then a card with a response is delivered.

Curiosity gets the better of Don and he decides to try it out. He poses “does anything exciting ever happen around here?” The card answers with a vague “it is quite possible.” As the duo sip water and await their meal, Don puts another penny in the machine. This time the question is one that has been on his mind for quite awhile. He asks if he is going to obtain the promotion that he interviewed for. To his delight, “The Mystic Seer” answered that the decision would be “decided in his favor.” Immediately after obtaining the answer, he can’t help but phone the office to find out if a decision is made. Like the card had predicted, it had been decided in Don’s favor, and the promotion was now his.

The couple celebrates the new job as Don becomes more and more drawn to the fortune machine on the table. He asks if they would really remain in town for four hours as the mechanic had stated earlier. The card reveals the cryptic message of “you may never know.” Don is left a bit set off by the unusual remark but Pat seems unmoved. Don attempts to obtain a more straightforward answer from the device which is difficult as he must stay within the confines of always asking questions that could be answered with a “yes” or “no.”

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